Shane shook his head, a lingering sense of dread mixing with helpless amusement.
“Good thing I didn’t add it.
Otherwise, with this kind of popularity, we wouldn’t even be able to squeeze through the front door today.
Forget selling coffee, just cleaning up would be a nightmare.”
Kade had just barely recovered from the massive shock of the video’s metrics.
He scrolled through the comment section, clicking his tongue in amazement.
Hearing Shane’s words, he looked up and grinned, flashing a mouthful of white teeth.
“Man, it’s a bit of a shame you didn’t add the address, but think about it, Shane!
A video with this much traffic—imagine the view count, the likes!”
“You know how YouTube’s revenue sharing works, right?
How much money are you going to get from this wave?!
My god, you might make more than a whole month of selling coffee!
Quick, check the creator dashboard!
Let me see!”
Kade’s words were like a stone tossed into a calm lake, instantly sparking Shane’s curiosity.
He was right.
With a massive five million likes, even just the platform’s basic revenue split should amount to a considerable windfall.
Shane took his phone back from Kade, opened the YouTube Creator Studio, and swiped straight to the revenue analytics page.
The screen’s glow reflected on his focused face as his eyes darted behind his glasses, quickly scanning the rows of charts and data.
Kade leaned in, his head freezing mid-air as the two of them stared at the crystal-clear number on the screen—Revenue: 0.00.
“Zero?” Shane muttered instinctively.
Refusing to believe it, he carefully checked the revenue breakdown again: Ad Revenue—None; Merchandise Shelf—None; Partner Program Status—Not Joined.
“No way, Shane?
You really…
really didn’t make a single cent?
Are these five million likes fake?
Did the platform swallow the money?”
Shane smiled bitterly.
Last night, he had been so focused on uploading the video, caught up in the exhaustion of finishing the edit and a tiny bit of anticipation, that he completely forgot YouTube creators needed to actively apply for the Partner Program and meet specific requirements to unlock monetization.
He had only verified his account last night; he never had any plans to become a creator before this.
This massive wave of traffic was, at this moment, nothing more than a fleeting illusion.
“They aren’t fake, and the platform didn’t swallow it,” Shane said, his voice tinged with helpless self-deprecation.
He looked up at Whimsicott, who had been resting quietly by his pillow.
The little guy was staring at him unblinkingly with those clear, large orange eyes, its tiny ears twitching slightly as it picked up on Shane’s every subtle shift in emotion.
The eyes of the human and the Pokémon met in the air. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Shane looked at his own clear reflection in Whimsicott’s eyes.
He let out a long, somewhat resigned sigh, leaned forward, opened his arms, and gently scooped the warm, fluffy ball of cotton candy into his embrace.
Whimsicott obediently snuggled against him.
Shane buried his face in the soft, fluffy fleece on top of Whimsicott’s head.
Feeling that delicate, warm touch, his muffled voice drifted out from the fluff, carrying a hint of exhaustion mixed with self-deprecating resilience.
“See that, Whimsicott?
Our path to making money…
is going to be a long and bumpy ride.”
First, the cafe was practically deserted, and now, a viral video yielded absolutely nothing.
Reality truly was a few degrees more bitter than coffee.
Whimsicott shifted in his arms, tilted its little head up, and rubbed its nose against Shane’s chin.
“Whimsi!”
Money really was something you loved and hated at the same time.
…
Morning light filtered through the sheer curtains, pooling on the wooden floor as Shane stood before his wardrobe, picking out his clothes.
Whimsicott sat on the folded bedding, its cottony paws snagging the hem of the T-shirt Shane had just taken off, tilting its head as it watched the taut lines of Shane’s waist while he changed.
“Stop messing around.”
Shane chuckled, swatting away the mischievous paws, and pulled on a light gray cotton T-shirt.
A warm touch suddenly pressed against the back of his neck.
He turned to find Whimsicott standing on its tiptoes, adjusting his back collar for him.
Kade’s booming voice echoed from downstairs.
“Shane!
Lend me a pair of pants for an emergency!”
Kade walked into the bedroom, water droplets still dripping from the tips of his hair after his shower.
“Here, go change.” Shane picked out a pair of loose, knee-length shorts and tossed them to Kade.
The morning breeze lifted the curtains, and the sunlight perfectly enveloped the playful group, gilding the Berry-shaped wall clock in a honeyed hue.
Steam billowed from the breakfast stall at the corner of the old street.
Shane held a bowl of shepherd’s purse wonton soup, gently blowing on the hot broth.
Whimsicott sat on a specially made high chair, its front paws gripping the edge of the table as its soup spoon clinked crisply against a celadon bowl.
The proprietress, Auntie Mao, poked her head out from behind the stove and scolded with a smile, “Shane, control your Whimsicott!
If it chips another bowl, you’ll have to eat two more bowls of wontons to pay me back.”
“Whimsi!”
‘I got caught tapping the bowl!’
‘I can’t possibly eat two more bowls of wontons.’
‘I won’t tap it this time!’ Find the original chapter at g.com.
A few Wingull glided past the glass window.
In the light and shadows sliced by their wings, Shane broke a peeled tea egg into small pieces for Whimsicott.
Dappled sunlight filtered through the sycamore leaves, dancing on the sidewalk.
Kade walked backward in front of him, his battle backpack slapping against his lower back with every step.
“Are you really not going to the arena?
I heard there are Trainers from Paldea in the Swablu Cup Rookie Tournament today.” He mimed the motion of Terastallizing, the red-and-white Poké Ball charm on his wrist jingling.
Shane scooped Whimsicott, who was trying to squeeze into a vending machine, back onto his shoulder.
The sound of a coin dropping into the slot was followed by the hiss of a carbonated drink.
“You know I’m not good with the pacing of battles.
Plus, today is the day I scheduled my Breeder exam.” The pull tab of the can popped open with a crisp click, and bubbles fizzed over his fingertips.
The crowd diverging at the subway entrance moved like a tide.
As Kade turned around, a tuft of Skiddo’s cotton was still stuck to the stubble on the back of his neck.
“Wait until I make it to the finals…
You and Whimsicott have to come cheer for me then!”
“Assuming you don’t show up late.” Shane smiled and waved his phone.
Finally, the two parted ways at a subway station.
…
Diamond-shaped patches of light refracted from the glass curtain wall fell on the steps of the Breeder Association.
Shane stroked Whimsicott’s fleece.
The electronic screen in the lobby scrolled through the historical pass rates.
He stared at the crimson text that read “Advanced Exam Pass Rate: 0.017%,” his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly.
The Advanced Breeder exam was significantly harder.
It was no longer as simple as just making Pokéblocks or diagnosing a Pokémon’s condition.
There were three assessments in total, spanning a one-month period.
The three assessments began with a written test, which covered four subjects: Pokémon Physiology and Pathology, Berry Herbs and Pokéblock Science, Genetics and Breeding, and Behavioral and Training Studies.
The second was a practical exam, involving emergency first aid and treatment for injuries, the production of high-tier breeding items, and hands-on breeding practices.
The final component was a comprehensive evaluation, requiring a collective field study of the physical conditions of Pokémon in a specific region.
The examinee could be accompanied by two additional Trainers.
This tested not only psychological resilience but also professional expertise.
It carried a massive weight in the scoring—out of a total of 450 points, this final section alone accounted for 250 points.
A total score of 400 points or higher was required to pass the Advanced Breeder exam.
However, Shane had already conducted his own mock exams for every section in advance.
He was more than prepared to pass the Advanced Breeder exam.
Therefore, getting this certificate would be an absolute breeze for him!