Pokémon: Virus Evolution

Although Pokémon possess intelligence, they ultimately cannot surpass humans. Only Leader-level Pokémon and above can engage in fully independent combat and execute tasks with complete flexibility. Under normal circumstances, human trainers directing their Pokémon is the optimal strategy.

Commanding Pokémon in battle is an art, testing not only a trainer's wisdom and skill but also the Pokémon's ability to execute commands and react accordingly. Of course, trust and synergy between the trainer and their Pokémon are equally vital.

Standard battles are mostly one-on-one. A two-on-two match already demands significant tactical coordination, as trainers must calculate numerous factors, such as type matchups and move combinations.

For trainers like Gold and Lyra, who had only been on their journey for just over a year yet could simultaneously command three Pokémon, they were already considered prodigies.

However, even for them, facing an onslaught of over twenty Pokémon at once was proving overwhelming.

"Nuzleaf, use Bullet Seed!"

"Bayleef, block it! Misdreavus, use Confuse Ray on Seviper!"

The bullet-like seeds and razor-sharp leaves collided in midair, exploding into scattered fragments.

Suddenly, the elusive Misdreavus materialized in front of the advancing Seviper, its eyes gleaming with a dazzling array of colors.

"Ssssshh!" Seviper's body jolted violently and began to roll uncontrollably on the ground.

Its over two-meter-long body twisted like a knotted rope, involuntarily spewing clouds of venomous mist from its mouth.

"Nice!" Gold's eyes lit up. "Togetic, use Fairy Wind!"

The small, egg-like Togetic chirped in understanding, summoning a pink gust of wind that carried the purple poison mist toward the passageway.

Area A was a semi-enclosed space, meaning certain moves couldn't be used recklessly, such as Earthquake, Smog, or Toxic, as they could harm allies or damage valuable cargo.

However, the now-confused Seviper obviously had no such concerns.

The area was already filled with thick smoke from fires, and now the addition of the purple toxic mist and pink Fairy Wind created a chaotic swirl of colors that made it nearly impossible to see, let alone breathe. The battlefield had descended into utter turmoil.

Some of the enemy team members, who were equipped with gas masks, were able to endure better, but most of the Pokémon were affected—especially those caught in the Fairy Wind, as it severely irritated their eyes.

"Damn it!" Sina cursed as the toxic-laden Fairy Wind blew toward him. "Croagunk, use Vacuum Wave!"

The blue-violet Poison/Fighting-type Pokémon, which bore a rather eerie expression, took a stance reminiscent of firing a Kamehameha. Letting out a guttural cry, it unleashed a powerful swirling wave, instantly dispersing the Fairy Wind.

"Nicely done!" Sina smirked smugly, glancing at his teammates with a look of satisfaction.

A Croagunk that could use Vacuum Wave was a rarity, as it was an inherited move.

"Tch." Gold clicked his tongue in frustration. He had intended to use this strategy to force their opponents away from the passage, but now he needed a new plan.

With Exbo (Quilava) and Aibo (Aipom) already locked in battle, and Togebo focused on protecting him, the only viable option left was for Lyra's Scizor to break through the enemy ranks with its superior speed.

As Gold strategized his next move, Lucius let out a sigh.

Ah, my dear young friend, even though you helped me complete my mission, in a situation like this, I have no choice but to assist the protagonist team. My apologies.

Sina couldn't hear the microscopic organisms within him, but he suddenly felt an intense pain in his abdomen, followed by a numbing sensation spreading to his brain.

His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.

His teammates gasped in shock as he faded into unconsciousness, his last thought flashing through his mind: I should never have taken off my gas mask...

[Infected Host Sina has died. Primary host's total vitality increased by 10 points.]

The ten-point vitality boost was trivial. More importantly, one side consisted of Pokémon smugglers who tormented innocent creatures, while the other was the protagonist team blessed with fate's favor. Lucius knew exactly where his allegiance lay.

Croagunk, having just dispersed the toxic mist, turned around to see its trainer collapse, lifeless. Stunned, it remained frozen in place.

"Hey, quit messing around!" Croagunk nudged its fallen trainer with its socket-like fingers, expecting him to leap up and start cursing as usual.

"Perfect timing!" Gold didn't waste a second. Seizing Lyra by the wrist, he dashed toward the passage.

"Quilava (Exbo) and Togetic (Togepo), clear the way! Aipom and Bayleef, guide the rescued Pokémon! Misdreavus and Scizor, hold off the enemy!" Gold shouted commands as he ran.

"Stop them!" The Area A supervisor, who had been fending off Bayleef's ranged attacks, was now stomping his feet in frustration.

Sina's death had left Croagunk in deep grief, rendering it unable to react in time. Meanwhile, two replacement Syndicate members who were rushing in to reinforce their team were blocked by Togetic's Ancient Power.

Thanks to their Pokémon's well-coordinated teamwork, Gold and Lyra quickly secured the passageway, guiding the rescued Pokémon through.

But they hadn't forgotten their true objective. Instead of escaping themselves, they remained at the entrance, continuing to direct the liberated Pokémon.

No wonder they're the protagonists.

Lucius smirked in admiration. He had now split his viral army into two groups—one infiltrating Croagunk, the other spreading into Seviper.

As Gold and Lyra watched the Pokémon flee into the passage, they remained on high alert. Nearly half of the captured Pokémon were still trapped in Area A.

The Syndicate members they had fought earlier were only a fraction of the enemy forces. The majority were still focused on suppressing the escaping cargo.

"What do we do now?" Lyra turned to Gold.

"You take them and escape first. I'll rescue the remaining Pokémon," Gold said firmly.

"But I can't just leave you!" Lyra protested.

"Don't worry, the police should be arriving soon. You go meet up with them and bring reinforcements. I just need to hold out and make sure they don't take these Pokémon away before then." Gold gave a reassuring smile, displaying wisdom beyond his years.

Lyra hesitated for a moment, but quickly nodded, taking the freed Pokémon and making a run for it.

Though reluctant, she knew Gold was right. Saving some first was better than losing all. The rest could be secured once the police arrived.

Before leaving, she ordered Misdreavus and Scizor to stay behind and protect Gold.

Heh, we meet again, little snake.

This was the same Seviper that had previously been infected. Lucius wasted no time, immediately activating the Venomous Plague ability.

As a Poison-type, Seviper had high resistance to venom. Lucius' skill could only drain 15 HP per second, but since Seviper was still in a confused frenzy, no one noticed anything amiss.

Meanwhile, due to his enhanced ability to infect Poison-types, Lucius had already spread to half of Croagunk's body.

At the passage's exit, multiple Air Slash attacks sliced through the air toward Gold.

Scizor darted forward, using X-Scissor to block them.

"That was close." Cold sweat dripped from Gold's forehead. If those Air Slashes hit me, I'd be sliced to pieces.

"These bastards... Do they really dare to kill?"

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