Fuego Ironworks

An explosion sounded from beneath the rear of the institute, and several streets nearby also experienced simultaneous blasts. The crowd instantly fell into chaos, but thankfully, Officer Jenny was present and quickly dispersed them.

"Red, you should stay here. It's too dangerous to leave now!" 

Cynthia stopped Lin Jiu, who was about to leave, and sternly eyed the explosion site.

"Oh no! The Lustrous Orb!" 

Professor Carolina immediately thought of the explosion behind the institute targeting the Lustrous Orb.

"What should I do..." 

Lin Jiu looked blankly at Cynthia.

"Follow me!" 

Cynthia did not disappoint Lin Jiu. Concerned for his safety, she took him along as they followed Professor Carolina into the institute.

"Grandma, how is it?" 

Cynthia asked upon arrival.

Professor Carolina breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the Lustrous Orb unharmed. 

"Thankfully, nothing happened!"

"Well... I think if someone is targeting these orbs, leaving them here is no longer safe. It would be better for Cynthia to keep them. Given her strength, it would be difficult to take the orbs from her!" 

Lin Jiu cautiously suggested from behind.

"Red is right! Cynthia, you should keep the Lustrous Orb... and the Adamant Orb as well. Go check on it!" 

Professor Carolina suddenly remembered the Adamant Orb, which was about to be stored, and quickly urged Cynthia to check on it.

Cynthia nodded, took the Lustrous Orb, summoned her Garchomp, and ran outside. As soon as Garchomp appeared, it gave Lin Jiu a hostile look, but due to the urgency, Cynthia didn't notice Garchomp's glare.

Lin Jiu scratched his head, had no choice, and sped up to follow them out.

"I have a little bit of explosives left; they should be enough!" 

Lin Jiu planned to continually raise the institute's sense of crisis, making them feel it was unsafe to keep the Lustrous Orb there. He would then blend into the crowd, detonate explosives, and take advantage of the chaos. As long as he got a chance to touch the Lustrous Orb, he could switch it out.

Garchomp, under Cynthia's command, rushed out faster. Lin Jiu followed closely behind, quietly detonating the last bit of explosives not far from them.

The explosion here wasn't very powerful but had enough force to knock the Lustrous Orb, as large as a head, out of Cynthia's hands!

"This isn't good!" 

Cynthia doubted the orb's jade-like structure could withstand a fall. At this moment, a figure leaped out.

Of course, it was Lin Jiu. After so much effort, he couldn't let the Lustrous Orb shatter on the ground. He successfully caught the orb, immediately curling his body and rolling a few times on the ground.

During the roll, Lin Jiu switched out the real Lustrous Orb.

"Miss Cynthia, here!" 

Lin Jiu stood up and handed the orb to Cynthia. Meanwhile, Garchomp returned, holding the Adamant Orb.

"Thank you!" 

Cynthia sighed in relief, seeing that both orbs were intact.

"Garchomp!" 

Garchomp glared fiercely at Lin Jiu, making a warning sound.

"Garchomp!" 

Cynthia patted Garchomp beside her, saying, "Sorry, she's not usually like this."

"It seems she doesn't like me much. I should go; my companion is waiting for me!" 

Lin Jiu waved goodbye, turned, and left. After getting out of their sight, he restored his energy using Hunt and ran towards the train station.

Cynthia felt something was off but couldn't pinpoint it. At that moment, Professor Carolina came out of the institute and asked, "Cynthia, are you alright?"

"Grandma, I'm fine. The orbs are also safe!" 

Cynthia and Garchomp raised the orbs to show.

"That's good. Where's that young man?" 

Professor Carolina relaxed and asked casually.

"He was in a hurry to meet his companion and left first!" 

Cynthia replied.

"I see!" 

Professor Carolina didn't pay much attention and took the Adamant Orb from Garchomp. She frowned, carefully feeling and examining the orb.

"What's wrong, Grandma?" 

Cynthia noticed her grandmother's expression turning much more serious and felt a bad premonition.

"It's a fake! This Adamant Orb is an imitation. Let me see the Lustrous Orb... It's the same, this one is a fake too!" 

Professor Carolina said grimly.

Cynthia frowned, "That can't be. Besides you, Grandma, only I have touched the Lustrous Orb... and Red! But Red never touched the Adamant Orb."

"No! Do you remember the attempted theft of the Adamant Orb a few days ago? It might have been switched then," Professor Karolina said.

"I've let a thief into the institute!" 

Cynthia's eyes flashed in anger as she called over Officer Jenny, asking her to investigate the man who had appeared with her in front of the institute earlier.

Professor Carolina shook her head and said, "Your appearance should have been just an accident. First, there was the incident with the Adamant Orb, and then this big commotion here was meant to provoke us into moving the Lustrous Orb. Whether you were involved or not, he would have had an opportunity."

The Adamant Orb had been on display, and Lin Jiu had thrown out the orb under surveillance. No one would have suspected that the orb retrieved on the spot was a fake. The key point was that, aside from Professor Carolina, who regularly researched these orbs and the covetous Cyrus, others wouldn't be able to distinguish the real from the fake right away.

It wasn't long before Officer Jenny returned from her investigation. Records of Lin Jiu's recent appearances in the town were gathered.

"He first appeared in a village near Twinleaf Town and then took a train from Oreburgh City to Eterna City. His intention was the two orbs! But as for his background..." 

Cynthia pondered over the information as she looked at it.

At that moment, Officer Jenny brought another crucial piece of information: "There's a final record showing that he took a train heading toward Pastoria City."

...

Lin Jiu knew that shortly after his departure, he would inevitably be investigated and wanted. He had deliberately left traces for Officer Jenny. The Red Chain plan still required the last Red Chain, located in Team Galactic's secret factory, the Fuego Ironworks.

That place would undoubtedly be heavily guarded, making infiltration impossible for him. Therefore, he had to create another big commotion. The original plan was to have Officer Jenny and the League investigators investigate the Fuego Ironworks. Cynthia's appearance was an unexpected delight. Luring her to the Fuego Ironworks would significantly reduce Team Galactic's chances of successfully transferring the Red Chain.

As for how to lure her there? He believed that Professor Carolina, familiar with the Lustrous Orb, would find clues.

"Cynthia, wait before you set off. I've discovered that this fake Lustrous Orb is assembled. After disassembling it, I found a factory mark. It's from the Fuego Ironworks north of Pastoria City!" 

Professor Carolina didn't disappoint him.

"Weren't these two orbs supposed to have been made at the jewelry processing plant in Eterna City? Leaving this mark is a provocation!" Cynthia her anger growing.

"Garchomp~" 

The nearby Garchomp with an expression, "I told you that guy wasn't a good person!"

"Garchomp, I apologize for doubting you! Let's go catch that thief now!" 

Cynthia mounted Garchomp and flew toward Eterna Forest.

The Fuego Ironworks is located north of Pastoria City, on the west side of Eterna Forest. Therefore, there are two routes to the abandoned factory. Starting from Eterna City, the quickest route is through Eterna Forest.

However, Eterna Forest is not like the small forest before. Without Pokémon, Lin Jiu could only maneuver around the outskirts. Traversing Eterna Forest would be too dangerous. Thus, Lin Jiu had to head to the Fuego Ironworks from the farther Pastoria City.

Fortunately, the investigation into Lin Jiu's information took Cynthia some time. Lin Jiu arrived near the Fuego Ironworks ahead of her. He didn't get too close, lying in a dirt pit with a layer of grass over him.

Team Galactic had raised a large number of Golbat, some flying over the factory. These Pokémon had radar-like abilities, making it easy to be detected if he got too close.

====

[Main Mission: Expel the Twin Gods]

[Difficulty Level: LV.10 (First Tier Upper Limit)]

[Mission Overview: A "temporal rift" has appeared over Eterna Town. The two Pokémon, Dialga and Palkia, known as gods, have appeared simultaneously!]

[Mission Details: Expel the Twin Gods from Eterna Town by any means.]

[Mission Deadline: 20 natural days.]

[Mission Reward: Full activation of the Hunter identity. Title: [Pioneer].]

====

Lin Jiu had about two-thirds of the time left. The operations to seize the Adamant Orb and the Lustrous Orb had taken nearly a week.

The attributes of the Lustrous Orb were similar to those of the Adamant Orb, just with a change in properties.

====

[Lustrous Orb]

Origin: Pokémon, Sinnoh Region

Quality: Legendary

Type: Accessory

Durability: 63/100

Equipment Requirement: Palkia

Equipment Effect: Increases all attributes by 30 points (Enhances Dragon, Water, and Spatial skills by 20%)

Rating: 530 (Peak of Legendary Items)

Description: Do you see the radiance flowing over it? That is the power of the God of Space!

Note: Special mission items, cannot be sold, used, or taken out of this world. (Collecting related items will have a miraculous effect 2/3)

====

Lin Jiu lay in the dirt pit, his brow furrowed. What if Team Galactic couldn't handle Cynthia? How would he escape?

"No choice! I just have to hope Team Galactic is strong enough." 

Lin Jiu decided to take a gamble.

Before long, a strong oppressive feeling came from above, and the Golbat swarm started screeching chaotically. Lin Jiu understood that Cynthia had arrived overhead!

....

"Garchomp, Draco Meteor!" 

Cynthia, filled with anger, commanded Garchomp to unleash its ultimate move.

Meteors streaked across the sky, plummeting towards the Fuego Ironworks below. Lin Jiu, hiding outside, felt a chill in his heart—an angry woman was truly terrifying!

With a tremor and the sound of collapsing structures, half of the Fuego Ironworks crumbled instantly. Cynthia was unfazed; it was just an abandoned factory. Even if it weren't, she could afford to compensate for it!

"Another Draco Meteor!" 

Cynthia had Garchomp use Draco Meteor again, sensing something unusual about the abandoned factory.

"Completely ignoring the effects of Draco Meteor's aftermath... Could Cynthia's Garchomp have the Defiant ability? Does Garchomp even have that ability?" 

Lin Jiu pondered.

"Purugly, use Slash!"

"Toxicroak, use Rock Smash!"

As some meteors were about to hit certain structures, Team Galactic couldn't sit still any longer. Saturn and Mars directed their Pokémon to shatter the meteors heading their way.