The Ultra Sea campaign was destined to be complicated, but the reality of the endeavor was more than even Oscar anticipated. He thought he would have an easier time now that his goals leaned more toward the academic, yet he had been caught up in fierce conflicts regardless. However, despite the chaos Oscar still had duties to attend to. He, Naomi Sato, anya fowl, and Lulu Flint were unified in their quest to expand Rocket's resources.

In that spirit, he had arranged to meet up with Lulu at the site of an Interdream Zone anomaly--or at least it was an anomaly to him. Here in Ultra Space these sorts of occurrences could be common place for all he knew. The two met up amongst the leaking pink mists, both looking like they had gone through hell to get here. Lulu had clearly sustained some minor wounds, and Oscar's golden mask had its luster nearly completely wiped away.

Oscar folded his arms as Lulu addressed him, ignoring the bizarre sounds that radiated through the mist. "She sees Pandora's Box, I see a treasure chest. It's not gonna be easy but the fruits of our labors will be worth it." Oscar tilted his head, "You alright there? I mean I know you are but I feel like it's still polite to check in before we start."

MP TRACKER
--+10 MP per ic post

Total: 10 MP

Oscar did not pry further, accepting Lulu's answer at face value. She knew her own limits, if she says that she was alright then why would Oscar think otherwise? Lulu's Porygon Z got to work, reminding Oscar of his brief partnership with the specialized program not too long ago. Oscar tilted his head in the other direction, "It can really pack it in. Do you think it has like--a stomach that holds all the data? Do Porygons get hungry?"

Amusing musings aside, Oscar was starting to feel a little on edge. His mask did nothing to protect him from the mist, its sweet aroma clogging up his sinuses once again. He kept hearing things, screams and cries that he originally thought were from battles nearby. He began to recognize the voices attached to them though, echoes of long dead foes reliving their final moments. Oscar began to sweat profusely behind his mask, so he finally decided to remove it.

His face was paler than usual, drops of sweat rolling down his forehead. His helmet hair latched to his scalp, unwilling to part even with its newfound freedom. Oscar ran his fingers through the stubborn locks and kept his eyes peeled as the Porygon z continued its meal. There was no one nearby, only the voices. Yet he could not shake the feeling of being watched.

Oscar shared his uneasiness with his companion. "I feel like something is nearby. It's--I can't explain it..."

Lulu Flint

MP TRACKER
--10 MP per ic post
--10 MP mention of environmental mutation / paranoia

Oscar's eyes darted in every direction, desperately searching for a reason behind his fear. The last time he was in Interdream mist he did not feel nearly as paranoid, was it being influenced by the Ultra Sea? Perhaps the mist worked like a hallucinatory drug, with one's mindset being a deciding factor between a good and bad trip.

No--no something wanted him to know they were watching. It wanted him to fear it. What kind of creature could cause such a feeling of dread? Finally, after realizing that he had yet to do so, Oscar looked up. Is eyes widened as he witnessed something so unusual that he could hardly believe it. What peered back at him from high above seemed to be a Volcorona, but it looked--wrong. Its wings were glowing red, silently keeping it afloat as its unusually luscious eyes stared downward. Was--was it real?

The anomaly seemed to continue floating upward, eventually disappearing completely into the mist. Oscar shut his eyes tightly and shook his head, groaning as he tried to make sense of what he saw. "We gotta finish quickly, this mist is starting to get to my head."

Lulu Flint

MP TRACKER

10 MP per ic post.

TOTAL: 40

Real? That thing was an actual pokemon? "Oh..." Was all Oscar could manage as he stared up at the sky, unsure if he wanted one or never wanted to encounter it again. Lulu's scatterbang broke his trance, causing him to yelp in surprise. "Fuckin', warn me next time! We're in a battle zone!"

Oscar's surprise melted away as Darkrai made itself known, the silly crown on its head from terastallizing doing nothing to hinder its intimidating aura. Oscar sheepishly kicked the ground as he tried not to make eye contact, "I--was just surprised is all. She can throw as many of those as she wants. Don't mind me."

Luckily for them Lulu agreed that it was time to leave. Oscar was set to follow behind her when the researcher suddenly froze. Oscar peered over, trying to grasp what the hold up was, but before he could ask Lulu would crouch down and start playing with rocks. "Ummm..." Oscar was not sure what she possibly could be doing, that is until he stepped forward and saw a hallucination of his own.

He was suddenly looking down a dock, a rather high quality sailboat waiting for him at the end. The boat bobbed softly in the water, reflecting a perfect sunrise in the distance. On the deck of the boat was a familiar young man; white hair, red eyes, pale skin, but a far more muscular figure than Oscar. A kinder face too. The man looked up, giving Oscar a smile that filled him with nostalgia. "Hey bro, you comin' or what?"

Oscar abruptly slapped himself, an almost instinctive maneuver that allowed him to escape the illusion. He was back within the bleakness of the Ultra Deep Sea, which almost seemed welcoming compared to the nightmare he just escaped. Oscar shivered, now fully understanding what was happening to Lulu. Hopefully he vision was not nearly as horrifically wholesome.

He walked over to Lulu's side, leaning down to gently shake her shoulder. "Lulu it's not real. The mist is tricking you."

Lulu Flint

Lulu easily came to, which relieved Oscar because he did not want to have to slap her or something. She got up, determining that it was time to go before using a mystery ore to forge a path forward. Oscar had never seen that done before, so was a bit too taken aback to answer right away. Eventually he shook off his bewilderment and nodded. "Yes, onward and upward."

Oscar followed Lulu deeper into Ultra Space, catching the gaze of Darkrai as he passed. What was going through its head? Oscar wondered what effects the mist might have on the master of nightmares. A curious concept, but it was not Oscar's to get to the bottom of. He will have to press Lulu about it after all of this was over.

If either of them make it to the end that is...

Lulu Flint

MP TALLY
+50 (+10 per post)
+10 (Assisted Lulu)
+10 (Environmental paranoia)
+50 (Participating)
+100 (Mission Complete)
220