Of course, Syndicate wasn't the only faction from the Hive operating in Unova—Alder and a number of other ordinary individuals who had migrated from various regions were also involved.
Not all Infected chose to join the Hive. Many infected individuals with suppressed mutations, as well as those previously quarantined by the Pokémon League, lived normal lives among the populace, steering clear of affairs involving the League or other organizations.
After issuing remote instructions, Lucius teleported away from the Indigo Plateau and arrived in Saffron City.
Ever since it was exposed that the CEO of Silph Co. was also the leader of Team Rocket, the company had come under heavy investigation, from personnel to operations.
During this time, Silph Co.'s stock plummeted. The exposure of its black market dealings led to a purge of many executives and shareholders. Eventually, the company's assets were disbanded and restructured, divided among several powerful conglomerates.
Devon Corporation, based in Hoenn, acquired more than 60% of Silph's assets. The remaining assets were devoured by influential families and corporations from Kanto and Johto.
Among them was a rising star in the pharmaceutical industry: Umbrella Pharmaceutical Company, which, after acquiring several of Silph's full production lines, rebranded itself as the Umbrella Group.
Today, floors 20 through 30 of Silph Tower served as the official headquarters for Umbrella.
Of course, this was just their surface-level operation. Numerous underground facilities operated behind the scenes, focusing on pharmaceutical research.
Some of these facilities were built on estates backed by the Hjelle family, while others were once outposts of Team Rocket.
Former Team Rocket scientists like Dr. Namba and Dr. Zager were now key researchers within Umbrella.
While the company's core business remained pharmaceuticals, its acquisition of Silph's food and nutrition division had allowed it to expand across multiple sectors—such as the development of Pokéblocks, Pokémon snacks, and the cultivation and grafting of Berries.
Ophelia, formerly the Vice President's secretary at Silph, had passed the League's investigation without issue. After the audit, she transitioned to Umbrella and was appointed as its new CEO, marking yet another dazzling milestone in her already brilliant career.
"Our new line of Potential Enhancement Candy has received regulatory approval and has already secured orders in regions like Hoenn and Sinnoh. We're currently developing flavor profiles tailored for tropical regions like Alola," Ophelia said as she handed Lucius a business report summarizing Umbrella's operations.
Although Lucius could communicate with other Infected and the Hive's source through pheromones, lengthy data reports were still best processed visually.
"Not bad," Lucius nodded slightly.
Though he didn't say it aloud, Ophelia—one of the earliest members to join the Hive—had pieced together clues indicating that Devon Corp. had also quietly fallen under Hive control.
At this point, the Hive had already surpassed Silph Co. in its prime in terms of corporate influence.
"In the near future, traditional Pokémon feed will gradually be replaced by Pokéblocks. You should consider laying the groundwork early," Lucius said.
He knew from the original timeline that a revolution in Pokémon nutrition was imminent. Once Pokéblocks were introduced and became widespread, conventional feed would quickly become obsolete.
After all, a Snorlax, which typically needed hundreds of pounds of food a day, could meet its nutritional needs with just a single Pokéblock. The market potential was enormous.
"Pokéblocks, huh…" Ophelia nodded. Ever since Umbrella expanded into the Pokémon food sector, she had been researching related industries and was naturally aware of the conceptual rise of Pokéblocks.
However, Umbrella's interest in Pokémon food was not merely about profit—it was about distribution. Specifically, it was about disseminating a type of protein refined from a virus.
This protein was completely harmless—in fact, it enhanced a Pokémon's physical constitution and neural response speed. More importantly, it prevented Pokémon from becoming infected by any known virus strains.
Of course, the protein had a built-in backdoor. When combined with another substance—currently stored in Umbrella's highest-security lab—it could mutate. That lab and its contents would remain sealed until every contingency was prepared.
"By the way, I'm thinking of hosting an art charity auction at the Hjelle estate under Umbrella's name," Ophelia added. "We'll invite Kanto's elite. The proceeds will be donated to a children's welfare foundation."
Lucius instantly understood her true intention: use the Hjelle family's influence to gather prominent families of Kanto under the pretense of an art exhibition and gently "invite" them to align with the Hive.
The method was sound—and donating to orphanages was genuinely commendable.
As a corporation grows, giving back to society becomes essential.
Lucius recalled how, in the original timeline, Jessie once mentioned her foster home was so poor they sometimes had nothing to eat but snow with soy sauce.
Now that the Hive had become the ruling class, it bore responsibility for improving such bleak conditions—even helping a few was better than none.
A stable and secure public meant a stable and lasting rule.
"Excellent idea. In fact, we should also invite Johto's elites. We've got plenty of space for their private jets to land," Lucius added.
Just then, his communicator pinged with an email from his assistant, Dietmar.
Since Lucius had replaced Volkner and gone largely off the grid, Dietmar had resorted to contacting him primarily by email.
Lucius glanced through it quickly—the gist was that the Whirl Cup in Johto was about to begin, and the organizers wanted to invite him, the newly crowned Elite Four, as a special guest.
The Whirl Cup…
Originally, Volkner was already a star Trainer. But now, ever since he was rebranded as a savior figure, his popularity had skyrocketed. In just a few short days, he'd received hundreds of event invitations and endorsement offers.
Lucius, however, had no time for that kind of thing. He usually didn't even bother to glance at them.
But the upcoming Whirl Cup had caught his eye.
If everything went according to plan, the main cast—Ash Ketchum and Misty—would be participating in this tournament as well…
After several high-ranking officials within the League were infected, Lucius had already confirmed that the mysterious figures who had traveled from the future to warn the League about the threat of the virus were none other than Ash and Misty.
He had even watched the recording of the duel between Future Ash and Karen, the Elite Four member, provided by Lance.
Lucius had to admit—Ash truly was the protagonist. His protagonist aura was no joke.
Wary of the unpredictable luck and power that came with such a role, Lucius had deliberately avoided any direct interaction with Ash while orchestrating his plans across multiple continents.
After all, Ash was a "child of the multiverse," shrouded in fate and blessed with uncanny luck. Who knew what kind of chaos might ensue from crossing paths with him?
However, at this point, Hive had risen to prominence like never before. Even if Ash was the protagonist, he was still just a kid.
Now that the opportunity had presented itself, Lucius didn't mind getting involved. After all, he currently held the title of Elite Four, and from time to time, it was necessary to make public appearances and engage with the crowd. It was good PR, and it helped maintain a positive public image.
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