"I, Miles, have always been a man of my word when it comes to appraisals. I don't joke about these things," Miles said, his smile fading into a look of professional gravity.
His gaze swept across the public screen. The live chat was already spiraling into chaos, with malicious bidding wars breaking out and some viewers even making veiled threats about tracking the location to seize the Pokémon by force. Miles's expression turned cold and sharp.
"I'll restate the rules of this stream: any form of illegal Pokémon trafficking is strictly prohibited here!" he barked. "To those of you making fake bids—send one more message and you're looking at a permanent ban."
Miles knew all too well that in this chaotic world where Pokémon and reality merged, wealth often invited ruin. A Pokémon with such a game-breaking, unrecorded Ability was a treasure that could easily become a death sentence if its full details were exposed to tens of thousands of prying eyes. The underground black-market hunters would swarm like sharks smelling blood.
The station owner, snapping out of his initial euphoria, realized the danger. Though he wasn't an expert, he understood the principle that 'an ordinary man may be innocent, but possessing a jade treasure makes him a target.' The joy of his windfall was instantly replaced by a creeping dread.
"Master... what about its other stats?" the owner whispered, his voice trembling with anxiety. "Like... those IV things?"
"Regarding that..."
Miles didn't answer through the microphone. Instead, he took a surprising step forward, leaning in close to the owner's ear. In a voice so low only the two of them could hear, he whispered, "For now, while its stats aren't top-tier A or S-rank, they're more than enough. When paired with the Technician Ability, this Meowth will be able to punch way above its weight class in battle."
He felt the owner stiffen as he continued, "Keep your wealth hidden, friend. This Meowth's Ability is already eye-catching enough. If I reveal the exact data in front of everyone, your little Dudu Post Station will be leveled by black-market thugs before sunrise. Since the previous owner abandoned it, it's yours now. If you really want it to be a protector for your niece, take it home. Now. Stop lingering here."
A violent shiver ran down the owner's spine, and cold sweat soaked his back. He looked at Miles with profound gratitude, nodding frantically. He realized that Miles's "mysterious whispering" wasn't just for show—it was a life-saving warning.
[Viewer "Midnight Sober": Hey, hey, hey! What's with the whispering? What are we VIPs not allowed to hear?!]
[Viewer "Outlaw John Doe": Hahaha, I bet the Master is protecting the owner's privacy. That Meowth is a literal bomb; if the Master leaked the full hand, criminals would be at that door in minutes. Nice move, Miles!]
[Viewer "Wild Electabuzz": Damn, I hate cliffhangers. But looking at the owner's face—half-terrified, half-relieved—those IVs must be insane!]
[Viewer "Forest Fawn": The Master is so thoughtful. He's looking out for both the Pokémon and the human. Please take good care of that Meowth, Mr. Owner!]
"Alright everyone, today's impromptu appraisal ends here," Miles said, stepping back and waving at the camera with a warm, breezy smile. "There are no useless lives in this world, only eyes that fail to see the miracles. I hope this Meowth finds its true home at this station."
With that, Miles turned and walked away, leading his Munchlax—who was currently rubbing its round belly and letting out satisfied burps—into the bustling yet quiet city night. The streetlights stretched their shadows long across the pavement as the cool night breeze washed away the day's fatigue.
However, the viewers were far from satisfied. Left without the exact data on the Technician Meowth, they felt like they had reached the final page of a mystery novel only to find it torn out. The resentment in the chat was palpable.
[Viewer "Midnight Sober": Dammit! Streamer, you have no heart! I was ready for the big reveal and you give me this? I hope your next bowl of instant noodles is missing the seasoning packet!]
[Viewer "Outlaw John Doe": I strongly condemn this blue-balling behavior! Master, you've changed! You used to strip Caterpies down to their literal souls, what happened?!]
[Viewer "Keyboard Holmes": It's killing me! It's like telling me there's a goddess around the corner and then only showing me a strand of her hair! You're a professional cliffhanger-baiter, Master!]
Watching the "denunciations" scroll by, Miles smirked as he walked toward his rented apartment. He raised his phone to address the camera.
"Brothers and sisters, please try to understand," he said, his tone gentle but firm. "As some of the more rational fans noted, I'm protecting the parties involved. In this world, a Pokémon with a top-tier hidden combat Ability is valuable enough to make certain people take desperate risks. If I went public with its full potential, do you think that little post station would have a moment of peace tonight?"
His words acted like a bucket of cold water, dousing the heat in the chat.
"I started this stream to discover buried miracles, not to invite disaster onto people. Some secrets are better left for the owner to discover over time. Isn't that more romantic?"
This grander perspective immediately drew praise from his veteran followers.
[Viewer "Sovereign of Dust": Miles is acting like an adult here. This circle is deep and dangerous; caution is how you survive. I support the decision.]
[Viewer "Goji Berry in a Thermos": I agree. 'An ordinary man is innocent, but a treasure makes him a target.' The Master's move is an act of true kindness.]
"I'm just a common folk artist who loves Pokémon," Miles laughed, dismissing the more wild theories from the chat. "Don't go pinning fancy titles on me."
By the time he finished chatting, they had reached his modest apartment. As soon as the door opened, Munchlax habitually shook the dust off its feet, wobbled over to its oversized cushion, and collapsed with a loud thud. Within seconds, thunderous, happy snores filled the room. The little guy was exhausted after a record-breaking meal and awakening a new skill.
Miles secured his phone onto the desk stand, took a sip of warm water to moisten his throat, and sat up straight. His gaze sharpened.
"Alright, enough small talk. Tonight's late-night special continues. Let's get down to business."
He rubbed his hands together and opened the backlog of connection requests, which had swelled into the thousands. As he scanned the IDs, one stood out—it had a distinct "midnight horror" vibe to it.
[User "Scared and Alone while Hubby's Away" is requesting a video connection!]
The note attached read: "Streamer, help! Something incredibly creepy is happening! I'm alone in my family's old country house and I'm losing my mind. Please, pick up!!"
Miles raised an eyebrow. An urban legend? A haunting? And it involved Pokémon?
'Now that's what I call "content" walking right through the door,' Miles thought. He didn't hesitate and clicked [Accept].
The screen split in two. As the right side flickered to life, the chat—which had been making jokes about the suggestive username—instantly fell silent.
The woman on screen was beautiful but a complete wreck. The lighting was dim, revealing a bedroom in an old-fashioned rural house with yellowing photos on the walls. The user, Lexi, was huddled in a silk nightgown in the corner of her bed, her hair a tangled mess and her face pale as a sheet. Her eyes were wide with a deep, bone-chilling terror.
"Pi... Pichu..."
A tiny, trembling cry came from her arms. She was clutching a small, furry Electric-type Pokémon. The little creature had its head buried deep in its trainer's embrace, too terrified to even look at the camera.
Miles's eyes locked onto the Pokémon. It was about thirty centimeters tall, with a round head and bright yellow fur. Its large, black-rimmed ears were twitching in fright.
It was a Pichu.
The little guy should have been energetic and playful, but it was shaking like a leaf. Miles narrowed his eyes and activated his System.
A blue data panel expanded across his vision:
[Target: Pichu]
[Level: LV.2 (Infant)]
[Type: Electric]
[Gender: Female]
[Potential: D-Rank (Extremely fragile base stats)]
[IVs: D-Rank (29 - Virtually no combat talent)]
[Ability: Static (The body is charged; may paralyze on contact. Note: Given its fragile stats, it will likely be knocked out before this ever triggers.)]
[Nature: Timid (+Speed, -Attack. Lacks security; easily startled by the slightest sound.)]
[Status: Extreme Panic / Severe Mental Trauma / On the Verge of Collapse]
Miles scanned the panel, and the pieces began to fit together. This Pichu was essentially a "living plushie" with zero battle value, but the "Severe Mental Trauma" tag proved Lexi wasn't lying. Humans might fake a ghost story for views, but a Pokémon's emotional state—and a System panel—couldn't be faked.
However, when Miles's gaze dropped to the very bottom of the panel, to a shimmering, eerie blue entry, his pupils shrunk.
[Fate Entry: The Painted Skin Shadow (Blue)]
[Description: This Pichu has recently been stalked by a mysterious Fairy/Ghost-type Pokémon that desperately craves friendship but suffers from extreme low self-esteem. To get close to the Pichu, the stalker has donned a crude "Pikachu" disguise made of scrap cloth. However, the disguise is so ghastly that the wooden stick supporting its "head" frequently snaps, resulting in a "decapitated" visual effect. This has caused extreme psychological trauma to the timid Pichu, creating an "Uncanny Valley" horror effect.]
"I see..."
Miles let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He had been worried about some malicious cursed energy or a dangerous predator. Instead, this wasn't a horror story—it was a tragic comedy about a Pokémon just trying to make a friend.
A Pokémon wearing a Pikachu rag? Who else could it be but the Alolan mystery, Mimikyu?
Now that he held the core truth, Miles's aura relaxed. He took a calm sip of water, ready to listen to the beautiful guest's "horror story" before delivering the punchline.
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/Vristikk