"Zeraora, how are Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai doing lately?" Feng Che asked with a warm smile.
"They've grown quite a bit," Zeraora replied, looking at the cubs with pride. "Soon, they'll be able to live independently. Once that time comes, I plan to head to the Alola region to find my husband."
Zeraora's gaze turned distant. "He fell into a spatial rift while protecting me from Team Plasma's pursuit. His fate is unknown, but rumors say Alola is a gateway to other worlds. I have to look for him."
Feng Che placed a hand on the Mythical Pokémon's shoulder. "I'll go with you when the time comes. I've wanted to see those spatial rifts myself. I promise we'll find him together."
"Has there been any trouble at the nursery while I was gone? Any suspicious characters?" Feng Che asked, mindful of his growing list of enemies.
"None so far. It's been peaceful," Zeraora shook its head. Thanks to the unlimited supply of electric resources Feng Che provided, Zeraora had recovered its peak strength, reaching the pinnacle of the Quasi-Heavenly King level. One more breakthrough, and it would reach the true Heavenly King tier.
Satisfied, Feng Che vanished in a blur of Teleportation.
The Journey to Sinnoh
A second later, he appeared at Vermilion Harbor. His plan was simple: take a luxury cruise to Sunyshore City in Sinnoh, then fly to Eterna City. His final destination was Floaroma Town, the home of the Gardenia (Yuan) Family.
Sinnoh was governed by eight major powers: The Temple, the League, the Bounty Hunters' Guild, Celestic Town, the Pastoria Shrine, the Bertha Family, the Volkner Family, and the Gardenia Family.
At the apex stood the Temple, where the Pope was said to hear the oracles of Arceus himself. Ancient legends told of how Arceus bestowed the Jewel of Life upon the first Pope, Damos. However, after an ancient rebellion, the Jewel was shattered into five fragments—the Orbs—held by the five great families and shrines.
The Gardenia Family held the Green Leaf Orb, said to be carved from Arceus's Grass Plate. It gave them unparalleled skill in cultivating Grass-type Pokémon, rare Berries, and medicinal herbs. They were the primary food and medicine suppliers for the entire region.
In the original game lore, the Gardenia Family is eventually wiped out, Feng Che recalled. A black bird—the Sky Monster—burns their estate to ash with black flames. If the Priestess Shamiao falls into Damalanchi's trap at the Sevii Islands, the seal on the Sky Monster will break.
But I'm only here to solve Rowlet's sleeping problem. Whether the Gardenias survive or not... that's not my concern.
A Chance Encounter
While waiting for his ship at the harbor, Feng Che noticed a commotion. A green-haired girl was chasing a Purrloin that was sprinting away with a yellow handbag in its mouth.
"Purrloin! Stop! Give that back!" the girl cried, panting heavily.
The Gardenia family? Interesting, Feng Che thought. I was just heading there.
"Go, Sirfetch'd! Help her out!"
The white knight burst from its Poké Ball. With a precise thrust of its leek lance, Sirfetch'd sent a focused blast of air—a shockwave of pure martial intent—striking the Purrloin's leg. The feline Pokémon yelped as its limb went numb, tumbling to the pavement. The handbag flew open, spilling Poké Balls and medicinal herbs everywhere.
Faced with the intimidating, battle-hardened Sirfetch'd, the Purrloin tucked its tail and fled into the shadows.
"Are you all right?" Feng Che asked, helping the disheveled girl to her feet. He gathered her scattered belongings and handed them back. "Check and see if anything is missing."
"Thank you so much! My name is Yuan Na," she said, breathing a sigh of relief after checking her bag. "That Purrloin caught me off guard. There are very important items in here; losing them would have been a disaster."
"I'm Feng Che, the Viridian Gym Leader. I'm glad I could help."
He noticed the ticket in her hand. "Are you heading to Sinnoh as well? Since we're on the same ship, how about we grab a cold drink while we wait?"
Yuan Na smiled, smoothing her messy hair. "I'd like that."
Shadows in the Harbor
Watching from a distance, a middle-aged man in sunglasses grumbled, his eyes fixed on Feng Che with pure venom.
"Dammit... the Purrloin was seconds away from luring her into the ambush point," the man hissed. "That brat ruined everything."
He looked down as the Purrloin slunk back and climbed onto his shoulder. "Forget it. There will be other chances once we're at sea. As long as I kidnap Yuan Na, the Head of the Gardenia family will have no choice but to hand over the Green Leaf Orb."
He recalled the Purrloin and vanished into the crowd.