In truth, the original task of establishing a ten-member organization wasn't particularly difficult. Even if high-fusion variants were required, it would have only taken ten infections with the Emperor Strain to accomplish it.
But what fun would that be? Besides, the system had already given hints.
His system was called the Virus Evolution System. And what was the condition for evolution? It was the mass consumption of genetic sequences from living beings, constantly filling in gaps and perfecting the virus genome.
Leveling up was the direct manifestation of the virus genome's gradual perfection and strengthening.
Lucius' method, though causing massive casualties, allowed him to complete the virus infection test, corrupt a King-tier Pokémon, and reach Lv5. He gained nearly ten new skills, with his total health skyrocketing to 7440—reaping a bountiful harvest.
As for those ten infected, they were the most inconspicuous gains of all.
"Beep beep beep..." Lucius' communicator signaled an incoming transmission.
"Archer." On the other end of the video call, a middle-aged man in an orange double-breasted suit had his eyes hidden in the shadows. "What's going on over there?"
Lucius knew Giovanni must have already received intelligence from Sunburst Island, so he didn't hide anything. He reported both the Crystal Onix mission and the missing Rocket Grunts.
"A monster capable of assimilating both humans and Pokémon..." Giovanni paused for two seconds. "That island must already be under complete lockdown by the Pokémon League. Go in secret and capture some of those monsters."
"Also, there's been an incident at the Houston Corporation." Giovanni paused again. "Let Ariana handle it. You focus on this mission first."
"Understood," Lucius replied.
An incident at Houston...
The video call ended, and he immediately began remote sensing.
Lucius suddenly realized he could no longer sense Tyler Jorron, the Houston branch manager. There was only one possibility—Tyler Jorron was dead.
It must have happened during the night. With his attention focused on the two islands, he had neglected the infected at Cerulean City far away.
Lucius shifted his sensing focus to Scott. Due to the distance, it took him a while to piece together the situation.
Heh... Let Ariana worry about that mess.
Lucius smirked inwardly. Like Archer, Ariana was one of Team Rocket's Four Executives, with near-Elite Four strength. She typically managed affairs in Kanto, but their ongoing rivalry meant they never got along.
As for Giovanni's order to capture those monsters, if this were the original Archer, he would have deployed a submarine to covertly approach Sunburst Island, leading his men to infiltrate through weak points in the League's blockade and excavate frozen creatures from the ice.
But he was Lucius—the Emperor Strain. There was no need for such theatrics. If Team Rocket needed samples so badly, he could infect a few random creatures and toss them their way.
Just then, the command room's door opened automatically, and two figures walked in.
One was Nanli. The other was Sham, the assistant who had applied to participate in the Crystal Onix capture and later sent back footage of the monster invasion.
She looked terrible—mentally exhausted, her delicate makeup smudged, with several wounds on the right side of her face.
"Sham, you're still alive—what a relief!" Lucius stepped forward, feigning concern so well it almost fooled himself.
"Reporting... Mission to capture Crystal Onix completed, but the monsters were not secured." Sham straightened her posture, pulling out a gray Poké Ball marked with the red "R" insignia.
Lucius recognized it—Team Rocket's custom ball with built-in hypnosis functions. More effective than the League's standard red-and-white Poké Balls, but with certain side effects.
"Crystal Onix?" For once, Lucius was genuinely surprised.
What an assistant. Not only had she survived an island overrun by mutants, but she'd also accomplished what he hadn't expected anyone to achieve.
"Well done." Lucius nodded heavily. "This Crystal Onix is of great significance to Team Rocket's research. To complete the mission under such harsh conditions... the entire organization is proud of you."
He praised Sham and promoted her two ranks before sternly instructing Nanli, "Take Sham for treatment immediately. I don't want to see her with a single injury left."
"Yes, sir!" Nanli responded loudly, escorting Sham away.
Lucius toyed with the gray Poké Ball, recalling the glimmer of suppressed excitement in Sham's eyes when she received his commendation.
Ah, the allure of power. No matter the true purpose, a simple directive would drive people to risk their lives.
They poured their hearts into missions, hoping for rewards from the organization.
This was the power of a syndicate—the upper ranks could manipulate others with the promise of benefits, while those below would work even harder to earn those rewards.
The organization grew stronger through its members' dedication and in turn nurtured them.
Of course, those at the top reaped the greatest benefits.
Lucius released the Crystal Onix.
"Aoo~"
The creature—long regarded as a legend—materialized before him. Its ten-meter-long body shimmered like translucent blue glass, each segment resembling a giant crystal carved by divine hands.
Fortunately, the command room was spacious enough not to feel cramped.
Perhaps due to the hypnosis ball's lingering effects, Crystal Onix's eyes were still clouded with confusion.
Its composition was unique, yet its strength seemed ordinary—not even reaching Elite-tier.
Why was it so special?
Lucius activated his communicator. "Nanli, I just received orders from the boss. I'm heading to Sunburst Island. You're in charge here."
"Understood, I'll prepare the submarine."
"No need," Lucius interrupted. "We're short on manpower. I'll go alone."
"But—"
"Have Sham contact me once she recovers." He ended the call.
There was no need for submarines. He intended to rendezvous with the infected—better not to be seen.
Recalling Crystal Onix into its ball, Lucius mounted Archer's Gyarados and flew toward Sunburst Island.
...
Ophelia drove to the Houston warehouse district. Today, Silph Co. representatives would arrive to finalize the last cargo handover.
But unlike previous days, the warehouse district's atmosphere felt off. Many workers wore uneasy expressions, moving sluggishly instead of their usual efficiency.
"Hello, I'm the Silph Co. logistics liaison. May I ask when today's work will begin?" Ophelia approached a wooden-faced Houston employee—none other than Scott, with whom she shared a special connection...
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