A blue, round-headed little turtle appeared on the screen.
It had a smooth brown shell, a curled little tail, and large eyes that revealed a distinct sense of... pure panic.
A Squirtle.
As one of the traditional Water-type starter Pokémon, the species was renowned for being docile, highly trainable, and adorable. But this specific Squirtle looked completely wrong. It shrank into the corner of the frame, stretching its neck out as far as it could go, as if desperately trying to avoid something. Its large eyes were filled with anxiety, unease, and undeniable terror.
"This is my Pokémon, Squirtle," the masked man sneered. "You're a 'Master,' right? Come on, tell me what's wrong with my Squirtle. If you can clearly list out the issues, I'll donate that Master Ball right now! I won't go back on my word! But if you can't, or if you start spouting nonsense about nature incompatibility, then don't blame me for flaming you into the ground!"
Miles frowned slightly as he studied the Squirtle.
A traditional starter Pokémon? Anyone who could casually acquire a starter was either wealthy or deeply connected. It seemed this troll actually had some real-world backing.
But the Squirtle's condition was incredibly disturbing.
A normal Squirtle should have been lively, good-natured, or at least a bit mischievous. This one, however, was cowering in the corner with its neck craned like a goose being choked. Its originally bright, watery eyes were entirely bloodshot, its gaze darting around erratically with a lifeless, fearful glaze.
It seemed entirely on guard against its surroundings. At the slightest movement, its whole body would violently tremble, and it would desperately try to withdraw into its shell. Yet, halfway in, it would suddenly thrust its head back out, opening its mouth wide to gasp frantically for air.
It looked exactly like it was... suffocating?
[Viewer "Passerby A": What's wrong with this Squirtle? It looks like it hasn't slept in days.]
[Viewer "Spring Blossoms": It's so pitiful. It looks so scared?]
Miles didn't say a word. Instead, he directly activated his [God-Level Insight].
Hum—
A stream of data, visible only to him, rapidly refreshed across his retinas.
[Target: Squirtle]
[Type: Water]
[Gender: Male]
[Level: 7 (Novice)]
[IVs: B-tier (75, considered high-quality)]
[Ability: Torrent (Powers up Water-type moves when HP is low)]
[Nature: Timid (Speed ↑, Attack ↓. Easily frightened, loves to flee)]
Looking at the basic stats, everything seemed perfectly normal.
While a "Timid" nature wasn't ideal for a bulky brawler, it wasn't a fatal flaw. Many Squirtle were naturally cowardly; as long as they were trained properly, they could still evolve into outstanding Blastoise.
However, as Miles's gaze continued downward, checking the hidden module beneath the basic data, his pupils violently constricted.
He froze in his chair. Displayed on the glowing system interface were several lines of shocking text.
[God-Level Insight: Deep Analysis]
[Current Status: Shadow of Suffocation - He is under extreme mental pressure. His lungs are functioning perfectly, and his gills have developed normally, but his brain is sending a false signal to his body: "I am suffocating." Every waking moment, he feels as though he is submerged in invisible water. Even on dry land, he is desperately searching for oxygen.]
[Fate Entry: Drowning Visage (Gray) - He is a Water-type Pokémon, yet he possesses the destiny of "drowning to death." He has an instinctual, physiological rejection of water. If raised in the current manner, he will die in the water within a month from stress-induced heart failure.]
[Fate Entry: Cognitive Dissonance (Black) - He firmly believes he is not a turtle, but a Fire-type creature trapped inside a shell, or perhaps a landlubber who cannot swim. He refuses to acknowledge his own type, subconsciously sealing away his Water-type talents. He will not use any Water-type moves because, in his mind, water equals death.]
[Special Pathology: Severe Hydrophobia (Red)]
Miles fell into a long silence after reading the data.
He rubbed his eyes, genuinely suspecting that his System had encountered a bug.
A Squirtle. A Water-type Pokémon. A turtle born to surf the waves and blast water in the rivers... was actually hydrophobic?!
And he was suffering from absurd psychological disorders like "Shadow of Suffocation" and "Cognitive Dissonance"? This was the equivalent of a bird being afraid of heights, a fish being terrified of water, or a human being afraid of air! It completely defied biological common sense!
Miles stared at the Squirtle on the screen, who was still craning his neck and gasping for air, and a profound sense of bizarre wrongness washed over him.
Something wasn't right. Something was absolutely, fundamentally wrong with this picture!
"Hey! Streamer! Say something!"
Seeing Miles stay utterly silent, the masked troll assumed he had been stumped. His tone immediately grew even more arrogant.
"What's the matter? Dumbfounded? Weren't you talking a big game just now? Weren't you the guy who could see through everything at a glance? Come on, tell me what the hell is wrong with my Squirtle! If you can't, then shut your stream down right now and stop embarrassing yourself!"
Miles snapped back to reality.
Looking at the Pikachu mask bobbing around in front of the camera, he sneered inwardly.
'Laugh while you can.'
The harder he laughed now, the harder he was going to cry later.
Although he didn't know the exact real-world cause yet, the Fate Entries provided by the System were never wrong. For this Squirtle to end up in such a miserable state, it absolutely had everything to do with how this owner was raising him.
"Don't rush," Miles stated plainly. His voice held no anger, only an unfathomable, eerie calmness. "I was just wondering why something so absurd would exist in this world."
"Absurd?" The masked man paused. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is..." Miles leaned forward slightly, looking through the screen at the masked man with the gaze one would reserve for an absolute idiot—no, a psychiatric patient. "On the surface, your Squirtle looks fine in all aspects. He can even be considered high-quality. But," Miles's tone suddenly shifted, becoming sharp and peculiar. "Brother, let me ask you something. Has this Squirtle of yours... never used Water Gun? Has he never even blown a single bubble?"
The masked man's body visibly stiffened.
He subconsciously blurted out, "Holy shit? How did you know?"
He instantly caught himself, scoffing to forcibly save face. "He's only level seven! Is it a crime that he hasn't learned it yet? Some Pokémon are just late bloomers, understand?"
"Late bloomer?" Miles shook his head, a sarcastic smile curling his lips. "He isn't a late bloomer. He simply doesn't want to learn it, and he doesn't dare to. If my appraisal is correct, your Squirtle has an incredibly severe psychological condition—one practically unheard of in the Pokémon world."