'So much... so much food... Is this enough for a lifetime?'
It dropped the chicken bone and charged forward like a cannonball, diving headfirst into the sack.
"Gon! Gon!"
It rolled around in the pile of Pokémon food, grabbing a handful and stuffing it into its mouth, then grabbing another.
Suddenly, it did something that left Miles caught between tears and laughter.
Instead of stuffing its face, it began grabbing handfuls of food and shoving them under the thick fur of its armpits.
One handful, two handfuls, three...
Its usually flat armpits quickly swelled into large bulges.
This was Munchlax's [Hoarding Habit].
In the wild, where meals were never guaranteed, they instinctively hid excess food in their thick fur for when hunger struck.
Even with two massive sacks of food right in front of it, it couldn't shake off the trauma of starvation.
"Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing?" Miles hurried over, pulling the food out from under its arms.
"Gon?" (You won't let me save it?)
Munchlax shielded its armpits, looking up with a mix of vigilance and grievance.
"Silly guy," Miles said, crouching down to look it in the eye.
He spoke with utmost seriousness. "You don't need to hide food anymore."
"All of this is yours, and no one is going to take it from you. When we run out, we'll buy more—and we'll buy better stuff."
"As long as you're in this house, you will never go hungry again."
Munchlax froze.
It looked at Miles's unwavering gaze, then glanced around the room filled with food.
After a long moment, it slowly relaxed its grip, letting the hoarded food spill onto the floor.
Throwing its arms wide, it gave Miles a tight hug, smearing him with grease and food crumbs in the process.
"Gon..." (Master... is the best...)
Miles hugged the heavy, warm little creature back, his heart swelling.
Right at that moment, the system panel materialized before his eyes.
With a faint buzz, a pale blue holographic screen—visible only to him—rippled through the air like water, its data cascading downward like a waterfall.
Miles initially gave it a passing glance, but his expression shifted when his eyes landed on the [Current Status] column.
Previously, Munchlax's status had been plagued by glaring negative conditions: [Extreme Starvation], [Malnutrition], and [Pica].
Now, those words had quietly dissolved, replaced by an entirely new dynamic description.
[Current Status: Extremely Full / Overwhelmingly Happy / Anxious of Loss]
'Huh?' Miles paused.
He completely understood the fullness and happiness; after all, the little guy had just inhaled a massive amount of roast chicken and high-grade Pokéblocks, stretching its belly round and tight.
But what did [Anxious of Loss] mean?
He looked down, carefully observing the Munchlax in his arms.
Although it was holding him tightly with a satisfied smile, its rough little claws were still gripping the hem of his shirt in a death grip.
Even its breathing seemed overly cautious.
Every so often, its eyes darted toward the two sacks of Pokémon food, as if terrified that the mountain of sustenance would pop like a bubble the second it blinked.
Seeing this, Miles felt a slight sting in his chest.
Understanding dawned on him instantly.
'I see...' he sighed inwardly.
A Pokémon's [Current Status] wasn't static data.
It was alive, constantly shifting in response to their physical condition, mental state, and external environment.
Munchlax was undoubtedly full and happy right now, but in its young mind—one that had been endlessly tortured by starvation—"three square meals a day" was still a wildly extravagant dream.
It was terrified that this was just a fleeting illusion.
It feared that after eating well today, it would wake up tomorrow to face the freezing streets, moldy steamed buns, and the cruel reality of gnawing on discarded alarm clocks just to ease the pain in its stomach.
It was traumatized by poverty and hunger, so even with a room full of food, it still felt instinctual panic.
"Silly little guy, it's okay," Miles softened his voice, gently patting Munchlax's broad back like he was coaxing a toddler.
He carried the heavy Pokémon to the bed, pulled out a soft blanket, and carefully tucked it underneath.
He then took the cracked alarm clock casing it loved to chew on and moved it completely out of sight.
"Go to sleep. Rest easy. As long as I'm here, the food in this house will never run out."
As he spoke, his hand rhythmically stroked Munchlax's fur.
He pointed at the two heavy sacks of Silver Crown brand compressed food in the corner, his tone carrying absolute certainty.
"Even if the sky falls tomorrow, I'll make sure to fill your bowl to the brim before I leave. Just sleep."
Whether it understood Miles's promise or was simply lulled by the steady, comforting sound of his heartbeat, the last traces of panic finally faded from Munchlax's eyes.
It let out a long sigh, and the little claws gripping Miles's shirt gradually loosened.
Snore... snore...
Soft snoring filled the room as the little guy drifted into a deep sleep, a happy smile lingering on its lips.
Within Miles's system interface, the [Anxious of Loss] status melted away like snow in the sun the moment Munchlax fell asleep.
In its place appeared a pure, simple status: [Sleeping Peacefully].
"Done," Miles smiled faintly.
He was just about to close the system panel and wash up for bed when his gaze drifted downward.
As he scanned the [Fate Entry] section at the very bottom, his body jolted.
His eyes went wide, flashing with unconcealed shock.
"Holy crap?!" Miles instinctively rubbed his eyes, thinking the late hour was making him hallucinate.
He remembered with absolute clarity that Munchlax's data panel had previously displayed a terrifying, chilling death countdown:
[Fate Entry: Starvation Reincarnation (Gray) - If the current situation is maintained, it will consume highly toxic heavy metal waste (e.g., discarded batteries, chemical residue) out of extreme hunger within seven days. This will lead to gastric perforation and heavy metal poisoning, resulting in an agonizing death.]
That ash-gray entry had hung over Miles and Munchlax like the Sword of Damocles, serving as the ultimate driving force behind his desperate need to stream and earn money today.
But now, those dead-gray words were gone!
Replacing them was a pure, white glow radiating warmth and tranquility.
Within that soft light, a brand-new line of text slowly materialized:
[Fate Entry: Worry-Free Eating (White) - Having escaped the death shadow of extreme starvation, it has finally returned to the most unpretentious instinct of the Snorlax evolutionary line. As long as the host continues to provide ample food, it will develop smoothly and without a care in the world. While this entry does not grant any special combat bonuses, it guarantees a smooth life, a healthy digestive system, and immunity from a premature, unnatural death.]
"It... it actually changed?" Miles stared at the newly evolved white entry, his heart churning like a stormy sea.
He had originally thought that Fate Entries were branded into a Pokémon's soul like genetics—a "destiny" that was incredibly difficult to alter.
That was why the system had a specific [Destiny Modification] function, requiring him to spend massive amounts of Influence Points to forcefully re-roll entries later on.
But now, it seemed his previous understanding had only been half right!
Miles slumped back into his chair.
His brain worked in overdrive, countless clues weaving and colliding in his mind.
Gradually, he peeled back the layers and deduced the core underlying logic of the Destiny System.
"I understand now..." Miles looked at the sleeping Munchlax, his eyes growing bright and profound, flashing with the wild joy of sudden enlightenment.
'Fate Entries have different tiers of hierarchy! They don't just differ in color; they differ in their very nature!'
A low-level gray entry like [Starvation Reincarnation] might carry the grand title of "Fate," but its essence was merely an "inevitable consequence under extreme conditions."
It was a logical deduction built on specific prerequisites: Because broke miles in addition to a starving Munchlax inevitably equaled to eating toxic industrial waste to survive...which meant death due to gastric perforation.
It was a tragic, fatal loop.
But what if the prerequisites for this formula were broken?
Today, Miles had made money.
Not only had he bought Munchlax an entire savory roast chicken, but he had also hoarded fifty pounds of compressed Pokémon food in one go, even feeding it highly nutritious Mid-Grade Pokéblocks.
Munchlax's stomach was full of premium food.
Its extreme hunger had been eradicated, and it had surplus grain in its pantry.
Therefore, the prerequisite that would lead to its "death by toxic ingestion" simply ceased to exist!
A full Munchlax, no matter how gluttonous, would never become so desperate that it swallowed old batteries!
The chain of cause and effect had been severed!
Once Miles artificially altered their living conditions, the low-tier gray entry—which acted more like a status effect—lost its foundation.
Like water without a source or a tree without roots, it naturally dissipated, transforming into a normal white entry that matched their current reality: [Worry-Free Eating]!
"That's it! I don't just have to rely on the system's power to forcefully alter destiny. I can twist their fates simply by changing reality!"
The discovery made Miles tremble with excitement.
This didn't just give him a higher degree of freedom and a wider margin for error when raising Pokémon.
It filled him with a profound, weighty sense of accomplishment—the thrill of creating miracles.
He was single-handedly snatching these little creatures right out of the jaws of death!
However, Miles quickly reeled his emotions back in.
His gaze drifted to a line on Munchlax's panel that remained completely motionless, permanently radiating a brilliant light.
[Fate Entry: Gluttony Godhood (Gold)]
Clarity washed over him.
'This kind of human intervention only works on low-level, environment-dependent status entries. But for the vast majority of high-level, core entries, they won't budge so easily!'
Rubbing his chin, Miles calculated inwardly.
'Take Munchlax's [Gluttony Godhood] for example. That's a supreme talent forged from a genetic mutation in its digestive system after surviving on the brink of death.'
'It's already a part of its soul. No matter how much normal kibble I feed it, this gold entry will never disappear. It will merely lay dormant, waiting to be awakened by high-grade energy.'
'And then there's that Machop with the [Natural-Born Traitor] entry.'
'That was caused by a chromosomal mutation—a super-male syndrome—combined with an inherently tyrannical personality.'
'It is a rebel to its very core; that's its fundamental nature.'
'For an entry rooted that deeply, feeding it a few good meals or giving it a gentle master isn't going to miraculously reform it into a good boy.'
A leopard couldn't change its spots.
Unless...
The newly unlocked [Destiny Modification] function flashed through Miles's mind.
Unless he wielded the system's Creator-like power to forcefully wash away its personality defects and reshape its soul.
Otherwise, those core black and red curses would cling to them like maggots on a corpse for their entire lives!
"Now it makes sense," Miles exhaled a long breath of stale air.
He felt refreshed, his thoughts clearer than ever before.
The system didn't exist to turn him into a brainless tool who just clicked buttons.
On the contrary, the system was using these [Eyes of Pokémon Insight] to guide him—to help him discover problems and understand the true needs of Pokémon.
Some disasters, like Munchlax's starvation crisis or the Squirtle trapped in a suffocating water tank, only required him to step up as a Trainer.
By fulfilling basic responsibilities and offering common-sense care, he could resolve those life-threatening issues without spilling a single drop of blood.
It was only the deep-seated genetic diseases, the incurable personality flaws, and the completely locked racial limits that truly required him to spend System Points to defy the heavens and change fate!
Combining the ethereal with reality; human determination conquering destiny.
"This is the correct way to use this cheat," Miles murmured as he dismissed the interface from his vision.
The aroma of roast chicken still lingered in the air, and the cold winds of the rainy night were held at bay by the tightly sealed windows.
He looked at the Munchlax sprawled out on the bed, drooling from the corner of its mouth under its little blanket.
The white [Worry-Free Eating] entry might not offer any flashy combat boosts, but right now, Miles found it more pleasing and heartwarming than any God-tier attribute.
Safe and sound, with a full belly.
Wasn't that the humblest yet truest wish of every living creature brought into this world?
"Sleep well, little guy."
Miles walked over to the bed, took off his jacket, and lay down next to it.
He casually pulled the edge of the blanket over Munchlax's stomach to keep the little fatty from catching a cold in the middle of the night.
"When the sun comes up tomorrow, we'll go make some more money."
Closing his eyes, scenes from today's livestream played in his mind.
The gym bro who got slapped away with a look of pure disbelief.
The forest deer embracing a new life amidst a foul stench after taking off its mask.
And the guy in the Pikachu mask crying his lungs out, swearing never to throw his Squirtle into a fish tank again.
All sorts of people, and all kinds of bizarre and wonderful Pokémon.
The world was vaster and more spectacular than he had ever imagined, yet it was also riddled with countless tragedies born of ignorance.
Armed with eyes that could see through destiny, he wasn't just going to make a fortune appraising Pokémon on stream.
He was going to use these eyes to tear away self-righteous disguises and save the lives struggling desperately in the dark.
"Tomorrow will definitely be even better."
As the rain outside gradually ceased, Miles's breathing leveled out.
In his dreams, he saw Munchlax open a colossal, abyssal maw capable of swallowing the stars, devouring entire mountains of Top-Grade Pokéblocks before throwing its head back and letting out a roar that shattered the heavens.
One man and one Pokémon.
Here, in this massive, cold, concrete jungle, they had finally taken their first step toward flipping the script on their fate.