After listening to the boss's tearful complaints, Miles was left completely speechless.
"Boss, you're asking a question you already know the answer to," he stated plainly. "Since you know she has a bad temper while eating and hates being disturbed, why did you deliberately walk right into the line of fire? Isn't that just asking for trouble?"
Miles pointed at the Heracross standing nearby, who was currently looking incredibly docile and simple-minded.
"Your Heracross is already an outstanding worker. She handles all the heavy lifting in your shop without a single complaint. She only has this one tiny hobby; she relies on that sweet tree sap to get through the day. Even the emperor doesn't send hungry soldiers to war! You have to let her eat in peace. Just go with the flow, and everything will be fine."
"Sigh, Master Miles, your criticism is completely valid. I really regret it," Awen, the station owner, replied with an awkward chuckle. He reached out and gently patted Heracross's hard shell to soothe her.
As if perfectly understanding human speech, Heracross nodded in agreement. The terrifyingly large horn on her head bobbed up and down. Her gaze toward Miles even held a surprisingly human hint of friendliness and gratitude.
"To be honest, Master Miles, I recently bought this Heracross on the cheap from a bankrupt dojo on the outskirts of the black market. She's technically still on her probation period at the station." The station boss sighed helplessly, finally revealing the real reason for his personal visit.
"After she sent me flying into the hospital last time, my wife was terrified. She cried her eyes out and forced me to either send her to a rescue center or sell her off cheap."
He paused, patting his chest. "You see, my heart... it's fragile. The doctor said I absolutely cannot handle any intense stimulation or sudden frights. But I value talent, and I really can't bear to part with such a capable worker! So, I withstood my wife's pressure and kept her for further observation."
Awen looked at Miles earnestly, pressing his hands together in a pleading gesture.
"But my wife lives in constant fear at home. She's terrified that this bug has some hidden, violent tendencies and might accidentally kill me one day. So, Master Miles, taking advantage of today's opportunity, could I boldly ask you to thoroughly appraise her potential and nature?
I'll record a video on my phone. As long as a Pokémon appraisal master like yourself states on the record that she's fine, my wife will finally be able to put her worries to rest!"
The boss spoke with genuine emotion. Beside him, the naive-looking Heracross seemed to sense the heavy atmosphere concerning her own fate, standing completely still and stiff.
Meanwhile, Munchlax curiously waddled over the scene. He boldly reached out a chubby paw and touched Heracross's large horn. Surprisingly, the notoriously short-tempered giant bug didn't get angry. Instead, she docilely allowed Munchlax to pet her, appearing exceptionally approachable and friendly.
"No problem. It's just lifting a finger," Miles agreed readily.
After all, he would have to rely on this boss and his Heracross's hard work for Munchlax's massive future food deliveries. Doing this insignificant favor would not only build good karma but also satisfy his own intense curiosity.
Miles took a deep breath, his gaze instantly turning profound and focused. The mysterious, deep blue light in his eyes circulated rapidly.
[Eye of Pokémon Insight], activate!
Hum!
In an instant, a detailed holographic data panel, visible only to Miles, unfurled above Heracross's massive frame!
[Target: Heracross (Single Horn Pokémon)]
[Level: (Currently in a highly cultivatable growth stage!)]
[Type: Bug / Fighting]
[Gender: Female (Looks rough on the outside, but is actually delicate at heart)]
[Base Stats Rating: A-Rank (500, an excellent God of War species!)]
[IVs / Potential: A-Rank (164, a one-in-a-hundred outstanding innate talent!)]
[Ability: Swarm (When HP is nearing its limit, the power of Bug-type moves will experience a terrifying, qualitative explosion!)]
[Nature: Serious (No weaknesses, steady and hardworking; the absolute perfect nature for an employee!)]
[Mastered Moves: Tackle, Leer, Arm Thrust, Fury Attack, Endure]
[Current State: Stable / Extremely eager for recognition]
What surprised Miles the most, however, was the incredibly dazzling blue light flashing wildly at the very bottom of the panel.
[Fate Entry (Blue): Peerless Superpower - A perfect warrior born for frenzied wrestling and challenging the limits of strength! Her bone density and carapace strength exceed her peers by a terrifying thirty percent! She possesses a pure fighting will and a steady work ethic, able to easily lift weights hundreds of times her own body weight! As long as she is guaranteed an adequate daily supply of high-quality sweet tree sap, she will return absolute loyalty and endlessly tireless, terrifying work efficiency!]
Looking at the gorgeous panel, Miles raised an eyebrow. He re-examined the Heracross in front of him, unable to stop himself from reaching out and carefully running his hand over her hard, cold shell. The ultimate tactile sensation, like touching top-tier metal bulletproof armor, made a Pokémon fanatic like Miles unable to pull away.
"Boss!" Miles suddenly retracted his hand. He turned to look at Awen, who had his phone raised to record, and praised emphatically, "This Heracross of yours is the real deal! She's an absolute top-tier specimen!"
Speaking professionally to the camera, Miles elaborated. "Just based on her strength and temperament, I could guess her IVs were outstanding. More importantly, her innate nature is Serious!
"Pokémon with this nature have a deep-rooted sense of responsibility and mission. They work steadily and diligently, and they will absolutely never exhibit any emotional rampages, depression, or rebellious, harmful behavior. She is the perfect model worker, born to handle heavy physical labor!"
He smiled warmly at the giant bug. "As long as you keep your hands to yourself, don't disturb her while she's eating, and don't steal her sweet tree sap, this Heracross will absolutely be the indispensable treasure of your delivery station! Her feelings toward humans are pure and friendly, so you can keep her in the shop with absolute peace of mind!"
Hearing Miles's professional, persuasive, and wildly complimentary appraisal, the station boss was so excited that the hand holding his phone trembled violently.
"Good, good, good! This is wonderful! With your precious words, Master Miles, there's absolutely no problem now! Once my wife sees this video, she will definitely never force me to send her away again!"
Awen excitedly pressed the button to end the recording, the gloom on his face completely swept away. He looked at Miles as if he were a savior. "Master Miles, you've done me another massive favor today!" He grasped Miles's hands gratefully, his eyes even reddening slightly.
"Oh, right, Master Miles, there's another important matter I need to give you a heads-up about..."
As if suddenly recalling a crucial detail, the station boss's joy faded slightly, his expression growing dark and serious.
"An important matter? What is it, Boss? Speak plainly, there's no need to beat around the bush with us," Miles replied, a hint of vigilance rising in his heart as he watched the man's hesitant, conflicted expression.
"Sigh, it's all because of that Meowth with the rare 'Technician' Hidden Ability you appraised for me for free," Awen sighed heavily, his tone full of helpless bitterness and unconcealed disgust.
"You know how terrifyingly fast things spread on the internet nowadays. Some busybody viewer screen-recorded the highlight clip from when you connected with me during your appraisal livestream that night and posted it to the local city forum. As a result, it's gone completely viral in our local Pokémon circles over the past few days!"
Awen gritted his teeth. "And the worst part is the Meowth's original, bizarre, entirely shameless female buyer! That crazy woman who adamantly refused to pay the balance, insisted the Meowth was genetically defective, arrogantly abandoned it at my station, and then turned around to blackmail me!"
The boss grew angrier as he spoke, his chest heaving. "She saw the video! She knows everything now! She knows that the Meowth she despised and kicked to the curb like garbage is actually an absolute top-tier specimen with a one-in-a-million hidden talent!"
Hearing this, Miles's gaze instantly sharpened, a cold smirk curling on his lips. "What? Did this woman realize she threw away a mountain of gold, regret it bitterly, and now has the audacity to come running back to demand the cat from you?"
"Master Miles, you are absolutely correct! You have no idea how shameless that woman is!" Awen laughed out of sheer anger. "This morning, she suddenly stormed into my station lobby like a rabid dog! The moment she walked in, she threw a massive tantrum, screaming that the Meowth was her legal property and demanding I return it immediately.
"I mean, where in the world is there such absurd, thuggish logic? We had a signed contract in black and white. She was the one who heartlessly breached the contract, abandoned the cat, and left it with me... Now that she's seen your appraisal and knows it's a priceless treasure, she wants to take it back without paying a dime? ...She can keep dreaming!"
Miles nodded emphatically in agreement, highly praising the station boss's decisive refusal. "A selfish, greedy entitled person like her absolutely shouldn't be indulged, not even a little bit! Even if a Pokémon with such top-tier talent were returned to her, with her awful personality, she would never be able to raise it properly. It would be a complete waste of natural gifts."
"Exactly! So I firmly told her that I had already sent the Meowth to a relative's house in the countryside overnight to rest, and it wasn't in the shop at all!" The boss threw his hands up helplessly, a flash of apprehension in his eyes.
"When that crazy woman realized she couldn't rob me in broad daylight, she viciously cursed at me in my shop for over half an hour. Right before she left, she even arrogantly pointed at my face and threatened me, saying this matter was far from over, that if she couldn't have it, no one else would, and that she would definitely make me pay a heavy price..."
Hearing about such blatant personal threats, Miles frowned deeply. "Boss, you really need to be careful and guard against lunatics like her who have no moral bottom line. Once someone like that gets hyper-fixated, they'll do anything for profit. As the saying goes, it's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark."
"Don't worry, Master Miles, I know what I'm doing." Awen patted the tank-like Pokémon beside him, finding a measure of reassurance.
"I've installed a full 360-degree array of high-definition security cameras with zero blind spots inside and outside my station. Plus, now that I have this top-tier Heracross acting as security, if she dares bring people to cause trouble, this big girl will definitely make sure they regret it!"
He checked the time. "Well, Master Miles, I won't disturb your rest any longer. I still have a mountain of packages to sort back at the shop, so I need to head back."
"Alright, take care, Boss."
"See you later, Heracross. Keep up the good work," Miles replied.
Accompanied by Miles's farewell, the tall and imposing Heracross nodded docilely. With steady, powerful strides, she followed closely behind the boss into the elevator like a loyal, heavily armored bodyguard.
Watching the elevator doors slowly close, Miles shook his head helplessly and locked the security door. "It's a big world out there. There really is no shortage of ridiculous weirdos," he muttered to himself as he turned to head back inside.
However, when his gaze fell upon the corner of the living room, a scene both amusing and exasperating instantly caught his eye.
Munchlax was sitting cross-legged like a solid mountain of gray-blue flesh, glued to the spectacular pile of fifteen bags of Pokémon food the station boss had just carried in. His short, stubby arms greedily hugged one of the bags tight, his round head rubbing affectionately against the packaging. His massive mouth hung wide open, and crystal-clear drool secreted uncontrollably, dripping onto the floor with a steady tick-tock sound pooling into a considerable puddle.
He stared at the bag of food with longing, aggrieved eyes, swallowing frantically. But because he hadn't received final permission from Miles, his master, he forcibly suppressed his terrifying instinct to feed. He didn't dare move an inch, resigning himself to the agonizing torture of merely staring at his feast.
"Oh man, I'm so sorry. I got too caught up chatting at the door and ended up completely starving our little Munchlax."
Seeing the little fatty, Miles's heart immediately melted into a puddle. He waved his hand affectionately. "Eat up! There's plenty today! Eat as much as you want!"
Receiving Miles's permission, Munchlax instantly sprang into action like a beast freed from restraint!
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