Feeling the faint, gentle touch on the back of his hand, the young man could no longer hold back. He pulled the Squirtle into a gentle embrace—this time, without any forceful grabbing—and burst into loud, heaving sobs.
His wailing echoed through the livestream; although it wasn't a pretty sound, it was incredibly raw and real.
A long time passed. It wasn't until the young man's emotions had somewhat settled that Miles finally spoke again.
"Alright, you've cried enough, and you've admitted your mistakes." Miles's voice had returned to its usual calm. "Remember today's lesson. I shouldn't need to tell you how to raise him from now on, right?"
"No, no! I've memorized it all!" The young man hurriedly wiped his tears. "Drain the water! Add a basking platform! Never force him into the water! Let him sunbathe! It's all locked in my brain!"
As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and quickly scrambled up from the floor to grab his phone.
"Master, I said earlier that if you could figure out the problem, I'd send a gift. Even though the process was humiliating, I keep my word! This Master Ball is a token of my appreciation. Consider it medical fees for my Squirtle, and tuition fees for the lesson you just taught me!"
The next second, a brilliant purple firework exploded across the screen.
[System Notification: User "Proud Troll" has sent a Master Ball x1!]
A top-tier donation worth a thousand bucks!
"I'll accept the tuition." Miles didn't decline. It was what he deserved, and it was the price the troll needed to pay to "buy his peace of mind." "As for Squirtle's follow-up treatment, if there's anything you don't understand, you can DM me anytime."
"Absolutely, absolutely! Thank you, Master!" The young man bowed deeply with the Squirtle in his arms, expressing his endless gratitude before finally disconnecting the call.
As the screen reverted to single-player mode, Miles exhaled a long breath of stale air. Even though the entire ordeal had only lasted a dozen minutes, the emotional rollercoaster had been more intense than a real one. He glanced at his backend analytics.
[Current Viewers: 850]
[Followers: 2,300+]
[Today's Revenue (Including Gifts): $12,000+ (Pre-tax)]
It was a massive harvest. This wasn't just about the financial gain; it was about establishing his reputation. After tonight, the title of "Omnipotent Pokémon Appraiser" would spread like wildfire through their small community.
"Alright, my friends in the chat." Miles rubbed his throbbing temples, a tired but satisfied smile gracing his face. "That's it for today's stream. After three appraisals back-to-back, I'm sure you're all tired too. I'll say it one last time: Pokémon are living beings, not toys. Treat them kindly, and they will give you unexpected rewards in return. Let's meet again tomorrow night at seven."
[Kindergarten Lunch Thief: You're logging off already?! I haven't watched enough! Master, just give us five more minutes!]
[Forest Deer: Thank you for your hard work, Master! Rest well! Tomorrow I'll bring my Gloom to pay my respects!]
[Category 8 Hurricane: Streamer, go eat! Your Munchlax over there is so hungry he's chewing on his own fingers.]
Amidst the reluctant pleas for him to stay, Miles decisively clicked "End Stream." The screen went black. The room instantly fell silent, leaving only the patter of the rain outside beating against the broken glass window.
"Phew—" Miles slumped into his chair, feeling completely drained.
Livestreaming appraisals wasn't just mentally exhausting; it took a massive emotional toll. Activating the [God-Level Insight] was especially draining on his mental energy.
Just then, a cold, mechanical notification chimed perfectly in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for completing the First-Day Livestream Mission!]
[Total Influence Points earned from this stream: 1,850 Points!]
[Current Fame Level increased to: Level 2 - Emerging Talent!]
[You have acquired a Class-Specific Skill: Destiny Modification (Beginner)!]
"Destiny Modification?" Miles's spirits immediately lifted, the exhaustion instantly washing away. He hurriedly checked the skill description.
[Destiny Modification (Beginner)]
[Description: The Host may consume "Influence Points" to make minor adjustments to a Pokémon's "Fate Entries" or "Base Potential."]
[Function 1: Potential Awakening - Consume 1,000 Points to increase a Pokémon's Individual Value (IV) by 1 point (Max limit: 31).]
"Holy shit..." Miles couldn't help but curse as he stared at the new function.
If the [God-Level Insight] had given him the "eyes" to see through everything, then [Destiny Modification] had just given him the "hands" to pluck the strings of fate!
Increasing IVs! This was a god-tier skill that could literally defy the heavens and rewrite destiny! Although his points were currently low and he could only make minor improvements, as long as he kept streaming and the points kept rolling in, couldn't he eventually mass-produce Divine Beasts? And this was only the Beginner level! What would the Advanced level look like? Would he be able to directly rewrite Fate Entries?
At that thought, Miles's eyes practically glowed.
"1,850 points..." He glanced at his balance. Although he really wanted to save them up, he turned to look at the Munchlax sitting beside him.
Ever since the stream started, the little guy had sat there obediently, acting as a background prop. Even though his stomach was growling with hunger, he hadn't made a single sound. He was just hugging that long-empty steamed bun bag, his head nodding off as he dozed. A thin line of clear drool hung from his mouth; he was probably dreaming of some peerless delicacy.
"Munch..." 'Meat... so much meat...' He sleep-talked, his soft, squishy voice carrying a hint of grievance.
Miles's heart instantly melted. What System? What Divine Beasts? At this moment, none of it mattered more than this little guy's sleep-talking.
"I'm upgrading you first!" Without hesitation, Miles consumed 1,000 Influence Points.
[Ding! 1,000 Influence Points consumed. Target: Munchlax.]
[Increasing IVs...]
[IVs: D-tier (30) -> D-tier (31)]
Although it was a microscopic 1-point increase that didn't even change his overall tier rating, Miles keenly noticed the sleeping Munchlax's body tremble slightly. His somewhat dry, yellowish fur seemed to take on a faint, almost imperceptible luster. It was the sign of enhanced vitality.
"Many drops make an ocean. One day, I'm going to raise you into an S-tier Divine Beast," Miles said, rubbing the Munchlax's head with a determined gaze.
Having finished everything, a wave of intense hunger hit him, and his own stomach began to protest. "Food! Time to eat!"
Miles picked up his phone and opened a food delivery app. Looking at his account balance, which had finally broken into the five digits—although he hadn't withdrawn the stream revenue yet, he still had the money from his first appraisal and his meager savings—he waved his hand with heroic grandiosity. Today, he was going to order everything he previously didn't dare to buy, everything he used to just drool over!
"Boss! Give me a signature roast chicken! A whole one! Extra, extra spicy! And ten skewers of lamb! Two skewers of large kidneys! Five bowls... no, ten bowls of rice!"
"And I need to buy some Pokéblocks for Munchlax. I can only afford the beginner-grade ones for now, but it's a start!"
He placed the order and paid. Looking at the few hundred bucks leaving his account, Miles felt a slight pinch in his heart, but it was overwhelmingly overshadowed by a wave of pure satisfaction.
This was the whole point of making money!