Lucius laughed heartily. He remembered the first time Ash met Lorelei—it was just like this. Back then, he'd arrogantly declared that he was already "within range" of becoming a top Pokémon Master… only to be taught a harsh lesson by Lorelei that left him utterly disoriented.
The word "range" had even become a running joke, with Misty teasing him endlessly about it.
"Even if you're planning to battle, it should wait until after your match in the Whirl Cup," Lucius reminded him. "You need to conserve your energy for tomorrow."
"Oh, right!" The goofball scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly.
"Thank you all so much for what you did earlier," said Maya, turning toward Ash and the others with a grateful smile. She was referring to their timely intervention that had snapped the fishing line and foiled a potential danger.
"Hehehe, don't mention it! As long as I'm around, I, Brock, will always protect beautiful ladies like you!" Brock suddenly appeared beside Maya in a half-kneeling pose, holding her hand, his squinting eyes sparkling with obvious infatuation.
"Ugh, not this again," Misty sighed as she yanked Brock away by the ear, much to everyone's amusement.
Ah, Brock…
Lucius gazed at the tan-skinned, perpetually-squinting teen, a storm of emotions swirling in his mind.
When it came to the Pokémon world—or even the main character team from any canon—Lucius firmly believed Brock was the most competent of them all.
Besides traveling with Ash in the original anime, Brock had served as a Gym Leader, Pokémon Breeder, research assistant, and even a Pokémon Doctor.
Throughout the journey, nearly every character besides Ash and Pikachu was swapped out over time. Female leads especially rotated frequently—only Misty had journeyed through two regions with Ash, while the others were replaced after just one.
But Brock? He traveled with Ash through four different regions. During that time, he served as the team's chef, craftsman, medic, breeder, translator, guide, and even driver—essentially keeping the entire team operational in every facet of life. He was the ultimate support character.
Brock could operate just about any mode of transportation imaginable—cars, hot air balloons, speedboats, yachts, planes, and even rockets. Whether airborne, aquatic, or terrestrial, if it had a name (or even if it didn't), Brock could pilot it. Truly the most versatile "tool guy" in Pokémon history.
Whenever the team was hungry, he could whip up a delicious meal anywhere, anytime. And when their Pokémon needed nourishment, he could craft custom food tailored to their species, temperament, and preferences.
Lucius remembered one time during the journey when Brock fell ill. The rest of the team practically collapsed into chaos—they couldn't even eat. Misty tried to cook, but one bite of her food nearly took herself out.
Then there was the time when Brock's Happiny needed a Oval Stone. Brock casually picked up a stone from the roadside, did some quick modifications, and voilà—created the perfect item to evolve Happiny into Chansey.
Brock wasn't just skilled with his hands—he was strong-willed, righteous, dependable, and full of responsibility. The only flaw? He turned into a hopeless romantic around beautiful older women. Otherwise, the guy was flawless.
By comparison, later companions like Cilan and Clemont simply didn't hold a candle to him.
At Hive, we need exactly this kind of talent, Lucius thought to himself.
But for now, Brock was still part of Ash's group. Lucius wasn't planning to recruit him just yet.
"Ash, that feather you picked up earlier—could I take a look at it?" Lucius asked.
Just before Lugia left, it had dropped a few silver feathers. Ash had picked one up.
A feather from a Legendary like Lugia wasn't something that just accidentally fell—it had to mean something.
"Sure!" Ash handed over the silver feather without hesitation.
In the original games, the Silver Feather was an item used to summon Lugia. In broader canon, it symbolized a potential connection between the holder and Lugia.
Lucius took the feather and scanned it with his psychic sense—he didn't find anything unusual.
So, instead, he injected it with a small amount of the virus.
Lucius wasn't planning to infect Ash. But since the feather contained traces of Lugia's DNA, it was a perfect medium for viral experimentation.
"Lugia's feather is a rare and precious item, young man," Juan interjected with a smile. "You should keep it safe."
"I will!" Ash nodded earnestly and tucked the feather away into his bag.
In the days that followed, the tournament continued as scheduled.
Ash, being a well-rounded Trainer without a particular affinity for Water-types, was eventually eliminated in the Top 16 by an opponent who had clear expertise in aquatic Pokémon.
Misty, meanwhile, faced off against Leny—just like in the original anime—and lost when her Corsola became confused, ultimately succumbing to Leny's Lanturn.
As for Lucius, he used the opportunity to secretly infect Brendan.
To his surprise, Brendan turned out to be the son of Professor Birch, the renowned researcher from Hoenn.
Even more interesting—Brendan, who was battling on the field during Lugia's appearance, also picked up a silver feather.
No doubt about it—those who found the feather were anything but ordinary.
Lucius had infected Brendan in complete silence. And through him, he managed to transport the Silver Feather to a new cloning lab, away from any prying eyes.
Lucius had chosen not to store the data in the X-Lab—not because it was insecure, but because he didn't want Lugia to know its exact location.
The Whirl Cup was soon drawing to a close. Ash and Misty were both eliminated in the Top 16, while Brendan made it to the quarterfinals. In the end, the champion title was claimed by an anonymous Trainer who used a Feraligatr to defeat Leny.
This mysterious Trainer was honored with the title Hero of the Sea and awarded the Key Item Mystic Water.
Following the award ceremony, Lucius and Juan fulfilled their promise by putting on a one-on-one exhibition match.
As expected from the Whirl Cup, a tournament centered around Water-type Pokémon, Juan sent out his elegant Milotic. Lucius, however, shocked the crowd by unleashing his Crystal Rampardos.
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the stadium as the crystalline Rampardos demonstrated extraordinary aquatic agility—almost as if it were a natural Water-type.
"Now that's a Water-type master," someone muttered in awe. "Using a Rock-type as fluidly as a Water-type... That takes true mastery."
The unique and rare nature of Crystal Rampardos only fueled the excitement. Researchers and spectators alike were captivated by the phenomenon.
Ash watched the battle intently, murmuring, "So… besides the Crystal Onix, there are other Crystal Pokémon out there…"
Brock nodded thoughtfully. "Looks like the Crystal Onix isn't a one-off. There could be an entire species of Crystal Pokémon we don't know about."
The main crew had encountered the Crystal Onix before. They'd also seen the grim news reports from Sunburst Island not long ago and had mourned the incident deeply.
The exhibition match served its purpose well—it was meant to entertain the audience, and under the dazzling coordination of Lucius and Juan, the Whirl Cup concluded on a high note.
Later that evening, while resting at the lodge, Lucius received intelligence from Unova.
Although he had promised Charles Goodshow to withdraw all infected hosts from the region, it didn't mean he had lost control over the situation.
He had left behind a network of non-infected operatives to remain embedded in Unova—tasked with surveillance and intel gathering.
Among these operatives was a young woman he held in high regard: Lyra.
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