"Quite the big talker, aren't you, kid?"
Officer Barrett chuckled, shaking his head. His smile held a mix of appreciation for the young man's drive and a hint of amusement, as if he were waiting for a good show.
He didn't waste any more words, turning and bending over so his broad back blocked most of the camera's view.
Click, clack. The crisp sound of a precision instrument's locks disengaging echoed in the room.
Barrett straightened up, now holding a meticulously crafted silver briefcase. Made of an unknown alloy, the case gleamed with a faint metallic luster. A shining League Police badge was embedded right on the front. At a glance, it was clearly a top-tier containment case meant for transporting precious or highly dangerous items.
[Viewer "SpicyBoy99": Holy crap! That case doesn't look cheap. Is there contraband inside?]
[Viewer "PokeMasterX": I have a feeling this is a big one! Could it be a pseudo-legendary confiscated from that smuggling ring earlier?]
[Viewer "SaltyTears": You're overthinking it. You think they'd just show off a pseudo-legendary like that? I bet it's something dangerous. The streamer better be careful not to get bitten through the screen!]
[Viewer "GachaKing": Officer Barrett is treating this like a blind box unboxing! W stream!]
[Viewer "NervousRex": Am I the only one worried the streamer is going to take an L here? If he can't appraise it, his 'professional' persona is cooked!]
[Viewer "MilesFanClub": What are you afraid of? Bro can tell a Pokémon's gender at a glance. Let him cook!]
[Viewer "SnackTime": Hurry up and open it! I've got my snacks ready for the big reveal!]
The stream's popularity skyrocketed. Everyone's eyes were glued to the silver briefcase, their breathing growing heavy with anticipation.
Smack.
Officer Barrett placed the case firmly on the desk and pressed his thumb against the fingerprint scanner on the side.
The lid popped open slowly, and a wisp of cold white vapor spilled from the gap, indicating the case maintained a constant low-temperature environment.
As the lid fully opened, the camera automatically adjusted its focus, revealing the contents to the thousands of viewers without holding anything back.
However, when the creature inside was finally revealed, the live chat—previously flooded with hype—experienced a split second of dead silence.
Then, the tone completely shifted.
Curled up on the soft, shock-absorbing sponge pad was a petite, four-legged creature. It was pure white, its skin as smooth and delicate as fine mutton-fat jade. Its limbs were slender and long, and its large, tightly closed eyes boasted surprisingly long lashes, exuding an innate elegance.
It was a Ponyta.
Or at least, judging by its size and silhouette, it was definitely a Ponyta.
But!
The most crucial, iconic, and handsome part of its body—its fiery mane—had completely disappeared!
From the top of its head down its neck, to its back and tail, where blazing fire should have burned, there was now only a bald patch! Only pinkish skin was exposed to the air, with faint bluish veins visible underneath.
It looked like a freshly shaved monk, or a plucked chicken ready for the pot, shivering pitifully and comically in the corner.
[Viewer "MemeLord": ??? LMAO! I'm dead! What is this look? A bald Ponyta?]
[Viewer "MyEyes": RIP my eyes! That's cursed! Did this horse get alopecia? Bro doesn't have a single hair!]
[Viewer "RoastChicken": The plucked chicken comparison is spot on! It doesn't look like a Ponyta, more like an underdeveloped little white donkey!]
[Viewer "Skeptic101": Officer Barrett, isn't this test a bit too tricky? This is clearly a defective product! How can it even be called a Ponyta without its fire?]
[Viewer "AnimalLover": I know! It must have been abused and its fire was put out! So cruel!]
[Viewer "LoreNerd": Don't talk nonsense. A Ponyta's fire is its life force. If you put it out, it dies! This one is clearly still breathing!]
[Viewer "DocProf": Then what's going on? Born hairless? What kind of massive genetic defect is this? I suggest a hair transplant immediately!]
[Viewer "TrollFace": Streamer: This question is out of bounds! I only diagnose, I don't do hair transplants!]
Looking at the outrageous guesses and the screen full of mockery in the live chat, Officer Barrett didn't smile.
Instead, a trace of solemnity and helplessness crossed his face. He reached out with a rough, large hand and gently stroked the Ponyta's bare back.
The little creature seemed to feel the touch and shuddered violently, but didn't wake up, only burying its head deeper into the padding.
"You see this, Miles," Officer Barrett sighed, his tone filled with regret. "This little one was rescued from an illegal smuggling ring's hideout. Among the group of confiscated Pokémon, she was the most inconspicuous, just thrown into a cage in the corner. She was almost disposed of like trash by those smugglers."
He continued, "After we brought her back, we consulted the best experts in the city and took her to the Pokémon Center for a comprehensive check-up. The results showed that her bodily functions were perfectly normal. In fact, she's even stronger than an ordinary Ponyta."
"But the strange thing is, no matter how many high-quality Fire Stone fragments or high-calorie Fire-type Pokéblocks we fed her, or even if we placed her in a high-temperature simulation room, she just won't grow a fiery mane! Let alone a mane, she can't even spit out a single spark!"
Officer Barrett paused, his gaze fixed on Miles, dropping the conclusion that had baffled countless experts.
"The final diagnosis was a congenital genetic defect, commonly known as 'Misfire Syndrome.' The experts said her Fire-type energy circuits are completely broken, and she will never possess flames in her lifetime. They advised us to keep her as a normal pet and not to expect her to battle."
"But... I always felt something wasn't quite right," Barrett admitted, rubbing his chin. "Every time I get close to her, although I don't feel any heat, I always get this indescribable feeling. Like there's something hiding inside her body, desperately being suppressed."
"Miles, aren't you known for 'curing incurable diseases'? Take a look. Are the experts' diagnoses wrong, or is my intuition off?"
Officer Barrett's words undoubtedly put Miles on the spot.
If Miles agreed with the experts, he would be admitting that this Ponyta was useless. While safe, it wouldn't showcase his 'expert' persona, and he could kiss the title of 'Civilian Special Consultant' goodbye.
But if he refuted the experts... what grounds did he have? Just lip service?
The viewers in the live chat quieted down. Although comments were still rolling in, the tone was clearly much more serious.
[Viewer "RealTalk": Honestly, even the experts pronounced the death sentence. Can the streamer overturn this?]
[Viewer "Pessimist": Doubtful! Very doubtful! A genetic defect is something you're born with. Even a god would struggle to cure it!]
[Viewer "SafeBet": Why doesn't the streamer just give up? There's no shame in admitting it's a disabled horse, considering the experts already said so.]
[Viewer "EagleEye": But from what Officer Barrett is saying, it seems he's hoping the streamer can see something different?]
[Viewer "MagicTrick": Different? What could be different? Can he conjure fire out of thin air?]
[Viewer "ImpatientGamer": Streamer, say something! You're killing me! If you don't speak up, I'll assume you admit she's bald!]
Miles ignored the chat's urging and didn't answer Officer Barrett immediately. He simply stared quietly at the little foal curled up in a ball on the screen.
To others, this was a ridiculous 'bald horse,' a defective product without flames.
But in Miles's vision, activated by the [God-Level Pokémon Insight Livestream System], the world was completely different.
Around the little foal, there was no flow of red Fire-type energy. Instead, there was a faint, almost invisible layer of pinkish-purple halo!
The halo draped over her body like a dreamy veil. Though weak, it exuded a noble, mysterious, and inviolable aura.
This wasn't a lack of fire at all! It was a different, far more advanced, and profound energy surging within!
As Miles concentrated his thoughts, the data stream on his retina rapidly refreshed, finally freezing on a staggering panel.
[Target: Ponyta (Galarian Form / Mutant Species)]
[Type: Psychic]
[Gender: Female]
[Level: LV.15]
[Base Stats: B+ (410, Massive Potential)]
[IVs: A (172, Absolutely Top Tier!)]
[Ability: Pastel Veil (Protects the Pokémon and its allies from being poisoned, and cures poisoned allies upon entering the battlefield. This is an exclusive Ability only possessed by the noble Galarian Ponyta!)]
[Nature: Timid (Speed ↑, Attack ↓, High vigilance, easily frightened)]
[Moves: Tackle, Growl, Tail Whip, Confusion, Heal Pulse]
And what made Miles's heart race the most was the four-word entry flashing with brilliant purple light at the very bottom of the panel!
[Fate Entry (Purple): Glimmering Illusory Mane - She does not need to burn oxygen to maintain her mane. Her internal energy attribute has undergone a fundamental change—from Fire-type to Psychic-type! The mane is composed of highly concentrated psychic energy, which is usually restrained and hidden for self-protection. Only when she feels absolutely safe, emotionally agitated, or when releasing a move will those gorgeous, unpredictable, aurora-like rainbow manes appear! She is a misunderstood rainbow, a Pokémon walking in the mist.]
After reading all this, Miles almost burst out laughing.
Bald? Misfire Syndrome?
What a massive insult to this noble creature! How was this a hairless donkey? This was clearly a unicorn straight out of a fairy tale! It was a rainbow from the Glimwood Tangle! A one-in-a-million Psychic-type mutant species!
Those so-called experts were truly holding a golden bowl while begging for food, raising a phoenix like a common chicken!
Phew... Miles let out a long breath and leaned back in his chair. His expression instantly switched from solemnity to ease, even carrying a hint of playful confidence.
"Officer Barrett, I have to say, this test you brought... it's quite something. If it were anyone else, even those experts holding advanced certificates, I'm afraid they would have been completely fooled by this 'bald' facade. But..."
Miles held up a single finger and wagged it gently, his tone resolute. "In front of my eyes, all disguises are futile."
"Disguises?" Officer Barrett raised an eyebrow, catching the key word. "Are you saying she's faking it?"
"No, no, no. She isn't faking it; you guys just don't understand."
Miles sat up straight, his words completely shocking the audience. "Those experts said she has 'Misfire Syndrome'? Said it's a genetic defect? Wrong! Dead wrong!"
He stared directly into the camera.
"Not only is she not sick, but she is a one-in-a-million, top-tier mutant species—a hundred times more precious than an ordinary Ponyta!"
The moment he said this, the entire room went into an uproar. The live chat instantly exploded, skepticism flooding the screen like a tidal wave.
[Viewer "LogicBomb": Holy crap? Mutant species? A hundred times more precious than a normal Ponyta? Bro is coping hard! This is clearly just bald!]
[Viewer "Hater1": Huge cap! Can a Ponyta without fire still be called top-tier? Is a toothless tiger top-tier too?]
[Viewer "LawAbiding": Streamer, you really are risking it all just to avoid jail time! You even dare to say this? The experts already diagnosed it, and you're still trying to overturn the case?]
[Viewer "FenceSitter": Even though I want to believe you, this... this is really calling a deer a horse, isn't it? Unless you can make it grow hair right now!]
[Viewer "PanicMode": It's over, bro is officially cooking nothing. Was he scared stupid?]
Even Officer Barrett froze for a moment, clearly not expecting Miles to give such a subversive conclusion. Although he hoped for a turning point, his reason told him it was highly unlikely.
"...Miles, are you sure about this?" Barrett asked, his brow furrowed. "This isn't a joke. You can't just spout nonsense. This was tested by several authoritative institutions. The black-and-white reports are sitting right here."
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
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