"Furo! Furo!"
"Zu… zuo na…"
An indignant cry mixed with another Pokémon's timid voice rang out behind him.
Max turned around and saw a group of Buizel and Oddish standing not far away. At the very front stood a Floatzel, hands planted firmly on its hips, striking an unmistakably angry pose as if it were demanding something.
"Furo! Furo!"
Seeing that Max didn't understand, Floatzel stepped closer and pointed sharply toward the forest, clearly trying to drive him away.
Dangerous human. You've hurt so many of our companions. You're not welcome here!
"Zuo na!"
The Oddish hiding behind Floatzel echoed weakly.
Although Max couldn't understand their words, the meaning was obvious enough.
"You don't want me to stay here?" he asked.
"Furo!" Floatzel nodded firmly. It even reached out to push Max, though it didn't use much strength—just enough to show its stance.
Seeing Max treated like this for no clear reason, the livestream chat immediately grew angry.
"What? Isn't a water source for everyone? Why can't the streamer stay?"
"This lake doesn't belong to them!"
"What kind of Pokémon is this? So domineering!"
Noticing the dissatisfaction in the chat, Max quickly explained.
"No, Floatzel is actually a very friendly Water-type Pokémon toward humans. If they aren't driven away, they usually live in large numbers near fishing villages. They help rescue drowning people and even transport caught fish. The Buizel and Oddish behind it are the same—Pokémon with very gentle temperaments."
"There must be a reason for this. Maybe humans did something wrong first…"
Max frowned slightly, clearly unwilling to clash with Floatzel.
As soon as he said that, someone in the chat sneered.
"So monsters always have a reason? That means it's always humanity's fault, right?"
"Human traitor!"
"Just wait until the army arrives—then we'll see who really owns this land!"
These aggressive remarks instantly angered many longtime viewers, and arguments broke out in the chat.
"If you can't speak properly, don't speak. If you don't need your brain, donate it."
"Did you even think this through? Floatzel just wants the streamer to leave. Even though it dislikes him, it didn't use force. If it really wanted to, do you think the streamer would still be standing? That's already very restrained!"
"Where are the mods? Why haven't these people been banned?"
Max didn't have the mood to deal with the chat arguments. Suddenly, he recalled the gunshots he'd heard the night before and cautiously asked:
"Is it because of those humans with weapons? The ones holding something like iron pipes—did they hurt you?"
The chat exploded again.
"Iron pipes? Guns?! That's poaching!"
"Hey, foul-mouthed people from before, come back and talk!"
"They've already been banned."
"Honestly, the Floatzel not attacking the streamer outright is already extremely kind."
"Not gentle at all."
"Furo!" Floatzel nodded, its black eyes filled with unconcealed disgust toward humans. It stepped forward again, clearly intending to push Max away.
We don't want to see you again. Leave—now!
"Woof!"
At that exact moment, a sharp bark rang out from the forest. A flash of white light followed, and a light-brown figure burst from the trees, landing squarely between Floatzel and Max.
It bared its sharp teeth at Floatzel.
Rockruff!
Max froze for a moment, then broke into a delighted smile.
"So you didn't leave after all—and you found me?"
"Woo… woof!"
Rockruff didn't look back. Its bright blue eyes were locked onto Floatzel, fur standing on end as the stones around its neck clattered heavily to the ground.
This was a warning—an attempt to intimidate its opponent.
This human is a good person! Not like those bad humans with guns!
The chat was stunned. They'd expected yet another Pokémon to chase Max away—but instead, they got a loyal dog stepping forward to protect him.
"So cute!!!"
"That little dog is adorable!"
"Streamer, streamer! Introduce it! Where did it come from?"
Max smiled at the drone.
"This is Rockruff, a Rock-type Pokémon that's very easy to get along with humans. It was injured by poachers before, and I rescued it. I didn't expect to run into it again here."
I've been following you this whole time… and you still owe me an Oran Berry…
Rockruff shot Max a brief look, then immediately turned its head back, not daring to relax even for a moment.
It could clearly sense that the Floatzel in front of it was far stronger than itself. With the type disadvantage, if Floatzel got serious, Rockruff probably wouldn't even last a single move.
Still—strength was one thing. Attitude was another.
Even if you're weaker, you can't back down!
"Woof!"
I can guarantee he won't hurt you if he stays.
Floatzel shook its head.
"Furo, furo."
You're being fooled. Humans in this world are cunning. Weren't you injured by them too?
As it spoke, Floatzel pointed at Rockruff's hind leg. The wound hadn't fully healed, and Floatzel had noticed it immediately.
"Woof woof."
The ones who hurt me were a different group. This human saved me.
Rockruff argued back.
"Furo…" Floatzel hesitated. It stared at Max for a long moment. Perhaps influenced by the affinity buff, it felt that this human didn't seem as detestable as the others.
Finally, it nodded.
"Furo!"
Then prove you're qualified to vouch for him.
Floatzel called out, and another Buizel stepped forward. It was only slightly taller than Rockruff, but its posture was confident and aggressive.
It flexed and shouted, "Zeru!!!"
Among Pokémon, disputes were naturally settled through battle.
Max immediately understood and looked at Rockruff with concern.
"Your type's at a disadvantage. Are you sure about this?"
"Woof!"
Rockruff felt the pressure—but didn't retreat.
Max nodded and turned to the drone.
"Everyone, the situation's changed a bit. Next, I'll show you something very important in the Pokémon world."
"That is—Pokémon battles."
"Through battle, Floatzel might come to understand my intentions."
The chat scrolled rapidly.
"This feels a little… cringey, honestly."
"Understanding intentions through battle? Streamer, have you been reading too much manga?"
"Can you even win? That Buizel looks bigger than Rockruff. The size difference alone is rough."
Max smiled and stopped paying attention to the chat. He turned back to Rockruff.
"In this battle, your type is at a disadvantage. Can I try commanding you?"
He'd wanted to do this for a long time. Even though he'd never been a hardcore battler in the games, who could pass up the chance to personally command a Pokémon battle?
"Woof?"
Rockruff looked at him skeptically, thought for a moment—
Then nodded.