The madness of egg gambling was no less extreme than that of the stone gamblers in his past life, who routinely went bankrupt over a single cut of raw jade.
An unremarkable, even slightly flawed Pokémon egg might be tossed aside on the street for the price of cabbage, only to eventually hatch into a mutant variant with god-level potential.
Conversely, a "top-tier egg" adorned with gorgeous patterns, placed on a pedestal by countless experts, and hyped up to a million-dollar price tag could very well hatch a crippled Caterpie with D-rank IVs that struggled just to use String Shot in front of a massive crowd.
Of course, there were also absolutely safe "guaranteed options" on the market—[Certified Breed Eggs] issued with pedigree certificates by top-tier official breeding centers.
These eggs at least guaranteed the buyer that the hatched species would perfectly match the label, or they offered a full refund.
But correspondingly, the staggering premium was far beyond what an ordinary, bottom-tier Trainer could ever afford.
As for Pokémon eggs carrying an "Appraisal Certificate" from a top-tier appraisal master—basically locking in certain top-quality traits—they were the ultimate luxury goods fiercely contested by billionaires in major auction houses.
Sitting in front of the screen, Miles had all sorts of bloody and tearful legends about "egg gambling" flash through his mind like lightning.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curling into a highly concealed, almost disdainful smirk.
When others gambled on eggs, they relied on illusory luck and so-called "experience and intuition."
But for Miles, who possessed the [Eye of Pokémon Insight], how was this a blind box?
This was practically a single-player game with a full-map wallhack!
In front of the [Eye of Pokémon Insight] that could see through all the illusions of the world, whatever this egg was made of—even the genetic map of its ancestors for eighteen generations—would be stripped completely bare.
It was no exaggeration to say that if Miles wanted to, he could turn off the stream right now, take a stroll through the underground egg market, and instantly crown himself the supreme god ruling the entire "egg gambling" world with a terrifying, dimension-crushing advantage.
'Phew... Keep a low profile. I have to keep a low profile. Playing the fool is an art of gradual progression!' Miles secretly warned himself.
After all, the waters behind Pokémon eggs were far too deep, and the web of interests involved was too vast.
As a newly emerged rookie streamer, if he acted too overpowered and saw through the bottom of every egg at a glance, he'd probably be stuffed into a sack by those black-market oligarchs and tossed into the moat tomorrow.
He refocused his gaze on the video call feed on the right side of the screen.
The viewer with the highly gambling-esque ID, "Brother Motorcycle," was sweating profusely as he held the Pokémon egg in both hands.
The egg's shape presented a very standard, almost flawless oval. The curves on the shell were so smooth they looked as if they had been polished by a master craftsman.
The most striking feature, however, was its warm, orange-red base color.
Dispersed along the sides of the shell were several incredibly subtle, dark-yellow markings that resembled burning flames.
This type of egg was the most dangerous "depth charge" in the black market.
It lacked any exaggerated, deformed features that could instantly determine its authenticity; everything seemed perfectly standard, yet it practically oozed the fatal temptation of, 'I absolutely have a top-tier Fire-type hidden inside me.'
Just as Miles expected, the moment this orange-red Pokémon egg appeared on camera, the viewers in the stream instantly transformed into wild appraisal experts.
The live chat turned into a massive academic seminar.
[Viewer "Late Night No Drinking": Holy crap! This color! This smooth curve! I've been hanging around the egg market in my city for three years, and I'd bet my secondhand e-bike that this is absolutely a purebred Fire-type Pokémon egg! And with this pale orange color and dark patterns, it's definitely a Charmander egg!]
[Viewer "Wild Pokémon Observer": Don't jump to conclusions, chat. Even though it looks like a Charmander, the overlap rate for Fire-type Pokémon eggs is the highest among all types! A Vulpix egg will also show this color at certain temperatures. Even a Growlithe egg, if left in a dry environment for a long time, will develop similar markings! The waters are deep here!]
[Viewer "Raging Raichu": Appraising an egg through a screen? That difficulty is way too freaking absurd! With a live Pokémon, you can at least look at its coat color and mental state. What the hell can you see from a hard eggshell? Master Miles has probably hit a real brick wall this time!]
[Viewer "Elden Ring Gold Medal Lecturer": It really is tough! There's a saying in the egg gambling world: 'Even immortals struggle to judge an inch of shell jade'! Relying just on appearances, even if you look at the pores with a high-powered microscope, you might not guess the species correctly. If the streamer isn't confident, he better refund the big bro's donation, lest he smash his own all-knowing appraisal signboard.]
[Viewer "Outlaw John Doe": A gambler is a gambler. One look at this big bro's shiny bald forehead, and you just know he's paid plenty of tuition fees in blind box games. But since he dared to drop ten grand on a Master Ball donation to ask for an appraisal, it means he definitely spent a fortune buying this egg!]
[Viewer "Frontline Melon Eater": Grabbing my popcorn, selling sunflower seeds and mineral water in the front row! If Master Miles can see through the bottom of even this unhatched blind box today, I'll print out his photo and worship him as the God of Wealth in my living room!]
[Viewer "Rational Analyst": Rational analysis here: the forgery rate of eggs with this color on the market is extremely high. Many unscrupulous vendors will use special chemical potions for 'shell-soaking' treatments. I wonder if the streamer's sharp eyes can see through this kind of physical camouflage.]
"Master Miles, what do you think? Give it to me straight, will you?"
Brother Motorcycle was clearly getting a little creeped out by Miles's thoughtful, silent demeanor.
He kept wiping the sweat from his bald head with his sleeve, his eyes flashing with extreme anticipation and hidden apprehension.
Miles smiled slightly.
A faint blue stream of data, visible only to him, instantly poured down from the depths of his eyes, stripping the orange-red Pokémon egg so bare that not even a single fiber was left to hide behind.
[Target: Pokémon Egg (Embryonic Stage)]
[Gestating Species: Bellsprout (Grass-type Pokémon)]
[Current Status: Vitals Stable / Embryonic Development Normal]
[IV Potential: C-Rank (Mediocre)]
[Nature Tendency: Rash]
And what amused Miles the most was the line of text at the very bottom of the egg.
It flickered with a pale white light —its Fate Entry:
[Fate Entry: Mediocre Weed (White) - This is a Bellsprout egg that can be found everywhere, completely common. Not only is its potential mediocre, but there is also no praiseworthy bloodline awakening or mutation potential in its genetic sequence. Its greatest achievement in this life will probably be dutifully performing photosynthesis in some cheap flowerpot. It is a veritable potted plant substitute with absolutely zero combat training value.]
'Pfft...'
Seeing this extremely ruthless and dismissive white entry, Miles almost couldn't hold back his laughter.
Not only was this not some top-tier Fire-type, it didn't even count as an ordinary combat pet. It was purely a potted plant!
However, Miles didn't immediately throw out this devastatingly lethal answer.
In the livestreaming industry, pulling on emotional strings was king.
If the process of revealing the answer was too fast, it would completely ruin the ultimate sense of anticipation and the entertainment value.
"Brother Motorcycle, don't rush," Miles said, gathering his thoughts.
He deliberately put on the calm, unfathomable posture of an old master.
Extending a slender finger, he wagged it gently at the camera. "Appraising an egg is like solving a case; we have to focus on peeling back the cocoon, step by step. First, to be on the safe side, let's use the most basic method of elimination..."
Hearing Miles finally speak, Brother Motorcycle's heart leaped into his throat.
His beady eyes stared dead at the screen, not even daring to breathe.
"After my extremely meticulous observation just now..." Miles deliberately dragged out his words before his eyes suddenly hardened.
He spat out an incredibly serious sentence. "I can guarantee you one hundred percent... this is absolutely not the legendary Moltres's egg!"
The moment those words came out, Brother Motorcycle's expression froze as if dunked in liquid nitrogen.
Then, a twisted look of 'Are you playing me for a monkey?' and 'I spent ten grand for you to tell me this garbage?' visibly surfaced on his fat-creased face, looking incredibly pained and on the verge of driving him mad.
The tens of thousands of viewers in the stream, after a brief moment of sluggishness, instantly erupted into roof-lifting, maniacal laughter!
[Viewer "Freeloading Squirtle": LMAO!!! No shit it's not a Moltres egg! W Streamer, your yapping has reached the pinnacle of perfection! What is Moltres? That's a freaking Divine Beast that can burn the heavens with a single flap of its wings! If this bald bro could just casually buy that thing in the black market, I'd immediately swallow my computer monitor raw!]
[Viewer "Wild Pokémon Observer": Bro is cooking! The logic is extremely rigorous, even irrefutable! Although ancient texts do record Moltres eggs as having this orange-red color accompanied by dark patterns, the master's wave of elimination has truly rubbed everyone's IQ frantically against the floor! It's an absolute kill!]
[Viewer "Keyboard Holmes": I'm dying of laughter! Look at Brother Motorcycle's expression; his veins are popping out! I bet he has already affectionately greeted all eighteen generations of the streamer's ancestors in his head. Dropping ten grand on a Master Ball just to get hit with 'It's not a Moltres.' This money was too well spent; a massive profit, no loss!]
[Viewer "Pure Love Warrior Down": Streamer, if you're out of content you can just say so, don't force a bit here! If you really can't figure it out, just take the L and refund the bro's money so everyone saves face. This blind box is definitely out of your league!]
[Viewer "Can't Afford Tea Eggs Wage Earner": Case closed, it's confirmed! The streamer's superpowers are on cooldown tonight. This remote egg appraisal is a total flop; everyone can disperse, wash up, and go to sleep. The myth shatters tonight!]
[Viewer "Midnight Heartbreak Club": The gold standard of the Master Ball has been severely disrespected at this moment! Don't cry, Brother Motorcycle, stand up! Smash his door in!]
[Viewer "Science Squad Captain": Friendly provision of an extremely blurry image of Moltres soaring (Image loading...). Look closely, chat, that is an existence capable of manipulating celestial phenomena. Even if its egg dropped on the street, it would melt the ground for ten miles around! The egg isn't even burning the bro's hands, how could it be Moltres!]
"Little bro! This is getting a bit boring, you know!" Brother Motorcycle fiercely wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
His originally respectful tone now carried a hint of faint anger and unconcealed impatience.
"I've got a freaking brain, of course I know this isn't a Moltres egg! If I could get my hands on a Divine Beast's egg, would I still be sitting here video-calling you? Forget one Master Ball, I'd gladly give you a hundred villas!"
He leaned closer to the camera. "Master Miles, everyone's time is precious. Can you actually see the bottom line of this egg or not? If you really can't tell, just say the word. I won't make things difficult for you!"
"I'll consider that Master Ball the price of making a friend, you don't even need to refund it! Just give me a straight answer already!"
Clearly, Brother Motorcycle's explosive gambler temper, honed from years of loitering in the blind box market, had been thoroughly triggered by Miles's teasing.
If he wasn't wary of the terrifying strength Miles had displayed in his previous few streams, he would have started cursing and cut the connection right then and there.
Seeing that the big baller and most of the stream's viewers were beginning to doubt him, Miles knew the heat was just right.
If he kept them in suspense any longer, the prestige he had painstakingly built up might suffer a backlash.
It was time for the main course.
"Brother Motorcycle, you need to change this explosive temper of yours, otherwise you'll easily suffer big losses in the market."
Miles put away the joking expression on his face. He slowly leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest.
His gaze instantly became as sharp as a blade, his aura fully unleashed.
"Since you're so desperate for an answer, let's skip the middle steps. But before revealing the mystery, tell me honestly first: where did you get this egg?"
Hearing Miles's suddenly oppressive tone, Brother Motorcycle involuntarily swallowed hard, his previous arrogance instantly dropping by a third.
"Where else... I dug it up in the underground black market's egg bazaar!"
"When I saw this color and pattern, based on my years of experience, there was a huge probability that it was a Charmander egg! The seller asked for a thousand bucks. I figured if it really hatched a Charmander, even with the worst IVs, I could flip it and make fifty times the profit! That's not asking too much, is it?"
[Viewer "Late Night Cultivator": The underground black market's egg bazaar? The water in that place is deeper than the Mariana Trench! Nine out of ten who go in go bankrupt! This bro has some serious guts!]
[Viewer "Veteran Pokémon Breeder": You wanted to buy a Charmander egg for a thousand bucks? Bro, you're really daydreaming! Right now, the reservation spots for a single Charmander at orthodox breeding centers are lined up until two years from now, and the starting price is thirty grand! I'm afraid this one-thousand-buck purchase of yours bodes ill! Pies don't fall from the sky!]
[Viewer "Canyon's Number One Flamer": Don't look for treasure in the garbage dump! Ninety-nine percent of eggs from unknown origins like this are dead eggs or defective products! Bro definitely paid the stupid tax! Just wait and cry!]
"Not asking too much, it's really not asking too much," Miles stated plainly.
Looking at the orange-red Pokémon egg still emitting an alluring luster on the screen, the corners of his mouth curled into a cold sneer full of pity and mockery.
"Bro, if this really were a Charmander egg, this move of yours wouldn't just be 'not asking too much,' it would practically be smoke rising from your ancestors' graves. It's just a pity..."
Hearing the words "It's just a pity," Brother Motorcycle's heart violently skipped a beat.
An extremely ominous premonition instantly shrouded his entire body. In the egg gambling circle, the most feared thing to hear was this kind of transitional phrase!
"P-Pity what? Master, don't keep me guessing! I-Is it a dead egg?!"
Brother Motorcycle's voice began to tremble. His hands gripped the edge of the eggshell so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"Not quite a dead egg; its vital signs are still considered stable." Miles picked up his thermos and took a sip of water.
Then, in an extremely cold, emotionless tone, he slowly threw out the cruel truth that was enough to completely shatter Brother Motorcycle's dream of sudden wealth.
"The pity is, this isn't some Charmander egg symbolizing flames and dragons at all."
"This... is a Bellsprout egg through and through!"
Boom! Boom!!! A Bellsprout?!
Miles's words were like a ten-thousand-ton giant hammer.
Not only did they viciously smash Brother Motorcycle's dream, but they also blasted the foreheads of the tens of thousands of viewers in the entire livestream room until they buzzed!
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/Vristikk