Oscar rubbed his hands together as he let Yuan Wright look over today's dilemma. He had never gotten to work with Mister Wright properly during his tenure, but with him back on the sub Oscar wanted to take advantage of the fresh perspective of a brilliant mind. Before the two sat prestine device that Oscar has dubbed the 'Poke Pod'. Its function, as explained to Yuan upon his arrival, was to drain the Infinity Energy of pokemon and transfer that energy to power something else.

With war on the horizon, Oscar really wanted to finalize his portable model of the pod, but progress has not gone well. Oscar would explain his struggles as he and Yuan looked upon several unfinished prototypes for a portable Poke Pod, each less finished than the last. "You see, I am struggling to fit all of the functions of the Poke Pod into a condensed model. I know it's possible because I've seen similar tech in another timeline, long story, but fuck I can't get it right myself."

Oscar looked to his compatriot, his eyes hopeful that the great Wright would hold the key to this puzzling mystery. "Anything off the top of your head? First impressions and whatnot?"

Down to brass tacks, Oscar grinned with barely contained excitement. He held up his own ball, admiring its polished sheen within the light of the lab. "Prime has been displaying a peculiar behavior as of late. It's been meeting several members of its kind--'chatting' with them. In every instance, the other Genesect would suddenly display signs of developing an identity."

Oscar held the ball between his hands, "I want Prime to chat with your Genesect while we observe the conversation. I have impressed upon Prime the value of individuality, and I believe it is spreading this to others of its kind. If I am correct, it would prove that Prime and its kin have an evolving intelligence--similar to an AI. It would be a huge discovery, though it also raises concerns. Either way it's valuable knowledge."

Oscar extended his ball out, preparing to open it. "When our Genesect are released, we shall engage in a fake conversation. Prime seems to only engage its relatives while the trainers are distracted. That's why we needed to keep them in their balls until now, they can't know they are being observed. Are you ready?"

Cillian Quinn

A KEY HAS BEEN FOUND

Oscar smiled as Zev opened a desk drawer and found the first key. He leaned over toward a PA system sitting on the monitor control panel, pressing a button near a protruding microphone. Speakers hanging from the ceiling on each floor suddenly awoke with Oscar's voice. "You're slacking Prime, they've found a key." He paused briefly before pressing the button again. "Also did I forget to mention that I announce when you find a key? My bad." Oscar leaned back, chuckling mischievously as the chaos resumed.

Meanwhile Hitoshi found himself an item upon entering the second floor. Hopefully it will be useful for his quest of survival.

Smoke Ball

Use to create the "Smokescreen" effect on current floor.

Smokescreen: For three rounds, roll twice. For Search rolls choose the lower number. For hiding rolls choose the higher number.

Upon hearing that they had already found a key, Prime let out a ringing screech of frustration. It would now be twice as motivated to seek out its targets, unwilling to accept defeat.

Genesect now rolls twice with advantage

It deduced that the best solution would be to search each floor, starting with the second. Prime ran for the stairs, sprinting up the stairwell and smashing through the door to the second floor. It immediately went into search mode, feverishly seeking out its targets.

4|QxQRK7



()Fourth Floor:
()Third Floor:
(*)Second Floor: Genesect (Search), Zev Harcourt , Hitoshi Inoue
()First Floor:

Oscar stood up as Cillian entered fully, unable to stop himself from smiling. "You know you don't have to apologize." Oscar chuckled at such a notion, going in for a brief embrace. There was no greater symbol of last friendship than a hug between bros. As Oscar pulled away, he did a little turn to show just how much better he was.

"Yeah I kicked that shit hard. I mean I'm still pale as fuck but that's normal. You look great too, not even a little stressed." Oscar backed up and took a seat on the desk itself, crossing his legs as he pulled up Genesect's ball. He would have loved to catch more, but there was work to be done first. "Did you bring your robot?"

Cillian Quinn

Meet me in Lab 4. Bring your Genescet, keep it in its ball.

Also hi I missed you

A simple text to a friend Oscar had not seen in a long time. The last time Oscar interacted with Cillian Quinn directly, the man was still going by the name Gavin. He was one of the first people Oscar sought out after returning to Hoenn, but alas his duties as an Underboss kept him busy. Months later, and Oscar would require his assistance with something very important to his research. Things were calmer now, surely nothing would prevent him from making an appearance.

Oscar waited within the designated laboratory, rolling Genesect Prime's red ball around on a desk between his hands. Cillian would show up right? Surely he missed Oscar too. What if he was mad because Oscar did not manage to contact him all this time? That would make for a very awkward reunion. The prospect made him nervous though, which caused him to jump slightly as the doors to the lab swung open.

Oscar turned in his chair, his anxiety melting away as he looked upon his dear friend.

"Hey there Cil. Am I allowed to call you Cil?"

The red chain gambit was working, with significant progress being made as Oscar crawled toward the would-be captors of the Never rot. Soon Oscar would be within a few feet of the squirming fruit, it was nearly within his grasp. His eyes went wild as victory neared, the possibility of his desires being fulfilled fueling his ailing body.

Then the fucking green thing grand slammed it into oblivion.

Oscar lay frozen, reaching for something that was no longer there. The Never rot had been launched with a blow so powerful, that it had likely gone a distance undocumented by megalopian scholars. He collapsed, pressing his face into the pavement and letting out a pained groan. With the last of his energy he would turn over on his back, looking up at the Ultra Space sky. Once again his selflessness had let him down.

Abner had taken a great deal of punishment as he protected his charges, but not quite as much punishment as Navy's Urshifu. Its endurance was admirable, and working alongside such a powerful being filled Abner with a bizarre sense of pride. Not for himself, but for his species. As the battle ended, a bleeding Abner would turn to his fellow wounded warrior, his expression hardened by instinctual disdain. Yet he would not act with malice, instead offering the warrior his hand--to help it up, to shake, to slap away, it did not matter. The gesture itself was a rare signal of respect from a normally stoic being. It should be relished while it lasts, for the next time they meet these Urshifu shall clash on the field of battle. And it will be glorious.

Once the moment had concluded, Abner would limp over to his master, kneeling down to check his vitals. Oscar did not react as Abner's claws checked his pulse, instead choosing to continue to stare up at the alien sky. He felt so foolish, so defeated. Yes his freedom had been earned, but Oscar's body and spirit had been crushed in the process. The thing that stuck with him most, beyond the coursing poison and persistent internal bleeding, was that stolen feeling of satisfaction.

He felt it when he saw his desires fulfilled through the mask, and then again when he realized that the Never rot could grant him what he wanted. Yet it was all an illusion, orchestrated by powers beyond his control. He was never in control...

Oscar went into auto pilot, struggling to raise himself on his own. Perhaps he had help, perhaps he did not, all he knew was that eventually he would find himself resting in a private hospital bed within his office. How did he get here? How long had he been in this bed? IVs were purging the poison from his system, and morphine was numbing the pain of his wounded body. Oscar just stared forward, the same vision playing again and again in his mind: Him standing upon a tower, looking over a shattered Hoenn. Details began to change over time; the Rocket airships lost their affiliation, instead bearing the logo of Infinity Industries. The toxic chain he used to supposedly achieve victory disappeared. He would require neither Rocket nor the Never rot to achieve his dream of domination. In time the answers became all too clear: He only needed himself.

tl;dr
--Oscar is a grumpy gus

PURCHASING/REDEEMING

welcome to the poké mart!

1X EXTRA MOVE FROM AN EVENT on Genesect (PP Reward)

TOTAL

do come again!

## PD

Oscar grinned as Shred requested a demonstration. "With pleasure!" The scientist declared as he raised the arm off of the pedestal. He held it aloft, not yet holding it close enough for Shred to grab. "The original arm would have required surgery to attach. It needed to be connected to the spinal column in order to have the same functionality as a normal human appendage. Thanks to the tech you provided, this second iteration can be attached and detached freely. Simply press here..."

Oscar pressed a button just under the tip of forearm, hidden away so that it would not open accidentally. The forearm split open, revealing a series of needles surrounding a large chrome spike. Oscar's smile suddenly became foreboding. "Once the arm is in place, the arm will close and attach itself into your nervous system. You'll feel a pinch, but it will allow you to easily wield it like a normal arm. You can de-attach it by pressing the button again--although I would not recommend taking it on and off often. You know, because of the pinch."

Oscar coyly stepped forward, placing the arm into position. Then, before Shred could back out, he would press the button to begin the attachment process. "Think pleasant thoughts!"

Shred

Genesect's initial sweep would be interrupted by Hitoshi's whistle. Genesect was reluctant to seek it out, given that no one would deliberately give themselves away unless they were planning something. Yet it was so early in the assessment that Genesect figured there was no way they could have set up a trap this quickly, plus it made its job of finding them a lot quicker.

Genesect marched forward toward the source of the whistle, scanning through the smoke for signs of life. It would completely miss Zev as the beast made his way to the second floor. Thanks to the thickness of the smoke, it also could not properly locate Hitoshi. It would suddenly stand still, slowly scanning the room for signs of movement.

G0uXSW4c


()Fourth Floor:
()Third Floor:
()Second Floor :Zev Harcourt
()First Floor: Genesect (Hunting), Hitoshi Inoue

Oscar took in a deep breath and unzipped his hazmat suit just enough for him to poke his head out. He chugged the coffee, the beverage having cooled off just enough to be quickly ingested. He placed his empty cup on the one clean cart he brought and zipped himself back in. Once secure he would let out his breath, gagging a little from the smell that had sneaked its way in.

"Fuck what was I thinking?" He grumbled as he reeled from the scent. How could he allow such a mess to occur? What madness had possessed him? Oscar realized that Sylvie had asked him a question, and after piecing together the words he heard he managed an answer. "Ah, nah just Gallade. Their bodies are over there." Oscar pointed toward the mound covered in a white sheet. He had piled up the Gallade bodies he used after amputating their arms, having no need for the rest of the creature.

Oscar clapped his hands together as he remembered something important. "Oh, and this guy." He strode toward the plastic curtain, unceremoniously pulling it down with a forceful yank. The male body on the bed was no longer obscured. Its arms had been cut off and suspended by wires hanging from the ceiling. Oscar had opened the arms and combined the muscle tendons with that of a gallade, creating a morbid 3d medical model. Oscar crossed his arms, feeling the need to clear himself of blame concerning this man's death. "He was dead when I got him by the way. Pulled a favor from dorian westcliff. He just--has them around." Oscar tried not to think about it too much.

With that out of the way, Oscar rubbed his hands together. "Where did you wanna start?"

sylvie faust

Oscar grew more and more excited with every detail Lulu revealed. To walk through the simulation of a dream? This was the kind of beautiful sci-fi nonsense that Oscar strove to make into a reality! The fact that Lulu has pulled off such a feat filled Oscar with a sense of admiration, she truly was a wonder.

Oscar held in his glee long enough to answer Lulu's question. "They are an absolute mystery to me. I've heard theories that the dream mist invented them itself, cobbling together hypothetical versions of existing pokemon. If that is true, dream mist is one of the most powerful forces within our world. I recently had the privilege to take a look inside the arm of a--what do they call it--ah, Iron Valiant! The mechanisms inside were completely alien, yet I was able to discern how it fit together and functioned."

Oscar raised a hand to his chin, rubbing it profusely as he became increasingly exhilarated. "In other words, the Iron Valiant was not merely created out of thin air. Someone had to think through the tech that would make it function and fit it all together--just like any other robot from today. Yet the layout was so bizarre, you would think someone made it up on the spot and forced everything to work together flawlessly--just like any invention within a dream. So say the dream mist did create it, that would mean that the dream mist is capable of creating complex constructs with fully hypothetical yet functioning mechanisms untested by modern science! It would be an amazing discovery! Who knows what we could create with such power!"

Oscar realized that he was getting carried away, quickly composed himself. "It's all theoretical of course." He cleared his throat before downing the rest of his glass and placing it on a nearby surface. He clapped his hands together as he approached the machine, "So, that begs the question: What do dreams dream about?"

Lulu Flint