The two Oscars were too stunned to respond to the stranger's question. Well--the problem was that he was not a stranger at all. His hairstyle was different and he had robot arms but this Palkia riding scoundrel was yet another Oscar Clayton! Oscar (the first one), slowly raised his hands to his cheeks and roughly gave himself a double slap. This knocked him out of his daze, allowing him to at least formulate a response.

"Oof, okay. I was on board with time traveling grandpa here but this..." Oscar gestured broadly to the new Oscar and Palkia. "...this is a level of complexity I didn't consent to." Genesect seemed to be the only one there who was not experiencing some level of shock, as it would just wave to the new Oscar as if it had known him all its life.

New Oscar regarded Genesect with a look of disgust, which created a feeling of rage within Oscar that he had no experience in a very long time. No one rejects the love of Prime, not even--himself! "Alright shithead, enough with the silent cool guy act. Just tell us who you are so we can all move on." New Oscar's face hardened as he straightened his posture and leered toward the party. Oscar found the expressions of this newcomer to be insufferable; he held an air of superiority--as if he loathed being in the presence of these 'lesser' beings.

"I am known as Lord Oscar Clayton, the Paladin. I am a loyal servant of Emperor Remiel Calcifet of the Galarian Empire, sent on his behalf to eliminate a threat to the Multiverse." Lord Oscar gestured toward the red storm with his head. "Whatever that is has leaked into our sky, as well as the skies of multiple other worlds. It is my duty as the Avatar of the cosmos incarnate to eradicate anything that would upset the balance of the greater reality." Oscar scoffed, unimpressed with 'Lord Oscar's' authoritative demeanor. "Ooo look at the one man Shadow Triad over here. I feel so fuckin' unworthy. Poser."

Lord Oscar gave Oscar Prime an agitated glare, he was obviously not accustomed to such a discourteous interaction. "Hold your tongue before I rip it from your fucking mouth. The only reason you aren't dead already is because of my curiosity--but that curiosity is rapidly waning."

Oscar was ready to keep prodding the good Lord until he popped, but he was stopped by his older self finally taking the chance to speak. "Alright then, welcome to the team Lord Oscar. Having the aid of an Avatar will be a huge advantage." Both of the younger Oscar's huffed, the realization that they had bigger issues than their egos diffusing the building tension between them. Both Palkia and Dialga stepped forward, as if to solidify that the group must focus on the task at hand. They had yet to greet each other properly, but there was no need. Their bond could be felt across every universe and timeline, and perhaps it was that bond that would soften Lord Oscar's heart.

"I apologize for my--antagonistic introduction. I don't have a great track record with my alternate selves. And the threat we face--it's unlike anything I have ever seen before. It has taken a toll on my patience. I will gladly join forces if it means easing my burden." Oscar Prime nodded silently, feeling as though he had nothing to apologize for himself. His older counterpart disagreed, lightly elbowing him in the ribs to get him to talk.

"Ah! Alright fine uh, sorry for goading you on. Let's just fight the glowing thing in the sky so we can all go home." Oscar looked up to writhing red storm, rubbing his chin as he thought out loud. "How do we get up there anyway?"

Lord Oscar chuckled smugly, "Leave it to me." He raised one of his cybernetic hands, and the ground beneath the party would begin to rumble. Pink energy would surround them, digging into the cliff like the claws of a great beast. The entire chunk of the cliff they stood upon would begin rising into the air, propelled by Lord Oscar's spacial gift. Oscar refused to be impressed though, he could not bear to give his haughty alternate such satisfaction.

As the massive platform slowly ascended, the great tower would begin to glow. The technicolor beauty of its charging form would capture Oscar's attention, causing him to stare at the tower with reverence. "What--what's it doing?"

Future Oscar stepped forward, observing the phenomenon with a solemn expression. "The weapon is charging--we've acted just in the nick of time it would seem." He adjusted himself so that he would stand between his younger compatriots. "It will take time before the weapon is ready to fire. Until then, the enemy must be kept busy."

Lord Oscar raised an eyebrow. "We have two gods on our side, I doubt we will even need this so-called weapon." Future Oscar shook his head and looked down slightly, "This thing eats gods. The weapon is our best shot at killing it--you'll see." At this point Oscar Prime was getting a little annoyed at his older self's secrecy, and he would not be quiet about it. "Alright enough is enough old man. What exactly are we facing here?"

The older Oscar looked up, the great crimson storm growing nearer every second. A thunder clap would draw the gaze of the other Oscars as well, just in time to witness the reveal of their foe. Enormous red and black spikes would poke through the clouds, pushing through the storm as if it were hardly there. As the storm parted, the sky would darken further to highlight what seemed to be the glowing palm of a titanic hand. As the massive hand became clearer, Oscar Prime would gradually begin to recognize it. "Eternatus!"

His older self nodded. Oscar had always seen Eternatus as their world's greatest threat, and in this timeline he seemed to be right. Yet, something did not sit well with him. "But--I don't get it. What's the big deal?" Both alternate Oscars shot Oscar Prime confused looks, as if he had just ripped a massive fart during a funeral eulogy. Feeling a little 'on the spot', Oscar would try to explain himself. "I mean, Eternatus is a huge deal but like--if it was infecting multiple worlds at once wouldn't the Shadow Triad step in? They aren't here so it can't be that hard to take down, right?"

Lord Oscar made a groaning noise, trying to find the right words to respond. "You've mentioned this Triad earlier, who are you referring to exactly?" Oscar looked between his alternate selves with disbelief, "What, neither of you know who they are?" The other two Oscars just stared, waiting for an explanation. However, upon realizing that his other selves were truly ignorant about the Triad, Oscar would only respond with hysteric laughter. So this was what it was like to know something important that others did not. It was a beautiful feeling.

As his mad laughter died down, Oscar would wipe tears from his eyes and pump his fists into the sky. "My wish came true mother fuckers!"

His jubilation was short lived, as Eternatus would soon be upon them. Oscar dropped his arms as the great hand drew ever closer, and his older counterpart would approach to place a hand on one of his shoulders. "Ride that joy wave while you can kid. You're about to get the answers you want--and you aren't gonna like them."

As the hand loomed over their own rising platform, its massive shadow would completely engulf them. The sheer scale of Eternatus was awe inspiring, it looked like it could pick up the gigantic Kyurem back home and throw it like a baseball. How would they combat something this big? Oscar felt as though he should have been thinking of a strategy for their upcoming battle, but all attempts to think of anything other than how fucked he was were useless. He half expected the hand to just crush them in a single grasp, making all of their respective efforts pointless. Yet to his surprise, the hand would stop.

Lord Oscar would stop their own ascension, bringing everything to a disquieting stillness. Suddenly, strings of red light would begin flowing from Eternatus's 'fingertips'. The strings swirled through the air, slowly gathering toward the glowing center of the hand's palm. The strings would start pulling something out of the center, so small that it looked like a spec compared to the hand. The thing would abruptly drop down, and Oscar's eyes would follow it until the bizarre object clattered against the surface of their platform. The blackened mass lay in a heap about fifteen feet away from the party, incomprehensible even from up close. The strings would begin pulling at the mass, causing it to shift as it was lifted from the ground. Its limbs would roughly unfurl, creating a humanoid shape. It was then that it clicked in Oscar's head, this thing was a marionette.

The strange puppet floated a few feet off the ground as the strings tried to fix all of its broken joints. Its limbs made sickening cracking sounds with every adjustment, sounding far too visceral for Oscar's liking. As the marionette was straightened out, Oscar would begin to recognize smaller details about its appearance. It was wearing a suit, which draped loosely over its emaciated limbs. Whatever wood it was made of was truly unique, it was a pale grey color that seemed to shine slightly under the red glow of its puppeteer. As the neck of the marionette was snapped into place, Oscar could finally get a good look at its face and--

This was not a marionette. Deep down Oscar probably knew this, but the very idea made his stomach churn. This thing is--or was human. Its skeletal, sleeping face was too detailed to be carved from wood. It was soon undeniable that Oscar found himself shaking with fear. Suddenly all of the details Oscar noticed about its limbs and body became far more morbid, this poor creature had basically been mummified to be used as a plaything. A grotesque farce so that--what, Eternatus could taunt them before annihilating them? Yet greatest mistake here was thinking that the horror was over with, as the 'human's' eyes would suddenly snap open. They were red, a pure bloody red that made Oscar's own eyes twitch. The creature then opened its mouth, forcing it into a shape resembling a grin. Its teeth were all accounted for, but they were blackened by some sort of tar that began drooling from its mouth. The whole display was so terrible that Oscar could not hope to look away--and this is how he would begin to recognize the creature's face.

It was nearly corpse-like, but the finer details were unmistakable. He had memorized them from his time spent looking in the mirror every morning. Oscar was staring directly into his own face, and it would stare back at him as it spoke with his voice.

"On the behalf of my master, I bid you all welcome. To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"

The battle against the robotic hoard was somehow even more chaotic than the confrontation against Kyurem. These things were relentless killers, they knew nothing of fear or restraint. It would be terrifying if Oscar did not have Prime on his side. Prime was strong enough to rip through these monsters, but with no sign of the hoard slowing down they would need to up their game to survive.

"Fine!" Oscar cried out as more robots charged forward. Oscar pulled a Tera Orb off of his belt and raised it toward Prime. Prime flashed as the tera shard within it reacted to the orb. A grey crystal shell formed around Prime's body, charging it with Tera energy. Prime cried out as the energy empowered it, turning its type into Steel.

With its transformation done, Prime knew exactly what to do. Its cannon charged an enormous amount of power, channeling the Tera energy that now flowed within its carapace(Steelworker). Once it could no longer hold it back, Genesect unleashed a full power Steel-type Technoblast. The mighty beam ripped through anything that stood in its way, thinning the relentless herd. While it was not aiming for Kyurem, the beam was surely strong enough to travel all the way to the behemoth should nothing else get in the way.

The blast died down as Zev gave some very interesting insight. Oscar gave the beast a baffled look. "Uh, pretty sure these are just fucked up robots like, what are the odds that they're actual po--" And then Zev caught one, and Oscar felt really silly for even daring to think these could be anything but pokemon. "I'll be damned."

Oscar looked toward the torn up carcasses of the robots that were hit with Prime's technoblast, searching carefully for any that may have survived. To his surprise, there was a rather bulky fellow that was slowly getting back to its feet to the side of the carnage. The blast must have just nicked it. Oscar cackled, pulling out a pokeball and throwing it directly at its fat head.

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tl;dr
--Oscar Terastallized Genesect into a pure Steel type.
--Genesect used Technoblast to shoot into the hoard. Empowered by its Terastallization and Steelworker ability, the blast might be strong enough to reach Kyurem.
--Post 7/7 Oscar catches an Iron Boulder

Another segment of the prophecy appears as the battle rages on, much to Oscar's annoyance. "How long is this fuckin' thing!?" He would wonder aloud as he once again switched pokemon. Xurkitree would be replaced by Prime the Genesect, who was Oscar's best bet for getting some damage done against the deity duo.

Yet a twist would occur before Oscar could make another command. Kyurem would unleash an attack unlike any that Oscar had seen before. It was a blast of fire so powerful that Oscar could feel its heat before it fully manifested. If not for the Keldeo that split the blast in two, Kyurem's attack would have surely incinerated most of the lifeforms present.

Oscar stayed in the middle to avoid the split blast, along with Zev Harcourt and--the masked woman he seemed to have an interest in? No not an interest, an infatuation. Was this the mythical wife he had mentioned during the winter party? Part of her face was exposed during combat, but Oscar would make an active effort not to look. Zev deserved to retain a bit of privacy after all of this.

As the attack died down and orders came in from THEO BECKETT , Oscar was prepared to push forward to keep the pressure on Kyurem and Hoopa. Before he could even announce his intentions though, a loud cry would draw his attention. A scorched Robbie Rotten would crash land in front of Oscar, wiggling and whining as steam poured from his body. Oscar jumped at his dragon's sudden reappearance, but as his shock settled he would find himself glad to see him thawed. "You did good Robbie, take a break." Robbie would raise one of his claws, contorting them to create a gesture resembling a thumbs up.

Oscar returned Robbie to his beast ball, but this distraction cost him time. Unfamiliar robotic pokemon had appeared out of nowhere, and a hoard of them were charging toward him, Zev, and the woman. Oscar groaned, "This is what I get for looking away for two fuckin' seconds. Let's go Prime!" Prime nodded, charging alongside his master to do battle with the mysterious robot threat.

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tl;dr
--Oscar switched out Xurkitree for Genesect.
--Oscar stays with Zev Harcourt and Neffatari Nzingha and makes an active effort not to look at Neffatari now that her mask is broken.
--Robbie Rotten was thawed from the ice and BURNED. Oscar returned him to his beast ball.
--Oscar dives into battle with Genesect to help fight back the robots coming for him, Zev, and Neffatari.

Oscar beamed right along side Howard as a beautiful light beamed from the sky. Perhaps Regieleki would be docile because they brought another golem. Perhaps Oscar had nothing to fear after all!

No such luck. A hyper beam roared out of the clouds, and Oscar yelped as he grabbed Howard and dragged him to the ground. His attempt to rescue was unnecessary though, as Regice would rise to intercept the attack. Oscar struggled to get back to his feet after the maneuver, and required the help of Navitas to list him back into a proper posture.

Oscar recovered just in time to see their target descend from the sky. Just like the last time he had encountered it, Regieleki was massive. Oscar was starting to think that this was just a common trait among the golems, as all the ones that Oscar had encountered so far had been just as huge. The titan would need time to recharge, so this was their chance to weaken it.

"We gotta humble this oversized cumulonimbus! Navitas, try to blind it!" Navitas let out an echoing cry, rising to the Regieleki's height to deliver a Dazzling Gleam. The attack brightened up the environment, giving the party a brief chance to perhaps find a safer spot to hunker down. Oscar took note of an open 'tent' of wires nearby and pointed to it. "We should duck into there while we can!"

howard slayte

Prompts
13 engage a massive regieleki that has been displaced here by an unknown force.

Howard pointed toward the electric storm as if it were not completely horrifying. Oscar found his legs shaking as the storm came into view, and it was not because he was cold because his pants were insulated. If Regieleki were anywhere, it would be there. Oscar took a deep breath, if that was where they needed to go then so be it. Regieleki was a required component for unlocking the other ancient secrets in Hoenn, they had no choice but to track it down.

The party marched forward, the air slowly becoming filled with static. The energy reader began to beep as they ventured even further, and to Oscar's shock he found that the meter on the screen was going haywire. "Aw shit, the readings are off the charts! I can't believe I got to say that." Oscar tossed the now useless energy reader aside, looking forward for any sign of the electric golem. Lightning rained around them, threatening to fry the party. Oscar found it very distracting, and so he pulled out some help.

Oscar let out his Manectric Havoc, who seemed a little rattled by the surroundings she was placed within. Almost immediately her purpose was made clear, as lightning struck her thanks to her Lightning Rod ability. The dog was dazed for a moment, waddling back in forth as she shook out the invisible birds flying around her head. Oscar sighed, "You gotta use Charge, like I taught you. Remember now?"

Havoc blinked, and began focusing as more lightning was drawn to her. This time her body internalized the electricity, empowering her instead of damaging her. With their lightning guard in place, the party was now free to proceed into the heart of the storm.

howard slayte

Prompt
20 encounter and survive an electrical storm, a far more dangerous version of a lightning storm that involves even more electricity.

Howard may have been unbothered by the chill, but Oscar was the exact opposite. His slim body and thin skin was more suited to warm environments, so the cold tended to render him powerless. Luckily, his last excursion with mint frost through Shoal Cave taught him a valuable lesson and this time he would come extra prepared.

Oscar was suited up in a black parka, with his hood up over a black beanie that rested on his head. A large black scarf encircled the lower half of his face, protecting his delicate mouth and nose. He wore snow goggles to protect his eyes from the chilling wind, and big boots to stomp through the snow. His only poor choice were his black mittens, which restricted the use of his fingers in exchange for comfort.

Nevertheless, Oscar's cozy hands maintained a grip on his energy reader: a repurposed mineral analyzer that he made to hunt energy readings on the moon. Worked just as well here, all you had to do was point it in a direction and pull the trigger. The device would read the general energy levels of where you were pointing and report back to you on a little screen. It worked better at a closer range, but Regieleki's energy levels were so high they could be sensed from basically anywhere within the Ultra Plant.

Oscar had been using this device as a guide, leading their little search party toward the possible lair of the electric golem. Oscar had accidentally provoked the mysterious titan the last time he was here, waking it up from its slumber by activating a power spot deep within the plant. It was not an experience he sought to repeat, but if finding it will help Howard then he would do his very best!

Oscar's Xurkitree, Navitas, floated right above its master with a luminous Tail Glow. It would help light the way as they trekked through the treacherous dark of the Ultra Plant. As they crossed over Howard's Stakataka, Oscar would respond to his companion in a swaddled voice.

"We're on the right track. The readings are spiking in this direction. Can't imagine anything else giving off this much electricity."

Also can we talk about Regice for a second? Low key adorable.

howard slayte

Wind tore through Oscar's hair as Dialga galloped down the side of the Sootopolis crater. In spite of the incline, the legendary beast's movements were graceful and effortless. It might as well have been galloping across an open field. It would have been an astonishing experience if Oscar were not terrified of falling off. He grabbed the back of his older self's coat to keep his balance, and the older Oscar would cackle at his younger self's apprehension.

The steep ride down the crater would luckily not last long, and Dialga would even out as it reached the flattened streets of the city. As the ride's angle became less stressful, Oscar eased up and regained his composure. It would not stop his Future self from teasing him though, "What's the matter kid?! This can't be worse than riding a Genesect!"

There he went calling him a kid again. Oscar's face twisted as he bit back a response, he refused to give his older self the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead he would change the subject, "So why did you guys appear on the crater?! Couldn't you have just gone right to the tower?" His older self did not respond right away, seemingly trying to find the best way to explain himself. "When you time travel, you appear in the exact location you left! Back in my time, you can't get to where the tower stood anymore! The crater's edge is the closest you can get!"

Oscar accepted this answer for a few seconds before bringing up another quandary. "What about the planet's rotation!?"

His older self reeled his neck back, visibly exhausted of answering so questions. "What are you talking about!?"

"The planet is constantly rotating, so the place you want to go in another time won't be there! Do you have to calculate where it would be or--" Oscar's future self interrupted him with a cranky groan. "Hey how about we not worry about the logistics and just have fun with it!? It'll be easier for all of us that way!" Oscar could not disagree--but his curiosity would eat him alive. He would just have to figure it out himself later on.

The trio rode without conflict for a solid few minutes, but it could not be perfect the whole way through. Rapid Megalopolans where chasing them all the while, desperately trying to take a bite out of Dialga. The mighty dragon was undaunted, crushing anything that dared try to stop its ceaseless charge. Even when the hoard grew into the thousands, Dialga would plow through with such ease that you would think that the Megalopolans were not there at all. Oscar looked upon what was once Sootopolis with a heavy anxiety. Something about seeing the ruins of buildings he recognized swarming with monstrous aliens made Oscar a little weak in the knees. He hoped that this was not a common future, and that Oscar would never have to see his own Sootopolis in this state.

In no time Dialga would reach the other side of the crater and begin galloping up the cliff face just as effortlessly as it had gone down it before. The hoard of megalopolans were left in the dust, frantically trying to climb the crater wall to no avail. Within moments Dialga would be atop the crater once more, this time looking out onto the massive tower just on the other side. Placed upon an enormous platform on the exposed ocean floor, the titanic tower was a masterful fusion or architecture and technology. Its sleek, metallic surface reflected the blackened environment that surrounded the structure--giving it the appearance of an obsidian monolith reaching for the clouds. The swirling red storm above the tower only strengthened the effect, giving the spire an aura of evil.

Oscar could not help himself, he pulled out his cellphone and snapped a quick picture. When he builds his own tower, he shall use this beautiful achievement as a reference. Oscar squirreled his cellphone away as his future self and Dialga looked back to him. "You ready for this? It's not going to be an easy fight." Oscar nodded confidentially. "Fuck yeah, I mean how bad could it--Oh fuck look out!"

Dialga looked back just in time to receive a Magnet Bomb to the face. The explosion caused the titan to shake, smoke barreling past its neck and into the faces of the two Oscars. The duo coughed harshly, sliding off of Dialga's back to escape the smokescreen. The fell to the ground, rolling slightly before frantically pushing themselves to their feet. At first Oscar was half-certain that Dialga's head had just ben blown to bits, but as the smoke cleared the god of time would barely retain a scratch. Oscar switched his attention to their assailants, which were currently flying toward them in a tight formation. As they came closer, Oscar's familiarity with their forms would cause a spike in his stress.

"Is that a squad of Genesect!?"

Indeed it was, a squad of five Genesect to be exact. Each bore a different color: blue, green, red, purple--and black. There was no mistaking it, Oscar's Genesect Prime was leading the pack into battle. The five cyborg warriors landed in front of Dialga with a heavy slam, cracking the ground beneath them. Now that they were up close, Oscar noticed something--off. The armor of these Genesect models were damaged, with pulsing red vein-like cracks spreading throughout their bodies. It was the same shade of red one could see emerging from a power spot, leading Oscar to a startling conclusion: Somehow, these Genesect were being empowered by Dynaenergy.

Dyna-Prime let out a distorted scream, which caused the other Genesect to begin charging their cannons. Oscar yelped, knowing what kind of damage that five Technoblasts could inflict. Dialga was unimpressed, roaring as it set up a Protective barrier around itself and the Oscars. The Genesects' Technoblasts ripped against the barrier, creating a vibration so powerful that the ground shook from within. Oscar shielded his eyes from the dazzling lights, while his older self just looked on. The barrier broke as the blasts died down, and the squad would waste no time following up to keep the pressure on. They charged forward, their claws glowing with extended Fell Stingers.

Future Oscar and Dialga had no intention of just tanking hits. "Dialga, divide and conquer." Dialga reared up onto its hind legs before slamming his forelegs into the ground. The earth split beneath it, sending smoking crags across the surface toward the Genesect squad (Earth Power). Three of them jumped to the left to avoid the attack, while the other two jumped to the right. They were successfully separated. Future Oscar looked to his present self, "I don't suppose you mind handling the two--

"On it!" Oscar ran off before his older counterpart could finish his request. The older Oscar chuckled as he watched his young self charge into battle, turning away to direct his attention toward his three opponents. Oscar pulled out a red pokeball and opened it to reveal his own Prime. Prime briefly took stock of the situation before resting its eyes upon its two opponents. Two of its fellow Genesect stood before them: one purple and one with the same black paint job that adorned its own armor--minus the cool flame decals. Oscar clapped his hands together, "Show these assholes why the original is the best!" Prime nodded, lowering its cannon to fire off a flurry of Magnet Bombs.

The purple Genesect charged forward, purposely taking on most of the bombs to protect its leader. The blast sent the purple Genesect flying, paving the way for Dyna-Prime to charge forward. It leapt into the air, raising a glowing leg as it fell toward Prime. Prime dove out of the way, narrowly avoiding its evil-clone's Dragon Hammer. Prime extended its claws into Fell Stingers, running forward to strike Dyna-Prime before it could recover. Dyna-Prime was quicker than anticipated though, and raised its own Fell Stingers to block the attack. The two exchanged attacks, their claws sparking with every ruthless strike. Dyna-Prime would end up winning the bout though, catching Prime off guard with an X Scissor.

Prime fell backward, somersaulting and jumping to its feet next to Oscar. It had an X shaped mark on its head, but it still seemed capable of fighting. Dyna-Prime had a higher physical strength than Prime, but Prime's Download would allow it to adjust its own power levels to match its opponent's. It charged forward, and the two would clash once more. This time, Prime's heavy strikes would catch Dyna-Prime off guard. It was so surprised, that it missed a block and received a slash to its head. Dyna-Prime staggered back, shaking with fury after being struck. Prime expected it to reengage, but instead its opponent would just stand there. Prime could not figure out why until it heard clanking footfalls coming up from behind.

The purple Genesect had reentered the fray, and was preparing to deliver a strike of its own to Prime's back. If only its approach had not been so noisy. Prime disappeared as the purple Genesect chopped downward, causing it to hit only air. Dyna-Prime ran forward, shocked at its counterpart's sudden departure. Oscar sneered, folding his arms as he watched Prime's trick unfold. Prime reappeared behind the purple Genesect, having slipped into its shadow with Shadow Sneak. By the time the two realized, Prime had fired off an Electro Web to net the both of them up.

The netted duo slid against the ground, struggling as their sticky prison delivered shock after shock. Meanwhile, Prime took advantage of their predicament by charging its cannon. By the time the trapped Genesect realized what was happening, it was already too late. Prime fired off its Technoblast, which tore right through the Genesect duo. As the blast died down, all that would be left of its opponents would be a smoldering heap of scrap.

Oscar ran up to Prime and happily slapped it on the shoulder, "Hey that's the second time you got to kill an evil version of you!" Genesect tilted its head, not really understanding the concept. Still, Oscar seemed happy so it raised its claws in celebration! The two ran back to rejoin Future Oscar and Dialga, who had just finished off their own opponents. Oscar looked over the slain trio, surprised to see a twisted pile of rusted bodies. That was the power of time dilation, he supposed.

Future Oscar turned to his younger self as he approached, "Ah! Hey Prime, long time no see." Prime did not know what this old man meant as it had never met him before, but nevertheless it would raise a claw in greeting. The older Oscar was about to say something else when a loud screech rang out from nearby. Everyone looked to find Dyna-Prime dragging its charred body over to the group. It had used its purple subordinate as a shield to avoid just enough damage to survive, and now sought to finish what it had started. Oscar scoffed as it lumbered forward. "Yo give it a rest, you're in no condition to fight! Just die like a good villain so we can return to the real plot."

The red veins that covered Dyna-Prime began to glow, with waves of heat slowly surging around its body. The other Genesect bodies began to rattle, and before the group could react they would rip themselves apart and fly over to Dyna-Prime. Various parts of its fallen comrades covered up Dyna-Prime's damaged areas, restoring it to a more healthy condition. Relatively speaking that is, as the parts it was recycling were either rusted or charred. Yet that shall not matter much, as Dyna-Prime would continue to surge with Dynaenergy. To the party's shock, it would begin tog row in size, and keep growing until it towered over even Dialga. Its body began to faintly glow red, and clouds would start forming around its cannon. Dyna-Prime had Dynamaxed.

Oscar began to shake as it looked up at the massive robot, struggling to get words out to his older compatriot. "So uh--Dialga can handle this right?" Both Oscar's looked to Dialga, who seemed a little nervous itself. Upon realizing that its human companions were staring at it though, the time god shaped up and roared with confidence. Giant or not, this Genesect would not defeat it in battle. One step forward from Dyna-Prime would prove how challenging this fight would be though, as it caused an earthquake that nearly shook the crater wall to its foundations. The party struggle desperately to keep their footing as the massive Genesect screeched with triumph.

It began to charge its massive cannon, a collection of energy that soon grew as bright as the sun. If it succeeded in releasing its attack, all of Sootopolis would be buried in rubble. Luckily it would be forced to pause and the sound of fabric tearing rang across the crater. Everyone looked upward, including Dyna-Prime, and watched as a new hole was formed in the sky. This one was much closer, and radiated a pinkish glow. After a few seconds, a massive Aura Sphere would fall out and slam into Dyna-Prime's head.

The impact caused it to buckle, and the energy gathered within its cannon would die down. A titanic form would fall from the hole, and as it got closer both Oscars would be lost for words. Palkia, the incarnation of the very cosmos, was about to pile-drive the Dynamaxed Genesect.

Dyna-Prime flashed as Palkia made contact, rapidly shrinking to its original size. It stumbled back and forth as recovered, being fully knocked down as Palkia slammed down behind it. It struggled as it tried to stand, but would not even make it half-way before Palkia would swipe through it with its claws. The dark swipe blew Dyna-Prime into pieces, sending every shattered limb and metal chunk into different portals to be forever lost within the dimensional void (Spacial Rend). Even as the dust settled, the two Oscars would be too astonished to speak. Their shock would evolve into confused bafflement as a figure with white hair slid off Palkia's left arm and to the ground.

He landed by slamming a metallic fist downward, like he was a fucking super hero or something. As he slowly rose his red eyes would lock onto the Oscars, scrutinizing them as if they were his next targets. At his full height he would adjust his black and red biker jacket before sliding his robotic arms into the pockets of his jeans.

"So uh, who the fuck are you two supposed to be?"

Oscar looked between the man and the open cigarette case, a feeling of panic building in his chest. His head was fogged by confusion, unable to compute what he was seeing. "I--what--how?" The man blinked, unfazed by Oscar's anxiety. "Would you make up your mind? My arm's getting tired." Oscar suddenly felt nauseous, and he would he would shove a shaking hand into his coat's inner pocket to pull out his own cigarette case. He raised it to compare with the stranger's and--they were indeed the same.

Oscar looked to the man with a mixed expression of fury and fear. "Who the fuck are you?" The man blinked again, gradually pulling the case away and plucking a lollipop from the assortment. The sucker he chose had a pink hue, which Oscar recognized to be strawberry--his favorite flavor. The man popped the lollipop in his mouth and swirled it around a bit before answering. "Well--considering our age difference--I'd say I'm you from the future. Or at least, a future."

Oscar's left eye twitched. The information he had just received nearly gave him an aneurysm. "That's--that's not possible." The old man laughed harshly, his lollipop nearly falling out of his mouth. He gestured to the hellish scene around them. "You can look at all of this and draw the line at meeting your future self?" The old man continued to fight chuckles as Oscar slowly realized how silly his discomfort seemed.

The proud man of science abruptly stood up, causing his supposedly older self to grow quiet. Oscar plucked the strawberry lollipop from his own case before shoving it back into his coat. As he rolled the sucker around in his mouth, Oscar would cross his arms and stare at the old man. The old man stared back, seemingly amused by Oscar's critical glare.

"Prove you're me." The old man took a moment to respond, "Beg your pardon?" Oscar gave a quick but confident nod, "Go on, lay down some Oscar facts. Prove that you're me." The old man shot Oscar a wiry smile, rubbing his chin as if deciding the best way to prove himself. Eventually he would click his tongue, "Romp with declan walsh lately?"

Oscar gasped loudly, his lollipop accidentally falling to the ground. Only two people knew about that, and this old fuck looked nothing like Walsh. Oscar clapped his hands over his mouth, his eyes squinting as he processed how the old man's claim was true. The old man chuckled again; he looked as if a prank he had set up went off perfectly.

Oscar lowered his hands, finally coming to terms with the fact that he was looking at what could be his older self. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

The future Oscar smirked, "I could ask you the same thing kid."

Oscar's face soured, "Bitch I'm thirty. And surely if you are me, which I will admit is more than likely, wouldn't you remember this?"

The older Oscar pointed toward Sootopolis while keeping his eyes on his younger self, "I do, but I was in there." Oscar followed his older self's pointing hand, and realized that he meant the tower. Oscar placed his hands on his hips, a little confused by these circumstances--or more confused I should say.

"Okay so--we're in there--but you don't remember Father Winter sending us out here?" The old man put his arm down and twisted his mouth. "Father what now?"

Oscar stared into space for a moment, the gears in his mind slowly putting everything together. Eventually he snapped his fingers and looked back to his older self. "You aren't future me, you're a me from a completely different timeline!" Oscar's confidence faded as he tried to organize his thoughts. "Or, I'm a you from a different timeline, because your past self is in the tower. So that makes this your timeline, in which you never met Father Winter at all. Fascinating..."

The older Oscar shook his head, "Alright now I'm getting confused. Let's just agree we're both not supposed to be here and move on."

Oscar nodded excitedly, "Yes, but we are here! So the question is, what are we doing here? Father Winter didn't give me a reason when he flung me through his magic worm hole so maybe I can just piggyback off of yours?"

His older self laughed and turned his head slightly to address Dialga. "Ya hear that? He's a tourist! Of all the nonsense--"

It was only now that Oscar remembered that his older self had brought fucking dialga with him, and the primal god of time was currently watching the duo patiently. Oscar pointed at the legendary behemoth and his older self fully looked back at it casually. "I'm uh--we're here to stop all of this from going haywire." His older self made a general gesture toward all of the horrors happening around them. "I know it's hard to believe, but this gets even more out of control and leaks into the other regions causing a multi-decade war against the zombified armies of--" The old man stopped himself, looking to Oscar mischievously. "Actually--I'll leave whose behind it to be a surprise."

Oscar scoffed, "What? No fair!" The old man's laughter only exasperated Oscar's annoyance. He hated it when he was teased with revelations only for that information to be kept from him. It played into his curiosity, and left him with a gnawing lack of fulfillment. Come to think of it, that was probably why his older self did just that--he knew it was the best way to mess with his younger self.

Oscar huffed loudly, "Well at least tell me what the fuck is up with Dialga! Are you its avatar or what?" The old man looked back at the dragon, once again acting annoyingly nonchalant about its presence. "Eh, we're buds and he owes me a favor. Plus he's just as invested as I am in getting this mess sorted out."

Oscar was silent for a moment, looking between Dialga, his older self, and the tower before shrugging. "Alright fine, so now what? How do we'sort this out'?"

Future Oscar stroked his beard as he thoughtfully looked toward the red hole in the sky. "Here's what's supposed to happen. The me in the tower is going to start charging the cannon within it to attack--the enemy. However, the enemy is ready and manages to destroy the tower before the cannon can fire. So--the best tactic would be to keep the enemy busy until the cannon is charged so we can kill it."

Oscar blinked, getting caught up on the fact that there was a cannon in the tower. His older self noticed that he was zoning out, and would snap his fingers to get Oscar's attention. "You still with me there?"

Oscar shook his head as he snapped out of his trance, "I um--yeah it's just--I can't believe we managed to build it. That--that really is the ultimate weapon..." His older self did not respond, instead just scratching the back of his head while trying not to look nervous. Or, maybe guilty? Oscar stared at Future Oscar, his eyes scrutinizing the old man's demeanor. "What? What's wrong?"

The old man stays quiet for a few seconds longer before clapping his hands together. "We've wasted enough time talking up here already. It would be really embarrassing if we had to go back in time because we missed our shot while yapping." Older Oscar approached Dialga, who lowered itself so that he could climb onto its back. Once securely mounted, Older Oscar would look to younger Oscar expectantly. "Well are you coming or what?"

Oscar paused, briefly taken aback. "So, I'm invited?"

Older Oscar rolled his eyes, "More like enlisted. You said you wanted to piggy back so get on up here before I change my mind!" Oscar gave his older self the same wiry smile he displayed earlier before running forward. Oscar climbed aboard Dialga, sitting himself behind his future counterpart. Dialga let out a deafening war cry as it stood to its full height and began galloping down the crater's side and toward the tower.

Oscar was being dragged down by the existential crisis of the creator of their universe possibly being dead--or worse. If that were the case, would anything be able to save them should the dark triad decide to go full force? Or Eternatus? Or Kyurem? Shit, how did allow so many enemies to rise against them?

Oscar was pulled out of the gloom when Lulu mentioned the Dream Machine. His eyes lit up, remembering the promise of Lulu's most ambitious project yet. "Yes of course I do! Did your Porygon manage to make its way home?" Lulu had let Oscar borrow her porygon z to gather some dream data, but he never had a chance to personally return it before their respective departures from Hoenn. Eventually he managed to mail its pokeball but he was unsure if Lulu herself ever got it back.

Oscar leaned in, the possibility of an update on the dream machine filling him with anticipation. "How goes the project? I am dying for detail, don't keep me waiting any longer!"

Lulu Flint

Oscar nodded back at Soyeon as she announced her readiness. With a flick of his wrist, Oscar would toss the wires with orbs into the Power Spot itself. He flicked a couple of switches on the machine, and it began gradually growling with activity. The machine began to loudly absorb Dynaenergy, sucking it through the orbs and into its machinery. The energy was so powerful that it could be physically witnessed passing through the wires.

Oscar scratched his chin, "Fascinating..." He continued to observe, even as the machine began to groan and whine. Soyeon's laptop would begin flashing a warning of a power overload, though even upon hearing of it Oscar would not be deterred. "It must run its course. Unplug the usb cord on my word." The machine continued to absorb energy, rattling and quaking as it was ripped apart from the inside. Eventually it could not contain the energy any longer, and the machinery itself began to inflate.

"Now!" Oscar said as he finally decided to jump away. Genesect backed off as well, standing between the machine and its master just in case the worst should occur. The machine eventually popped, not in an explosion but rather like a bottle of champagne. Energy surged out of its top before dissipating into the air. The machine abruptly went quiet, its charred carcass slowly falling over into a heap of scrap. Oscar looked over Genesect's shoulder to Soyeon, "Hey are you alright?"

soyeon kwan

Oscar blinked rapidly as Tempest brought up an incident near Fortree. "I--what? Spaceship?" Tempest meanwhile sent out his own Genesect to help with the effort of removing the crystals, but Oscar was not willing to allow his previous statement to slide so easily. "Wait wait, elaborate on the spaceship, please."

While the two humans discussed what had transpired, Prime stared at the other Genesect curiously. It had never encountered another of its kind before, and the casual appearance of this other Genesect was--shocking to say the least. As far as it knew, it had been alone all this time. Prime very slowly raised one of its claws, and began slowly waving it back and forth. Had this Genesect been taught the intricacies of social interaction?

Tempest Quinn

The running of the Heatran was not something Oscar had planned to participate in, yet if it was one thing he learned tonight it was that life did not give a shit about his plans. Oscar's lungs were starting to feel as if they would cave in at any moment, yet the sizzling heat behind him kept his legs moving. Genesect meanwhile had no problem outrunning the Heatran, and in fact could probably outpace the entire party if it wanted. It only remained next to Oscar out of a sense of loyalty, unwilling to abandon its master in a time of crisis.

Luckily for both of them, Shred had his own plan for losing the charging monstrosity. Shred let out his Greninja, and began convincing it to help. Being too busy running for his life, Oscar had thought that Shred was actually talking to him. "What?--Speak up, I can't hear you--over the sound of my organs failing!" Shred's Greninja eventually threw down a Smokescreen, allowing all of them an opening to escape. They all dove into a nearby alleyway, leaving the Heatran to charge forward none the wiser.

Oscar had landed on the ground during his dive, and he would remain there as he tried to catch his breath. Genesect stomped over to help its master to his feet, sliding its claws under Oscar's arms and lifting him up. Oscar patted Genesect on the head once he was standing, "Thanks bud--you're a real one." Oscar hobbled forward, veering sideways and propping himself against the alley wall. Oscar was quiet for a bit as the party recovered, but it did not take too long for him to break the silence. "Hey guys--things got a little heated back there--sorry about the complications." Oscar raised the generator core, which still remained in his hand. "But I think we're finally in the clear. I can really feel it, from here it's only up--"

Genesect elbowed its master in the stomach, stopping Oscar from cursing them once more with his optimism. Oscar let out a pained puff of air, clutching his abdomen as he fell to his knees. "Pfffff--why?--ach..."

They really would be in the clear this time though, as their journey back to Mauville's borders would be uneventful. Law enforcement was too busy herding the Heatran back underground, so the party would make it out of the city unnoticed. Once they were in Route 110, it was time to part ways. Oscar pulled a business card out of his pocket and pushed it towards Shred. "Hey man, I appreciate what you did tonight. Sorry it got a little--fucked up. But hey, take my card and call me if you ever need a favor. It's the least I can do."

Shred

Amor would not keep Oscar waiting for too long, descending on the back of his dragonite with a--deoxys in tow. Oscar eyed the deoxys warily, it had been a long time since he had seen the cosmic parasite up close. Genesect did not share its master's caution, and would wave its claws as a gesture of greeting. It at the very least recognized both Amor and deoxys as allies.

As Amor addressed him, Oscar's expression brightened up. He was indeed happy to see his old friend once more, and would slap the man on the shoulder as they examined the power spot. "It's good to see you Amor. Staying healthy as well I hope." Oscar side eyed the alien virus, hoping that it did not plan on one day infecting Oscar's friend. That worry can wait for another day though. There was work to do.

Oscar clapped his hands together and gestured toward his machine, "I've been using these energy readers to grab data from the power spots. The process always ends with them exploding, but eventually I should be able to figure out a way to hold the dynaenergy in one place for a bit. How about you, what have you been up to?"

The waves nearby began to crash a little harsher than before, but Oscar was too busy socializing to notice.

Amor Rose