"Marissa, Marissa..." Mateo lay on the back of his Charizard, flying low across the streets, scanning every corner for his sister. Shards of glass, still clinging to his jacket from the earlier explosions, were the last thing on his mind.
The streets had completely fallen into chaos. Many humans and Pokémon alike had transformed into drooling, mutated monsters. They attacked and bit anything in sight, and those bitten would quickly undergo the same grotesque transformation, becoming part of the infected horde.
Mateo had seen it with his own eyes. The shop owner next door was bitten on the thigh by a mutated Ariados. Within twenty minutes, the man was convulsing, sprouting spines all over his body, his skull splitting open to reveal four glistening eyes...
"Marissa, please... don't run into those things." Mateo prayed silently, though he knew the chances were slim. The hole in their wall and her absence from the room made survival all but impossible.
"Gyaaah~"
A harsh caw echoed ahead, making Charizard halt mid-air.
"..." Under the dim night sky, it took Mateo a few seconds to recognize the creature — a Honchkrow.
Or rather, what was once a Honchkrow.
Its glossy black feathers were stained crimson. Its wings, once wide and proud, were now riddled with bite marks and gaping holes. The hat-like crest on its head was gone, leaving its exposed brain throbbing under the moonlight. Its remaining eye glowed blood red.
Mateo swallowed hard, feeling his blood turn cold.
How could this thing still be alive, let alone flying, in such a state?
"Gyaaah..." The Honchkrow screeched again, flapping its mangled wings and lunging toward them.
"Dodge it!" Mateo's command barely left his mouth before Charizard veered to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.
"Don't fight it." He knew Charizard was exhausted. They had spent the entire day crafting jewelry and fending off monsters. With him on its back, there was no guarantee they could win this fight.
Charizard shared his thoughts, beating its wings to escape.
But the Honchkrow wouldn't let them go. It spread its beak wide, letting out a piercing cry. Its wings shimmered with dark energy as it pursued them with newfound speed — the move Pursuit.
Realizing they couldn't outrun it, Charizard spun mid-air, launching a stream of orange flames straight into the Honchkrow.
"Gyaaah!" The scorched Honchkrow shrieked but didn't fall. Instead, it rammed into Charizard, its razor-sharp beak piercing deep into the dragon's stomach.
"Charizard!" Tears welled in Mateo's eyes as Charizard staggered, its body sinking toward the ground.
He knew. Charizard had used its body to shield him. If it had turned its shoulder instead, the tough scales would have deflected the blow.
Above them, the Honchkrow flailed in the air, engulfed in flames, crashing down like a fiery comet.
Charizard landed heavily, its breath labored.
"We need to get to a hospital..." Mateo slid off its back, voice trembling. Right now, finding Marissa had to wait.
Charizard shook its head, nudging him toward its saddle.
"No, you're hurt! If we don't... if you..." Mateo couldn't finish. He knew what would happen to those bitten by the infected.
Charizard grabbed him, placing him back onto its back. It flapped its wings, heading toward the base of the mountain.
There, the islanders were gathering—those who hadn't been infected—banding together to fight back. Charizard had to get Mateo there before it lost control of itself.
Meanwhile, Lucius had returned to the Nanyl Island base. As he expected, news of the Rocket agents on Sunburst Island going dark had already spread.
"What the hell is going on?" Nanli growled, glaring at the footage Sham had sent.
According to the intel, the outbreak had begun over three hours ago — around the same time they had been sailing back from Mandarin Island.
One by one, every operative sent to capture the Crystal Onix had vanished.
"Lord Archer, what do you think?" Nanli struggled to wrap his head around what he was seeing.
Monsters that could infect both humans and Pokémon? It was beyond terrifying...
"Our agents were likely attacked by these creatures," Lucius mused. "Tell Sham to locate any surviving operatives. If possible, capture one of the infected Pokémon alive. A force capable of mutating both humans and Pokémon — that's exactly the kind of power Team Rocket needs."
Nanli's mouth opened slightly in shock. He had expected an immediate retreat order, not a command to capture something so dangerous.
Lucius barely spared him a glance. Whether Sham succeeded or not was irrelevant. If she died, so be it. But if she managed to bring one back, it would serve Team Rocket's research perfectly.
After all, as long as the virus was derived from Veronica's strain, it would always remain under the Emperor Strain's control.
"What about the other agents?" Nanli asked cautiously. He had trained many of them himself—scumbags, yes, but still his men.
"The island's situation is already beyond saving. Even if we sent more men, they wouldn't be able to turn the tide." Lucius's voice was cold. "Sham is already there. Trust her."
Nanli sighed, preparing the report for headquarters. He knew the truth — if Lucius, a future Elite Four, refused to step in, then no one at the base could make a difference.
Remote control. That was Lucius's preferred method.
According to his sensors, over 1,300 humans and Pokémon on Sunburst Island had been infected. Seventeen had achieved fusion rates above 60%, with one reaching over 80%.
What surprised him was how quickly the islanders had organized a defense. They had gathered at the mountain's old fortifications, creating a perimeter the infected couldn't breach.
There had to be a strong leader rallying them.
The proof was in the numbers. Nearly 2,000 mutants had emerged at the start, but within the last hour, over 600 had been eliminated.
Someone was fighting back.
Someone dangerous.
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