Pokémon: Starting as a Farmer Instead of a Trainer

Chapter 270 Meltan and Dr. Vero (Seeking monthly votes)

After the open class, Mingyou took the notebook Xiaozhao had given him, flipping through it as he headed towards the Eco Dome to meet with Dr. Vero. They had already contacted each other via message.

"It has to be a professional! There are so many key points; I don't even understand them all..."

Looking at the notes, Mingyou instantly understood why she had been scolded for giving a public lecture last week. Students come to learn, but if they don't learn anything and you waste their time, who else would you scold?

He diligently took notes and unknowingly arrived at the elevator leading to the Eco Dome. After finishing his public lecture, Dr. Vero was invited by the school leaders to the central square of the Eco Dome, so he arranged to meet them there.

He took the elevator to the Ecological Giant Dome Grassland Area. Under the blazing sun, the scenery was as beautiful as ever. He hailed a flying taxi and headed to the central square...

"Ecology...ecological core?"

In the flying taxi, Mingyou saw the new word highlighted by Xiaozhao in her notebook. Subconsciously, she looked out the window toward the center of the giant ecological dome and gazed at the old disco ball at the top that changed color over time.

This sphere is the ecological core, which controls and strictly manages the time of day and weather within the entire ecological dome, thus showcasing various landscapes. The temperature in each area is strictly controlled, allowing wild Pokémon to adapt to the environment.

Dr. Vero was involved in the development and construction of this ecological core, while the design of the ecological giant egg was completed by Principal Xi Lan alone.

"This is probably the most advanced technological product of our time, isn't it?"

Gazing at the ecological core, Mingyou pondered for a long time before this question came to mind.

Just then, the flying taxi finally arrived at its destination. Several armored birds flapped their wings and carried him to a smooth landing on the ground...

The central plaza, the heart of the ecological dome, is also the main activity area for students. It is usually used as a self-service rest stop, and wild Pokémon dare not approach it casually.

This area is surrounded by fences that separate the four main areas of the ecological dome, but there are entrances and exits for students and faculty to pass through, making it easy for them to come and go. The lower level is a rest area, and the upper level is a battle arena.

Looking at the central square made up of many blocks, Mingyou stepped onto it, scanning the surroundings to familiarize herself with the environment and find Dr. Vero's location, as long as there were many people around.

He quickly spotted his target...

In the lower part of the plaza, a group of students were surrounding a burly, white-haired middle-aged man who looked like he could knock down a Kentavious giant with a single punch. He was wearing a white lab coat typical of researchers and carrying a camping bag. He looked more like an outdoor athlete than a researcher.

He is Professor Willow, a leading expert in Pokémon ecology and distribution who frequently travels the world. He was once Professor Oak's assistant and student, and now works independently.

"Found it!"

Mingyou put away her notebook and immediately stepped forward, blending in behind the students. Taking advantage of her height, she wanted to see what Dr. Vero was doing...

Dr. Vero was holding a strange Pokémon in one hand and a metal plate in the other, feeding it. The moment the metal plate touched the Pokémon, it melted into liquid and was absorbed directly, causing the students to gasp in surprise.

The strange Pokémon was very small, as if it were molten steel forming a pair of tiny hands. Its head resembled a golden hexagonal nut with a small black ball floating inside, which looked like its eye. Behind it was a red, wire-like tail with two small protrusions at the end.

Meltan: The Nut Pokémon, possessing an extremely strong curiosity and an innocent personality. It is interested in everything, and you can easily gain its affection by playing with it.

As Naruto saw the information about Meltan, Professor Willow smiled and said to the students, "This is the only Pokémon that I discovered and named. It's called Meltan. They seem to have existed on Earth for a long time, but they have been dormant for a long time. There are still many secrets about them waiting to be discovered. I am currently studying their ecology."

"Miroku~"

Seemingly having been called by name, Meltan happily raised her little hand and twisted her body, eliciting joyful shouts from some of the female students.

Mingyou stood behind, arms crossed. He hadn't expected that Meltan had only been discovered so recently. However, he did know a little about Meltan's ecology, which he could perhaps use as a starting point for conversation later.

After waiting for a while, the students finally dispersed, giving him the opportunity to step forward and politely greet Dr. Vero: "Doctor, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am..."

"Little brother Mingyou, right?"

"You recognized me right away?"

"I noticed you standing in the back earlier, and we researchers are already somewhat aware of your situation, given how convenient those fruits and vegetables are..."

Dr. Vero said with a smile that although he was middle-aged, he still had a lot to talk about with young people, and he already knew from Candira why Mingyou was looking for him.

After a brief chat, he got to the point, smiling as he asked, "You said you wanted to learn about Pokémon ecology from me?"

"That's right!"

Mingyou didn't hide anything and told him about her plan to build an ecological park in Beishang Township. After thinking about it, Dr. Vero asked in confusion, "With such a good environment in Beishang Township, there's no need to waste land resources to build an ecological park, is there?"

"Because I need to cultivate fruits and vegetables in different environments, and many Pokémon voluntarily live on my farm, but most of them shouldn't be living in the environment of Kitakami Township and are forced to adapt, so..."

"You want them to return to their original living environment in the ecological park?"

Dr. Vero smiled, put his hands on his hips, and knew what he really thought. Mingyou had no choice but to nod and admit it.

"Oh well!"

Dr. Vero didn't object; he knew about Mingyou's fondness for taking in Pokémon. So he continued, "It's clear that the scale of the typical laboratory's ecological park isn't enough for you. You must have your eye on something like an ecological dome, right?"

"Um...that's true."

Mingyou nodded gently. Ordinary ecological parks are too small, and they can only house Pokémon; there's no place for him to grow things.

However, Dr. Vero did not immediately respond to this topic. Instead, he looked up at the ecological core at the top of the ecological dome, shook his head, and then said, "But I'm sorry, such a miracle as the ecological dome will not happen a second time. The ecological core is supplied by energy from underground in the entire Unova region's sea area, and the research data in this area is strictly confidential."

"It's not that easy after all..."

Mingyou scratched his head. It was not easy for him to say that he had a stone slab that could provide energy, but it would be easier if he could get the research data. However, it seemed that it would not be easy to get it.

He sighed softly, but just then, he suddenly noticed Meltan sitting on Professor Willow's shoulder. An idea struck him, and he asked with feigned curiosity, "I think I just heard the professor say that this Pokémon is called Meltan, right?"

"That's right. I stumbled upon this kid when I was doing an ecology survey in the Alola region a couple of years ago. Surprisingly, even my teacher, Professor Oak, didn't recognize it, so I named it."

Dr. Vero gently poked Meltan with his finger, and the little guy seemed very happy.

Mingyou nodded slightly and said with a smile, "I have seen Meltan in the Kanto region before, and they were in large groups. They seem to be social Pokémon that like to live in groups..."

"What!?"

Upon hearing this, Dr. Vero's interest was immediately piqued, and he quickly asked, "Where in the Kanto region did you meet him?"

"Near Cerulean Cave... At first, I thought it was a bunch of nuts and nuts placed together, but then I realized they were Pokémon I didn't recognize. It's a pity they were attracted by a passing car."

Mingyou gently shook her head and began to make up a story, but Dr. Vero had no doubts, because its Meltan also liked to follow cars, but not because it liked cars, but because it wanted to eat them.

"In the Cerulean Caves...?"

Dr. Vero memorized the location and planned to visit it after leaving the Unova region. Moreover, the fact that Meltan, as mentioned by Naruto, is a social Pokémon is also worth noting.

Ecological research on Merutan is now his top priority; he wants to investigate it thoroughly, no matter the time and cost.

"Miroku~"

When the topic came up again, Meltan danced with joy and then leaped into the air, but his weight crushed him, and he fell to the ground as expected, rolling to Mingyou's side with Nut.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Miroku~"

Meltan picked up the nut, stood up, and climbed directly onto Mingyou. It had heard about the other Meltans and, out of its racial instinct, desperately wanted to find its companions and stay with them.

Seeing this, Dr. Vero was somewhat surprised: "This child seems to like you a lot. If it's a stranger, it usually won't climb on them if they don't give it food. Although this child is very curious, it is also very timid."

"Is that so... Haha."

Mingyou smiled awkwardly. He also wanted to know why. Then he let Meilutan stay on his hands. He couldn't understand the other's language yet and didn't know why Meilutan was climbing on him.

At this moment, Dr. Vero seemed to have an idea. He crossed his arms, smiled, and said, "In that case, may I ask you a favor?"

"what?"

"It's to take care of Meltan for a while, because I'm going to the Carlos region soon, and it's not convenient to take it with me."

"???"

……

(End of this chapter)