"Whoa, I gotta call you Big Bro for real! Your livestream—crazy impressive!"
The courier station owner exclaimed in awe.
"Just call me Bro, no need for all that 'Big Bro' stuff. Ignore the chat hype. You're the real Big Bro! Everyone who joins the stream is family—Big Bro, Big Sis, all of 'em!"
Lovy replied with a high-EQ charm that fit right into the livestream vibe.
"Alright, alright, Bro it is! Next time you have a package, I'll personally deliver it. You and your little Snorlax are welcome to come eat at my place anytime!"
The owner hadn't expected much from the young guy who barely showed up once a year—turns out he was a rising streamer with some serious following. Naturally, he wanted to get closer.
"Appreciate it, Big Bro."
Lovy smiled and turned to his audience:
"So my little Snorlax actually came out of this mess with a blessing in disguise. It learned a new move from the collision—not even kidding! When that Tauros rammed it, the Tauros ended up flipping over. Its horns got bloody from the impact!"
He hyped up the moment, getting the viewers fully engaged. As a streamer, storytelling was just as important as gameplay.
[Wait, what's the new move??]
[Yeah, you mentioned it earlier—show us already!]
"It's not some crazy overpowered move or anything. Just... 'Rollout.'"
Lovy still felt a surge of pride just seeing it on the move list.
In this Pokémon world, moves weren't as easy to learn as in the games. It was more like the anime—you had to meet certain conditions or actively train.
[Move: Rollout]
"The body curls into a ball, releasing Pokémon energy to temporarily boost defense."
In the games, "Defense Curl" (aka "Rollout" here) raised defense by one stage. But in this world, it had evolved into an active defensive move—more tangible, more useful.
"Alright, Snorlax, show 'em what you got!"
At Lovy's command, his Snorlax curled into a tight ball, soft bluish-gray energy pulsing around it.
Lovy reached out to touch it. The energy felt like a soft wall—solid, springy, and resistant. Not only could it absorb hits, it even dispersed the impact.
[Now I see why it tanked that Tauros hit. Barely a scratch.]
[Serves that guy right! Who lets a Tauros loose in a residential zone and then expects no consequences?]
"You're amazing, Snorlax! Absolutely amazing!"
Lovy made sure to praise his partner.
Snorlax gave a sheepish, goofy grin, scratching its head shyly. But deep down, it was fired up—determined to get even stronger and earn more of its trainer's praise.
It didn't just want to protect Lovy. It wanted to be Lovy's pride and joy.
After the quick skills demo, Lovy planned to head home to get back to his main livestream content—Pokémon identification. Snorlax's mukbang and skill showcase had just been a warm-up.
"Hey, streamer—since you're here, could I trouble you to ID a Meowth for me? Rare opportunity, I know, but I'd really appreciate it."
The courier station owner hesitated as Lovy turned to leave.
"I know the rules—I'm not expecting it for free. Tell me how many gifts you want, I'll send 'em."
[He says he understands, but doesn't really. Streamer usually IDs for free.]
[Nah, on-site IDs and line-skipping cost extra. It's fair.]
[I like this boss, he's respectful. C'mon, let him show the Meowth. I wanna see it too!]
Seeing the chat's support and the boss's genuine tone, Lovy nodded.
"Sure, I'll take a look. No charge."
"Thank you, really!"
The owner quickly fetched a nurturing box from the back. Inside was a curled-up Meowth.
"Someone ordered it online, but a few days in, they claimed it had 'issues' and refused to keep it. Said it was past the return window unless they paid for shipping. The vendor wouldn't cover it. So now it's stuck here. I've tried reaching the buyer, but they won't respond. It's heartbreaking."
He sighed.
"I just want to know if there's anything wrong with it. If it's fine, I'll gift it to my niece. If not... I'll send it to a rescue center."
Lovy's expression shifted slightly.
In this world, Meowth weren't worth much—unless they had abilities like Pickup (which could lead to riches) or evolved into Persian, boosting their value dramatically.
Not all Meowth could walk upright or speak like the anime's Team Rocket Meowth.
If they were really so valuable, why were so many of them abandoned?
For sellers, the cost of live Pokémon transport was high and risky. Sometimes it cost more than the Pokémon itself.
And from the buyer's perspective—raising a Pokémon took time, energy, and money. If they decided they didn't want one anymore, they wouldn't even cover the return shipping!
Unfortunately, this wasn't a rare case. It happened far too often.
[Poor Meowth... Can I adopt it for free?]
[Meowth's temperaments can vary. Bet the buyer didn't do their research. Still, just abandoning it like that is messed up.]
[C'mon, people—it's not like every Meowth knows Payday!]
Lovy's gaze settled on the Meowth.
Sure, his Appraisal Eye could work instantly, but with thousands watching, putting on a show was part of the job.
(That mass Caterpie appraisal earlier? That was an exception.)
Abusing "Instant Appraisal" daily was a fast track to suspicion. He had to pace himself.
Besides, Lovy genuinely loved Pokémon. Observing their form and expression gave him joy.
This Meowth was curled up, clearly uncomfortable from being shuffled between environments. It was alert and a little stressed.
Meowth, the "Bakeneko" Pokémon, resembled real-world cats but had mystical traits.
The title "Bakeneko" wasn't just for show. Some Meowths could walk upright and had high intelligence. Legends even spoke of Meowths that could talk.
No other Pokémon had quite that same mythos.
Physically, Meowth were typically pale cream with black-tipped ears, light brown paws and tail tips, and some variations in the forelimbs. Ones with symmetrical brown "glove-like" markings were considered rare and highly collectible.
But irregular markings—or patchy patterns—often dropped their visual appeal, increasing their chances of being abandoned.
In that way, they were just like real-world pet cats.
People claimed to view Pokémon as partners. But until they became a partner, many were treated more like merchandise.
Just like people picked partners for looks, or hoped for cute kids—appearance still mattered. That was human nature.
Still, Lovy could tell—this Meowth wasn't flawed at all.
Not top-tier maybe, but certainly healthy and intact.
Oval face, signature gold coin on its forehead, four whiskers, two little "antenna-like" tufts, a soft smile with peeking fangs, and paws like sliced mangosteen—plump and adorable.
Absolutely lovable.
As Lovy gazed at the Meowth, his eyes softened. Such a sweet Pokémon didn't deserve to be discarded in the crossfire of negligence.
[Aww, Lovy's eyes look so gentle…]
[Bro, that soft gaze is lethal—even I'm getting flustered, and I'm a dude.]
[Hey, Lovy, point the camera at Meowth already!]
"Oh—right, my bad."
Lovy realized his phone had been filming his own average-looking face this whole time.
"Boss, mind holding it for me? Let's show them the Meowth too."
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