Chapter 91: Deployment
"Eliminate that Salamence."
Lucius tossed a Poké Ball, and a black-colored Gardevoir appeared before him.
With immense psychic power surging around it, Gardevoir soared into the air, flanking Salamence alongside Celebi, both executing a swift pincer attack.
Even though this Salamence had been enhanced by a Dark Ball and was a formidable leader-level Pokémon, it stood no chance against two supreme battlers. Within seconds, it was torn apart by an overwhelming psychic force, reduced to nothing more than a crimson mist.
As the lifeless Salamence fell, Celebi and Gardevoir descended, landing in front of Lucius.
Celebi's eyes remained vacant, still devoid of emotion. Though freed from Vicious' brainwashing, it was now under the control of the Emperor Strain.
Gardevoir, on the other hand, turned its head away, an unmistakable look of resentment in its eyes.
To a Pokémon of such extraordinary intelligence, being reduced from the ruler of the Crystal Cave to nothing more than a tool for Lucius was nothing short of humiliating.
Lucius could sense Gardevoir's emotions, but right now, it was an indispensable part of his arsenal. This was not the time for mercy.
Without hesitation, he ordered Gardevoir to use Teleport, returning to Team Rocket's base.
After Giovanni had left Saffron City following their last meeting, Archer was now the highest-ranking executive in the area.
"Sham, I'm heading out on a classified mission. The ruins exploration operation with Syndicate is now yours to oversee," Lucius instructed, turning to the silver-masked woman.
"Me?" Sham was visibly surprised. She knew that Ariana had already taken over this operation, and as Archer's assistant, stepping into another executive's domain was risky.
Among Team Rocket's high-ranking officers, it was considered taboo for one executive's direct subordinates to interfere with another's assignments.
Lucius gave a slight smile. "Before that, I have a gift for you."
He injected Sham with the newly evolved Veronica Virus.
After mutating from its Queen Ant Form into a complete version, the virus' infectious capabilities had dramatically increased. Moreover, Lucius, having personally refined it through the Emperor Strain, could now exert even greater control over its effects.
A flood of new information surged into Sham's mind. Her entire body shuddered as her bones cracked audibly, her skin tightening unnaturally.
"Ahh—!" Sham couldn't suppress a scream as she collapsed, convulsing on the floor.
Lucius made no effort to suppress the mutation. He merely observed in silence, evaluating the full effects of the perfected Veronica strain.
The transformation lasted nearly a minute. When the convulsions finally subsided, Sham lay on the ground, gasping for breath.
"This… I…"
She soon realized that all the wounds she had sustained while capturing the Crystal Onix a few days ago had completely healed. Not only that, but her body felt stronger, more resilient.
"Archer, this is…"
"This is my gift to you. It resides within your consciousness. You can extract it yourself."
Lucius had already implanted the knowledge of how to wield these newfound abilities directly into Sham's memory using pheromone signals. All she had to do was access it at will.
Sham remained silent, digesting the changes.
As expected, this version of the Veronica Virus was far superior to the one from Resident Evil.
Lucius continued his analysis. Unlike before, he had not suppressed the transformation, yet the virus had bonded seamlessly with Sham's human cells, enhancing her rather than turning her into a mindless monster.
Just like Flora.
This was understandable. The original Resident Evil version of the Veronica Virus had been incomplete—its effects were largely akin to the Queen Ant Form. However, Lucius' refined version was perfected. It strengthened its host based on their biological limits, vastly reducing the risk of catastrophic failure.
"Come out, Crobat."
With a flash of light, Archer's Crobat appeared before them.
"Crobat, assist Sham in completing the mission," Lucius commanded.
Crobat glanced at Sham, then nodded. As one of Archer's Pokémon, it understood the importance of Team Rocket's operations.
Sham accepted Crobat's Poké Ball. This was a leader-class Pokémon—an invaluable asset for the mission.
Since Ariana had taken charge of the operation with Syndicate, she had significantly altered the personnel roster, replacing many original team members with her own trusted subordinates.
If Sham was to succeed, she couldn't rely on Team Rocket's usual manpower. She would have to depend solely on her own Pokémon.
Of course, Ariana's decision made sense. Ruins exploration was a high-risk endeavor, and it was only natural that she would want people she trusted by her side.
"You know what to do," Lucius stated coolly. He had already transmitted the true mission details to Sham through pheromones.
"Understood, Archer." Sham nodded firmly. When it came to orders from Archer, she never hesitated.
With everything set in motion, Archer departed alongside Silver, boarding a plane bound for Unova.
...
Cerulean City Hospital.
The doctor's face was grim.
He had just been performing surgery on an injured Pokémon, but the poor creature had not survived the procedure.
Taking the towel that a Chansey handed him, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. This wasn't the first time, but no matter how often it happened, he could never get used to it.
Staring at the lifeless Pokémon before him, so small, so fragile, he couldn't help but wonder—was Pokémon battling truly necessary?
So many innocent creatures, once healthy and full of life, were now bloodied and broken, their bodies torn apart in the heat of battle. And for what? Just so their Trainers could bask in fleeting moments of victory and glory?
He turned toward the window, his mind drifting.
If only Peyton were still alive…
He thought of his late friend, Inspector Peyton, who had died in the recent police incident. That very day, Peyton had asked him to locate a Treecko with a unique biological compound in its body.
His research on Treecko's blood had since confirmed it—it contained an incredibly potent regenerative agent, capable of drastically accelerating cellular repair.
If they had found that Treecko sooner… perhaps…
Perhaps he could have developed a more effective medicine.
Perhaps more Pokémon could have been saved.
At that moment, a convoy of trucks pulled into the hospital's storage area.
A young man in a white lab coat entered the doctor's office, flashing his credentials.
"Doctor, good afternoon."
The doctor's gaze fell upon the identification card.
Westwood Research Institute…
His expression shifted instantly.
This man was one of Professor Westwood's people.
Professor Westwood was a globally renowned scientist, his reputation rivaling that of even Professor Oak.
The modern version of the Poké Ball was one of his inventions, and he was also one of the creators of the Pokémon League's standardized Pokédex system.
"Hello." Although he didn't understand why someone from Professor Westwood's team was here, he still responded politely.
"We're here under the League's orders to deliver a batch of supplies to the hospital and announce a new regulation," the young man explained with a slight smile.
The doctor nodded, though a hint of doubt flickered in his mind.
Supply distribution wasn't his concern, but shouldn't new League regulations be issued through official documents? Since when did they start sending people to deliver messages in person? Had the communication systems failed or something?
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