The walk back from Route 5 felt like a mini victory parade.
Joseph carried Riolu on his shoulders — the little fighter balanced there like it was the most natural thing in the world, big eyes scanning everything with wonder. Tyrunt stomped alongside them, periodically glancing up with a suspicious side-eye, as if silently asking, Who's this new guy stealing my spotlight?
Rotom, of course, hovered overhead, adding dramatic sparkles around Riolu's head in the live feed, with the word "NEWBIE!" pulsing in rainbow text.
When they got back to the estate, Joseph gathered his team in the backyard for a little "getting-to-know-you" session. He'd seen this kind of thing in anime: all the Pokémon sitting together in a circle, bonding, sharing snacks, and forging lifelong friendships.
In reality?
Tyrunt sat directly in front of Riolu, glaring. Riolu sat cross-legged, flexing his tiny arms like a muscle bro showing off at the beach. Joseph had no idea how to mediate.
"Okay! Tyrunt, Riolu — you're teammates now! No chomping. No drop-kicking. Let's get along!"
Tyrunt let out a low rumble that sounded suspiciously like a growl. Riolu, undeterred, jumped onto Tyrunt's nose and started shadow-boxing at his forehead.
Rotom's live feed played dramatic fight music while the chat spammed:
"FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT"
"Rivalry arc LET'S GOOOO"
"Team vibes: chaotic neutral"
Eventually, Tyrunt flicked Riolu off his face with a lazy shake of his head. Riolu landed perfectly, did a backflip, and struck a hero pose. Joseph couldn't help but laugh.
"Okay, so we might have some, uh, energy to work with."
Rotom helpfully replayed Riolu's flip five times in a row, adding sparkly star effects each time.
Joseph pulled out some treats — Poké Puffs he'd picked up on Route 5. He gave Tyrunt the biggest one, hoping to soothe the brewing jealousy. Riolu got a smaller puff, which he immediately stuffed in his mouth, then scrambled up Joseph's leg for another.
Tyrunt's eyes narrowed: Two treats? He opened his mouth wide and let out a dramatic fake yawn. Joseph groaned.
"Don't be dramatic, big guy. You still get the first bite for everything, okay? You're our OG."
Tyrunt humphed and flopped onto his back in the grass, mouth still open for possible snacks. Rotom drifted down, projected a tiny crown over Tyrunt's head, and labeled him "Dino King (Spoiled Rotten)."
The rest of the afternoon was a blur of failed bonding attempts. Joseph tried to get them to play fetch. Tyrunt ate the stick. He tried a simple game of tag. Tyrunt didn't understand the rules and just chased Riolu until Riolu used a Quick Attack to body-check him in the ribs. The resulting thud was so loud, Rotom replayed it with slow-motion impact effects and a "BRUH" overlay.
By sunset, Tyrunt was dozing under the big oak tree, drool puddling in the grass. Riolu sat on Joseph's lap, poking at his PokéGear screen curiously. Rotom hovered overhead, compiling the day's best clips for a "Bonding Arc Gone Wrong" highlight.
"Alright, you two…" Joseph murmured, scratching Riolu behind the ear. "I know it's a little weird. But we're gonna be a great team. You'll see."
Riolu let out a soft bark of agreement. Tyrunt cracked one eye open, let out a snore, and rolled onto his side, nearly flattening Rotom.
Rotom dodged expertly, flashing a neon "Teamwork!" sticker in the corner of the live feed.
Later that night, Joseph sprawled on his bed, still wide awake while Tyrunt snored on a nest of blankets on the floor. Riolu had claimed the pillow next to him, curled up like a tiny blue bean. Rotom flickered overhead, finishing up the day's highlight reel.
The chat was still active, even though the stream had officially ended. Joseph scrolled through the comments with a sleepy grin.
"You need to train them more, they're chaos"
"Tyrunt's so jealous LOL"
"When's the next big stream?"
He paused, thumb hovering over the PokéGear screen. The idea had been brewing in the back of his mind all evening — something new to keep the hype going.
A "Viewer Challenge Stream."
"Hey, Rotom…" he whispered. Rotom floated closer, eye lights blinking curiously.
"What if we let the viewers pick some mini-challenges for us? Like, weird dares or random tasks we have to do on stream? Could be battles, cooking, goofy training drills…"
Rotom projected a tiny stick figure version of Joseph, Tyrunt, and Riolu trying to bake a cake. It immediately burst into flames. Joseph snorted.
"Yeah, maybe not actual cooking. But something funny. Something the chat can get involved with."
Rotom projected the words "CHAT CHAOS MODE: ENABLED!" in bright green letters.
Joseph knew it'd be dumb. Messy. Unpredictable. And exactly what his viewers wanted. If he was gonna be the biggest streamer in the Pokémon world, he might as well be the most entertaining, too.
Before drifting off to sleep, he set up a poll for his next big event:
"What should our first Viewer Challenge Stream be?"
"Funny Battle Tasks (use weird moves only!)"
"Parkour Training Course for Tyrunt & Riolu"
"Pokémon Talent Show???"
"YOU pick our next catch location!"
By morning, his EeTvee inbox would be flooded with suggestions. His Pokémon might hate him for it — but hey, that was the price of fame.
Joseph glanced at his snoozing team, the beginning of something truly ridiculous. Tyrunt, Riolu, Rotom… a dino, a puppy, and a haunted camera.
A family.
A chaotic, hilarious, unstoppable streaming family.
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