Miles sounded like he had just escaped a disaster zone. Hearing his breathless, traumatized opening remarks, the chat completely lost it. They had just been teasing him for getting stuck with the previous caller, but now they erupted into a whole new wave of merciless mocking.
Miles let out a long breath to calm his racing heart. Resting his hand on the mouse, he prepared to pick tonight's second lucky winner from the endless sea of connection requests.
Just as he was about to click a random name, a dazzling, exclusive VIP message lit up the top of the chat.
[Viewer "Strawberry Pudding Less Sweet": Streamer boss! Please look at me! My roommate ran into a really tricky Pokémon problem today, and she wants to video call you for advice. Could you please give us a slot?]
Miles paused, his finger hovering over the mouse.
The ID "Strawberry Pudding Less Sweet" was very familiar. She was a veteran fan who had been around since the early days of his "Omnipotent Pokémon Appraisal" channel, back when he barely had an audience.
She wasn't a whale who casually dropped Master Balls or Super Rockets worth tens of thousands. However, she never missed a stream and constantly sent him smaller, steady gifts. In the cutthroat streaming industry, massive donations could make you rich overnight, but loyal fans like her were the true foundation of a streamer's career.
'Since a long term fan is asking, I definitely have to give her face', Miles thought to himself.
Besides, she had mentioned being a female college student before, which meant her roommate was one too. In this traffic-driven era, what could attract his stream's male audience more than a group of lively college girls? He would be a fool to turn down such prime content.
"No problem," Miles said smoothly into his microphone. "Since our little Strawberry is asking personally, the second slot tonight belongs to you. Should I call your account directly, or how do you want to handle this?"
[Viewer "Midnight Patrolling Noctowl": Holy crap! Streamer, your double standards are too obvious! You couldn't wait to kick that hairy dude earlier, but the second you hear it's a female fan, your voice gets soft enough to melt! Men really are all pigs!]
[Viewer "Outlaw John Doe": Protest! Solemn protest! I'm also an old fan who clocks in every day, why don't I get VIP treatment? Master Miles, do you have a special bias for female fans? I'm going to take up legal arms to protect my rights as a male viewer!]
[Viewer "Canyon's Most Affectionate Jungler": Calm down, brothers! Are you missing the point? Female college students! And roommates! That means there's a huge chance we get to see an entire dorm of beautiful young girls! Master Miles is doing a massive favor for all us men, so hurry up and retract those protests!]
[Viewer "Strawberry Pudding Less Sweet": Hehe, thanks for the favoritism, Streamer! Just connect to my account. We don't have classes today, so all the sisters are hanging out in the dorm!]
Seeing her reply, Miles didn't hesitate. He quickly found the account with the cute Jigglypuff avatar in his queue and clicked the green accept button.
Beep—!
[System Prompt: You have successfully accepted the connection request from user "Strawberry Pudding Less Sweet"!]
After a few seconds of buffering, the video feed on the right side of the screen cleared up. Instantly, the stream was flooded with an overwhelming wave of youth.
The camera showed a standard, cozy four-person university dorm room. In the background, lofted beds sat over neat desks, the bed frames decorated with twinkling fairy lights and various plush toys.
But the main attraction was undoubtedly the four gorgeous girls crowding around the camera.
They were dressed in comfortable, oversized hoodies and casual loungewear. Even without heavy makeup, the natural, bare-faced beauty of girls was totally captivating.
Each had their own unique charm. One had a high ponytail and lively, expressive eyes. Another had shoulder-length hair and black-rimmed glasses, radiating an intellectual vibe. A third had long, wavy hair that gave off a mature, languid aura.
Even a man like Miles, who had seen his fair share of spectacles, couldn't help but feel his eyes brighten at the sight of this fairy's den. For a fleeting second, he felt a faint heat prickle his nose.
'Was this the legendary precursor to an excitement-induced nosebleed?'
To maintain his unshakeable, aloof persona as a top-tier appraiser, Miles immediately employed a tactical retreat. He picked up the thermos on his desk and took a slow sip of water, doing his best to suppress his suddenly thumping heart.
Meanwhile, the stream's chat devolved into an absolute frenzy....
[Viewer "Broke Wage Slave": Oh my god! I questioned the streamer, I understood the streamer, and now I've become a devout believer of the streamer! So this is what a college girls' dorm actually looks like? It's a gathering place for high-quality humanity! I announce that even if there are no Pokémon tonight, I can watch this stream until dawn!]
[Viewer "Keyboard Holmes": Details! Everyone, look at the details! These four beauties—their skin, those pure eyes untouched by society's cruelty...! Master Miles letting them skip the line is an act of merit. I suggest we do more of these 'targeted' streams in the future!]
[Viewer "Just Want to be a Rich Heiress": Oh my, even as a girl, my heart is fluttering. It's so good to be young. This screen full of youthful energy reminds me of my own fleeting university days. But speaking of which, what kind of Pokémon are these girls trying to get appraised?]
[Viewer "Veteran Breeder Old Wang": This old man has lived a long life and seen countless people, but this is truly a feast for the eyes. Still, I must remind my fellow viewers: this is a legitimate Pokémon appraisal stream. Please restrain your inner restlessness and don't scare the little ladies.]
[Viewer "Wild Pokémon Scholar": Am I the only one wondering what rare Pokémon is about to appear? Usually, girls tend to raise cute Fairy, Grass, or Normal-type Pokémon. I wonder if there will be any surprises today.]
[Viewer "Staying Up Late Just for Updates": Stop pretending, streamer! The hand holding your thermos is shaking! Those piercing eyes of yours that normally see through everything are probably glued to the screen right now! Admit it, you're just a regular guy in a master's clothing!]
[Viewer "Canyon King Carry": This is too peak! The ponytail sister on the left has so much spirit, and the short-haired one on the right perfectly matches my first-love aesthetic! Master Miles, hurry up and ask if they have boyfriends! This concerns the lifelong happiness of hundreds of thousands of single guys!]
Miles shook his head helplessly at the completely unhinged chat.
On the screen, the girl standing in the middle—the one with the high ponytail and vibrant, mischievous eyes—waved her hand enthusiastically at the camera.
Judging by her familiar tone, Miles instantly recognized her. This was his loyal fan, "Strawberry Pudding Less Sweet." She had posted a half-face selfie with a mask in the past, so he had only ever guessed at her looks. Seeing her in person now, she was exactly the kind of sweet, energetic girl who would easily stand out in any crowd.
Before he could even greet them, the girls in the dorm started chattering away.
"Oh wow, Little Strawberry, you hype up this 'master of a Pokémon appraiser' every day. I thought he'd be some old pedant with white hair and reading glasses!"
"I didn't expect him to be so young!" The girl with the wavy hair leaned closer to the screen. Her beautiful eyes looked Miles up and down as she gasped in undisguised amazement.
"Right?!" chimed in the intellectual girl with the black-rimmed glasses, a playful tease in her voice. "Even if he didn't do hardcore Pokémon appraisals, he could just be a beauty streamer. He'd definitely get a whole crowd of naive little fangirls. Is he really as miraculous as you say?"
Hearing such direct, unfiltered praise from a group of college girls, Miles raised an eyebrow. The corners of his mouth—which were harder to suppress than the recoil of a gun—curled up into an uncontrollable, wild grin.
'Listen to that!' he thought. 'Now that is the goddamn truth!'
[Viewer "Frontline Melon Eater": It's over, the streamer's ego is in orbit! Look at him trying to hold back that smile! He's enjoying this so much he's going to suffer internal injuries! I can literally see his tail is wagging!]
[Viewer "Cures All Ailments Old Doctor": I have never in my life seen someone display the secret thrill of being complimented so vividly. Master Miles, where is your idol baggage? Where is your aloof persona? Pick it up immediately!]
[Viewer "Outlaw John Doe": The immersion is too real. If an entire dorm of beauties called me handsome to my face, I'd be so hyped I couldn't find North. But honestly, hearing that kind of praise is a massive dopamine hit.]
"Ahem..." Miles cleared his throat, forcing down his surging pride. He replied into the microphone with a completely straight face.
"Ladies, let's be real here. You are free to question my looks, but please, never question my professional capabilities. My biggest flaw is my stubbornness. God clearly gave me an easy way out, but I refused. Instead, I choose to do things the hard way, relying solely on my hardcore knowledge."
His shameless bragging instantly had the college girls laughing so hard they doubled over. Their clear, bell-like laughter echoed through the stream, leaving his audience weak-kneed.
"Alright, alright, Streamer. Give you an inch and you take a mile, huh?" Strawberry laughed. "From now on, just call me Little Strawberry."
Still giggling, she grabbed the arm of a roommate who had barely spoken and pulled her right into the center of the frame. "Don't be shy! You're always so chatty in the dorm, what's there to be afraid of through a screen? Hurry up and tell the Master your problem."
Miles focused his eyes. He suddenly realized this new girl had been hiding on the fringes the whole time, completely escaping his notice.
Dragged into the spotlight, the naturally introverted girl blushed furiously and nervously wrung her hands. Miles was usually a straight-laced guy who only cared about Pokémon stats, but taking a moment to appreciate this, girl-next-door beauty was an excellent mental palate cleanser.
"No need to be nervous, miss. Just treat this like a chat with a normal friend," Miles said, keeping his voice as gentle and approachable as a spring breeze.
"Go ahead. What rare Pokémon do you need me to appraise today? Or did you hit a bottleneck while raising one? As long as you can describe the problem, I promise I'll sort it out for you perfectly."
Soothed by Miles's calm voice, the shy girl finally found her courage. She looked up, her eyes wide and startled like a deer's, and spoke in a soft whisper.
"H-hello, Master Streamer... I called because I was hoping you could look at my Paras. Its condition has been very strange lately. It has already reached—and even passed—the level where it's supposed to evolve, but it just won't. I've taken it to several Pokémon Centers, but the doctors can't figure out why. Do you know what's wrong?"
"A Paras?" Miles frowned slightly. The name felt a bit retro, almost niche.
To be honest, scanning the vast Pokédex in his mind, he couldn't immediately picture it. But as a professional appraiser who maintained an aura of being all-knowing, there was no way he would show a hint of hesitation to his viewers.
"Words aren't enough for a diagnosis. Bring your partner out and let me see it for myself," Miles said confidently.
It didn't matter how niche the Pokémon was. The moment it appeared on camera, his cheat ability—the 'Eye of Pokémon Insight'—would strip away its secrets, revealing everything down to its last detail.
"Um... okay," the girl nodded timidly.
She reached into the pocket of her pure white cashmere sweater. It looked like a simple garment, but the texture was clearly high-end.
A moment later, she pulled out a Poké Ball that made Miles—and every veteran trainer in the chat—freeze in shock.
It wasn't a standard, cheap red-and-white ball. It wasn't even an Ultra Ball. The top half featured a deep, high-tech matte black finish, while the bottom was a flawless, pure white.
Upto 20 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/Vristikk
[Hey everyone, quick update. I'll be taking a short break due to finals. Updates will resume in about a week. Thanks for your patience.]