Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [436]

“What’s wrong, Giovanni? You don’t look very happy,” August said as he approached Giovanni, feigning concern.

“I am happy,” Giovanni sighed. “It's just…my Pokémon are still injured. It bothers me a bit.”

“Oh, that's it?” August pretended realization.

He then patted Giovanni’s shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry! Before the next event, I'll make sure to heal your Pokémon—it won't affect your participation.”

Giovanni’s expression tensed slightly. He hadn’t expected August to offer this help so willingly, but he didn’t trust August’s kindness.

And sure enough, August continued, “Of course, since we didn't bring a proper medical team to Hisui, our healing resources are limited. I can only heal one of your Pokémon for now.”

“You can fully heal the rest when you get back to the Kanto Branch.”

Giovanni inwardly scoffed. He knew August couldn’t be genuinely altruistic. Indeed, August was always cautious around him.

But strangely, that reassured him.

If August hadn’t been cautious—if he'd simply healed all Giovanni’s Pokémon—Giovanni would’ve suspected a hidden scheme.

Thinking this, Giovanni deliberated for a moment, then handed August the Poké Ball containing his Beedrill.

He didn't choose Deoxys or Necrozma. The former was loyal but newly captured, while Necrozma was too unstable; Giovanni worried August might easily sway it to his side.

But Beedrill was Giovanni’s first Pokémon—his most trusted partner.

It would never betray him!

August smiled and accepted Beedrill’s Poké Ball. “I'll return it before the next event.”

At last, Giovanni’s face broke into a genuine smile.

“Time for a photo!” August grabbed Giovanni’s arm.

As Koga snapped the picture, the image of August and Giovanni—one hand holding a massive Whiscash, the other clutching a commemorative Evolutionary Stone Set—was freshly printed.

---

Not long after, Volo received word.

“Well, did Boss Giovanni win?” James asked anxiously.

“You idiot, stop rushing him!” Jessie scolded, punching James lightly on the head, but her eyes also anxiously turned toward Volo.

Meowth crossed his arms confidently. “According to my calculations, there’s no chance of failure, meow!”

Under the trio’s intense gazes, Volo smiled slightly. “Congratulations. You've all moved another step closer to becoming executives.”

He handed them the photo.

Seeing Giovanni smiling and holding both the prize and the giant Whiscash, the trio felt their long-held dreams finally coming true.

Volo dutifully added August’s scripted instruction: “Be sure to keep that photo safe. It's proof for your future promotions!”

Hearing this, the trio immediately began searching for a secure place to store the photo.

Jessie and Meowth’s eyes finally settled on James.

James shivered, sensing impending doom. “Wh-what are you doing?”

“James, you have a bottle cap collection box, don’t you?” Jessie smiled sweetly.

“That box is perfect for storing this photo, meow~!” Meowth added.

“Nooo! Those are my precious limited-edition bottle caps!”

Ignoring James's protests, Jessie and Meowth democratically outvoted him two-to-one, quickly repurposing the box for the photo.

James retreated to a corner, mournfully clutching his scattered bottle caps.

Volo shook his head, puzzled. What’s so special about collecting bottle caps?

But this wasn't his concern. His job was to direct the trio and support August in securing the championship.

---

On the way back to Team Origin Rocket headquarters—

Gary and Ash were still bickering about whose fish was bigger.

Anyone overhearing would think they took first and second place.

In reality, they'd both caught Magikarp—barely better than Zinnia, who had caught nothing.

Since both Magikarp weighed almost the same, the argument escalated endlessly.

Gary eventually snapped, “Fine! Let's see whose Magikarp can [Splash] higher!”

Ash readily accepted the challenge. “You’re on! I’m not scared!”

August finally lost his patience. “Are you two children?”

His remark silenced their debate—for now. Judging by their expressions, this wasn’t over yet. They’d settle it properly back at Jubilife Village.

Compared to Ash and Gary, the others were far more harmonious.

Gold was busy studying how to properly raise his Riolu, hoping it would become the first normal Pokémon on his bizarre team.

Pearl chased Diamond, yelling furiously.

Diamond and his Munchlax had mistakenly eaten a third of Giovanni’s Secret Recipe Pokéblocks, thinking they were candy.

Diamond protested defensively—weren’t Pokéblocks meant to be eaten? He’d only sampled the taste!

Each time Diamond ate one, Giovanni’s eyelid twitched violently.

Meanwhile, Lillie and Platinum each cuddled a Spheal they'd “borrowed,” chatting happily about something. Both Spheal wore contented expressions.

“What a peaceful, beautiful day!” August sighed, eyeing Jubilife Village in the distance.

...

That night, just as August was settling down to sleep, another uninvited guest snuck into his room.

August heard the door creak open and frowned.

Why do these guys keep sneaking into my room at night?

As the intruder tiptoed closer, August switched on the lights, freezing them in place.

Recognizing her immediately, August groaned with exasperation, “Not again, Zinnia!”

“Hehe…” Zinnia nervously scratched her head, hoping to bluff her way through.

But August wouldn't be fooled by her sheepish act.

“You’re here to borrow Rayquaza’s Poké Ball again, aren’t you? Forget it—it's never going to happen!” August predicted her request perfectly.

However, Zinnia had come prepared this time.

She proudly displayed her pillow and blanket. “I knew you wouldn't let me borrow Lord Rayquaza, so I brought my own bedding! You hold Rayquaza’s Poké Ball, and I'll just hold onto your arm as I sleep!”

August sighed, exasperated. “Why are you acting so proud?”

He felt utterly defeated by her logic.

“You know, knowledge flows from higher concentration to lower while sleeping, so…I refuse to sleep next to an idiot!” August signaled to Mew. “Take her back to her room!”

Zinnia panicked, dodging Mew while shouting, “Wait, August, listen—!”

But before she could finish, Mew grabbed her and tossed her out.

“Finally, some peace and quiet.”

August cocooned himself in his blankets.

At that moment, Mew returned—without any dried persimmons this time.

August narrowed his eyes. “What's in your mouth?”

“Mmmph…” Mew shook her head innocently.

“Your cheeks are bulging! Did you stuff your mouth full again? Let me see!”

“Mew!” Mew vigorously shook her head.

Suddenly, Mew swallowed hard, her belly ballooning slightly.

Then, she began hiccuping.

“Mew…hic…mew…hic…”

August took out his phone to record the rhythmic hiccups, perfectly timed every three seconds.

“I told you to stop sneaking snacks,” he scolded gently.

Mew stubbornly shook her head. “Mew…hic!”

Seeing her state, August decided not to press further. “Alright, stop talking and get some sleep.”

Mew nodded obediently, still hiccuping even as she drifted asleep…

...

“What happened to Mew? Why’s she hiccuping non-stop?”

“She stole dried persimmons last night—overate and has been hiccuping ever since.”

“Why isn't Gardevoir awake yet?”

“Mew hiccupped all night. Even I barely slept. If we didn't have events today, I'd be catching up on sleep too…”

“What about Eevee?”

“Oh, Gardevoir used [Hypnosis] on Eevee last night. Eevee slept very well.”

Gary: “?”

August asked, “Who won your contest yesterday?”

He recalled Gary and Ash planned a Magikarp Splash contest.

Gary's face instantly darkened.

Grumbling reluctantly, he admitted, “Ash won…”

“Huh? Ash won?” August exclaimed loudly.

Gary’s face went green. “Why are you yelling that out loud?!”

...

After yet another round of bickering with Gary during breakfast, August placed the still-hiccupping Mew on his shoulder and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

“Yesterday’s fishing competition was a great success. By now, you must all be familiar with how activities in our Hisui Summer Camp go. Let's give Giovanni another round of applause for winning first place and taking home the ‘extremely memorable Evolutionary Stone Set’!”

Listening to the applause ringing in his ears, Giovanni thought: When will this nonsense end?!

But, since he was dependent on August’s hospitality, he forced a smile and nodded politely.

Luckily, August understood the value of moderation and quickly changed topics, preventing Giovanni from snapping.

“I bet you're all eager to know today's activity after yesterday’s event! So let me officially announce it: Wilderness Survival!”

“Wilderness Survival?” Ash looked confused. “You mean, like, who can last longest out there?”

If that were the case, Ash was confident he’d win easily, especially with Brock by his side.

But August shook his head, grinning mysteriously. “You're partially correct, but not exactly.”

Ash tilted his head, puzzled.

August smiled. “You'll indeed be surviving in the wilderness, but it won't be a simple survival scenario.”

“You’ll have to navigate through territories guarded by Alpha Pokémon, defeat them, locate Team Rocket Game Corner tokens I've hidden nearby, and finally reach Mt. Coronet’s summit to take a photo with Palkia!”

Giovanni’s eyelids twitched. Does he never tire of provoking me?!

August added cheerfully, “Your ranking depends on the order you reach Mt. Coronet's summit!”

“That doesn’t sound so hard?” Gold commented after hearing the details.

They had encountered Alpha Pokémon near Mt. Coronet before. They were tough but manageable. With a bit of caution, reaching the summit quickly seemed doable.

Gary muttered quietly, “Why call it wilderness survival? It’s more of a race.”

August narrowed his eyes, “Gary, you have an issue with my naming?”

Gary immediately straightened, reacting instinctively. “No issues! It’s a wonderful name!”

Satisfied, August nodded, then suddenly remembered something crucial. “Oh right, almost forgot! Because it’s wilderness survival, you can’t carry any items. You're limited to one Pokémon per person, and flying-type Pokémon are forbidden from directly flying you to the summit.”

“I've also hidden bonus rewards—defeating particularly powerful Alpha Pokémon will net you ten times the rewards!”

“Huh?” Gold’s confidence instantly faded.

Getting through all those Alphas with just one Pokémon was pure nightmare mode.

While everyone else groaned, Gary’s face lit up smugly.

Bet no one thought I'd have Suicune! In a one-on-one, aside from August, I’m invincible! This championship is mine!

His smugness vanished instantly when August added, “Oh yeah, Legendary Pokémon are also banned.”

Gary: (?_?)

This is targeted harassment, right?! There’s no one else here with a Legendary besides me!

August grinned at Gary’s exasperated look.

Then, he said cheerfully, “But there’s good news! You can form teams of up to three to complete the challenge together!”

“You can start as soon as everyone’s ready!”

At August’s announcement, everyone quickly began looking for teammates.

Only Giovanni stood still, calmly asking, “And what’s the prize for this event?”

He secretly hoped it involved more of those Secret Recipe Pokéblocks.

“Oh, did I not say? Look at me—forgetting things like I have amnesia,” August said, smacking his forehead theatrically.

Giovanni: “.....”

He suspected August was deliberately taunting him.

August quickly clarified, “First prize is a ‘commemorative item & Poké Ball set’ I seized from the Team Rocket Game Corner! It contains practically every common item available in the market and 100 Ultra Balls—quite a memorable set.”

Giovanni: “.....”

Does everything you have carry commemorative value?! Those are just ordinary items and Poké Balls!

Such blatant provocation wouldn't fool him!

Patience. He needed patience. He absolutely wouldn’t give August the satisfaction.

Seeing Giovanni’s indifferent reaction, August felt deflated. Giovanni was too good at self-control—it wasn't fun at all.

“Second prize is a Hisuian Arcanine egg! You can hatch it into a Hisuian Growlithe. This egg was personally selected and blessed by the Great Almighty Sinnoh himself (read: handled briefly by Cogita).”

“Third prize is again a box of my handmade Secret Recipe Pokéblocks!”

Objectively speaking, August’s prizes were remarkably generous for a summer camp event.

Yet, annoyingly, the Pokéblocks Giovanni craved remained the third-place reward…

As Giovanni contemplated how to tactically control his score, Silver approached him. “Want to team up?”

Although Silver’s voice was devoid of obvious emotion, to Giovanni’s ears it struck straight to his heart.

Without hesitation, Giovanni nodded.

Only after agreeing did he remember he had planned on controlling his score—something much harder with Silver involved.

But…

Who cares? Looking warmly at Silver beside him, Giovanni’s face softened with fatherly affection.

Unseen by Giovanni, Silver secretly flashed August an ‘OK’ sign behind his back.

August smiled knowingly.

Watching all this, Sabrina thought silently: Be a decent human being, August!

...

Everyone gathered by their Flying Pokémon, gazing up at the towering mountain. Iono and Nemona, who had never seen Mt. Coronet, gasped in awe and took photos excitedly.

Bea stared determinedly at the peak, clearly taking the survival challenge as her personal trial.

Teams formed quickly:

Ash, Brock, and Misty grouped up, using Pikachu, Onix, and Psyduck (Misty sighed).

Pearl and Diamond partnered, using Infernape and Torterra.

Gary teamed with Gold—Gary chose his swift Arcanine, and Gold brought his trusty Typhlosion, Explotaro.

Platinum and Lillie formed a leisurely duo—one with Empoleon, the other cradling Cosmog, looking more ready for a picnic than survival.

Zinnia (who caught nothing yesterday) boldly teamed with Sapphire, promising to secure Sapphire a top-three finish.

Nemona paired up with Iono, bringing Goodra and Sandy Shocks.

Initially, they had invited Bea, but Bea insisted this was Master August’s challenge for her to face alone.

August blinked, puzzled. Did I say anything like that? Isn’t that just your own imagination?!

With everyone set, August shouted, “Let the wilderness survival challenge begin!”

Immediately, Gary and Gold raced ahead on Arcanine’s back, sprinting toward the mountain.

Close behind were Sapphire and Zinnia, awkwardly riding on Zinnia’s Salamence—forced to run on foot since flying was forbidden. Their sight was...well, hard to watch.

As everyone gradually departed, only Giovanni and Silver remained.

“Let's go,” Silver said simply, stepping forward.

Giovanni followed, a gentle smile on his face.

August sighed warmly. “What beautiful father-son harmony!”

Pryce and others maintained security nearby, ensuring nothing went wrong…

Then, they activated the holographic projection.

Soon, footage streamed live from Rotom drones appeared before August.

“Oh? The first one encountering an Alpha Pokémon isn't Gary?”

On-screen, Bea and her Machamp faced an Alpha Kricketune.

Bea startled Kricketune! Kricketune noticed Bea! Kricketune used sound attacks—it was ineffective! Kricketune rushed in—it was KO’d.

Watching Machamp kick Kricketune into the distance, August, who had been rooting for the bug Pokémon, sighed, “That Kricketune is utterly hopeless.”

Sabrina snorted, “You actually had expectations for Kricketune?”

At that moment, Blue brought roasted Slowpoke tails for everyone. Mew immediately hopped over, hiccupping.

August: “.....”

You’re still eating even with hiccups? Mew, you're hopeless!

---

As August enjoyed the picnic, the wilderness challenge continued.

Gary and Gold crouched quietly in tall grass, observing an Alpha Vaporeon napping by the lake. They exchanged determined glances.

Gold frowned uncertainly. “Type disadvantage… think we can handle it?”

Gary puffed out his chest confidently. “No problem at all! Don’t forget, I even caught Suicune!”

Gold nodded decisively. “Then let’s go!”

Three minutes later…

The two boys were frantically riding Arcanine, racing away as a furious Vaporeon chased after them, blasting [Water Guns].

“You said you could handle it!” Gold yelled.

Gary was equally indignant. “All I said was I caught Suicune—I didn’t know this thing’s level would be so high!”

Right as he finished speaking, another [Water Gun] streaked past, drenching their hair and sending a chill down their spines.

Seeing his ruined hairstyle, Gary exploded with rage.

Chasing me is one thing, but messing with my hair? Absolutely unforgivable!

“Arcanine, turn around!” Gary shouted fiercely.

Arcanine immediately spun, facing the Vaporeon head-on.

The Alpha Vaporeon paused warily, clearly startled by the sudden reversal.

Gary’s eyes blazed with fury.

It’s bad enough getting bullied by August’s Eevee every day. Now even a wild Vaporeon wants a piece of me?

“Let’s settle this once and for all!” Gary challenged the Alpha Vaporeon directly.

Vaporeon prepared itself to respond, only for Gary to shamelessly shout:

“Arcanine, [Extreme Speed]!”

Whoosh!

In a blur of orange-red, Arcanine charged, slamming the startled Vaporeon straight into the lake.

“Hmph. So much for an Alpha Vaporeon,” Gary said smugly, shaking water from his hair.

Just as he turned to call Gold to help search for tokens, he saw Gold gaping, pointing urgently behind him.

Gary spun around—only to witness an entire group of Vaporeon emerging from the lake, surrounding the injured Alpha in the middle.

“Eevee evolutions live in groups!”

August’s past advice echoed loudly in Gary’s mind.

Instantly, he made the only sensible choice. “Gold—run!”

---

Watching Gary flee desperately on the holographic screen, Blue asked curiously, “August, did you deliberately set that Vaporeon there?”

August immediately widened his eyes dramatically. “Blue, how could you suspect me? Am I really that kind of person? Sabrina accusing me is one thing, but you?”

Seeing August’s innocent expression, Blue immediately felt guilty for doubting him.

But Sabrina interjected bluntly, “Don’t fall for his act, Blue. I clearly saw him secretly laughing earlier…”

Blue: “.....”

Feeling Blue’s skeptical gaze, August shot Sabrina a glare, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Well... fine. It was a special Easter egg I set up, but its location was fixed. It’s just bad luck that Gary ran into it—totally not my fault!”

“Besides, defeating that Alpha Vaporeon would’ve earned ten times the tokens. It’s not my fault Gary couldn’t seize the opportunity!”

The projection shifted, displaying Giovanni and Silver’s progress, drawing everyone’s attention.

Under Silver’s guidance, the pair stood before another Alpha Pokémon August had arranged.

Staring at the powerful Ursaluna ahead, Giovanni silently glanced at his son.

But Silver ignored Giovanni’s look, preparing to battle Ursaluna with his Ursaring.

Seeing this, Giovanni sighed. “Silver, let me handle this. You’re no match for it.”

Without further hesitation, Giovanni pulled out his Poké Ball.

With a flash of red, Beedrill appeared—crimson eyes, black-and-yellow stripes, gleaming silver stingers ready.

Ursaluna snarled threateningly, sensing danger from Beedrill.

But Beedrill remained unfazed, red compound eyes calmly searching for an opening.

Feeling increasingly threatened, Ursaluna roared, charging forward.

In that instant, Beedrill vanished.

Swish!

In a blur of movement, Beedrill reappeared behind Ursaluna, stinger delivering a decisive poisonous strike. Ursaluna wobbled briefly before collapsing.

“Amazing! As expected from Giovanni!” August applauded. “Now let’s see how Giovanni explains this to Silver…”

Everyone silently thought: Have some decency!

Silver eyed Giovanni closely. “Did your memories return?”

Giovanni hesitated for just a moment before shaking his head. “No. I just instinctively felt if I could infiltrate Team Rocket, I must be pretty strong.”

“Oh.”

Without further questions, Silver silently retrieved the buried tokens nearby. The air grew heavy with awkward silence.

For the first time, Giovanni felt genuine frustration.

But with August’s drone directly overhead, he could never admit the truth.

Watching remotely, August sighed. “Giovanni, I handed you a chance to fix your relationship, and you wasted it.”

Sabrina scoffed, “Fix their relationship just so you can toss Giovanni straight into jail, right?”

Surprisingly, Blue took August’s side. “Isn't that good, though? If Giovanni ends up in jail, he can see Silver every day!”

Sabrina: “.....”

Are both of you devils?

...

The wilderness survival challenge continued.

Despite Zinnia’s usual clumsiness, thanks to Sapphire’s help, their progress surprisingly ranked second, just behind Giovanni and Silver.

Their strategy was simple yet effective: Zinnia played bait, attracting Pokémon, while Sapphire ambushed from behind.

Surprisingly, Zinnia seemed thrilled playing bait.

Pearl and Diamond progressed steadily. Though Diamond was barely smarter than Zinnia, Pearl’s careful choices placed them firmly in third.

Fourth were Gary and Gold, recovering quickly from their Vaporeon disaster due to their strong overall skills.

Nemona and Iono trailed next, while Bea, though strong, struggled alone. But Bea seemed more interested in the personal challenge than winning anyway.

As for Ash’s group…

Watching Ash, Misty, and Brock frantically fleeing another Alpha Pokémon…

Well, friends, let’s just enjoy the lovely view of Mt. Coronet instead!

...

Seeing everyone making steady progress, August led Blue and the others to the summit of Mt. Coronet.

Surveying the ruined temple atop the mountain, he briefly recalled Spear Pillar’s future—or rather, how he’d personally flattened it.

Feeling August’s approach, Dialga and Palkia revealed themselves respectfully.

“You two eaten yet?” August casually asked the deities.

Dialga and Palkia exchanged glances awkwardly.

Hadn’t August caught their future selves? Didn’t he know Legendary Pokémon didn’t need food?

Ignoring their silence, August cheerfully offered two Secret Recipe Pokéblocks, which looked tiny next to their massive forms.

Reluctantly, Dialga and Palkia accepted out of politeness, but their surprise quickly turned to amazement as intense flavors burst in their mouths.

Looking eagerly at August, they received a generous box each—August had plenty of special ingredients anyway.

“But since you accepted,” August smiled meaningfully, “make sure you smile for my friends’ photos later—don’t scare them.”

Both deities obediently nodded, eager to please.

“By the way, seen Giratina anywhere?” August glanced around curiously, sensing no presence.

Dialga and Palkia shook their heads uncertainly.

Probably plotting revenge in the Distortion World again, they mused silently. Never learning, yet strangely persistent…

August shrugged, handing another Pokéblock box to them. “If you see it, give this to Giratina and say I’d like to make friends.”

Cogita narrowed her eyes suspiciously behind August, silently wondering why he’d befriend a traitorous deity right before her.

Noticing her scrutiny, August quickly clarified, “Just being friendly, Cogita—don’t overthink it!”

Cogita smiled elegantly, flicking open her fan. She’d keep a careful eye on whatever August planned.

...

After a long wait at Spear Pillar, the first team arrived—Giovanni and Silver!

Despite Giovanni’s best efforts at scoring lower, Silver dragged him to victory.

After reluctantly posing with suspiciously smiling Origin Dialga and Origin Palkia, Giovanni firmly decided he wouldn’t blow his cover here.

Even when August handed him the first-place commemorative set, Giovanni maintained a relaxed smile, smoothly gifting it to Silver as a “fatherly gesture.”

Second place went to Zinnia and Sapphire—but Zinnia’s face was swollen grotesquely, like a Snorlax.

“What happened?” August gently poked Zinnia’s bloated cheek.

Sapphire handed tokens guiltily. “We ran into a Vespiquen…”

The same Pokémon had previously stung Zinnia. August sighed, Classic Zinnia…

After using the [Power of Viridian], Zinnia improved enough to accept their prize—a Hisuian Growlithe egg.

Zinnia weakly protested, “I don’t want it… I just wanted to prove…I’m not dumb! August, am I dumb?”

Holding her hand comfortingly, August smiled warmly. “You’re not dumb.”

“Then…will you lend me Rayquaza’s Poké Ball?”

Inspired by her hopeful eyes, August declared with heartfelt warmth, “Not a chance!”

Zinnia froze awkwardly, earning a knowing grin from August—her little scheme failed.

Finally, Lillie and Platinum surprisingly arrived third, casually strolling up in picnic attire.

“We met a very nice Kirlia who gave us the tokens!” Lillie explained cheerfully.

Right afterward, Gary and Gold arrived—Gary confidently boasting about a top-three finish until seeing everyone ahead of him.

After a brief stunned silence, Platinum and Lillie joyfully hugged, happily accepting third place. The challenge ended amid cheerful chatter, laughter, and another round of Ash and Gary bickering playfully.

Unnoticed by most, Giratina quietly claimed August’s Pokéblocks in the shadows—watched only by August and an intrigued Cogita.

Feigning innocence under Cogita’s gaze, August concluded cheerfully:

“The wilderness survival challenge has officially ended! Let’s congratulate our champion—Giovanni!”

---

T/N: long ass chapter... the next one is even longer...

This is a fan translation of 我，宝可梦称号大师！ by 落唯 白良. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!