Chapter 5: "All I Can Say Is — You Just Don't Understand Gloom!"
When Ye Yinchuan said that, Ms. Carrot suddenly calmed down.
She looked at him in disbelief.
"R-Really? My Oddish is really that good?"
She actually knew her Oddish was quite good, but the smell—it was overwhelming, nose-wrinklingly awful!
She had honestly been considering releasing it or trying to find someone else who could tolerate it.
But now this streamer was giving such a glowing review. She couldn't help but waver.
The stream's live chat also began to fill with messages:
"ArgueMaster99": "LOL this acting is so fake! Even if he's serious, does he not know why Gloom got that name? If Oddish already reeks, evolving it will just create a walking gas bomb. It's smelly now, and it'll be a super stinkbomb later. Just release it already!"
"NutrientYarn": "Hey, don't be so harsh. I've been watching for a while and I choose to believe the streamer! Can't wait to see him roast you back!"
"SpringBlossoms": "Every Pokémon is precious, adorable, and full of dreams! You can't just throw one away. A Pokémon used to human society would struggle in the wild. Once you raise it, it's your responsibility!"
Ye Yinchuan nodded solemnly.
"Don't doubt it. It's good. Really good. Extremely good!"
As he looked at the Oddish on camera, the sadness, insecurity, and doubt in its eyes began to fade. With Ye Yinchuan's praise, its leaves perked up, and a brightness returned to its gaze.
Treat your Pokémon like your girlfriend, he thought—keep praising them, and they'll just keep getting better!
"That user SpringBlossoms put it perfectly—strong morals! When you raise a Pokémon, you have to be as responsible as you can. No reckless abandoning or releasing."
He responded to the comments:
"@NutrientYarn, thank you for the support! Don't worry—I won't let you down."
"As for @ArgueMaster99, don't be in such a rush—I'll convince you by the end of today's stream."
Then he turned to the camera with his best streaming energy:
"If you like what you're seeing, remember to hit that follow! Live every night at 7 PM! 'Snorlax Treasure Appraisal'—chase your dreams with me!"
SpringBlossoms: "Your values are spot-on, streamer! Sending flowers~ 🌸🌸🌸"
NutrientYarn: "Haha, followed! Don't let me down!"
ArgueMaster99: "Pfft! If you really convince me, I'll send you a Master Ball!"
Ye Yinchuan chuckled.
"You serious? Everyone in chat, you're my witnesses!"
Now, in this Pokémon-centric world, "Master Ball" wasn't the legendary catch-all item from the games—it was a top-tier gift on streaming platforms, worth about 1,000 yuan (roughly $140 USD).
Even after platform fees, Ye Yinchuan would net 700 yuan—just the cash he needed right now.
The fact that stream gifts were Pokémon-themed showed just how deeply Pokémon had embedded into this society.
Convincing "ArgueMaster99" wouldn't be easy—not because Ye Yinchuan lacked confidence in himself, but because that guy... was an Olympic-level contrarian.
He could be convinced deep down and still act like he wasn't, just to be difficult.
Meanwhile, Ms. Carrot leaned in eagerly.
"Streamer, please be honest... Gloom is supposed to smell bad. If my Oddish evolves, will it really not be even worse?"
She also found "ArgueMaster99" annoying—but she had to admit, what he said did match common knowledge.
Gloom is stinky. And this Oddish was already unusually smelly.
Would evolution somehow reverse that? It didn't seem logical.
But she had grown to trust Ye Yinchuan a bit, so instead of doubting, she was now genuinely curious to hear his explanation.
"Great question," Ye Yinchuan said, nodding. "I'm sure many folks in chat are wondering the same thing. But! All I can say is... you guys just don't know Gloom well enough!"
In this Pokémon world, while Pokémon held a special status, there were just so many of them—and with no Pokédex in circulation, most people's knowledge was incomplete.
Especially the average person.
Even researchers only knew details about the Pokémon they specialized in.
But Ye Yinchuan was different—he had access to information that others didn't, thanks to his panel interface.
He could see entire evolutionary trees, and even rare data about each evolutionary stage.
The Oddish on his panel earlier had revealed some obscure facts about Gloom.
ArgueMaster99: "Oh? So you're the expert now?"
NutrientYarn: "Ignore him! Please keep going, streamer!"
SpringBlossoms: "Learning never stops! ✊✊✊"
Ye Yinchuan glanced at chat and continued:
"Everyone knows Gloom smells bad. But few people realize—Gloom's stench comes from the pollen secreted by the flower on its head."
As he explained, Ms. Carrot and the viewers quieted down to listen—this really was lesser-known info.
And the way Ye Yinchuan spoke—so confident and natural—made him sound very knowledgeable, compelling the audience to pay attention.
"Here's what's even less known: Gloom only secretes that smelly pollen during mating season—or when its emotions are disturbed. When Gloom is calm and relaxed, it doesn't release any scent at all."
ArgueMaster99: "Nonsense! My buddy has a Gloom, and it always reeks. Makes your eyes water! Not a single non-stinky day!"
Ye Yinchuan barely glanced at the comment.
"Theoretically, what you said is true. Most Glooms do experience emotional swings throughout the day. And once they start secreting the pollen, the smell lingers.
Even worse, because of the stink, people tend to dislike them—this causes stress, which leads to more stink. It's a vicious cycle."
Hearing this, Ms. Carrot looked worried. If Gloom was locked in a feedback loop of stink, what hope was there for her Oddish?
"Ah—but here's the catch!" Ye Yinchuan said, lifting a finger. "If a Gloom is emotionally stable and calm, it won't release the pollen. That means... no stink at all."
Ms. Carrot's eyes widened. "Streamer, you mean...?"
"Yes!" Ye Yinchuan nodded. "It's all about the Pokémon's personality! Based on my observation, your Oddish is incredibly calm—one of the most even-tempered I've seen. Even when its mood shifts, the change is tiny."
"So if it evolves into a Gloom, it'll follow Gloom's biological patterns and won't smell at all! That's why I said—whatever you do, don't give it up!"
"Add in that your Oddish has an S-tier individual value, plus the move Mega Drain... wow! I don't even know what to say. This isn't just a rare Pokémon—it's a once-in-a-million gem!
You say it's stinky? I say it's deliciously fragrant! A top-tier treasure!"
Ye Yinchuan's tone rose with excitement, ramping up the energy in the stream.
As a streamer, it was his job to set the mood.
Sometimes, even if the emotion wasn't there, he had to make it.
"Really?! Oh my gosh!!"
Ms. Carrot was now beaming with joy.
Chat was exploding with comments:
"Who even is this guy?? He knows so much!"
"I'm learning stuff for real here—this stream is gold!"
"OMG! I read something like this once on a forum, but this dude just explained it way better!"
"Is this Oddish for sale? I'll pay big money!"
The stream's popularity was shooting up.
Of course, there were still haters...
ArgueMaster99:
"LOL! What a bunch of smooth talk. You gonna take the bar exam with that silver tongue? You say it won't smell after evolving—prove it!"
"So many idiots in chat, just eating up whatever he says. A non-stinky Gloom? Then why's it even called Gloom? Trash is trash—it'll never smell like roses!"
Ye Yinchuan stared at the comment, clenching his fists.
You've got to be kidding me—this guy really lives to argue!
But just as he was wondering how to shut him down...
Ye Yinchuan noticed something.
Wait a second...
Could it be?
His eyes lit up.
The Oddish—
It was evolving!
Right now!