Chapter 31: A Talentless Meowth? Wrong! Its Ability Is Just Beyond Your Perception!
Ye Yinchuan's gaze fixated on the Meowth in front of him.
Although his "Treasure Appraisal Eye" could analyze Pokémon at lightning speed, putting on a bit of a show for his audience was necessary—especially with so many viewers in the stream.
The last time he performed an appraisal on Caterpies, there were simply too many of them, so he had to speed things up. But if he were to do that all the time, it would attract unwanted attention.
Besides, Ye Yinchuan genuinely enjoyed observing Pokémon. Studying their features and behavior was an aesthetically pleasing experience for him.
The Meowth was curled up inside its carrying crate, its posture tense and defensive. The constant change of environment had clearly stressed it out.
Meowth was known as the "Monster Cat" Pokémon, resembling an ordinary feline in many ways.
However, the reason it was called a "Monster Cat" was because some Meowth were capable of walking on two legs like humans and even possessed astonishing intelligence.
There were even rumors that some Meowth could speak human language.
Among all Pokémon, only Meowth had such tales surrounding it.
A creature resembling a cat, capable of walking upright and speaking—what else could it be if not a monster?
Typically, Meowth had a pale yellowish-white coat, with black lining around its ears. Its inner ears, paws, tail tip, and the area around its feet were light brown.
Of course, variations existed.
Some Meowth had light brown markings on their forepaws, making them look as if they were wearing gloves. These were nicknamed "Glove Meowth" and were considered premium in appearance, making them more valuable to collectors.
On the other hand, Meowth with irregular brown patches or spotted fur were deemed less aesthetically pleasing and were often abandoned at a higher rate.
In this sense, they were much like real-world pet cats.
While many people in this world viewed Pokémon as companions, it was crucial to remember that before becoming a partner, a Pokémon often started as a pet, sometimes even as a product for sale.
Just like humans judge potential partners based on looks or consider cuteness when having children, the same logic applied here.
"A love for beauty is universal." While exceptions exist, human nature cannot be denied.
That said, Ye Yinchuan examined the Meowth carefully. Though it wasn't the rarest specimen, there was nothing inherently wrong with it.
It had no deformities.
Its oval face was adorned with a shiny golden coin. Four whiskers jutted out, accompanied by two "antennae" on its forehead. It had a perpetual smiling expression, and faintly visible fangs peeked through its mouth. Its round paws looked plump, resembling the soft flesh of a mangosteen.
Truly an adorable sight.
Ye Yinchuan's expression softened as he admired it. A Pokémon this cute shouldn't have ended up as a victim of an irresponsible breeder and an apathetic buyer.
["The streamer's gaze is so gentle!"]
["Damn, gentleness is OP. Even as a guy, I'm feeling something."]
["Hey, streamer, stop staring! Let us see Meowth too!"]
"Oh, my bad."
Realizing the camera had been focused on his own face all this time, Ye Yinchuan chuckled.
"Boss, can you hold the phone for me? Get Meowth in the frame too."
He handed his phone to the delivery station owner to give the audience a better view.
"Guys, just tell me what angles you want! I've watched plenty of streams. Consider me your camera operator today!"
The owner eagerly took over, clearly excited by the interaction.
For an ordinary person, having hundreds of people engage with him in real-time was a rare experience.
["666! Boss, give us some close-up shots of Meowth!"]
["You're not a camera operator, just a supporting actor at best."]
["Wrong! He's not a supporting actor—he's a human tripod! Boss, shut up and let the streamer do his thing!"]
"Hah! I call you 'brother,' and you call me a human tripod?"
The owner burst out laughing. "Fine, fine, I'll stay quiet!"
At that moment, he gained newfound respect for Ye Yinchuan. Not just anyone could handle these mischievous netizens.
["This Meowth looks perfectly fine. Why was it abandoned?"]
["Does it have a bad temperament?"]
["Super cute! I'll take a dozen!"]
["Streamer, why are you taking so long? Is there a serious problem?"]
"Don't worry, I'm just appreciating it. Too bad it's so wary—I'd love to pet it."
Ye Yinchuan smiled at the chat. "Honestly, I don't see any major issues."
["High EQ: No major issues. Low EQ: Big problem!"]
["LOL, even the streamer doesn't dare touch it. That says a lot!"]
["Streamer, I'm impatient! Tell me the details!"]
Reading the comments, Ye Yinchuan nearly choked with laughter. "King Gigi, you're always the most impatient one! Also, watch how you phrase things—that could be taken the wrong way."
He then turned to the delivery station owner. "Did the original owner say why they abandoned it?"
["Ah, so the streamer failed to identify the issue and is fishing for info!"]
["I came here because of the video hype—don't let me down, streamer!"]
"Well, the previous owner claimed this Meowth had no ability at all. They kept it for days, but it never brought anything back except for playing with glass marbles."
The owner shook his head. "I don't know much about Meowth, so I don't get it. Is that really a reason to abandon it?"
["Wait, don't all Meowth have Pickup as their Ability?"]
["Oh, it's a useless Meowth. No wonder they dumped it!"]
["I heard some people buy Meowth just to see if they have Pickup. If they do, they keep them. If not, they toss them out. If one day they bring home gold or gems, that's a jackpot!"]
["Are there combat-focused Meowth? I've never seen one."]
["A Meowth with Pickup can potentially learn Pay Day!"]
["Maybe it's just too young or nervous to show its ability yet?"]
Ye Yinchuan scanned the comments thoughtfully.
Indeed, in this world, most people associated Meowth solely with "Pickup" and "Pay Day," focusing on their practical value rather than battle potential.
After all, without visible stat screens, people could only rely on experience and trial and error.
Even researchers, with so many Pokémon species to study, were bound to miss things.
In Pokémon games, Meowth's usual Abilities included "Pickup" and "Technician," with "Unnerve" as a hidden Ability.
Whether this translated exactly to this world, he wasn't sure yet.
However, one thing was certain—this Meowth was far from ability-less.
The seller and previous owner had simply failed to recognize its true potential!
"This Meowth does not have Pickup."
The owner's expression dimmed slightly. So, it really was just a common Meowth?
According to the chat, that meant it was essentially worthless, just marginally more valuable than an ordinary pet cat.
"But it is absolutely not talentless. In fact, its ability is quite impressive. If properly trained, it has a bright future—people just don't know how to see it!"
Ye Yinchuan's tone grew firm.
["Wait… does that mean…?"]