With Veronica's current level of infection, an ordinary Pokémon would succumb within minutes, a King-tier Pokémon might take nearly half a day, and a Legendary Pokémon, due to its unique genetic structure, would require at least several hours.
Azelf, despite its evident physical and mental exhaustion, resisted fiercely in its consciousness. As a result, the infection process would likely take even longer.
Fortunately, Lucius wasn't in a hurry. Together with Brandon and Anabel, he waited in silence…
...
On Cinnabar Island.
Inside the Cinnabar Research Lab, fewer than ten researchers were still working overtime on experiments, while most of the staff had already gone home for the night.
Flint was idly playing on his phone.
"Hmph, that bastard Volkner has been in Kanto for days, and he hasn't even come to see me."
Flint grumbled in frustration.
Just then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed Dragonite inside the glass enclosure suddenly standing up and walking toward the glass wall.
"What's wrong? Hungry?" Flint asked casually.
Ever since Drake's Dragonite had been infected, its appetite had increased dramatically, requiring large quantities of food every day.
Dragonite shook its head and raised its massive right claw, a fierce flame erupting from it.
Flint's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately threw out a Poké Ball.
"Come out, Infernape!"
A muscular Infernape with flames flaring from its head materialized.
"Dragonite, if you need something, just say it. No need to get violent." Flint sighed.
If he could avoid it, he really didn't want to fight this Dragonite. It had already been a King-tier Pokémon before its mutation, and now it was undoubtedly far stronger than before.
With Lance called back to Indigo Plateau and Blaine away, Flint wasn't sure if he could handle the situation alone.
Internally, he cursed his luck. Since Dragonite had consistently displayed rationality and no hostility, both he, Lance, and even Blaine had let their guard down. They hadn't expected it to act out suddenly.
Dragonite shook its head again. Its eyes remained calm, showing no signs of madness, but it ignored Flint's words.
With a single Fire Punch, it struck the reinforced glass, instantly melting a gaping hole through it.
With a powerful flap of its wings, Dragonite shot out like a cannonball, escaping from the lab.
It was so fast that even Flint's Infernape couldn't react in time to stop it.
"Hey! Get back here!" Flint shouted, rushing outside, but Dragonite was already gone, disappearing into the night sky.
Panting, Flint pulled out his communicator.
"What?! Dragonite escaped?!" Blaine's furious voice boomed from the other end.
Flint winced at the volume. "Is my lab intact?!" Blaine demanded.
"Uh…" Flint turned to glance at the Cinnabar Research Lab and hesitated before responding. "It's fine. It just opened the door and left. Nothing's damaged…"
"That's a relief… We'll talk when I get back."
With that, Blaine hung up.
Flint sighed in exasperation and trudged back into the lab.
He was definitely getting an earful for letting the mutated Dragonite escape…
Dragonite soared through the sky at high speed, quickly realizing that its flight was significantly faster than before.
After so many days, the feeling of gliding freely through the sky was exhilarating.
Soon, it reached a familiar island, but instead of landing immediately, it descended a few miles offshore, touching down in the ocean.
"You're here, Dragonite…"
Drake sat atop a Blastoise, floating on the water, waiting.
Dragonite affectionately nudged him with its head.
"Hahaha." Drake laughed heartily. Despite Dragonite's altered appearance, it was still his loyal partner.
More intriguingly, beyond their years of coordination in battle, they now shared an unexplainable connection—a sense of blood-bond, as if their spirits had drawn even closer.
"Dragonite, I'm sorry for keeping you locked up all these days." Drake spoke apologetically.
Dragonite shook its head, expressing its understanding. Though it had been confined in the Cinnabar Research Lab, it had not been mistreated—on the contrary, it had been well-fed and cared for. The only frustration was the lack of battle opportunities.
"Hahaha, don't worry. You'll get to fight soon—plenty of fights." Drake found himself able to understand Dragonite's emotions better than ever before.
Retrieving his clearly unnerved Blastoise, Drake climbed onto Dragonite's back.
Dragonite's body had grown significantly larger, and numerous spiked protrusions had formed along its back. Drake had to sit carefully to avoid getting impaled.
"Let's go. We're heading to Shamouti Island."
Shamouti Island was situated in the northern part of the Orange Archipelago, not far from Pummelo Island.
At Dragonite's current speed, the journey wouldn't take long at all.
Shamouti Island was home to a group of indigenous people who had preserved their ancient traditions. Throughout various cultural texts, this place was often referred to as the 'Source of Water and Life.'
Since it wasn't a festival season, there weren't many tourists on the island, making it relatively quiet.
But Drake's real destination wasn't the island itself—it was three hidden islets not marked on any map.
Fire Island, Lightning Island, and Ice Island.
These three islands were so small they didn't even appear on most maps, but according to legend, they harbored mysterious powers.
As a native of the Orange Archipelago, Drake had heard of these legends before, but he never knew what the 'mystic power' actually was.
A few hours earlier, when the virus infected him, his mind had been flooded with new knowledge—almost like a strategy guide detailing the advantages of infection and the functions of his newfound abilities.
At the end of this information, he received his first directive from the Hive.
Head to Fire Island, Lightning Island, and Ice Island. Retrieve the three orbs imbued with mysterious power.
The mission briefing included a friendly reminder—while searching for the orbs, he might encounter King-tier or even Legendary Pokémon. If encountered, he was advised to 'invite' them into the Hive.
In other words, infect them.
However, aside from Dragonite, Drake had no other King-tier Pokémon. Thus, he used his newfound ability to summon Dragonite remotely.
By the time he reached Shamouti Island, dawn was already breaking. After searching the ocean for a while, he finally located one of the small islands.
The island's silhouette resembled a volcano, radiating intense heat even from a distance.
"This must be Fire Island," Drake muttered.
Landing on the rocky terrain, he took in the sight of the island's massive volcano, surrounded by rugged cliffs and sparse forests.
"The orb must be inside some kind of altar…"
Though small compared to the ocean, the island was vast to a single person.
Finding an altar wouldn't be easy.
"Come out, my partners."
Drake released his Pokémon.
Venusaur, Blastoise, Electabuzz, Gengar, and Steelix appeared before him.
Aside from Blastoise, the rest of his Pokémon stiffened upon seeing Dragonite, their eyes betraying a hint of fear.
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