Things--escalated quickly. Which was impressive because the steaks were already very high, there was not much room for escalation. As Tera shards began to shine through the chasm created by Kyurem, everyone began to step up their attacks. Including, unfortunately, Hoopa. The dastardly djinn had began punching through its portals, sending a flurry of blows across the battlefield. Oscar could only hope that he would not be a target of such an assault--although if he were he had an idea he would want to try..

There was no time for hypotheticals though, real shit was going down right in front of him. Zev Harcourt began preparing a familiar attack, and as Oscar's memory clicked he would instinctively back up and duck down. Zev's laser was just as beautiful as the last time Oscar witnessed its brilliance, however only time would tell if the incredible attack would have an effect on their opponents.

What it certainly had an effect on though was Zev, who was reeling once the laser died down. Oscar observed him for a moment, noting that he seemed exhausted and agitated. If this was like last time--maybe he just needed a snack. Oscar recalled Genesect and took out a beast ball. The ball opened to reveal Oscar's Xurkitree, the florescent Navitas.

Oscar snapped his fingers and pointed forward toward the staggering Zev. "Light 'em up Navitas!" Navitas raised its wiry hands and began generating electricity, a sign that it was about to attack. Oscar clapped his hands together harshly, "No! Like, literally light them up! With your head, doofus!" Navitas's attack died down, and after a second of recalculation its bulbous head would beam with an astonishing Tail Glow.

Oscar and Navitas trotted up beside Zev, with Oscar yelling out to get the admin's attention. "Yo Zev! Here take this light. You're not you when you're hungry."

X2SSYlEr

tl;dr
--Oscar observes Zev's attack and notes his mood swings afterward.
--Using his past experience with Zev's hunger as a reference, Oscar switches out Genesect for Xurkitree and has Xurkitree create light for Zev to absorb.
--Adding my 10 to Andrea Vaneau's 78 to create 88

When Bryan agreed to their proposal, Oscar let out the breath he had been holding in. He was so scared that they had lost him at the manure bit, but luckily Bryan was more than understanding. Howard seemed thankful as well, though Oscar winced when he brought up worshiping Xerneas. Oscar chuckled nervously as he tried to take over, "I uh, think Xerneas would prefer not to be worshiped. We should just do the best we can with the gift he provides us."

Oscar nodded respectfully toward Bryan. "We appreciate your help Bryan. Without you this project would be one thousand times harder. I look forward to sharing the fruits of our labor." Oscar pointed at Bryan with both of his forefingers and winked. "Literally!" Oscar laughed at his own joke before picking up the cafe menu that he had been ignoring this whole time.

"Anyway, do you want anything while you're here? My treat of course."

howard slayte bryan delarosa

Oscar reviewed the notes he had just jotted down, tapping the notepad with his pen as he contemplated Zev's--condition. The last time they worked together, the admin had unexpectedly drained Dynaenergy from a Power Spot. At the time, Oscar was floored by this incredible display of power. The feat would prove to be detrimental though, as several days later Zev would come to Oscar complaining of a bizarre affliction.

At first Oscar was going to direct him to the med-bay, but after hearing Zev out it became clear that the Dynaenergy he had absorbed was to blame for his current state. Oscar had just finished recording Zev's symptoms, and from what he could conclude Zev was basically suffering from his version of food poisoning.

Oscar placed his pen and notepad down. "So like I said before, I ain't a doctor, but I think I know how to solve your problem." Oscar brought his hands together and started tapping his knuckles. "If absorbing the energy caused this, then surely using it up would cleanse your system. Thoughts?"

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

Everyone agreed it was time to focus on landing. Oscar anxiously waited for the airlock to close so that he could get back into the ship, but after a few seconds he could tell that something was wrong. "Shit." He pressed the button that controlled the doors, gently at first and then frantically. "Shit shit shit! Oh I'm fucked!"

Oscar pressed himself against the wall, they were about to enter the moon's atmosphere and he was sitting with a first class view of oblivion. If he was not burnt up on the way in, he would surely die when the ship landed and he was launched like a rag doll out of the open airlock door. Even with lessened gravity he would probably end up like a smashed tomato upon impact.

Oscar began to breathe heavily, his fear of death quickly setting in. He probably would have had a full-blown panic attack if Kepler's Beheeyem had not arrived to save the day. As the alien created a protective shield around himself and Oscar, the panicked scientist let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Oh fuck you beautiful creature. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!"

From there the landing was--while not anywhere near perfect--pretty standard. The genesect trio kept together as the ship hurdled to the surface, their armor more than capable of enduring the pressures of the atmosphere. The ship managed to land in one piece, which was the most surprising part of this harrowing experience to Oscar. He half expected the damn thing to split in half.

As the ship slid to a stop, Oscar rested his head against the airlock wall and quietly tried to regulate his heart rate. When Kepler asked if everyone was alright, Oscar would finally think to talk over the comms.

"I'm good. I need a hug though. Can someone let me in? Please?"

Lulu Flint Tempest Quinn kepler brueshaber

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

Of course Oscar came, he had been looking forward to hunting the Galarian birds with Mint ever since the idea was proposed to him. He just wished they could have started somewhere warmer, he knew venturing into Shoal Cave was inevitable but once again he underestimated how cold it would be. He had on standard winter wear, but with how thin he was it did little to defend him from the cold.

Oscar reeled as they entered the cave, immediately lambasting the chill with a string of expletives. It caused him to lag behind, which prompted Mint to wonder if he was okay. Recalling how Mint treated Oscar when he was sick, the former beast did not want to give Mint a reason to worry about him.

"Yeah I'm fine!" He called out as he repressed his shivers. "Just acclimating to the--climate." Oscar revved himself up, taking a few deep breathes before running to catch up with Mint. "So uh, where should we start looking? Do you think the Galarian Articuno would have gone as deep as the original?"

mint frost

Oscar looked to Zapdos as Temp mentioned it being weakened. Had something happened after they parted ways? Zapdos did not look back to either of them, its gaze hardening as it continued to leer toward the sky. It would seem that Temp's comment had only encouraged its desire to prove itself.

Without warning, Zapdos would flap its wings and take flight. Oscar jumped a bit before tapping Vlad on the head. "Follow from afar but don't lose sight of it!" Vlad groaned, already understanding what it had to do. He took to the sky, trying to keep close enough to keep up with Zapdos without being in the way. Oscar looked back at Temp and winced as he saw him flying on his Genesect. Oscar would have used his own Genesect, but he was afraid that its steel body would too easily conduct electricity.

He called back to his friend, "Just don't get fried! Cillian will fuckin' kill me!" The trio entered the storm's threshold, static bouncing across their bodies as they broke through the clouds. Zapdos looked the most impressive, its body almost glowing as electricity rippled through its feathers. It gave Oscar hope that this skirmish would not go so badly after all.

Within the fortress of clouds, lightning would crash around them. The power of the storm was incredible, yet there was no sign of Thundurus. Zapdos would not seek out this false storm master, all opponents must bow before the true king of lightning. Zapdos let out an echoing screech, lightning bursting from its wings. Thunder crackled across the surrounding clouds, flowing endlessly across Lilycove's sky.

The challenge had been issued.

Tempest Quinn

Through the veil of the blizzard, Oscar could see the yellow form of Robbie freezing solid and falling to the ground. He let out a long string of air between his teeth, disappointment dampening his spirit. Around this time, the full prophecy would be revealed by the legendary figures. It was not the time to interpret cryptic messages from wannabe gods though; these two needed to be pushed back before they did anymore damage to Hoenn.

The battle escalated from there, with Kyurem slamming the earth with enough force to create a small fissure. Truth be told, Oscar was a little spooked by the shaking of the ground. He briefly wondered if he should just run and let everyone else figure this out. That was, until he realized that everyone was pushing forward regardless. The display of courage from Rocket and League alike ignited his fighting spirit. There would be no running today, not when the region was on the line.

Oscar pushed forward to join his fellow Rockets, just in time to overhear mint frost prompting the idea of Necrozma draining Kyurem. Oscar added his uninvited input as he pulled a pokeball from his belt, "Careful if you try that Zev. Kyurem is an unknown threat. It is clearly capable of absorbing other pokemon, don't get absorbed as well."

Oscar opened his pokeball, revealing the metallic form of Genesect Prime. "But hey if we hit it hard enough maybe it'll fuckin' work. Kick its shit in Prime!"

Prime let out an electronic scream as it charged its cannon, its body rattling as energy built up at the tip of its barrel. When it could charge no more, Genesect unleashed its gathered energy as a brilliant beam aimed for Kyurem (Techno Blast).

gVKp|do8

tl;dr
--Oscar's sad that Naganadel froze.
--Oscar warns Zev Harcourt about getting too close with Necrozma.
--Oscar sends out Genesect, who uses Techno Blast.

A few minutes into his wait, Oscar would go ahead and let Zapdos out. The least he could do was let the poor thing stretch. There was a flash of red, followed by a hail of sparks as Zapdos stretched itself out. It opened its beak to let out a mighty caw, but after remember its earlier conversation with Oscar it would stop itself. Oscar nodded, "I appreciate the restraint. We don't need to draw too much attention to ourselves."

Temp arrived shortly after, and Oscar would greet him warmly. "Don't sweat it man, we have some time to burn." As Temp nodded to Zapdos, Zapdos would nod back before looking up to the sky. Something about the static in the air seemed--different. It found the sensation disturbing. Oscar pulled out a pokeball as he thought of the best way to respond to Temp's question.

"I think so, I mean look at this fuckin' storm! The clouds look like clumps of fuckin' coal. It has gotta be in the area." Oscar opened the pokeball, revealing Vlad the Gliscor. Oscar figured that a ground type flyer would be useful when dealing with electricity. Oscar mounted an eager Vlad while giving instructions to Temp. "I figured we would just keep our distance and let Zapdos do its thing. We should only have to intervene if Zapdos gets its ass kicked, which it shouldn't. I mean c'mon, it's fuckin' Zapdos."

Tempest Quinn

Oscar was about to respond to Mint, but his attention would be stolen by Zev Harcourt 's impressive display of his power. He knew Zev was on their side, but the sight of that dark orb made Oscar sweat a bit. He did not want to think about what it was like from within.

Beyond that though, the apocalyptic duo did not seem phased by the barrage of attacks. Or perhaps the right attacks were not being used. What piqued Oscar's interest was the mention of a wager, brought up by THEO BECKETT . He liked the idea but...

"Do you think they will listen to us? They seem to be more keen on talking at us. What can we offer that might keep their attention once their message is done?"

Robbie Rotten did not care that his attacks were so far pointless. All he knew was how pissed he was, and these oversized buffoons were not going to were not going to be spared from his wrath. Another Fire Blast was launched, this one being fueled by all of its fury!

zdiNgsJv

tl;dr
--Oscar wonders what they can offer to Hoopa that could catch its attention.
--Robbie Rotten tries one more time to flame the duo.
--Now equipped with the SPECTRA double roll.
--It did not help, Miss 3/3 Naganadel is frozen solid.

Oscar was not really interested in the Vital City Tournament, at least not yet. The last time he participated in a tournament he nearly died from exhaustion. However, he would still find himself in Lilycove as the tournament had attracted a truly bizarre phenomenon. There were reports of a legendary pokemon flying over the city, causing a massive storm with a unique energy signature. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to test out a theory of his.

Well it was not just his theory, Oscar would be accompanied by Tempest Quinn for this adventure. Temp had approached Oscar about feeding Zapdos different kinds of energy to see how it would affect it. Oscar was interested, but their busy schedules prevented a true initiation of the project. Now though, nothing was in the way. It was the perfect time to expand the diet of the legendary thunder bird.

Oscar stood on top of the Lilycove hotel, tossing Zapdos's pokeball between his hands. He was staring into the sky, watching the storm clouds roll against each other. No doubt thundurus was hiding behind those very clouds, but not for long. Just needed Temp to arrive.