The news that the "Steel General" had been captured by the "lowly" Garden family hit the Hunter Guild like a thunderbolt. In the war room of Hunter Island, Dragon General Kai-Oh slammed his fist onto the table, his face twisted in fury.
"The Garden family? Preposterous! The Federation must have used them as a front for a specialized ambush. Julian was a fool; he let his greed for that Heatran lead him straight into a cage."
Kai-Oh's eyes narrowed. "I'm worried Julian might break. If the Federation finds our coordinates, the Guild is finished. Tell the other Generals to return to the island immediately. And allocate our top-tier resources to our strongest Quasi-Elites—whomever breaks through to the Elite rank first will inherit Julian's seat."
The Federation's Reward
At the Global Federation HQ, a stylish young woman with pink hair named Julie rushed into the office of Chairman Sōma.
"Chairman! Excellent news! General Julian of the Hunter Guild has been captured in Sinnoh by a Gym Leader named Feng Che!"
The elderly Sōma, looking like a sage in his white robes, laughed heartily. "I was just about to issue the global warrants, and the best of them falls into our lap. Since a major Mythical Rift is opening soon, give this Gym Leader a slot in the exploration team."
"Sir, that slot is usually reserved for Elites," Julie cautioned. "The others will be furious."
"You're right," Sōma mused. "Fine. Announce a global hunt for the remaining six Generals. Whoever contributes the most gets the slot. As for Feng Che, let him choose one Legendary-tier resource from our vault as a direct reward for Julian's capture."
The Final Half-Month
News of the Garden family's "hidden strength" spread through Sinnoh like a virus. Clans that had been eyeing the Garden's wealth suddenly withdrew their forces.
"Uncle, the world is watching us now," Yuan Xiong said, beaming with pride.
"We stay low," Feng Che replied calmly. "We let Celestic Town take the spotlight as the military power, while we tighten our grip on the economy. We are the 'Sinnoh Lords' in all but name."
He tapped his finger on his chair. "I will drive the Temple into the abyss, and they will never climb out. Once they, Team Galactic, and the traitorous clans are gone, Sinnoh will belong to us."
The next fifteen days passed in a blur of activity. The Federation's Elites took Julian into custody and, thanks to Mewtwo's mental tampering, "accidentally" discovered the coordinates for Hunter Island.
Meanwhile, Feng Che had already sent a dossier on Team Magma to Giovanni, securing a month-long leave of absence from the Viridian Gym.
In Celestic Town, the preparations were complete. The Garden family had shipped enough medical supplies to last for a three-year siege. A massive Life Garden had been established in the town's caves, allowing injured Pokémon to recover their stamina almost instantly.
The day had finally arrived. In the main stadium of the Sinnoh League, Cynthia stepped onto the trainer's platform. Standing opposite her was the first of the Elite Four: the Bug-type Master, Aaron.