Raikou— that creature again.
That day, Ho-Oh ignited its Sacred Fire within Raikou's body out at sea. Raikou died instantly.
Yet, as one of Ho-Oh's most loyal companions, despite its infected body being destroyed, Ho-Oh brought it back—not as flesh, but as soul. A revenant of its former self.
In other words, Raikou had returned as a Ghost-type Pokémon.
Heh. If you're going to be resurrected, why not lie low? Why rush back here just to die again?
Lucius immediately issued a command. Infected hosts in the vicinity converged toward Raikou.
And with his Gardevoir, Lucius teleported straight into the heart of the chaos.
At the same time, Accelgor and Spiritomb launched their attacks, clashing with the now-slowed Raikou in a brutal skirmish.
Both sides fought at full force. Devastating moves—no holding back. The earth cracked, stones flew into the sky, the air tore with raw energy.
It was obvious now—Raikou had been sent by Ho-Oh. And with Ho-Oh now opposing the Pokémon League, both Lance and Alder led their Pokémon several kilometers back, choosing to observe rather than interfere.
But then, they noticed something else—beyond the fierce clash, several King-tier Pokémon had already sealed off their escape route.
"Charizard…?" Lance muttered. One of the encroaching Pokémon was unmistakably his own.
Leading the group were Volkner—the virus' origin—and his black Gardevoir.
All of Lucius' Pokémon were king-class—faster than lightning. The moment Ghost-Raikou appeared, Lucius had given the order. More than thirty Pokémon surrounded both Lance and Raikou in an instant.
Lucius ignored Lance. He simply issued a command: Weavile, Alakazam, Gardevoir, Spiritomb—all Dark, Fairy, and Psychic-types—strike together.
Seven king-tier Pokémon blinked into place, surrounding Raikou with devastating psychic force—mental disruption, psychic interference, telepathic crush.
The earth trembled. The air within a hundred meters warped, refracting into oily hues like thick, shimmering gelatin. A nearby river had its waters pulled into hovering droplets—gravity itself was gone.
Even though psychic interference wasn't as effective against Ghost-types, seven monarchs wielding it in unison crushed Raikou's defenses within seconds.
Raikou's shadowy, spectral form quivered violently, nearly torn apart by the pressure. Within ten seconds, its body shattered, collapsing into an amorphous mist of dark shadow.
In the ghostly fog, Raikou's face flickered—roaring in defiance, struggling to remain whole—but it no longer had the strength to even take form.
Lucius stepped forward. Without hesitation, he invoked two abilities: Mental Corruption and Mental Parasite.
Raikou would become a dog that obeys without question.
Lucius' parasitic psychic energy merged with the immense psychic storm from the Kings, penetrating Raikou's shattered will. There was no resistance—its consciousness was washed away completely.
Sensing the process was complete, Lucius signaled his Pokémon to cease their psychic attacks.
In an instant, it felt as if a silent, static hum had vanished. The air cleared, and movement returned to the space.
Raikou's dispersed fog quivered, then began to reconstitute.
It retained the form of a Ghost-type, but the look in its eyes had changed completely. Devotion. Obedience. Loyalty—all directed at Lucius.
With Raikou secured, Lucius turned toward Lance and Alder.
"I had originally wanted to play a little game," Lucius said with a half-smile. "To see how many more Pokémon you two could muster. But it seems the game ends here."
Lance and Alder stood silently, faces grim. The Pokémon they had already recruited instinctively formed defensive formations, preparing for battle.
Lucius smiled faintly. With thirty Pokémon surrounding them earlier, he knew they wouldn't dare make a move. That's why he hadn't bothered to engage—he'd just subdued Raikou right in front of them.
It was a message. A show of force. Let them understand the kind of enemy they now faced.
"Champions," Lucius continued, "as Anabel told you earlier—my offer still stands. Join us. Fight with us against the mythical Pokémon. Because on your own? The League doesn't stand a chance."
"You want us to be your puppets?" Lance sneered.
"Puppets?" Lucius chuckled. "I would offer you complete freedom."
"Tell me—without me, are you truly free? Every day you take orders from the League. You fight their battles. You live under their laws. You die for their rules. Is that freedom?"
Lance and Alder fell silent.
At their level, they knew—freedom is only ever relative.
Who in this world is truly free? The League dictates what's allowed and what's not. The lower you stand, the more shackled you are. But those in power? Their chains are just... heavier.
To be truly free, you must break every framework. But humans are social creatures. Break the framework, and you cut yourself off from the world.
Lucius spoke again. "Join us, and I'll give you a stronger body, a longer life, and true freedom—the freedom to command life and death."
As he spoke, others arrived—Cynthia, Palmer, Brandon, and Mustard.
The Pokémon around Lance, seeing their Trainer alive and safe, stirred with excitement.
"Enough," Lucius ordered. Using pheromones, he signaled Cynthia and the others.
One by one, the Champion-class trainers retrieved their Pokémon into their Poké Balls.
In the blink of an eye, Lance and Alder were left with just Aerodactyl, Salamence, Bouffalant, and Volcarona.
Their faces paled. Four against thirty? No chance of winning.
Lucius didn't waste words. He released two streams of viral energy in their direction.
If Lance and Alder had fought to the bitter end earlier, the king-class Pokémon might've faced resistance. That's why Lucius stalled for time—using diplomacy as a delay tactic while waiting for Cynthia and Mustard to arrive.
But now that they had recalled their Pokémon, the battle was already lost.
The virus began to take effect. Lance and Alder's faces flushed red. They struggled to breathe.
Sensing danger, Aerodactyl lunged, grabbing Lance to escape into the sky.
But Regirock reacted instantly. It cast Stone Edge, summoning a dome of razor-sharp rocks that filled the skies. An aerial cage, stretching a kilometer wide, cut off all escape.
Simultaneously, Lucius intensified his pheromone signals, accelerating Lance's infection.
"Aerodactyl, descend."
Lance's voice came through, weak but firm. Aerodactyl let out a reluctant screech before touching down on the ground.
After all, Lance was only human—and with Lucius's current power, it wouldn't even take a full minute to infect him.
At that moment, Alder also pulled himself up, steadying his Bouffalant with one arm. Both Champions had now received the Hive's information, transmitted directly by Lucius.
"I believe we all understand by now," Lucius addressed the gathered Champions, his voice carrying both urgency and conviction, "the Hive is not the enemy of the League. The true threat lies with the Mythical Pokémon."
"But to stop them from purging our civilization, we must first return to the real world."
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