"Milady, it's bad! The pilot says we're being swarmed by a flock of Staraptor!" the maid cried out, her face pale with terror.
"Staraptor? Our exterior is treated with high-grade Repel spray. Why would they attack a moving aircraft?" Yuan Na frowned, her mind racing. She quickly cut the call with her father. "Father, I have an emergency. I have to go—we're heading for Floaroma Town. Don't worry!"
She rushed to the cockpit. Outside the reinforced glass, dozens of predatory birds were diving at the hull. These weren't normal Staraptor; their talons looked like serrated steel, and the red patterns on their crests glowed with an unnatural intensity.
"Miss Yuan Na, the engines are failing!" the pilot yelled, struggling with the yoke. "If this keeps up, we're going to lose altitude. There's nothing but jagged cliffs below us—we'll be torn to pieces!"
A Father's Despair
Back at the Gardenia Estate, Yuan Xiong stood before a portrait of the previous Clan Head, his expression haggard. Though only in his forties, streaks of white dominated his hair from years of stress.
"Father... you've been missing for so long," he whispered. "I still haven't found my sister, Yuan Jia, nor the Green Leaf Orb. Now, even Shaymin has fallen into a death-like slumber. The Flowery Gardens are wilting. At this rate, the legacy we've built for generations will vanish within three months."
He looked toward the window. "And now the Temple is moving openly. They want the Orb to awaken Arceus, but at what cost to us?"
High-Altitude Interception
On the jet, the cabin doors suddenly hissed open. A violent torrent of wind screamed into the plane, tossing the staff aside.
"Go! Corviknight! Aerodactyl!"
Feng Che threw two Poké Balls into the gale. The steel-clad raven and the prehistoric predator soared into the sky, their roars echoing over the engine's whine.
"What's he doing?! He opened the door!" Yuan Na shouted.
"Master Feng Che... he just jumped toward the opening and released two giants!" the maid stammered.
Feng Che stood at the edge of the threshold, his coat snapping in the wind. Mewtwo, what's the read?
These Pokémon are being controlled by high-frequency flute signals, Mewtwo's voice resonated in his mind. I sense the Temple's signature nearby.
Controlled by sound? Then let's drown them out. Feng Che directed a telepathic command: Aerodactyl, Boomburst!
Aerodactyl opened its maw, releasing a concussive wall of sound. The sonic ripples visible in the thin air slammed into the lead Staraptor, shattering their formation and breaking the flute's hypnotic hold. Several birds spiraled downward, disoriented.
One particularly large Staraptor, sporting a mysterious metallic band on its leg, ignored the sound and ignited into a Brave Bird charge aimed directly at Corviknight.
"Corviknight, Quick Attack!"
The Raven Knight became a silver blur, meeting the Staraptor head-on. The sheer kinetic force of Corviknight's armored bulk sent the attacker flying.
"Finish it. Air Slash!"
Corviknight beat its wings, launching crescent-shaped blades of pressurized air. The Staraptor was stripped of its feathers and sent plummeting into the abyss. Meanwhile, Aerodactyl summoned a massive boulder, shattered it with a roar, and used the fragments as a Rock Blast to clear the remaining swarm.
The Evidence
As the plane stabilized, Feng Che stepped back inside and tossed a metallic leg band to Yuan Na. "Found this on the leader. This wasn't a wild animal attack; it was an assassination attempt."
Yuan Na caught the ring, her knuckles whitening. "The Temple... this is their mark. They've been eyeing our Orb for years, but to attack a civilian flight... they must be desperate to kidnap me as leverage."
She turned to Feng Che and bowed deeply. "Thank you. On behalf of the entire crew, you saved our lives. I promise, I will do everything in my power to help your Rowlet."
The Estate and the Secret
Three hours later, the jet touched down at the private airfield near Floaroma Town. Yuan Xiong was already waiting, rushing forward to embrace his daughter.
"Father, this is Mr. Feng Che, the Viridian Gym Leader," Yuan Na introduced. "The Temple tried to bring us down. If he hadn't risked his life to intercept them, we wouldn't be standing here."
Yuan Xiong's face darkened. "The Pope is getting bold. We aren't safe here—come." He turned to an elderly butler. "Fuchang, take Mr. Feng Che to the guest wing. I need a private word with my daughter."
Once they were alone, Xiong's voice dropped to a panicked whisper. "The Flowery Gardens are dying, Na. I've had to restrict public access. If we don't find the Green Leaf Orb, everything withers in sixty days."
"Father, there's a chance," Yuan Na said. "I want to take Feng Che to see Grandpa Kumamoto. He has a Rowlet with a sleeping disorder I've never seen. Maybe the Grandmaster can help."
Xiong sighed. "The old man is in the East Wing... but he's slipping. Dementia has taken hold. He spends all day waiting for your Aunt Yuan Jia to return. You can take him there, but don't stay long—the stress makes his condition worse."
While waiting in the guest lounge, Feng Che paced the room. His eyes landed on a large oil painting on the far wall. It depicted a beautiful young woman with golden hair, holding a small, green, hedgehog-like Pokémon.
That woman... and that's a Shaymin, Feng Che thought. Is this the missing Aunt?