The research facility was expansive and gleaming with high-tech sophistication.
The woman he was currently possessing was a research assistant named Rhea, working under Dr. Lund. According to her memories, she had a discreet romantic relationship with the doctor and, as a result, showed special care toward his only son, Ron.
But Dr. Lund was of little concern. What mattered lay deep within the lab—a green meteorite they had recovered from the polar regions three years ago.
The meteorite rested quietly beneath a sealed, circular glass dome. For years, the lab had bombarded it with various energy frequencies, analyzing its wavelength patterns in hopes of uncovering its secrets.
After all, three years ago, they had witnessed with their own eyes a battle between the extraterrestrial lifeform Deoxys and Rayquaza over this very object.
If even Rayquaza had deemed it important, then this meteorite was no ordinary stone.
"If I don't intervene, then Ash would eventually help you uncover its secrets next year. But since I'm here… let's unlock them a bit early."
Lucius opened the containment dome and carefully retrieved the meteorite.
With the meteorite in hand, Lucius and Gardevoir teleported to the ocean just outside the city.
"Gardevoir, assist me."
He didn't waste any words. Releasing Alakazam from its Poké Ball, he used pheromones to transmit his intentions to both Pokémon.
Simultaneously, blue light ignited in Gardevoir and Alakazam's eyes.
Two immense waves of psychic energy began resonating with the meteorite.
A faint green light began to pulse from its surface—blinking like a signal, as though responding to their minds.
Moments later, a blurry projection, like an electromagnetic echo, appeared above the stone.
It was here. Lucius knew he had successfully summoned the consciousness of Deoxys.
He inhaled deeply and initiated Mental Corruption.
A psychic bridge formed between Lucius and Deoxys. Their consciousnesses locked into a shared resonance.
"Eliminate it," Lucius ordered coldly.
At his command, Gardevoir and Alakazam's psychic powers transformed into aggressive force. The Deoxys projection began to violently resist, its waveforms thrashing in agony. The psychic clash sent massive ripples crashing across the ocean's surface.
The sea boiled. Invisible force collided with water and air. Marine Pokémon caught in the shockwave couldn't escape in time—their brains crushed by sheer psychic pressure.
The meteorite's green light grew brighter, Deoxys' resistance strengthening with it.
But without a physical body and drained of energy, it stood no chance against two apex-tier Psychic Pokémon at full power.
The light began to stutter, flickering like a failing bulb.
Now was the moment.
Lucius intensified the Mental Corruption, and released his Emperor Strain onto the green meteorite.
The instant it entered, he sensed a powerful lifeform—its vitality immense. And like him, it was also a virus.
It had been too long since his last true viral war.
Lucius commanded his vast virus swarm—millions of Veronica strains—to begin devouring the swirling, red-and-green cosmic virus that writhed like a parasitic worm.
With every inch conquered, Lucius felt his own genes growing stronger. It was more rewarding than infecting dozens of Pokémon combined.
As he had suspected, Deoxys was indeed a product of cosmic viral DNA mutation. Absorbing it was a massive gain.
With Deoxys' will suppressed by Gardevoir and Alakazam, the cosmic virus could only react on instinct, no match for the disciplined, directed assault of the Veronica Virus.
Though the meteorite seemed small to humans, to the microbial world of viruses, it was vast—an entire battleground.
Lucius didn't know how long the war raged within. But eventually, the cosmic virus was wholly devoured, the entire meteorite claimed.
[Cosmic virus consumed. Virus analysis: 80% complete...]
[...]
[Cosmic virus consumed. Virus analysis: 100% complete.]
[Cosmic virus fully analyzed. Evolution path unlocked.]
His system's voice arrived right on time.
According to Deoxys' remaining memories, the meteorite and the virus were symbiotic—the virus was the life force and will, while the meteorite provided it energy.
That explained why, in the original lore, Deoxys reconstituted its body after absorbing sufficient energy. It also explained why the DNA Pokémon could shift into so many different forms.
Lucius glanced at his personal status screen:
Host: Lucius
Virus Type: Veronica Virus
Current Host Body: 1/1
Level: 7
Vitality: 14,325
Adaptability: Level 6
Permanently viable in most environments:
Survivable in extreme cold
Capable of surviving in space
Long-term survival inside host
Evolution Progress: 91%
Abilities:
Can enhance host's physical parameters by up to 441% based on DNA structure. (May cause host breakdown or unknown mutations if threshold exceeded.)
Accelerates metabolism and boosts regeneration rate by 800%. (Overhealing can hasten host degradation.)
Absorbs natural energy matching host's DNA to restore health.
Transmittable via bodily fluids. Host remains partially active even after death via bioelectric current.
Gene compatibility exceeds 99%—immune to all side effects.
Active Skills:
Venomous Plague: Inflicts 10–50 HP damage per second based on infection severity. Can be removed at will by Emperor Strain.
Mental Corruption: Causes variable mental degradation depending on infection level.
Heart of the Emperor: Commands any infected organism with lower compatibility.
Toxic Flame: Ignites virus-laced blood on contact with air, causing poisonous explosions.
Shared Vision: ...
Mission: Destroy or usurp one of the following organizations:
Team Magma
Team Aqua
Team Galactic
Team Flare
Available Evolution Path:
Veronica: Mindworm Form
Available Evolution Points: 1
"System, explain the traits of the Mindworm Form."
"The Mindworm is a parasitic virus that acts directly on the psyche. Once an infected host's mind is parasitized, their physical body undergoes no significant mutation. Instead, the virus enhances their mental capacity. The infected cellular structure aligns with that of Veronica."
Lucius paused, processing the information. In simple terms, choosing this evolutionary path meant that future infected hosts would no longer risk mutating into monstrous forms. Instead, they would experience heightened mental abilities at the cost of physical enhancements.
There were pros and cons to that.
In a conventional human society, the Mindworm would be an ideal option—it could exert control over the world's population through psychological influence, almost like a religious doctrine. But this was the world of Pokémon. Turning every Pokémon into a Psychic-type? What would be the point?
Though this new evolutionary direction undeniably carried echoes of Deoxys, Lucius didn't dwell on it for long. He rejected the path outright.
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