"Do you have any idea how rare a Shiny Nidoran is? If you put this thing up for auction, it would fetch enough to buy a whole house full of regular Nidoran!"
Miles pointed at the small, horned Pokémon. "Look at those eyes, those muscles, those dominant kicking skills! When it evolves into a Nidoking, it'll be an absolute Ground-type bulldozer! Real men train tough Pokémon like this. Why mess around with soft little girls? Am I right?"
Those words acted like a shot of adrenaline straight into the chubby kid's shattered heart. He froze, looking up at Miles through tear-filled eyes, then turned back to his own majestic Nidoran.
It actually made sense. A Shiny Nidoran? Nidoking? A bulldozer? Even though losing his 'wife' hurt terribly, getting a wildly badass Shiny Nidoking out of it didn't seem like a bad trade-off.
"R-really, Streamer?" the kid asked, sniffing loudly. "It can really evolve into a... a super handsome Nidoking?"
"Guaranteed!" Miles gave him a thumbs-up. "As long as you stop dressing it in little skirts, stop calling it your wife, and actually train its combat stats, I can promise you it will be your ace when you become a Master Trainer!"
"Alright!" The chubby kid slapped his thigh, his eyes suddenly lighting up with renewed vigor. "I trust you, Streamer! Since we can't be husband and wife, we'll be brothers! From now on, he's my big bro! I'm taking him to conquer the League!"
Without missing a beat, the kid grabbed another phone. "Streamer, I was blind before. I doubted your expertise, but now I'm completely convinced. I have to pay the appraisal fee, and I'm doubling it!"
A split second later, a brilliant purple firework exploded across the livestream screen. A glowing purple Poké Ball marked with a prominent 'M' slowly spun into view.
[System Prompt: User "Nidoran Is My Life" has gifted Master Ball x1!]
Before the viewers could even react, another firework bloomed.
[System Prompt: User "Nidoran Is My Life" has gifted Master Ball x1!]
Two Master Balls! That was two thousand dollars right there. For a high schooler, it was a massive sum, but for a rich kid whose family owned mines and could afford to raise rare Pokémon, it was simply a tribute to the truth—and to his future Nidoking.
"Thank you, Streamer! One Master Ball is an apology, and the other is a thank you!" the chubby kid shouted heroically. "From now on, I'm your most loyal fan! If anyone dares to hate on you, I'll bring my Nidoking to smash them!"
Watching the special effects of the Master Balls light up the screen, Miles's heart raced. This single connection had instantly raked in thousands. Making money this fast was better than robbing a bank.
"Thank you for the generosity, bro! The boss is confused... ah, no, the boss is wise!" Miles couldn't stop grinning. "Don't worry, if you ever have questions about breeding and training this Nidoran, just ask me. I guarantee results!"
With the chubby kid's situation perfectly resolved—swapping a 'wife' for a 'brother' was painful, but at least it offered hope—the attention shifted. There was another person in the livestream currently shrinking into the corner, desperately wishing he possessed an invisibility Ability. It was Monkey, the guy who had been shouting the loudest just moments ago, his face practically swollen from the invisible slaps.
Monkey cradled his own Nidoran, which had been kicked unconscious earlier and was just now waking up with soft whimpers. He looked incredibly awkward, his expression entirely constipated. He had originally joined the stream to watch Miles make a fool of himself, hoping to step on the streamer to show off his own superiority.
Instead, his proud 'high-quality male' Pokémon had been one-shot by a single kick. All his previous insults—calling Miles a scammer, talentless, and someone even a high schooler would look down on—were now echoing back like resounding slaps to his own face. It stung fiercely.
He wanted to quietly slip away or just disconnect and play dead. However, the thousands of eyes in the livestream were sharp. The chat, heavily populated by drama-loving trolls, wasn't about to let a perfectly good opportunity to beat a downed dog slip by.
[Viewer "Kindergarten Food Snatcher": Yo? Isn't this our rhyming Monkey Bro? Why so quiet? Where did all that arrogance go?]
[Viewer "Grumpy Old Bro": Monkey, don't play dead! Who was it that said 'tiny streamer, so laughable'? Looking at it now, who's the laughable one?]
[Viewer "Melon Eater": Don't run away! Even the chubby bro apologized and sent gifts. You think you can just start a fight and flee? Nothing is that easy!]
[Viewer "Master of Rhymes": Kieth didn't know his place, rhymed to mock the streamer's face. Met a Shiny Nidoran, got slapped right back into space! Good poem! What a poem!]
Staring at the screen full of mockery and the custom-made limerick, Monkey's face flushed the color of bruised liver. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to look at Miles on the screen.
"Uh... Streamer..." Monkey stammered, his voice as quiet as a mosquito. "It seems... I misjudged. It really is a male... You win..."
Miles raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a half-smile. "What? That's it? Who was it that said I had 'no skills but a big temper'? Who said I was 'scamming for traffic'? Since you admit I'm good, shouldn't you show a little sincerity?"
Miles wasn't usually one to hold a grudge, but he absolutely didn't mind teaching a lesson to a malicious, brainless troll who came out swinging for no reason. Under Miles's piercing gaze, Monkey felt thoroughly uncomfortable. He glanced at the chubby kid who had already defected to the light, then back at the chat feed demanding an apology. Finally, he buckled under the pressure.
"Fine! I admit defeat!" Monkey took a deep breath, set his Nidoran aside, and extremely reluctantly gave the camera a thumbs-up. Before the connection, he had used that exact gesture to mock Miles; now, he was using it to beg for mercy.
"S-Streamer, you're the real deal!" Monkey held his breath until his face turned red, finally squeezing the words through his teeth. "I, Kieth, really failed to see your greatness today. I didn't know the depths of the water! I need to apologize to you in front of the whole chat. I'm sorry! I shouldn't have doubted your expertise! You are a true master!"
Having said his piece, Monkey felt drained of all his strength, wishing the floor would open up and swallow him whole.
Looking at his expression—which was uglier than if he had been crying—Miles nodded and replied calmly. "Alright. Knowing your mistakes and correcting them is the greatest good. Next time you surf the web, remember to watch your mouth. After all, there's always someone better out there."
"Yes, yes, yes..." Monkey nodded profusely, feeling as if he had received a royal pardon. He thought the ordeal was over and reached out to cut the connection.
However, the live chat wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily.
[Viewer "Kindergarten Food Snatcher": That's it? The chubby bro dropped two Master Balls! You think two empty sentences will get you a pass?]
[Viewer "Melon Eater": Exactly! You were cursing him out so badly earlier, and now you won't even bleed a little for the apology? That's zero sincerity!]
[Viewer "Loves Dayu Coins": At least drop a Rocket, right? Otherwise, how is it fair to the chubby bro's contributions?]
[Viewer "Grumpy Old Bro": Where are the gifts? Just flapping your lips? Where are your knees? Where's the sincerity? Don't think we'll spoil you just because you're a high schooler!]
Seeing the screen flood with demands for gifts and sincerity, Monkey's hand froze in mid-air. He looked at the chubby kid, who simply returned a look that clearly said, 'I can't help you either.'
"I... I don't have any money..." Monkey was on the verge of tears. Unlike the rich kid, all of his allowance went into raising his Nidoran. Where would he find the cash to drop Master Balls?
"No money?" Miles laughed at his panicked state. "No money is fine." With a wave of his hand, Miles offered an even more socially fatal alternative. "Since everyone feels you lack sincerity, then yell this three times in the chat: 'I am a troll! I am a clown! Master Miles is badass!' Once you're done, we'll turn the page."
Monkey's face turned green. This was objectively worse than killing him. But looking at the threats in the chat feed screaming for an internet-wide bounty if he ran, he knew he couldn't dodge this calamity.
"Fine... I'll yell..." Monkey squeezed his eyes shut like a man marching to the gallows and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"I am a troll! I am a clown! Master Miles is badass!!!"
"I am a troll! I am a clown! Master Miles is badass!!!"
"I am a troll! I am a clown! Master Miles is badass!!!"
After the third shout, Monkey practically melted into his chair.
"Good! You've got guts!" Miles led the applause. "You might be a troll, but you're a man of your word! Alright, get out of here. Go heal up, and don't make your Nidoran hate you."
Beep—
The connection severed. Monkey fled the livestream at the speed of light. With his departure, the stream erupted into an even more passionate wave of cheers and gift effects.
[Viewer "Kindergarten Food Snatcher": Hahaha! That felt so good! Cured my low blood pressure!]
[Viewer "Melon Eater": This streamer is legit! When there's trouble, he steps up; when there's a grudge, he settles it!]
[Viewer "Manager Ruby": This kid's crowd control is getting stronger by the day.]
[Viewer "Forest Deer": The master is so handsome! That Monkey totally deserved it!]
Various "W Streamer" and "GG" comments, along with free little red flowers and hearts, drifted across the screen like snow. While not as expensive as a Master Ball, that dense engagement was solid proof of his popularity. Watching the screen fill with praise and gift animations, and seeing his follower count and influence points steadily tick upward in the background, the corners of Miles's mouth curved into a genuine smile.
This wave was a total win. He hadn't just made money and gained followers; he had firmly established his persona as a streamer who 'cures all disobedience.'
It was just...
He glanced at the bottom left corner of his screen, where the phantom image of the chubby kid's devastated, crying face seemed to linger.
Tsk, tsk.
Miles shook his head, taking three seconds to silently mourn the top donator who had just lost his 'wife'.
'I just feel bad for that chubby kid. He's probably going to have nightmares tonight.'
Hopefully, he wouldn't dream of a muscular, hairy-legged Nidoking winking at him while wearing a little pink skirt.
That image... was simply too beautiful to look at.