On the other end of the video call, Forest Deer's voice trembled slightly with excitement.
She quickly tapped on her phone and, to prove her innocence, shoved the order confirmation screen right up to the camera lens.
[Tea Post: Boba Green Milk Tea, 30% Sugar, No Ice. Estimated Delivery: 15 minutes.]
The order was placed, but Forest Deer wasn't going to just sit there and wait.
She glanced down at the Gloom in her arms—who was currently blinking her sleepy eyes and occasionally puffing out a pink, fragrant mist—and made a bold decision.
"Master, if we just wait in the room for the delivery, that troll is definitely going to make excuses about it being a confined space or the driver having olfactory fatigue."
She stood up, casually throwing a jacket over her shoulders.
"To make him accept his defeat completely, I'm taking Gloom downstairs right now! I'm going to the apartment gate to get my delivery! There are elevators, neighbors, and security guards on the way. Let's see how he argues with that!"
Miles raised an eyebrow, a smile of genuine appreciation playing on his lips.
This girl was bold! When push came to shove, she actually stepped up!
"Go ahead," Miles said, calmly taking a sip of his water. "Let the world experience what a 'top-tier fragrance' truly is."
The camera shook as the feed switched to a mobile view.
Forest Deer held her phone mount in one hand and pushed open her front door with the other, leading her waddling, arrogantly strutting—yet undeniably adorable—Gloom by her side.
[Proud Troll: Heh, grasping at straws. You still dare to go outside? Just wait for the noise complaints from your neighbors! It's common knowledge that wherever a Gloom passes, not a single blade of grass survives!]
The troll was still resisting in the chat feed, attempting to brainwash the audience with his so-called "common knowledge."
However, reality was about to deliver a resounding slap to his face.
Just as they stepped out of the apartment, the elevator arrived with a crisp Ding! The doors slid open to reveal an elderly couple ready for their evening walk, with the old man cradling an equally elderly Skitty in his arms.
Seeing a massive Gloom standing right at the door, clear drool hanging from its thick purple lips, the old lady's first reaction was pure terror.
She instinctively covered her nose, shrank behind her husband, and muttered, "Oh my! Why would anyone raise one of these... It's going to stink us to death..."
[Proud Troll: Look! Look! I told you! A bystander's reaction is the most authentic! The old lady is already covering her nose!]
But before the troll's message could even finish scrolling across the screen, the old lady's hand froze.
She twitched her nose. Her tightly knit brows instantly relaxed, and a glimmer of light sparked in her cloudy eyes.
"Huh?"
The old lady lowered her hand, taking a deep, deliberate breath of the elevator air. She looked at Forest Deer in sheer confusion.
"Miss, what kind of perfume are you wearing? Why... why does it smell so good?"
The old man next to her also took a deep breath, an intoxicated expression washing over his face.
"Yeah, it smells like that premium jasmine tea my old war buddy gave me. No, wait, there's a hint of mint too... It really clears the mind!"
Even the normally lazy Skitty poked its head out from the old man's arms, letting out a soft Meow! at the Gloom and leaning over, desperately trying to rub against her.
Forest Deer smiled so wide her eyes turned into crescents.
She pointed proudly at her Pokémon for both the camera and the elderly couple to see.
"Grandpa, Grandma, I'm not wearing perfume. It's her! My Gloom!"
"Her?" The old couple exchanged shocked glances, their worldview entirely shattered.
But the refreshing, soul-soothing fragrance couldn't be faked.
During the short elevator descent, the enclosed cabin—which by all logic should have become a toxic gas chamber—transformed into a moving forest oasis.
When the doors finally opened, the couple was reluctant to leave. They even asked Forest Deer where she bought this breed, wanting to get one for their own granddaughter.
The narrative in the livestream chat completely flipped.
[Melon Eater: Holy crap... Certified by a random grandma! They can't possibly be paid actors, right? You can't fake that look of pure intoxication!]
[Kindergarten Lunch Thief: Even the Skitty wanted to rub against it! Animals have a sense of smell a hundred times better than humans! This Gloom is actually fragrant!]
[Trolls Better Run: @Proud Troll, come out and take your beating! Do you have no shame left?]
Soon, Forest Deer arrived at the apartment complex gate.
A delivery guy in a yellow uniform, riding a Dodrio and holding a bag of bubble tea, was looking around anxiously.
"Over here! Over here!" Forest Deer waved.
The delivery guy jogged over, a professional, polite smile plastered on his face.
But the moment he got close and saw the massive Gloom at her feet, his expression dropped. It was a look of biological terror. As someone who worked outside all day, he knew exactly how lethal these things were.
"Miss, uh... how about you stand right there, and I'll just set it on the ground?"
The guy instinctively tried to hold his breath, desperately trying to maintain a safe distance.
"Don't be afraid! Smell it!" Instead of stepping back, Forest Deer took a step forward. "Take a deep breath! If it stinks, I'll give you a five-star review and a massive tip!"
The delivery guy froze.
Before he could react, the rich, elegant fragrance drifted straight into his nostrils. In that instant, his facial expressions went through a spectacular journey: from terror, to confusion, to absolute shock, and finally... to pure bliss.
"Holy shit?" He couldn't help but curse, his eyes wide as saucers. "Why does this smell so damn good? Miss, is your Gloom mutated? How come it smells completely different from the ones I've run into before? This scent... it's incredible! It smells better than the lilies I smell when I deliver flower shop orders!"
To prove her point beyond a shadow of a doubt, Forest Deer handed the bubble tea straight back to him.
"Here, this boba is for you! Do me a favor: stand right here, right in front of her face, and take a sip! Tell everyone if the smell ruins your appetite!"
The delivery guy was a good sport.
He stabbed the straw into the cup and took a massive gulp of the boba green milk tea while staring right at the Gloom's huge face.
Gulp. "Haa—that hits the spot!" He gave a thumbs-up, looking completely satisfied. "It doesn't ruin my appetite at all! Honestly, this smell makes me even more hungry!"
With ironclad proof established, Forest Deer beamed at the camera, her face radiating unprecedented confidence.
"@Proud Troll, did you see that? Did you hear that? This is my Gloom! The one and only Fragrance Queen in the world! What else do you have to say now? Apologize!"
The livestream completely boiled over.
Countless "Apologize" messages flooded the screen, backing the troll into a corner.
Watching this perfect, network-wide verification, Miles clapped his hands softly.
"Brilliant. Congratulations, Miss Forest Deer. Your persistence has paid off. This Gloom will be your signature partner from now on."
He wrapped up the spectacle smoothly. "Alright, take her home now. Don't cause a traffic jam out there—after all, that scent is a bit too intoxicating."
Forest Deer nodded vigorously, tears of joy welling in her eyes again.
"Thank you, Master! Truly, thank you! I'm your most loyal fan from now on! If anyone dares to hate on you, I'll be the first to fight them!"
With that, she donated a [Poké Ball Gift Box] worth 520 dollars and happily disconnected.
The stream's popularity didn't drop; it surged.
The viewer count broke the 500 mark and was steadily climbing toward 1,000. Miles looked at the backend analytics. His first broadcast was a resounding success.
But there was still one loose end.
"To our friend 'Proud Troll'," Miles said, his eyes locking onto the still-active ID in the viewer list.
A mocking smile touched his lips.
"I don't expect an apology from you, considering a troll's mouth is harder than diamond. But didn't you say earlier that you were going to expose my script?"
"Come on. I'm giving you the floor. Connect with me. Bring out your Pokémon. If you can prove I'm a fraud, I'll delete my account right now. But if you can't..."
Miles paused, his gaze turning icy cold.
"Then shut your stinking mouth and send over that 'Master Ball' donation you promised!"
Just as he finished speaking.
[System Alert: User "Proud Troll" is requesting a video connection!]
'Oh? He actually dared to show his face?' Miles didn't hesitate and clicked accept.
The screen flashed.
It wasn't the stereotypical, greasy-faced keyboard warrior that everyone expected. Instead, the camera revealed a man wearing a Pikachu headgear. He had wrapped himself up tightly, revealing only a pair of bloodshot, defiant eyes. The background was a blank white wall, clearly an attempt to avoid being doxxed.
"Hmph, playing god," the masked man scoffed.
His voice was heavily processed through a voice changer, making him sound slightly comical, but his tone remained arrogant.
"That girl was definitely a plant! The acting was way too fake! But I'm too lazy to argue with you about that. Today, I'm going to show you what a real appraisal challenge looks like!"
With that, he tilted his camera down....