A few hours of tinkering later, and Oscar would be ready for another trial. He pulled in his second caged subject, a Swadloon. Oscar hoped that this one survived, it would be really nice to take it home. Hopefully in that scenario it would not hold against him what he was about to do.

Oscar went back to the control panel, picking up the recorder to dictate his next set of notes.

"Test number two of the Pokepod Prototype one point oh. Subject two is a swadloon of average size. After repairing the parts of the machine damaged by the energy surge, I adjusted the suction of the Infinity Energy absorber. Hopefully I can find that sweet spot this time around." Oscar stopped the recorder and turned on the machine once more. This time when he turned the dial to one the startled swadloon would only begin shaking as it whimpered. The energy readings were very low, not enough to even charge a phone. 

Oscar turned the dial up to two, and the swadloon would begin writhing. The energy readings barely went up, but this was expected. He had eight more levels to get through after all. Oscar turned the dial to three, and to his horror the swadloon would be instantly mummified as the machine once again surged with energy. Oscar slapped the emergency shutdown button, fast enough to not damage the shell too much. He groaned, picking up his recorder as he wearily walked toward the chamber.

As he observed the mummified swadloon, Oscar recorded his next set of notes. "Test failed, subject two has been terminated. The first two levels worked fine but when to three the absorber took too much again. Why does it keep pulling so much? There has to be a way to slow it down. Maybe if I narrow the openings of the absorbers? It's worth a shot. Will make adjustments and try again." 

Oscar ended his recording, tossed the swadloon mummy aside, and began adjusting the aborbers.

Oscar sipped from his glass, looking upward as he thought of options. One came to mind almost instantaneously, "priam conrad. I want to see him go to space, it would be quite the experience." Oscar chuckled to himself, imagining Priam in a space suit working alongside Genesect. It would make for a humorous shenanigan if nothing else.

Oscar shrugged as he set his glass down, "Seriously though, Genesect is ready for this sort of task. I cannot imagine anything more capable of surviving the tribulations of space. Even if it did not have me to guide it, the creature's super-intelligence has many uses outside of hunting." Oscar was not sure why the idea of Genesect being apart of this space mission was so appealing to him. Perhaps he wanted to see how far Genesect had come from its days on its own, madly searching for purpose. Maybe he just thought it would be funny. Either way, he would stand by his proposal. 

All this Genesect talk reminded him though--"Ah, can I get some of your notes from project Exodus. I have a dumb idea that can turn into a good idea if I get it right." Oscar picked up his glass and took a large gulp, suddenly feeling rather warm. "Oof, I gotta slow down I'm already buzzed."

Lulu Flint

Oscar would not get a chance to hear Priam's answer, nor even the opportunity to try the wine. As he turned to face his easel, a shadow would pass over him. Looking up, Oscar's eyes would meet the rather unfriendly gaze of a burly security guard. Oscar's heart immediately began pounding, and he would smile sheepishly as he fanned himself. 

"Um, may I help you sir?"

Oscar's disguised voice was well practiced, a hold over from a mission long-since past. The burly man raised an eyebrow, "Could ya come with me--miss?" Oscar shrugged, "I-I-I wouldn't want to leave my friend here alone..." Oscar was referring to Priam, who had a guard of his own to contend with. Oscar's guard squinted, "This will only take a second." 

Oscar gingerly stood up, click clacking behind the security guard as he lead him to the side. The guard folded his arms, "What's your name ma'am?" Oscar stood up confidently, fully prepared for this question. "It's Osssss..." Nope that was not what he had rehearsed, jumped right into his actual fucking name. Think fast Oscar, hurry! "...sssssssmosis. Osmosis, my name's Osmosis." There was a long pause as the two stared at each other. "Jones." Oscar added. "Mrs. Osmosis Jones."

The guard blinked, "You're married?" Fuck, Oscar forgot to say miss instead of mrs. He refused to falter, "I was. I'm a widow, I just keep the moniker so I don't have to change all my business cards. Before you ask, they're in my other purse. This is my party purse." Oscar raised his hand bag, as if that were evidence to accredit his ruse.

"May I enjoy the activities now?"

The man looked at Oscar closely, preparing to pass judgement...


SWHvTOyP

Genesect did not move from where it stood. Well it moved a little, transforming into its Hover mode preemptively (Magnet Rise). It was still waiting, it had unlimited patience and no want for time. All it had to do was wait...

The sun was starting to set fully over the horizon, casting the district into an increasingly deep darkness. By now the trio would have reached their goal, and now all they must do is repair it. The device was a standard home generator, not unlike something you would find at a hardware store. Repairing it should be difficult, but then again the possibility to screw up spectacularly is omnipresent in exercises like these.

They would not feel pressure from genesect however, after all it was currently standing still. Waiting...

XglRc5XL

--Genesect has elected Not to pursue you, and so the low rolls of the previous round will not count toward your two strikes.

--From this point onward roll after your post. Rolling higher than Genesect benefits your character's goals, whether they be to get away or to find the other pages. Rolling lower than Genesect brings Genesect closer to capturing you. Roll lower than Genesect three times and your character will be caught.

Cillian Quinn, @bishop, Johanna Joy

Oscar listened intently, lightly rubbing his chin as Aurelie gave her credentials. And what credentials they were! Oscar was sold half way through her explanation, he was already confident in her ability but he had to make sure she would be up to the task he had in mind. Luckily he would not be disappointed, and Oscar would smile as he began to feel reassured in his choice.

"Not at all!" Oscar spoke with enthusiasm, dismissing the possibility that he would be bored. "Quite the opposite, I find your experience encouraging. You might be able to pull off what I desire." Oscar turned himself to the side, observing some of Aurelie's wares while pulling a folded paper from out of his suit jacket. "But it's not a knife."

He unfolded the paper and turned again to place it in front of Aurelie. What she would find were schematics, detailed designs for the casings and joints of prosthetics for human arms and legs. Oscar rubbed his hands together as he gave Aurelie time to look them over. "I'm making specialized prosthetics you see. More specifically, cybernetic body enhancements that require steel casings. You know, to protect the tech. I was hoping you could make me a few sets."

Oscar folded his arms, his smile slowly transforming into an excited grin. "You'll have no want for resources or work space. I'll provide everything you will need, all I require is your skill."

Oscar waited to gauge her reaction, withholding a particularly vital detail for the time being.

Aurelie Lefevre

The door opened, and Oscar came face-to-face with a one eyed red head. This must have been Aurelie, her appearance matched her grunt dossier. Oscar gave her a smile that sat between warm and sinister, so well within his usual expression range. She seemed plainly nervous, which Oscar elected to ignore since that usually did not last long. He appreciated her manners at least, bowing his head slightly as he stepped inside.

"The honor's mine." He said as he closed the door behind him. Oscar's smile would grow increasingly satisfied as he observed his surroundings. He had never been to a metal working store, and seeing all this well crafted equipment and weaponry told him that he had chosen the right woman for his commission. 

Oscar's attention was drawn back to the woman before he could remark about anything, his eyes lighting up as she offered him snacks. Not just snacks, she made a whole platter for him to enjoy. Oscar's professionalism faltered as he went for one of the beautifully crafted hors d'oeuvres, "Holy shit no one had actually made snacks before." 

He munched on one of the chicken and mushroom crackers, delighting in the mix of flavors. He responded candidly to Aurelie's manner of address, "Oscar's fine. I mean, you made fuckin' snacks. We're on a first name basis now, you and I." Oscar threw one of the blueberry dishes in his mouth, shuddering with joy. "So fuckin' good, thank you."

Oscar cleared his throat after swallowing, attempting to regain some of his previous composure. "Ahem, um right then. Before I share what I've come here for, I would like to be reassured of your qualifications. Tell me about your metal working experience." Oscar looked to the black smith, waiting patiently for her answer.

Aurelie Lefevre

Oscar pulled a cage up to the chamber, a sleeping Sandaconda sitting within. Oscar carefully dragged the slumbering serpent into the chamber, closing the glass doors and locking them with a metallic latch. He then ran to the far side of the room, where he had built the control panel for his prototype. With the experiment set up, Oscar would don a voice modifying headset and begin recording his research notes with a handheld tape recorder.

"Ahem--Pokepod Preliminary trial. Prototype one point oh, experiment performed by agent skull. Test subject one is a sandaconda of average size. The device I have built is a crude behemoth, but if my designs are correct then it should replicate the same energy suction that can be performed by Declan Walsh's Infinity Energy Device. Hopeful application would be to use this 'organic' Infinity Energy to power---whatever we can think of I guess. If the Megalopolins can use this energy to power their cities, surely we can do the same. Firstly I must overcome the obstacle of keeping the test subject alive while still absorbing their energy. Walsh's device always kills off the victim unless they are immortal, and for long term use I must figure out the right frequency to mitigate this risk so that subjects can provide energy for long periods of time. I shall now power on my device at level one, increasing the power gradually to hopefully discover a sweet spot for suction."

Oscar turned off the recorder, flipping several switches on his panel before pulling a small lever. The machine awoke with a roar, startling the sandaconda awake. Before it could react to what was happening, Oscar grabbed a dial that had labels numbered one to ten. He twisted the dial ever so slightly, causing the Infinity Energy absorbers in the chamber to turn on. It was supposed to be a light suction, you know because it was level one, however absorbers immediately kicked into high gear. The sandaconda was instantaneously shriveled into dust, its life source surging through the machine. The prototype sparked and fumed, bursting as it became overloaded with Infinity Energy. 

Oscar slammed his fist on a red button on his panel, activating the machine's emergency shutdown and forcing it into dormancy. As the machine died down, Oscar cursed and started the tape recorder once more.

"Messed up the suction level. Subject one has been terminated. Adjustments required, followed by additional testing."

He turned off the recorder and reluctantly got back to work...

3...2...1...0

Genesect's countdown inevitably came to an end, and with its wait over Genesect could finally--do nothing. There was no burst of energy as it sprang into action, no metallic screech to announce its hunt, it just stood still. After a moment of apparent observation, Genesect began to slowly walk toward the exit the trio had left through.

This time around, Genesect could not simply follow the tracks of his prey. The warehouse district were plain and bare, so it would have to be more creative to seek out its targets. As it left the starting warehouse, Genesect attempted to keep track of little details that could indicate their path. Misplaced pebbles, shifted dirt lines, anything that could dictate signs of movement. 

It was a slow process, which caused Genesect to move at a snail's pace. Eventually the signs of movement ran out, and Genesect was left standing in the middle of the street without a direction to follow. Genesect did not worry though, it had a very easy way to find out where they went. It just needed to wait...


akbIMPmg

--From this point onward roll after your post. Rolling higher than Genesect benefits your character's goals, whether they be to get away or to find the other pages. Rolling lower than Genesect brings Genesect closer to capturing you. Roll lower than Genesect three times and your character will be caught.

Cillian Quinn, @bishop, Johanna Joy

Click clack click clack click clack click

Oscar indeed was a master of disguise, pulling off more than one unlikely ruse while in costume. However, the only time he had ever been in drag he was done up by Chu-e Choi, so to say Oscar had experience in the art would be less than honest. Yet when Priam came to him with this bizarre plot, well he just could not say no. Could you? This was a ridiculous idea--and a great way to spend his night off.

If they were not caught at least.

Unfortunately for the both of them, Oscar did a less than convincing job. That was why Oscar took longer to arrive, he spent far more time scrutinizing his appearance and debating if he could pull off this act. If he failed, was the humifaction worth it? He decided that 'fuck yes it was', but decided that he might need back up. He sent Martín del Mar a text, wondering if he would join them if Oscar seemed needy enough. Whether Mars was a fan of such shenanigans or not remained to be seen, but it would sure make this a lot more fun.

Click clack click clack click clack

Oscar was not used to walking in heels, so his steps were marked by the rapid pace of his hurried shuffling. He held a fan up to his face as he made his way to Priam's side, hoping that the obstruction would distract from his--less than professional make-up job.

Oscar settled himself into his chair, adjusting every orifice before leaning over to Priam. "Dude I think we're gonna pull this off. No one's even paying attention to us. Also I think Rowan is here, did you invite him too?"

priam conrad

Deep within the bowels of Sootopolis's new state of the art research facility, Oscar Clayton was hard at work spitting in the face of Arceus. Lulu Flint had given him his own space to use as he wished, though she likely did not imagine he would be making anything quite like--this. It was a monstrosity of metal and wires in the vague shape of a massive capsule. Within the mass of tubes and twisted steel one could find a small platform that could be enclosed with reinforced glass doors. Oscar was working on that platform, welding a pylon in place as the final touch to his ghastly prototype.

With everything in place, Oscar stepped back to observe his handiwork. It looked nothing like the sophisticated pods the Megalopolins used in the alternate dimension Oscar visited, but then again it was just a prototype. Oscar needed to master the art of extracting infinity energy before he could even consider refining the design. Speaking of...

At approximately ten in the morning, a discolored Ariados would mysteriously appear within the Iron Lady Forge. It acted quickly, delivering an envelope addressed to Aurelie Lefevre as closely to her position as it could before disappearing into thin air as quickly as it came. If the forge master were to open the envelope, it would have a simple letter within. The letter states thusly:

One of the Four Beasts shall visit you exactly ten minutes after your closing hour. Be ready. Snacks are not required but would be appreciated.

Aurelie may have been on the newer side, but even so she should know who the Four Beasts were by now. The letter did not say who would appear exactly, it wanted to be vague in case the wrong person got into the envelope. Regardless of whether or not the letter was discovered and read, Oscar Clayton would indeed appear ten minutes after the Iron Lady Forge was supposed to close.

He would knock upon her door, waiting patiently to be let in...

The three got right to work, an excellent idea considering the rapidly depleting sunlight. What they did not know is that from this point each generator would be about a twenty minute walk, their grace period shall run out before they find their first one. At least when the hunt starts they'll be sent running, that should help speed things up. 

Oscar looked to Genesect, "Don't start early, be patient until your timer hits zero. Also reminder number eighty five, no techno blast. Don't think I didn't notice you trying to sneak it in last time." Genesect nods to confirm its orders, and Oscar would then turn away to find his observation station.

Inside Genesect's visor, the timer rolled down rapidly. It would stand motionless as it waited to begin.

8:30 remaining

Cillian Quinn, @bishop, Johanna Joy