WebNovels

Chapter 4 - Gloom Smells Awful? Congratulations — Don’t Throw It Away!

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MuscleBoss's face was covered in blood, yet even as he looked at the Machop bound tightly by Bulbasaur's vines, his eyes were still filled with reluctance.

When you've raised a Pokémon long enough, it's just like raising a child — there's emotion involved.

"Here's the thing. Go to the hospital and get your injuries looked at first. After that, I can teach you how to handle it. But think it through carefully — that Machop is still young, but if you keep raising it, it could genuinely become dangerous enough to kill someone. You're not just putting yourself at risk, you're also responsible for the people around you. If you're not mentally prepared to pour in several times the effort, it's better to let it go. Hand it over to a proper organization, or to someone capable of managing it."

Lovy wasn't sugarcoating anything.

This kind of hyper-aggressive Machop — though prone to rage and violence — had outstanding strength and growth potential.

If you could manage it properly, and make sure it didn't harm others or itself, then "hyper macho syndrome" could actually become a strength — maybe even considered a trait!

"All right! Streamer, I followed you! I'm officially your first fan! Once I'm back from the hospital and have thought it through, I'll come find you! Thanks, streamer!"

With that, MuscleBoss ended the call.

Lovy leaned back in the chair and finally exhaled. They hadn't expected the very first stream on this new account to be so intense and dramatic.

Looking again at the viewer count — it had already jumped to dozens of people and was steadily increasing.

The chat was also becoming more and more active.

NotSoMacho:Did I miss something? That guy had blood all over his face and still thanked the streamer? What even happened?

FiberOpticNoodles:Tsk, with a name like that, it's hard to say you're not doing it on purpose.

CarrotLady:Streamer! Aren't you going to appraise my Pokémon already? I've been waiting forever!

"Things are picking up now."

Having made it through the most critical part of the first stream, Lovy knew all that was needed now was consistency.

"All right, next up — let's welcome our next appraisal guest! CarrotLady, please bring your Pokémon!"

The call from CarrotLady was accepted.

On the screen appeared a young woman lying in bed, with a face mask on and tissues stuffed up her nose — she looked quite young.

"Streamer, tell me — what kind of Pokémon do I have?"

Lovy froze for a moment. There was a vague memory of saying it could be guessed what Pokémon she had.

But in truth, only MuscleBoss's Machop had been a calculated bet based on the username.

As for CarrotLady, it didn't matter anymore whether the guess was right — she was already engaged, and the stream was gaining momentum.

Still, guessing correctly would really boost entertainment value.

Lovy narrowed the eyes, scanning the room for clues.

"If I'm not mistaken, your Pokémon should be… Oddish."

"Whoa, what the heck — how did you know?!"

Lovy smiled mysteriously. "Because…"

"Because your profile signature says: 'Embracing the green, dreaming among the grass.'"

"And your room decor includes floral and plant motifs — there's even a potted plant on the windowsill…"

"Clearly, you have a strong affinity for grass — or rather, plants in general."

"Also, your eyes carry the innocence of someone who's never worked a job, and your room isn't overly luxurious, so I'd guess your budget isn't too high…"

"That narrows it down to affordable Grass-types like Oddish or Bellsprout."

"As for Bulbasaur — since it looks like a toad, not many girls are fond of it, and the price is higher, so it's less likely."

It all came out smoothly and confidently.

The chat exploded with amazement.

CarrotLady's jaw dropped slightly, stunned.

"Streamer, you're insane! You actually guessed it right!"

At that moment, Lovy noticed a mocking comment from a new viewer.

ArgumentKing:Heh, that's not impressive. Anyone can sweet-talk a naive little girl.

Lovy wasn't a saint — the comment was annoying.

But such comments helped engagement.

After all, a popular stream always had its haters — you could never please everyone.

"Hey, ArgumentKing. You're skeptical of my skills? That's fine — bring your Pokémon and hop on stream. I guarantee you'll be convinced."

The call-out came directly, using confidence to stir up the stream and handle the jab.

"Come on, CarrotLady, show us your Oddish hiding behind you. Let's start the appraisal!"

The pace picked up.

Truthfully, everything just said was based on something already seen.

Appraiser's Insight had already revealed the Oddish behind her.

Writing out a deduction after knowing the answer — that was easy.

"Hey! ArgumentKing! Did you see that? The streamer even figured out where I was hiding my Oddish! If that's not impressive, I don't know what is!"

CarrotLady adjusted the tissues in her nose and naturally started defending Lovy.

Proof of influence — she had gone from skeptic to fan.

ArgumentKing:Yeah right, if you're not a planted actor, I'll eat my keyboard live!

FiberOpticNoodles:Friend, please don't snack in public.

"Pfft!"

CarrotLady burst out laughing, pointing at the chat.

"That Fiber guy is hilarious… Sorry, streamer — please go ahead! I believe you'll definitely figure out what's wrong with my Pokémon!"

"ArgumentKing, don't go anywhere. Get your Pokémon ready. Whether you think I'm a fake or not, you'll know soon enough."

Before the appraisal, it was important to hold people in place.

Keeping ArgumentKing meant keeping an audience waiting for drama — and setting up the next segment.

ArgumentKing:I'm not going anywhere. Today I'm exposing your little script once and for all!

SpringBlossom:Let's go! I'm with you. Too many of these fake streams treat viewers like idiots!

Lovy smiled faintly as another new viewer chimed in.

The attention turned to the Oddish.

Oddish, as its name suggested, was a walking plant.

It had a large, round, plant-like bulb for a head. Beneath that were a pair of root-like legs that doubled as feet. Its tiny red eyes and small mouth gave it a harmless, friendly look.

The plant part was the five lush green leaves on top of its head, resembling hair.

This Oddish, including its "hair," was about half a meter tall — small enough to be cradled in someone's arms.

The leaves were vibrant and glossy, and its body was plump — clearly CarrotLady had taken good care of it.

Under Appraiser's Insight, the stat panel popped up:

Wild Grass Pokémon: OddishLevel: 21Type: Grass, PoisonGender: FemaleBase Stats: C Grade – 320IV: S Grade – 190Ability: ChlorophyllNature: CalmMoves: Mega Drain, Growth, AcidStatus: Near EvolutionEvolution Line: Gloom → Bellossom/VileplumeSpecial Trait: Strong Odor Glands

"Whoa! You've got a real gem on your hands!"

Lovy's eyes lit up, genuinely impressed.

"Gem? What does that mean?"

CarrotLady could tell it was a compliment, but didn't get the reference.

"'Gem' is a term from the antique world," Lovy explained. "It means the features are authentic and well-defined. In general, it means this thing's the real deal — and a good one."

This was the first Pokémon encountered with an S-grade IV — a whopping 190 points.

The higher the IV, the more gifted the Pokémon.

Nature, ability, and moveset were all excellent.

A level 21 Oddish knowing Mega Drain? That's insane!

Just then, the chat flared up again.

ArgumentKing:That's it? Anyone can butter people up with pretty words.

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