"What happened?" Alex asked Rotom who immediately fled back into his phone in a quivering state.
"A high-level virus compromised my control protocols. My processes were forcibly redirected into a maze of corrupted data structures, where my system access was restricted. I would have remained trapped indefinitely if the host device had not been destroyed by my energy," Rotom replied in its artificial voice. "The virus also initiated an external network connection attempt, but the connection failed. Based on the available data, I calculate a high probability that this virus is the originating cause of the apocalyptic event."
"So the roaming Master ranked Future Paradox Pokémon were likely enslaved through this method, since they had both hardware and software components?"
"It is highly probable."
"That would have been terrifying. An army of mass-produced Pokémon completely obedient to the will of an omniscient artificial intelligence. They would have had no choice but to block its access to the satellites by maintaining this perpetual storm, restricting the AI's reach to local networks at best. That still wouldn't have been enough to stop it, though. A city this interconnected would have provided countless opportunities for the AI to spread. But through battle and sheer desperation, the damage could have been contained, preventing it from achieving total global dominance. There's definitely a resistance or some group that survived, then. They're probably living like cavemen by now."
It explained most of what Alex had witnessed with his own eyes, making it the best theory he could come up with until he uncovered more information. Unfortunately, the only way to confirm any of it was to access the devices scattered throughout the city. They were hardly in good condition and many were likely filled with viruses, but for now, they were his only avenue for learning what had happened.
"Can you find a workaround without destroying the device next time?" Alex asked.
"I have already developed one. However, the virus's current implementation is limited to a localized subroutine. If it were operating within a higher-capacity processing hub, I cannot guarantee that I would be able to resist it," Rotom replied.
That was a terrifying prospect as far as Alex was concerned. He was carrying an alarming amount of technology, and if Rotom were unable to defend against the virus, any of it could potentially turn against him. His backpack could be rendered useless, leaving him stranded with an entire army of Pokémon he would have no way to return home with. The Mauler might unfold and start fighting him on its own, while the B.O.M.B. could deploy and activate without warning. Even the return beacon could be compromised, potentially cutting him off from home entirely.
"What do you need to fight it?" Alex asked.
"Experience."
"While guaranteeing my return home," he added.
"Isolate all devices from external networks. Require my possession and authorization before granting access to any system. Disable all autonomous functions and place every device under manual control until further notice."
"Yeah, do that," Alex agreed.
"However, it may not prevent unauthorized external access by a Pokémon possessing equivalent or comparable capabilities."
"That's fine. We just need to be extra careful."
Alex was sorely tempted to leave at that point, but the potential rewards were simply too valuable to ignore. Advanced technology was scattered throughout the city, rare materials were likely stockpiled somewhere within, and, if they had space bags like those in his world, he could potentially return with far more than he normally could carry. It was far too valuable a place to simply abandon.
For the next hour, Rotom zipped between all of Alex's devices, systematically locking them down. This included the mobile server, as well as each of his Pokémon's accessories and turrets. For the foreseeable future, they would have to operate without their more advanced technology, as leaving it accessible carried too high a risk of it being compromised and turned against them.
During that time, Alex also released Gardevoir and had her scour the building for anything of value. He limited the search party to just her to keep their activities discreet. Besides, her Psychic abilities allowed her to sweep through rooms in an instant, search through everything at once, and retrieve anything useful with the efficiency of an entire army working on her own.
Once Rotom had finished locking down all of Alex's technology, it turned its attention to the devices they had collected from the building. These ranged from phones, tablets, and computers to databases and even mundane appliances such as light switches, coffee makers, and automated toilets. Its goal was to investigate anything capable of connecting to an external network and uncover as much information as possible about the virus and its capabilities.
As expected, the first few dozen devices immediately exploded due to Rotom's lack of experience. However, with each encounter, it learned more about the virus and gradually became better at resisting it. Eventually, Rotom could hold it off long enough to study the device before being forced to destroy it. The data it gathered allowed it to develop an antivirus that continuously adapted with each encounter.
A week later, Rotom had gained enough experience to safely navigate and explore a device without being overwhelmed by the virus. This allowed Alex to gather valuable information about the world while also recovering some useful technology.
"Fundamentally, it isn't any different from the technology we have. The hardware is better, and the user interface follows a different design philosophy, but it's still just a device for storing and accessing information. As for the contents, nothing particularly stands out," Alex summed up.
Considering the device Rotom had managed to unlock was likely some teenager's phone, the results were hardly surprising. Things might have been different if they had managed to access the tablet that was destroyed first. That one probably belonged to someone wealthy, potentially giving them access to far more valuable information.
Still, now that Rotom could no longer be easily overwhelmed, Alex could finally begin gathering useful information. He systematically searched the upper floors of buildings, targeting areas where the wealthy and powerful were most likely to have left behind personal devices and valuable data.
After collecting a sizable number of devices, he brought them back to Rotom for examination.
"Prioritize information about the apocalypse, clues regarding any surviving humans, and the locations of valuable resources such as databases, rare metals, advanced technology, or anything else that might prove useful," Alex commanded.
One after another, Rotom entered the devices and spent the next few days fighting off the virus while slowly extracting information. Each attempt further improved its antivirus, allowing it to resist the virus more effectively and process data in less time. After another week, Rotom needed no more than an hour to fully process a device, a significant improvement that allowed it to sift through a large amount of information.
"Multiple high-value locations identified, including technology stores, factories, and information-processing facilities," Rotom finally announced.
"Show me the nearest location."
A hologram appeared before Alex, highlighting a technology store on the ground floor of one of the buildings he had already scavenged. He wanted to collect as many untouched devices as possible for Rhea, hoping the technology and underlying principles could propel their own advancements by leaps and bounds.
However, he wasn't interested in just any technology. He specifically wanted devices that had never been powered on, reducing the risk of bringing a virus back to his world along with them.
"This should work," Alex said as he covered himself in Dark type energy before making his way toward the location.
He leaped from building to building, moving silently through the ruins until he reached the ground floor of the designated building. Inside, the store was an absolute mess, with most of the technology scattered across the floor or reduced to broken pieces. Among the debris, however, several robot parts immediately caught his attention.
It seemed this world's technology was at least as advanced as his own, since they had developed robots as well. Judging by their designs, however, these machines were considerably more sophisticated, with a completely different aesthetic from anything Alex had seen before. Hopefully, they contained some form of artificial intelligence that Rhea could study and incorporate into her own work without the virus's influence.
Alex began searching the store, focusing on the warehouse at the back. He combed through the facility until he finally found a storage room filled with what appeared to be unopened units. There were all kinds of technology, including phones, cameras, computers, tablets, drones, and, as expected, robots. All of them were still sealed in their original plastic-wrapped boxes.
He could only hope they had been manufactured before the virus took over and had remained completely offline ever since, leaving them untouched and uninfected.
"Investigate these, Rotom. Make sure they're clean before storing them in the backpack."
As Rotom began zipping from one device to another, checking each for signs of infection, Alex patrolled the area to ensure they weren't caught off guard. Several Pokémon were scavenging nearby, but he left them alone as they seemed content to mind their own business. His greater concern was the Master ranked presences lurking in the surrounding streets. They were powerful threats that could turn the area into a battlefield without warning if they discovered him.
Unbeknownst to Alex, a certain Master ranked Pokémon slipped into the store. It was exceptionally agile and possessed typing that perfectly countered Dark type energy. Having sensed the ominous energy radiating from Alex, it moved silently through the building, heading straight toward its source.