"This is our Dragon Stone."
"If you aren't of the Dragon Tamer clan's bloodline, its color won't change."
Shaga spoke meaningfully as he gripped a Poké Ball tightly.
If the Dragon Stone showed no abnormal reaction, he would strike at once and kill Feng Che on the spot. He would never allow an outsider to stand above the Dragon Tamer clan.
Following Shaga's instructions, Feng Che cut his finger.
Blood flowed from the wound and dripped onto the Dragon Stone.
The instant it touched the stone, dazzling light burst forth.
The Dragon Stone first turned silver.
Then, in the blink of an eye, it became gold.
At the same time, waves of dragon roars echoed through the hall.
"Your bloodline is actually this pure?"
"You really are from the direct line of the Dragon Tamer clan. Just who are you?"
Shaga looked at Feng Che with open wariness.
His gaze remained fixed on him, trying to see through his identity.
"Lord Shaga, something's wrong! The Second Elder has brought a large force and is charging toward the Dragon Temple!"
A guard rushed in anxiously.
"What exactly is the Second Elder trying to do?"
Shaga's face darkened.
He strode out of the Dragon Temple and saw Dragon Tamer clan members surrounding it from all sides.
"Second Elder, are you attempting a coup?"
The words forced themselves out through clenched teeth.
The Second Elder sat steadily atop a Druddigon, looking less like a man staging a rebellion and more like someone out for a leisurely outing.
He looked at Shaga lazily.
"Clan Leader Shaga, your branch has held the position of clan leader long enough."
"That's right. I came here today precisely to force the issue."
"I believe I'm far more suitable to lead the Dragon Tamer clan."
The Second Elder spoke unhurriedly.
"I know your elite forces have been sent away on a secret mission."
"You kept it hidden because you were afraid I'd seize power."
"So I'll stop hiding it."
"Yes, I'm here to seize power."
"Shaga, you're far too conservative. Under your leadership, the Dragon Tamer clan has hidden away in this corner of the world."
"Once, our clan was powerful. Now we can only cower here."
"You've been clan leader for twenty years, yet the clan has achieved nothing."
"In fact, we've only declined further."
"I want to restore the glory of our ancestors."
"I want the Dragon Tamer clan to become strong once again."
"The man beside you is Vio, isn't he?"
"As long as I remove the two of you, the Dragon Tamer clan will belong to me."
The Second Elder laughed smugly.
At that moment, Poison Dragon stepped forward.
His venomous gaze locked onto Feng Che.
"Vio, hand over all your Dragon-type Pokémon."
"I'll leave you an intact corpse."
"Oh, and the method you use to rapidly heal Dragon-type Pokémon as well."
"No wonder I could never beat you."
"You old bastard were already one of the clan's strongest twenty years ago."
"Is bullying the younger generation really that enjoyable?"
Just then, the sky filled with the sound of countless Dragon-type Pokémon beating their wings.
The Grand Elder arrived with reinforcements and surrounded the Second Elder's forces.
"Vio, don't worry!"
"I've brought many clansmen with me. The Second Elder's people are completely surrounded!"
The Grand Elder's powerful voice rang out.
The certainty shown by both the Grand Elder and the Second Elder left even Shaga suspicious of the person standing beside him.
"You should take off that mask already, Vio."
"Is fooling me really that amusing?"
Shaga said coldly.
"Who's looking for me?"
A booming voice sounded nearby.
Riding on the back of a Hydreigon, Vio descended from the sky.
"Vio is over there. Then who exactly is standing beside Shaga?"
For the first time, the Second Elder lost his composure.
"You're asking me? I'd like to know too."
"I also want to know who that mysterious person beside Shaga is."
"Shaga, I only entered the ancestral grounds because of the emergency."
"I didn't break my oath. I never set foot inside."
"I flew in."
Vio hurriedly explained.
In truth, he already knew Feng Che's identity.
What puzzled him was why Feng Che appeared to be a member of the Dragon Tamer clan.
Shaga's face darkened.
He waved a hand.
"Now isn't the time to argue about that."
A wave of exhaustion washed over him.
At that moment, Feng Che sensed Zekrom's aura above the Dragon Temple.
Besides Zekrom, he also sensed the aura of another Legendary Pokémon—Reshiram.
"So both the black and white dragons are waiting above the Dragon Temple."
Feng Che slowly removed his mask, revealing his handsome features.
"You?!"
Both the Second Elder and Shaga stared in disbelief.
Wasn't this Feng Che, the new Dragon-type Elite Four member recently assigned by the Pokémon League?
"Kid, I don't know what trick you used to make the Dragon Stone give a false response."
"But for the sake of the Pokémon League and the Unova League, leave immediately and I won't pursue the matter of you deceiving the Dragon Tamer clan."
"Otherwise, Lord Zekrom and Lord Reshiram will not let you off."
Shaga suppressed his anger as he spoke.
"He can't leave!"
"He made fools of us!"
Poison Dragon shouted.
The Second Elder nodded from the side.
"That's right. The Dragon Festival is no joke."
"If anyone can trample on it and walk away unharmed, then the Dragon Tamer clan's reputation will be ground into the dirt."
His expression turned grim.
"Even a Dragon-type Elite Four member must be punished for wrongdoing."
"Latias, Latios, this man harbors ill intentions."
"Drive him out."
The Second Elder called into the surrounding air.
Latias and Latios immediately ended their invisibility and revealed themselves.
Latias was a Dragon-type Pokémon whose appearance resembled a bird.
Its body was sleek and streamlined, covered in feathers that shone like colored glass.
The lower half of its body was red, with wings resembling jet aircraft wings and feet like fins.
A blue triangular marking sat on its chest.
Its red-and-white forelimbs could retract into its body during high-speed flight.
The upper half of its body was white.
Latias had a red face, triangular ears, and a white pentagonal marking on its forehead.
Latios was likewise a Dragon-type Pokémon with a birdlike appearance.
Its body was streamlined and aerodynamic.
The lower half of its body was blue, with wings resembling jet aircraft wings and feet like fins.
A red triangular marking adorned its chest.
When it folded its wings, Latios could fly faster than a jet aircraft.
Its blue-and-white forelimbs could retract into its body.
The upper half of its body was white, and triangular ears rose from its head.
Its face was white, bearing a white pentagonal marking in the center.
Latios was badly injured.
A wound pierced straight through one of its wings.