In front of his screen, Miles shook his head. He desperately tried to banish the mental image of a muscular Nidoking wearing a pink lace dress.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city.
Inside the Spark Media Building, Operations Manager Ruby lounged in her ergonomic chair with a steaming mug of black coffee.
Instead of monitoring the data reports of their top streamers like usual, her eyes were glued to her phone.
The display showed the All-Knowing Pokémon Appraisal livestream.
"This brat..." Ruby muttered.
Watching Miles radiate confidence on screen, surrounded by a flurry of '666' spam and donation effects, a complex smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Her manicured fingers lightly traced the rim of her coffee mug. Her eyes reflected a mix of surprise and relief.
'Back when he was with the guild, he'd blush just trying to speak and could only read from a script,' she thought.
'How did getting fired suddenly open up his chakras? He's become so... smooth-talking.'
Ruby shook her head, unable to hide the appreciation in her eyes.
She had watched the appraisal of the Shiny Nidoran from start to finish.
Truth be told, even as a veteran operations manager who had been in the industry for years, she was stunned by Miles's sharp eye.
Seeing through a Pokémon's gender at a single glance?
Accurately predicting its Ability?
Was this really the same Miles who used to spend half the day memorizing the type matchup chart?
"It seems we buried a real talent," Ruby sighed softly.
Just then, a pair of cool hands reached out from behind and wrapped around Ruby's neck.
"Gotcha, Manager Ruby!" a sickly sweet voice chirped in her ear.
Startled, Ruby's hand jerked, nearly spilling her coffee.
She turned around helplessly to see Lexi, the guild's top beauty streamer, resting her chin on Ruby's shoulder.
The twin-tailed girl sported flawless makeup and a mischievous grin as she stared at the phone screen.
"Lexi, are you trying to scare me to death so you can inherit my debts?" Ruby snapped playfully, swatting the girl's hands away.
Lexi ignored the complaint. Her large, false-eyelash-adorned eyes were locked onto the broadcast as she squealed like she had discovered a new continent.
"Whoa! Manager Ruby! You're watching a male streamer?!"
"Let me see, let me see! Is it some fresh new meat?"
She leaned in closer, but as she got a clear look at the screen, her expression turned odd. "Huh? Isn't that... what's his name? The guy who just got fired? Miles?"
Lexi gasped loudly. "Oh my god! Manager Ruby, you even sent him a Rocket?!"
Acting as if she had just unearthed the juiciest gossip of the year, Lexi's eyes filled with teasing implication. She poked Ruby's shoulder.
"Manager Ruby, confess! Do you... have a thing for him? Hmm? Hmm?"
"We have so many handsome guys in the guild, yet you're hiding out here watching a broke kid who got fired. Plus, I heard a rumor that you paid his severance out of your own pocket!"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Is this the legendary trope of the domineering female CEO falling for the down-and-out puppy dog?"
"Shoo, shoo! Stop making things up!" Ruby rolled her eyes and flicked Lexi's smooth forehead. "Can you fit anything in that head of yours besides romance drama?"
She locked her phone and took on a more serious tone.
"I recruited Miles. The kid has had a rough life. He came out of an orphanage, with no parents to rely on, and it's not easy surviving in this city alone."
"When those stubborn old fools in the guild insisted on terminating the bottom performers, I couldn't protect him. I felt guilty."
"Those few hundred bucks are a lifeline to him, but just the cost of a meal to me."
"How does that translate to romance in your head?"
Lexi rubbed her forehead and stuck out her tongue. "Ouch! I was just joking."
"But seriously, Manager Ruby, Miles seems to be doing pretty well for himself now. His viewer count is almost at two thousand! And it's only been a few days, right?"
"Yeah, I didn't expect it either," Ruby mused, looking thoughtfully at her darkened phone screen.
"Maybe leaving the constraints of the guild was a good thing for him. True gold will shine anywhere."
"Tch, I think it's just dumb luck," Lexi scoffed, turning toward the vanity mirror.
"Anyway, I've got to touch up my makeup. I have a PK battle coming up soon. Enjoy watching your 'little brother,' Manager Ruby~"
Watching Lexi sway her hips as she walked away, Ruby shook her head in amusement.
She unlocked her phone again and tapped the 'Follow' button on the stream.
'Miles, since you've found a wider path, make sure you walk it well,' she thought. 'There isn't much more I can do to help you. The rest is up to you.'
...
Back in his cramped, ten-square-meter rental apartment.
Miles had no idea his former boss was keeping tabs on him.
He was too busy basking in the massive wave of traffic he had just generated.
After sending off the unlucky 'Skinny Monkey' and the heartbroken 'Fat Bro,' the stream's momentum hadn't slowed down at all.
If anything, the spectacular drama of the 'gender-reversal' appraisal had drawn in a flood of new viewers.
Concurrent viewers: 1,850!
For a rookie stream without any platform promotion, this was nothing short of a miracle.
The chat feed was scrolling so fast that Miles had to squint just to read it.
[Viewer "Kindergarten Lunch Thief": W Streamer! Any slots left? I wanna see if my Pokémon is a cross-dressing boss too!]
[Viewer "Melon Eater": Bro is capping. You have a Tauros. Tauros are a 100% male species! How could it cross-dress?]
[Viewer "Grumpy Bro": Bro is cooking! That face-slapping was too satisfying! Instant follow! Tuning in every day now!]
[Viewer "Lonely Charmander": Streamer, I want to call in too! My Charmander has been super depressed lately. Did he go through a breakup too?]
[Viewer "Nutritious Yarn": Take a break, bro. Your voice is shot. You've been streaming three sessions straight. Even a workhorse needs to chill.]
Reading the comments, a warm feeling bloomed in Miles's chest.
Even though his throat felt like it was on fire, watching his [Influence Points] steadily climb filled him with boundless energy.
"Resting isn't an option! While everyone is here, let's keep going!"
Miles took a huge gulp of water to soothe his throat and flashed a confident smile at the camera.
"Who else wants an appraisal? Or does anyone want to challenge my authority?"
"This is a rare opportunity, so don't miss out! Like I always say: honest Pokémon appraisals, no scams. As long as you dare to show it, I dare to expose its every secret!"
Just as Miles was about to randomly select a lucky viewer.
Suddenly.
A glaring system notification encased in a blinding gold border smashed into the livestream.
It instantly suppressed the rest of the chat feed.
[System Notice: User "League Police - Officer Barrett" has entered the room!]
Immediately after, a second prompt popped up.
[System Notice: User "League Police - Officer Barrett" has requested a video call!]
Miles's smile froze instantly.
He stared blankly at the text. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed the glaring blue 'V' denoting an official, verified account.
League Police?
Officer Barrett?
Wasn't that the famous internet celebrity cop known for cracking down on cybercrimes and handling Pokémon disputes?
Why was he here?
'Did my bluffs... ahem, my appraisals earlier touch on some banned content?' Miles panicked internally.
'Or... did someone report me for suspected fraud?!'
In a flash, a million thoughts raced through his mind.
He cycled through every potential charge, from 'operating without a license' and 'false advertising' to even 'practicing medicine without a license.'
The live chat exploded in an absolute frenzy.
[Viewer "Kindergarten Lunch Snatcher": Holy crap?! Am I seeing things? Officer Barrett?! The cop who specializes in auditing streams?]
[Viewer "Melon Eater": GG! The streamer is busted! I knew there was something fishy about him being this accurate! The police are here to make an arrest!]
[Viewer "Grumpy Bro": Hahaha! Did you catch a case, streamer? Leniency for those who confess, severity for those who resist!]
[Viewer "Nutritious Yarn": Don't talk nonsense! Maybe he's here to praise the streamer for saving that Squirtle?]
[Viewer "Passerby A": Bro above is too naive. Officer Barrett is a famous 'smiling tiger.' Whoever he audits gets skinned alive. RIP Streamer!]
[Viewer "Outlaw John Doe": Bro is catching a case! Streamer's future is looking like a solid prison sentence!]
Seeing the screen fill up with words like "GG" and "prison," Miles gulped.
Even though he was genuinely terrified—since he was technically operating an unverified, unlicensed channel—rejecting the call now would make him look incredibly guilty.
"Ahem... well, don't panic, chat," Miles said, forcing himself to stay calm as he adjusted his collar.
"A straight foot has no fear of a crooked shoe. Since the police are here to inspect our work, we must give them a warm welcome!"
Saying that, he clicked [Accept Call].
The screen flashed.
It split into two halves.
In the window designated for the guest caller, a middle-aged man in a dark blue uniform with police insignia on his shoulders appeared.
He looked to be in his forties, with a square jaw, thick eyebrows, and large eyes that radiated an aura of absolute justice.
His background appeared to be a police station office, complete with a 'Serve the People' pennant hanging on the wall.
It was none other than the famous Officer Barrett!