Joseph couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so fired up.
He'd spent all morning hyping up the "Catch That Pokémon!" stream — the big, dramatic hunt for their third team member. EeTvee's notifications were pinging every five seconds, and his view count was already hovering around three hundred before they even left the front gate.
Tyrunt stomped in circles impatiently while Rotom projected a flashy "LIVE: CATCH STREAM!" banner on the PokéGear feed.
"Alright, EeTvee fam!" Joseph declared, pointing at the camera like a cheesy game show host. "Today, your favorite dino and ghost combo are gonna catch our third teammate! We're heading to Route 5 — rumor has it, tons of wild Pokémon hang out there. Who knows what we'll find?"
Tyrunt bellowed in agreement. Rotom threw up a dancing Poké Ball sticker with "PLACE YOUR BETS!" flashing underneath.
The chat went nuts:
"Bunnelby!"
"Catch a Furfrou! Get a fancy dog!"
"No way he actually catches anything lol."
Joseph smirked at that last one. "Watch and learn, chat. Watch and learn."
Route 5 was beautiful in the early afternoon — a long stretch of gently rolling hills, wildflowers everywhere, and the distant hum of Lumiose City far behind them. It was the kind of place trainers came to picnic and practice with baby Pokémon.
Perfect for Joseph's first hunt.
He made Tyrunt practice walking softly — which was impossible because every step shook the dirt path like a mini-earthquake. Rotom helpfully added cartoon "STOMP STOMP STOMP" captions above Tyrunt's head.
"Buddy, you gotta be stealthy, okay? Pokémon don't like it when a giant chompy rock dinosaur comes crashing at them," Joseph whispered.
Tyrunt blinked. Then roared at a bush. A flock of Fletchling burst out in a panic.
"...Right. Stealth training: also on the to-do list."
About twenty minutes in, they spotted their first target. A tiny Bunnelby peeked out from behind a bush, nose twitching. Rotom zoomed in dramatically, overlaying a 'NEW FOE APPROACHES!' graphic. The chat erupted:
"IT'S SO CUTE"
"Catch the bunny!!"
"Bet Tyrunt eats it."
Joseph raised a Poké Ball. "Alright. Quiet, big guy. Let me handle this."
He crept forward, crouched like a Zubat trying to be sneaky. Bunnelby tilted its head, completely unbothered.
"Okay… just a gentle toss…" He wound up the Poké Ball like a baseball pitcher. Rotom added an anime speedline filter for dramatic effect.
He let it fly — and immediately tripped on a rock, launching the ball straight over Bunnelby's head. It bounced off a tree and smacked Tyrunt square in the nose.
Tyrunt yelped in surprise. Bunnelby giggled — Joseph could swear it giggled — and bounded off into the grass.
Rotom hovered over Joseph's face, filming his mortified expression, and slapped a giant "FAIL" sticker on the screen.
"Chat, please," Joseph groaned, rolling onto his back.
"HAHAHA"
"10/10 aim"
"New record for worst throw?"
He didn't give up.
They pressed deeper into Route 5, following a winding stream where he'd heard Furfrou sometimes hung out. Joseph was determined to find something — anything — that fit the team. Tyrunt bounced ahead, occasionally chasing his own tail, while Rotom drifted between filming Joseph's sweaty, determined face and zooming in on every rustling bush.
Finally, they stumbled upon a small, shaded clearing where a group of wild Pokémon grazed. Joseph's heart skipped — he spotted something special: a wild Riolu, practicing kicks against a tree stump.
"Perfect…" Joseph whispered. "Fighting-type, super loyal, and it'll evolve into Lucario someday. We'd be unstoppable."
Tyrunt was fixated, too. He crouched like a predator, tail swishing.
"Okay. Plan A: I'm gonna use the Poké Ball. Plan B: Tyrunt, you keep the Riolu from running. Plan C: Rotom, no fart noises."
Rotom made a face and crossed its ghostly arms.
Joseph crept closer, Poké Ball clutched tight. The chat was exploding:
"OMG GET IT"
"If he messes this up I'm done"
"DINO VS DOG FIGHT!"
He lined up his throw — feet planted, arm steady — and this time he didn't trip. The Poké Ball flew true, smacked Riolu gently, and sucked it inside.
The ball dropped onto the grass. Wiggle. Wiggle. Wiggle.
Joseph and Tyrunt leaned in, breathless. Rotom hovered right over the Poké Ball, adding a dramatic drumroll sound effect.
And then — click.
Joseph's eyes went wide. Tyrunt yelped in triumph. Rotom blasted confetti all over the feed.
He scooped up the Poké Ball like it was a trophy. "Chat! Did you see that?! WE DID IT! Third teammate GET!"
He released Riolu right away. The tiny blue Pokémon blinked up at him, tilting its head curiously. Tyrunt bounded over and sniffed it so hard Riolu nearly tipped backward.
"Hey, buddy," Joseph cooed. "You're gonna love it with us. We've got streams. Snacks. And… questionable training drills."
Riolu yipped happily and jumped onto Tyrunt's back. Tyrunt, surprisingly gentle, let the smaller Pokémon ride him like a dino pony.
Rotom did a quick highlight replay: the ball toss, the triple wiggle, the victory confetti — all in less than ten seconds. Chat lost its mind:
"RIOLU!!"
"Team OP now."
"Tyrunt taxi lol."
They celebrated with an impromptu snack break under a big shady tree. Tyrunt and Riolu shared Pokémon treats (Tyrunt dropping half of his, as usual). Joseph lay back, PokéGear propped on his chest while Rotom edited a victory highlight reel in real time.
"Not bad for our first catch stream, huh?" he said, still a bit in awe.
Rotom threw up a giant "SUCCESS!" sticker, then a goofy meme of Joseph's epic trip-and-throw fail earlier. Joseph couldn't help but laugh.
He glanced at the chat one last time. Viewer count: almost five hundred. Clips of the Riolu catch were already being clipped and shared.
"Alright, EeTvee fam. Next time, we'll show you Riolu's first training session. Let's see if he can actually keep up with Tyrunt's… unique style."
Tyrunt gave a proud roar. Riolu squeaked in agreement. Rotom spun a glowing 'TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK!' across the screen.
As the sun dipped behind the trees of Route 5, Joseph knew one thing for sure:
He had a fossil chomper, a prank ghost, and now a baby fighting dog that kicked tree stumps for fun.
Slowly but surely, he was building the weirdest, goofiest, best team any streamer could ask for.
And the world was watching every second.
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