the knock on the door would be followed by its opening by someone unseen. oscar recieved a quick look from the head scientist hiding behind something reminiscent of an MRI machine.[break][break]

there were few who could have drawn her attention away from her work so effectively. despite being deeply immersed in what she was doing, it only took that brief glance up at oscar's face, and the screwdriver in her hand was promptly set aside. she acknowledged him with a pleasant smile.[break][break]

"oscar! come in. how are you?"

[attr="class","ooc"]oscar clayton [break]

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

”very good to hear.”[break][break]

she stepped away from the machine, smoothing wrinkles in her lab coat from the awkward position she’d been situated in for the last hour. with a smile, she introduced rather simply, ”it’s a dream machine.”[break][break]

it was presented with a wave of her hand.[break][break]

”have a look, if you like.”[break][break]

the inner workings indeed looked much like a computer, with a few extra parts where the real magic happened.[break][break]

”it's meant to contain dreams. to decipher their language, and create a link to the interdream zone.”

[attr="class","ooc"]oscar clayton [break]

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

”blinking eyes?”[break][break]

a pause, before it hit her. of course. ”the unown. ah.”[break][break]

the realization spurred a thought. ”i’ve wondered before if they have some connection to the interdream zone, after the events at mossdeep space center during the litleonid shower.” the unown had appeared along with the dream mist. were they infiltrating the sleeping minds of the hoennians they meant to spy on? ”perhaps there’s something to it after all.”[break][break]

her attention fell back onto the machine with a smile, proud of this work. it had been kept under wraps for some time, and fallen to the back burner. now, with meteno behind them, more focus was spent on it again.[break][break]

”the machine itself isn’t quite finished, but i’m getting close. once it’s complete, all that will be left is to fill it with dreams.”[break][break]

she looked over. ”i’m in the process of developing a new patch for porygon-z, that will allow it to obtain dream data in a transferrable format. once a database is built, we’ll be able to plug into the interactive environment comprised of those dreams. an artificial interdream zone.”

[attr="class","ooc"]oscar clayton [break]

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

would the nightmares be taken too? contained, perhaps, separately… or would they fit together, somehow? it was yet to be determined. either way, ”you won’t have to.” a small smile. ”others willing to venture into that environment will do so instead.” like herself.[break][break]

”it will share some similarities with our training program. something like virtual reality, but taken a step or two further.” a difficult concept to explain. she suspected it might be something like the cloud, even. if only she could have a look into the workings of it…[break][break]

about conquering other worlds, she had to smirk a little. the day she’d received darkrai’s gift, she had tried to reason with declan walsh that they should turn their sights on worlds beyond. greater gains. it was only recently, however, that such a future seemed truly, reasonably within reach. now, others were pointing it out.[break][break]

it was utterly satisfying. validating.[break][break]

”surely.” a pause, as she absorbed the moment.[break][break]

”i can relate to your wanderlust,” she then admitted. ”ever since i took an interest in porygon, i have wondered about the possibility of traveling to a tangible cyberspace. harnessing a dependable means of dimensional travel has been at the top of my priorities since the war.”

[attr="class","ooc"]oscar clayton [break]

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

she nodded, following, watching him pace and eager to hear what it was he was getting to. he’d come here for a reason, after all. an idea. she could see it in the enthusiasm.[break][break]
great sacrifice? it was an intriguing word choice.[break][break]
”i agree.”[break][break]
of course, minus whatever sacrifice she wasn’t yet clear on. they were like-minded, though. of all those in rocket, she was more inclined to believe what oscar said was truly worth investing in, while the rest focused more on narrower visions of worldly takeover.[break][break]
it was another reason her own excitement persisted, despite discoveries made regarding the generator during her conversation with Amor Rose .[break][break]
”what’ve you got up your sleeve, then?”

[attr="class","ooc"]oscar clayton [break]

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

a weapon. hardly an unfamiliar venture to the head scientist, although, in her time with rocket, she had opted to put the guns and bombs down in favor of pokemon. however, harnessing and weaponizing the very power of life itself was another idea entirely.[break][break]
predictably, she was all ears.[break][break]
oscar seemed fair in predicting that hiding an extra sun in hoenn might be difficult. she nodded quietly. and then, it all started to come together. why the sudden collaboration with Amor Rose . why he was in possession of their generators.[break][break]
”this is all very exciting.”[break][break]
she paused, something in her face faltering in a way he hadn’t seen from her before.[break][break]
”i met with Amor Rose , recently.” and she would soon be visiting his own facility. ”i offered him my help. or, my advice at least, on his plans.”[break][break]
”do you trust him?”

[attr="class","ooc"]oscar clayton [break]

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

therapy. she made no comment. how many of them might truly benefit from such services? all of them? but who cared? no one had time for that, not with the world always ending like it was.[break][break]
”that’s good to hear,” she replied with a nod. she would form her own judgment of Amor Rose over time, but to have oscar's support was significant.[break][break]
”i’ve learned that dreams can be manipulated, through controlling doses of dream mist both from munna and darkrai—which i believe will be useful, should we eventually wind up in the real interdream zone.”

[attr="class","ooc"]oscar clayton [break]

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