Pokémon: Virus Evolution

Above this level, Pokémon of the King and Legendary class become increasingly rare.

These Pokémon stand at the pinnacle of the world's power—such as Lance's Dragonite, Cynthia's Garchomp, and Brandon's legendary titans. Typically, they belong to the strongest Pokémon of Elite Four members or Champions.

Mythical Pokémon transcend even these categories, existing across history as singular entities—like Rayquaza, Ho-Oh, and Zekrom, each a one-of-a-kind existence in the world.

For Pokémon below the Leader tier, infection speed increases by 30%. This means that Lucius can exert an overwhelming infectious force on over 97% of all Pokémon worldwide. As for those above the Leader tier, they are not yet within the target range of a Level 3 Lucius.

Due to the multiple speed-enhancing effects, Lucius achieved a record-breaking infection time with a Whirlipede.

Interestingly, Whirlipede's body contained a significant amount of toxins—identical to those previously found in the Treecko host.

[Congratulations, Host. Parasitic Infection: 100% Completion. Evolution Status Updated.]

[Whirlipede's 'Poison Point' ability analyzed. Viral Evolution Progress: +10%. Evolution Point Gained.]

Evolution Point? Lucius examined the evolutionary path of the Progenitor Virus - Toxic Spikes Form in his consciousness and asked:

'System, aside from Toxic Spikes Form, are there any other evolutionary options?'

[Upon reaching Level 5, the viral core will unlock evolution branches.]

So that's how it works. Even if I don't evolve into Toxic Spikes Form now, I'll still have new choices at Level 5.

Toxic Spikes Form mainly enhances toxicity and increases effectiveness against Poison-type Pokémon, but at this stage, it doesn't seem particularly useful.

After all, the Venomous Plague's offensive power is already quite formidable, and there's no reason to only target Poison-type Pokémon. This evolutionary path seems too one-dimensional.

After some thought, Lucius decided not to use the Evolution Point just yet.

He would wait until Level 5 to see what new evolutionary branches were available.

Meanwhile, his parasitic Whirlipede remained oblivious to its impending doom, diligently assisting the organization's members in cleaning up Zone B.

As dawn began to break, the rumbling of engines echoed from outside.

Following the others, Whirlipede moved outside, where Lucius saw two large cargo trucks and several SUVs parked outside the base.

"Alright, it's time to deliver the goods." A refined man in a suit stepped out of an SUV and addressed the Syndicate members who had emerged.

"Uh… this…" The Syndicate members exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of how to respond.

Oh? This guy arrived at just the right moment.

Lucius split off a small portion of the virus from Whirlipede, sending it airborne toward the suited man's nasal cavity.

As he released this viral fragment, his core vitality dropped from 182 to 91. Meanwhile, a new branch appeared on the parasitic status panel.

As the virus entered the man's body, data slowly emerged on the branching panel.

The suited man frowned as he observed the silent Syndicate members. "Where's Mike?"

"Mr. Tyler, there was an incident at the base yesterday. The organization is handling it, so today's deal will have to be postponed for a few days." One of the Syndicate members forced himself to step forward and explain.

"Postponed?" Tyler scoffed. "Let Mike or Nanwu explain it to me themselves."

"Well…" The Syndicate member gritted his teeth. "Captain Mike and Captain Nanwu received urgent orders and were sent on a mission. A new representative will be here soon to take over. Please bear with us for two days."

Tyler narrowed his eyes, his cold gaze making the Syndicate members shudder.

Luckily, fate seemed to show them some mercy—rotor blades whirred above as the sound of a helicopter filled the sky.

Noticing the familiar insignia on the helicopter, the Syndicate members exhaled in relief.

The Vermilion City branch had arrived.

Unlike Cerulean City, Vermilion was the largest seaport city in Kanto. With its strategic maritime trade routes, it had rapidly developed into one of the most prosperous urban centers in the region. It was also Kanto's most direct link to the Syndicate's headquarters in Unova.

The Vermilion City branch was the Syndicate's highest authority in Kanto.

Upon receiving reports of Mike and Nanwu's consecutive deaths, the Vermilion branch immediately dispatched personnel via an armed helicopter, making an overnight journey to reach them.

At this moment, Lucius heard the system's response:

[Host: Parasitic Infection 100% Completion. Evolution Status Updated.]

New Host: Tyler Jorron.

Species: Human.

Type: Normal.

Ability: Keen Eye.

HP: 370 (270 Base + 100 Progenitor Virus Boost).

Attack: 11.

Defense: 9.

Special Attack: 1~2.

Special Defense: 7.

Speed: 11.

Occupation: Houston Corporation External Affairs Manager, Level 30 Pokémon Trainer, Team Rocket B-Rank Operative.

Skills: Proficiency in various Bug-type techniques, Advanced Potion Crafting, Berries Cultivation (Chesto Berry, etc.).

From the stats, it was clear that after being enhanced by the Level 3 Progenitor Virus, the physically frail Tyler Jorron now had superior physical attributes compared to the previously robust Mike.

The most intriguing revelation, however, was that this Houston Corporation employee was also a Team Rocket operative.

So this ties directly into the original series' factions?

Lucius suddenly felt an odd sense of alignment.

Team Rocket was, without a doubt, the most infamous villainous organization in the Pokémon series—thanks in no small part to its "true protagonists," the comedic trio.

Their signature introduction—"Prepare for trouble, and make it double!"—followed by their inevitable "We're blasting off again!" had been an unforgettable part of many childhoods.

Even after all these years, their antics remained iconic.

Tch, I had expected to run into Team Rocket at some point, but I never thought it would be during a covert trade deal.

But what exactly is the connection between Houston Corporation and Team Rocket…? (⊙_⊙)!

As Lucius pondered, he discreetly commanded the viral fragment to transfer from Tyler Jorron to his subordinates, continuing the chain of infection.

The mission to infect 20 individuals was nearing completion—every second counted for accumulating experience.

As the armed helicopter landed and stabilized, several sharp-dressed operatives in Syndicate's black uniforms disembarked.

Tch, the criminal underworld in this world is something else—they even use armed helicopters.

Lucius smirked to himself.

The world of Pokémon consisted of multiple landmasses and islands floating amidst vast oceans, each region forming its own distinct culture and history.

Due to the diverse climates and environments, Pokémon of the same species could exhibit different regional adaptations.

For example, Kanto's Vulpix was an orange Fire-type, while Alola's Vulpix was an icy-blue Ice-type—a perfect display of biodiversity.

Overall, these regions were governed by a unifying body known as the "Pokémon League."

However, the Pokémon League was not a centralized government. Each region operated autonomously, resembling a loose confederation similar to early America.

With no singular dominant authority, various powerful corporate entities flourished within the shadows of the regions.

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