[attr="class","charicon"]

the large plush doesn't even seem to faze her. she just nods thoughtfully, thumb and forefinger to chin as she takes the information in. she's not exactly the most... detective-y looking person, but there's something sharp and unyielding about her amber eyes. "i see, i see... and now something's gone missin', yeah?" she lowers her hand, her expression changing. "no, i'm sure if it was something you'd be callin' on somebody else... it's someone, isn't it? this 'nikola' person?" there would be a reason he didn't just contact local law enforcers or pull his weight with the league to get this done. if someone disappeared, but there was no sign of foul play or kidnapping involved, then it'd be unlikely he could get the law to care... which would result in him contacting her, instead.[break][break]

maisie takes a seat, lounging with one leg crossed over the other. "what d'ya know about this person? d'you think rocket is involved somehow, or...?" were they taking revenge on someone who'd interfered with their plans? she takes out a notebook with a bunch of macabre-looking stickers on it, pulls a pen out of her coat pocket, and clicks it, starting to write. "you don't have to tell me about anythin' strictly confidential. let's start at the beginning."

[attr="class","bottom"]i'll gouge you out with my fangs.[break]
[break]Josh Devlin
[break]

[attr="class","credit"] [attr="class","fas fa-cloud-moon"]

[attr="class","charicon"]

maisie folds her arms. "i've done a few odd jobs here and there," she says. "nothin' too big. i've only been in the region for about a year and a half, maybe... two years?" this was to be her safe haven after everything that happened in kanto, but apparently she can never escape the violence wrought by rocket. if she were more optimistic, she'd see it as a chance to make up for her previous sins, but the cynical detective knows better than that.[break][break]

"not knowin' much about their past will make this a bit harder," she explains. "usually i can build up a profile with data based on their history, but that's not bloody likely if they have some form of amnesia. hell, the name you know 'em by not even be their real name." she's dealt with cases like this before. usually the person in question turns up dead in a ditch somewhere, a fact she's not going to burden josh with. "d'you have any pictures of 'em? or anything that might have their scent? what about where they lived? i could snoop around their home, see if i can find anythin' out." if they rented, which seems likely, she could get in contact with their former landlord. when people disappear unintentionally, they leave behind the things they own. if the place was cleared out, though... then they may have gone missing on purpose. it's not much, but it'd be a start.

[attr="class","bottom"]i'll gouge you out with my fangs.[break]
[break]Josh Devlin
[break]

[attr="class","credit"] [attr="class","fas fa-cloud-moon"]

[attr="class","charicon"]

one photo is better than nothing, but it might not be enough. the fact that an official trainer's license exists means that at the very least, the identity of "nikola catellus" was created to look as official as possible. but maisie is willing to bet that the history of that identity is a very short one. she frowns, craning her neck around as if trying to make a hard decision.[break][break]

finally, after a moment of hesitation, she speaks. "...oi, dante. gimme that thing." her dreepy pokes its head out of her hair again, bug eyes staring at josh. maisie reaches a hand up and gently unties something from its neck; a locket, of some sort? maisie presses against the clasp, and it unfolds to reveal... "i don't have much with the hoenn league, but this might be even a step up from that." ...a shiny badge for an interpol special agent, with an ID number engraved. it's something she keeps close to her heart, something she doesn't like to use unless she has to. "i'm not official anymore, y'know, but if ya want, y'can look up my history... just keep it quiet, please. your friend isn't the only one tryin' to start anew." thankfully, her official history doesn't contain the gruesome details behind her discharge. it only states that she resigned officially about two years ago, under her original name, christina hunter.[break][break]

as far as agents go, she wasn't anything particularly special, but she did get results, one way or another. most of her existing history lies within kanto... battling rocket there, even as they took hold of the region, trying to hold back the tide despite how impossibly gargantuan the task was. that had been her life's mission, once upon a time. even now she regrets how little a difference she was able to make.

[attr="class","bottom"]i'll gouge you out with my fangs.[break]
[break]Josh Devlin
[break]

[attr="class","credit"] [attr="class","fas fa-cloud-moon"]

[attr="class","charicon"]

ah, so that's why he's trying to keep this information from leaking. maisie rubs her chin, thinking out loud. "...yet there 'asn't been any information leaked about that particular mission, since you're still tryin' to keep it quiet," she concludes, reading between the lines. "so it's unlikely that this nikola catellus has said anythin' since. that does, unfortunately, point to one possible conclusion... an unpleasant one." it all comes back to the fact that missing persons cases usually resulted in the victim turning up dead, one way or another.[break][break]

"it seems likely that's where the case ends," she says frankly. "but it's not impossible that there's more to it. i can start with tryin' to dig into their past using the information you gave me. i can follow their steps from there." all the better if she can locate the place they used to live... when people vanish, they tend to leave things behind. if the landlord kept anything, she can get a scent from there. the state their apartment was in when they disappeared will help her to understand the situation better too.[break][break]

she closes the case containing her badge and slips it back over dante's head. the dreepy slinks back into her hair, hiding himself once more. "i'll get to th' bottom of this, one way or another," maisie promises. her eyes shine like a dog that's been given a particularly meaty bone. "i'll keep ya posted."

[attr="class","bottom"]i'll gouge you out with my fangs.[break]
[break]Josh Devlin
[break]

[attr="class","credit"] [attr="class","fas fa-cloud-moon"]

[attr="class","charicon"]

a unique typhlosion being sighted again... well, if her suspicions were correct and her mark had been killed, it wouldn't be unusual for their pokemon to be seized afterwards. there were too many cases where a missing person's pokemon had popped up again, this time being wielded by their previous trainer's killer. some would rebel, yes, but most would have little choice but to do as their new commander said.[break][break]

"i'll take a look then," she promises. "then i'll get out on the streets. might be a hot minute before ya hear back from me, but you're welcome to swing by the mausoleum any time. drinks're on me for the first visit." she's already looking through the information on her phone, dante peering out curiously. she's made sure her bar is generally pretty secure for league officials, tossing out any rocket rabble that makes themself known. she can't guarantee the allegiance of her customers, even so, but her office is fairly soundproof and has a high tech security system.[break][break]

maisie pockets her phone. "if you happen t'find out anything new, lemme know," she says, as she's walking out the door. "any 'lil bit helps." she winks. "see ya soon, mate." time to get to work.

[attr="class","bottom"]i'll gouge you out with my fangs.[break]
[break]Josh Devlin
[break]

[attr="class","credit"] [attr="class","fas fa-cloud-moon"]