Pokémon: Virus Evolution

These corporate conglomerates wield immense financial power, exerting considerable influence across entire regions.

For instance, Silph Co. in the Kanto region, Devon Corporation in Hoenn, and Macro Cosmos in Galar—these corporations and organizations are formidable, sometimes rivaling even the Pokémon League in local influence.

Against this backdrop, it's hardly surprising that the Syndicate possesses armed helicopters.

After all, in the original series, didn't Team Rocket's trio (or rather, duo plus a talking Meowth) frequently employ giant mechas?

"Mr. Tyler, hello. I am the new person in charge here—Dolores."

A tall woman with golden hair and gray eyes approached, exuding an air of cold elegance.

She was a stunning blonde, seemingly not yet twenty, but with the added height of high heels, she stood at least 1.8 meters tall. Dressed in a standard office lady suit, she carried a mature and sophisticated aura.

"Dolores?" Tyler Jorron's eyes lit up. "I heard rumors that the 'Ice Queen' Dolores, who once placed second in the Vertress Conference, had joined the Syndicate. I didn't expect it to be true."

The Vertress Conference?

Wasn't that the Pokémon League tournament held in the Unova region?

Lucius vaguely remembered that in the original anime, Ash and his friends had traveled through Unova, honing their skills before participating in the Vertress Conference, where Ash reached the quarterfinals.

A former runner-up of the Vertress Conference? Now this was interesting…

Lucius had already infected and assimilated several humans, including individuals like Nanwu and Tyler, who were well-versed in the intricacies of society.

From their memories, Lucius had begun to grasp some of the deeper "rules" underlying this real-world Pokémon universe.

Just like the Vertress Conference and the Silver Conference, the annual League tournaments in various regions were all directly hosted by the Pokémon League. While their official purpose was to foster the growth of rookie trainers, their real goal was to scout and recruit fresh talent for the League.

Gym Leaders served as the primary enforcers of this policy. By assessing a challenger's strength, they selected Pokémon of appropriate levels to test and guide them, all while recording their battle tendencies for the League's database.

Through long-term observation of these young trainers, the League built a talent pool, steering them toward suitable careers—whether as police officers, archaeologists, or Pokémon researchers.

Take Gary Oak, for example. His journey and training allowed him to discover his true calling, leading him to become a Pokémon researcher and potentially inherit his grandfather, Professor Oak's, private research lab.

However, there was an even more subtle objective behind the League's policies: they were subtly shaping each new generation of trainers to see the League as the ultimate authority and legitimate ruling body, solidifying its power for years to come.

With each generation of trainers raised under the League's guidance, the organization would naturally receive immense long-term returns—an investment that would yield benefits for decades.

Of course, this was only one facet of the League's expansion strategy. Beneath the surface, many more unspoken measures were in play.

For example, the Pokédex, which rookie trainers received for free, was essentially a massive data collection tool.

By leveraging trainers from all over the world, the League could compile and refine Pokémon information, track the distribution and behaviors of wild Pokémon populations, study different breeding techniques, gather plant data, uncover ancient ruins, and even enable real-time tracking—all to secure the most comprehensive and up-to-date data for the League's benefit.

Another example was the League's official monopoly on Poké Ball production and sales, restricting private manufacturing and distribution. This was because League-sanctioned Poké Balls had built-in "backdoors."

This was precisely why many Pokémon smugglers or criminal organizations avoided using Poké Balls when trafficking Pokémon. Instead, they resorted to cages and transported them by truck.

Of course, some powerful corporations and organizations had the means to produce their own Poké Balls.

Given this context, the Vertress Conference—one of the League's largest and most publicized events—naturally attracted attention from various factions. Achieving second place in such a tournament was an excellent way to bolster one's résumé, but it also made one a prime target for observation by the League and other organizations.

For someone like that to join a Pokémon smuggling syndicate? There had to be more to the story…

"Mr. Tyler, let's set aside trivial matters for now," Dolores spoke in a cool, direct tone. "Due to certain complications at our base yesterday, we won't be able to fulfill this order on schedule. The Syndicate will provide appropriate compensation to your company."

Tyler chuckled. "I appreciate your straightforwardness, Miss Dolores, but since we made the trip here, we can't just leave empty-handed, can we? Surely, you must have something for us."

Come on, did she really think the underworld worked on goodwill alone?

Dolores was silent for a moment, a cold glint flashing through her eyes before she spoke. "Very well, Mr. Tyler, please follow me."

After giving some instructions to her subordinates, she led Tyler Jorron into the hidden underground base beneath the factory.

Some Syndicate members considered advising them to wear gas masks upon entry, but given the commanding presence of both individuals, they ultimately refrained from speaking up.

Lucius was curious about their conversation and detached a portion of himself from the Whirlipede he had been inhabiting, preparing to infect Dolores.

A separate fragment of himself remained within Tyler's subordinates, steadily assimilating them, while the main body left the Whirlipede and floated toward Dolores.

However, the moment he got within half a meter of her, Lucius felt the surrounding space become thick and viscous, as if an invisible barrier was blocking his path. Pushing forward became increasingly difficult.

What was this?

Lucius attempted to approach from different angles multiple times. Each time, as soon as he got within half a meter, it felt like he was crashing into a field of unset amber—unable to break through. It was as if an invisible, egg-shaped protective shield enveloped her.

This woman… was not ordinary.

By now, the two had entered the base, where some Syndicate members were busy spraying disinfectant gases throughout the area.

Lucius ceased his attempts and instead re-entered Tyler's body.

It didn't matter where he listened from—he would get the same information either way.

"Haha, Miss Dolores, what could be so secretive that we had to come here to discuss it?" Tyler asked with a smirk.

He recognized this office—it belonged to one of the base's top commanders, Captain Mike.

"This is a matter of great importance, so discretion is necessary," Dolores replied bluntly. "The Syndicate has obtained a confirmed lead on an ancient ruin, and we wish to invite you to collaborate on its excavation."

"Oh? An ancient ruin?" Tyler's eyes flickered with interest before he suddenly chuckled. "Since your organization already has a solid lead, why not claim it for yourselves? Why seek a partnership with us?"

"Heh. While we have thoroughly verified the lead, this is Kanto—not Unova. Otherwise, we wouldn't need external collaborators," Dolores replied, lips curving into a faint smile. "Others may not know the full extent of Houston Corporation's operations, but we do."

Ignoring Tyler's slightly surprised expression, Dolores continued, "Given Team Rocket's methods, even if I hadn't approached you today, your organization would eventually interfere. Am I wrong… Captain Red Spider?"

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