Hmm, as expected, Team Rocket, which has been operating in Kanto for many years, is indeed professional.
Lucius scanned the area. The Pokémon here were clearly categorized—some were supplied to the Silph Co. Game Corner, others were distributed to Team Rocket members across different regions, and some were provided to corporate partners.
Among them, there were two further distinctions: those that had already undergone brainwashing and those that had not.
Pokémon are highly intelligent creatures. The smarter ones can fully comprehend human speech, and powerful Pokémon grow even more intelligent over time.
When humans capture Pokémon, the strength of their bond determines their cooperation and synergy.
If the relationship is poor, a Pokémon might perform half-heartedly or even refuse to obey altogether.
In extreme cases, if the bond is too weak or the trainer is too incompetent, the Pokémon might even abandon them—just like Ash's stubborn Snivy, who once left its previous trainer.
Most trainers focus on raising a few select Pokémon, investing significant time and effort into their training. Take Ash Ketchum, for example—Pokémon that weren't a priority for him were often left at Professor Oak's lab.
However, corporations like Houston operate differently. They possess an overwhelming number of Pokémon, making it impossible to nurture individual bonds or provide specialized training. Instead, they resort to the most crude and direct method—
Brainwashing.
Through forced indoctrination, they imprint absolute obedience into these Pokémon, ensuring they abandon fear and risk their lives for Team Rocket.
Of course, Team Rocket isn't the only organization using this technique…
Lucius observed his surroundings. Compared to the Syndicate's facilities, the Pokémon here were treated considerably better, likely to ensure they maintained peak physical condition for future missions. There was no physical abuse, nor were they starved.
Even though it was already nighttime, the brainwashing process continued. Pokémon were continually being led into the brainwashing chamber, and after a short while, they emerged with vacant, lifeless eyes.
Even if these Pokémon were rescued, their intelligence would be severely diminished. However, as combat tools, they would still serve their purpose.
"How are those Rattata coming along?" A steady male voice echoed from an office adjacent to the brainwashing chamber.
"Rest assured, Lord Archer, everything has been prepared exactly as you instructed. Heh heh." A greasy, sycophantic voice responded.
"Good. Remember, this operation is of utmost importance. There can be no mistakes."
Archer?
Upon hearing that name, Lucius immediately recalled the handsome blue-haired man from the original games.
Could it really be him?
Lucius silently drifted into the office with the air.
Inside, a scruffy old man in a white lab coat was eagerly reporting to a sharply dressed blue-haired man.
Hahaha, so it really is you—Archer, the leader of Team Rocket's Four Generals.
Unlike ordinary Team Rocket members, who wore black uniforms with a red "R" on the chest, Archer's attire was silver-white, with a fist-sized "R" embroidered on his left chest.
This signified his status as a high-ranking Team Rocket executive.
Lucius had a vivid impression of Archer from the original games—not just because of his striking appearance but also because he was the mastermind behind the takeover of Goldenrod City's Radio Tower and the de facto leader of Team Rocket after Giovanni's disappearance.
Heh heh, originally, I only planned to use Houston's Pokémon reserves to experiment with the virus. But now that I've run into you, I won't hold back.
If Lucius could take down such a high-ranking Team Rocket official, combined with Ophelia from Silph Co., there would be no more secrets left in Team Rocket before him…
Why didn't I think of this before? Building an organization doesn't mean I have to recruit people one by one—I can just acquire and merge existing ones.
Without hesitation, Lucius commanded his massive virus swarm, led by the Emperor Strain, to surge toward Archer.
Bang! Lucius' advance was abruptly halted.
To his surprise, Archer was surrounded by a thin layer of energy. This energy barrier was invisible to the naked eye, only noticeable upon contact.
It was the same type of protection as the one surrounding Dolores. When the virus struck it, it felt as though it had plunged into dense, viscous sludge, making forward movement nearly impossible.
Heh, so Dolores isn't the only one with this kind of protection in the world. But unlike before, I, Lucius, have long since evolved beyond my former self—I am no longer powerless.
Active Skill: "Penetration."
Lucius' virus swarm formed a sharp, conical shape, gleaming with an imperceptible golden light. As it drilled into the energy barrier, ripples spread outward, resembling an electric drill boring into solid crystal.
It worked.
Lucius quickly noticed that by aligning the virus swarm into a spearhead, it was successfully piercing through the energy barrier.
The progress was slow, but it was relentless…
Unaware of the invasion, Archer remained focused on receiving his report.
Of course, infiltrating the protective barrier came at a cost. The virus was being continuously consumed, and Lucius' life force was depleting at a rate of 5 HP per second—an effect of the barrier's defensive counterforce.
Soon, most of the virus had broken through. However, his total HP had already dropped below 300.
Lucius didn't stop. If he halted now, all prior efforts would be wasted.
As someone who valued survival above all else, Lucius had set a personal safety threshold—if his HP ever dropped below 100, he would immediately cease all actions. No matter the circumstances, staying alive was the priority.
But for now, there was still a buffer.
He continued activating "Penetration" while keeping track of his progress.
Over 200 left…
Down to 150… The virus was nearing Apollo's skin. Lucius could already taste victory—
Pop—
Like a needle puncturing leather. Like an air bubble surfacing in the ocean.
The delicate yet firm energy membrane was finally breached. At that moment, Lucius felt an overwhelming lightness, as if he had broken free from invisible chains.
"Archer, you are the most troublesome host I've encountered so far…"
No need for more words—begin the invasion.
Billions of viruses surged into Archer's nasal cavity, flowing down his trachea and invading his body. The lively, pulsating red blood cells found Lucius—now barely above 100 HP—an irresistible feast.
But that was only temporary.
As his HP quickly recovered, the virus swarm surged once more, completely overwhelming the host's body.
Despite using his full power to infect Archer, this time, Lucius deliberately suppressed the mutation rate of the viral transformation.
Turning Archer into a mere mutated combat tool would be an absolute waste. Even if the fusion rate was high, he'd be nothing more than a slightly stronger mutant.
But as the highest-ranking of Team Rocket's Four Generals, Archer held immense power, controlled vast resources, and possessed countless classified secrets. If Lucius took control of him, all of those resources would become his to command.
How many test subjects could he obtain? How many subordinates could he acquire?
Archer was far too valuable as a host. Mental control would be the primary method of subjugation, while his physical form must be kept as normal as possible—no visible abnormalities.
Avoid suspicion from the rest of Team Rocket—especially Giovanni.
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