I am Giovanni

Chapter 79: A Researcher's Spirit

Because Giovanni had forcefully given the Meowth a bath earlier, its fur was now fluffy, soft, and fragrant. He couldn't resist petting it. However, his favoritism clearly displeased the other three Pokémon.

The power of Viridian allowed him to sense their thoughts, so he quickly gave a sheepish smile and stopped. There was nothing he could do; he was a cat lover, after all.

After helping Meowth recover its stamina, he then helped Beedrill and the others one by one. Tending to four Pokémon at once was draining, but he had never stopped training his own body.

His physique was now far superior to what it once was, and it was still growing steadily. Perhaps one day he could be capable of fighting Pokémon in close combat. The Machop would even offer him guidance, correcting his form.

As a Fighting-type Pokémon, it was naturally sensitive to such things. In a wuxia novel, Machop would have been considered a martial arts prodigy.

Although today's training was over, there was still one more matter to handle.

Giovanni slowly took out the raw Metal Coat ore and waved to his Beedrill. "Come here."

"BZZZT!" Beedrill flew over, a little curious about what's going on.

"Raise your stingers," he instructed. Beedrill obeyed. Giovanni slowly placed the ore on one of its massive stingers, then fully used the power of Viridian to sense its energy.

After a moment, he frowned and gently rubbed the raw ore against the stinger. It didn't work. Was I mistaken? Or does it have to be processed into a proper Metal Coat first?

Just as he was feeling confused, his Beedrill seemed to understand what he wanted to do. It gently lifted its stingers, causing the ore to fly up. It then opened its mouth and, with a crunch, swallowed the ore directly, just like the Onix had.

More often than not, Pokémon needed to devour things to gain power. Though it was hard to swallow, Beedrill still got it down. Meowth and Machop looked at it with some curiosity. The Nidorino, on the other hand, was drooling. If a Bug-type could eat it, then a future Ground-type certainly could.

"Can you handle it?" Giovanni asked, concerned.

Beedrill gently patted its belly and nodded. "BZZZT!"

Giovanni placed his hand on its abdomen and closed his eyes. Under the activation of his power, he could feel the energy of the Metal Coat spreading throughout Beedrill's body.

Most of the energy was converging towards its three stingers. It really worked! Even if it was a lucky accident, a researcher is should have an innovative spirit, a dare to imagine.

Speaking of which, he now possessed the ability to become a Special Researcher himself, with the potential to surpass even the most famous professors.

He knew of research topics that had not yet been discovered: the full range of Eevee's evolutions, including Espeon and Umbreon; the existence of Mega Stones; the secrets of trade and friendship evolutions; the true principles behind Poké Balls; and the locations of mysterious Legendary Pokémon. He was a treasure trove of knowledge!

However, his current strength and status were insufficient. If he were to publish his findings casually, he would just be doing others' bidding. Such things happened in his previous life, and they certainly happened in this one.

It would be many years before these discoveries were made by others. He only needed to become stronger as quickly as possible to possess a power that others could not control. Then, all of this would be within his reach.

The leader of a dark organization, and also the most powerful and greatest researcher in the entire Pokémon world... just thinking about it was interesting. And when I do develop Mega Stones, I'll have to pay a visit to the Hoenn region's famous stone-collecting family.

Pushing these impractical thoughts aside, he smiled at his Beedrill. "You absorb it slowly for now. I'll help you again tonight when I've recovered."

"BZZZT!" Beedrill nodded, then turned its head and tilted it at the Meowth, as if to say, It's still me, isn't it? You are all adopted sons. Only I am the honored one! The Meowth disdainfully pursed its lips. It was just too lazy to make a move; otherwise, it could let Beedrill know what it means to be instantly humiliated.

Since Beedrill had received its item, the next resource was confirmed for Machop. As for Meowth, its internal energy was still a bit chaotic from its time in the wild. After it ate the proper food for a while, Giovanni would help it sort it out.

— — —

A week passed. The resources for Machop were delivered. It was the same familiar young grunt, this time with his Persian.

Fighting-type treasures were special. They needed resources that strengthened their physical bodies. This time, Hera had specifically chosen something special for him: a fragment of a Flame Orb.

Though just a fragment, the power it contained was more than enough for a Machop. Its constant, low-level heat would stimulate muscle growth and toughen its body, pushing it beyond its normal limits.

"Sir, please sign here," the young grunt said to the dazed Giovanni. "Lady Hera also said to come chat with her when you have time."

Giovanni thought of the seductive, fairy-like woman and quickly gave a sheepish smile. "Sure. I'll go when I have time."