mar's eyebrows lifted as she made out a woman on a starfish. hmm. she didn't look like a criminal. "cap. let's shine some light on this, aye?" capsakid cast sunny day, improving her speed. mar braced herself as the starmie surfed into her ship, rocking it heavily. hmm. should she try a little fun and games with this one? she wasn't well equipped for an all-out battle, and maybe she could talk herself out of it. after all, she'd dumped her trafficking cargo out, so no one should be able to determine her allegiance or activities from her ship alone.

"hey, what are ye doin?!" she steadied herself on her feet, almost knocked over by the starmie's assault. she held her hands up and out in a surrendering position. "who are ye? i'll call the police!" or the maritime something something -- she didn't know, she didn't call on law enforcement in her short period of time in hoenn, though she hoped invoking the police would make her seem like a civilian. "this ship is a family heirloom, ye twit!" yes, she was just an angered civilian, not a criminal doing suspicious things on the water.

Shalin Nariya

☉

Rustboro Captain-elect Shalin Nariya. hmm. she committed the name to memory. the woman would obviously be powerful as captain-elect, and she'd even been trusted to come out here swinging with that surf attack, so she could clearly handle herself. it was in mar's best interest not to anger her.

hah, and trinity beckman had considered her to be too impulsive. she was planning plenty well, now. she would get to know this shalin, and maybe pay her a visit later if she reported anything back to her superiors that would ruin mar's future in trafficking. mar wasn't quite happy with the inspection, but she didn't want a fight, either. she acquiesced. "that's how ye do things here in hoenn?" her kalosian accent was thick in her displeasure. "aye, come on, then. check things out." capsakid didn't like that idea, but she didn't make any aggressive moves. instead, her anxiety manifested as nibbling on her fingers, though mar picked her up and put her on her shoulders to stop the grass-type from harming herself.

she had no traces of stolen pokemon below the surface, but the emptiness of the ship might pose a red flag. mar wondered what story to come up and what name was best to give shalin.

Shalin Nariya

☉

mar saw two ways to play it as shalin referenced the cargo manifest. she could insist she wasn't shipping, but because she would be trafficking frequently, she didn't want this captain-elect to spread word about her ship not being a transport ship (so if anyone saw it carrying, they should flag it). she didn't know how often this woman would scour the seas. she couldn't risk another run-in if she made that claim.

besides, the ship was obviously designed for cargo. she had to lean into it.

"rockets took it."

stupid. she didn't look distressed. time to sell it.

"they came on board and took everything. one of 'em had a pokemon that used hypnosis on me and cap here. i woke up to nothing. i wasn't carrying anything important, just some potions for a friend looking to host a tournament." yeah, that could explain using up her cargo space... but how often did private citizens host tournaments? arceus, this lie was getting away from her. "anyways. i have a lot of calls to make and apologies to give. and revenge to get." her tone took a much more sinister tone. "the sooner you leave, the sooner i can get back to getting on track."

Shalin Nariya

☉

shit. things weren't working.

she brought out another pokemon that mar wasn't well-equipped to deal with. she didn't have a good opportunity to bail, either, as shalin had demonstrated a collection of fast ride pokemon already. mar was running out of options.

"ye can't treat me like this!" she exploded, voice rising. "just because i'm an outsider, ye think i'm a liar? it's unbecoming for ye hoenn folk to think i'm a liar and a cheat because i'm from kalos! how do ye live with yerself? and yer in charge of people! unbelievable. i want yer supervisor's name." putting shalin on the defense could help, but she had to hope the woman was unused to such accusations, that it would throw her off. otherwise, mar would need something really remarkable as a smokescreen, or she was risking her ship.

Shalin Nariya

☉

ollie morales. she committed the name to memory just like shalin's, but she wasn't sure how much value she'd get out of looking into either of them. she didn't like to study, anyhow.

"an hour ago," she said, steely in her anger. "three of 'em. masks. i saw a claydol and that was it." she snapped her fingers. "lights out. ye know what it's like to have control of yerself and then to have it ripped away in a second? to watch these boys come in and take what's yers?" she summoned an anger from something else to use as a prop, remembering how her father was locked up in kalos for treason and a dozen other missteps. taken from her by idiots.

"this ship is me birthright, and they came in and took it from me without a second thought. and i could do nothing, trapped in my own body. by the time their claydol finished with me, it was the only thing left on the ship, and it fled while i got my bearings. i don't know where they went. but i know where they're going." emotion served for good smoke and mirrors, but in bringing up old feelings, she was consumed in them, tying herself to the story she was weaving like it was real. "i'll bury them in the sea, let kyogre feast on their bones."

Shalin Nariya

☉

shalin was unmoved by mar's emotions, which would've angered her more, but the captain-elect chose to fly off to verify her information. mar was just about ready to do something risky when shalin left her pokemon to watch her while she went to the skies. dhelmise could probably do some real damage if mar pulled him out, but she did not feel very confident about it. clobbopus and capsakid loved combat, but the pokemon in front of them looked seasoned. on top of it, she wasn't sure she could flee since she lacked ride pokemon, and the woman would absolutely catch her if she stayed on ship.

her hands were tied. she was prepared for handcuffs when shalin dropped down, but the woman confirmed her report. mar tried not to look too relieved.

and what name to give her?

hm. "margaret." she would need to see what kinds of pokemon shalin was known for having at her disposal so she was better prepared for the future. she was sure this wouldn't be her first time seeing her.

Shalin Nariya

☉