"It seems your Pokémon aren't all they're cracked up to be," Feng Che said coldly to the stunned Kumanokawa.
In the courtyard, Greninja and Incineroar worked in tandem, their swift strikes and water-shrouded movements quickly extinguishing the fires that had ravaged the lounge.
"Father! Are you all right?" Yuan Na cried, rushing to support Yuan Xiong.
The older man coughed, leaning heavily on his daughter. "We were blind, Na," he rasped, staring at Feng Che with a mix of awe and suspicion. "I don't know exactly how he took down Magmortar so fast, but that wasn't the strength of a Gym Leader. That was a true Heavenly King. I felt the pressure of his aura the moment that Magmortar collapsed."
"Curse you! Staraptor, use Air Slash!" Kumanokawa roared, releasing a second Pokémon. He scrambled onto the bird's back, desperate to retreat. "You'll pay for this!"
"Greninja, Blizzard!"
A howling gale of ice and snow surged toward the fleeing bird. The Staraptor beat its wings frantically, barely dodging the frozen shards, and disappeared into the horizon.
"Don't chase him, Leader Feng Che," Yuan Xiong called out, his voice weary. "It would only bring more trouble. With the League, the Temple, and now the Bounty Hunters' Guild allied against us... the Gardenia family is finished." He lowered his head, a single tear tracing a path through the soot on his face.
"Don't speak of the end until the final moment," Feng Che replied. "After a fire, the next bloom is always the most brilliant."
Feng Che closed his eyes, and a soft, emerald-green radiance erupted from his body. As the light washed over the scorched earth of the garden, blackened stems turned vibrant green, buds burst forth, and within seconds, the courtyard was once again a sea of blooming flowers.
"That... that's the Power of the Green Leaf!" Yuan Xiong gasped, his eyes widening in shock. "That power only manifests in the direct bloodline of our family. Who are you? Why do you possess our legacy?"
"I am a member of this clan," Feng Che said, his voice steady. "If I'm not mistaken, I am the son of your missing sister, Yuan Jia. I am your nephew."
The Proof of Blood
The courtyard fell silent. "Nephew?" Yuan Xiong whispered, his heart racing. If this was true, the Gardenias finally had a powerhouse to protect them. But caution was his nature. "Do you have proof?"
"Is my power not enough?" Feng Che countered. "Only our bloodline can wield it. Furthermore..." He handed over the medical report. "This DNA test shows a 99.6% genetic match between us."
"99.6%?" Yuan Na blinked, her expression dazed. "Why not 99.9%?"
"If it were 99.9%, he'd be my secret son, you silly girl!" Yuan Xiong snapped, though his eyes were softening. He turned back to Feng Che. "To be absolutely certain, I need another test. And then... I must ask our Guardian to judge."
Feng Che nodded and allowed Yuan Xiong to take a fresh hair sample. An hour later, the results were identical: 99.6%.
"The science is there," Yuan Xiong said, his voice trembling. "But I will let Shaymin decide. She is the final arbiter of our bloodline."
"But isn't the Guardian in a deep sleep?" Yuan Na asked.
"She is in a half-slumber," Xiong explained. "Our final trump card. If enemies invade, she will use her strongest Seed Flare. But since the Gracidea flower fields were destroyed in the rebellion twenty years ago, she hasn't been able to take her Sky Form. Without the Green Leaf Orb or the flowers, her energy is dwindling. That's why she sleeps."
The Hidden Realm
They ascended a series of hidden stone steps to a massive inner courtyard containing a stone statue of Shaymin.
"The Guardian lives in a sub-dimension. The Green Leaf Power is the key." Yuan Xiong channeled his energy into the statue, and a swirling green portal manifested.
Feng Che stepped through into a world of endless blossoms. However, in the center of the floral paradise was a jagged scar of black, barren earth—the site of the original Gracidea field.
There, curled in a small ball, was Shaymin.
Yuan Xiong picked up the white, hedgehog-like Pokémon and infused it with his energy. Shaymin's body glowed faintly, and after a moment, she opened her large, sleepy eyes.
"Yuan Xiong..." a soft, melodic voice echoed in their minds. "It isn't doomsday yet. Why have you awakened me? Every moment I spend awake drains the power I need to defend this home."
"Lady Shaymin, I ask you to judge this man," Yuan Xiong said respectfully. "Is he of Yuan Jia's blood?"
Shaymin let out a long yawn, her pink head-flowers quivering. She drifted toward Feng Che, sniffing the air around him.
"He is indeed of her line," Shaymin murmured. "I can feel the resonance of her soul in his power. It is stronger than yours, Yuan Xiong..." She yawned again. "Now, do not wake me again until the Gracidea flowers return. Otherwise, I will not be able to fight when the walls fall..."
Shaymin started to curl back into a ball, but suddenly, her nose twitched. A strange, miraculous fragrance had just filled the air, snapping her wide awake.
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