It was her second trip to Lesser Megalopolis, and it didn't do much to reinvigorate her thoughts and opinions on the matter after coming here previously with the Rocket Beast, Zev. The city was a festering wound that refused to let nature take its course. Its residents lingered on, patrolling the streets in search of anything to sink their fangs into.

Yet this trip was more of of an interest to Soyeon, as walked alongside one of the executives of Rocket, Lulu Flint. She had asked for a plus one to accompany her into this delve into Ultra Space again, and who was Soyeon to turn down a chance to take some time away from the ball and chain that was her research. It was a good chance as any to go about getting some air outside of the laboratory. Alongside her Genesect, the woman flashed a smile at her superior.

"Th-The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Flint! It's an honor to have a walk through alongside you!" The scientist replied, sounding as giddy as could be. A great smile was plastered on her face as the two walked alongside one another. "Any chance to set foot into Ultra Space is a great excuse to get out for a while! I've been here once before with another Rocket member before. The Megalopolans here are a bit...concerning, but I think we should be fine, especially with you here!"

Soyeon kept a hand on her main Pokeball, fingers drumming on top of Ignis' capsule, ready to throw at a moment's notice.

"I've always wondered, how did you get involved in scientific work like this?"

Lulu Flint

It was to be expected that Lulu had an interest in engineering and machines of all sorts. From what she had read up on her work before her disappearance, the woman was a force to be reckoned with with the scientific background that she had. It seemed like it was fate that a weapons expert for Rocket arrive just in time for the invasion of the Megalopolans. The very same people whose home were currently setting foot in. Soyeon listened to the tale with a great curiosity visible in her eyes as Lulu informed her about everything, never once looking away until she finished.

Smart and beautiful. A very lethal combination.

Then it came time for her own introduction. She couldn't say that it wasn't warranted, but Soyeon's background wasn't as interesting. "I wanted to be an astronaut when I was younger since my Dad got me a telescope one year for my birthday. I dreamed about just reaching all those worlds outside of our planet and soaring around. Being a little explorer. I used to call myself "Soyeon of the Stars" if that's any measurement of how excited I was." A smile went over her face as she'd drum her fingers on top of her Pokeball.

"When it came time for college, my parents barely had enough to keep a roof over our heads. I got a job at a florists in some hopes I could save up enough, but then a man came up to us representing a college in Kalos and made us an offer. A way to pay for my entire college stay. Tuition, textbooks, everything. It was my only real shot and even if it was too good to be true, it was my only real shot at going. So I went, but when I graduated and was on my way home, the man returned with an army of Rocket grunts. Told me that I would help them with their up and coming Ultra Space division or that they'd kill my parents and then me. And I've been here ever since."

Soyeon remained quiet for a beat or so, but then offered a shrug. Her expression was more tired than grief or worry. "A bit of a mood killer compared to your story, but it's mine as well."

Lulu Flint

It had been something to come to terms with what her life had become since graduation. The proper and safe life turned upside down and being forced to work for a cause that she may or may not have fully believed in. Soyeon had spent enough nights crying and asking why she had taken the deal all those years ago. Now, she could only meet it with some kind of apathetic humor at what her personal life was like. It didn't bother her much anyway. She was much too busy with her research to focus on much else. Although that wasn't to say several people in Rocket did take her fancy.

"It's been quite the ride, that's for certain." Soyeon smiled a little, providing some time to let the awkwardness flow out of her. "I've been to such fantastic places and met some interesting people. I've come to terms with what I've done and what it will be used for. But I agree with you on that point. The discoveries do make it all worth it."

A small crack was heard as Lulu picked up her foot just in time to step on a stray crystal just laying in the middle of the ground. Soyeon looked down and was surprised to find the remnants of a shattered z-crystal. Something that Lulu asked her about on the previous trip here with Zev. The scientist nodded and motioned to some of the buildings that surrounded them, precisely to the very one she had found herself on top of a while back.

"The Megalopolanns used the z-crystals as an energy source for the lights. It's something well documented and I thought it could have been just to provide light in the city." A wide smirk grew over her face, the woman's eager nature showing full force as Soyeon could nerd out about her interests. "But the lights were simply a way of summoning Necrozma, or what I can assume was a shard of it. Zev Harcourt and I ran into a small group that attacked us before it arrived. They completely ignored us and started to feed all of their z-crystals to it. I can only assume it was an offering of some kind, though for how long is uncertain."

She paused to wonder if Zev had even escaped before doubting something like that could kill the Rocket beast. He likely would be around for a while. Those avatars had a tendency to be hard to kill, even by other legendary standards. "That's all I could gather before being thrown into an Ultra Wormhole, anyway."

Lulu Flint

"It was...something else." Soyeon said as she tried to gather the words to describe her venture across the dimensions. "Zev and I had both escaped from that very same group of Megalopolans offering z-crystals to Necrozma when we jumped together. But we were pulled different ways. That Necrozma that we escaped from, or maybe it was the same one, it tossed me away. It felt odd at first. Like a pressure was pushing me against a wall that wasn't there.

But the sights...the best way I can describe it is falling through a tube at extreme speeds, but somehow, you can catch brief glimpses into other worlds. I remember seeing one where it was like the ice age had never ended. A frozen tundra without end. I can't say for certain what it was, but it somehow felt so real. I did land back in Hoenn unharmed, but I was sick for several days with some kind of sickness. It wasn't a cold though, just as if my body was fighting off something."

She quietly added along another detail, tapping her chin in thought. "They hold it in such high regard, in worship even. Yet it destroyed their world and seemingly won't restore the light to it. What would you make of it, Mrs. Flint?"

Lulu Flint

A good point. When all other hope was lost, one was inclined to grovel towards their torturer for some vain hope that a mercy would fall upon them. Soyeon remained quiet as the only thing filled the void between them were the echoes of their footwear tapping on the ground below them. "It's strange. They're technically still hostiles as far as Rocket in involved, but I can't help but feel bad for them. The very same thing could have happened to our world. Beings above humans directly or indirectly causing the destruction of our world and what's left is nothing more than just fragments. Or maybe I haven't had the empathy beaten out of my yet."

Lulu asked about her health after the incident as Soyeon said nothing again. Just a beat of silence before she'd inhale sharply. "I wouldn't want to trouble the doctors with something so minor. I feel perfectly fine." She lied. In truth, her skin still tingled every now and again. Something was wrong with her, but that was research to be done in private, away from the eyes of Rocket. Lulu was a welcome addition to the scientific minds she had become acquainted with, but Soyeon was just paranoid about things.

At least those twelve Baenette dolls in her quarters wouldn't judge her.

"What things did you work on with computer science and engineering when you weren't busy making weapons?" she asked Lulu. "I'm just curious is all."

Lulu Flint

Soyeon felt awkward about the offer of protection given to her by Lulu. It was sweet, a superior offering a hand to protect them that she normally would have jumped at, but now? It was just so foreign to her. Still, she flashed an appreciative smile at the other woman. "I…appreciate the offer, Ms. Flint. Ah, I would offer the same as well."

There wasn't much that a lowly grunt like her could do, but Soyeon knew a few things that could do some magic. Everybody had a plan before a bit of acid was thrown in their face.

The tidbit about empathy was received well. She nodded her head along slowly, though perhaps with a hint as to her usually positive self was being questioned. The woman pursed her lips in thought as she listened to Lulu describe her time in engineering…and being pleasantly surprised.

"A hacker? You?" Soyeon laughed in jest, a common occurrence today, as it stood. "I never would have taken you for one! I had thought you were a spy or some femme fatale with how you, errr…"

Her brain had finally registered what was on its way out of her mouth. Soyeon faltered as she searched for the right words that were caught in a maelstrom on her head. A moment passed as she froze in place, hand moving around as nonchalantly as it could to hide that fussy coloration to her cheeks. "Because of…your, ah, allure." It wasn't much of an explanation, but Soyeon couldn't form any other words that would sound like she wasn't crazy.

Their journey stopped them just outside of an abandoned schoolhouse. She had felt her heart ache at the sight of this, especially when asked if they wanted to continue their journey inside of there. Soyeon hesitated to answer, partly out of what may lay inside, even if it wasn't another thing trying to kill them. Her curious side won in the end, and she nodded her head. Her hand grasped the door and opened it for Lulu.

"After you."

The hallways were quiet tunnels of what once was a pleasant looking place for children to dream and aspire to what they would be when they were older. Now, nothing remained but the stains and markings of an age long gone. Soyeon walked forward to come face to face with a message board holding several stained pieces of paper. It was black, almost like the charred remnants of a great fire. But whatever it could be, it stained the hallways and floors with little regard for sanitation.

Some were notices, typed in a child friendly font with rules displayed. But others made her pause. Crude drawings of people, Pokémon, other things in crayons. Her eyes remained stuck on them for a moment before she shook her head. "About what I expected."

Lulu Flint

"I mean, you just look like that type of character, is all! I apologize for how that might have come off!" At Lulu's chuckling, Soyeon's cheeks flushed a deep red as she looked away. Curse her big, unfiltered mouth! This really did get her into trouble constantly! She kept her head down and held the door open for the other woman until the both of them went through. Best to avoid another awkward moment.

That brought them to where they were currently. Soyeon looking up from the bulletin board and glancing about the hallway, nodding along with Lulu's remark. "Agreed. It's strange, for how much we hate one another, we often have a lot in common. What we want most, the things we cherish deep in our hearts." The hand holding onto the crayon marked sheet of people as it was placed back onto the board. "What we hope for the future to be."

After that little detour, the question was raised for the both of them to ponder over. The darkness stained halls were a bit disconcerning indeed, although the scientist lacked anything that pointed to a direct cause for all of this. Her fingers wiped the blackened material in some attempt to lift it from the walls. Some faintly saturated coloration could be seen underneath the amounts of dust and what looked to be ash that was in with them. But the air was still. Dusty, yes, but they weren't gasping for oxygen.

"I-It could be. A fire, perhaps? Or maybe it was raided for some reason. Whatever happened here, I can't imagine it was a day I'd want to experience."

The ground shook outside, Soyeon's head craning over towards the door in confusion. She was quick to bring a Pokeball up to defend herself, even as the ground became still again. "Did you feel that?" she asked Lulu. "I'm fairly certain that wasn't a pack of Megalopolans. We should be careful." The woman looked further down the hall as her curious side had gotten the better of her. She wished to explore more.

"Shall we continue?"

Lulu Flint