Oscar did not answer right away, instead taking a moment to organize his thoughts with the new information Zev had shared. Tera Crystals were like little parasites that popped up wherever there was energy. It was a huge pain in the ass, but they were usually easy to clear. Did the crystals themselves evolve to become more durable?

Oscar decided to put that train of thought on the shelf and finally provide a response. "I used Genesect Prime. Its claws could rip through steel, and they've cleared normal Tera Crystals in the past. This time they did not even leave a dent. It took Genesect terastallizing and utilizing a steel-type techno blast to remove the crystals--but the power spot itself was heavily damaged."

Oscar sighed, sliding his fingers through his hair before clapping them together. "So basically we gotta be strong enough to remove the crystals but not too strong as to damage the power spot. A complete fuckin' shit-show." Oscar paused to let Zev formulate a response, flinching as his hairs stood up on the back of his neck.

He looked behind him and saw something unexpected: an absol staring at them from atop the Sootopolis crater. Oscar raised an eyebrow, wondering what its deal was.

Zev Harcourt

Oscar's eyes lit up as Zev prepared to assault the crystals. He had been curious about the powers of Necrozma's chosen, and getting to see them in person was going to be wild! Oscar giggled as Zev's transformation proceeded, rubbing his hands together with anticipation. His excitement was broken as he almost instinctively looked back to the Absol. Huge mistake, the whole occasion would be ruined for him.

The absol was leering more intensely now, as if also anticipating Zev's display of power. Oscar's stomach sunk as he looked between Zev and the absol, suddenly connecting some very concerning dots. As Zev prepared to strike the crystals, Oscar would be able to manage a "Uhhhhh--" but would not be able to stop Zev's strike. And what a strike it was, the impact caused a spark so intense that Oscar flinched as if hiding from an explosion. Yet as the resonating clang and lights died down, Oscar would realize that he was fine. He slowly recovered from his flinch, looking at his in-tact body before looking to the crystals.

Of course they were barely scratched, that lined up with their current string of luck. Oscar let out a heavy sigh, dumbfounded by the resilience of the tera crystals. "Well that isn't what I was hoping for at all." Oscar suddenly remembered the absol, and quickly looked to it to see how it would react. As he turned his gaze upward, he would only catch its behind fleeing behind the rocks of the crater's edge. Oscar smirked, it would seem that the absol had been mistaken.

Oscar was so busy feeling smug about the absol's apparent folly that he did not notice the nearby sea becoming unusually volatile...

Zev Harcourt

Something massive emerged from the sea, and as Oscar looked over his heart would sink into his stomach. "Oh fuck not again!" For reasons he could not fathom, the legendary Kyogre had been drawn to the Power Spots dotted around Sootopolis. The primal fish had attacked Oscar and Amor Rose when they were examining a spot not too long ago, either to get them away or to destroy the spot outright. It would seem that one time was not enough.

"Hit the deck!" Oscar cried out as the leviathan unleashed its Origin Pulse. The scientist dove to the side, sliding against the rocks as he ducked and covered his head with his arms. Just like last time, the mighty attack hit with an incredible impact, causing an explosion of water and rock to engulf the area. Oscar flinched as water flowed over him, once more soaking him to the bone.

He looked over to the power spot, and made the astonishing discovery that the crystals had been ripped from the perimeter. Their durability seemingly protected the power spot itself, which left Kyogre unsatisfied. Oscar's attention was forced back to the fish as it charged another Origin Pulse to finish the job. "Oh fuck me with a rock dude!"

Zev Harcourt

Oscar shakily pulled himself to his feet, ready to book it if Kyogre managed to get its second Origin Pulse off--which right now seemed likely. In a surprising twist though, Zev would step up to face the mighty whale head on. Oscar paused, worrying for his superior--and friend? Maybe. Probably. He did not want to assume.

Forgetting his own safety, Oscar would shout out to Zev. "Zev! Are you sure about this!? This is risky even for--oh." Oscar finally realized that Zev was not creating another set of claws, but rather a construct that resembled a cannon. Oscar suddenly got the urge to duck and cover again, keeping his head up so that he could at least see what Zev did.

The laser that Zev unleashed was astounding, a beautiful beam of countless colors that seemed to sear everything around it. It collided with the Origin Pulse, creating a shock wave that would send even the hunkered Oscar rolling across the ground. He would only stop after harshly crashing into the wall of a higher cliff-side, splaying out like an upturned turtle.

He felt bruised and achy, but it could have been worse. He breathed heavily as his dazed senses slowly aligned themselves, just in time to watch a very shocked Kyogre recoil from the shock wave. This was apparently more than it bargained for, as the beast would soon dive back into the ocean. Oscar watched its shadow swim away, its outline slowly disappearing as it dove deeper into the sea. Oscar sighed and looked up at the sky, amazed that he lived through another encounter with the fabled leviathan.

"Fuckin' Absol." Oscar dragged himself to his feet, still feeling a little shaky from enduring two blasts. As he attempted to push some of the new knots in his back, Oscar would throw his hand dismissively toward the power spot. "We should um--call it for now."

Zev Harcourt