"Logan, I just… couldn't bring myself to call you. So I sent voice messages instead."
Carmen's voice sounded exhausted. In the background, keyboards clattered nonstop—she was clearly still working overtime.
"The guild execs held an early meeting just now. Those shareholders lost their temper. They said the market's bad lately, so all resources have to go to the top streamers."
"Small streamers like you… three months straight with no viewers, no revenue—you're all on the layoff list."
"I slammed the table and argued for you. Told them your numbers were awful, sure, but you're the hardest-working one, streaming ten hours every day… but it didn't matter. They only cares about money."
The audio paused there. Then the second message played.
"The most I could do was fight for half a month's wages for you. I've already pushed finance to release it."
"But… the guild requires your streaming account to be taken back."
"It's company property. There's nothing I can do."
"Logan, listen to me. This industry runs deep and dirty. You've got no backing, no strong Pokemon to show off. Take this money and go work at an electronics factory—you'd be better off."
After the messages ended, the room fell into a dead silence.
Outside, light rain began to fall. Droplets tapped against the cracked windowpane—pat, pat, pat.
He'd been laid off.
Unemployed.
Even his only tool to make a living—his account—had been taken back.
As for working at an electronics factory…
Logan felt a bitter laugh rise in his throat.
In this world, with Pokemon everywhere, factories had long since replaced human labor with Pokemon to cut contract costs. Some shady ones even paid workers in Pokemon feed instead of wages.
Ordinary people really did live at the bottom.
And his account? It barely had any real followers—just bot numbers. Not even one dollar of income in ten days. Yet they still reclaimed it.
"Ding!"
Just as Logan sat there, speechless, a cold mechanical voice exploded deep inside his mind—yet to him, it sounded like heavenly music.
[Ding! Host soul fusion complete. Mental threshold reached!]
["Pokemon Appraisal System" activating…]
[Activation successful!]
[This system is dedicated to uncovering Pokemon's ultimate potential and piercing through the illusions of fate.]
[Beginner reward granted: Appraisal Eye (Basic)!]
[Description: See through appearances to essence. You will not only perceive Pokemon's base data, but also their hidden conditions, root afflictions, and the "Fate Strand" that determines their life!]
"—!"
Logan's eyes shot wide.
A system.
A cheat ability.
As a veteran webnovel addict, how could he not know what this meant?
In this world, evaluating a Pokemon's aptitude required going to a professional appraisal center—booking white-coated experts, using precision machines worth millions per unit, waiting in line, and paying exorbitant fees.
And even then, instruments could only measure rough stats. They couldn't detect personality, hidden abilities, or something as mystical as fate.
But now… he possessed eyes that could see through everything?
That guild account—what had once been his livelihood—was now nothing but a shackle.
No more guild cut. No more restrictions.
Every cent he earned from now on would belong to Logan Moore alone.
"So what if I start over? I've got a cheat. Who am I afraid of?"
He rummaged through a pile of junk and found a spare SIM card, swapped it in smoothly, downloaded a streaming app, and tapped register.
At the nickname field, his finger hovered.
His old name—"Logan Shows You Pokemon"—was painfully lame. Reeked of desperation.
If he was starting from scratch, then this time… he'd go bold.
In the appraisal scene—a world of uncertainty and gambling—without swagger, how could you command the room? How could you keep viewers?
A faint smile curled his lips. His fingers flew across the screen—
Nickname: [Omniscient Pokemon Appraiser]Stream title: [First on the net! See past lives and futures! Free appraisals—if I'm wrong, I'll swallow a Poké Ball on the spot!]
It was a new account. No platform promotion. Everything from zero.
But the fire in Logan's eyes burned brighter than ever.
To avoid surprises during the stream—and to verify the system's power, to see what these so-called Fate Strands really were—
Logan turned, took a deep breath, and locked his gaze on the Munchlax sitting on the floor, idly picking at its toes.
"Little guy… whether you're trash or treasure, we'll find out right now."
He murmured inwardly:
"Appraisal Eye—activate."
Buzz—
There was no flashy light. But on Logan's retina, the air seemed to ripple. The world shifted subtly.
His focus locked onto Munchlax. Lines of data and shimmering strands—visible only to him—rapidly formed.
Where his sight centered, above the Munchlax lazily picking its toes, a holographic scroll unfurled.
First came the translucent [Base Data Panel].
The font glowed pale blue, cold and rational—laying the little guy bare.
[Target: Munchlax (Juvenile)] [Type: Normal]
[Gender: Male] [Level: LV.5 (Beginner)]
[Ability: Pickup (usually collects trash, occasionally treasure—but odds are terrible)]
[Nature: Lonely (Attack↑ Defense↓, clingy, extreme insecurity)]
[Base Stats Rating: B (mediocre species)]
[Individual Values (IVs): D- (innate deficiency, severely malnourished, bottom-tier trash)]
Logan's heart clenched.
He'd prepared himself mentally—but seeing that glaring red "D-" in front of him still suffocated him.
In this world, IVs determined innate aptitude.
S-rank were chosen by heaven. A-rank were elite prospects.
But D-rank…
Even construction foremen would reject them for lacking stamina.
"D-… That's even worse than I thought."
He looked at Munchlax's body—noticeably thinner than its kind, even its skin a little loose—and guilt filled him. The previous owner had been dirt-poor. He'd really held it back.
"Munch?" (Huh?)
Munchlax sensed his mood shift. It stopped picking its foot, tilted its big head. Those bead-like eyes brimmed with pure, simple confusion.
It cautiously pulled out half a steamed bun from behind its backside—like it was asking: Are you mad I hid snacks?
Seeing that clumsy, heartbreaking innocence, Logan sighed.
And yet—
Just as he was about to close the panel and accept this bleak reality, the mysterious glowing [God-Tier Appraisal] module below suddenly expanded.
The cold blue data vanished, replaced by flowing neon color.
Every word hammered into Logan's retina like a sledgehammer.
[God-Tier Appraisal · Deep Analysis]
Potential Rank: Elite-Tier (Sealed)Common eyes see only flesh; divine sight knows true gold. Deep within its soul lies power capable of shaking a Champion's throne. Currently under the state: [Extreme Hunger Seal].
Current Condition: Gluttonous Mutation Due to prolonged extreme hunger and malnutrition, its digestive system underwent catastrophic pathological evolution for survival.
Stomach lining thickened tenfold. Gastric acidity increased 300%. Now capable of digesting metal, ore, plastic, and other non-food matter.
And then—
Two Fate Strands that made Logan's pupils quake.