Chapter 273: Lei Wen City, the Ferris Wheel, and N: Visiting the Ecological Dome

The designer of the Ecological Dome: Principal Sycamore.

Hearing this title, Luo Mu couldn't help but sit up slightly straighter; if one were to speak of his ambitions for the farm's future development, then creating an artificial environment suitable for all kinds of Pokémon to live in, just like the Ecological Dome, was one of Luo Mu's goals.

He had originally planned that when he had the chance to visit Blueberry Academy, he must exchange ideas with Dean Sycamore, preferably building a good relationship so that in the future, when he had the capability, he could invite the other party to help with the design.

He never expected the other party would personally come to Orange Academy to pick people up.

Before Luo Mu and Hearing Nimo could speak up to greet Sycamore, Sycamore, who was walking toward the group with Clavell, suddenly paused, looked blankly at the surrounding environment, pondered for quite a while, and then asked in confusion, "Eh, Little Clavell, what are we doing here, and who are these children?"

Luo Mu & Hearing Nimo and the other four:????

Clavell pressed his forehead with a helpless expression and said, "You are here to pick people up; our academy has one teacher and four students who are going to Blueberry Academy for a visit and exchange."

"Also, Senior, in front of the students, that form of address is still a bit too... you know."

Sycamore's face lit up with sudden realization: "Oh! It seems there really was such a matter; thanks to you, Little Clavell!"

As the propellers began to spin at high speed, air currents rippled around the helicopter; Clavell protected his hairstyle, raised his voice, and said, "Teacher Luo Mu, I'll leave the rest to you!"

On the way, Hearing Nimo asked curiously, "Classmate Taro, how are we going to get to Blueberry Academy?"

"By the way, what are these people's names?"

"Y-you, why are you at Exit 8? I waited at Exit 1 for a long time."

Luo Mu released his Serperior from its Poké Ball and smiled, "In a certain sense, this place counts as your hometown, doesn't it?"

The sky-full of sunset clouds brought a unique atmosphere to this city full of leisure; the neon lights that would shine at night had already lit up early, as it was said that a dazzling model's runway show was about to begin, making the whole city seem as if it were enveloped by brilliant, shining electric light.

The girl wore a light pink jacket, with a white shirt and blue-and-white sweatpants underneath, and a pair of clean white sneakers on her feet; even while wearing the school uniform, the girl managed to exude a special sense of fashion.

The girl placed both hands on her knees, panting slightly, and then looked at Sycamore with a reproachful gaze, wanting an explanation.

Clavell, with a helpless expression, introduced them one by one to Sycamore: "Battle Department Director Luo Mu, students Hearing Nimo, Arven, Penny, and Grusha; they are all the pride of this Orange Academy."

Clavell led the six of them all the way to the highest point of Orange Academy, where, surprisingly, a helipad had been built, something Luo Mu had completely failed to notice before.

She had waited for quite a while at Exit 1, which she had agreed upon with Sycamore; clearly the plane had already landed, yet she hadn't seen anyone, and thinking that Principal Sycamore was usually not very reliable, she tried looking at the other exits.

At the same time, Hearing Nimo and Grusha worriedly stepped forward to pat the girl's back, asking, "Are you okay?"

Sycamore said with a puzzled expression, "Didn't we agree on Exit 8?"

The girl lifted her head, revealing a sweet smile, and introduced herself: "Hello everyone, my name is Taro, a student of Blueberry Academy, responsible for leading the distinguished guests from Orange Academy to Blueberry Academy; please treat me kindly."

As for Luo Mu, he wore an expression of shattered illusions; he had thought that the person who built the Ecological Dome must be a great designer full of wisdom, but the reality was completely opposite to what he had imagined.

Geeta was very generous; every time she arranged flight tickets, they were basically first class, or at worst business class; in first class, everyone had their own exclusive seat and private space, where small-sized Pokémon like Shuang Nai Xian and Comfey could also be released.

Luo Mu naturally knew what double meaning Clavell was referring to; he revealed a knowing smile, nodded slightly, and said, "Leave it to me!"

Everyone quickly introduced themselves to Taro, and under her leadership, they left Lei Wen City Airport.

Everyone finally boarded the direct flight to the Unova region safely, despite the scares.

As if afraid that Sycamore's forgetfulness would cause trouble, Clavell held Luo Mu's hand and emphasized the procedure several times, then mentioned it to the helicopter pilot as well, before finally moving away from the helicopter with a face full of worry.

The girl shook her head: "It's nothing; I'm gradually getting used to the principal's absent-mindedness; I just feel that my running wildly makes me look a bit un-cute..."

Although this carried some suspicion of backstabbing the sister school and Principal Sycamore, who had traveled from afar to pick them up, but—

This trip will be a victory!

Clavell guessed correctly; before boarding at the airport, Sycamore nearly caused everyone to miss the plane again due to his forgetfulness; fortunately, Clavell knew his senior very well and had already emphasized to Luo Mu the methods for handling various unexpected incidents caused by Sycamore.

While leading the way and simultaneously paying attention to ensure Sycamore didn't get lost, Taro thought for a moment and replied, "Hmm, Exit 1 is too far from here; let's just go directly from near Exit 8, pass through the Lei Wen Amusement Park to the outside, take a taxi to the port, and then take a ship directly to Blueberry Academy."

Glancing at the helicopter parked on the helipad, Luo Mu couldn't help but sigh at Geeta's grand gesture; she was arranging a private plane to pick them up and take them to the airport.

Inside the first-class cabin, Luo Mu hugged the fragrant and soft Shuang Nai Xian, with a resting Comfey on his head, poking his head out to check on the students' condition, and also to see if Sycamore, sitting opposite his seat, was running around recklessly.

Poking Clavell, Luo Mu whispered, "Principal, can I let my Dragonite land on the helipad in the future? The school stairs are still too high."

The Serperior looked left and right, feeling that Lei Wen City wasn't much different from Mesagoza, though the climate had indeed changed drastically.

The four of Hearing Nimo's group looked at the environment of Lei Wen City with fresh curiosity; Grusha sighed and said, "Compared to the colorful Mesagoza, Lei Wen City feels more like a brilliant city shining with electric light."

This person, whose forgetfulness was so severe that one even suspected he had mild dementia, designed the Ecological Dome?

Fortunately, through Clavell's efforts, Principal Sycamore barely managed to remember the names and appearances of the five people; it's just unknown how long he will be able to retain this memory.

Not long after the group stopped outside Lei Wen City Airport, the person responsible for picking them up arrived, panting heavily.

June 2nd, Friday, evening in Lei Wen City.

That was a rather cute girl; she had a head of soft, naturally shoulder-length pink hair, with strands hanging neatly on both sides of her shoulders, and slightly curled ends adding a touch of playfulness, fixing people's first impression of her with keywords like energetic and cute.

At Clavell's signal, the six of them boarded the helicopter; this plane would land directly at Mesagoza Airport, and then they would transfer to a plane going directly to the Unova region.

Right now, Arven was probably snuggling asleep together with Ao Ao Jiaofu and Skwovet; Penny had likely called out all her Eevees; Hearing Nimo should be hugging Pawmi and Goodra; and from Grusha's tightly closed seat area, faint sounds of boxing were strangely emanating...

Luo Mu turned his head to look at the beautiful night sky outside the window; the journey from the Paldea region to the Unova region spanned half the planet, so they would be on the plane for a very long time; better to sleep first and conserve energy.

Arven nodded in agreement: "It's hard to imagine that he designed such an epoch-making artificial environment as the Ecological Dome."

Clavell looked at Luo Mu with surprise, nodded gently, and said, "That's acceptable."

Because he was worried that the wind pressure from Dragonite's landing might affect the surroundings or the residents of Mesagoza City and the students, Luo Mu rarely let Dragonite land within the city; having to run from outside the city to Orange Academy almost every day was very tiring.

He never expected to find the group at Exit 8, which was the farthest from Exit 1 and close to the amusement park.

The Serperior withdrew its gaze and began to worry about whether Applin and Tropius were doing well now.

In the Unova region, where truth and ideals intersect, he looked forward to what people and Pokémon he would encounter, and what kind of story he would write.

Penny tightened her Eevee backpack, which she never left behind, lowered her voice, and complained to the four of them beside her ears, "Isn't this Principal Sycamore of Blueberry Academy a bit forgetful..."

Luo Mu, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up: "Don't we need to buy tickets to enter the amusement park here?"

Taro's gaze first fell on the Serperior beside Luo Mu; she felt that this Serperior seemed a bit strong...

Taro looked at Luo Mu again; remembering he was a teacher, her voice naturally carried respect: "Lei Wen Amusement Park counts as a municipal amusement park; apart from amusement rides, for example, the Ferris wheel, which require tickets, entering the amusement park itself does not require a ticket."

Luo Mu nodded thoughtfully, and thus, amidst the noise and chatter of the students, he walked into the Lei Wen Amusement Park, where quite a few people were still gathering at night.

The most eye-catching building in the amusement park was undoubtedly that huge Ferris wheel, which, when looked up at, even gave the feeling of towering into the clouds.

As they passed by the Ferris wheel, the Serperior suddenly mimicked Penny's Sylveon, extending a vine whip to wrap around Luo Mu's wrist; its arrogant demeanor faded, and its expression as it looked at the Ferris wheel held some longing.

"Once matters at Blueberry Academy are settled, let's find a chance to ride it together."

Knowing what the Serperior was thinking, Luo Mu smiled slightly, lifted his head to gaze at the rotating Ferris wheel, and suddenly, his eyes met a pair of pure orbs within one of the wheel's moving cabins for an instant.

The owner of those eyes sat quietly inside the cabin; since the cabin wasn't high up, it seemed as though they had just boarded the Ferris wheel.

Luo Mu's eyesight was fairly good, allowing him to make out the other person's features in general.

The other person had long cyan-green hair, wore a low-key black-and-white patchwork baseball cap, and possessed a very handsome face.

Their height must have been quite impressive; even while seated, half their upper body was exposed beyond the window frame, and before their pure white turtleneck shirt, a strangely shaped planet pendant swayed gently with the Ferris wheel's motion.

Luo Mu had a strong impression of the handsome young man's features, recalled the other's identity, and his pupils contracted slightly.

The King of Team Plasma, N.

His full name was—Natural Harmonia Gropius.

Luo Mu was also surprised that he still remembered N's full name; before he could react further, Peper, who had noticed Luo Mu stopping, returned and pushed Luo Mu forward.

While pushing Luo Mu, Peper also complained, "Really, how old are you, still wanting to ride the Ferris wheel? I just can't deal with you! Fine, we'll ride it when we come back!"

The Serperior's winding forward motion froze, directing an icy glare at Peper as if intending to kill.

Peony, walking ahead, turned around and directly exposed Peper's true thoughts: "Saying 'I just can't deal with you'? Clearly you want to ride it too, and you want to ride it with others, like Teacher Luo Mu!"

Peper's face instantly turned bright red, and he stammered, "It's just your big mouth!"

On the other side, as the Ferris wheel slowly reached its highest point, N quietly gazed at the night view of Lei Wen City; a night breeze blew through his hair, and the corners of N's lips curved into a faint smile as a gentle, magnetic voice sounded: "That Serperior seems to really like that person."

After walking through the amusement park, taking a taxi to the port, and then boarding a ship to reach Blueberry Academy, the entire process meant the time had already reached late night.

Fortunately, Blueberry Academy had long prepared accommodations; after arranging the group into the dormitories, Carmine yawned and departed.

Luo Mu stood by the window; the night breeze was very refreshing, especially capable of making one feel exceptionally cool amidst this gradually heating weather.

Due to the depth of the night, there was no opportunity today to view the full panorama of Blueberry Academy, but its general outline was visible; this was a massive academic city floating on the sea, gathering many advanced technologies and concepts from the Unova region.

But Luo Mu currently had no mood to ponder such matters; he recalled the eye contact near the amusement park's Ferris wheel, and after reviewing the details, the other person was highly likely to be N.

He wondered whether this was the King of Team Plasma N from the games, the N from the anime, or perhaps an N born from a combination of both.

As he thought, sleepiness struck; after washing up, Luo Mu collapsed onto the soft bed and fell into a deep slumber amidst the floral scent emitted by the Comfey.

The next day.

Under Carmine's summons, the group gathered in the main hall of Blueberry Academy.

Luo Mu was fine, as teachers naturally came and went at Blueberry Academy, but Hearing Hearing Nimo and the others, wearing their Grandma Ju Zi Academy uniforms, endured a baptism of numerous gazes here; Peony, suffering from social anxiety, had even hidden herself in Arven's embrace.

Carmine was still wearing the same cute outfit as yesterday, making one wonder if she owned many copies of the same clothes.

Leading everyone through the gate and walking down a long, descending corridor, Carmine smiled lightly and said, "Because Principal Clavell got lost on his way home last night and fell into a pit, although he suffered no serious harm, he is an elder after all, so he will be resting at home for these couple of days; therefore, I will be guiding everyone on a tour of Blueberry Academy for now."

"Today's schedule mainly involves showing everyone Blueberry Academy's proudest possession, its underwater courtyard—the Terarium."

As Carmine finished speaking, light spilled onto the end of the corridor before Luo Mu's gradually widening eyes, and what came into view was—a vast wilderness!

Hearing Hearing Nimo and the others couldn't help but let out cries of amazement.

Carmine said proudly, "Although we are currently underwater, the sky visible through these walls and the dome, which look just like the outside world, are actually projections."

"Here, terrains suitable for the survival of different Pokémon have been artificially created; the Terarium is divided into four environmental zones."

"The Savanna Biome filled with subtropical vibes, the Coastal Biome filled with southern country vibes, the Canyon Biome filled with valley vibes, and the Polar Biome filled with snow country vibes."

"The temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors in each zone have been meticulously adjusted, and different Pokémon from all over the world inhabit them; isn't that very romantic!"

"Mm-hmm!"

Following Carmine's introduction, the expressions of the group grew increasingly excited; the Terarium was simply a paradise for Pokémon, a paradise for trainers like them!

Luo Mu's gaze carefully observed the environment of the Savanna Biome closest to the corridor; this area contained not only grasslands but also rocky mountains formed of stone and swampy terrain.

Looking further into the distance, the Coastal Biome consisted of beaches, forests, mountains, and lakes; the Canyon Biome featured towering, massive mountains interspersed with rivers; and the Polar Biome was composed of snow-capped mountains and icy seas.

Many students of Blueberry Academy were scattered throughout the Terarium, and Luo Mu even spotted numerous wild Pokémon that would be considered rare in the outside world, forcing him to sigh in admiration at how truly rich the teaching resources here were.

As expected of the Unova region.

"By the way, there is one thing I must tell everyone." As if remembering something, Carmine gathered everyone's attention again and, imitating Clavell's tone, said, "Ahem... for today, please feel free to explore the Terarium at your leisure, esteemed guests from Grandma Ju Zi Academy."

"Oh, right! Regarding the Pokémon inside the Terarium, if any of you find one compatible with you, you may try to catch it; just register it when you leave the Terarium!"

"That's what Principal Clavell said~"

Hearing Hearing Nimo's eyes lit up; Pokémon in such an amazing Terarium could actually be caught!?

Hearing this, Luo Mu, who was currently sighing in admiration at the wealth and generosity of Blueberry Academy and the Unova region, let his gaze fall upon the Polar Biome in the farthest distance.

There should be quite a few Ice-type Pokémon in that place, right?

Could he perhaps... lure a few of them over?

Carmine seemingly took it for granted that Luo Mu was included, after all, judging by age, Luo Mu was only a few years older than them.

Smiling, Carmine asked, "Does anyone have a zone they want to visit or are interested in?"

The group immediately began chattering and discussing, finally reaching a conclusion.

Peper: "I'll just stay in the Savanna Biome."

Hearing Hearing Nimo: "I think I'll go to the Canyon Biome after all."

Peony: "Although I don't want to go anywhere, if you force me to pick one, then the Coastal Biome..."

Arven: "I also want to go to the Canyon Biome for training; the environment there must be best for tempering body and mind, and perhaps I might even encounter a Pokémon to temper body and mind alongside me."

The four students had all given their answers, and everyone's gazes instantly converged on Luo Mu; this was the first time Carmine had carefully sized up Luo Mu, having heard from the Principal that Luo Mu seemed to be a very strong trainer, which made her curious about where he would choose to go.

Without much hesitation, having already decided, Luo Mu said with a serious expression, "I want to go see the Polar Biome, and if there's a chance, I'd also like to catch an Ice-type Pokémon; that shouldn't be a problem, right?"

(End of Chapter)