[System Prompt: This ability is exceedingly heaven-defying, akin to a mortal stealing the authority of the Creator. Therefore, every time you activate [Voice of All Things], it will bypass standard usage limits and instead burn your available Influence Points by the second—like a water pump! Once your points are depleted, the skill will be forcibly disabled!]
"Holy crap! Mind reading?!"
Reading the detailed description of the skill, Miles was so excited he almost jumped out of his chair.
This was the ultimate divine skill, tailor-made for an appraiser like him!
If his previous [Eye of Pokémon Insight] gave him God's eye to see through a Pokémon's physical potential, IVs, and hidden illnesses, then this [Voice of All Things] gave him God's ear to hear the deepest secrets of their hearts.
Oftentimes, a Pokémon's outward behavior completely contradicted its true thoughts.
Take that ragged-looking Mimikyu, for example. It looked terrifying on the outside but was deeply insecure and desperate for friends on the inside.
Or the Machop raised by Brother Hodor; it appeared quiet and remorseful on the surface, while internally calculating how to murder someone.
With this skill, Miles would no longer have any blind spots during complex psychological interventions or in-depth appraisals!
"Wait... this thing charges by the second?"
Miles looked at the blood-red warning at the bottom of the panel, his mouth twitching violently.
It felt like buying a multi-million-dollar supercar, only to realize that stepping on the gas once would burn through half a month's salary.
This wasn't consuming mana; this was burning his hard-earned money!
"Damn, even a capitalist would cry seeing this system. But since I've got the skill, I definitely won't be able to sleep tonight if I don't try it out!"
His curiosity was completely hooked.
He turned his gaze to Munchlax, who was sleeping soundly on the soft mat with its back to him.
Miles had no idea what the little fatty was dreaming about, but its body occasionally twitched like it was being electrocuted.
Its short, thick claws swiped aimlessly at the air, giving off an indescribably goofy and sneaky vibe.
'So hungry...' 'Where did it go? Why did it suddenly disappear...'
'Wahhh, I didn't get full...'
"I'll test it out on you, you little glutton!" Miles took a deep breath, focused his mind, and issued the command. "Activate [Voice of All Things]!"
[Ding! God-Level derivative skill activated! Current available Influence Points: 4566!]
[Estimated maximum duration: Approx. 8 minutes 30 seconds! (Can be deactivated manually at any time to prevent further loss.)]
'A thousand Influence Points only buys me two minutes? This rate is a hundred times worse than an international satellite phone call!' Miles complained inwardly, but his attention was quickly diverted.
As the skill activated, all the subtle background noises—the wind outside the window, the ticking of the wall clock, even the hum of his PC's cooling fans—receded like a fading tide.
The entire world became incredibly quiet and ethereal.
Immediately after, an inexplicable, miraculous connection formed between Miles's brain and Munchlax's subconscious.
He heard a voice.
It wasn't the usual muffled munch-munch animal sounds the Pokémon normally made.
Instead, filtered through Miles's mind and emotional comprehension, it translated into a clear, incredibly childish monologue with a thick, goofy accent, sounding just like a three-year-old chubby toddler guarding its food.
*'Snore... Munch...' *
'That cream cake in my dream... it was taller than a mountain...'
Hearing that first thought, Miles almost laughed out loud.
Sure enough, this little fatty's subconscious consisted of nothing but food!
'Munch... so lonely...' Munchlax rolled over in its sleep, its massive, fleshy body making the soft mat creak. One of its claws fumbled to hug its own stomach.
*'Why isn't Master coming to sleep yet? Master worked so hard today and talked so, so much... Little Munchlax wants to be a big pillow for Master, wants him to lean on me and get warm...' *
'But Master keeps sitting in front of that glowing square... Little Munchlax is so bored, so sleepy...'
Miles's smile froze slightly, and a sudden rush of warmth welled up in his eyes.
He had assumed the little guy just ran off to sleep without a care in the world after eating its fill.
He hadn't expected that beneath its slumber, it was silently waiting for him to finish work.
Even in its dreams, it worried about him being too tired and wanted to use its fat-filled body to keep him warm.
This pure, unadulterated bond and reliance, transcending species, struck the softest corner of Miles's heart like a gentle sledgehammer.
Just as Miles was moved to tears, Munchlax's inner thoughts took a bizarrely sharp turn.
'Sniff... Munch?' Still asleep, Munchlax flexibly raised its stubby arm, brought its nose to its thick armpit, and took two deep sniffs.
*'My armpit... feels a little itchy... smells stinky...' *
*'Wait! Besides the stink, there's a little bit of the Pokéblock crumb smell from what I hid there last night!' *
*'It smells so good... Should Little Munchlax dig it out and eat it now? Or save it for a morning snack?' *
'Never mind, Master said eating before bed gives you cavities. Little Munchlax has to be a good, obedient boy, so Master will like me more...'
Listening to this absolute social-death monologue, Miles didn't know whether to be angry or amused.
Due to their unique physiology, the Munchlax line loved to hide unfinished food or favorite snacks under their thick fur and armpits.
If a trainer didn't bathe them regularly, they would turn into walking biological weapons reeking of spoiled food within days.
Looking at its adorably goofy appearance, the gloom in Miles's heart was completely swept away.
Just then, Munchlax's inner voice suddenly became incredibly firm and serious.
Even its heavy breathing grew deeper as two of its paws clenched into chubby little fists in the air.
*'Munch! Little Munchlax has to work hard to eat every day!' *
*'I need to eat lots of food and grow as tall as a house! As strong as a big mountain!' *
*'That bad cow with the sharp horns almost hit Master today! Little Munchlax was so scared... so scared Master would bleed and get hurt...' *
*'Little Munchlax won't ever let anyone bully Master! Next time a bad guy charges at us, Little Munchlax will use Defense Curl and bump them all away with the biggest, biggest strength!' *
*'Master gave Little Munchlax a second life. Master is Little Munchlax's whole world... I will protect Master forever and ever...'*
That final vow struck Miles like a jolt of electricity.
His eyes stung slightly.
In a world filled with coldness and profit, how lucky was he to have a life that only had eyes for him, willing to risk everything to keep him safe!
Munchlax's mind was incredibly simple.
Its world was a blank sheet of paper with only three core concepts written on it: Eat, Sleep, and Master.
Beyond that, there was nothing else.
"You big goof," Miles muttered, taking a deep breath to calm his surging emotions.
He didn't turn off [Voice of All Things].
Instead, he stood up, walked over to the mat, and grabbed Munchlax's stubby arm, which was still waving unconsciously.
"Wake up, little fatty! Time for some overtime!" Miles put on a stern face, but thanks to the skill's enhancement, his voice sounded incredibly gentle.
"Munch?!"
Munchlax jolted awake, its sleepy eyes filled with confusion.
When it saw it was Miles, it immediately sat up like a good boy, tilting its head to look at its master.
'Master is finally done! Is he going to take Little Munchlax to sleep? Yay!'
"Sleep? Who was just dreaming about the food crumbs hidden in their armpit?" Miles lightly slapped its bouncy belly in exasperation. "Let's go, to the bathroom! We sweat a lot today and rolled around on the street. If I don't scrub you until you smell nice, don't even think about getting on my bed tonight!"
'Oh no! How did Master know Little Munchlax hid things in its armpit? Master is so amazing! Like a god!'
'But a nice warm bath feels so good! Master is going to scrub my back! Little Munchlax is coming!'
Hearing it was bath time, Munchlax didn't resist at all.
It excitedly scrambled up, waddling its penguin-like, chubby body expertly toward the bathroom.
Ten minutes later, the cramped bathroom was filled with steam.
Miles, wearing only a pair of large shorts and holding an oversized, Pokémon-specific bath brush, was sweating profusely as he scrubbed Munchlax's back in the tub.
A massive amount of white suds piled up on the little guy's teal fur, turning it into a comical snowman.
With [Voice of All Things] still running, the bathroom was filled with the sound of splashing water, but Miles's mind was flooded with Munchlax's rich inner monologue.
*'Wow! The water is so warm, and Master's hands are so strong! He's scrubbing all of Little Munchlax's fat until it's soft... I want to sleep...' *
*'No, no! Little Munchlax needs to stand steady! The floor tiles are slippery. If Little Munchlax falls, this heavy body will definitely squish Master flat! I absolutely cannot fall!' *
*'It tickles so much when Master washes my armpits! I want to laugh! But I have to hold it in. Master is working hard, so Little Munchlax has to cooperate and be good, then Master won't be tired!' *
Listening to these considerate and sensible thoughts, Miles's movements grew even gentler.
He carefully cleaned away all the grime deep in Munchlax's fur and the dust left over from yesterday's battles.
[Warning! Current Influence Points are draining rapidly! Balance has dropped below 3000 points!]
[Voice of All Things will continuously consume your reserves. Please manage your time carefully, Host!]
The blood-red system warning flashing across his retinas finally pulled Miles back to reality.
"Alright, that's enough. If I keep listening, I'll really go bankrupt tomorrow."
Although Miles was extremely reluctant to end this flawless soul connection, reason dictated his next command.
"System, deactivate [Voice of All Things]!"
With the command, the magical mental link instantly severed.
The bathroom returned to just the sound of the showerhead spraying water and the realistic, deep purring sounds Munchlax made out of pure comfort.
Miles grabbed a massive, dry bath towel, expertly wrapping Munchlax into a giant burrito.
He rubbed and dried it vigorously until its teal fur was fluffy and soft again.
"Alright, all done! Let's go to sleep!" He patted Munchlax's rear.
The firm, meaty thud sounded rich and satisfying—excellent texture.
"Munch!"
Finally hearing those words, Munchlax cried out excitedly.
It charged out of the bathroom like a little tank, expertly climbed onto the slightly cramped single bed, claimed more than half of the inside space, and then eagerly patted the empty spot beside it, gesturing for Miles to hurry up.
Miles took a quick rinse himself and turned off all the lights in the rented apartment.
He lay in bed, feeling the endless heat radiating from Munchlax's massive body next to him, like a giant heated blanket.
On this slightly chilly early autumn night, this grounding sense of security and warmth was something money couldn't buy.
The night was deep, and everything was silent.
But Miles didn't fall asleep immediately.
He rested his hands behind his head, his deep gaze staring at the ceiling through the faint moonlight filtering in from the window.
He thought back on everything he had experienced today.
From the life-and-death thrill with the Tauros, to Munchlax domineeringly comprehending the move Defense Curl.
From rescuing the [Technician] Meowth mistaken for a useless stray, to his thunderous methods of subduing the rebellious Machop tonight.
And finally, seeing through the ancient Omanyte's fatal internal injuries and the secret to its evolution.
These miraculous appraisals had not only pushed his Reputation Level forcefully to Level 3, but also brought an unprecedented surge to his bank account balance!
'The afternoon stream, plus the various donations, cashes out to over four thousand.'
'Tonight's special stream was even crazier. Brother Hodor's ten Super Rockets alone were worth twenty thousand, plus the barrage of gifts from Spinarak and other miscellaneous donations...'
Miles quickly did the math in his head.
The final number made his heart beat a little faster.
'In just one day, my net income broke the thirty thousand mark!'
Thirty thousand bucks!
In this world, for a bottom-tier wage earner, that was easily more than half a year's salary.
With this startup capital, Miles finally had the confidence to stand up straight in this rigidly stratified Pokémon world.
'I definitely don't have to worry about top-tier food for Munchlax for the next few days. I can even start mixing in some special Pokéblocks that aid bone growth and enhance defense,' Miles silently mapped out his future blueprint.
'However, even though I have money now, my current status is still just an unlicensed streamer without official backing.'
'In an era with extremely strict League laws, the more famous you get, the higher the risk of being targeted by officials or people with ulterior motives. Especially today, when I touched upon a borderline prehistoric creature incident like the Omanyte.'
A sharp glint flashed in Miles's eyes in the darkness.
'It looks like getting an official [Pokémon Appraiser Certificate] needs to be put on the agenda immediately. And this set of broken-down, second-hand streaming equipment needs to be replaced. This is how I make my living, after all...'
As he thought, a deep wave of exhaustion washed over him.
Lulled by Munchlax's highly hypnotic, even snoring, the nerves Miles had kept strained all day finally relaxed completely.
His eyelids grew heavier, and his consciousness began to blur.
'Regardless, this is a pretty perfect start...'
'Tomorrow, I'll go buy books and prepare for the exam. I'm going to show the entire League what true, god-tier appraisal looks like!'
With that final thought fading away, Miles drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep, carrying his burning ambition and anticipation for the future.
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