Just as Miles was about to magnanimously declare that he wouldn't charge a dime to maintain his "expert demeanor," a series of dazzling special effects suddenly exploded across the screen.
[System Prompt: User "League Police - Officer Barrett" has sent you a gift: Poké Ball ×1!]
[System Prompt: User "League Police - Officer Barrett" has sent you a gift: Poké Ball ×2!]
[System Prompt: User "League Police - Officer Barrett" has sent you a gift: Poké Ball ×3!]
Even though the "Poké Ball" was the cheapest free gift on the platform, the official blue-check verification effects made it look exceptionally dazzling and shocking in the chat feed.
"W-Wait... Officer Barrett, what is this?" Miles stammered, genuinely startled as he stared at the three digital Poké Balls.
This was an official government account! The authorities were taking the lead in tipping a personal stream?
If someone with malicious intent decided to spin this narrative into "collusion" or "bribery," not only would Miles be out of luck, but Officer Barrett would likely be stripped of his uniform.
[Viewer "Late Night Cultivator": Holy crap! An actual official account dropping gifts! First time seeing a verified badge tip a solo stream!]
[Viewer "Raging Psyduck": RIP Officer Barrett! Bro is wilding out here! We know it's just to say thanks, but if this gets screenshotted, you're never gonna explain it away!]
[Viewer "Keyboard Dancer": W Streamer! Bro's clout is unmatched. The authorities are personally tipping! This flex is heavier than ten thousand Superchats!]
[Viewer "Poké Ball Collector": Pack it up, boys. Stream is under official protection. Who'd dare hate on him now? Bro got the immunity idol!]
[Viewer "Outlaw John Doe": GG Officer Barrett's reputation! Quick, chat, screenshot this. I'm reporting him to internal affairs for abusing his power to gift a massive fortune of fifty cents!]
[Viewer "Melon Eater": LMAO, the guy above me is trying to make me die of laughter so he can inherit my credit card debt. A massive fortune of fifty cents is too real!]
Watching the chat derail, Officer Barrett gently pushed Elara aside and took the center frame. He waved his hands frantically at the camera, a wry, helpless smile plastered across his square face.
"Don't get the wrong idea, folks! I'm a clean public servant!" Officer Barrett explained loudly. "The platform gives official government accounts three free 'Poké Ball' quotas a day to boost engagement during our legal awareness streams. They're completely worthless, just free props to hype the atmosphere! Don't go reporting me; my old bones can't handle an investigation!"
Hearing Officer Barrett's down-to-earth explanation, the chat erupted into a cheerful chorus of laughter.
Miles also breathed a sigh of relief. If he had actually caused trouble for the police, his streaming career would have been over before it even began.
Still, with these three free Poké Balls serving as a stamp of "official endorsement," his reputation today was solid as a rock.
"Alright, Miles, we won't say any more words of thanks. Just don't mind the cheap gifts," Officer Barrett said, his smile fading into a look of serious inquiry. He stared directly into Miles's eyes and finally voiced the question he had been holding back. "However, before we end the call, I have two personal questions I'd like to ask you. Is it convenient for you to answer?"
"What is it?" Miles asked, his expression turning serious.
Officer Barrett held up two fingers. "First, how did you see through that psychic mutation with a single glance through a screen, when experts who have spent half their lives in labs couldn't figure it out with high-tech equipment? Second, where did you learn that obscure piece of knowledge about a Psychic Gem causing it to grow a shimmering pastel mane?"
The moment the questions dropped, the live chat fell silent.
Everyone perked up their ears. They were equally curious as to how this young, uncertified, self-taught streamer possessed such an unfathomably deep reservoir of knowledge.
Miles felt a twinge of helplessness.
'I can't exactly tell them I have a System and can see Fate Entries with a single glance, can I?'
He'd be locked up in a special psychiatric ward by tomorrow.
Faced with this lethal question that tested his ability to improvise, Miles's mind raced. A mere second later, he let out a profound sigh. His gaze became distant and weathered, as if he were recalling a dusty, forgotten history.
"Actually, there's nothing mystical about it," Miles began, his voice dropping into a low, magnetic register. "Modern instruments are advanced, but they only detect known energy wavelengths. The Pokémon world is vast and boundless, extending far beyond the little bit we can see."
He paused, smoothly rolling out the perfect shield he had just fabricated on the spot.
"As for how I knew this Ponyta was a psychic mutation, and how I knew about the pastel mane... it's because I once had the fortune of reading a dilapidated, rare copy of an ancient foreign text in an old library."
"The book was titled The Galarian Anecdotes."
"Galarian Anecdotes?" Officer Barrett frowned, searching his memory for the unfamiliar term.
"Yes," Miles continued, lying through his teeth without changing his expression. "It was a journal written centuries ago by an explorer who crossed the ocean to a mysterious region called Galar. The book detailed a forest shrouded in perpetual fog—the Glimwood Tangle."
"It clearly described how, under that unique energy field, the normally fiery Fire-type Ponyta gradually lost their flames to adapt to the environment. They evolved powerful psychic abilities, becoming Psychic-types, and their manes transformed into shimmering, rainbow-like energy beams."
Miles gestured gently. "When I saw how bald this Ponyta was earlier, along with its subconscious rejection of the outside world, I boldly connected it to the records in that ancient text. I didn't expect my guess to actually be right."
His half-truth, paired with an expression of earnest innocence, was utterly flawless. Not only did it explain the mysterious source of his knowledge, but it also conveniently established his persona as a brilliant scholar with an encyclopedic memory.
Officer Barrett was stunned.
Although he had never heard the word "Galar," the world was full of wonders. It was entirely reasonable that a lost ancient text might contain records of unknown mutations.
"I see..." Officer Barrett realized, his gaze toward Miles filling with newfound respect. "No wonder you could see through it at a glance! This is what they call accumulating knowledge for a single profound application! It's truly rare for young people today to settle down and study obscure ancient texts. Miles, you're destined for great things!"
"What's the old saying? 'Within books, one finds houses of gold.' The ancients didn't lie to me!"
Hearing the police give such high praise, the viewers in the chat room were completely won over.
[Viewer "Keyboard Dancer": Damn! So he's a top scholar! Reading really does pay off! I'm hitting the library to dig through ancient books tomorrow!]
[Viewer "Melon Eater": No wonder the streamer is so OP. Bro basically shoved an entire encyclopedia into his brain!]
[Viewer "Manager Ruby": ...The Galarian Anecdotes? Why have I never heard of this book? Is this kid just making things up? Still... being able to spin a lie this flawlessly is a skill in itself.]
"You flatter me, Officer Barrett. I was just lucky enough to have read about it," Miles smiled modestly.
"Alright, I've taken up enough of your time today." Officer Barrett checked his watch and nodded. "I've personally verified your skills, kid. Keep up the good work and help out those lost Trainers. And don't forget what I told you earlier—go get your certification as soon as possible. When the time comes, if our Protection Bureau has any outsourced appraisal consulting work, you'll be the first person I call!"
"Definitely! Thank you for the support, Officer Barrett!" Miles grinned from ear to ear.
"Say goodbye to Master Miles, baby!" Elara urged, holding the Ponyta up to the camera and waving.
Neigh—
The Ponyta let out a happy, soft whinny, a faint pink glow shimmering on its forehead once more.
Ding! The connection officially ended. The screen returned to Miles's solo camera feed. He leaned back into his soft gaming chair and let out a long breath. It was finally over.
He glanced at the backend analytics monitor, and his heart gave a violent thump.
[Concurrent Viewers: 1,200!]
[Followers: Surpassed 1,000!]
For a rookie streamer who had only started two days ago—without a guild pushing traffic and without buying promotional ads—he had managed to retain this massive influx of traffic purely through a few god-tier appraisals and an official police raid!
'Looks like I'm definitely going to make a living off this.'
His eyes flashed with ambition. He picked up the cold glass of water on his desk and downed it in one gulp.
Clearing his throat, which had grown slightly hoarse from talking so much, he refocused his gaze on the frantically scrolling chat feed.
"Alright, viewers," Miles said, the corners of his mouth curving into his signature confident smile. "I've finished answering the official exam questions."
"So, who's next? Is there anyone else who wants to test the weight of this 'living encyclopedia'?"
"Who will be the next lucky winner?"
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/Vristikk