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Ten, nine, eight...
Lovy knew—if he didn't act right now, these viewers would scatter, and his stream's momentum would be dead in the water.
"I've got to take a risk!"
Despite the stress in his heart, Lovy forced a confident smile and said:
"Hey, big guy—don't worry about my little Snorlax for now. If I'm not mistaken, your Pokémon is… a Machop, right?"
The moment Lovy said that—
[MuscleBoss]: No way! How'd you know?! You're spot on—it is a Machop!
[CarrotLady]: Seriously? You can tell what Pokémon someone has just like that? Okay then—wanna guess mine too?
Lovy breathed a silent sigh of relief. Got 'em.
"Of course! I'm a professional appraiser. Doesn't matter what Pokémon you have—one look is all I need."
He noticed that the viewer count had stabilized at seven and wasn't dropping anymore.
"But first things first. I'll appraise Big Guy's Pokémon first, then get to yours, alright? It's free—who's in?"
[MuscleBoss]: Let's do it! I was here first anyway. Go ahead, streamer—start the video chat! Let's see how good you really are!
Connecting...
On the stream, Lovy's face filled half the screen, while his little Snorlax sat calmly to one side, occasionally sniffing its own armpit.
On the other half was MuscleBoss, calling in from what looked like a gym. He was drenched in sweat, sitting on a workout machine—obviously just finished training.
Next to him was a Machop, dutifully lifting dumbbells. The little fighter looked very focused.
"I'm a gym instructor and a licensed trainer. This is my Pokémon, Machop. What do you think, streamer? Give me a proper evaluation."
[CarrotLady]: Ooh, nice build. You local, hun? 😏
[MuscleBoss]: You know it. Wanna learn swimming and fitness sometime, gorgeous?
Lovy's face twitched slightly.
"Alright, alright—stop trying to pick up clients in my stream. Point your camera at the Machop. I need a closer look."
Another viewer popped up in chat.
[ProteinThread]: Let's go, streamer! Don't let us down—I'm waiting for your verdict!
Lovy nearly burst out laughing.
ProteinThread?! What kind of ridiculous name is that? Why do I want to laugh every time I see it?
He turned his attention to the Machop.
It was half a head taller than his Snorlax, humanoid in shape with gray skin. Its crimson eyes stared straight ahead, and three tile-like bone ridges topped its head, presumably to protect the skull.
Its tail and head resembled a reptile's, while its hands were human-like with five fingers. Its feet, however, had no visible toes—more like elephant hooves, giving it better balance.
Then Lovy activated his Appraisal Eye, and the status panel popped up:
Superpower Pokémon: Machop
Level: 21
Type: Fighting
Gender: Male
Base Stats: C Grade (305)
Individual Value: A Grade (170)
Ability: No Guard
Nature: Hasty
Moves: Low Kick, Leer, Focus Energy, Revenge
Status: Frustrated
Evolution Path: Machoke → Machamp
Special Trait: Supermale Syndrome
"Hmm?"
At first glance, Lovy thought the Machop was solid.
But when he read the last line, his expression darkened.
"Bro… that Machop… is not fit to raise."
MuscleBoss immediately frowned.
"What the hell? My Machop is just fine! Even the Pokémon evaluation center said its individual value was excellent! You'd better explain that comment!"
For trainers, their Pokémon were everything. They invested time, energy, and emotions—So naturally, no one liked hearing anything negative about their partner.
[ProteinThread]: Oh ho! Now this is getting good!
[CarrotLady]: Watch it, streamer—calling someone's Pokémon unfit? That's fighting words.
Lovy stayed calm.
"I know you're upset, but answer me this—has your Machop ever injured you? Even accidentally?"
MuscleBoss looked uncertain for a moment but quickly straightened up:
"It's a Machop—super active. We're always training. Bumps and bruises are normal!"
Lovy gave a wry smile.
"So it has happened. Let me be clear—if you keep this up, this Machop is going to send you to the hospital. You've got two options: either start taking my advice seriously… or get rid of it. I'm not joking."
MuscleBoss froze.
"You cursing me now? My Machop's totally chill! You don't believe me? I'll show you right now! Machop—come here and show 'em you're not violent!"
"No, wait—!"
Lovy saw the warning sign flash:The Machop's status had changed from Frustrated to Enraged.
But MuscleBoss was determined to prove a point.
The Machop glared, shook off its trainer's grip—and punched him square in the face, twisting it sideways!
"OW! MACHOP! YOU HIT ME?!"
MuscleBoss roared and tried to wrestle it, only to get thrown across the gym by the small powerhouse.
BOOM!
Even through the stream, you could feel the impact.
Lovy winced.
"Bro… you didn't have to go that far."
He hadn't expected things to escalate this fast. Wasn't some of this his fault, too?
Feeling guilty, Lovy opened his phone and tapped a virtual wooden fish app twice. Thump, thump.
[ProteinThread]: BROOO THIS STREAM IS 🔥🔥🔥! That Machop was about to kill him!
[CarrotLady]: Unbelievable! I'm staying till the end—streamer, you gotta appraise my Pokémon next!
"Wait up—I might need to call emergency services for this guy. First day streaming and someone dies? That's bad luck."
Thankfully, other people at the gym had rushed over.
With help from other Pokémon, they subdued the enraged Machop and locked it down.
Bloodied and bruised, MuscleBoss staggered back into view. He bowed deeply toward Lovy on camera.
"I believe you now. I really do. Damn thing nearly killed me! I give it food, shelter, training—never mistreated it! All I did was hug it today, and it decked me!"
People around him kept urging him to go to the hospital, but he just clutched his phone, watching the stream.
Because he wasn't just hurt—He was humiliated, devastated.
[ProteinThread]: Best. Stream. Ever. Thank god I didn't leave earlier!
[CarrotLady]: Poor dude… Go to the ER already!
[KingJiji]: Streamer, seriously—what happened with that Machop?! I need to know—explain!!
"It's not your fault. Not entirely the Machop's either."
Lovy sighed.
"Tell me—have you guys ever heard of something called Supermale Syndrome?"
[ProteinThread]: Isn't that just an insult people throw around online?
[CarrotLady]: I've heard of it. Isn't it a genetic condition in some human males?
[KingJiji]: What's that mean for a Pokémon though? Speak normal words, streamer!
"Exactly. It's a genetic defect. This Machop has an extra Y chromosome—same as in humans."
"It causes aggression, impulsiveness, violent tendencies. Now imagine that, but inside a Pokémon built for brute force like Machop…"
Lovy's tone turned serious.
"Even if this were a human, it would be dangerous. But with a Pokémon like this… tell me—how could you possibly raise it safely?"
The chat fell silent.
MuscleBoss and the rest of the stream finally understood.
"So… I really do have to give it up?"