A Slowking? Hate Mars? I’ll have you know that he has three of them, both Kantonian and Galarian, and that they all like him a lot, thank you very much. Get that hater out of here, we want none of that.
[break][break]
Mars takes one step back when Virizion uses PROTECT, calmly getting out of potential harm’s way. He watches the capture with interest, and soon his attention shifts to Matias once again.
[break][break]
”Virizion, huh? She seems nice.”
[break][break]
Nice and maybe a little too eager to jump into a fight, but she had just protected him, so in Mars’ book she’s useful enough.
[break][break]
Meanwhile, his Inkay encounter a wild Mismagius, and while the pokémon doesn’t initially seek conflict, the little squids sure do from the moment Mars gives the silent command. NIGHT SLASH? Of course. No need to fix what isn’t broken, but let’s pair it with PSYBEAM too.
[break][break]
Naturally, a pokéball is thrown.


[BREAK][BREAK]

+ MATIAS SILPH | Catching Mismagius ♡

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

nice? that's the best adjective mars can come up with? surely he can do better than that.

"i'm obligated to say she's amazing."

he chuckles, joking as he ducks out of the way of a few MAGICAL LEAVES that fly his way.

thankfully, the same MAGICAL LEAVES smack into a wild munna who was about ready to fire off a HYPNOSIS. it recoils in pain, floating down just enough to allow matias to tap it with a pokeball.

boop!

Martín del Mar / catching munna!

☉

Nice.
[break][break]
Amazing?
[break][break]
Mars doesn’t do empty praise, although if he himself had such a unique legendary pokémon, he’d probably also say they’re pretty amazing. Hell, he does say it about his Zeraora and Urshifu, doesn’t he? Maybe he’s really just a hypocrite…
[break][break]
”Obligated, huh? Wonder how she’d feel about that.”
[break][break]
He smirks, chuckling as well. All of it just in time for a Honedge to come aggressively slashing through the air towards them. Maybe it saw the Sword of Justice and thought it should show it what a real sword is like, but even if so, much to its bad luck, it’s an Inkay’s PSYBEAM that confuses it, causing it to hurt itself despite the reduced damage of the attack. A NIGHT SLASH finishes things off, and a pokéball is then thrown.
[break][break]
”Were you surprised when she appeared after the tournament?”
[break][break]
Who wouldn’t have been, honestly?


[BREAK][BREAK]

+ MATIAS SILPH | Catching Honedge ♡

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"i was."

he smiles, looking to virizion as she engages in a battle with a wild medicham. it's not much of a battle, however, as the HIGH JUMP KICK it throws barely does anything to virizion. she counters with a LEAF BLADE, GIGA DRAIN, and final MAGICAL LEAVES before a pokeball saves it from fainting.

"none of us were expecting them, but it's reassuring to know they've been watching."

as reassuring as it might be, it's also damning. he knows what other myths and legends are out there watching them as they speak.

"who knows? maybe one's watching you, too."

Martín del Mar / catching medicham!

☉

Who wouldn’t have been surprised?
[break][break]
As far as most people were aware, the tournament had been supposed to be just that: a tournament. And yet, it had ended with the Swords of Justice showing up. Whatever reasons they may have had for appearing there and then are their own, but as Mars sees it, it’s all interesting nevertheless.
[break][break]
What causes a pokémon like that one to choose someone?
[break][break]
”Reassuring? True, I guess it must be nice to know that she agrees with the path you’ve taken and all that… It also sounds like she must have expectations, though”
[break][break]
The path he has taken...
[break][break]
The choices he has made…
[break][break]
Just as Mars ponders on these things, a Golett attacks the pair of Inkay, the little squids needing no command in order to retaliate. A PSYBEAM is sent to confuse their opponent, being quickly followed by PAYBACK, and once this is done, Mars throws a pokéball at the weakened automaton.
[break][break]
’Who knows? maybe one's watching you, too.’
[break][break]
At this, he pauses, looking at Matias with a smirk.
[break][break]
”You make it sound almost creepy, but yeah, maybe.”
[break][break]
Proud as he is, of course Mars would believe himself worthy of having a higher power watch over his actions, but in reality, he has no way of knowing that only a few nights after this encounter he will actually learn just how right Matias’ words might be...
[break][break]

We are watching.

[BREAK][BREAK]

+ MATIAS SILPH | Catching Golett ♡

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

like any other legendary, virizion does have her own set of expectations, and it's what he's looking to live up to.

only time will tell if he's truly worthy.

"it is pretty creepy if you think about it."

again, another bronzor appears, reminding him of his bestie kyle lopez. the CONFUSE RAY it emits is blocked by a PROTECT only to be immediately countered by a SACRED SWORD that knocks it down into the ground. a pokeball is thrown after, capturing the psychic-type.

"how'd you do in the tournament?"

Martín del Mar / catching bronzor!

☉

”No kidding. Sure makes you wonder just how much they see.”
[break][break]
Legendary pokémon watching every single thing people do? Surely they must have something better to do. Mars himself may be interesting enough to keep an eye on (in his own never-humble opinion, of course), but most people? If he had to spend his time watching their lives, he’d get bored in about five minutes... Or maybe four.
[break][break]
And speaking of legendary pokémon…
[break][break]
Since Mars’ Inkay aren’t that, they’re starting to get tired of all this (just like Azul is getting tired of describing their attacks) so he chooses to switch them out in favour of his Froslass. As soon as he does, a Gastly seems to take interest in her, but the icy ghost has no patience for that, and puts the Gas Pokémon in its place with a HEX. Mars throws a pokémon so it will stop bothering her.
[break][break]
”At the tournament? I was mostly there for work. Promotion and what not.”
[break][break]
Not like Matias has a clue what he's talking about, and Mars doesn't expect him to.

[BREAK][BREAK]

+ MATIAS SILPH | Catching Gastly ♡

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

damn, mars' inner dialogue is such a bitch. matias has a clue, alright? he's recently hired luka chêne to help with his pr, and so he has no doubts he'll soon have to do stupid shit like what mars did at the tournament.

"sure, but you still battled, didn't you?"

a WHIRLWIND picks up, wrapping around them before being quickly dispelled by MAGICAL LEAVES that cut right through. the wild sigilyph's PSYBEAM pulses, ringing violently. but virizion will not be deterred that easily.

after a GIGA DRAIN and a LEAF BLADE, the sigilyph falls to a pokeball.

Martín del Mar / catching sigilyph!

☉

Mars’ inner dialogue is toxic and judgy, we’ve been through this. He actually thinks Matias is a pretty decent guy, alright? ...Except for their first meeting and the whole ‘not remembering him’ part, that’s Matias being toxic right there.
[break][break]
”I did.”
[break][break][break]
He did, but it would have been counterproductive to actually put effort into said battles, because of the people watching and also because of Team Rocket. It would have been a waste to show all his cards at an event like that. For, as Mars sees it; until the right time comes, it’s better to be underestimated when it comes to that sort of stuff.
[break][break]
Unlike Mars’ Inkay, his Froslass doesn’t have much patience, and when a Grumpig BELCHES in her general direction, she seems offended. A WILL-O-WISP soon burns the Psychic pig, and a now empowered HEX soon follows it. Grumpig doesn’t stand a chance, and Mars throws a pokéball before the Froslass can keep beating it up.
[break][break]
"It's not really my thing."
[break][break]
Mars adds this about the tournament with a shrug, despite the fact that his pokémon have been out here beating up anything they encounter with deadly efficiency. But, let's ignore that.

[BREAK][BREAK]

+ MATIAS SILPH | Catching Grumpig ♡

[attr="class","pokeclass"]