Master Craftsman of the Elven World

Chapter 558 Crimson Sun: Useless thing, come back!

The legendary bird Pokémon Zapdos was reduced to an unpaid employee at a power plant, forced into illegal labor by capitalist humans. That was Zapdos's initial thought, but—

This bird food smells amazing!

What if it's food offered with contempt?
This is food that can only be obtained through contempt!
In the end, I'm just a flying lightning chicken. What can't I sell? Just a little bit of electricity!

I wanted to yell at this human, but this human gave so much!
"The legendary bird Pokémon is like a tamed sparrow. In this way, even if Damocles and Milton leave, the power problem in the Sinnoh region can be completely solved with the help of Zapdos's electricity."

Cynthia looked at Zapdos, who was engrossed in eating and completely oblivious to the electric wires attached to its body. Her impression of the "Legendary Pokémon" began to crumble slightly.

But the one who was most heartbroken was Xiaoguang.

She blinked and tried to hand the snacks to Zapdos, but the plump, yellow-feathered bird accepted them all and pecked them clean in a couple of swift strokes!

After finishing its meal, Zapdos paused for a moment to reflect and then offered its assessment.

Hmm, although it looks and tastes pretty good, it feels like something's missing. Compared to the handmade dumplings made by another human next to it, it's still lacking!

But I can't quite put my finger on what's lacking!

"Does it like it or not? Why didn't it react at all after I ate it?"

Xiao Guang looked puzzled, and Piplup, Weasel, and Kabuto all tilted their heads and bodies at the same time, their expressions perfectly synchronized with the trainer's.

It's said that Pokémon are becoming more and more like trainers, and there's some truth to that.

"I gave you Baofen, you know. Isn't it delicious?"

Dawn took the food out of her backpack. It was food she had bought in Flower Garden Town. It was a type of pastry that was very popular in the Sinnoh region. Poffins were usually made with berries. Because of the energy of the berries, they could also affect a Pokémon's coolness, beauty, cuteness, intelligence, and strength.

Poffins are a very beneficial dessert for raising Pokémon, and unless the craftsmanship is too poor, they are generally very popular with Pokémon.

"What did Mr. Lightmoss feed Zapdos before?"

Xiao Guang looked at the birdseed that Guang Moss had made for Zapdos. It looked like just a handmade rice ball, but the legendary bird Pokémon ate it with great joy, and Cynthia had a deep impression of it.

Zhu Lan's eyes flickered slightly: "That thing... was it the cultivation food you sold before?"

She had also bought this kind of thing from Guangtai before. It seemed to be classified in a very simple and crude way as "wild grass food" or "wild earth food", and sold in cans or bottles.

Lightmoss: "That's what it is. Although it's a breeding food, its official name is [Yoodan]. It's a food that people used to make by hand for Pokémon a long time ago. Adding special ingredients makes it a breeding food."

"Without it, there's only a simple effect. However, it's also very beneficial for the Pokémon's growth."

"This is [Bean Lure]. Its main ingredient is Drum Bean, which is almost impossible to find in Sinnoh now. It has a strong attraction for bird and fish Pokémon. Then, Electric Seed or Electric Gem powder is added to it."

"If conditions permit, we can also use [wave] to add flavor. For electrical waves, we can use [earth wave] to add flavor by taking advantage of the environment. This is also an ancient method of food preparation."

"No Pokémon can resist the temptation of food, especially since what I made can be considered a special kind of [snack]."

"If it is processed further, it will become a food that has been lost in this land - [Treasure]".

While enlisting Zapdos's help, the handsome guy also managed to appease the power plant workers and hand over the reins to Officer Jenny and the police officers.

"I was really lucky. Because I had received the intelligence in advance, I rushed here without stopping after leaving Zhuqing City and disguised myself as a Team Galactic soldier! Where there are crowds, there is also information!"

"I arrived even before Jupiter and Hogan arrived! Those ordinary Galactic Team members thought I was here to scout the place. I quickly became familiar with them, but as expected, these people still speak incoherently and are a bit silly."

The handsome young man recounted his activities over the past two or three days. In terms of dedication to his job, this policeman in the trench coat is second to none!

This reminded Guangtai of how, in the second playthrough of the Platinum storyline, the handsome guy finally found useful information and learned that Hades was going to Mount Yanku to get the volcanic stone. So he went ahead and went to the vicinity of the volcanic stone on Mount Yanku. With his superb disguise skills, he disguised himself as an ordinary stone and ambushed it for at least two days!

Moreover, that place was inside a volcano, where the temperature was extremely high and powerful Pokémon roamed. As a result, the handsome guy remained silent and waited until Pluton arrived with his men. At the last moment, Croagunk unexpectedly retrieved the Town Stone and captured Pluton!

If the disguise hadn't been revealed in the end, even if the handsome guy fainted from the heat, probably no one would have noticed. He's truly risking his life to fight crime. Although he's a bit unreliable in general, his work ethic is impeccable.

Guangtai also has a very high opinion of handsome men:

"They've been lying in ambush for two days straight. They've even completely infiltrated Team Galactic. No wonder you're codenamed 836, that amazing man who once stopped Guzzlord. And your Scoundrel is pretty impressive too!"

"I feel ashamed to be told that by you." The handsome man took a deep breath, maintaining a serious expression. "To be honest, I'm not very good at Pokémon battles. That's why I honed my disguise skills."

"People should play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses in order to exert their greatest strength. That's all I can do. Because of the boundless strength of you all here, my work can proceed so smoothly."

"This is not my achievement, but everyone's!"

The handsome man sincerely thanked the group and then confirmed with Cynthia: "Miss Champion, if you don't have any other measures for Jupiter, then Officer Jenny will detain her and send her to prison. Her Pokémon will be confiscated and properly cared for until she finishes her sentence."

"Return?" Xiao Guang found the handsome guy's choice of words a bit strange: "...The Pokémon of Jupiter, does that mean they won't be released directly?"

The handsome man shook his head: "Everyone I've arrested so far has their own hidden story. If I want to uphold justice, it might mean causing people to experience separation."

"That girl must have gone through something to make her become so paranoid."

Guangtai: "If we don't solve the problem with Chiri, she will still have the idea of ​​escaping. But I have already assured her, so there is no need to worry."

"By the way, wasn't the sentencing by the Interpol a bit too lenient?"

The Seven Sages of the Unova region were only imprisoned for two years in the game, which is far too short a time.

The executives of Team Galactic will probably not spend more time in prison than that.
In the game, Jupiter even travels as an ordinary woman after leaving Team Galactic, which is simply incredible.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about that," the handsome man said, stroking his chin. "But I won't stop investigating and arresting people in the Sinnoh region until Team Galactic disbands! I will definitely bring them to justice!"

"Here, take this." Guangtai took out a small amulet from her pocket and explained to the handsome man, who was looking confused, "This is [Holy Ash]."

"Saint?!!!!" The handsome guy had been to many places and knew a lot of legends because of his work. Of course he knew the legend of Saint Ash. His hand trembled and he almost dropped it.

"Why, why are you giving me something so valuable? No, how did this end up in your hands! Have you encountered that one?"

"As long as you have [Holy Fire], you can make [Holy Ash]." Lightmoss looked thoughtfully at the handsome man: "Use this on your partner when their life is in danger."

"Your Frog has accumulated a lot of fatigue from fighting alongside you for many years. Like Volcarona, the champion of Aldebaran, it may lose its life in a dangerous situation due to overuse of its power."

The handsome delinquent frog, mentioned in the XY era, had already died, tragically sacrificing his life while investigating a certain mission.

He was still lively and energetic during his Platinum era, which means that he didn't have any Delinquents by his side in the Unova region. And in Sun and Moon, he was completely without any Pokémon traveling with him.

"Is this a prophecy?"

The handsome man's heart sank slightly, but he gripped the Holy Ash Amulet even tighter.

Guangtai: "[The more wonderful the encounter, the lonelier the parting.], is that your life motto?"

"Therefore, revival items were prepared for this situation. It would be better to choose Veil City as the next location for investigation. Although Team Galactic has a building in Elysium City, it is not their headquarters."

"Considering that [Pluto] did not acquire enough electrical energy, there is only one Galactic Bomb left. It should not be used for test detonation again, but will be directly dropped into a lake. It may be stored in the Galactic Warehouse now, or it may be in the research institute deep inside the Galactic Team headquarters. The lake they plan to drop the bomb into is [Lake of Ambition]!"

When Zhu Lan heard Guang Tai speak again with such certainty, as if she had foreseen it, she couldn't help but chuckle softly:
"In the legends of Sinnoh, emotions, knowledge, and will correspond to three lakes. But why did the Red Sun destroy Lake of Determination?"

Lightmoss: "The three lake gods are connected, and the islands in the lake are actually an alternate dimension. They are not in the regular world we see. When the Lake of Ambition is attacked, Azelum will appear in the real world. At the same time, the gods in the Lake of Heart and the Lake of Wisdom will also awaken and go to meet with Azelum."

"In the Unova region, there is also an island in a lake that is connected to the alternate dimension of the Lake Gods. It is called the Hollow Heart. In ancient times, the Lake Gods of Sinnoh traveled to the Unova region through the Hollow Heart and spread their emotions, will, and knowledge."

"In other words, even if Team Galactic attacks them, they could actually escape Sinnoh and head to the distant other side of the ocean, but... that's not possible."

"After all, the three lakes here are just as important as the Hollow Heart, and they will not make the decision to go into exile. That is their stubbornness and obstinacy. At the same time, as long as the Lake of Determination is attacked, the balance will be immediately broken."

"Originally, the 'heart' was a complete concept, but at a certain moment it was divided into knowledge, emotion, and will. And the most important of these is the 'will.' The power of the Lake of Determination will affect the entire Sinnoh."

"Yes, more importantly, if we don't take down Arknom first, its power will cause those who attack it to lose their will and become puppets after seven days!"

Lightmoy: "And it's not just Lake of Ambition. Red Sun will also take people to God and Town. In his plan, he even considered using the Galactic Bomb to destroy the God and Town murals." Bamboo Orchid frowned: "You're saying he might go to God and Town to plant bombs? For the ruins and murals there! That mural depicting the Three Gods of the Lake, as well as Dialga, Palkia, and Arceus!"

"Chi Ri will definitely go see the murals in my hometown. You said those murals were..."

Guangtai: "Perhaps, that is what [Wusi] left for the world. Shenhe Town was rebuilt on the original site of [Ancient Hermitage], and it is a town that re-emerges the oldest [Shenhe Town]."

Yes, another characteristic of the ancient people of Sinnoh is that they all liked to cover their left eyes with their hair, which led to the famous meme: "Do people born in this place not have a left eye?"

Guangtai wondered if she should get a similar hairstyle too.
Do you remember the Cloud and Mist Ruins I told you about?

No matter what she did, Zhulan was unable to locate the ruins that Guangtai had mentioned could be used to create the red chains.

Zhu Lan: "We can't find the slightest clue. Even if it's a lost relic, it's impossible for it to disappear so completely. What on earth is going on?"

Guangtai: "The remnants of clouds and mist are right by Lizhi Lake."

"Since ancient times, there has been a saying that clouds and fog can blur the boundaries."

As can be seen from the ancient map, the Cloud Mist Ruins are actually the forest in the upper left corner of the Lake of Ambition map. Interestingly, after the Star of Ambition destroyed Lake of Ambition, the area in the upper left corner was also destroyed. Furthermore, Magikarp will block the protagonist's path, preventing the protagonist from seeing the area in the upper left corner and entering it.

"If Lake of Determination is blown up, the Cloud Ruins will also disappear without a trace. As the successor of Team Galactic, Sun doesn't even know that this ruin exists. This is the result of underestimating the mythology. The damage to Sinnoh's ancient cultural heritage is simply incalculable."

Mingxing and Xingyue learned about the chains from Xiaozhao, but Chiri, as a descendant, knew nothing about them. Perhaps Xingyue also foresaw something and thought it was something that didn't need to be recorded?

Zhu Lan pondered for a moment: "Team Galaxy, there are more and more things to solve. Hopefully, we can resolve the trouble here as soon as possible."

The handsome man bowed deeply: "Thank you very much, Your Excellency [Shield]!"

"I'm setting off for Veiled City right now!"

Watching the handsome man leave, Guangtai turned to look at Zhulan:

"Cynthia, there's another thing hidden in various locations in Sinnoh. Have you collected them all?"

"Stone tablets! Right, I found these two in the valleys near Binhai City and Shenhe Town!" Cynthia had mentioned before that she wanted to collect the Sinnoh Stone Tablets, but since she didn't know their exact locations, she could only rely on information and investigation to search for them!

Later, in the coastal city near the Sinnoh League, she discovered the legendary stone tablet at the navigation lighthouse. After all, it was something Arceus had used, and Cynthia knew very well what kind of power the [plate] possessed!
The second one was quite unexpected; it was actually located near Shenhe Town!
Zhu Lan: "These are golden and green plates. I remember, in the ruins of the Divine Capital, the corresponding power was..."

Lightmoss: "It's the [Thunderstone Slab] and the [Emerald Slab]!"

"A berserk clone, capable of unleashing thunder of fury. This is a stone tablet that records the story of Giratina."

"The Pokémon born from it is granted a portion of the power of the stone tablet. It records the story of one or more Pokémon."

"There are many more tectonic plates in the Sinnoh region, and even underground passages can be excavated. The tectonic plates themselves are scattered cosmic forces. The power of small tectonic plates is limited, but they can still be used to create amazing things."

"That one!" Xiao Guang suddenly pulled out the same thing from his backpack. Under Zhu Lan's astonished gaze, Xiao Guang felt a little embarrassed:
"I found this underground at the Black Gold Gate! Although it's impossible to get to the deep layers without surfing, I unknowingly reached a very deep place through continuous training."

"This looks like the same thing as that golden piece of material. Also, I found another one on the sandbar outside True Sand Town."

"Is this something really powerful?"

Light Moss: "Brown and dark blue. [Earth Slab] and [Water Drop Slab]!"

Water-type Pokémon are born with the ability to swim, so it's not unusual for them to reach sandbars on the sea surface; after all, it wasn't Dawn who swam there by herself.

However, lightning, emerald green, earth, and water droplets have all been gathered!

"Earth Slab: When the universe was born, fragments of it formed slabs. Emerald Slab: Pokémon born from it are given a portion of the power of the slab. Water Slab: Those who wield the slab can transform into various forms to wield their power."

"What a coincidence! Then we're still missing the most important piece, which is in Baidai City, our final destination!"

"Hikari, I'll make you something nice; you might need it someday. After that, you and Cynthia can go and collect the Sinnoh Slates together!"

"I will mark out the approximate locations where the stone slabs might be!"

------

Veiled City, located in the eastern part of the Sinnoh region. This town was carved out of steep mountains, so it doesn't often interact with other places.

The city is located near the ancient Veil Cape, and what is little known is that Sinnoh's fourth great lake, Hidden Spring, also known as the "Farewell Spring," is quietly hidden in the mountains and fields near this city.

It is said that the souls of the deceased travel from here to the spirit world, which has indirectly influenced some of the cultural traditions of Veiled City, giving the city a somber atmosphere.

In Veiled City, numerous warehouses were built to store various goods. In addition, there is a department store, and the building situated on higher ground is the headquarters of Team Galactic.

Of course, in public statements, this building is the headquarters of the Space Development Corporation and Galaxy Electric Corporation, and on the surface it seems to have no connection with Team Galactic. However, secret research is being carried out inside.

On this day, the leader of the Galaxy Foundation, the parent company of the two major companies, Akari, has always appeared in front of the public as an amiable and approachable wealthy businessman. However, since encountering the "strange accusation" several months ago, the Sinnoh League has been investigating and marking the Galaxy Foundation.

This has greatly hindered the activities and research of the Galactic Team.

All plans and activities have been postponed. However, some key locations and individuals in the plans must be reached and captured, which means that the Galactic Team's plans can only be postponed indefinitely, making it difficult to revise and come up with a second useful and feasible activity plan.

After all, there are many unimportant cities, but only a few important locations.

What silenced Chi Ri even more, and made him feel pain and anger for the first time in a long time, was...
The Valley Power Plant project failed.

To create the "Galactic Bomb," an immense amount of power—enough to evaporate an entire lake and destroy anything—is required. Only the Valley Power Plant and the Coastal City can provide this energy. However, things are not going smoothly!

"Not only the ordinary subordinates, but even the executive member, Starstar, fled in disarray, and Jupiter was captured by the Sinnoh Champion. Now, it's hard to keep Team Galactic's affairs a secret from everyone any longer."

"As expected, these people are a bunch of imperfect, useless trash. Useless things can't even manage a retreat."

"The reason this plan failed was because someone leaked the information. The last thing Jupiter sent me before he was arrested was: Be careful of [Pluto]."

"Then, [Pluto], can you explain this? Was the plan to eliminate Team Galactica yours?"

Akari was questioning the terrified Hades through the communication device. Hades, who had fled the valley power plant and was temporarily hiding in the Galaxy Building in Baidai City, was so frightened that he kept waving his hands!
"Lord Crimson Sun! You can't just believe what Jupiter and Fiery Star say! They've always been prejudiced against me. The leak of the Valley Power Plant plan really has nothing to do with me!"

In different worldviews, Pluton's plans are completely different. In the manga, Pluton joins Team Galactic to make all the Legendary and Mew Pokémon his own. However, in the game worldview and derivative anime works, Pluton's purpose is simply to make money.

There's even a famous saying: "There are many places in society where money is needed," which is quite simple. However, if the goal is to make money, capturing Heatran and causing Sinnoh's volcano to erupt is pointless. He might as well join Team Rocket.
"I just want to make money and realize my own value in life! To take everything I can, that's why I joined Team Galactic. Why would I devise a plan that would be detrimental to Team Galactic!"

"Boss, you know me. If I were the one who betrayed you, I would already be... No, no, no matter what, it couldn't be me! I'm a genius that you've recognized!"

"This is definitely someone trying to sow discord and frame us. I suspect there are real spies within Team Galactic!"

Pluto argued his innocence, claiming that his successful escape from the valley power plant was due to his foresight, to which Crimson Sun remained noncommittal.

"Regardless of the circumstances, the information from Jupiter and Pluto suggests that you are inextricably linked to this, Pluto."

"What an unforgivable failure! The power from the Valley Power Plant is crucial to the [Galactic Bomb], and even the creation of the entire New World! And now all of that has been destroyed!"

Pluto trembled as he suggested, "It's all because of that unknown trainer, that strange trainer who appeared in Jupiter City. He's the biggest factor interfering with us. But even Jupiter and Stardust have been taken down. I think it would be better to take a longer approach when dealing with that trainer."

"And if there's no electricity, we... we can go to Binhai City."

But the blazing sun directly interrupted Hades:

"Shut up. If you're going to focus your plans on Binhai City, then you don't need to mention it."

The communication fell into an eerie silence. Hades didn't know what to say, so he could only force a smile.

He knew, of course, that Akari would never target Binhai City, but there were no other options available. He couldn't very well steal electricity from the Sinnoh League headquarters.

Chi Ri spoke solemnly:
"I'm going to conduct a major purge within Team Galaxy!"

(End of this chapter)