Chapter 104: Wild Pokémon

Arbok flicked its crimson tongue, coiling up to ensnare Dolores. However, just as it was about to strike, a chilling gust of wind swept over it.

As a cold-blooded Pokémon, Arbok despised such icy sensations—it made it feel sluggish, almost drowsy.

Its eyes flickered with electric sparks, glowing with an eerie, mystical light.

Glare.

Scanning the room, its gaze landed on a shadowy figure crouched in the farthest corner.

Realizing its hiding spot had been exposed to the massive purple serpent, the shadow trembled before transforming into a cold wind that spiraled toward Arbok.

Dark energy surged around the serpent's body as it prepared to unleash a Dark-type move against the ghostly presence.

But the shadow was one step ahead. A soft pink mist—imbued with Fairy energy—spread out, seeping into Arbok's dark aura.

Although the mist didn't inflict any direct damage, it successfully nullified Arbok's Dark Pulse.

"That's enough, Arbok. Return," Ariana called out. At her command, Arbok slithered back to her side.

"You're pretty capable for a young girl," Ariana remarked casually, stroking the cold scales of her Pokémon.

Dolores didn't reply. Instead, she gave a subtle command through her pheromones, signaling Froslass to fade into the shadows once more.

This Froslass was one of the three Leader-tier Pokémon left to her by her father, Marshal. In the past, their relationship had been distant—while the Froslass remained bound by Marshal's dying command to protect her, it never truly obeyed Dolores's orders.

But everything changed a few days ago when Veronica's infection spread to Froslass. Now, with a fusion rate exceeding 95%, Dolores could finally control it completely.

It was thanks to her newfound authority over all three of her father's top-tier Pokémon that she now possessed strength comparable to an Elite Four candidate.

This brief skirmish had merely been a test—after all, both sides had their own hidden agendas. It was only natural to gauge each other's strength before making their next move.

...

Later that night.

After an intense session of "training," Lucius and Jasmine lay side by side on the bed, their bodies relaxing.

Jasmine traced slow circles on Lucius's chest with her delicate fingers, blinking up at him with playful curiosity. "Be honest—where did you learn that new technique?"

"…." Could I tell her it was a habit from my past life?

Seeing Lucius speechless, Jasmine propped herself up with one hand, completely unfazed as the sheets slipped down. She gave him a skeptical, slightly pouty look. "You didn't do something behind my back, did you?"

Lucius quickly pulled her into his arms, speaking gently. "How could I? Besides you, I don't even look at other women."

Jasmine gave a soft hum of acknowledgment, saying nothing more, but the pleased expression on her face gave away her amusement.

From Lucius's experience, girls loved hearing these kinds of words—whether true or not, saying them was always the right move.

Besides, whether Volkner looked or not… what did that have to do with me, Lucius?

"You're heading to the Berlitz Manor tonight?" Jasmine asked softly.

"Yeah," Lucius nodded. "If I want to compete for a spot in the Kanto Elite Four, I need the Berlitz family's backing."

"I've heard that the Berlitz heiress is… quite close to you," Jasmine murmured.

"…" Lucius immediately sensed the conversation heading in a dangerous direction. He quickly explained, "The Berlitz family has extensive businesses in Sunyshore City and has invested in my Lakefront Tower project—it's strictly a business partnership."

Jasmine didn't press further. She simply nestled against his chest, content to stay there in silence.

Lucius exhaled in relief.

Truthfully, Volkner had only secured the Berlitz family's support because of the heiress herself.

Originally, their relationship had been purely business—the Berlitz family was just an investor in the Lakefront Tower project.

But a year ago, Platina Berlitz left home to travel and train, challenging Gym Leaders to earn League Badges.

After facing off against Volkner in Sunyshore Gym, she had become one of his most devoted fans. Thanks to her, Volkner's ties with the Berlitz Corporation deepened significantly.

...

Since Jasmine, as a Gym Leader, couldn't be away for too long, she returned to Johto after spending some time with Lucius.

That evening, Lucius attended a meeting at the Berlitz Manor. After negotiating with the estate's head representatives, he successfully secured their support within the Pokémon League.

According to the original timeline, Volkner was supposed to fail his attempt at becoming a Kanto Elite Four member. Otherwise, two years later, when Ash challenged Sinnoh's Sunyshore Gym, Volkner wouldn't have still been the Gym Leader.

But with Lucius's intervention, events would no longer unfold as they once had.

If Volkner managed to secure a position among Kanto's Elite Four, it would be a major boost for Hive's expansion efforts.

During this time, Lucius also noticed a curious development—Vermilion City had begun secretly deploying virus detection scanners across various establishments.

To avoid being exposed, Lucius discreetly purchased a Ditto.

This Ditto wasn't infected with any virus—it was simply a contingency plan. If necessary, he could have Ditto transform into him to bypass the detectors.

Once his preparations were complete, Lucius feigned exhaustion and excused himself from Volkner's team, returning to his hotel.

There, he remotely monitored the movements of Team Rocket and the Syndicate.

Earlier that day, Andreas and Onando had finalized their plans, issuing orders for both organizations to mobilize.

On Team Rocket's side, Ariana led a squad of over seventy operatives. Some members, including Sham, had already infiltrated the target site in advance.

Meanwhile, the Syndicate—led by Dolores—disguised themselves as Onando Research personnel and Blackwater Mercenaries, totaling over 120 members.

The target was located north of Route 4, west of Cerulean City.

This location bordered Mt. Moon, but unlike the barren, rocky terrain of the mountain, this area was covered in dense vegetation. As they moved further north, the rocky landscape gradually became more prominent, and the wild Pokémon grew stronger—some of them even evolved into Rhyperior.

And this wasn't just the case in Kanto—the entire world was the same.

Every region had vast, untamed wilderness beyond the cities built by humans. These wild lands served as sanctuaries for Pokémon, filled with incredibly powerful creatures.

For humans, exploring these territories was extremely dangerous.

Even the Pokémon League can only send rangers and similar personnel to oversee and maintain these uncharted lands.

As the massive excavation equipment of Team Rocket rumbled into the forest, the once-tranquil atmosphere was shattered, drawing the attention of numerous wild Pokémon.

Unlike Pokémon raised by trainers, most wild Pokémon harbor a deeper hostility toward humans—especially when their territory is invaded. The moment they detect an intruder, they rush out to defend their domain.

This is precisely when Team Rocket and Syndicate operatives are needed.

After driving back multiple swarms of Beedrill and groups of Raticate, they encountered their biggest challenge of the day: an ambush by a herd of Rhyhorn.

Fortunately, the leader of the herd, a Rhyperior, had not yet reached a true leader-level threat and was swiftly dealt with by Ariana and Dolores. Otherwise, the casualties would have been severe.

Even so, the enraged Rhyhorn managed to destroy one of the excavation machines.

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