Pokémon: Virus Evolution

The ordinary members might not realize it, but Dolores understood perfectly well.

The reason this division had remained hidden for so long wasn't that the Pokémon League couldn't find it—it was that they chose not to look.

After all, the Syndicate had deep and intricate ties with many major corporations and prominent families in Cerulean City.

More importantly, unlike underground organizations such as Team Galactic or Team Aqua, which constantly sought to stir up grand schemes, the Syndicate had always maintained a low profile, focusing on making money rather than drawing attention to itself. They never blatantly opposed the Pokémon League, which was precisely why the authorities found them tolerable.

There would always be someone engaging in the black market; even if the Syndicate were eradicated, someone else would take its place because the demand existed.

If an organization like Team Galactic or Team Plasma—filled with lunatics—took over, the chaos would be even worse.

At least the Syndicate wasn't advocating for the creation of a new world or the so-called liberation of Pokémon—ideas that made officials roll their eyes. Because of that, the League often turned a blind eye.

But this time was different.

Dozens of critically injured Pokémon had escaped, drawing too much attention.

Environmental activists, anti-abuse organizations, and other groups with too much free time would surely seize the opportunity to make a big fuss.

Under normal circumstances, the Syndicate could have used its connections to suppress the news or shift public attention elsewhere.

But unfortunately, he was in Cerulean City right now...

Inspector Peyton slowly put down the phone, his mind still digesting the information he had just received.

A special substance capable of enhancing a Pokémon's vitality and physique?

Unlike his doctor friend, who was solely focused on medical research, Peyton immediately saw the bigger picture.

For years, certain elite commercial organizations and the underground market had circulated mysterious serums that could enhance a Pokémon's potential. No one knew their exact origin or formula, but their effects were undeniable.

With nearly a thousand known Pokémon species and an uncountable population, their potential varied just like humans.

Out of countless Pokémon, only a rare few had the potential to become leaders or even kings.

Every major family and organization invested tremendous resources into training Pokémon because only by raising powerful Pokémon could they ensure their survival and growth—preventing themselves from being swallowed by rival factions.

But nurturing a Pokémon to leader or king-level was harder than moving mountains.

In terms of probability, it was one in a hundred thousand—not an exaggeration.

This was why Elite Four-level trainers were so rare.

However, with this kind of serum, things would be different. Unlike ordinary restorative items, these substances enhanced a Pokémon at its core, significantly raising their growth potential far beyond their peers and pushing their upper limits even further.

In other words, this could artificially create Pokémon with immense potential.

Because of that, despite their exorbitant cost, these serums were always in high demand. The moment a new batch appeared, they were immediately snatched up by powerful organizations and aristocrats—even the Pokémon League wasn't an exception.

If what the doctor said was true, then that Treecko was invaluable.

If the special substance within it could be replicated or mass-produced, it would instantly become the most sought-after product in the world, drawing the attention of every major power—including the League.

If I could obtain that substance...

At this thought, Lucius could barely contain his greed.

He had to capture that Treecko—no matter what.

Taking a deep breath to suppress his excitement, he began assembling his team...

...

[Analysis of Nuzleaf's 'Chlorophyll' Ability complete. Progenitor Virus evolution progress increased by 10%. Adaptability increased by one level.]

[Analysis of Drilbur's 'Sand Force' Ability complete. Progenitor Virus evolution progress increased by 10%. Infection speed for Rock and Ground-type Pokémon increased by 10%.]

[Progenitor Virus evolution progress 100%. Progenitor Virus upgraded to Level 5. New evolution path unlocked.]

After fully infecting both Pokémon, the Progenitor Virus had finally reached Level 5.

The information panel had undergone multiple changes, but what caught Lucius' attention the most was the newly added evolution path.

...

Progenitor Virus – Toxic Spikes Form:

Secretes toxins that destroy host cells.

Parasitic effectiveness on Poison-type organisms increased by 10%.

Progenitor Virus – Leech Form:

Greatly enhances environmental adaptability and cross-species infection rate.

Drastically increases infected hosts' metabolism.

...

Leech Form...

So this was the "official" evolutionary path given by the system.

Previously, the "Toxic Spikes Form" had emerged due to Lucius consuming a large amount of poison. However, he hadn't encountered any Pokémon related to leeches, which meant this was a natural evolution.

Lucius pondered for a moment, vaguely recalling from his hazy memories of Resident Evil that the original T-Virus had been derived from a mutated strain of the Progenitor Virus combined with leech DNA.

Through multiple modifications by scientists, this strain eventually evolved into the terrifying Tyrant Virus.

It was safe to assume that choosing this evolution path would turn the Progenitor Virus into a transitional form between the Progenitor and Tyrant Viruses...

System, are there any other evolution options?

[By fulfilling special conditions, there is a probability of unlocking new evolution paths.]

Lucius immediately noticed the difference in response.

Previously, the system had stated outright that at Level 5, the Virus Type would develop evolutionary branches.

But this time, it only vaguely mentioned the "possibility" of unlocking new paths under special conditions.

This "possibility" was intriguing—it implied that further evolution would no longer be achieved through level-ups alone but rather by fulfilling specific conditions, much like how consuming toxins had led to the Toxic Spikes Form.

The system was making it quite clear...

After some thought, Lucius invested his single evolution point into Progenitor Virus – Leech Form.

The moment he confirmed his choice, he could feel his body changing.

He felt himself growing larger, his "vision" becoming clearer.

At the same time, the system updated his core attributes:

Host: Lucius

Virus Type: Progenitor Virus – Leech Form

Hosts Infected: 2/2

Level: 1

Vitality: 1266/1266 (392 base vitality, 874 from host bonus)

Adaptability: Level 3 (Can survive for 72 hours outside a host in temperate environments, long-term survival in cold climates, indefinite survival within a host, adaptable to most dry and humid conditions)

Evolution Progress: 25%

Abilities:

Enhances infected organisms' overall attributes by 55% (exceeding host's tolerance may cause collapse or unpredictable mutations).

Accelerates host metabolism, increasing self-repair ability by 300% (overhealing accelerates host decay).

Infection can spread through bodily fluids.

Active Skills:

Venomous Plague: Inflicts 10–50 HP damage per second based on infection severity.

Mental Corruption: Induces varying degrees of mental instability based on infection severity.

Mission: Infect 20 hosts (Progress: 19/20)

Available Evolution Paths: None

Available Evolution Points: 0

Although his Virus Type had reset to Level 1, he could feel that this new form was vastly stronger than when it had been at Level 5.

-----

Want to read ahead of schedule? 

Join here for advance chapters: patreon.com / madbot635