Pokémon: Virus Evolution

Johto, Gold's home region, was considered one of the safest territories under the Pokémon League's jurisdiction.

Though this wasn't his first encounter with criminals, it was certainly the first time he had faced ones this ruthless.

Lyra's Scizor, assigned to protect Gold, was locked in battle with a Golbat unleashing Air Cutter. However, since Golbat was a true Flying-type, its aerial agility far surpassed that of Scizor, putting the latter at a disadvantage in movement.

Golbat arced through the air, nimbly dodging Scizor's Razor Wind. Its gaping, black void of a mouth quivered, preparing to unleash a Supersonic attack to disorient its opponent.

Just then, a sudden crack split the air—a Thunder Wave struck Golbat dead-on, sending a jolt through its body. Paralysis seized it, nearly causing it to plummet from the sky.

Gold turned in surprise. The unexpected source of the attack was a tiny Shinx...

He recognized it instantly. It was one of the Pokémon they had just rescued, though this one appeared noticeably smaller than a typical Shinx.

These Pokémon had been imprisoned for so long that most were barely able to move, let alone fight. The fact that this little one still had the strength to battle was astonishing.

But that didn't matter right now—an extra ally was always welcome. Gold pushed aside his thoughts and continued giving battle commands.

Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of cold swept through Sector A. The air temperature plummeted, and frost quickly formed along the walls and floor.

"Haa~" Gold exhaled, watching his breath turn to mist. A sinking feeling took hold in his chest.

[Seviper host eliminated. Core vitality increased by 10 points.]

As expected, Lucius quickly received the system notification.

After unleashing Venomous Plague, he wasted no time. He abandoned the Seviper's body and immediately transferred into a Nuzleaf nearby.

At that moment, the Nuzleaf was also succumbing to the effects of Venomous Plague.

[Analysis of Croagunk's 'Anticipation' Ability complete. Virus evolution progress increased by 10%. New ability unlocked: 'Anticipation'.]

The infection process was complete, but Lucius didn't bother examining his newly acquired power. He activated Venomous Plague once again before exiting the Croagunk's body and darting toward Gold.

A game protagonist… I'm coming for you…

If Lucius had a human face, he'd undoubtedly be wearing the expression of a man laying eyes on an unrivaled beauty for the first time.

He had nearly reached Gold—just one meter away—when suddenly, the air temperature plunged. As a virus-based entity, Lucius felt his entire being freeze in place, his movement slowing to a crawl.

"What the hell is going on…?"

...

"Inspector Peyton, we've arrived at the Dahl Metal Cerulean Branch." The officer at the wheel announced.

"Good. Split into three teams—one to secure the entrance, one for aerial surveillance, and one for a tactical breach." Sitting in the back seat, Peyton issued his orders with unwavering composure.

"Tch. I thought this was going to be a simple job, but it's turning out to be a real pain," Interpol agent Oliver grumbled beside him, shaking his head.

Peyton remained silent, quietly brooding.

Originally, he had come here intending to investigate a single case of Pokémon abuse, based on a tip from a doctor friend. He had only planned to bring a small, trusted team to discreetly locate a missing Treecko. But before they even arrived, he received a call from headquarters—an anonymous tip had reported an entire Pokémon smuggling ring operating out of an abandoned metal factory in the southern outskirts.

Smuggling Pokémon as part of an organized crime ring was on a completely different level from a single case of abuse. This was a serious offense—one that required immediate and forceful intervention.

"Report: A group of Pokémon and a girl spotted near the factory's back entrance."

A voice crackled through the radio.

A girl? With Pokémon?

Peyton considered the information for a moment before giving his orders.

"Send someone to make contact. Confirm their identity and wait for my arrival."

"Understood."

"Finally… we made it out." Lyra gasped for breath, glancing back anxiously toward the passage they had escaped from.

Had this base still been in active operation, they would have been caught by the patrol units outside long ago.

"Treecko!"

A green blur suddenly landed in front of her.

"Treecko? What are you doing here?" Lyra exclaimed in shock.

It was the same Treecko she had encountered by the stream earlier.

"Treecko! Treecko!"

With Togetic absent, the Pokémon gestured wildly, trying to communicate its message. After some effort, Lyra finally understood.

The Treecko had followed them secretly, worried that they might run into trouble. While sneaking in, it had discovered another group of imprisoned Pokémon in Sector B—ones that hadn't been rescued yet.

Now, it wanted to go back and help Gold free them.

Lyra hesitated for a moment before responding, "Take the Pokémon we rescued and get them to safety first. I'll go back and help Gold."

Treecko started to protest, but a sudden screech from above made them both look up.

A Pidgeot was descending toward them, its powerful wings beating against the cold air. Around its neck hung an official police badge, and on its back rode a uniformed officer.

"Hello, I'm from the Cerulean—"

"It was me! I made the call!" Lyra interrupted before the officer could finish. She quickly explained the situation.

Understanding the gravity of the case, the officer immediately relayed the details to his superiors.

"Team One, escort the girl and the rescued Pokémon to safety. Team Two, prepare for breach."

Peyton issued the command without hesitation after receiving the update.

"A smuggling ring preparing to abandon its base… Looks like you'll be making quite a name for yourself, Inspector Peyton," Oliver remarked with a smirk.

"Credit isn't what matters here," Peyton replied coolly. "Rescuing these Pokémon and putting those criminals behind bars—that's what's important."

Despite his words, he couldn't shake the growing sense of unease.

That Treecko… It must have escaped from here originally.

So why had it returned?

If it had already gotten away once, it had no reason to come back.

This needed to end quickly—every second wasted meant a lower chance of finding that Treecko again.

The police vehicles reached the factory entrance. Peyton stepped out and approached Lyra, who was now surrounded by the rescued Pokémon. He was about to ask her a few questions when his sharp eyes caught sight of something—

A certain green Pokémon, standing at her side.

He maintained his composure. "Did you rescue all of these Pokémon yourself?"

"Yeah. They were all locked up in the smugglers' cages. Officer, you need to go in now—my friend is still inside!" Lyra urged him, too anxious to give a detailed account of which Pokémon had escaped on their own and which had been freed.

"I see. You did well. Our team has already gone in, so don't worry." Peyton offered a reassuring nod, but inwardly, he was disappointed.

So it wasn't the same Treecko after all.

He had no way of knowing that the very Pokémon he was searching for had already returned to the facility.

"I can't just wait around—I have to go back in!" Lyra declared, determined. Seeing that the rescued Pokémon were now under police protection, she turned and ran back toward the passage.

"Hey—!" Peyton tried to stop her, but it was too late.

She dashed into the factory, Treecko and Bayleef right behind her.

"Kids these days sure are something else, huh? Hahaha…" Oliver chuckled at the sight.

Then, suddenly—his laughter stopped.

His expression shifted. His gaze locked onto the entrance.

"What is it?" Peyton asked, noticing his change in demeanor.

Oliver didn't answer. Instead, he threw a black-and-gold Luxury Ball.

A massive, towering Dragonite—over 2.5 meters tall—materialized before them.

"Dragonite, Hyper Beam."

-----

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