Heh, the Pokémon League has gathered six Champion-level leaders to assist Lugia in eliminating the virus.
However, the real reason Goodshow invited such powerful Trainers wasn't solely to aid the Mythical Pokémon. As a veteran figure in the League, he knew all too well the true nature of these legendary beings.
Bringing together some of the world's strongest Trainers was said to be for assisting Lugia, but in reality, it was also to ensure that the Mythical Pokémon wouldn't act recklessly.
Yet before this alliance could even begin, Lucius had already dismantled it from within.
Lucius was surprised to learn that Brandon had been sent by the League to assassinate Giovanni. Alongside Noland, he had engaged in a fierce battle against him. Although Giovanni managed to escape underground with his Pokémon, his Tyranitar and Nidoking were left severely injured.
These two battered, King-level Pokémon were now being held in a specially designed League prison.
This prison, built beneath Mt. Silver, was constructed with an extraordinarily rare material. It was specifically designed to contain Pokémon with leader-tier strength or higher—those who had actively opposed humanity and caused massive destruction in human settlements.
In fact, several malevolent Legendary Pokémon were secretly imprisoned there as well.
Hiss~ Isn't this the perfect place for Hive to expand its army? Looks like I'll have to pay a visit soon...
Although Lucius had yet to infect Noland, it didn't matter much. It wouldn't interfere with what he had planned next.
He immediately sent a command to Brandon, instructing him and Anabel to head to Sunburst Island in secret.
Deep within a cavern, Brandon's eyes snapped open, glinting with intensity.
So this is the will of the virus's source?
It felt calm, composed—not the frenzied, terrifying force that the League had imagined.
Brandon relayed this revelation to Anabel, who promptly used Teleport to transport them both to Sunburst Island.
Meanwhile, Lucius and Gardevoir set out toward the sea.
Catching sight of Gardevoir's reluctant expression, Lucius felt a twinge of guilt.
Sigh, I've turned a King-level Pokémon into my personal transportation...
Fortunately, Cherrygrove City was at the southernmost part of the Johto mainland, much closer than the Indigo Plateau where Brandon had been stationed.
In no time, Lucius and Gardevoir arrived above the open waters.
Since I'm here, why not stir up some more trouble? Brandon and Anabel will still take a while to arrive anyway.
Instead of heading directly to Sunburst Island, Lucius teleported to Pummelo Island—the heart of the Orange League.
Since it was late at night, the island was eerily quiet, with most residents sound asleep.
Lucius wasted no time and appeared directly outside the residential district near the Palace of Victory.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Drake jolted awake.
Glancing at his virus detector, he saw its red warning light flashing rapidly.
An infected individual had appeared nearby.
Since his Dragonite had been infected by the virus, Drake had become exceptionally sensitive to its presence.
Any trace of sleep vanished instantly.
He released his Gengar and commanded it to scout the area, while he quickly dressed and prepared for action.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Gengar had swept through the detector's entire range but found nothing.
How is this possible? No infected entities nearby?
Then why is the detector still going off?
Drake stood up, deciding to check the surroundings himself.
Suddenly, a flood of unfamiliar information poured into his mind—details about an organization called "Hive."
Drake stood frozen, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
At that moment, he understood why Gengar had found no infected targets.
Because the infected one… was him.
"..."
Drake looked at his reflection in the mirror. His appearance was unchanged, and his physique seemed even stronger than before.
Fwoosh!
A flicker of fire ignited in his palm, startling both himself and Gengar.
Taking two deep breaths, Drake steadied his nerves and summoned the flames again.
By the time Lucius returned to Sunburst Island, the League's offshore research facility was already fully operational. Scientists dressed like astronauts moved in and out, diligently conducting their work.
Several transport ships shuttled between the frozen island and the research base, ferrying experimental subjects needed for their studies.
Lucius could sense the hundreds of human and Pokémon test subjects inside the facility, enduring endless suffering from daily experiments.
You all ended up like this because of me. Once I finish what I need to do, I'll put an end to your pain.
Before long, the space in front of him blurred, and Brandon and Anabel appeared.
"Volkner… It really is you," Brandon said, his gaze complex.
Anabel had already informed him that Volkner was the current source of the virus—the leader of Hive—but only after seeing him with his own eyes did Brandon fully accept the truth.
"Brandon, welcome to Hive," Lucius greeted with a smile.
Brandon nodded. "Hive has shown me a new future—a future of order."
For someone like Brandon, who had held a high-ranking position for years, order was of utmost importance. After all, order served the strong—the rulers. If chaos erupted, the established hierarchy could collapse entirely.
As the saying went in an old television series, Game of Thrones: "Chaos is not a pit. Chaos is a ladder."
Only chaos could dismantle the existing order and create opportunities for those at the bottom. But to people like Brandon—those at the top—such opportunities were nothing more than threats.
This was precisely why influential families like the Hjelle family had gradually declined. With new talent rising constantly, the younger generation continued to challenge their authority.
Just like Anabel—an orphan with no known lineage—who had surpassed him before turning twenty.
So how could one guarantee that their status and power would never be challenged?
Strength was key, of course. But strength eventually faded, and even the most powerful Pokémon would grow old and weak.
Once Brandon understood this dilemma, he exhausted all means to find and control the legendary Regi Trio. His ultimate goal was to make them his servants and elevate himself from an Elite Four member to a Champion—becoming an irreplaceable pillar of the League.
But controlling Legendary Pokémon was no easy feat. His promise to the Regis was to help them free their sealed master, Regigigas. However, what would happen once Regigigas was unsealed?
Would the Regi Trio still obey him?
If they left, he would immediately fall back to the rank of an Elite Four member. And the gap in status between an Elite Four and a Champion was insurmountable.
Thus, when he was infected and realized the immense power of the Veronica Virus, he instantly resonated with its ideology. He willingly infected the Regi Trio, fully bringing them under his control.
Of course, he understood that the true controller was the virus's source.
But in any organization, the leader couldn't oversee everything personally.
And so, Brandon became the highest-ranking member beneath the source itself.
Once Hive's order was established as the new norm, he would forever remain in power.
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