Theo's gaze lingered on the data panel of the Feebas for a long, long time—especially on the word: "Shiny."
His heart surged with excitement that refused to settle down no matter how he tried.
Just then, the mechanical tone of the system rang again, providing him with a more detailed explanation of the popularity-points lottery rules:
[When popularity reaches one thousand points, you may perform a Basic Draw;
At ten thousand points, an Intermediate Draw;
At one hundred thousand points, an Advanced Draw.
Prizes are randomized, and may include energy orbs, TM discs, various items, and more.]
Theo immediately understood. The rules were simple and clear—the higher his popularity, the higher the tier of lottery he could participate in, and naturally, the higher his chances of obtaining something valuable.
One thousand… ten thousand… one hundred thousand…
Theo silently committed these numbers to memory.
Then he looked at his current total popularity points—1,046 points—just barely surpassing the minimum requirement for a Basic Draw.
A surge of anticipation rose in his chest.
After being pulled ashore, the Feebas seemed completely exhausted. It lay in the shallows, panting heavily, its pair of bulging eyes staring straight at Theo. There was wariness in its gaze… but also something else, a faint and unnameable emotion.
Theo steadied himself, then slowly approached it with caution.
In a soft voice, he said,
"Don't be scared. I won't hurt you."
He extended his hand, attempting to gently touch the Feebas.
But the moment his fingers neared, it jerked violently, as if trying to evade him.
Theo didn't reach out again recklessly.
Instead, he slowly tilted the bucket beside him, letting its rim lower toward the shallow water inch by inch.
The instant the bucket's edge touched the surrounding water, the Feebas flicked its tail uneasily again.
Theo held his breath, making his movements even gentler, lifting the bucket little by little.
As the water flowed inside, the Feebas naturally slid into the bucket along the gentle current—so quietly that not even a single splash sounded.
"Alright, everyone watching the stream, you've all seen today's catch.
This little fellow might look… well, very unique, but I'm already more than satisfied to have reeled in such a special Pokémon."
Theo showed the camera a tired but genuinely delighted smile.
"It's getting late. I should take it back and get it settled in.
Today's stream ends here—see you all next time!"
The moment he finished speaking, the livestream's chat barrage exploded:
"Ahhh, ending already? What is that thing? Anyone know? I'm so curious!"
"Are you streaming tomorrow? I have to see the follow-up on this Pokémon!"
"Just followed! Streamer, you MUST show it again tomorrow!"
"I already took screenshots! Going to look up what species it is!"
"That thing is so strange, you have to show it off properly tomorrow!"
Looking at the rapidly scrolling comments, Theo smiled and waved gently at the camera.
"Don't worry, I'll continue the stream tomorrow.
I'll talk more about it then.
Everyone, get some rest. Bye-bye~"
With that, Theo ended the livestream.
As the sound of waves striking the shore mixed with the faint splashing from the bucket—where Feebas swam weakly—Theo finally let out a long sigh of relief.
The stream had been a little chaotic, yet the gains were tremendous.
He glanced at the Feebas in the bucket, then at the system panel showing 1,046 popularity points, and decided to perform a Basic Draw immediately.
"System, perform a Basic Draw," he recited inwardly.
"Basic Draw consumes 1,000 popularity points. Confirm?"
"Confirm."
The moment the word formed in his mind, a virtual spinning wheel appeared before his eyes.
Icons for all kinds of rewards were arranged across it—Energy Orbs, Pokémon food, TM discs, and many other items.
The wheel began spinning drastically fast, and Theo's heartbeat sped up along with it.
A few seconds later, the wheel slowed… slowed… and finally stopped.
The pointer rested on a red icon—Energy Orb.
[Congratulations, Host. You have received: Basic Energy Orb ×1.]
As soon as the notification sounded, a fist-sized sphere of green light materialized in Theo's palm.
It was as clear as morning dew, shining softly with gentle energy waves.
When he leaned closer, he could even smell a faint fragrance of grass and leaves.
He focused on the orb, and a line of light-blue text appeared before him:
[Basic Energy Orb: A cluster of weak, purified energy. Using it on a Pokémon will accelerate its growth.]
(Note: Different levels of Energy Orbs contain different amounts of energy. Low-tier orbs become significantly less effective on Pokémon that reaches a certain stage of growth.)
Seeing the orb's description, Theo felt a rush of pure joy.
Everyone knew that a Pokémon's strength was determined by many factors—base stats, level, moves, and typing.
Among these, level—or rather, energy intensity—was one of the most crucial.
Unlike the games, this world did not quantify levels numerically, but measured them by the strength of energy within the Pokémon.
And this Energy Orb directly strengthened that energy intensity—an ideal shortcut for helping his Pokémon grow stronger, faster, and more efficiently.
Theo looked down at the Feebas inside the bucket.
It had been staring at the glowing orb, head tilted, its bulging eyes filled with curiosity.
Its tail swayed unconsciously, stirring tiny ripples on the water's surface.
Smiling, Theo slowly lowered his hand toward the water and gently loosened his fingers.
The green orb descended into the bucket like a living thing.
The moment it touched the Feebas's body, it burst into countless shimmering particles that seeped into its scales.
The Feebas only trembled slightly at first, seeming confused.
Then, in the next instant, its eyes widened dramatically, bulging even more, its mouth opening in astonishment.
Theo held his breath as he watched a faint veil of green light rise across its body.
"How does it feel?" he whispered, keeping his fingers hovering above the water, afraid to touch it.
The Feebas suddenly whipped its tail and darted around the bucket with excitement, splashing up water in all directions.
A few droplets landed on Theo's cheeks, cold and startling.
Before he could react, the Feebas swam to the rim of the bucket and gently nudged his fingertips with its head.
Theo stroked it softly, then experimentally teased its belly with his finger.
Its scales weren't smooth, but wrapped in the warm softness of water—surprisingly pleasant to the touch.
Feeling ticklish, Feebas wriggled left and right, and on its fishy face, an expression faintly resembling a shy human smile surfaced… an adorably endearing sight.
Theo's heart felt as if something had bumped into it—warmth rising from deep inside, spreading all the way to his fingertips.
"Feebas… you're so adorable."
Feebas seemed to understand the compliment.
It twirled around gracefully, its tail leaving delicate ripples behind, then quickly returned to his hand again, tapping the water lightly with its tail.
Tiny droplets splashed onto Lin Mo's hand, cool yet joyous, as if responding to his praise.
Feeling the closeness of this unique Feebas, Theo felt warmth spreading through his chest.
He knew that between him and this unusual Pokémon, a subtle bond had already begun to form.
With that thought, he made up his mind:
Withdraw the money earned from today's stream as soon as possible, then buy a proper fish tank, a Poké Ball, and food for Feebas, ensuring it could stay safely by his side..
And then, there was another extremely important task waiting for him:
Editing today's livestream footage.
He was very aware that catching a shiny Feebas was a massive, guaranteed viral moment.
As long as the edit was good enough, he would definitely attract a surge of new viewers.
Returning to his small cabin, Theo powered on his old computer and started editing.
He imported the footage and began cutting the video with full concentration.
He highlighted the intense tug-of-war moment when he reeled in the Feebas, making the scene feel vivid and gripping.
At the end, he slowed down the Feebas close-up shots, letting viewers clearly see its unique purple coloration and peculiar appearance.
Once the editing was done, he began thinking about the title.
A good title was the key to grabbing attention.
After much consideration, he finally typed:
[New Streamer's Shocking Catch by the Sea! Reeled in a Strange Fish Pokémon—Could This Be a Newly Discovered Species?]
It was eye-catching enough. Satisfied, Theo nodded and uploaded the video to his streaming account.
He believed this video would bring him a large wave of new viewers.
As the upload confirmation popped onto the screen, the sky outside had completely darkened.
A cool, slightly damp night breeze drifted through the old wooden window.
Theo yawned, rubbing his sore eyes.
He glanced at the Feebas floating quietly in the fish tank—
the little fellow looked utterly worn-out, barely moving its tail, occasionally blowing a tiny bubble that rippled across the water's surface.
"Let's sleep for now. Tomorrow's probably going to be very busy."
Theo whispered softly.
He changed the water for Feebas, added food, and finally lay down on his creaking wooden bed.
He thought he would be too excited to sleep…
but physical exhaustion soon overwhelmed him.
Before long, he drifted into a deep, peaceful slumber.
(End of Chapter)