the poipole saw her first. it smiled, offering a wave in greeting. lulu’s eyes were torn away from the flower at the admin’s voice. instead of offering a hello, the smallest nod was given in greeting, before her attention returned to where it had been before.[break][break]

”this is the first time for me as well,” she admitted. ”infinity energy has held much of my focus, but this particular specimen has spent its time either within the absorber, or in the care of an apothecary named elijah gardner .”[break][break]

her eyes traveled up to the elisabeth again.[break][break]

”i sought it out because it has come to my attention that the crystablooms are dwindling, just as we’re at our greatest need for their energy.”[break][break]

”how has your research been going?”

[attr="class","ooc"]Elisabeth Fiorelli [break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-poipole"]

”glad to hear. hopefully, those in our possession will survive.” she had to wonder, was it the absence of the tree, or rather what had caused it to disappear which had caused the death of so many of the blooms?[break][break]

opens doors was right. she nodded in agreement, ”sync stones…” the power of the crystabloom hearts was a fantastic discovery for technology. ”it was very impressive, indeed.”[break][break]

the topic returned to the floette. pitiless amber eyes still lingered on it, professionally detached. [break][break]

”the floette, or the flower it’s holding—but i’m not quite sure which. they’ve never been separated.” the implication was there. that’s what they were here to do today. [break][break]

her eyes passed to the admin again. [break][break]

”if it’s the flower, then it would only make sense to try and propagate it, wouldn’t you say?”

[attr="class","ooc"]Elisabeth Fiorelli [break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-poipole"]

elisabeth seemed sure of herself.[break][break]

”wonderful.” a simple word which wrapped up the topic for now. hopefully, expectations would be met. [break][break]

without much further ado, the admin was busying herself with removing the flower. lulu, though surprised at the immediacy of the action, watched intently, stopping nothing.[break][break]

the floette would release the flower, calmed by the sylveon’s influence. that much was successful. lulu regarded the tiny fairy, left without anything in its tiny hands. she then left towards a nearby refrigerator, pulling the door to reveal several types of flowers.[break][break]

”i’ll need to run tests before we attempt anything else. i presume it will need something to keep it occupied.”[break][break]

several of the flowers were placed on a cart and wheeled over. fleabanes and daffodils, bloodroots and buttercups, and more.[break][break]

without anything to hold, the floette soon began to slouch, almost as though wilting, itself. when offered anything besides its special flower, however, the alternatives would be denied. when lulu left to perform her tests, it would become quickly apparent that the floette required the presence of its mysterious blossom, and perhaps that the head scientist ought to deliver it back sooner than later.

[attr="class","ooc"]Elisabeth Fiorelli [break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-poipole"]

the tests performed determined something peculiar. the flower began to drain, much like the crystablooms did when severed from their source of energy. when lulu returned with the flower in her gloved hand, she was surprised to find the floette holding one of those same blooms. her eyes shifted to elisa, nerves rising.[break][break]

”you should consult me if you’re going to do something like that, you know,” she stated, wearing a certain sharpness about her tone. ”there was a reason a crystabloom was not in that fridge.” they were new, still very mysterious.[break][break]

with a brief assessment, the scientist’s feathers smoothed again, and she presented the eternal flower back to the floette gently.[break][break]

”it appears the eternal flower begins to lose its power when not held by the floette—just as the floette weakens without the flower. both are extraordinary and yet, this suggests they are dependent on one another. symbiotic.” like Killian Decker and his extraterrestrial parasite.[break][break]

she paused, watching as the life force between the two began to visibly increase again.[break][break]

”we will be exploring ways to use this floette’s power for a propulsion system. however, i think propagating its flower will do us no good after all. this is what we have to work with.” and no more. ”but it should be plenty.”

[attr="class","ooc"]Elisabeth Fiorelli [break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-poipole"]

”not a problem.” a swift response, like a hand smoothly brushing the moment off the shoulder of her labcoat. she moved on.[break][break]
did they have a goal in mind?[break][break]
”yes.” she looked up from the floette again, and although the offense of the crystabloom had cooled her demeanor, there was a sparkle in her eye. ”propulsion of spacecrafts.”[break][break]
though much was still in the works, even as their first mission quickly approached.[break][break]
”with the limitless power of the eternal flower floette, team rocket will soon be ready for boundless exploration.”[break][break]
an assistant was waved in to remove the odds and ends of their experiment, and the floette was prepared to be delivered to another part of the lab. the part where said propulsion system was already mostly complete, and awaiting tests.[break][break]
”i am curious about your thoughts regarding the flower, but we are short on time. i’ll be doing tests on that system next, if you’d like to join me. you would be a welcome presence for the floette’s sake, should anything go awry.”

[attr="class","ooc"]Elisabeth Fiorelli [break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-poipole"]

”there was once a time i would say the same, but i believe the league has proven their recklessness time and time again, especially with their recent endeavors. this is not merely going the cosmic path less traveled. it is a race.”[break][break]
at elisabeth’s response to the invitation, the head scientist nodded. ”wonderful. onward we go.”[break][break]
soon, they were in a larger part of rock’s facilities, surrounded by titans of machinery. the floette was loaded into the absorber, surely an all-too-predictable fate for it. they were offered more gear. suits, goggles, all of it.
eventually, when they were all suited up, they’d approach the test area.
”you may begin!”[break][break]
a call commenced their first trial. power was sucked through the absorber, and distributed to the system. force erupted into a cooled duct from a hulking test nozzle, and thrust was measured.[break][break]
”give it more!”[break][break]
and more was taken from the floette, which slowly began to weak again, visible through the window of its container.

[attr="class","ooc"]Elisabeth Fiorelli [break]

[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-poipole"]