The administrative speed and defense capabilities of Mandarin Island were indeed much stronger than those of Sunburst Island—such was the difference between a scenic tourist destination selling souvenirs and a commercial hub.
Lucius remotely sensed the infected beings under his control. He had planted fewer than ten infected hosts in the commercial district of Mandarin Island. Initially, the infection had spread to over thirty individuals, but now only two remained—aside from one mutant with a fusion rate exceeding 90%.
Judging from their emotional feedback, they were both in a state of imminent danger, likely being hunted down.
Hmm... it seems the people of this world are reacting faster than I anticipated.
Lucius analyzed the situation in silence. The mutants on Mandarin Island—aside from the highly intelligent one—would likely be eliminated soon. Meanwhile, Sunburst Island was down to just over 1,200 mutants, with no further increase in numbers.
This indicated that most susceptible islanders had already been infected, while the remaining survivors had been gathered and protected.
I underestimated this world after all.
Lucius's judgment had been clouded by the influence of Resident Evil, forgetting the crucial differences between the two worlds.
The Resident Evil universe extended from a realistic modern society where most people were ordinary humans. Heavy weapons and large-scale destructive devices were strictly controlled by governments. Against zombies, ordinary civilians could only defend themselves with firearms—an uneven fight that often ended in rapid collapse.
But the Pokémon world was different. Even if Lucius's mutants were far stronger than mindless, slow-moving zombies, they were still weak against Pokémon.
A ten-year-old child could command a Charmeleon to incinerate them with Flamethrower—let alone veteran trainers wielding Leader-class or King-class Pokémon.
Once humans overcame the initial panic, they quickly organized an effective defense.
Sunburst Island was proof of that.
Originally, Lucius had planned to use the island's nearly ten thousand inhabitants for experimentation—potentially creating up to forty thousand test subjects if their Pokémon were also infected.
However, the results showed that human mutants couldn't withstand the assault of powerful trainers.
Time to shift targets...
Lucius glanced at his system interface. He had infected over two thousand beings—both humans and Pokémon—raising his level to Lv. 5*. His viral analysis had also unlocked several abilities:
Iron Eater: Grants infected Steel-type hosts the ability to consume metal to alter their body structure and increase body density. (Derived from analyzing an Aron with the Heavy Metal Ability.)
Protean Morph: Allows infected hosts to alter their physical form by manipulating tissue structure and hormone secretion. (Derived from analyzing a Kecleon with the Protean Ability.)
Shared Vision: Allows Lucius to share the vision of any infected host. (Derived from analyzing a Skorupi with the Keen Eye Ability.)
Lucius found these abilities particularly interesting. The first could be applied to Pokémon, while the second would work well on human hosts.
He tossed a Poké Ball, releasing a Magneton into the air. Its screws and magnets rotated slowly as it hovered.
Lucius stared at it for a long moment.
Can viruses even infect something without flesh and blood?
He commanded the Magneton to remain still, then released a strand of the virus to envelop it.
A minute passed—no infection progress.
Lucius frowned. Activating the Pierce ability, the virus formed into a sharp drill and began boring into the Magneton's metallic body.
Even with the skill enhancement, the microscopic virus couldn't penetrate solid metal.
"Tch..."
Not all Steel-types were made of metal—but for now, this experiment would have to wait. The Rockets' breeding facilities would provide more test subjects later.
As for Protean Morph... better not test that one here. Wouldn't want to cause a panic.
Suddenly, Lucius received an alert. The number of mutants on Sunburst Island was dropping rapidly.
Had the islanders launched a counteroffensive?
He activated Shared Vision, linking to one of the surviving infected hosts.
Unlike his usual sensory connection, this ability allowed Lucius to directly see through the host's eyes.
The mutant was crawling low to the ground—disorienting at first.
Hiss...
Lucius involuntarily sucked in a breath.
Hundreds—perhaps thousands—of grotesque creatures sprawled across the earth. Many were twisted beyond recognition—some once human, others formerly Pokémon.
They surrounded a 50-meter-long perimeter wall entwined with thick, yellow-brown vines, emitting shrill screeches.
Flying-types—already mutated—circled overhead, launching frenzied attacks against the defensive barrier, only to be repelled again and again by the islanders' Pokémon.
Lucius sensed the presence of command pheromones—issued by a high-fusion mutant.
He traced the signal to its source.
The commander lay hidden in the treetops, quietly observing the battlefield.
What the hell...
Lucius's eyes narrowed. The commander wasn't human—it was a Pokémon.
A Vespiquen.
Its fusion rate had reached 75%.
Hahaha... no wonder.
Vespiquen was a hive-based Pokémon, naturally inclined to leadership. Ordinary colonies consisted of one queen and a swarm of Combee, with the queen acting as the sole commander.
This was innate talent—a perfect match for the virus's hierarchy.
While Lucius had been focused on Dragonite and Mandarin Island, the Vespiquen had orchestrated the entire siege on Sunburst Island.
A true genius... no, a genius Pokémon.
Lucius's mind raced. Given how quickly the League had responded on Mandarin Island, reinforcements would likely arrive on Sunburst Island soon—exterminating the remaining mutants.
Excluding the over-90% fusion mutant on Mandarin Island, only eleven high-fusion mutants remained on Sunburst Island—six of them human.
This was the extent of the experiment's harvest.
Lucius issued new orders: the six high-fusion human mutants would escort four mutated Pokémon away from the island, while Vespiquen would command the remaining lesser mutants to maintain the siege—sacrificing themselves as cannon fodder.
A diversion to cover the retreat.
...
"I'm scared, big brother."
Marissa clung to Mateo, her small face pale with fear.
Charizard had flown them to safety earlier—its body bearing grievous wounds. Before succumbing to the virus, it had used the last of its strength to carry them away—charging back into the horde of monsters.
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TL/N:
If my memory serves me right, his level should have been reset when evolving into Queen Ant Form.
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