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Pokémon The Myriad Investigations of Detective Oscar [One-Shot Collection]

The Mystery of the Thrice Stolen Pearl

JFought

Sloooowly writing...
Location
HCL
Pronouns
they/them
Partners
  1. jfought-sword
  2. jfought-blue
  3. deerling-summer
  4. charmeleon
  5. vulpix
Summary: The largest city in Liber is no stranger to crime. From random hooligans to organized crime syndicates, Capital is a city of mystery, danger, and intrigue. But none of that is a match for the unparalleled intellect and masterful detective work of the city’s very own Detective Oscar!

This is a relatively recent idea that I’ve been playing with for the past several months. At its core, this is a collection of one-shots and short stories: there isn’t really going to be any kind of schedule for this, it’s just whenever I feel like writing one, I’ll finish it and post it to this thread to keep them all in one place. While these are all standalone stories, there is some continuity between them: I would describe the format as like an episodic TV show. The episodes don’t have much to do with each other, but the later ones do expect you to have a basic understanding of these characters that’s built upon over time, and our main duo here do have a goal they are trying to work towards. This is something I'd like to keep going in the background, though ultimately my main focus will be the main project that these stories share a setting with.
I would rate this collection as PG. The general tone of these stories is pretty lighthearted, and if noticeably darker elements become present in one of them, I’ll give a warning for it in that story’s post. As a general warning, there might be some very minor swearing here and there, as well as references to alcohol in a couple stories, but that’s pretty much it.

All that said, I hope you enjoy! Feedback is very appreciated, as I’m trying to experiment a lot with these to see what works and what doesn’t.

The stories in this collection can get pretty long. In understanding of this, I have devised a mini-Table of Contents system. Basically, each story is split into sections, and at the beginning of the story will be a Table of Contents under a spoiler tag. It'll contain a list of every section name and their word count, and the idea is that for the sake of Catnip/Review Roulette, you can stop at one of these sections for your review. That way, if the word count looks daunting, you don't have to read the entire thing! It also works in ye olde GameFaqs Table of Contents way in that you can use your browser's search function to quickly get to each section. The idea is to try and make the long word counts more digestible, so if it helps at all or you think it could be improved I'd like to hear it!


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Detective Oscar and the Mystery of the Thrice Stolen Pearl
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Summary:
It begins as a simple request to find a stolen pearl. But the situation soon multiplies into not one mystery, but three! Can Detective Oscar solve them all, and reach the truth at the heart of it?
Start - 2.3k
2:22 in the afternoon - 5k
3:31 in the afternoon - 0.8k
4:10 in the afternoon - 4.7k

As a breakpoint, stopping at 3:31 works best with the pacing.
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---STOLEN HEIRLOOM!---
Type: Search
Client: Grumpig
Reward: 120 Poké
I woke up this morning to find our family’s most prized possession missing! It is my great-great-grandmother’s pearl, one that had been passed down for generations! Our house is near Tranquilo’s north exit. Please help me find it!
---

21st day, Month of Clygem, 1843.

“I see…”

The studious herdier examined the table in detail, looking at it from every angle and position. Its condition was pristine, and it smelled like old pine. Content, he took a step back to consider the room he was in once more. The table was situated against the wall at a perfect distance from the front door and nearest window both, which would place it right in the middle of the room.

A grumpig watched him anxiously. “Have you figured something out yet, Detective Oscar?”

The great Detective Oscar answered his question with a question. “May I ask, you said that the door was still locked when you woke up this morning?”

The grumpig, known as Ettore, fiddled nervously with his large ears. “Yeah, and I swear it was locked all night.”

“And there are no other entrances to the building?”

“No, just the windows.”

“A locked room mystery,” the detective thought, his mind whirling with possibilities. He got close to the table and sniffed the pillow Ettore claimed the pearl had been sitting on. But all he found was that same scent of old pine, with what he assumed to be Ettore’s scent faint and distant. “That’s odd.”

“What’s odd?” asked Ettore.

“I have seen a few spoink pearls in my time,” said Oscar. “And they would typically carry the scent of their owners. But there is not a single lingering trace of it to be found here.”

“Oh, that would be my fault,” Ettore explained, wringing his hands. “I should have mentioned it. I wash the pearl every now and then to keep it clean, that’s why you can’t smell it.”

“Does he wash it with pine or something?” The detective decided that it didn’t matter why it was missing a scent. “If I cannot smell anything, then I cannot track anything, so unfortunately we will have to proceed the old-fashioned way.” He shifted his gaze to the swoobat poking inquisitively at the wall underneath the stairway. “Benigno!”

Benigno was snapped out of his trance. “Huh?” He quickly hopped over and tilted his head. “What is it?”

“You seemed to be very invested in that wall there. Did you find anything?” Oscar asked.

Benigno shook his head. “Nope.”

The detective lifted a brow. Benigno was a ‘mon of odd habits, always being distracted by even the slightest of small sounds. While his acute hearing abilities were often helpful, they just as often led to dead ends, and the swoobat himself could never seem to tell the difference. In this case, however, he decided to trust his word. “Very well then.” He turned towards the grumpig. “Now, Ettore, was it? We will have to ask you a few questions. Is there anyone you know who would covet the pearl?”

“No one that I can think of,” he replied. “It must have been some kind of common thief.”

“A common thief that leaves no scent and can pass through a locked door.” Oscar shook his head, the small bag around his neck shifting as he did so. “It is far more likely we are dealing with someone more professional here. Though as to how they found out about the pearl, would you know?”

“Well you can see it from the window over there,” he said, pointing to it. “That’s probably how it caught their eye.”

Benigno tapped his partner on the shoulder with a wing claw. “Do you think it was a ghost?”

“I wouldn’t think so, but…” Oscar pondered the situation. “The way I see it there are two possibilities.”

“Two?” questioned Ettore.

The great detective nodded. “First, as Benigno suggested, it may have been a Ghost-type pokémon. I would think that a ghost does leave behind a scent, however I must admit that I am not the most educated on ghosts. So it is not out of the question that some are incorporeal enough to not leave behind a scent as they travel. The other possibility…” The herdier moved over to the window, whose curtains were drawn back. “Is revealed by these open curtains!”

The swoobat’s eyes widened. “Really?! What do they mean?!” asked Benigno, his excitement mounting.

“What they mean is the second possibility! Ettore, were these curtains closed last night?”

The grumpig rubbed his chin as he tried to remember. “Well, no. I don’t think so.”

“You would think a Psychic-type would understand the significance!” The detective shook his head in mock disappointment. “Haven’t you heard to always keep your curtains closed at night? Because if you don’t, you open yourself up as a victim of telekinetic crime!”

Benigno hopped slightly, wings spread in understanding. “Oh! That’s the thing where you make things move with your mind!”

“Exactly! The move in question: Telekinesis! It requires a line of sight between you and the object in question, and both the door and pearl can be seen from here. In theory, one could use it to unlock the door, take the pearl, and lock it once again, all without having to enter your home!”

Ettore’s hand stayed glued to his chin as he gave the detective a skeptical look. “But isn’t Telekinesis a rare move? There aren’t really a lot of pokémon who know how to use it.”

But Oscar was not deterred. “Which is perfect, as it narrows down our search considerably!”

“Maybe they left a smell at the window!” exclaimed Benigno.

“Good thinking, Beni!” Oscar put his front paws on the window sill. “Would you mind, Ettore? It would be much faster if you were to open it.”

Ettore, still skeptical but willing to humor him, did as he was instructed and undid the latch keeping the window closed. With a *click!* he pushed it open, allowing Oscar to jump out and investigate the small side path wedged between buildings. He licked his nose and immediately got to work combing through the area, trying his best to sort out the smells to find something that wouldn’t fit.

“Did you find anything?” asked Benigno from the window.

There was nothing. Everything in the alley seemed to be in order, not a single recent smell. “That can’t be right! Did I miss something?” But he couldn’t have missed something, he was thorough! “It seems…” He tried desperately to think of a response. “That there is nothing of note in this particular location…”

“So it wasn’t a Psychic-type then,” said Ettore. His tone was becoming less impressed by the second.

Benigno piped in. “Maybe it was a ghost using Telekinesis!”

“I was just about to say that!” The great detective jumped back into the building and placed a paw on Benigno’s shoulder. “This is why we are partners; we are of the same mind! Ghosts are known for using Telekinesis!”

Ettore placed a hand on his chin. “It’s a bit far-fetched, but it would make sense I guess.”

“Of course it does!” He motioned for Benigno to follow him to the door. “Unfortunately, however, there isn’t much else to be discovered here. We will have to take our search elsewhere.”

Ettore clasped his hands together. “But you’ll find it, won’t you, detective?”

The great Detective Oscar stood proudly and scoffed. “Of course we will! Who do you think I am?!”

“Yeah!” exclaimed his esteemed partner Benigno. “We’re the best detective duo in all of Capital! You’re in good paws!” He lifted his wings and spread them wide. “And wings!”

“Well said Beni!” And with that, Benigno opened the door and the two stepped out into the sunlight.

Oscar took a deep breath of the afternoon air. There was a slight chill that day, a rare winter breeze blowing through the streets of the ever quiet District Dragos, aptly known by its residents as Tranquilo. Out of every district in Capital, it was both the newest and most peaceful, the buildings and roads well-maintained and newly placed street lamps lending a modern flair. To most adventurers it was known as the least interesting locale one could possibly visit, and was generally considered inferior to other districts when it came to lucrative requests. To the great detective however, it was a treasure trove of mystery. While it was true that genuine mysteries such as his current one were rare in this corner of the city, when one did appear it was always certain that he would get to it first. And it was through this clever usage of opportunity that he had gained his reputation as a first-rate problem solver.

“So now what?” asked Benigno as they walked aimlessly down the street.

“That’s the hard part.” Oscar kept his head straight and proud as he glanced at his partner. “Sometimes, Benigno, it is important to understand the ever-changing nature of mysteries.”

Benigno nodded along, enraptured by his words. “Uh huh?”

“So! Consider that as of right now, it is impossible to track down the pearl with our current information,” Oscar explained. “In such a situation, the best thing one can do is wait. In time, as the stolen item moves through the city, new information is bound to reveal itself.”

“But what if nothing turns up?”

Oscar felt a prickle of nervousness eat away at his tail. Still, he was not one to be deterred by his curious partner’s questions. On the contrary, they kept him sharp. “The guild’s information network is vast and far reaching. If worst comes to worst, we can utilize it to its fullest extent, though I would hope we would not have to resort to such measures.” The worst-case scenario he had in mind was the possibility that it ended up on the black market, in which case the mystery would become substantially more complicated, but he had confidence (or at the very least hope) that whoever stole it would not immediately seek to sell it there. Spoink pearls were sought after for more than just their weight in silver, after all, and the most likely culprit, a Ghost or Psychic-type, would have the most to gain from its uses. “Regardless, let us regroup at the Traveler’s Office and inform the guide of our predicament.”

“Right, let’s go!” Benigno spread his wings and leapt into the air, riding the wind and soaring far ahead of his friend. Oscar sighed. “The least you could do is wait for me.”

Together, they rushed through the streets of Tranquilo until they reached a small plaza, a light brick building featuring the emblem of Capital’s Guild just on the corner. Benigno landed and ran in first, Oscar trailing behind him. District Dragos’ Traveler’s Office was as quaint as the district itself: fairly small and clean, with the reception desk to the right and the ever-important request board on the wall to the left. Oscar’s claws clacked on the wooden floor as he entered, alerting the riolu behind the desk.

“Back already? That was quick,” said the riolu, trying to ignore the swoobat jumping up and down in front of him. He regarded Oscar with the kind of ruthlessly complicated expression one would expect from an individual who loathed your presence.

“You should see it for yourself, it is quite the conundrum!” said Oscar, in jovial ignorance of the guide’s exasperation. “A locked room mystery, if you can believe it! Somehow, the thief made off with the item without even leaving a scent!”

“And what does that bring you back here for?” asked Lin, leaning his head into his paw. He looked sharply at Benigno. “And stop fidgeting! You’re giving me a headache.”

“Oh! Sorry.” Benigno calmed down and stood still. While Oscar had many advocates in Tranquilo, Lin, the guide of this Traveler’s Office, was not one of them. Since Oscar often operated here, the two were well acquainted, but the differences between the two were simply too stark to reconcile. Lin was too clever and too serious for his own good, seeing Oscar’s mystery solving efforts as a nuisance rather than a help. Though Oscar theorized that the real reason he did not like him was because of an incident where Benigno questioned how a child could be trusted as the guide for Tranquilo. The answer, of course, was nepotism. Lin did not appreciate this.

“As much as I would prefer to bring good news,” Oscar continued. “We as of yet have no leads on the pearl. So…”

Lin sighed. “I’ll send a message to the other district offices. If we find anything out we’ll let you know. Is that it?”

“Um.” Benigno put a claw to his snout in thought. “Do you know anyone who could’ve stole it?”

“No.”

Oscar added to Benigno’s thought: “If it helps, the culprit is most likely either a ghost or psychic type pokémon. Can likely use Telekinesis.”

“No. But I’ll put it in the message.”

“Rather disappointing, but I guess I’m already asking a lot out of him.” Oscar nodded. “We appreciate it.”

With everything said and done, the duo left the tired riolu behind and found themselves back in the plaza. “Now what?” asked Benigno.

“As I said, Beni, we wait.” He watched as the whimsy faded from his friends eyes, and panicked slightly. “N-no worries, Benigno! Patience is a virtue! By tomorrow we can be certain that a new lead will have appeared!” Oscar did not want to admit that the mystery was a complete dead end. “Not a complete dead end! Just… mostly.”

“But I don’t want to wait. I tried to wake up early today,” Benigno complained.

“How about we visit your favorite restaurant? To make up for our lost afternoon?”

The swoobat nodded, smiling a little. “That sounds good I guess.”

And so, they went about their day, in the hopes that by the same time tomorrow a new lead would appear in the case. “If not for my or Benigno’s sake, then for Ettore’s!”

---
---District Dragos Traveler's Office, 2:22 in the afternoon---​

22nd day, Month of Clygem, 1843.

It was a miracle.

---CRYSTAL BALL ROBBERY---
Type: Search
Client: Gothitelle
Reward: 300 Poké
As I opened up my shop for the day, I was assaulted by a mysterious assailant. And when I came to, the centerpiece of my fortune telling business, my prized crystal ball, was missing! Please find it and the thug who stole it from me! My store can be found just on the edge of Tranquilo on Nera Street.
---

Oscar felt waves of relief crash upon his back as he read the request out loud for his friend. “What did I say, Beni?! A lead has revealed itself!”

“How do you know if they even have anything to do with each other?” commented Lin from his desk on the other side of the room.

“Simple!” Oscar glanced at Benigno and saw that the attention of the only one who mattered was on him completely. His tail wagged in barely concealed excitement. “Consider what a crystal ball and a spoink pearl have in common. They are both objects of powerful psychic energy! And for two items that match that description to become missing in such a short period of time, they must be connected!”

Benigno waved his wings in excitement. “And gothitelle are supposed to be Psychic-type pokémon too, right?!”

“Astute observation, but let us not get ahead of ourselves!” The herdier stood up and hurried to the door, his partner carefully picking the request off the board with his wings and carrying it in his mouth to follow. “We’re off, Lin!” Oscar exclaimed by the door. “By the time we come back, we’ll have solved this case completely!”

“Wait-!”

There was no time to wait. Oscar already knew where he needed to go, as Nera Street wasn’t far from his home. He and Benigno rushed through well-traveled city streets, each turn made on instinct until they reached a wide open road paved with dark gray bricks. Oscar made an abrupt stop to look around, and found the fortune teller’s almost immediately. It was a striking building colored of pure black, with white stars of paint placed in careful patterns so as to replicate constellations. Most would have called it tacky, but Oscar thought it was memorable. A whimsicott was exiting the building, wearing a look of disappointment. “That’s our cue!”

Once the duo approached the door, Oscar lifted the door knocker with his mouth and let it go, the noise of its impact with the door resounding loudly in his ears. Benigno still had the request in his own mouth, battered by the wind but still readable. He trembled beside the herdier in anticipation; Oscar himself had to concentrate on his tail to keep it under control. Eventually, the gothitelle they were here to see at last opened the door. “I apologize, but we’re…” She trailed off as she saw the request paper.

“It seems you have already surmised why we are here.” Oscar nodded a greeting. “My name is Oscar, and this is my partner Benigno. We are here because you placed a request?”

“Ah, Oscar. I had a premonition that you would come here today.” She placed a mitten-hand on her chest. “My name is Cosima. Please, come in.”

The inside of the fortune teller’s shop was dark, the strong smell of an odd incense taking over the room. As his eyes adjusted, Oscar noticed that the constellation theming continued into the interior as well, the walls painted in dark blues and illuminated by pockets of light coming from a covered lamp in the center. The shop was stocked with various trinkets: twisted spoons, moon tarots, covered incense and star charts. As he looked around, he became steadily more aware of the incense’s stuffy aroma, the air weighing down on his lungs and slowly suffocating him. He took a measured breath. “For a closed shop you seem rather dedicated to your theme,” he commented with veiled sarcasm.

“The aesthetics are more for myself than my customers. They help with focus,” said Cosima. “Allow me to lead you to where I placed the orb.”

The gothitelle led the duo into a small room at the back, containing nothing but a small table with an empty cushion. “This is where I kept my crystal ball. And this…” She moved over to a door at the back, opening it to show that it led outside into a back alley. “This is the back entrance. I was entering the shop from here this morning when I was attacked.”

“Attacked…” Oscar mulled it over. “By any chance did you get a glimpse of your attacker?”

Cosima shook her head sadly. “Unfortunately no. I believe they used Hypnosis to put me to sleep, as I don’t quite recall what happened at that moment.”

“I see.”

Benigno tilted his head. “Hypnosis? Ghost-types can use that, right?”

“Most can, yes,” Oscar confirmed for him. “So can Psychic-types, for that matter.”

“Is that relevant?” asked Cosima.

“Possibly.” Oscar licked his nose and took a moment to investigate the cushion that the stolen orb must have once occupied, a detail confirmed by its depressed center. He sniffed at it, and regretted the action almost immediately as the bitter odor of the odd incense attacked his senses and forced him to sneeze. “Does she really need all this? It’s a bit much!” He couldn’t help but notice the cushion’s scent held the slight twinge of something else, but he wasn’t in the mood to sniff it again after that. He tried his best to shake off his shock. “By any chance do you recall what the orb smelled of?” he asked, fighting back the urge to sneeze again.

Cosima placed a hand on her cheek. “I don’t think I recall it smelling like much of anything. Though I was never one to pay attention to such things.”

Oscar sneezed again, this time in slight embarrassment. “Of course. I should’ve known better than to ask.” He looked to Benigno, who was poking around at the various corners of the room, occasionally putting his large ears up against the walls. “Have you found anything?” Oscar asked.

With a slight jolt, Benigno slipped out of his trance and with dejection looked back towards the detective. “No…” he said, shaking his head sadly as he twiddled his thumb claws.

“Then there isn’t much for it.” The herdier turned back to Cosima and nodded politely. “Could you show me the alley? Hypnosis doesn’t last for very long, so our perpetrator may have left behind a clue in their haste.”

“Yes of course.”

She opened the door for Oscar, allowing him and his partner through. He gave the alley a once-over; small and thin, it was a space sandwiched between two rows of buildings. It had little in it, though a few crates were rather conveniently placed near the door. Oscar sniffed at one carefully: it reeked of odd incense, though not quite as strongly as inside the shop. He could still make out the distinct salty scent of the ocean that reminded him of District Attilio. “A recent delivery, maybe? It would provide good cover.” “Do you order odd incense in bulk?”

Cosima nodded. “I do. They only make them in Hivech, so it can be quite a hassle to get ahold of.”

“Perhaps the culprit hid in here.” Oscar reared up to peer over the edge of the box. It was empty, and Oscar had half a mind to search it. But the smell was simply too much for him. “Whoever did this was very concerned with hiding their scent.” It was a long shot, but he decided to try sniffing the ground around the box to see if he could pick up something recent. It was when he circled to the other side that he whiffed something vaguely familiar…

“So what did the crystal ball look like?” asked Benigno.

“Oh, it was a spoink pearl, of course.” Oscar’s head shot up as he heard it. “Anyone who is serious about fortune telling and psychic augmentation knows to get their hands on one.”

Benigno did not react as Oscar did, only seeming curious. “Really? How’d you get it?”

The gothitelle adjusted one of the disks of hair jutting from her head. “Obviously, I bought it.”

He innocently placed a thumb claw up to his mouth. “Where’d you buy it from?” His questions seemed innocuous, but Oscar knew from experience that it was when he was at his most innocent that he was the most dangerous. “You’re brilliant, Benigno!”

“Oh it was some store a bit far from here. I don’t quite remember the name, but I had predicted I would find it there.”

“Do you remember what district?”

Cosima’s gaze hardened, her patience quickly worn thin. “I don’t see how this is relevant. Aren’t you supposed to be finding where the pearl is?”

“Oh.” Benigno looked down and sheepishly tapped his claws together. “I guess I don’t really know where it is, so…”

“No worries, Beni!” Oscar trotted over and placed a paw on his shoulder in reassurance. “Asking questions is the basis of investigation! Allow me to take over from here.”

“Did you find anything of note?” Cosima asked, her mood having softened.

“I wasn’t sure if I was willing to consider it at first, but Cosima is definitely suspicious. She may not have answered his question, but I do have an idea of where she may have gotten this pearl.” Oscar nodded. “As a matter of fact, I believe I have an idea of where to search next.”

She sighed. “That’s a relief to hear. Is that all you need from me?”

“We may return here later if the case calls for it. There are still a few unresolved peculiarities regarding this scene, after all.” What Oscar had in mind was the scent. He had not forgotten about it. “Where have I smelled that before?”

Oscar held his breath as Cosima led the duo back through the shop. “I wish you the best of luck in returning my pearl to me,” she said as a farewell. And so the duo were left at her front door, and Oscar gasped for breath.

“Are you okay?!” shouted a worried Benigno.

“I’m fine! It was just a little stuffy in there, is all!” Oscar coughed. “Anyway, it is time we pay a visit to District Attilio!”

Benigno tilted his head. “Huh? Where are we going?”

“To where Cosima bought the pearl, of course!” the detective explained. “If she truly bought it from a store, then there is only one place to look in all of Capital, barring the fancy, high-end stores in District Grande. We shall take the tram, and make for there at once!”

The two traversed the city until they reached the nearest tram station. District Dragos’ trams were not very busy, which was perfect for Benigno’s sake. The station itself was a simple platform in the street near a railway, with a schedule attached to a board and a map of the city. They waited here alone, until a tram car appeared rumbling slowly along its track. Oscar stuffed his head into his bag for a gold coin, clenching it in his jaws just in time for the tram to come to a stop at the platform and the machoke driver to open the door. Oscar exchanged his coin for a day pass, and the two found a place to sit, Benigno taking to the window to marvel at the city. “It’s hard to imagine this beats flying, but I guess he just thinks it’s interesting.”

The tram stopped at a station just on the edge of District Attilio. Even this far out from the harbor, Porto Eone was bustling and lively in a way that District Dragos simply wasn’t, pokémon of all shapes and sizes moving from place to place, making conversation, and stopping by the many shops this part of the city was known for. The detective duo departed here, Oscar taking the lead towards their destination. “There is a jeweler not far from here. If anyone were to know about where Cosima got that spoink pearl, it would be Otto.”

The two hurried through the busy streets. Benigno seemed uncomfortable as he flew ahead: Oscar knew it was because of all the noise. “It won’t be long! Just a little farther.” Soon they came upon the store, a brick building among many others differentiated by the large sign featuring a gleaming jewel labeled ‘OTTO’S GEMS AND CRAFTS.’ The swoobat almost flew past it. Oscar barked to get his attention, and when he came back they stood together in front of the door. “This is it?” asked Benigno.

“It is. I’ve done a request for Otto before, so we are already acquainted.”

Benigno tilted his head. “I don’t remember that.”

“It was before we met.” Oscar gestured to the door. “Would you mind?”

Benigno pushed open the door and was surprised as it caused a chime attached to the door to ring. Oscar nudged him from behind, and together they entered the shop. It was somewhat small, the browsing area centered around a glass display case that ran the length up to just before the counter on the other side. More display cases were along the walls and behind the counter, each filled with various gemstones and jewelry. Just behind the counter was the sableye owner, Otto. He put a ringed claw around one of his gemstone eyes and appeared to adjust it. “Customers? Who’s there?”

Oscar expected that he wouldn’t be recognized. “It is Detective Oscar! Do you remember?”

“Oscar…” He tapped his head as he tried to remember. “Oh! The one who helped me a few months ago? With that lost bag?”

“The one and the same!” he announced proudly.

“And who’s the other one, the uh…” Otto adjusted his eyes again. “The one with the wings.”

As if prompted to do so, the swoobat spread his wings to show them off. “I’m Benigno! I’m his partner!”

“So you got a partner, that’s nice,” said Otto, nodding thoughtfully. “You’re probably here for that request I put up, aren’t you?”

“Request? What request?” What could the jeweler need at such an inopportune time?

“You aren’t? That’s unfortunate. Before we talk about whatever you need, would you be willing to hear me out?”

“Of course we are!” replied Benigno. Oscar looked toward him with some annoyance. “Do we really have time for this? Not that I don’t want to help him, but we have a mission!”

“You see, it’s about a pearl I had in my possession. It was stolen.”

“WHAT?!”

Otto recoiled and leaned back from Oscar’s outburst. “Y-yes, just last night, I believe.”

“Was it a spoink pearl?!” Oscar asked, front paws now on the counter and tail wagging in anticipation.

“Yes it was, how did you know?”

This changed everything. “If these are all the same pearl, then…” It certainly raised multiple questions. But for now he needed to remain focused on what was in front of him. Oscar calmed down and got off the counter back into a sitting position. “How long have you had this pearl for?”

Otto was still taken aback. Carefully, he adjusted an eye again and returned to his natural stance. “It was sold to me just yesterday, a most precious gem. The pearl had a youthful energy, I found myself quite taken with it. In all I appraised it to be worth about 500 silver.”

Benigno quickly caught on to the significance of that. “Who did you buy it from?!” he asked excitedly.

“It was…” Otto tapped his head, his taps getting faster and more forceful with each one. “F-Forgive me, I don’t quite recall.”

“Huh? But how?! It was yesterday!”

“It’s a peculiar weakness of his species,” Oscar explained. “Sableye are more concerned with gems than pokémon.”

“Oh he’s bad with faces…” Benigno whispered to himself.

“Not just faces, I’m afraid,” said Otto. “You all are… difficult to put together. Much more difficult than my gemstones. But I do keep a ledger. Just a moment.” The sableye disappeared behind the counter and reappeared with a notebook. “Let’s see… Noehnameh, Missingno.”

“That’s a weird name,” Benigno commented. “And what’s a missingno?”

“It sounds to me like an alias. And I don’t believe there is such a thing as a missingno.” Oscar shook his head in disappointment. “I hate to tell you like this, but I believe you have been taken for a fool, Otto.”

“R-really?” The sableye clutched his head and dug in his claws. He gave a frustrated sigh. “I’m… so sorry, this is my fault. Is there some reason you need to know? There wasn’t anything bad about that pearl, was there?”

Oscar considered how much he should tell him. “Technically it is still only a theory.” “No particular reason,” he lied. “If it helps, did this pokémon stand on two legs or four?”

Otto tapped his head once. “...Two.”

Oscar nodded. “That would be all. Could you show me where the pearl was kept?”

“Right. I liked it so much I decided it would work best as a decoration. I had it on display just over there.” He pointed towards a round metal stand located on a shelf just behind him. “Here, you’re good with smells, let me just-” The sableye’s crystal eyes gleamed a bright magenta, and suddenly the stand lifted itself up into the air and towards the counter.

Benigno tapped Oscar’s shoulder. “Telekinesis!” he whispered into his ear.

“I see that,” he whispered back.

The stand completed its journey towards the counter, settling carefully on its polished granite surface. Alarm bells were ringing in Oscar’s head, but in counter to them was his own consciousness, not willing to believe that a previous client could have committed a crime and pointing out the flaws within that line of thought. Forcing himself to push it aside for now, he licked his nose, took a whiff of the metal stand, and found that it had no scent. Nothing out of the ordinary that would hint at a culprit, at least. “Once again, no leads.”

“Well?” Otto had a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

Oscar shook his head. “Unfortunately I cannot determine anything from this. I can try investigating the shop, but it would be faster if you could explain how someone could have gotten into the shop to steal the pearl in the first place.”

“Hm. I can’t think of any. I close up shop late in the night, so it would have had to have happened sometime then. And I’m certain I locked the doors.”

“Unfortunate.” Oscar turned to Benigno. “I believe it is time we investigate. Perhaps we can find some sign of who was in here.”

The two got to work. Benigno started poking at the various corners of the shop, while Oscar sniffed the ground in hopes that by some miracle he would recognize a scent. He was not exactly confident in his theories yet, but if he could find something he recognized it would confirm them. “I just need some definitive sign these mysteries are connected.” And as luck would have it, near the counter he once again recognized a vaguely familiar scent. “It is the same one from the alley behind the fortune teller’s shop. It couldn’t be older than yesterday.”

“There’s something wrong with the door!” Benigno shouted.

“What?!” Otto left the counter and ran over to pull the door open. “It seems fine to me.”

“Well, uh…” The swoobat seemed to be having trouble putting thoughts into words. At that moment, something occurred to Oscar, and he believed he knew what his partner noticed.

“Can you check to see if the lock works?” he asked.

“If it works?” said a skeptical Otto. “Of course it does.”

Oscar joined Benigno and put a paw on his shoulder in reassurance. “If my partner says something is wrong, then something must be wrong. Just humor us for a moment.”

After Otto grabbed his key, they all left the shop, allowing Otto to close the door behind them, and insert the key. Benigno seemed to perk up as the lock turned. “It didn’t lock.”

Otto looked at him skeptically. “What do you mean?” He began to push the door as if to demonstrate -- “Of course it’s-” -- and it opened. “Whuh?”

As the confused sableye held it open, Oscar walked inside to investigate the lock on the side of the door and noticed that the bolt responsible for keeping it closed was missing. “It seems someone broke your lock.”

Otto rushed to see what he was talking about and put his free claw on his head in despair. “But, when?! How?!”

The great detective lifted his head high in a knowing gesture. “Simple! To remove the bolt from the door, one would first have to open it.”

“But I watch this door all day! I would have noticed if they were tampering with it!”

“Would you?” asked Oscar. Otto shook his head as if in disbelief he would ask that, but Oscar was not deterred. “Consider this: in order to steal the pearl, you would have to know it is here in the first place. But the pearl has only been here for a day, sold to you yesterday by a mystery seller. So how could they have known?”

Benigno excitedly waved his wings. “If they saw it!”

“Exactly! And how could they have seen it?”

“By coming into the shop!”

The sableye let go of the door and started tapping his head again. “So you’re saying it was one of my customers?”

“Not just any customer. After all, whoever this customer was had the ability to steal the pearl without actually touching the stand upon which it was displayed. And the only way they could do that would be with Telekinesis. And when you consider that, the means through which they could have covertly removed the bolt from the door becomes obvious!” Oscar nodded with certainty. “They destroyed it on the way out, with the intention of coming back to steal the pearl at night!”

“Is that even possible…?” Otto carefully considered the validity of Oscar’s claims. “It's not impossible…”

“With that established,” Oscar interrupted. “I would like to ask, is there anyone you would suspect may have stolen the pearl? Any dodgy customers?”

Otto stopped tapping his head and started fiddling with his ring instead. “Well… there was one pokémon.”

Benigno leaned in. “Yeah?!”

“I-I don’t remember what they look like, but yesterday someone asked to buy the pearl from its display. But I told them it wasn’t for sale. We argued for a bit, they left, and I didn’t put much thought to it afterwards.”

Oscar’s tail started to wag, the pieces falling together in his head. “And how many legs did this pokémon stand on?!”

Otto turned his ring once and looked up at Oscar. “Two.”

Benigno put a claw to his mouth. “Does that mean anything?”

“Of course it does!” the detective said proudly. “Consider: the thief knew about the difficulty sableye have with recognizing other pokémon. Taking advantage of this, they devised a simple scheme: first, they sell the pearl to Otto, and use their Telekinesis to weaken the lock on the way out. Then, under the guise of someone trying to purchase the pearl, they came back to finish the deed! That way they could steal it back undeterred!”

“No, that’s not possible.”

“Huh?”

Otto stood up straight and adjusted his left eye. “I may not be good with faces, but I would recognize their voice. The pokémon who sold it to me and the pokémon who tried to buy it were definitely different pokémon,” he explained. “And while I’m at it, I’m pretty sure the buyer was taller than the seller.”

“W-Well it was just a theory,” said Oscar, brushing his nose with a paw as he hastily tried to save face. “It could have been done in one trip as well, assuming they are a sufficiently powerful psychic. What matters now is that we have a lead!”

“You do?”

Oscar nodded. “Of course! I already have multiple theories, I just need the time to discuss them with my partner. But do not fret! I guarantee you we will have this mystery solved by the end of today!”

“Yeah, today!” Benigno repeated.

Otto adjusted his eye one last time as he looked them over. “After the last time you helped me, I don’t have much reason to doubt you. I wish you both luck.”

“Thank you for your trust!” Oscar gestured for Benigno to open the door. “Come, Beni! We still need to formally accept Otto’s request!”

“Right!” He pulled the locked door open, and the two left the shop. “Bye Otto!” The door chimes rang as it closed behind them.

Oscar led his partner through the streets of District Attilio, heading deeper into the district until they reached a wide plaza. The smell of the sea was stronger here, the harbor being not that far. “Can we see the ocean today?” Benigno asked.

“If we finish this request in a timely manner, then perhaps,” the detective answered. “For now, we must go over what we’ve learned from our investigation.”

They decided to settle near a bench located in the middle of the plaza. There were many pokémon about, but it was still noticeably quieter here than on the busy shopping streets, allowing Benigno a chance to relax at least somewhat. He spoke before Oscar could. “I think the pearls are connected.”

“It is likely,” agreed Oscar. “It is simply too much of a coincidence that three spoink pearls were all stolen in succession with one another. And when you consider what we know, a timeline of events starts to reveal itself.”

“What kind of timeline?” asked Benigno.

“For starters, who stole the pearl from who?”

The swoobat’s eyes lit up. “Oh yeah! If they’re all the same pearl, then someone must’ve stolen it from someone!”

“Exactly. The question of who stole from Ettore is still a mystery. However, I believe there is good reason to believe that the one who stole from Otto is Cosima.”

Benigno tilted his head. “Really? I thought she stole from Ettore at first.”

“If we take her at her word, then she bought her pearl. But that must be a lie, because the one shop that would have sold it did not have it for sale,” Oscar explained. “Considering that, it makes sense to assume that she was the thief.”

“But can she use Telekinesis?”

“That…” They never saw her use the move, and Oscar wasn’t certain if her species was one that would learn it naturally. “Of course she can! It only makes sense!”

“Then did Otto steal it from Ettore?”

That was the first pressing question. Otto was a Ghost-type who knew Telekinesis, a profile the two had established yesterday as a possibility. “I wouldn’t think so. Sableye are Ghost-type pokémon, but they are not actual ghosts, if you understand what I mean. If he really did steal the pearl from Ettore, then I should have smelled him.”

“But…” Benigno tapped his claws together. “If we can’t say who stole it from Ettore, then how can we say they’re the same pearl?”

“And therein lies the second pressing question.” Everything they knew about the three cases so far was only enough to tie two of them together. Even the one detail Oscar had not yet mentioned, the familiar scent he found in the shop, was something only shared in common with Cosima’s case. “There is still the possibility that whoever stole it in the first place sold it to Otto,” Oscar mentioned. “Though it is only a theory.”

A troubled look crossed Benigno’s face. “Well, whoever stole it from Cosima is the one who has it. So where is the pearl now?”

“I have no idea.” “Simple!” Oscar declared. “Consider this: what if the one who sold the pearl to Otto and the one who stole it from Cosima were one and the same pokémon?!”

Benigno looked at Oscar as if that were the most incomprehensibly brilliant sentence he had ever heard. “How do you know that?!” he asked.

“In the back alley of the fortune teller’s I happened upon a peculiar scent. And as it happens, I found an older version of that same scent in Otto’s shop! Obviously, this means the same pokémon was in those two places at the exact right times to perform those actions!”

The swoobat’s eyes were sparkling. “Wow, you’re so amazing Oscar!”

Oscar basked in the praise. “It didn’t answer his question at all, but at least he was distracted by it. If only I could remember where I smelled that scent before…”

District Attilio’s Traveler’s Office was just nearby at the edge of the plaza. It was only to be a quick stop to pick up Otto’s request, then they would proceed with their mission. All of the Offices in Capital looked rather similar to each other, though this one stood out with a few upscale furnishings. A simple but refined metal chandelier hung from the ceiling just above the area in front of the counter, which lay in the center of the back wall opposite the entrance. The floor was carpeted in red, enough so that Oscar could walk up to the board, grab Otto’s request, and bring it back to the granbull guide without having to touch the wooden floor underneath. And of course, the guide himself was wearing a black tuxedo. Oscar always thought he looked uncomfortable in it. “No words today?” the guide remarked. “Just a request?”

Oscar placed it on the counter. “As it happens, we have already spoken to Otto and promised to assist him in his request. I am simply here to make it official.”

“Still searching for pearls, huh? I heard from Lin,” he remarked. “You might be interested to hear we found something.”

Oscar’s ears perked up. “You did?!”

The granbull leaned on the counter and nodded. “Yup. Got a call from Lin not that long ago. He said he found something out about the case and to tell you if you showed up.”

Oscar looked to Benigno. “Why didn’t he tell me this?!”

“Well he did say wait.”

“That’s his fault, then! He should have led with it!” Oscar took the request and stuffed it in his bag. “Thank you for the tip, Ciro,” he said hastily before running to the door. “Now come, Benigno! We have no time to waste!”

And so they hurried to catch the next tram.

~~~
~~~District Dragos Traveler's Office, 3:31 in the afternoon~~~​

Benigno flew up to the door and pushed it open, the loud *creak!* rattling against his ears. Lin was there, but a grumpig and spoink were too. The grumpig was carrying a bag around her shoulder. “Who’re they?” he wondered.

Oscar caught up fast. “You need to learn to stop flying ahead of me!” he complained. And then he noticed too. “Hm?”

“About time you got back,” said Lin.

The grumpig said something first. “Is this the detective you were talking about?” She sounded a little wary. The spoink was huddling close to his mother, his tail bouncing him up and down, slowly in place in rhythm with his heartbeat. Benigno noticed that he didn’t have a pearl on his head.

Oscar looked a little embarrassed. He sat down and nodded his head. “How rude of me, I should have acknowledged you! Yes, I am Detective Oscar. And this is my partner, Benigno.”

“Hi!” Benigno waved hello.

The grumpig’s ears perked up, like she heard the name before. “Oh? I didn’t realize you were a herdier.” She sounded as if she were about to say something else, but she shook off the thought. “My name is Perla, and this is my son, Gino. We’re here because we heard you were searching for pearls?”

Oscar stared at Lin as if he couldn’t believe it. “Another stolen pearl?!”

Lin gave him a bored look. “Just listen to her story, okay? You’ll get it.”

“Of course. I apologize for my outburst.” Oscar shifted his paws, his claws making a *click* sound against the wood floor. “I have been dealing with three different stolen pearl cases today, I hope you understand.”

“Oh I understand completely, you must be very busy,” Perla said to him. She adjusted her bag to prevent it from slipping. “You already figured it out, but we have a bit of a missing pearl problem too. It has to deal with my son.” She patted him on the head and let him hop in front of her. “It was a couple days ago. He’s always been a bit clumsy-”

“M-Mom…” whined Gino.

“Let me speak, dear,” she said to him softly. “He was out playing, when he tripped and fell, and the pearl on his head fell off. And when he looked up, it was gone.”

“Gone?” asked Oscar.

“Yes, gone. He came to me crying about how he couldn’t find it. I thought it just rolled off somewhere at first, but no matter how far we searched, it was completely missing. Like it just rolled off the face of the earth.”

“And you put up a request, surely?”

“We did, at the Libertá office. See, we’re from District Drygon, not around here.”

Oscar closed his eyes as if he were imagining it. “I see. And you said it was two days ago?” Benigno put a thumb claw up to his mouth in thought. “That’s… before the other three, right?”

“Yes. We had an adventurer take it, but she didn’t have any luck either. Eventually we heard back from the guild that there was a detective on the case of another missing pearl, and they called us over here to talk to you.”

Oscar looked like he was deep in thought. Benigno could almost hear the gears turning in his head, things surely clicking into place in ways he himself wouldn’t understand. Suddenly, the detective broke out of his trance and glared right at Lin. “And when did the guild find this out?”

“This morning,” said the riolu matter-of-factly. “I got the call from Libertá first, and right after you left I got another call from Porto Eone.” He shrugged and shook his head. “I was gonna tell you.”

“You should have led with it,” Oscar seethed quietly under his breath. He raised his voice and acted like he didn’t say anything. “Regardless! It was a useful venture, for you are in luck!”

“Luck?” said Perla with a questioning tone.

“Really?” said Gino with a hopeful tone.

“Really,” said Lin with a bored tone.

“Really!” Benigno raised his wings and smiled to support his friend.

“Truly, for I know exactly where the pearl is!” announced the greatest detective in the world.

“Wait, really?!” Lin’s high-pitched bark caused Benigno to wince a little.

Oscar raised his head proudly. “Well, perhaps exactly is an overstatement, but I know that this pearl must have been stolen, and I know who stole it! My investigations have revealed that there is only one possibility for the culprit, if you will only allow me some time to prepare.”

“Prepare? What do you need to prepare for?” Lin asked.

“I need to gather Cosima and Otto, the latter preferably through the guild’s phone line. And as for where we will meet…”

---
---North Capital Street, 4:10 in the afternoon---​

Cosima needed a little coaxing to agree to this. Oscar had promised her that they found who had attacked her, and that ‘all would be revealed,’ which apparently was enough for her. Otto agreed immediately, and soon everyone was gathered.

Lin knocked on the door to the home, a small but firm noise that the owner would definitely have heard. Benigno stayed close to Oscar as all the gathered pokémon waited. Eventually, it was Ettore who answered the door. He was shocked at what he saw. “H-Huh?” He looked between Cosima and Otto, Perla and Gino, Lin and Benigno, and finally his eyes landed on Oscar. “W-Why are you all here? What’s going on?”

“I am here to report my findings, of course!” announced Oscar.

Ettore looked confused. “Findings? You mean, my request?” Benigno could hear his heart start beating faster.

Otto spoke up. “His request? I thought this was about my request?” Cosima didn’t say anything, but Benigno could tell she was getting nervous too.

“All in due time!” Oscar assured. “If you will allow us Ettore, it would be better to explain inside.”

“Ettore’s heart sounds like it’s about to explode!” The grumpig just stared for a moment. “Yeah. Sure.” His voice did not sound confident.

As everyone entered the home, Benigno found himself wandering to that weird spot on the wall under the stairs again. He poked it again, the *tik!* of his claw against the wall sounding hollow.

“So now that we’re all here,” said Lin, interrupting Benigno’s thoughts. “Can you finally tell us why you dragged everyone in here, Oscar?”

Everyone had gathered in a circle around the detective. He sat down and held his head high with pride. “Of course. As I said, I have solved the mystery of what happened to Ettore’s pearl.”

“Y-You did?” Ettore stammered.

“Yes. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it Gino’s pearl.”

Benigno and Gino gasped. Everyone else gave Ettore hard stares. He tried to play it off. “What? What are you talking about?”

Oscar stood up, head held high and tail wagging. “Exactly what I’m implying. The culprit in this mystery is you! You are the thief who stole the pearl!”

Perla was in disbelief. “A grumpig?! Another grumpig stole my son’s pearl?!”

Everyone in the room reacted in their own ways. Gino hugged his mom. Otto was tapping his head. Cosima put a hand up to cover her mouth. “Interesting…” she muttered under her breath. Lin was looking at Oscar like he was crazy.

Ettore held his hands in front of him. “W-Wait, no! Wait! Where are you getting this from?! I’m the one who put up the request in the first place! Why would I steal my own pearl?!”

“For starters, as I said, it is not your pearl,” Oscar corrected. “In order to understand this mystery in full, we must first establish the timeline of events.” He nodded to Gino. “First, two days ago a spoink was playing out in the city when suddenly he tripped and dropped the pearl atop his head. He recovered from his minor accident, only to find that his precious belonging was gone. This is the origin of the true first missing pearl.”

“First missing pearl…” Ettore gulped.

“The next day, another pearl goes missing. Yours, Ettore, the second missing pearl. The thief in question managed to steal the pearl while the door was locked and without leaving even the ghost of a scent behind. A seemingly impossible case, by any measure, yet there was still the possibility it was stolen through Telekinesis thanks to an erroneously open window. This was the situation that led to me contacting the guild to search the city for leads on this pearl’s whereabouts. Which leads us to the next day.” Oscar nodded to Otto, who was still tapping his head. “The third missing pearl. On the same day the second pearl went missing, a pearl was sold to this here jeweler. Enraptured by it, he had decided it was too valuable to sell, and kept it on display at his shop. But that very same night, it was stolen by yet another mystery thief. And finally, not long after this…” Oscar nodded to Cosima, who kept her growing anxiety hidden underneath the hand on her mouth. “A fourth pearl was stolen. She had bought this pearl the same day the third pearl was sold to the jeweler. But the next morning, she was ambushed outside of her home and found that the pearl had been stolen from her while she was unconscious. And so, in the end, four requests are put up, each seemingly for different pearls. But what if I told you that these were actually all the same pearl?”

“Really?” said Perla.

“When he lays it out like that, it does sound like they were all the same, doesn’t it?” Otto commented. Lin stayed quiet. Benigno shook in anticipation: they were getting to the good part, he could feel it.

Ettore spoke up, gaining a little bit of his confidence back. “So you’re saying, that I stole the pearl from that spoink there?” He grinned nervously. “You can’t say that for sure, you have no evidence!”

“And even if he did,” added Lin. “It doesn’t really tell us where the pearl is. Like okay, he stole it first, but someone stole it from him, and then who stole it last?”

But Oscar was not deterred. “I am glad you asked this, Lin, for that claim you made is the first we must debunk. Otto!”

The sableye was shocked out of tapping his head. “Huh?”

“If I remember correctly, when we first asked you about the mystery ‘mon who sold you the pearl, you had difficulty describing their identity.”

“Because sableye can’t recognize pokémon!” Benigno chirped in.

“Right my friend. Our mystery seller referred to themselves as ‘Noehnameh, Missingo,’ which was clearly an alias to further obfuscate their identity. They could only get away with this because of the common weakness that sableye hold, making them the perfect ‘mon to sell to if you don’t wish to be identified. But from the way you have been tapping your head, Otto, I believe you may have finally found the words to describe them.”

“Words? Oh! Yes, you’re right, I thought I had heard that voice before.” Otto nodded twice. “There’s no mistaking it, the one who sold me the pearl was this grumpig.”

Ettore blanched. “Wh-”

“And so it is! The reason why there was nothing left at the scene of the crime, is because it was not a crime scene to begin with! He sold the pearl to Otto by his volition!”

“H-how can you say that for sure?!” Ettore objected. “I’m not the only grumpig in this city, maybe it was someone else who sounded like me!”

Otto leaned forward and pointed at him. “No, I’m sure you were the one! You sound exactly the same!”

Lin crossed his arms and tilted his head. “Wait, if he sold it then why did he put up a request?” He wasn’t buying any of it. “Just let Oscar talk!”

Oscar held up a paw. “All will be revealed in due time! Before we get to that, we must discern what happened to the pearl afterwards. I believe you might have some idea about this, Cosima?” The gothitelle didn’t say anything, she just kept her hand over her mouth and glared. Oscar shook his head. “It seems she has forgotten how to speak! But no matter! It is through deduction alone that we can solve this part of the mystery!”

“Are you saying that she’s the one who stole the pearl from Otto?” asked Lin.

“Exactly! The scene left at that store was one similar to what me and my partner witnessed here in this room. There was no sign of anyone having handled the pearl, so the only explanation must have been Telekinesis. And to corroborate this, we discovered that someone must have used that same ability to break the lock on the shop door. But the specific way the lock was broken -- removing the bolt from the interior of the door -- could only have been accomplished if the thief had entered the shop beforehand. This was Cosima’s first mistake, for she has already admitted to having gotten the pearl from a shop!”

Cosima still refused to say anything. Lin filled in for her. “But that’s a weak connection! Sure, she probably knows Telekinesis, but that doesn’t mean she stole it! It doesn’t even mean she visited that specific shop!”

“There is a way to say for certain if she had visited that shop before, and it connects to the reason she hasn’t spoken yet!” Oscar glanced at Otto again.

“I did have an argument with a customer over the pearl.” He adjusted an eye. “They wanted me to sell it to them, but I refused.”

Oscar whirled around to face Lin. “I posit that this mystery customer was Cosima! If our jeweler friend can recognize her, we can say for certain that she had visited the shop that day. As you can plainly tell, she is not willing to confirm this for us, but it may be in her best interest to do so.” Cosima raised a brow at that.

Lin crossed his arms. “What do you mean?”

“For now, let us assume that she stole it, and move on to her case.” Oscar walked beside Cosima and began to explain. “Our gothitelle friend here was ambushed in the back alley of her store. The perpetrator used Hypnosis to put her to sleep, and then took that brief opportunity to break into the shop and steal the pearl directly. However, I could not tie this back to a scent, as the entire store is engulfed in the fumes of an odd incense.”

“It was very smelly,” Benigno confirmed for him.

“Additionally, the culprit had also been hiding in a box used to transport odd incense, further obfuscating the scene. However, while they were clearly thinking to hide their scent, there was a limit to their carefulness, and I happened to pick up a familiar scent in that alley. One that I later would also recognize at Otto’s shop. And now that I am back here, I can say without a doubt that that scent was Ettore’s!”

“Wait-”

Wait!” Lin shouted over Ettore. “So you’re saying, that Ettore sold it to Otto, Cosima stole it from him, and then Ettore stole it back?!”

“That is exactly what I am saying!”

“That makes no sense!” The riolu held out his arms in emphasis. “How would have Ettore even known Cosima had it?!”

Oscar moved back towards the center of the circle. “It is remarkably coincidental, but it would not be the only remarkable coincidence,” said the detective. “Isn’t it odd? That on the same day the pearl was sold, did someone come in to buy it? And that it would then be stolen?”

Otto spoke up. “I thought it was a bit odd myself. I barely had any time to truly appreciate its beauty before I got into that argument. It was a several hour difference, but certainly not enough.”

Oscar nodded. “Of course, if we accept Lin’s word that she bought it from somewhere else, this detail is irrelevant. But if we don’t, then how could Cosima have known where to find it? The only one who could tell us the truth of the matter, and in turn implicate the culprit who ambushed her…” The great detective stood up and dramatically pointed at her with his nose. “Would be Cosima herself!”

All eyes were on her now. She was frozen in her position, a surprised look in her eyes. Finally, she chuckled. “Clever.”

Otto gasped. “You are the one who tried to buy the pearl from me!”

“Yes, I admit it.” She let her hand fall back to her side. “The location of the pearl came to me in a premonition. But the specific time I had that premonition was when I was visited by Ettore here. He had come in a few days ago for a fortune, and just yesterday he decided to come back for another. That’s when he fed me the tip on where to find a spoink pearl for my fortune telling business.”

Ettore gave her a confounded look. “But, why would you admit that?!”

“Because if what the detective is saying is true, then you are the one who attacked me this morning.” Cosima glared at him threateningly. “I want to see you pay for that.”

Oscar sat down, proud and content. “And so it is that the pearl was stolen three times! Everything lines up!”

“N-No it doesn’t!” shouted Ettore. “Sure, I was in those two places like you said, I sold a pearl to Otto and at some point I was in that alley. But that doesn’t prove anything! It doesn’t mean I stole the pearl from that kid there!” Gino cowered behind his mother as he was mentioned. She glared at him accusingly.

“Also,” Lin added. “You still haven’t explained why he’d put up a request. I get why Cosima did, she got attacked, but if no one actually stole anything from Ettore, then he’d be setting himself up, especially if he did steal the pearl from Gino.”

Oscar’s tail stopped wagging. “Come on Oscar, you got this!” All Benigno could do was silently encourage him as he thought.

“Quiet huh? That’s because you have nothing!” jeered Ettore.

Then he spoke. “I’ve been thinking as to why you set up that request myself. You created your own crime scene, and told me the pearl was located on that table near the wall over there.” Oscar gestured to the table in question. “It could not have truly been there, there wasn’t even a trace. But if it was kept two days ago, and sold yesterday, then it must have been kept hidden somewhere.”

“Maybe it was upstairs?” Benigno offered. “Wait a second…”

Oscar shook his head. “No, I don’t think he would have risked something like that. Ettore is as aware of scent as I am; he was careful enough to wash the pearl of its scent in the first place. It would make more sense to hide it somewhere safe, where no one could find even a trace of it.” Benigno felt his own heart quicken as Oscar looked at him. He knew exactly where this was going. “When we first investigated this room, I seem to remember my partner finding something that to him seemed suspicious. We ignored it at the time, but would you now reveal to us what we have all looked over?”

“This is my moment!” Benigno pointed dramatically with his wing towards the suspicious wall under the stairs. “This wall is hollow!”

“Loads of walls are hollow,” said Lin, not impressed.

“But it’s a different hollow!” Benigno insisted. He felt along the plaster of the wall, searching for something that would prove his point. Eventually, his claw caught on a small crack. He gasped. “This! This right here!”

Lin came over to look. “This?” Benigno stepped away and allowed the riolu to investigate. “What the…?” He placed his paw inside the crack the best he could and pulled. The ‘wall’ resisted at first, but with a sudden *thunk!* it came loose and revealed itself to be a hidden door! Lin swung the panel open and everyone gasped as they saw what was inside the compartment under the stairs.

“Palkia why,” muttered Ettore.

It was a pink orb. The pearl!

Oscar’s eyes went wide. Benigno jumped in celebration. “You did it Oscar! You found the pearl! You’re so amazing!”

Otto leaned in and adjusted his eye. “Th-that’s the pearl that was stolen from my shop! There’s no mistaking it!”

Gino was bouncing excitedly. “He really is a great detective!” The herdier didn’t respond, he just stared at the pearl he obviously meant to find.

Lin broke out of his own shock to look at him. “Oscar?”

“Y…y-yes! This makes perfect sense, actually! Everything is as I predicted it!” Oscar nodded vigorously. “Consider! If Ettore stole the pearl a second time, where would he keep it but the same place he hid it the first time! In addition, it also reveals the clear motive behind his actions!”

“What do you mean?!” Lin asked incredulously.

Oscar whirled around to face Ettore. “You see, his motive has been staring us in the face the entire time! He stole the pearl from Gino with the intention of selling it. But how much did he get for that, if you’ll remind me Otto?”

Otto hadn’t taken his eyes off the pearl. “He sold it to me for 500 silver,” he answered, still staring at it.

“Not too shabby, but his ambitions were much greater! Why sell it once, when he could steal it again, and sell it twice?”

Something seemed to occur to Lin at that moment. “Wait, you mean-?”

Oscar turned his head to look back at him. “The black market! Of course, since he had already put up a request for the pearl’s safe return, should the guild manage to find it, as a stolen good it would be returned to-”

“Him!” interrupted Lin.

Oscar nodded. “At which point he would attempt to sell it again! Of course, most markets only operate at night, and he stole the pearl back this morning, hence why we find it here, in this secret compartment under the stairs!”

“B-But-!” The desperation in the grumpig’s voice was palpable. “You still can’t say it’s the kid’s pearl! There’s nothing to tie me to that! You can’t prove where I was two days ago!”

Oscar actually seemed startled by that. Benigno looked at him worriedly. “Oh right. It should smell like Gino, but if Ettore said he washed it…”

But it was Lin who spoke up. “Actually, there is one way to prove if you really stole it from him.”

“There is?!” shouted Ettore.

The riolu nodded. “Yup. Spoink use their pearls to concentrate their psychic powers, right? So it should be attuned to his aura.”

“Of course!” Oscar walked up beside Lin and placed a paw on his shoulder. “This is why I brought him, after all!” Benigno was in awe. “He really thought of everything!” But Lin, never impressed, just shrugged him off and glared.

Carefully, the riolu reached into the compartment and grabbed the pearl from its hiding spot. Gino, timid but excited, hopped in front of his mother and eyed Lin hopefully. Lin held it out of front of him and closed his eyes. The two feelers on the back of his head rose for a moment, a low, dull sound coming off of them and bothering Benigno’s sensitive ears, though no one else seemed to notice. The sound went away, and Lin opened his eyes. “It’s his alright.”

Gino hopped forward and sniffed the pearl. He looked a little troubled. “It doesn’t smell right. Are you sure it’s mine?”

Lin smiled sweetly. “I promise it’s yours.” He held the pearl above the spoink’s head, who then jumped up to catch it between his ears. Gino wobbled it on his head, testing the way it felt, then made a happy squealing noise and hopped back to his mother.

“It’s really mine! It’s really mine!”

Oscar’s eyes were watering. “And there you have it.” He sniffed, then turned back around to glare at Ettore. “As for you, I believe it has become clear to us all the true depths of the crime committed over these past couple days.”

“Look, I can-”

“Two days ago, you were in District Drygon for undisclosed reasons. Where you then witnessed it: a spoink, tripping and falling, the pearl atop of his head rolling down the street! As a fellow member of his species, I am certain you felt some inclination to help the poor child.”

“Look! I can-!”

“But you didn’t! Instead, you chose to steal it as part of an elaborate scheme to extort as much gold out of that pearl as you possibly could!”

“I can-!”

“As for what you needed so much money for, one can only fathom! But there is nothing that greed can’t-”

“I CAN EXPLAIN!”

Benigno winced. Oscar went silent. Gino rushed back to his mother and hid behind her. Everyone just stared at Ettore, who was panting, before he carefully sat down on the floor and sighed. “I… needed the money. I lost my job, and the rent on this home is due at the end of the month. I don’t have that kind of time. I just needed some way to make money quickly. So when I saw the pearl rolling down the street, I thought- *sigh* because of the fortune Cosima showed me…”

Everyone looked at Cosima. She sheepishly avoided everyone’s gazes. “I may have told him that fortune would come rolling his way.”

Lin crossed his arms. “Oddly specific.”

“But then it only sold for 500, and that just wasn’t enough. So I thought that maybe I could try and sell it again. I knew about the sableye thing, so I thought that if I sold it under a fake identity and told the guild it was stolen, they’d see the fake name in the ledger and confiscate it from the jeweler. But then I got afraid they’d see through it and keep it, so I gave Cosima the tip and planned to steal it from her instead.”

Oscar closed his eyes and meditated on the grumpig’s story. “Even then, your plan almost failed, as Otto had grown attached and refused to sell the pearl. Ironically, Cosima’s decision to steal it herself is the only reason this got as far as it did. Which also proved to be your undoing, as it allowed us to track the case back to you in the first place.” He opened his eyes. “Though I suppose it was doomed from the start, as Perla’s request conflicted with yours, and the guild here in Capital is too interconnected to allow such things to slip through the cracks.”

Ettore sighed. “Yeah… It was really dumb of me, wasn’t it?”

“And so it was.” Oscar nodded. “The mystery of the thrice stolen pearl has been solved!”

“I just can’t believe this,” said Perla. “Even if you were that desperate, you should understand how important pearls are to us.” She shook her head, disappointed. “I just can’t forgive you for what you’ve put my son through.”

“I don’t expect you to. And I know I need to pay reparations, but I just…”

Cosima had a hand under her chin in thought the entire time. “Speaking of reparations, I suppose I owe Otto some as well? Even if it was a stolen pearl in the first place, I did still break his lock.”

Otto scratched the top of his head. “And I still paid for that stolen pearl too. It’s a bit of a mess, isn’t it?”

“It sounds like Ettore needs to pay back a loooot of pokémon,” said Benigno.

“How about this?” Otto walked up to Ettore. “I won’t ask for my money back, so you can use that 500 I gave you to repay Cosima and the other one. And I’ll just take what Cosima owes me. Does that sound good?”

“Split it for 250?” Cosima remarked. “I suppose I can settle for that.”

“That’s more than I put up for the request,” said Perla. “But I’ll accept it.”

“And so in the end, our thief comes out neither richer, nor poorer,” Oscar narrated. “Perhaps this is truly the best outcome he can hope for.”

Lin sighed and put a paw on his hip. “You all are way too nice. But whatever, as long as it’s resolved.” He walked up to each pokémon in the room and pointed at them. “You need to stop stealing things. You need to stop stealing things, I'm putting you both on a list by the way. You need to get a freakin’ assistant, like ‘Noehnameh?’ Missingno? Seriously? Your request is the only valid one, so you gotta pay Oscar for it. You’re cute. You did a good job, I guess.” Benigno’s heart fluttered at that. Lin pointed at Oscar last. “And you…”

“No need to thank me.”

“Shut up.” And then he stormed out of the building.

---​

The remaining pokémon were left to resolve the situation themselves. Everyone got paid as they had agreed, and Benigno and Oscar found themselves outside the home talking to Perla by the end. “I know it isn’t likely what you agreed to when you accepted Ettore’s request,” she said. “But here, the 90 Poké I offered for it.”

“You don’t need to pay us!” said a cheerful Benigno. “Just your thanks is all we-”

Oscar put a paw over his friend’s mouth. “But it is certainly appreciated, we are very hungry.”

Perla smiled. “I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself if you didn’t accept it anyway.”

Gino hopped up and down, the pearl bobbing on his head. “Thank you Detective Oscar!”

“It was my pleasure,” said Oscar, bowing his head. “Be sure to spread the word of our exploits!”

“I will!”

The duo accepted the reward, said their goodbyes, and were left to try and catch up to Lin as the sun neared closer and closer to the horizon. Benigno caught him first, just in front of the Traveler’s Office. “Lin!” He could hear him groan from up in the air.

Lin had his paw against the front door, looking as if he were about ready to ignore them. But he put his paw back down and allowed the two to catch up, glaring at the herdier all the while. “What?” he snapped.

“I needed to catch up with you!” said Oscar. “You see, technically, we just solved four requests at once! So surely that is enough for you to recognize us and send a letter of recom-”

“No.”

“But why?!”

Lin crossed his arms. “Three of those requests were for stolen goods. They’re invalid, so they don’t count anymore, and you don’t get credit for them.”

“But come on!” whined Benigno. They needed that letter of recommendation if they wanted to earn the Eon Badge and become certified adventurers!

“I said no!” Lin once again turned to push the door open, and once again hesitated. “Okay, if you want me to say it, you did a good job, but I can’t just give it to you because you think you deserve it. That’s not how this works.”

“Even after all we’ve done…” Oscar sounded slightly angry, but he reigned it in and looked at Lin with determination in his eyes. “Very well, then! We will simply keep coming back to solve mysteries until we prove it to you that we deserve that letter!”

“Tch. Whatever.” And then he entered the building and left them behind.

“Hmph,” Oscar scoffed. “We could have solved this mystery earlier if he had told us about Perla before we left.”

“Well, he did tell us to wait.”

Oscar shook his head. “Never mind that. The real shame is that if I were allowed to sniff other pokémon with impunity, then I would have recognized Ettore’s scent immediately! I would not have even needed Lin!” He huffed. “Stupid personal space.”

“But it worked out in the end, right?” Benigno reassured. “I mean, we wouldn’t have known about Perla then. And we still needed Lin to solve the last part.”

“I suppose so,” said Oscar, brushing his nose with a paw. “In other news, our reward was somewhat meager, but we should be able to treat ourselves with this.”

Benigno raised his wings in excitement. “I want to get a smoothie!”

“In the middle of the winter?”

He nodded with a serious shine in his eyes. “Yes.”

The great detective broke into a smile and laughed. “Very well, Beni! Let us drink smoothies, and make it home in time for dinner!”

And so they ran off, Benigno taking to the air as he raced ahead of his friend, the greatest detective in the world!


Stats: I began writing this one-shot on July 15, 2022. I finished writing it on August 17th, 2022 (33 days to finish). In total, it is 12,893 words long.

I didn’t originally want to lead with this one, but the original first Detective Oscar story involves a character that complicates the dynamic between Oscar and Benigno, and I wanted to introduce their dynamic by itself before getting anyone else involved. But then Lin got involved anyway, so oops. I feel like I kinda stumbled my way through this mystery, in part because I specifically tried to write it as a ‘first Detective Oscar one-shot,’ so I found I had to force myself to really try and think of a plot that could work: normally ideas for stories just kind of happen. But I learned a lot in the process! And I think I can make the next ones even better. Feedback is still very appreciated though. I hope that this acted as a good introduction to these characters and the kind of stories I’m going to try and tell with this. There’s a lot of experimentation involved and putting myself out of my comfort zone when it comes to specific things like plotting and prose, and I’d like to know how I did. I also hope I made Capital seem at least a tiny bit interesting! I had a hard time focusing a lot on the setting here, though I still ended up dropping a lot of details. I admittedly feel a little self conscious about the names Tranquilo and Libertá, but I figured I should probably get feedback on it first before deciding to expand them. (If I were to rename them, I’d probably go with Posto Tranquillo and Piazza Libertá to go in line with the already existing Porto Eone. But I dunno.)

So anyway, that’s all! Thanks for reading!
 
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canisaries

you should've known the price of evil
Location
Stovokor
Pronouns
she/her
Partners
  1. inkay-shirlee
  2. houndoom-elliot
  3. yamask-joanna
  4. shuppet
  5. deerling-andre
Hey there! Here's my Catnip review. Sorry again for being late.

Quote Comments

Its condition was pristine, and smelled like old pine.
Ought to have an "it" before "smelled"?

The great detective nodded. “First, as Benigno suggested, it may have been a Ghost-type pokémon. I would think that a ghost does leave behind a scent, however I must admit that I am not the most educated on ghosts. So it is not out of the question that some are incorporeal enough to not leave behind a scent as they travel. The other possibility…” The herdier moved over to the window, whose curtains were drawn back. “Is revealed by these open curtains!”
“So it wasn’t a Psychic-type then,” said Ettore. His tone was becoming less impressed by the second.

Benigno piped in. “Maybe it was a ghost using Telekinesis!”

“I was just about to say that!” The great detective jumped back into the building and placed a paw on Benigno’s shoulder. “This is why we are partners; we are of the same mind! Ghosts are known for using Telekinesis!”
I was unsure why the ghost needed to have Telekinesis since the first excerpt seemed to set up that just being a ghost was enough.

“That’s the hard part.” Oscar kept his head straight and proud as he glanced at his partner. “Sometimes, Benigno, it is important to understand the ever-changing nature of mysteries.”
You've probably already made up your mind on this, but in case not, putting thoughts in quotes runs the risk of the reader confusing it for emphasized speech. I think most readers are used to thoughts being in italics without quote marks.

Oscar had promised her that they found who had attacked her, and that ‘all would be revealed,’ which apparently was enough for her.
comes with the trade, i bet!

The riolu nodded. “Yup. Spoink’s use their pearls to concentrate their psychic powers, right? So it should be attuned to his aura.”
You're gonna want either Spoink or Spoinks depending on what plural you're going with, but no apostrophe.

Oscar actually seemed startled by that. “Right. It should have Gino’s scent, but if Ettore washed it off…”

But it was Lin who spoke up. “Actually, there is one way to prove if you really stole it from him.”

“There is?!” shouted Ettore.

The riolu nodded. “Yup. Spoink’s use their pearls to concentrate their psychic powers, right? So it should be attuned to his aura.”

“Of course!” Oscar walked up beside Lin and placed a paw on his shoulder. “This is why I brought him, after all!” Benigno was in awe. “He really thought of everything!” But Lin, never impressed, just shrugged him off and glared.
This scene seems to show us both Oscar and Benigno's thoughts, which feels weird because up until this point we'd only seen Oscar's thoughts (if I remember right) and he seemed to be the main POV character. It wouldn't be weird to see Benigno's thoughts if the POV was switched over to him, but since we have both characters' thoughts in the same scene without a clear POV shift, it becomes headhopping and kind of jarring.

---

General Comments

Initially, I thought I needed to rely on whatever breakpoint you'd end up giving me due to the length, but this ended up being very breezy to read and I managed to finish the full thing pretty quickly. I also liked it a fair bit, which naturally helped.

I think a big factor in this being pleasant to read is that the main characters play off each other very well. Their personalities come across strongly, their dialogue is snappy, and they're all pretty likable, too. It's fun to just watch them interact, really. That's something important to have in a comedic story, and I think you have it down well.

Another thing I liked a lot is how the Pokemon powers factor in to both the crimes and the investigation. This definitely doesn't fall into the trap of "humans in Pokemon suits" like some other stories tend to do (no shade to those writers, I'd be roasting myself). We have two detectives (?) that both have an especially keen sense over others, Oscar with his sense of smell and Benigno with his hearing, and it opens up possibilities for different kinds of clues than a traditional detective stories would have. We also have unique ways of committing crimes when magical powers are commonplace, and I like that the worldbuilding reflects that - options like telekinesis and ghosts are considered very quickly and casually rather than being some kind of huge twist since, I mean, they see those things all the time.

As for the mystery, I have to admit I had trouble following along, but that's also something pretty common for me given my poor working memory and tendency to read stories in multiple sittings, not to mention I'm in the middle of a medication switch that's making my head foggier than usual. Either way, it's not like anything felt out of place or nonsensical to me, I just kinda had to go along with things without thinking too much. I don't know if other readers are going to have the same trouble as me, though I do think that this might be a bit complicated for the very first installment of a story series? Then again, that can be a draw in itself for readers looking for more complicated mysteries instead of the simple ones that are personally enough for me.

In any case, I enjoyed this read, and I could be up for reading more in the future, hopefully with a clearer head. I'll give a recommendation for this on the Discord and hopefully get more eyes on the thing. Good luck in writing more, and see you around.
 

Umbramatic

The Ghost Lord
Location
The Yangverse
Pronouns
Any
Partners
  1. reshiram
Hi! Here for Catnip! I love detective bullshit! Let's get into this!

So here we have a DETECTIVE DOGGO and his BAT ASSISTANT going on a QUEST TO FIND A PEARL BEFORE A SWINE! A literal swine in this first case.

But things get tricky. They don't have a scent, and what's a doggo detective to do without a scent? They can tell it was moved by that floaty psychic thing psychic and ghost types do.

BUT THEN A LEAD! ANOTHER STOLEN PEARL! Some nice Gothitelle fourtune telller had her crystal ball stolen! Rude. more telekinesis shenanigans apparently.

AND THEN A THIRD PEARL IS STOLEN this time from a Sableye named Otto! I love Sableye. I love Otto. He gives some helpful hints!

But then THE PLOT THICKENS when a poor baby Spoink almost dies of a heart attack when his pearl was stolen first. It is then our detective doggo Oscar has a hunch.

He gets all the people involved together and reveals YOU FUCKS HAVE ALL BEEN STEALING FROM EACH OTHER and the first swine before pearls was the mastermind. Naturally this is a controversial statement but Oscar somehow proves himself right. But all ends well!

...And he and his assistant still can't get that promotion. Oh well.

This was a very cute and easy read- when I read "12k" I was like "oh god this is going to be a slog" but no it was very breezy and fun. I love Oscar and how he accidentally bumbles his way into AMAZING DEDUCTIONS

Thanks for the good time! Hope to see more of these!
 

Pen

the cat is mightier than the pen
Staff
Partners
  1. dratini
  2. dratini-pen
  3. dratini-pen2
Hi, JFought! I remembered seeing a detective story in passing and thought I'd check it out for Review Blitz. I am a massive detective-fiction lover--I've always felt it's an underutilized genre in pokefic, so it was wonderful to hit a traditional detective story. I have vague plans to write one in the future with Looker, so definitely taking notes.

This one was a lot of fun. Oscar's amusing as the "great detective," who clearly is not as all-knowing as he wants to appear. Benigno is a sweet-heart. I enjoyed his unreserved faith in Oscar and that for all Oscar's posturing, Benigno is the one who figures out the most important question of all. Lin's role in the story as the perpetual doubter was a nice touch. It always adds some texture to have a character around who thinks the protagonist is full of it (and not entirely without reason). The minor characters all added a touch of life to the story--the gem-focused sableye shop-owner was my favorite. I love the lore that sableye are just terrible at faces, because honestly, gems are so much more important.

I think you chose a nice plot for the space you had and successfully telegraphed important plot points without overemphasizing them: the different times of the pearl thefts, Oscar's smells, Otto's identification capabilities. Choosing a herdier for your detective is a savvy move, since his smell ability lets you do reveals that the audience can't know until Oscar does, without feeling cheap. I was very charmed by the traditional, Agatha Christie style 'now we gather the suspects in one room and make dramatic revelations' at the end and I liked Oscar's little ploy to get Cosima to speak.

It's a long oneshot, but it certainly didn't feel long. The dialogue was very breezy and the narration kept moving, even through the false leads and dead-ends. It worked well for me as an introduction to Oscar and Benigno--their dynamic is clear from the out-set, and then we get useful background from both the narration and from the other pokemon we meet. I really like that your premise is Oscar as the big fish in the small pond. He's the great detective . . . in the most backwater area. I feel like one of the biggest pressures in writing detective stories can be the worry that your detective isn't doing Sherlock Holmes level stuff, but by making Oscar clearly not that, but still impressive in the context in which he's operating, you don't have to deal with that burden. I enjoyed Oscar's bumbliness and puffery, and all the times he clearly had not anticipated what happened, but went along with it and pretended he had. You give him an essential earnestness that kept him from feeling like a jerk, even with all the arrogance.

Honestly, massive kudos for getting in there and doing a tight, comprehensible mystery plot that introduces the world and main detective team. I had a lot of fun and several out-loud chuckles reading this--here's to hoping we get more of Oscar and Benigno's adventures soon!

Some line-by-line reactions:

Ettore’s hand stayed glued to his chin as he gave the detective a skeptical look. “But isn’t Telekinesis a rare move? There aren’t really a lot of pokémon who know how to use it.”

But Oscar was not deterred. “Which is perfect, as it narrows down our search considerably!”
Gotta love the flawless logic!

To most adventurers it was known as the least interesting locale one could possibly visit, and was generally considered inferior to other districts when it came to lucrative requests. To the great detective however, it was a treasure trove of mystery. While it was true that genuine mysteries such as his current one were rare in this corner of the city, when one did appear it was always certain that he would get to it first. And it was through this clever usage of opportunity that he had gained his reputation as a first-rate problem solver.
Love the practicality!

He regarded Oscar with the kind of ruthlessly complicated expression one would expect from an individual who loathed your presence.
Heh, I enjoyed this sentence.

Though Oscar theorized that the real reason he did not like him was because of an incident where Benigno questioned how a child could be trusted as the guide for Tranquilo. The answer, of course, was nepotism. Lin did not appreciate this.
The comedic timing in the narration is a lot of fun.

“Where’d you buy it from?” His questions seemed innocuous, but Oscar knew from experience that it was when he was at his most innocent that he was the most dangerous. “You’re brilliant, Benigno!”
Absolutely love that as far as I can tell, Benigno really was just asking innocent questions here.

“Is that even possible…?” Otto carefully considered the validity of Oscar’s claims. “It's not impossible…”

“With that established,” Oscar interrupted.
😂

Benigno looked at Oscar as if that were the most incomprehensibly brilliant sentence he had ever heard. “How do you know that?!” he asked.
Sums up their relationship in one sentence!

“Luck?” said Perla with a questioning tone.

“Really?” said Gino with a hopeful tone.

“Really,” said Lin with a bored tone.

“Really!” Benigno raised his wings and smiled to support his friend.
Cute exchange here.

“Of course!” Oscar walked up beside Lin and placed a paw on his shoulder. “This is why I brought him, after all!” Benigno was in awe. “He really thought of everything!”
He sure did, Benigno, he sure did.
 

Joshthewriter

Charizard Fan
Location
Toronto
Pronouns
He/him
Partners
  1. charizard
Catnip BLITZ

I am not usually a PMD reader, but I’m a sucker for detective stories and the atmosphere of this one seems so light and easy. I love the casual banter between Oscar and Beningo as they work through the opening stages of the case.

Speaking of, this almost felt like something ripped from a Sherlock novel. Like… Oscar is so completely sure of himself and he uses that confidence to his advantage. He has no clue if another clue will appear, but he is damn sure that one will.

Lo and behold, another clue does appear. And it’s another “Pearl” looking item.

Cosima had a premonition that the detective would show up? The detective she asked the guild for? That seems odd. She’s almost a little shady, what with her shop billowing with incense and her seemingly frustrating lack of knowledge. She’s definitely suspicious, that’s for sure.

I love a sableye as a gem dealer. Fits them perfectly.

A missingno doesn’t exist? I better see a missingno later in the story (only half sarcasm).

I love seeing the theories form and Oscar working through the case. It reminds me of some of the old school detective stories, especially as we get the “suspect lineup” and the dramatic reveal. It was something ripped right out of a TV show.

I loved the character dynamic between Oscar and Beningo. Beningo is so supportive of Oscar, and Oscar is so hyped up for Oscar and they work and play very well with each other.

This was a light, refreshing breeze for me after reading some comparatively heavy fics lately. Lovely little one shot, that definitely doesn’t seem like it’s 12k words long.
 

ErazonPo3

Bug Catcher
Pronouns
She/her
I really enjoy detective stories and this one was no exception! While the word seems daunting at first, the narration is so breezy and fun that it's easy to just get sucked right in. I love mystery elements in Pokemon fics because of how creative things can get with different moves, abilities etc and turning the PMD setting into one focused on a detective feels primed to take full advantage of that.

I found the plot easy to follow, I never try too hard to figure out the whodunnit ahead of time because I enjoy being taken along for the ride, but I think "multiple missing pearls are all the same pearl" is a pretty logical conclusion, and the obvious value of a pearl that can be stolen and resold multiple times made sense as a motive even before the reveal. I was satisfied that all the evidence lined up, because if there's one thing I hate it's feeling cheated out of clues, but this wasn't the case for this story at all.

As for worldbuilding, your writing does a great job of seamlessly providing details about the city and the way the guilds operate without slowing things down. But that's also why I think you could probably get away with longer breather periods to share worldbuilding details without getting too carried away, because it's clear you've got a good sense of pacing and focus.

Oscar and Benigno are both brimming with personality, and the lighthearted duo of a confident but earnest detective and his equally earnest assistant. Lin also makes a great counter to their duo as the cynical naysayer, but he never comes across as malicious. I think they make for a great cast, and I'd be really excited to read more installments from this team!
 
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Sinderella

Angy Tumbleweed
Staff
Location
In Guzma's Closet
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. sylveon-shiny
  2. gothitelle
  3. froslass
  4. chandelure
  5. mimikyu
Hey JFought! Sorry for my extremely belated catnip review, life hit hard that last week of Blitz. I’m not at my computer and its very hard to quote on mobile so please enjoy me rambling about how cute this was. I read the whole thing because AH.

Okay so I don’t know a lot about PMD, just the stuff I’ve read in other fic, but this doesn’t seem like the norm??? Older setting, I was getting mad “period piece” vibes from this, more from my imagination after realizing this whole thing is happening in the 1800’s. Also, is this Italian????? I was getting increasingly more Italian vibes as the story went on, from the names of the characters, to the names of the places. All of that to say that you’ve set some pretty immaculate vibes so far and I’d like to see the setting delved a little more into if you decide to create anymore chapters for this.

Oscar and Benigno feel like a classic bumbling cartoon detective duo. In fact, this whole thing felt like I was reading a cartoon, and I fucking loved it. I normally find the repetitive back-and-forth dialogue style like “I have a solution! “You have a solution?!” airing on the side of obnoxious, but it totally and completely works in this piece because it just fits with the whole vibe I think you’re going for; a pretty cartoon-styled borderline slapstick comedy story. It worked with the characterization, and it worked with the story as a whole. I love how Oscar slips into his bumbling mode and manages to play it all off like “Yeah TOTALLY meant for that to happen” and how Benigno is unintentionally the smart one between them. You handled their dynamics very well, and even with Oscar being the almost arrogant leader between them, he never condescended or made fun of his partner. I enjoyed that little detail very much.

Also you included a Gothitelle, immediate good graces.

On the more critical side, I noticed you tend to structure ‘thoughts like this’ and it got a little bit distracting. When writing thoughts (unless you’re intentionally trying to style them differently), the apostrophes aren’t needed, just the italics.

I also got a little jarred about half way into the story when we suddenly switched to Benigno’s point of view because (unless I misread) it felt like everything had been done via third person limited over Oscar’s shoulder. I have no issue with third person omniscient prose, but I just think that if that’s what you’re going for, you should definitely switch into Benigno’s POV a little earlier.

This was also more of a personal preference and not really a solid critique, but I did not like Lin. It totally felt like he was out to simply spite Oscar and Benigno just because he doesn’t like Oscar, and is not at all how an unbiased guild leader should act. If that was the goal, props, you hit the nail on the head. I hope he mellows out in future chapters!!

All in all I’m happy I rolled this and got to enjoy it! I felt a little sweaty about the word count, but it reads so well it totally didn’t feel that way at all, so mad props! I once again apologize for the belated review, and I hope to see you around!
 

DeliriousAbsol

*Crazy Absol Noises*
Location
Behind a laptop, most likely with tea
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. mawile
Here for Catnip!

I just want to say before I review that I absolutely loved this! I'm a sucker for mystery stories, especially locked-room mysteries, and the light-hearted Sherlock style mystery that ties in with PMD really well just worked, and it was a delight to read. Your choice of underrated pokemon was fantastic too. Herdier and Swoobat, I'm sold! Benigno was delightful and quirky, and really complimented Oscar's more serious (yet still quirky) personality very well.

“We’re the best detective duo in all of Capital! You’re in good paws!” He lifted his wings and spread them wide. “And wings!”
Just too adorable!

He regarded Oscar with the kind of ruthlessly complicated expression one would expect from an individual who loathed your presence.
This was lovely. You got their dynamic across in a mere sentence. I'm interested to see where this goes later down the line, and intrigued as to what happened to cause this clash.

“Consider what a crystal ball and a spoink pearl have in common. They are both objects of powerful psychic energy! And for two items that match that description to become missing in such a short period of time, they must be connected!”
They're also round.

This made me immediately think of a specific Oshiri Tantei episode where round items were being stolen. One of the characters is a dog with an addiction to round rolling objects and took off after a crystal ball when it rolled off the table. It was all very silly. But that's enough about that.

Just behind the counter was the sableye owner, Otto. He put a ringed claw around one of his gemstone eyes and appeared to adjust it. “Customers? Who’s there?”
I think this is the only time I've ever seen a sableye adjust its eye like those eye-pieces jewelers wear! I liked this a lot. I also need to check my pokedex, but is their inability to recognize faces canon? If not, I really like it. (And as an autistic individual with some level of face-blindness, I relate quite a bit XD )

“Let’s see… Noehnameh, Missingno.”

“That’s a weird name,” Benigno commented. “And what’s a missingno?”

“It sounds to me like an alias. And I don’t believe there is such a thing as a missingno.” Oscar shook his head in disappointment.
Man do I wish it actually was a missingno. I joke, but I really love references like this XD

“Palkia why,” muttered Ettore.

It was a pink orb. The pearl!
Pearl... Palkia... I see what you did there!

The gothitelle adjusted one the disks of hair jutting from her head

This was the only typo I noticed. You're missing 'of'.

The twist was fantastic. I didn't expect it to end up being Ettore all along. The gothitelle was seriously sus, and having her play a part but not be the main culprit was really nice! A 'not-quite-red-herring'. Using Lin's special ability to discern the pearl's true ownership was rather nice, too. It shows he can co-operate with Oscar and Benigno when needs must.

The prose was very well written and engaging. I didn't find it hard to follow at all. It just flowed really well. I don't have anything negative to say about it. It's clear a lot of love and dedication went into writing this. It felt very well polished and proofed with only that small typo I mentioned above slipping through. This was a riot to read, and I definitely plan to read the rest!
 

Spiteful Murkrow

Busy Writing Stories I Want to Read
Pronouns
He/Him/His
Partners
  1. nidoran-f
  2. druddigon
  3. swellow
  4. quilava-fobbie
  5. sneasel-kate
Heya, it took a while, but I’m here to round out the last of that review exchange between us from my end. Though a one-shot sharing The Legacy of Light’s setting, huh? That’ll be interesting to see, since I got the feeling that Liber was a pretty big world just from what we saw of it in that story thus far, so it’ll be fun to see what some other snapshots of that land look like.

Let’s go ahead and find out what that looks like, huh?

----------
----------


---STOLEN HEIRLOOM!---
Type: Search
Client: Grumpig
Reward: 120 Poké
I woke up this morning to find our family’s most prized possession missing! It is my great-great-grandmother’s pearl, one that had been passed down for generations! Our house is near Tranquilo’s north exit. Please help me find it!
---

Ah yes, the same format as Bertrand’s mission listing. So we’ll be seeing that in this story, too, huh? Though I suppose it’d only make sense that law enforcement in Liber would have some involvement in them if they’re outsourcing catching Outlaws to adventurers to an extent.

21st day, Month of Clygem, 1843.

I’m actually curious as to how many months exist in Liber’s calendar and what they’re named after, since I can’t really place a general theme on them name-wise, but they certainly sound exotic.

“I see…”

The studious herdier examined the table in detail, looking at it from every angle and position. Its condition was pristine, and it smelled like old pine. Content, he took a step back to consider the room he was in once more. The table was situated against the wall at a perfect distance from the front door and nearest window both, which would place it right in the middle of the room.

A grumpig watched him anxiously. “Have you figured something out yet, Detective Oscar?”

Oscar: “I mean, beyond that you probably should’ve hidden your family treasure a bit better if it was just sitting here of all places…? It’s a work in progress.”
:joltyshrug:


The great Detective Oscar answered his question with a question. “May I ask, you said that the door was still locked when you woke up this morning?”

I wonder if this is omniscient narration, or else if Oscar is just egotistical enough to literally think of himself as the “great Detective Oscar”. :V

The grumpig, known as Ettore, fiddled nervously with his large ears. “Yeah, and I swear it was locked all night.”

“And there are no other entrances to the building?”

“No, just the windows.”

Well, at least we learned that this ‘mon didn’t literally leave his pearl out on the table for anyone to snatch.

“A locked room mystery,” the detective thought, his mind whirling with possibilities. He got close to the table and sniffed the pillow Ettore claimed the pearl had been sitting on. But all he found was that same scent of old pine, with what he assumed to be Ettore’s scent faint and distant.

That’s odd.”

“What’s odd?” asked Ettore.

“I have seen a few spoink pearls in my time,” said Oscar. “And they would typically carry the scent of their owners. But there is not a single lingering trace of it to be found here.”

Ettore: “It’s my great-great-grandmother’s pearl. Do you really think that I just hop around with that thing on a regular basis?”
:mewtwofacepalm:

Oscar: “... Right, and I suppose that it would’ve been a long while since she last had it around for her scent to rub off.” ^^;

“Oh, that would be my fault,” Ettore explained, wringing his hands. “I should have mentioned it. I wash the pearl every now and then to keep it clean, that’s why you can’t smell it.”

Ettore: “Also, that too.”

“Does he wash it with pine or something?” The detective decided that it didn’t matter why it was missing a scent.

If I cannot smell anything, then I cannot track anything, so unfortunately we will have to proceed the old-fashioned way.” He shifted his gaze to the swoobat poking inquisitively at the wall underneath the stairway. “Benigno!”

Benigno was snapped out of his trance. “Huh?” He quickly hopped over and tilted his head. “What is it?”

Ah, so Oscar has an assistant. I suppose I should’ve seen that coming as a detective-themed piece, but it’s still cute to see.

“You seemed to be very invested in that wall there. Did you find anything?” Oscar asked.

Benigno shook his head. “Nope.”

Oscar: “... And you were just staring off at it why, then?”
:eltywtf:


The detective lifted a brow. Benigno was a ‘mon of odd habits, always being distracted by even the slightest of small sounds. While his acute hearing abilities were often helpful, they just as often led to dead ends, and the swoobat himself could never seem to tell the difference. In this case, however, he decided to trust his word.

Very well then.” He turned towards the grumpig. “Now, Ettore, was it? We will have to ask you a few questions. Is there anyone you know who would covet the pearl?”

Wait, so does Oscar ever have:

squirrel.jpg


moments as a Herdier? Since if he does and he’s complaining about his partner having enough moments for him to notice…
:loltias:


“No one that I can think of,” he replied. “It must have been some kind of common thief.”

“A common thief that leaves no scent and can pass through a locked door.” Oscar shook his head, the small bag around his neck shifting as he did so. “It is far more likely we are dealing with someone more professional here. Though as to how they found out about the pearl, would you know?”

The culprit was a ghostmon, wasn’t it? Since this MO certainly feels very “ghostmon” right now.

“Well you can see it from the window over there,” he said, pointing to it. “That’s probably how it caught their eye.”

Benigno tapped his partner on the shoulder with a wing claw. “Do you think it was a ghost?”

See, even Benigno agrees with me here.

“I wouldn’t think so, but…” Oscar pondered the situation. “The way I see it there are two possibilities.”

[ ]


“Two?” questioned Ettore.

It might be in “splitting hairs” / “nitpicking” territory, but IMO, this moment might’ve worked better with Ettore getting in a brow raise moment or something analogous.

The great detective nodded. “First, as Benigno suggested, it may have been a Ghost-type pokémon. I would think that a ghost does leave behind a scent, however I must admit that I am not the most educated on ghosts. So it is not out of the question that some are incorporeal enough to not leave behind a scent as they travel. The other possibility…”

The herdier moved over to the window, whose curtains were drawn back.

Is revealed by these open curtains!”

The swoobat’s eyes widened. “Really?! What do they mean?!” asked Benigno, his excitement mounting.

Oscar: “The windows were left open so the scent all got aired out?”
:joltyshrug:


“What they mean is the second possibility! Ettore, were these curtains closed last night?”

The grumpig rubbed his chin as he tried to remember. “Well, no. I don’t think so.”

“You would think a Psychic-type would understand the significance!” The detective shook his head in mock disappointment. “Haven’t you heard to always keep your curtains closed at night? Because if you don’t, you open yourself up as a victim of telekinetic crime!”

Huh. I actually didn’t consider that, but that’s definitely a clever way of snatching valuables, and definitely a very “Pokémon” thing. Might have to file a note away for that for myself.

Benigno hopped slightly, wings spread in understanding. “Oh! That’s the thing where you make things move with your mind!”

Oscar: “... Benigno, how are you just thinking of this when you yourself are a Psychic-type?”
:eltywtf:


“Exactly! The move in question: Telekinesis! It requires a line of sight between you and the object in question, and both the door and pearl can be seen from here. In theory, one could use it to unlock the door, take the pearl, and lock it once again, all without having to enter your home!”

Ettore’s hand stayed glued to his chin as he gave the detective a skeptical look. “But isn’t Telekinesis a rare move? There aren’t really a lot of pokémon who know how to use it.”

I mean, if Liber has access to TMs, it’s not that rare of a move. And let’s not even get into the fact that there’s straight-up magic in this setting that allows for using illegal moves.

But Oscar was not deterred. “Which is perfect, as it narrows down our search considerably!”

“Maybe they left a smell at the window!” exclaimed Benigno.

“Good thinking, Beni!” Oscar put his front paws on the window sill. “Would you mind, Ettore? It would be much faster if you were to open it.”

Better hope that it didn’t rain last night. Though I’ve gotta give Oscar props for his deduction here.

Ettore, still skeptical but willing to humor him, did as he was instructed and undid the latch keeping the window closed. With a *click!* he pushed it open, allowing Oscar to jump out and investigate the small side path wedged between buildings. He licked his nose and immediately got to work combing through the area, trying his best to sort out the smells to find something that wouldn’t fit.

“Did you find anything?” asked Benigno from the window.

There was nothing. Everything in the alley seemed to be in order, not a single recent smell.

That can’t be right! Did I miss something?” But he couldn’t have missed something, he was thorough! “It seems…” He tried desperately to think of a response. “That there is nothing of note in this particular location…”

… Or the Psychic-type was capable of levitating. Since just saying, Munna can do that naturally, as can a decent swath of the Pokémon that learn Telekinesis via ™.

“So it wasn’t a Psychic-type then,” said Ettore. His tone was becoming less impressed by the second.

Benigno piped in. “Maybe it was a ghost using Telekinesis!”

So… a Mismagius? o<o

“I was just about to say that!” The great detective jumped back into the building and placed a paw on Benigno’s shoulder. “This is why we are partners; we are of the same mind! Ghosts are known for using Telekinesis!”

Ettore: “... I’m never going to see my great-great-great-grandmother’s pearl again, am I?”
:unimpressedrayquaza:


Ettore placed a hand on his chin. “It’s a bit far-fetched, but it would make sense I guess.”

I mean, the simpler explanation would be “a Munna did it” assuming they also levitate in this setting, but I’m just gonna let Oscar and Benigno have their moment here.

“Of course it does!” He motioned for Benigno to follow him to the door. “Unfortunately, however, there isn’t much else to be discovered here. We will have to take our search elsewhere.”

Ettore clasped his hands together. “But you’ll find it, won’t you, detective?”

Oscar: “Of course I will! (... Probably… Maybe.)” ^^;

The great Detective Oscar stood proudly and scoffed. “Of course we will! Who do you think I am?!”

Oh hey, it’s basically the last cutaway, but with more hamminess and less open self-doubt. :V

“Yeah!” exclaimed his esteemed partner Benigno. “We’re the best detective duo in all of Capital! You’re in good paws!” He lifted his wings and spread them wide. “And wings!”

press-x-to-doubt-la-noire.jpg


“Well said Beni!” And with that, Benigno opened the door and the two stepped out into the sunlight.

Oscar took a deep breath of the afternoon air. There was a slight chill that day, a rare winter breeze blowing through the streets of the ever quiet District Dragos, aptly known by its residents as Tranquilo. Out of every district in Capital, it was both the newest and most peaceful, the buildings and roads well-maintained and newly placed street lamps lending a modern flair.

To most adventurers it was known as the least interesting locale one could possibly visit, and was generally considered inferior to other districts when it came to lucrative requests. To the great detective however, it was a treasure trove of mystery. While it was true that genuine mysteries such as his current one were rare in this corner of the city, when one did appear it was always certain that he would get to it first. And it was through this clever usage of opportunity that he had gained his reputation as a first-rate problem solver.

Your second paragraph is long enough that you probably want to consider dividing it up.

Though wherever this town is in Liber has Spanish theming, huh? I take it that it’s probably not in the same proverbial neighborhood as Couriére from your main story. Though it makes me wonder if Liber is MULTI-5land has other languages beyond those two represented amongst its nations.

And “Capital”? As in it is (or was) the Capital of all Liber, or just whatever nation this is in?

“So now what?” asked Benigno as they walked aimlessly down the street.

“That’s the hard part.” Oscar kept his head straight and proud as he glanced at his partner. “Sometimes, Benigno, it is important to understand the ever-changing nature of mysteries.”

Benigno nodded along, enraptured by his words. “Uh huh?”

Benigno: “And that means we’re going to do what now?” ^^;

“So! Consider that as of right now, it is impossible to track down the pearl with our current information,” Oscar explained. “In such a situation, the best thing one can do is wait. In time, as the stolen item moves through the city, new information is bound to reveal itself.”

“But what if nothing turns up?”

Benigno: “Since just saying, this sounds like a fantastic way for the pearl to wind up at a fence and us to never see it again.” ^^;

Oscar felt a prickle of nervousness eat away at his tail. Still, he was not one to be deterred by his curious partner’s questions. On the contrary, they kept him sharp.

The guild’s information network is vast and far reaching. If worst comes to worst, we can utilize it to its fullest extent, though I would hope we would not have to resort to such measures.”

The worst-case scenario he had in mind was the possibility that it ended up on the black market, in which case the mystery would become substantially more complicated, but he had confidence (or at the very least hope) that whoever stole it would not immediately seek to sell it there. Spoink pearls were sought after for more than just their weight in silver, after all, and the most likely culprit, a Ghost or Psychic-type, would have the most to gain from its uses.

Regardless, let us regroup at the Traveler’s Office and inform the guide of our predicament.”

IMO, this one paragraph should be a few smaller ones, since that was a lot of description and dialogue intermixed with each other there.

“Right, let’s go!” Benigno spread his wings and leapt into the air, riding the wind and soaring far ahead of his friend. Oscar [ ] sighed. “The least you could do is wait for me.”

It might make sense to drop in a bit of description of Oscar reacting to Benigno here if he has a particularly funny expression or something like that.

Together, they rushed through the streets of Tranquilo until they reached a small plaza, a light brick building featuring the emblem of Capital’s Guild just on the corner. Benigno landed and ran in first, Oscar trailing behind him. District Dragos’ Traveler’s Office was as quaint as the district itself: fairly small and clean, with the reception desk to the right and the ever-important request board on the wall to the left. Oscar’s claws clacked on the wooden floor as he entered, alerting the riolu behind the desk.

I actually wonder if the “Dragos” is meant to be an allusion to “dragon” or to something else there. Since if Capital indeed is or was once the capital of all Liber…
:thonklithe:


“Back already? That was quick,” said the riolu, trying to ignore the swoobat jumping up and down in front of him. He regarded Oscar with the kind of ruthlessly complicated expression one would expect from an individual who loathed your presence.

Riolu: “... You did actually complete your mission this time, right?”
:gardexhausted:


“You should see it for yourself, it is quite the conundrum!” said Oscar, in jovial ignorance of the guide’s exasperation. “A locked room mystery, if you can believe it! Somehow, the thief made off with the item without even leaving a scent!”

“And what does that bring you back here for?” asked Lin, leaning his head into his paw. He looked sharply at Benigno. “And stop fidgeting! You’re giving me a headache.”

You never formally introduced the Riolu as “Lin” prior to your second paragraph in this block. I would recommend doing it either in Oscar’s dialogue where he talks with him, or else in one of the immediately preceding description paragraphs.

“Oh! Sorry.” Benigno calmed down and stood still. While Oscar had many advocates in Tranquilo, Lin, the guide of this Traveler’s Office, was not one of them. Since Oscar often operated here, the two were well acquainted, but the differences between the two were simply too stark to reconcile. Lin was too clever and too serious for his own good, seeing Oscar’s mystery solving efforts as a nuisance rather than a help.

Though Oscar theorized that the real reason he did not like him was because of an incident where Benigno questioned how a child could be trusted as the guide for Tranquilo. The answer, of course, was nepotism. Lin did not appreciate this.

I mean, yeah. That sounds like a fantastic way to get the guy in charge of the Traveler’s Office to not like you very much. ^^;

“As much as I would prefer to bring good news,” Oscar continued. “We as of yet have no leads on the pearl. So…”

Lin sighed [ ].

I’ll send a message to the other district offices. If we find anything out we’ll let you know. Is that it?”

If Lin is having some sort of body language or doing something like already reaching for some papers or whatnot, it might merit explicitly describing here as an extension to the note of him sighing.

“Um.” Benigno put a claw to his snout in thought. “Do you know anyone who could’ve stole it?”

“No.”

Oscar added to Benigno’s thought: “If it helps, the culprit is most likely either a ghost or psychic type pokémon. Can likely use Telekinesis.”

Lin: “Seriously, you two? This is supposed to be your job!” >.<

“No. But I’ll put it in the message.”

“Rather disappointing, but I guess I’m already asking a lot out of him.” Oscar nodded. “We appreciate it.”

Lin: “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just go and bug someone else for a while, alright?” >_>;

With everything said and done, the duo left the tired riolu behind and found themselves back in the plaza. “Now what?” asked Benigno.

“As I said, Beni, we wait.” He watched as the whimsy faded from his friends eyes, and panicked slightly. “N-no worries, Benigno! Patience is a virtue! By tomorrow we can be certain that a new lead will have appeared!” Oscar did not want to admit that the mystery was a complete dead end. “Not a complete dead end! Just… mostly.”

I mean, it’s not really a dead end since we’ve got like 10,000 words of story left ahead of us, but I do wonder how these two are going to get out of this one.

“But I don’t want to wait. I tried to wake up early today,” Benigno complained.

[ ]

“How about we visit your favorite restaurant? To make up for our lost afternoon?”

This feels like another moment where if you visualized there being some sort of body language between either Benigno or Oscar, that it might make sense to drop in, since this part kinda reads as if there’s meant to be a pause, but it doesn’t come through with the way Benigno and Oscar’s lines are back-to-back with each other.

The swoobat nodded, smiling a little. “That sounds good I guess.”

And so, they went about their day, in the hopes that by the same time tomorrow a new lead would appear in the case. “If not for my or Benigno’s sake, then for Ettore’s!”

Oscar: “But really, for my sake would be nice since boy would it be bad for my reputation to come back empty-pawed.”
:fearfullaugh~1:


22nd day, Month of Clygem, 1843.

It was a miracle.

---CRYSTAL BALL ROBBERY---
Type: Search
Client: Gothitelle
Reward: 300 Poké
As I opened up my shop for the day, I was assaulted by a mysterious assailant. And when I came to, the centerpiece of my fortune telling business, my prized crystal ball, was missing! Please find it and the thug who stole it from me! My store can be found just on the edge of Tranquilo on Nera Street.
---

Oh, so that’s where Ettore’s pearl wound up, huh? Since Gothitelle certainly is capable of learning Telekinesis via level-up…

Oscar felt waves of relief crash upon his back as he read the request out loud for his friend. “What did I say, Beni?! A lead has revealed itself!”

Benigno: “... Wait, but that’s talking about a crystal ball, Oscar. Not a pearl.” .-.

“How do you know if they even have anything to do with each other?” commented Lin from his desk on the other side of the room.

“Simple!” Oscar glanced at Benigno and saw that the attention of the only one who mattered was on him completely. His tail wagged in barely concealed excitement. “Consider what a crystal ball and a spoink pearl have in common. They are both objects of powerful psychic energy! And for two items that match that description to become missing in such a short period of time, they must be connected!”

Lin: “... Sounds more like you’re grasping at straws right now.”
:riowtf~1:


Benigno waved his wings in excitement. “And gothitelle are supposed to be Psychic-type pokémon too, right?!”

“Astute observation, but let us not get ahead of ourselves!” The herdier stood up and hurried to the door, his partner carefully picking the request off the board with his wings and carrying it in his mouth to follow. “We’re off, Lin!” Oscar exclaimed by the door. “By the time we come back, we’ll have solved this case completely!”

bender-laughing.gif


“Wait-!”

There was no time to wait. Oscar already knew where he needed to go, as Nera Street wasn’t far from his home. He and Benigno rushed through well-traveled city streets, each turn made on instinct until they reached a wide open road paved with dark gray bricks. Oscar made an abrupt stop to look around, and found the fortune teller’s almost immediately. It was a striking building colored of pure black, with white stars of paint placed in careful patterns so as to replicate constellations. Most would have called it tacky, but Oscar thought it was memorable. A whimsicott was exiting the building, wearing a look of disappointment.

That’s our cue!”

IMO, Oscar’s thoughts should be split off into their own paragraph, though that building’s definitely going to stand out from its surrounding.

Once the duo approached the door, Oscar lifted the door knocker with his mouth and let it go, the noise of its impact with the door resounding loudly in his ears. Benigno still had the request in his own mouth, battered by the wind but still readable. He trembled beside the herdier in anticipation; Oscar himself had to concentrate on his tail to keep it under control. Eventually, the gothitelle they were here to see at last opened the door.

I apologize, but we’re…” She trailed off as she saw the request paper.

“It seems you have already surmised why we are here.” Oscar nodded a greeting. “My name is Oscar, and this is my partner Benigno. We are here because you placed a request.

Some minor suggestions for formatting tweaks here.

Gothitelle: “I mean, you’re literally holding my mission request, so…” >_>;

“Ah, Oscar. I had a premonition that you would come here today.” She placed a mitten-hand on her chest. “My name is Cosima. Please, come in.”

… Or she could’ve used Future Sight or whatever that was. That works too.

The inside of the fortune teller’s shop was dark, the strong smell of an odd incense taking over the room. As his eyes adjusted, Oscar noticed that the constellation theming continued into the interior as well, the walls painted in dark blues and illuminated by pockets of light coming from a covered lamp in the center. The shop was stocked with various trinkets: twisted spoons, moon tarots, covered incense and star charts. As he looked around, he became steadily more aware of the incense’s stuffy aroma, the air weighing down on his lungs and slowly suffocating him. He took a measured breath.

For a closed shop you seem rather dedicated to your theme,” he commented with veiled sarcasm.

“The aesthetics are more for myself than my customers. They help with focus,” said Cosima. “Allow me to lead you to where I placed the orb.”

Oh, so it basically runs off the same premise as Olympia’s Gym, huh? Can’t say that it’s not fitting for a Psychic-type.

The gothitelle led the duo into a small room at the back, containing nothing but a small table with an empty cushion.

This is where I kept my crystal ball. And this…” She moved over to a door at the back, opening it to show that it led outside into a back alley. “This is the back entrance. I was entering the shop from here this morning when I was attacked.”

Oh, so straight-up attacked this time and not just a quiet yoinking and slipping away. That’s definitely different.

“Attacked…” Oscar mulled it over. “By any chance did you get a glimpse of your attacker?”

Cosima shook her head sadly. “Unfortunately no. I believe they used Hypnosis to put me to sleep, as I don’t quite recall what happened at that moment.”

“I see.”

So the culprit is someone who can use Hypnosis and Telekinesis, huh? Or else, magic, I suppose. Maybe it really is a Munna considering its natural learnset.

Benigno tilted his head. “Hypnosis? Ghost-types can use that, right?”

“Most can, yes,” Oscar confirmed for him. “So can Psychic-types, for that matter.”

“Is that relevant?” asked Cosima.

“Possibly.”

Oscar licked his nose and took a moment to investigate the cushion that the stolen orb must have once occupied, a detail confirmed by its depressed center. He sniffed at it, and regretted the action almost immediately as the bitter odor of the odd incense attacked his senses and forced him to sneeze.

Does she really need all this? It’s a bit much!”

He couldn’t help but notice the cushion’s scent held the slight twinge of something else, but he wasn’t in the mood to sniff it again after that. He tried his best to shake off his shock.

By any chance do you recall what the orb smelled of?” he asked, fighting back the urge to sneeze again.

Well that’s gonna mess with Oscar’s sense of smell for a while. Though the last, big paragraph at the end here feels like another one that would function better being divided up into smaller pieces.

Cosima placed a hand on her cheek. “I don’t think I recall it smelling like much of anything. Though I was never one to pay attention to such things.”

Oscar sneezed again, this time in slight embarrassment. “Of course. I should’ve known better than to ask.” He looked to Benigno, who was poking around at the various corners of the room, occasionally putting his large ears up against the walls.

Have you found anything?” Oscar asked.

Narrator:
giphy.gif


With a slight jolt, Benigno slipped out of his trance and with dejection looked back dejectedly towards the detective.

No…” he said, shaking his head sadly as he twiddled his thumb claws.

Yeah, I figured. :V

“Then there isn’t much for it.” The herdier turned back to Cosima and nodded politely. “Could you show me the alley? Hypnosis doesn’t last for very long, so our perpetrator may have left behind a clue in their haste.”

“Yes of course.”

I’m a bit surprised that Oscar didn’t ask Cosima if she’d already checked the back alley herself. Since if Cosima looked and didn’t find anything, I wonder if that’d have affected Oscar’s decision-making matrix here.

… Then again, some of his attempts at chasing leads have been a bit on the “it’s just a little airborne, it’s still good!” side of things, so… :V

She opened the door for Oscar, allowing him and his partner through. He gave the alley a once-over; small and thin, it was a space sandwiched between two rows of buildings. It had little in it, though a few crates were rather conveniently placed near the door.

Oscar sniffed at one carefully: it reeked of odd incense, though not quite as strongly as inside the shop. He could still make out the distinct salty scent of the ocean that reminded him of District Attilio. “A recent delivery, maybe? It would provide good cover.”

Do you order odd incense in bulk?”

IMO, this paragraph works best if it’s cut up into a couple pieces. Though I see that Oscar’s schnoz is getting its share of obstacles thrown his way.

Cosima nodded. “I do. They only make them in Hivech, so it can be quite a hassle to get ahold of.”

Oscar:
:WHY:

Cosima: “I need it for the atmosphere in my shop?”
:joltyshrug:


“Perhaps the culprit hid in here.” Oscar reared up to peer over the edge of the box. It was empty, and Oscar had half a mind to search it. But the smell was simply too much for him. “Whoever did this was very concerned with hiding their scent.”

It was a long shot, but he decided to try sniffing the ground around the box to see if he could pick up something recent. It was when he circled to the other side that he whiffed something vaguely familiar…

Another paragraph that IMO works best when divided up into two pieces.

“So what did the crystal ball look like?” asked Benigno.

“Oh, it was a spoink pearl, of course.” Oscar’s head shot up as he heard it. “Anyone who is serious about fortune telling and psychic augmentation knows to get their hands on one.”

Oh, so Ettore’s pearl did wind up going to a fence… or Cosima just stole it, since she would have the moveset to pull that off…
:thonklithe:


Though I like how Benigno just bumbled into this and Oscar’s nose didn’t help at all. >:V

Benigno did not react as Oscar did, only seeming curious. “Really? How’d you get it?”

The gothitelle adjusted one of the disks of hair jutting from her head. “Obviously, I bought it.”

:sceptical~1:


I’m a bit dubious since the title of this chapter is the Thrice-Stolen Pearl. And again, Cosima is from a line of Pokémon that would have the ability to pull off the heist that Oscar and Benigno pieced together earlier on.

He innocently placed a thumb claw up to his mouth. “Where’d you buy it from?” His questions seemed innocuous, but Oscar knew from experience that it was when he was at his most innocent that he was the most dangerous.

You’re brilliant, Benigno!”

Oh, so Cosima did steal it, then.

“Oh it was some store a bit far from here. I don’t quite remember the name, but I had predicted I would find it there.”

“Do you remember what district?”

Cosima’s gaze hardened, her patience quickly worn thin. “I don’t see how this is relevant. Aren’t you supposed to be finding where the pearl is?”

Oscar: “... Yes, and that’s why my assistant is asking these questions right now.”
:absus~1:


“Oh.” Benigno looked down and sheepishly tapped his claws together. “I guess I don’t really know where it is, so…”

“No worries, Beni!” Oscar trotted over and placed a paw on his shoulder in reassurance. “Asking questions is the basis of investigation! Allow me to take over from here.”

Can’t tell whether or not this is going to end well or else blow up in Oscar’s face at the moment.

“Did you find anything of note?” Cosima asked, her mood having softened.

“I wasn’t sure if I was willing to consider it at first, but Cosima is definitely suspicious. She may not have answered his question, but I do have an idea of where she may have gotten this pearl.”

Oscar nodded and spoke up again. [ ]

As a matter of fact, I believe I have an idea of where to search next.”

Well, at least they didn’t get into a running battle with a Gothitelle. That sounds like it would’ve ended quite poorly for these two.

Though this is another paragraph that IMO works best with some internal division plus a small expansion to fill in the bit with Oscar nodding as a transition.

She sighed. “That’s a relief to hear. Is that all you need from me?”

“We may return here later if the case calls for it. There are still a few unresolved peculiarities regarding this scene, after all.” What Oscar had in mind was the scent. He had not forgotten about it.

Where have I smelled that before?”

In District Attilio? I mean, you did compare the scent of the incense to it.
:joltyshrug:


Oscar held his breath as Cosima led the duo back through the shop. “I wish you the best of luck in returning my pearl to me,” she said as a farewell. And so the duo were left at her front door, and Oscar gasped for breath.

“Are you okay?!” shouted a worried Benigno.

“I’m fine! It was just a little stuffy in there, is all!” Oscar coughed. “Anyway, it is time we pay a visit to District Attilio!”

Yeah, I figured. Though I wonder if instead of the “where have I smelled that before” that Oscar should just bluntly say that it reminds him of District Atillio, since he already makes an explicit comparison in the narration a bit earlier on.

Benigno tilted his head. “Huh? Where are we going?”

“To where Cosima bought the pearl, of course!” the detective explained. “If she truly bought it from a store, then there is only one place to look in all of Capital, barring the fancy, high-end stores in District Grande. We shall take the tram, and make for there at once!”

Benigno: “And if she didn’t?” ^^;
Oscar: “I… uh… haven’t thought of that one yet? But let’s wait until more information comes up!”

The two traversed the city until they reached the nearest tram station. District Dragos’ trams were not very busy, which was perfect for Benigno’s sake. The station itself was a simple platform in the street near a railway, with a schedule attached to a board and a map of the city.

They waited there alone, until a tram car appeared rumbling slowly along its track. Oscar stuffed his head into his bag for a gold coin, clenching it in his jaws just in time for the tram to come to a stop at the platform and the machoke driver to open the door. Oscar exchanged his coin for a day pass, and the two found a place to sit, Benigno taking to the window to marvel at the city.

It’s hard to imagine this beats flying, but I guess he just thinks it’s interesting.”

Huh, so the trams are mechanized here in Capital instead of being ones drawn by horsemons like the really old-timey ones. Didn’t expect that, but I suppose that gives a few ideas of what the tech level here in Liber is like.

Though this is another paragraph that IMO works best in smaller parts.

The tram stopped at a station just on the edge of District Attilio. Even this so far out from the harbor, Porto Eone was bustling and lively in a way that District Dragos simply wasn’t, pokémon of all shapes and sizes moving from place to place, making conversation, and stopping by the many shops this part of the city was known for. The detective duo departed here, Oscar taking the lead towards their destination.

There is a jeweler not far from here. If anyone were to know about where Cosima got that spoink pearl, it would be Otto.”

>that internal thought implying that Oscar has met Otto before

I’m morbidly curious as to whether or not he’s going to
:gardexhausted:
-face at seeing Oscar much like how Lin did now.
:loltias:


The two hurried through the busy streets. Benigno seemed uncomfortable as he flew ahead: Oscar knew it was because of all the noise.

It won’t be long! Just a little farther.”

Soon they came upon the store, a brick building among many others differentiated by the large sign featuring a gleaming jewel labeled ‘OTTO’S GEMS AND CRAFTS.’ The swoobat almost flew past it. Oscar barked to get his attention, and when he came back they stood together in front of the door.

This is it?” asked Benigno.

Benigno: “Since I’d really like to be in and out of here. The background noise is murder on my ears.”
:sevidazed:


“It is. I’ve done a request for Otto before, so we are already acquainted.”

Benigno tilted his head. “I don’t remember that.”

“It was before we met.” Oscar gestured to the door. “Would you mind?”

… Wait, how long have Benigno and Oscar been partnered. If this was multiple years ago, will Otto even remember Oscar?
:copyka~3:


Benigno pushed open the door and was surprised as it caused made a chime attached to the door to ring. Oscar nudged him from behind, and together they entered the shop. It was somewhat small, the browsing area centered around a glass display case that ran the length up to just before the counter on the other side. More display cases were along the walls and behind the counter, each filled with various gemstones and jewelry. Just behind the counter was the sableye owner, Otto. He put a ringed claw around one of his gemstone eyes and appeared to adjust it.

Customers? Who’s there?”

>Sableye as a gem merchant

Clever. I’ve heard this idea idly spitballed on a few Discords, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen a story actually explicitly cast one for such a role.

Oscar expected that he wouldn’t be recognized. “It is Detective Oscar! Do you remember?”

“Oscar…” He tapped his head as he tried to remember. “Oh! The one who helped me a few months ago? With that lost bag?”

“The one and the same!” he announced proudly.

Huh, guess Oscar and Benigno have been partnered for a lot less time than I anticipated from the way they interacted with each other earlier. I wonder if whether or not it’d have made sense to hint at that a bit harder, but eh. I won’t question it too hard.

“And who’s the other one, the uh…” Otto adjusted his eyes again. “The one with the wings.”

As if prompted to do so, the swoobat spread his wings to show them off. “I’m Benigno! I’m his partner!”

- Otto side-eyes Oscar -
Otto: “Well that one’s certainly new, Oscar.”

“So you got a partner, that’s nice,” said Otto, nodding thoughtfully. “You’re probably here for that request I put up, aren’t you?”

… Oh, so this is where the third instance of the pearl being stolen will come from, won’t it?
:copyka~3:


“Request? What request?” What could the jeweler need at such an inopportune time?

“You aren’t? That’s unfortunate. Before we talk about whatever you need, would you be willing to hear me out?”

“Of course we are!” replied Benigno. Oscar looked toward him with some annoyance. “Do we really have time for this? Not that I don’t want to help him, but we have a mission!”

Otto: “Okay, I know that it’s probably going to sound dumb to you, but I recently had some inventory go missing…”

“You see, it’s about a pearl I had in my possession. It was stolen.”

“WHAT?!”

Yeah, I knew it.

Otto recoiled and leaned back from Oscar’s outburst. “Y-yes, just last night, I believe.”

“Was it a spoink pearl?!” Oscar asked, front paws now on the counter and tail wagging in anticipation.

“Yes it was, how did you know?”

Oscar: “They’ve… been kinda a hot commodity for thieves recently from what Benigno and I have been able to gather.” >_>;
Otto: “Really? It’s such a niche item that you’d think that thefts of them would be rarer.” .-.


This changed everything. “If these are all the same pearl, then…” It certainly raised multiple questions. But for now he needed to remain focused on what was in front of him. Oscar calmed down and got off the counter back into a sitting position.

How long have you had this pearl for?”

Actually, wait. Does Oscar know enough to determine that the three pearl thefts likely involve the same pearl? It might merit having him explicitly think something to the effect of “what are the odds?” since if it’s plausible that Otto would have more than one in his shop at any given time, Oscar technically can’t take it for granted that they’re all the same pearl.

Otto was still taken aback. Carefully, he adjusted an eye again and returned to his natural stance.

It was sold to me just yesterday, a most precious gem. The pearl had a youthful energy, I found myself quite taken with it. In all I appraised it to be worth about 500 silver.”

Ah yes, so the fence who yoinked the pearl either from Ettore or Cosima pulled the old “sell stolen merch to a secondhand store” scam.

Benigno quickly caught on to the significance of that. “Who did you buy it from?!” he asked excitedly.

[ ]


“It was…” Otto tapped his head, his taps getting faster and more forceful with each one. “F-Forgive me, I don’t quite recall.”

:absus~1:


Okay, Otto. Though I wonder if it might make sense to show him react a bit more before he starts speaking if he’s meant to tense up or get nervous a bit.

“Huh? But how?! It was yesterday!”

“It’s a peculiar weakness of his species,” Oscar explained. “Sableye are more concerned with gems than pokémon.”

“Oh he’s bad with faces…” Benigno whispered to himself.

Or he could just be telling a bad lie, just saying, Benigno.

“Not just faces, I’m afraid,” said Otto. “You all are… difficult to put together. Much more difficult than my gemstones. But I do keep a ledger. Just a moment.”

The sableye disappeared behind the counter and reappeared with a notebook.

Let’s see… Noehnameh, Missingno.”

“That’s a weird name,” Benigno commented. “And what’s a missingno?”

Translation: Otto stole the pearl and was lazy about coming up with a name and species for his fake customer.

“It sounds to me like an alias. And I don’t believe there is such a thing as a missingno.” Oscar shook his head in disappointment. “I hate to tell you like this, but I believe you have been taken for a fool, Otto.”

dsmGaKWMeHXe9QuJtq_ys30PNfTGnMsRuHuo_MUzGCg.jpg


It’d definitely be quite a trip if there was legitimately a Missingno in this continuity, but I won’t hold my breath on it.

“R-really?” The sableye clutched his head and dug in his claws. He gave a frustrated sigh. “I’m… so sorry, this is my fault. Is there some reason you need to know? There wasn’t anything bad about that pearl, was there?”

… Maybe he did get taken in by a fence after all. I mean, I’m still side-eying him over that customer name entry, but…

Oscar considered how much he should tell him. “Technically it is still only a theory.” “No particular reason,” he lied. “If it helps, did this pokémon stand on two legs or four?”

Otto tapped his head once. “...Two.”

I mean, just saying, Otto technically stands on two legs, so…
:copyber:


Oscar nodded. “That would be all. Could you show me where the pearl was kept?”

“Right. I liked it so much I decided it would work best as a decoration. I had it on display just over there.” He pointed towards a round metal stand located on a shelf just behind him. “Here, you’re good with smells, let me just-”

The sableye’s crystal eyes gleamed a bright magenta, and suddenly the stand lifted itself up into the air and towards the counter.

Benigno tapped Oscar’s shoulder. “Telekinesis!” he whispered into his ear.

“I see that,” he whispered back.

Okay, yeah. Otto totally stole the pearl himself at one point. I’m guessing at this point of my readthrough that the sequence of thefts thus far is Ettore -> Otto -> Cosima -> ???

The stand completed its journey towards the counter, settling carefully on its polished granite surface. Alarm bells were ringing in Oscar’s head, but in counter to them was his own consciousness. He was not willing to believe that a previous client could have committed a crime and pointed out the flaws within that line of thought. Forcing himself to push it aside for now, he licked his nose, took a whiff of the metal stand, and found that it had no scent. Nothing out of the ordinary that would hint at a culprit, at least.

Once again, no leads.”

No, but you did have a hefty amount of circumstantial evidence, Oscar, just saying.

“Well?” Otto had a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

Oscar shook his head. “Unfortunately I cannot determine anything from this. I can try investigating the shop, but it would be faster if you could explain how someone could have gotten into the shop to steal the pearl in the first place.”

“Hm. I can’t think of any. I close up shop late in the night, so it would have had to have happened sometime then. And I’m certain I locked the doors.”

Unless someone pulled some sort of Psychic antics to get it out, since hey, that’s been confirmed to have happened twice thus far.

“Unfortunate.” Oscar turned to Benigno. “I believe it is time we investigate. Perhaps we can find some sign of who was in here.”

The two got to work. Benigno started poking at the various corners of the shop, while Oscar sniffed the ground in hopes that by some miracle he would recognize a scent. He was not exactly confident in his theories yet, but if he could find something he recognized it would confirm them.

I just need some definitive sign these mysteries are connected.” And as luck would have it, near the counter he once again recognized a vaguely familiar scent. “It is the same one from the alley behind the fortune teller’s shop. It couldn’t be older than yesterday.”

Whelp, I’m pretty sure that confirms the Otto -> Cosima leg of the theft chain, at least.

“There’s something wrong with the door!” Benigno shouted.

“What?!” Otto left the counter and ran over to pull the door open. “It seems fine to me.”

“Well, uh…” The swoobat seemed to be having trouble putting thoughts into words. At that moment, something occurred to Oscar, and he believed he knew what his partner noticed.

Did the culprit tape over the internal latch or something?

“Can you check to see if the lock works?” he asked.

“If it works?” said a skeptical Otto. “Of course it does.”

Oscar joined Benigno and put a paw on his shoulder in reassurance. “If my partner says something is wrong, then something must be wrong. Just humor us for a moment.”

Otto: “... I’m sorry, but how does he know this again?”
:eltywtf:


After Otto grabbed his key, they all left the shop, allowing Otto to close the door behind them, and insert the key. Benigno seemed to perk up as the lock turned. “It didn’t lock.”

Otto looked at him skeptically. “What do you mean?” He began to push the door as if to demonstrate -- “Of course it’s-” -- and it opened. “Whuh?”

As the confused sableye held it open, Oscar walked inside to investigate the lock on the side of the door and noticed that the bolt responsible for keeping it closed was missing. “It seems someone broke your lock.”

Just saying, if the lock is sufficiently cheaply made and just has a pin or two that needs to be depressed, it wouldn’t exactly be hard to pick it. ^^;

Otto rushed to see what he was talking about and put his free claw on his head in despair. “But, when?! How?!”

The great detective lifted his head high in a knowing gesture. “Simple! To remove the bolt from the door, one would first have to open it.”

“But I watch this door all day! I would have noticed if they were tampering with it!”

And if it was tampered with psychic powers? Would you notice it then? ^^;

“Would you?” asked Oscar. Otto shook his head as if in disbelief he would ask that, but Oscar was not deterred.

Consider this: in order to steal the pearl, you would have to know it is here in the first place. But the pearl has only been here for a day, sold to you yesterday by a mystery seller. So how could they have known?”

Benigno excitedly waved his wings. “If they saw it!”

“Exactly! And how could they have seen it?”

“By coming into the shop!”

I mean, Otto did say that he had it lying around as an interior decoration. Though if his shop’s lock has been busted for a full day, he’s just lucky that he hasn’t had anything else from his inventory stolen as well.
:copyka~3:


The sableye let go of the door and started tapping his head again. “So you’re saying it was one of my customers?”

“Not just any customer,” Oscar explained. “After all, whoever this customer was had the ability to steal the pearl without actually touching the stand upon which it was displayed. And the only way they could do that would be with Telekinesis. And when you consider that, the means through which they could have covertly removed the bolt from the door becomes obvious!”

Oscar nodded with certainty [ ].

They destroyed it on the way out, with the intention of coming back to steal the pearl at night!”

This feels like another paragraph that works best when divided up since Oscar’s initial batch of dialogue is fairly long. Though yeah, Cosima totally stole Ettore’s pearl from Otto.

“Is that even possible…?” Otto carefully considered the validity of Oscar’s claims. “It's not impossible…”

“With that established,” Oscar interrupted. “I would like to ask, is there anyone you would suspect may have stolen the pearl? Any dodgy customers?”

Otto stopped tapping his head and started fiddling with his ring instead. “Well… there was one pokémon.”

Benigno leaned in. “Yeah?!”

I’d frankly be shocked if it wasn’t Cosima at this rate.

“I-I don’t remember what they look like, but yesterday someone asked to buy the pearl from its display. But I told them it wasn’t for sale. We argued for a bit, they left, and I didn’t put much thought to it afterwards.”

Oscar:
man-ray-facepalm.gif

“Seriously, how do you not remember details like these?!”
Otto: “Again, I’m bad with faces.” ^^;

Oscar’s tail started to wag, the pieces falling together in his head. “And how many legs did this pokémon stand on?!”

Otto turned his ring once and looked up at Oscar. “Two.”

Benigno put a claw to his mouth. “Does that mean anything?”

That it’s Cosima, since she stands on two legs, is able to use Telekinesis and isn’t Otto?

“Of course it does!” the detective said proudly. “Consider: the thief knew about the difficulty sableye have with recognizing other pokémon. Taking advantage of this, they devised a simple scheme: first, they sell the pearl to Otto, and use their Telekinesis to weaken the lock on the way out. Then, under the guise of someone trying to purchase the pearl, they came back to finish the deed! That way they could steal it back undeterred!”

“No, that’s not possible.”

Oscar: “H-Huh?! What do you mean that’s not possible-?”
:uhhh:


“Huh?”

Otto stood up straight and adjusted his left eye. “I may not be good with faces, but I would recognize their voice. The pokémon who sold it to me and the pokémon who tried to buy it were definitely different pokémon,” he explained. “And while I’m at it, I’m pretty sure the buyer was taller than the seller.”

Oh, so Otto definitely didn’t steal the pearl on his own.

[ ]

“W-Well it was just a theory,” said Oscar, brushing his nose with a paw as he hastily tried to save face. “It could have been done in one trip as well, assuming they are a sufficiently powerful psychic. What matters now is that we have a lead!”

“You do?”

IMO, it might make sense / be kinda funny to describe more of Oscar’s reaction or internal thought process here where he’s flustered and probably grasping at straws a bit.

Oscar nodded. “Of course! I already have multiple theories, I just need the time to discuss them with my partner. But do not fret! I guarantee you we will have this mystery solved by the end of today!”

“Yeah, today!” Benigno repeated.

kingdom-hearts-ok.gif


Otto adjusted his eye one last time as he looked them over. “After the last time you helped me, I don’t have much reason to doubt you. I wish you both luck.”

“Thank you for your trust!” Oscar gestured for Benigno to open the door. “Come, Beni! We still need to formally accept Otto’s request!”

Ah yes, Lin will be thrilled, I’m sure. o<o

“Right!” He pulled the locked door open, and the two left the shop. “Bye Otto!” The door chimes rang as it closed behind them.

Thankfully for Otto, Oscar’s schnoz seems to have a talent for missing leads right in front of him. My money is still on Otto having stolen the pearl from Ettore in the first place.

Oscar led his partner back through the streets of District Attilio, heading deeper into the district until they reached a wide plaza. The smell of the sea was stronger here, the harbor being not that far.

Can we see the ocean today?” Benigno asked.

“If we finish this request in a timely manner, then perhaps,” the detective answered. “For now, we must go over what we’ve learned from our investigation.”

IMO, it might make sense to emphasize “back” through the streets, since Oscar and Benigno are stepping back out of Otto’s shop and returning to the streets of District Attilio.

Part of me also thinks that you might have been able to flatly drop in a scene cut, but that one I’m a bit less sure of and it’s ultimately a stylistic decision as an author anyways, so I won’t harp on it too much.

They decided to settle near a bench located in the middle of the plaza. There were many pokémon about, but it was still noticeably quieter here than on the busy shopping streets, allowing Benigno a chance to relax at least somewhat.

[ ] He spoke before Oscar could.

I think the pearls are connected.”

IMO, the “He spoke before Oscar could” feels very jarring and disconnected from the rest of the paragraph. As if there was meant to be some sort of description of the pair relaxing or something like that, and not necessarily in the same paragraph. If you intend to do touch-ups to this story at some point, it might be worth considering adding in a small extension here.

“It is likely,” agreed Oscar. “It is simply too much of a coincidence that three spoink pearls were all stolen in succession with one another. And when you consider what we know, a timeline of events starts to reveal itself.”

I mean, it doesn’t help that everyone you’ve run into other than Ettore has been giving off ultra-shifty vibes.

Though I’m going to die of laughter if it turns out that Ettore is the final link in the series of thefts and went “oh hey, it’s my pearl” after visiting Cosima for advice about picking lottery numbers or something like that.

“What kind of timeline?” asked Benigno.

“For starters, who stole the pearl from who?”

The swoobat’s eyes lit up. “Oh yeah! If they’re all the same pearl, then someone must’ve stolen it from someone!”

inb4 these two wind up completely missing the point as to how these thefts are connected to one another.

“Exactly. The question of who stole from Ettore is still a mystery. However, I believe there is good reason to believe that the one who stole from Otto is Cosima.”

Well. Never mind, then. Oscar might actually be connecting the dots after all.

Benigno tilted his head. “Really? I thought she stole from Ettore at first.”

“If we take her at her word, then she bought her pearl. But that must be a lie, because the one shop that would have sold it did not have it for sale,” Oscar explained. “Considering that, it makes sense to assume that she was the thief.”

“But can she use Telekinesis?”

Oscar: “... Okay, yes, she should be able to based off her species, but…”
:wellyousee:


“That…” They never saw her use the move, and Oscar wasn’t certain if her species was one that would learn it naturally. “Of course she can! It only makes sense!”

I mean, if pre-Gen 8 movesets are considered natural in this setting… yeah, she can. ^^

“Then did Otto steal it from Ettore?”

That was the first pressing question. Otto was a Ghost-type who knew Telekinesis, a profile the two had established yesterday as a possibility.

I wouldn’t think so. Sableye are Ghost-type pokémon, but they are not actual ghosts, if you understand what I mean. If he really did steal the pearl from Ettore, then I should have smelled him.”

I like how it’s Benigno who’s connecting the dots here first while Oscar is missing it due to his own stubborn refusal to challenge his priors about Otto. Since nobody ever said that merchants were always scrupulous.

Benigno: “... No? Wouldn’t he just need to telekinesis the pearl through the window?”
:eltywtf:


“But…” Benigno tapped his claws together. “If we can’t say who stole it from Ettore, then how can we say they’re the same pearl?”

“And therein lies the second pressing question.” Everything they knew about the three cases so far was only enough to tie two of them together. Even the one detail Oscar had not yet mentioned, the familiar scent he found in the shop, was something only shared in common with Cosima’s case.

There is still the possibility that whoever stole it in the first place sold it to Otto,” Oscar mentioned. “Though it is only a theory.”

Benigno: “... Or Otto could’ve just stolen it himself.”
:joltyshrug:

Oscar: “Again, Ettore would’ve smelled him.” >_>;
Benigno: “But I literally just explained how Otto could’ve done it without being smelled! And did either of us even mention that Otto had a noticeable scent earlier?” .-.

A troubled look crossed Benigno’s face. “Well, whoever stole it from Cosima is the one who has it. So where is the pearl now?”

[ ]

“I have no idea.” “Simple!” Oscar declared. “Consider this: what if the one who sold the pearl to Otto and the one who stole it from Cosima were one and the same pokémon?!”

I kinda wonder if this moment would’ve been funnier if there was an awkward beat moment of some sort where Oscar gets flustered. It also would’ve helped for breaking up the string of predominantly dialogue paragraphs that have been going on in this part.

Also, live look at Oscar right now:

bgur78iln2e01.gif


Benigno looked at Oscar as if that were the most incomprehensibly brilliant sentence he had ever heard.

How do you know that?!” he asked.

“In the back alley of the fortune teller’s I happened upon a peculiar scent. And as it happens, I found an older version of that same scent in Otto’s shop! Obviously, this means the same pokémon was in those two places at the exact right times to perform those actions!”

The swoobat’s eyes were sparkling. “Wow, you’re so amazing Oscar!”

I’m… not fully convinced that this is the most robust logical train of thought here, but eh. We’ll see if it crashes and burns soon enough.

Oscar basked in the praise. “It didn’t answer his question at all, but at least he was distracted by it. If only I could remember where I smelled that scent before…”

Oh, so Oscar’s deduction is going to crash and burn in short order, huh?

District Attilio’s Traveler’s Office was just nearby at the edge of the plaza. It was only to be a quick stop to pick up Otto’s request, then they would proceed with their mission. All of the Offices in Capital looked rather similar to each other, though this one stood out with a few upscale furnishings. A simple but refined metal chandelier hung from the ceiling just above the area in front of the counter, which lay in the center of the back wall opposite the entrance. The floor was carpeted in red, enough so that Oscar could walk up to the board, grab Otto’s request, and bring it back to the granbull guide without having to touch the wooden floor underneath. And of course, the guide himself was wearing a black tuxedo. Oscar always thought he looked uncomfortable in it.

No words today?” the guide remarked. “Just a request?”

I’m surprised that Oscar didn’t get door checked from this place given the vibes. Though this is another case where the dialogue and descriptive portions of the paragraph would work best separated from each other.

Also, your transition going from Oscar basking in his praise to pointing out this Traveler’s Office reads a bit abrupt, even if you were to add a hard scene cut here. I think that you’re likely missing a couple sentences or else a short paragraph to the effect of either Oscar or Benigno going “let’s check out that Traveler’s Office Otto put up his request at” and them moving along.

Oscar placed it on the counter. “As it happens, we have already spoken to Otto and promised to assist him in his request. I am simply here to make it official.”

[ ]


“Still searching for pearls, huh? I heard from Lin,” he remarked. “You might be interested to hear we found something.”

Oscar’s ears perked up. “You did?!”

The granbull leaned on the counter and nodded. “Yup. Got a call from Lin not that long ago. He said he found something out about the case and to tell you if you showed up.”

I would suggest adding some sort of described reaction from the Granbull guide here.

Oscar: “W-Wait, but I already had a working theory of how everything happened and everything…”
:uhhh:


Oscar looked to Benigno. “Why didn’t he tell me this?!”

“Well he did say wait.”

Wait, who is saying this? Benigno or the Granbull? My assumption is Benigno, but it might make sense to explicitly say that.

“That’s his fault, then! He should have led with it!”

Oscar took the request and stuffed it in his bag. “Thank you for the tip, Ciro,” he said hastily before running to the door. “Now come, Benigno! We have no time to waste!”

And so they hurried to catch the next tram.

Ah yes, time to watch Lin casually blow up Oscar’s entire theory of his case right in front of him and Benigno. >:V

~~~
~~~District Dragos Traveler's Office, 3:31 in the afternoon~~~​

Benigno flew up to the door and pushed it open, the loud creak! rattling against his ears. Lin was there, but a grumpig and spoink were too. The grumpig was carrying a bag around her shoulder. “Who’re they?” he wondered.

inb4 it’s someone from Ettore’s family. Though IMO, you don’t need the asterisks there for your “creak” sound effect. The italics already do a good job at making it stand out from its surroundings.

Oscar caught up fast. “You need to learn to stop flying ahead of me!” he complained. And then he noticed too. “Hm?”

“About time you got back,” said Lin.

The grumpig said something first. “Is this the detective you were talking about?”

She sounded a little wary. The spoink was huddling close to his mother, his tail bouncing him up and down, slowly in place in rhythm with his heartbeat. Benigno noticed that he didn’t have a pearl on his head.

Ah yes, it’s like that one episode from the Hoenn seasons all over again. Even if I’ll take the under on this guy attempting to use a Magikarp to sub in for his pearl.

Oscar looked a little embarrassed. He sat down and nodded his head. “How rude of me, I should have acknowledged you! Yes, I am Detective Oscar. And this is my partner, Benigno.”

“Hi!” Benigno waved hello.

The grumpig’s ears perked up, like she heard the name before.

Oh? I didn’t realize you were a herdier.” She sounded as if she were about to say something else, but she shook off the thought. “My name is Perla, and this is my son, Gino. We’re here because we heard you were searching for pearls?”

… Wait, so then Ettore was also lying about the background of his pearl, or…?
:copyber:


Also:

>Perla

So is there another Pokémon from this line going around that’s called some disguised version of ‘spring’ or ‘bounce’ or something? :V

Oscar stared at Lin as if he couldn’t believe it. “Another stolen pearl?!”

Lin gave him a bored look. “Just listen to her story, okay? You’ll get it.”

“Of course. I apologize for my outburst.” Oscar shifted his paws, his claws making a click sound against the wood floor. “I have been dealing with three different stolen pearl cases today, I hope you understand.”

I mean, considering how big Capital is and how there’s just a mom with a kid that lost his pearl, you might want to think again about all those cases being centered around one pearl, Oscar…

“Oh I understand completely, you must be very busy,” Perla said to him. She adjusted her bag to prevent it from slipping. “You already figured it out, but we have a bit of a missing pearl problem too. It has to deal with my son.”

She patted him on the head and let him hop in front of her.

It was a couple days ago. He’s always been a bit clumsy-”

“M-Mom…” whined Gino.

I’ve never really felt having multiple speech tags for dialogue. It might be an authorial style thing, but you might still find it worthwhile to play around with splitting this paragraph up, since it’s more likely to keep the different parts of Perla’s dialogue from blending into each other.

Gino: “Y-You’re embarrassing me!” >///<

“Let me speak, dear,” she said to him softly. “He was out playing, when he tripped and fell, and the pearl on his head fell off. And when he looked up, it was gone.”

“Gone?” asked Oscar.

“Yes, gone. He came to me crying about how he couldn’t find it. I thought it just rolled off somewhere at first, but no matter how far we searched, it was completely missing. Like it just rolled off the face of the earth.”

Yeeeeah, I’m starting to get my suspicions that Ettore’s backstory about his pearl might have been bunk.

“And you put up a request, surely?”

“We did, at the Libertá office. See, we’re from District Drygon, not around here.”

>Drygon

Huh. A bit surprising that there’d be both District Drygon and District Dragos in the same city given that they are both obviously plays off ‘dragon’. I wonder what the story behind that is.

Oscar closed his eyes as if he were imagining it. “I see. And you said it was two days ago?” Benigno put a thumb claw up to his mouth in thought. “That’s… before the other three, right?”

“Yes. We had an adventurer take it, but she didn’t have any luck either. Eventually we heard back from the guild that there was a detective on the case of another missing pearl, and they called us over here to talk to you.”

Oscar: “Well, you’re speaking to the right guy. So… tell me a bit about your case, then.”
:shucks~2:


Oscar looked like he was deep in thought. Benigno could almost hear the gears turning in his head, things surely clicking into place in ways he himself wouldn’t understand. Suddenly, the detective broke out of his trance and glared right at Lin. “And when did the guild find this out?”

“This morning,” said the riolu matter-of-factly. “I got the call from Libertá first, and right after you left I got another call from Porto Eone.” He shrugged and shook his head. “I was gonna tell you.”

Lin: “But you had a way of consistently ducking out at the last moment.” -_-;

“You should have led with it,” Oscar seethed quietly under his breath. He raised his voice and acted like he didn’t say anything. “Regardless! It was a useful venture, for you are in luck!”

“Luck?” said Perla with a questioning tone.

“Really?” said Gino with a hopeful tone.

“Really,” said Lin with a bored tone.

“Really!” Benigno raised his wings and smiled to support his friend.

bill-hader-eating-popcorn.gif


Part of me wonders if the reactions of these three should’ve been more explicitly described such as mentions of brow raises or the like, but meh. It’s already pretty funny in its present form.

“Truly, for I know exactly where the pearl is!” announced the greatest detective in the world.

Narrator: “He absolutely does not know where the pearl is.”

“Wait, really?!” Lin’s high-pitched bark caused Benigno to wince a little.

Oscar raised his head proudly. “Well, perhaps exactly is an overstatement, but I know that this pearl must have been stolen, and I know who stole it! My investigations have revealed that there is only one possibility for the culprit, if you will only allow me some time to prepare.”

:sceptical~1:


I will frankly be deeply surprised if Oscar’s read here proves to be accurate without a very, very large amount of dumb luck breaking his way.

“Prepare? What do you need to prepare for?” Lin asked.

“I need to gather Cosima and Otto, the latter preferably through the guild’s phone line. And as for where we will meet…”

Lin: “Oh boy… for the record, I apologize in advance for this, Perla.” >_>;

And I'll just be yeeting the rest of the review off into another post here, since this is a recommended pause point and I don't feel like undoing 30 image tags.
 

Spiteful Murkrow

Busy Writing Stories I Want to Read
Pronouns
He/Him/His
Partners
  1. nidoran-f
  2. druddigon
  3. swellow
  4. quilava-fobbie
  5. sneasel-kate
Detective Oscar - Cont.

---
---North Capital Street, 4:10 in the afternoon---​

Cosima needed a little coaxing to agree to this. Oscar had promised her that they found who had attacked her, and that ‘all would be revealed,’ which apparently was enough for her. Otto agreed immediately, and soon everyone was gathered.

de7.png


Especially since there’s like a third of the one-shot still ahead of this, so… yeah. Highly dubious that Oscar had a genuine breakthrough here.

Lin knocked on the door to the home, a small but firm noise that the owner would definitely have heard. Benigno stayed close to Oscar as all the gathered pokémon waited. Eventually, it was Ettore who answered the door. He was shocked at what he saw.

H-Huh?” He looked between Cosima and Otto, Perla and Gino, Lin and Benigno, and finally his eyes landed on Oscar. “W-Why are you all here? What’s going on?”

Yeah, Ettore totally stole that pearl from Gino. I can already tell from that reactions.

“I am here to report my findings, of course!” announced Oscar.

Ettore looked confused. “Findings? You mean, my request?” Benigno could hear his heart start beating faster.

Wait, “his heart” as in Ettore’s or Benigno’s? I wouldn’t be shocked if Benigno could hear both, but the nuance changes quite a bit depending on which of the two it is.

Otto spoke up. “His request? I thought this was about my request?” Cosima didn’t say anything, but Benigno could tell she was getting nervous too.

“All in due time!” Oscar assured. “If you will allow us Ettore, it would be better to explain inside.”

Benigno: “... (Wait, why is Ettore getting nervous, too? I understand Cosima since Oscar figured out that she stole the pearl from Otto, but Ettore didn’t steal his pearl from someone else… did he?)”
:thonklithe:


“Ettore’s heart sounds like it’s about to explode!” The grumpig just stared for a moment. “Yeah. Sure.” His voice did not sound confident.

Ettore: “...”
:sweatDreigon:

Oscar: “Um, Ettore. Are you alright? Since I’m pretty sure that Grumpig aren’t supposed to be able to naturally sweat.” .-.

As everyone entered the home, Benigno found himself wandering to that weird spot on the wall under the stairs again. He poked it again, the tik! of his claw against the wall sounding hollow.

“So now that we’re all here,” said Lin, interrupting Benigno’s thoughts. “Can you finally tell us why you dragged everyone in here, Oscar?”

Ah yes, time for Oscar to give his best attempt at doing a Colombo impression. Even if I will believe that he can pull it off with the same level of success when I see it.

Everyone had gathered in a circle around the detective. He sat down and held his head high with pride. “Of course. As I said, I have solved the mystery of what happened to Ettore’s pearl.”

“Y-You did?” Ettore stammered.

“Yes. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it Gino’s pearl.”

Oh, so Oscar did successfully put two and two together that Ettore’s story was bunk. Even if I wonder how much of that was tipped off by him obviously sweating bullets for the past thirty seconds. :P

Benigno and Gino gasped. Everyone else gave Ettore hard stares. He tried to play it off.

What? What are you talking about?”

Oscar stood up, head held high and tail wagging. “Exactly what I’m implying. The culprit in this mystery is you! You are the thief who stole the pearl!”

Lin: “Oscar, are you even listening to yourself?! Why on earth would a client put out a request for property that they stole in the first place?!”
:mewtwofacepalm:

Oscar: “I was just getting to that, really.” ^^;

Perla was in disbelief. “A grumpig?! Another grumpig stole my son’s pearl?!”

Everyone in the room reacted in their own ways. Gino hugged his mom. Otto was tapping his head. Cosima put a hand up to cover her mouth.

Interesting…” she muttered under her breath. Lin was looking at Oscar like he was crazy.

Yeah, I figured Lin wouldn’t be impressed.
:lultias:


Ettore held his hands in front of him. “W-Wait, no! Wait! Where are you getting this from?! I’m the one who put up the request in the first place! Why would I steal my own pearl?!”

Oscar: “As I said earlier, it’s actually not your pearl, but Gino’s. And as for why…”
:joltyshrug:


“For starters, as I said, it is not your pearl,” Oscar corrected. “In order to understand this mystery in full, we must first establish the timeline of events.”

He nodded to Gino. [ ]

First, two days ago a spoink was playing out in the city when suddenly he tripped and dropped the pearl atop his head,” he explained. “He recovered from his minor accident, only to find that his precious belonging was gone. This is the origin of the true first missing pearl.”

First missing pearl…” Ettore gulped.

I would recommend blowing up the first paragraph into a few smaller pieces and extending as necessary. Also, it might make sense to add an emphasis on Ettore’s “first” there if it’s meant to be weird and standout to him.

Oscar: “Also, you are really not helping your case for innocence with your reaction right now, Ettore.”
:eltywtf:

Ettore: “A-All circumstantial evidence!” O.O;

“The next day, another pearl goes missing. Yours, Ettore, the second missing pearl. The thief in question managed to steal the pearl while the door was locked and without leaving even the ghost of a scent behind,” he said. “A seemingly impossible case, by any measure, yet there was still the possibility it was stolen through Telekinesis thanks to an erroneously open window. This was the situation that led to me contacting the guild to search the city for leads on this pearl’s whereabouts. Which leads us to the next day.”

Oscar nodded to Otto, who was still tapping his head.

The third missing pearl. On the same day the second pearl went missing, a pearl was sold to this here jeweler,” he continued. “Enraptured by it, he had decided it was too valuable to sell, and kept it on display at his shop. But that very same night, it was stolen by yet another mystery thief. And finally, not long after this…”

Oscar nodded to Cosima, who kept her growing anxiety hidden underneath the hand on her mouth.

A fourth pearl was stolen. She had bought this pearl the same day the third pearl was sold to the jeweler,” he finished. “But the next morning, she was ambushed outside of her home and found that the pearl had been stolen from her while she was unconscious.

[ ]

And so, in the end, four requests are put up, each seemingly for different pearls. But what if I told you that these were actually all the same pearl?”

Yeah, this paragraph really should be broken up into smaller parts, since there is a lot of stuff going on in it and the emphasis kinda gets a bit lost in how these four separate parts blend into one another in their present formatting.

“Really?” said Perla.

“When he lays it out like that, it does sound like they were all the same, doesn’t it?” Otto commented. Lin stayed quiet. Benigno shook in anticipation: they were getting to the good part, he could feel it.

I mean, on the one hand, this all makes a decent amount of sense and everyone’s reactions are leaning into it, though I wonder how much of this is genuine deduction and how much of this is Oscar sleuthing by the seat of his nonexistent pants.

Ettore spoke up, gaining a little bit of his confidence back. “So you’re saying, that I stole the pearl from that spoink there?” He grinned nervously. “You can’t say that for sure, you have no evidence!”

“And even if he did,” added Lin. “It doesn’t really tell us where the pearl is. Like okay, he stole it first, but someone stole it from him, and then who stole it last?”

Cue the awkward
:uhhh:
in 3… 2…

But Oscar was not deterred. “I am glad you asked this, Lin, for that claim you made is the first we must debunk. Otto!”

The sableye was shocked out of tapping his head. “Huh?”

“If I remember correctly, when we first asked you about the mystery ‘mon who sold you the pearl, you had difficulty describing their identity.”

“Because sableye can’t recognize pokémon!” Benigno chirped in.

Lin: “... Oscar, Otto literally runs a shop. How on earth would he have managed to stay in business if he couldn’t recognize his own clients-”
:riowtf~1:


“Right my friend. Our mystery seller referred to themselves as ‘Noehnameh, Missingo,’ which was clearly an alias to further obfuscate their identity,” Oscar explained. “They could only get away with this because of the common weakness that sableye hold, making them the perfect ‘mon to sell to if you don’t wish to be identified. But from the way you have been tapping your head, Otto, I believe you may have finally found the words to describe them.”

Huh. Clever. I actually went back and checked the scene with Otto and assuming Otto wasn’t lying, this is correct… with one very important caveat that Oscar is overlooking right now-

“Words? Oh! Yes, you’re right, I thought I had heard that voice before.” Otto nodded twice. “There’s no mistaking it, the one who sold me the pearl was this grumpig.”

Ettore blanched. “Wh-”

… Or Otto could just go ahead and finger someone. That works too.

“And so it is! The reason why there was nothing left at the scene of the crime, is because it was not a crime scene to begin with! He sold the pearl to Otto by his volition!”

“H-how can you say that for sure?!” Ettore objected. “I’m not the only grumpig in this city, maybe it was someone else who sounded like me!”

All:
:sceptikarp:

Ettore: “I-It’s a possibility, okay?!” O_O;

Otto leaned forward and pointed at him. “No, I’m sure you were the one! You sound exactly the same!”

Lin crossed his arms and tilted his head. “Wait, if he sold it then why did he put up a request?”

[ ] He wasn’t buying any of it. “Just let Oscar talk!”

I would separate the “He wasn’t buying any of it” and add a brief extension beforehand to emphasize that we’re back with Benigno here, since I kinda did a double-take thinking that those were Lin’s thoughts there and wondering why he would want to hear from Oscar when his spoken dialogue implies that he’s not particularly impressed with Oscar’s train of thought here.

Oscar held up a paw. “All will be revealed in due time! Before we get to that, we must discern what happened to the pearl afterwards. I believe you might have some idea about this, Cosima?”

The gothitelle didn’t say anything, she just kept her hand over her mouth and glared. Oscar shook his head.

It seems she has forgotten how to speak! But no matter! It is through deduction alone that we can solve this part of the mystery!”

Another paragraph that would make sense to hack up into pieces, IMO. And yeah. Cosima was definitely fairly low-hanging fruit in terms of being a culprit as a pearl thief in this story, so no real surprise that Oscar’s able to finger her here.

“Are you saying that she’s the one who stole the pearl from Otto?” asked Lin.

“Exactly! The scene left at that store was one similar to what me and my partner witnessed here in this room. There was no sign of anyone having handled the pearl, so the only explanation must have been Telekinesis. And to corroborate this, we discovered that someone must have used that same ability to break the lock on the shop door,” Oscar explained. “But the specific way the lock was broken -- removing the bolt from the interior of the door -- could only have been accomplished if the thief had entered the shop beforehand. This was Cosima’s first mistake, for she has already admitted to having gotten the pearl from a shop!”

Cosima still refused to say anything. [ ] Lin filled in for her.

But that’s a weak connection! Sure, she probably knows Telekinesis, but that doesn’t mean she stole it! It doesn’t even mean she visited that specific shop!”

It might have made sense to more explicitly identify what Cosima’s reaction to all of this is, especially if she’s getting frustrated. Ditto Lin for that matter if he’s starting to lose his patience from Oscar spitballing what he thinks happened with the pearl that sounds slapdash and unconvincing to him.

… Also, I wonder how attuned Lin’s ability to sense others’ emotions as a bludoge is. Since you’d think that he’d have more reaction to Ettore and Cosima giving off “nervous” vibes…
:lucathink~2:


“There is a way to say for certain if she had visited that shop before, and it connects to the reason she hasn’t spoken yet!” Oscar glanced at Otto again.

“I did have an argument with a customer over the pearl.” He adjusted an eye. “They wanted me to sell it to them, but I refused.”

… Oscar, you do realize that your entire case is going to blow up if Otto turns out to not be as trustworthy as you think that he is… right? ^^;

Oscar whirled around to face Lin.

I posit that this mystery customer was Cosima!” Oscar exclaimed. “If our jeweler friend can recognize her, we can say for certain that she had visited the shop that day. As you can plainly tell, she is not willing to confirm this for us, but it may be in her best interest to do so.”

Cosima raised a brow at that, while Lin crossed his arms. “What do you mean?”

“For now, let us assume that she stole it, and move on to her case.” Oscar walked beside Cosima and began to explain. “Our gothitelle friend here was ambushed in the back alley of her store. The perpetrator used Hypnosis to put her to sleep, and then took that brief opportunity to break into the shop and steal the pearl directly.

[ ]

However, I could not tie this back to a scent, as the entire store is engulfed in the fumes of an odd incense.”

This is another section that seems like it would benefit from a bit of reshuffling and minor expansion. Offhand, the main issue that I can see here is that Oscar says a lot in his dialogue with no real breaks in his speech. Unless he is very deliberately meant to come off as a motor mouth, you probably want to have him take a proverbial break here and there and show the room reacting a bit more.

Lin: “That sounds like a lot of words to say that this is all conjecture and you have no hard proof of anything.” >_>;

“It was very smelly,” Benigno confirmed for him.

“Additionally, the culprit had also been hiding in a box used to transport odd incense, further obfuscating the scene. However, while they were clearly thinking to hide their scent, there was a limit to their carefulness, and I happened to pick up a familiar scent in that alley,” he explained. “One that I later would also recognize at Otto’s shop. And now that I am back here, I can say without a doubt that that scent was Ettore’s!”

Huh. I didn’t realize that. Though I wonder if there could’ve been a bit more foreshadowing provided, since I actually didn’t realize that that “strange smell” in the alleyway was meant to be Ettore’s, and I don’t think there was a mention of there being a whiff of incense around Ettore’s place.

Then again, I put this review together in pieces over the course of almost a month, so maybe I’m just forgetting details here.

“Wait-”

Wait!” Lin shouted over Ettore. “So you’re saying, that Ettore sold it to Otto, Cosima stole it from him, and then Ettore stole it back?!”

“That is exactly what I am saying!”

Lin: “Then shouldn’t that easily be provable or disprovable by finding the pearl here in his house?” >_>;
Oscar: “Technically, he could’ve stashed it at a third location, so…”
:wellyousee:


“That makes no sense!” The riolu held out his arms in emphasis. “How would have Ettore even known Cosima had it?!”

I mean, Ettore could’ve been planning on trying to run a scam where he sold the same stolen pearl to Otto multiple times given how bad Otto was at remembering faces, just saying.

Oscar moved back towards the center of the circle. “It is remarkably coincidental, but it would not be the only remarkable coincidence,” said the detective. “Isn’t it odd? That on the same day the pearl was sold, did that someone came in to buy it? And that it would then be stolen?”

[ ]


Otto spoke up. “I thought it was a bit odd myself. I barely had any time to truly appreciate its beauty before I got into that argument. It was a several hour difference, but certainly not enough.”

The part in brackets feels like a good place to show the audience in the room reacting a bit more. Especially if Lin’s starting to waver a bit from his “reflexive skeptic” mode at this point.

Oscar nodded. “Of course, if we accept Lin’s word that she bought it from somewhere else, this detail is irrelevant. But if we don’t, then how could Cosima have known where to find it? The only one who could tell us the truth of the matter, and in turn implicate the culprit who ambushed her…” The great detective stood up and dramatically pointed at her with his nose. “Would be Cosima herself!”

Lin: “Oscar, do you have any idea how stupid this all sounds right now-?”
:mewtwofacepalm:


All eyes were on her now. She was frozen in her position, a surprised look in her eyes. Finally, she chuckled. “Clever.”

Lin: “... Wait, you mean that all of that actually happened? But how? And why?
:riohnolu:


Otto gasped. “You are the one who tried to buy the pearl from me!”

“Yes, I admit it.” She let her hand fall back to her side. “The location of the pearl came to me in a premonition. But the specific time I had that premonition was when I was visited by Ettore here. He had come in a few days ago for a fortune, and just yesterday he decided to come back for another. That’s when he fed me the tip on where to find a spoink pearl for my fortune telling business.”

Ettore gave her a confounded look. “But, why would you admit that?!”

Lin: “Look, I just want to know why any of you thought that this was a good idea. Seriously, at first I thought it was Oscar just barking up a tree!”
:eltywtf:


“Because if what the detective is saying is true, then you are the one who attacked me this morning.” Cosima glared at him threateningly. “I want to see you pay for that.”

[ ]

Someone has her priorities straight there.
:copyber:


Though it might make sense to show off how Ettore is reacting to this threat a bit more, e.x. if he’s starting to lose his cool a bit.

Oscar sat down, proud and content. “And so it is that the pearl was stolen three times! Everything lines up!”

[ ]


“N-No it doesn’t!” shouted Ettore. “Sure, I was in those two places like you said, I sold a pearl to Otto and at some point I was in that alley. But that doesn’t prove anything! It doesn’t mean I stole the pearl from that kid there!” Gino cowered behind his mother as he was mentioned. She glared at him accusingly.

Would suggest throwing in some reactions from the rest of the room, since you just know that Benigno has a big, stupid-looking grin right about now, and Lin’s face at the moment likely is pretty lulzy himself. Might be worth showing a bit more of that off before having Ettore cut in.

“Also,” Lin added. “You still haven’t explained why he’d put up a request. I get why Cosima did, she got attacked, but if no one actually stole anything from Ettore, then he’d be setting himself up, especially if he did steal the pearl from Gino.”

Oscar’s tail stopped wagging. “Come on Oscar, you got this!” All Benigno could do was silently encourage him as he thought.

Oscar: “Um… w-well…”
:FearfulMeowth:


“Quiet huh? That’s because you have nothing!” jeered Ettore.

Benigno: “Your reaction is so not helping your insistence that you’re really innocent.” >_>;

Then he spoke. “I’ve been thinking as to why you set up that request myself. You created your own crime scene, and told me the pearl was located on that table near the wall over there.” Oscar gestured to the table in question. “It could not have truly been there, there wasn’t even a trace. But if it was kept two days ago, and sold yesterday, then it must have been kept hidden somewhere.”

“Maybe it was upstairs?” Benigno offered. “Wait a second…”

Ettore: “H-Hey! You stay out of my other rooms! Seriously, how have I not kicked you out yet?!” O_O;
Benigno: “Because we have law enforcement in the room and outnumber you?”
:joltyshrug:


Oscar shook his head. “No, I don’t think he would have risked something like that. Ettore is as aware of scent as I am,” he explained. “He was careful enough to wash the pearl of its scent in the first place. It would make more sense to hide it somewhere safe, where no one could find even a trace of it.”

Benigno felt his own heart quicken as Oscar looked at him. He knew exactly where this was going.

When we first investigated this room, I seem to remember my partner finding something that to him seemed suspicious. We ignored it at the time, but would you now reveal to us what we have all looked over?”

Another part that probably benefits from being chopped up a bit.

Lin:
ac8b044d4025fb5543bf1af63a4067b3.gif


“This is my moment!” Benigno pointed dramatically with his wing towards the suspicious wall under the stairs. “This wall is hollow!”

“Loads of walls are hollow,” said Lin, not impressed.

“But it’s a different hollow!” Benigno insisted. He felt along the plaster of the wall, searching for something that would prove his point. Eventually, his claw caught on a small crack. He gasped. “This! This right here!”

Lin: “Ettore, I just want to apologize in advance for this whole circus, and-” >_>;

Lin came over to look. “This?” Benigno stepped away and allowed the riolu to investigate. “What the…?”

He placed his paw inside the crack the best he could and pulled. The ‘wall’ resisted at first, but with a sudden *thunk!* it came loose and revealed itself to be a hidden door! Lin swung the panel open and everyone gasped as they saw what was inside the compartment under the stairs.

“Palkia, why,” muttered Ettore.

Oscar: “I’ll just go ahead and book that as a confession.”
:bleplithe:


It was a pink orb. The pearl!

Lin: “... I’m never going to hear the end of this from you two, am I?” >.<

Oscar’s eyes went wide. Benigno jumped in celebration. “You did it Oscar! You found the pearl! You’re so amazing!”

Otto leaned in and adjusted his eye. “Th-that’s the pearl that was stolen from my shop! There’s no mistaking it!”

Gino was bouncing excitedly. “He really is a great detective!” The herdier didn’t respond, he just stared at the pearl he obviously meant to find.

He totally bumbled into this by a mix of dumb luck and Benigno helping, didn’t he? Since I’m definitely getting those vibes right about now.
:loltias:


Lin broke out of his own shock to look at him. “Oscar?”

“Y…y-yes! This makes perfect sense, actually! Everything is as I predicted it!” Oscar nodded vigorously. “Consider! If Ettore stole the pearl a second time, where would he keep it but the same place he hid it the first time! In addition, it also reveals the clear motive behind his actions!”

Yeah, I knew it. :V

“What do you mean?!” Lin asked incredulously.

Lin: “I don’t know why I’m asking this when you’re obviously pulling an explanation out your butt in live-time, but…” >_>;

Oscar whirled around to face Ettore. “You see, his motive has been staring us in the face the entire time! He stole the pearl from Gino with the intention of selling it. But how much did he get for that, if you’ll remind me Otto?”

Otto hadn’t taken his eyes off the pearl. “He sold it to me for 500 silver,” he answered, still staring at it.

“Not too shabby, but his ambitions were much greater! Why sell it once, when he could steal it again, and sell it twice?”

Wow, so I was right about Ettore planning on selling Gino’s pearl multiple times.

Something seemed to occur to Lin at that moment. “Wait, you mean-?”

Oscar turned his head to look back at him. “The black market! Of course, since he had already put up a request for the pearl’s safe return, should if the guild managed to find it, as a stolen good it would be returned to-”

“Him!” interrupted Lin.

Lin: “We… should probably do a review of how we keep track of ownership of belongings, really.”
:riohnolu:


Oscar nodded. “At which point he would attempt to sell it again! Of course, most markets only operate at night, and he stole the pearl back this morning, hence why we find it here, in this secret compartment under the stairs!”

“B-But-!” The desperation in the grumpig’s voice was palpable. “You still can’t say it’s the kid’s pearl! There’s nothing to tie me to that! You can’t prove where I was two days ago!”

Lin: “You know, up until about 30 seconds, I’d have agreed with you. But between that tone and how this pearl was just sitting in a secret room in your house…”
:eltyunamused:


Oscar actually seemed startled by that. Benigno looked at him worriedly. “Oh right. It should smell like Gino, but if Ettore said he washed it…”

But it was Lin who spoke up. “Actually, there is one way to prove if you really stole it from him.”

“There is?!” shouted Ettore.

The riolu nodded. “Yup. Spoink use their pearls to concentrate their psychic powers, right? So it should be attuned to his aura.”

While this is indeed a clever workaround and it makes sense in-setting, I do wonder if it should’ve been foreshadowed a bit more by Lin as some sort of throwaway comment to tee up the idea of “aura can be used to track an item’s owner in some cases” before it gets revisited here instead of it being brought up at the last second.

“Of course!” Oscar walked up beside Lin and placed a paw on his shoulder. “This is why I brought him, after all!” Benigno was in awe. “He really thought of everything!” But Lin, never impressed, just shrugged him off and glared.

Lin: “Oscar, we’re going to need to have a talk after this.” >_>;
Oscar: “That’s Lin for you! Isn’t he just the greatest assistant? (Psst! Benigno, get the door so we can bolt once this is over!)” ^^;

Carefully, the riolu reached into the compartment and grabbed the pearl from its hiding spot. Gino, timid but excited, hopped in front of his mother and eyed Lin hopefully.

Lin held it out of front of him and closed his eyes. The two feelers on the back of his head rose for a moment, a low, dull sound coming off of them and bothering Benigno’s sensitive ears, though no one else seemed to notice. The sound went away, and Lin opened his eyes.

It’s his alright.”

Another spot that IMO works better as multiple paragraphs.

Gino hopped forward and sniffed the pearl. He looked a little troubled. “It doesn’t smell right. Are you sure it’s mine?”

Lin smiled sweetly. “I promise it’s yours.” He held the pearl above the spoink’s head, who then jumped up to catch it between his ears. Gino wobbled it on his head, testing the way it felt, then made a happy squealing noise and hopped back to his mother.

“It’s really mine! It’s really mine!”

Benigno: “I love a happy ending.” ;<;
Ettore: “Um… I’m just going to go and take my leave right about now-”

Oscar’s eyes were watering. “And there you have it.” He sniffed, then turned back around to glare at Ettore. “As for you, I believe it has become clear to us all the true depths of the crime committed over these past couple days.”

[ ]


“Look, I can-”

It probably makes sense to describe Ettore’s reaction a bit more. And I’m honestly a bit surprised that he hasn’t attempted to cut and run at some point during all of this given how he’s now been flatly outed as a thief.

“Two days ago, you were in District Drygon for undisclosed reasons. Where you then witnessed it: a spoink, tripping and falling, the pearl atop of his head rolling down the street! As a fellow member of his species, I am certain you felt some inclination to help the poor child.”

“Look! I can-!”

“But you didn’t! Instead, you chose to steal it as part of an elaborate scheme to extort as much gold out of that pearl as you possibly could!”

Nah, there’s just some folks out there that don’t give two whits about anything outside themselves, regardless of species. I’d say “just look at humans”, but I suppose that canonically, the Pokémon of Liber wouldn’t have much experience on that front.

“I can-!”

“As for what you needed so much money for, one can only fathom! But there is nothing that greed can’t-”

“I CAN EXPLAIN!”

All:
:sceptical~1:

Ettore: “Look, just… let me get my piece in, okay?” O_O;

Benigno winced. Oscar went silent. Gino rushed back to his mother and hid behind her. Everyone just stared at Ettore, who was panting, before he carefully sat down on the floor and sighed.

I… needed the money. I lost my job, and the rent on this home is due at the end of the month. I don’t have that kind of time. I just needed some way to make money quickly,” he explained. “So when I saw the pearl rolling down the street, I thought- *sigh* because of the fortune Cosima showed me…”

Well, I suppose going to prison would help resolve rent issues… in a manner of speaking. ^^;

Everyone looked at Cosima. She sheepishly avoided everyone’s gazes. “I may have told him that fortune would come rolling his way.”

Lin crossed his arms. “Oddly specific.”

Cosima: “Look, how was I supposed to know that he’d come around and steal the pearl back? I’m a fortune-teller, not a bloody prophet!” >_>;

“But then it only sold for 500, and that just wasn’t enough. So I thought that maybe I could try and sell it again. I knew about the sableye thing, so I thought that if I sold it under a fake identity and told the guild it was stolen, they’d see the fake name in the ledger and confiscate it from the jeweler,” he explained. “But then I got afraid they’d see through it and keep it, so I gave Cosima the tip and planned to steal it from her instead.”

Oscar closed his eyes and meditated on the grumpig’s story.

Even then, your plan almost failed, as Otto had grown attached and refused to sell the pearl. Ironically, Cosima’s decision to steal it herself is the only reason this got as far as it did,” he mused. “Which also proved to be your undoing, as it allowed us to track the case back to you in the first place.”

He opened his eyes [ ].

Though I suppose it was doomed from the start, as Perla’s request conflicted with yours, and the guild here in Capital is too interconnected to allow such things to slip through the cracks.”

Yeah, you know the drill here suggestion-wise.

Ettore sighed [ ]. “Yeah… It was really dumb of me, wasn’t it?”

[ ]


“And so it was.” Oscar nodded. “The mystery of the thrice stolen pearl has been solved!”

Some more elaborated reactions from Ettore and the others in the room would probably liven up this moment a bit more. Since I get the feeling that you have a specific image of how this moment is meant to go down, but it’s hard to grasp specifics as a reader just from a couple lines of dialogue.

“I just can’t believe this,” said Perla. “Even if you were that desperate, you should understand how important pearls are to us.” She shook her head, disappointed. “I just can’t forgive you for what you’ve put my son through.”

“I don’t expect you to. And I know I need to pay reparations, but I just…”

Cosima had a hand under her chin in thought the entire time. “Speaking of reparations, I suppose I owe Otto some as well? Even if it was a stolen pearl in the first place, I did still break his lock.”

Huh, so some sentences in this setting are settled by monetary payouts instead of jail. Interesting. Though watch as Ettore turns around with another attempt at scamming merchants with stolen goods in like a day.
:copyber:


Otto scratched the top of his head. “And I still paid for that stolen pearl too. It’s a bit of a mess, isn’t it?”

“It sounds like Ettore needs to pay back a loooot of pokémon,” said Benigno.

Ettore: “Don’t remind me.”
:riplup~2:


[ ]

“How about this?” Otto walked up to Ettore. “I won’t ask for my money back, so you can use that 500 I gave you to repay Cosima and the other one. And I’ll just take what Cosima owes me. Does that sound good?”

“Split it for 250?” Cosima remarked. “I suppose I can settle for that.”

“That’s more than I put up for the request,” said Perla. “But I’ll accept it.”

[ ]

I mean, at least Ettore isn’t losing more money out of pocket? Since this really could’ve ended worse for him. Though I wonder if this moment would’ve had more impact from more explicitly showing Ettore dying inside as a reaction and then Otto taking pity on him, since it gets a little lost in just doing it as a mostly-dialogue exchange. Ditto for showing his reaction to Otto cutting him a break.

“And so in the end, our thief comes out neither richer, nor poorer,” Oscar narrated. “Perhaps this is truly the best outcome he can hope for.”

Lin sighed and put a paw on his hip. “You all are way too nice. But whatever, as long as it’s resolved.” He walked up to each pokémon in the room and pointed at them.

You need to stop stealing things. You need to stop stealing things, I'm putting you both on a list by the way. You need to get a freakin’ assistant, like ‘Noehnameh?’ Missingno? Seriously? Your request is the only valid one, so you gotta pay Oscar for it. You’re cute. You did a good job, I guess.” Benigno’s heart fluttered at that. Lin pointed at Oscar last. “And you…”

While I get the idea of not stopping and describing each Pokémon’s reaction in detail given that Lin’s line is meant to be rapid fire with him pointing at one party to the next, it might make sense to include more of a hint as to who he’s talking to. E.x.:

“You need to stop stealing things, Grumpig. You need to stop stealing things, Gothitelle. Oh, and I'm putting you both on a list by the way,” he snapped, before whirling towards Otto. “You need to get a freakin’ assistant, Sableye. Like ‘Noehnameh?’ Missingno? Seriously?”

He eventually made his way over to Perla and her child as his voice softened. Barely.

“Your request is the only valid one, so you gotta pay Oscar for it. You’re cute, but pay more attention to where you bounce. You did a good job, I guess.” Benigno’s heart fluttered at that. Lin pointed at Oscar last. “And you…”

Or something like that.

“No need to thank me.”

“Shut up.” And then he stormed out of the building.

Yeah, I can already tell that Lin is going to tear his fur out at hearing Oscar brag about his brilliant sleuthing in this case for untold years to come. :V

The remaining pokémon were left to resolve the situation themselves. Everyone got paid as they had agreed, and Benigno and Oscar found themselves outside the home talking to Perla by the end.

I know it isn’t likely what you agreed to when you accepted Ettore’s request,” she said. “But here, the 90 Poké I offered for it.”

“You don’t need to pay us!” said a cheerful Benigno. “Just your thanks is all we-”

Oscar put a paw over his friend’s mouth. “But it is certainly appreciated, we are very hungry.”

Nice save there, Oscar.
:lultias:


Perla smiled. “I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself if you didn’t accept it anyway.”

Gino hopped up and down, the pearl bobbing on his head. “Thank you, Detective Oscar!”

Oscar: “And there’s the real reward in all of this.”
:seviuwu:

Benigno: “So wait, do we just give back the 90 Poké, or-”
Oscar: “Absolutely not, Benigno. Not if you’re planning to eat tonight.”

“It was my pleasure,” said Oscar, bowing his head. “Be sure to spread the word of our exploits!”

“I will!”

Ah yes, so Oscar will get to bumble through more cases in the future, huh? Well, I’ll definitely be looking forward to that.
:blepcat:


The duo accepted the reward, said their goodbyes, and were left to try and catch up to Lin as the sun neared closer and closer to the horizon. Benigno caught him first, just in front of the Traveler’s Office.

Lin!”

He could hear him groan from up in the air. Lin had his paw against the front door, looking as if he were about ready to ignore them. But he put his paw back down and allowed the two to catch up, glaring at the herdier all the while.

What?” he snapped.

Lin: “Oscar, I swear, if I have to sit through you bragging about your sleuthing skills day in and day out, I’m going to look for a job outside of town.” >_>;

“I needed to catch up with you!” said Oscar. “You see, technically, we just solved four requests at once! So surely that is enough for you to recognize us and send a letter of recom-”

“No.”

“But why?!”

Lin crossed his arms. “Three of those requests were for stolen goods. They’re invalid, so they don’t count anymore, and you don’t get credit for them.”

Ah yes, the joys™ of having a Rules Lawyer who doesn’t like you as the guy in charge.
:copyka~3:


“But come on!” whined Benigno. They needed that letter of recommendation if they wanted to earn the Eon Badge and become certified adventurers!

“I said no!”

Lin once again turned to push the door open, and once again hesitated.

Okay, if you want me to say it, you did a good job, but I can’t just give it to you because you think you deserve it,” he sighed. “That’s not how this works.”

Benigno: “But you could just… do it?”
:joltyshrug:


“Even after all we’ve done…” Oscar sounded slightly angry, but he reigned it in and looked at Lin with determination in his eyes.

Very well, then! We will simply keep coming back to solve mysteries until we prove it to you that we deserve that letter!”

“Tch. Whatever.” And then he entered the building and left them behind.

And there’s our bait for the next one of these investigations, I can already tell. Though I wonder how many of these they’ll need to go through before Lin eventually just caves out of frustration to be rid of these two. :P

“Hmph,” Oscar scoffed. “We could have solved this mystery earlier if he had told us about Perla before we left.”

“Well, he did tell us to wait.”

Oscar: “Benigno, whose side are you on?!” >.<

Oscar shook his head. “Never mind that. The real shame is that if I were allowed to sniff other pokémon with impunity, then I would have recognized Ettore’s scent immediately! I would not have even needed Lin!” He huffed. “Stupid personal space.”

:sceptikarp:


I don’t believe that for a minute given that Lin had to step in at the last moment to keep your case from exploding.

“But it worked out in the end, right?” Benigno reassured. “I mean, we wouldn’t have known about Perla then. And we still needed Lin to solve the last part.”

See, even Benigno is with me on this one.

“I suppose so,” said Oscar, brushing his nose with a paw. “In other news, our reward was somewhat meager, but we should be able to treat ourselves with this.”

Benigno raised his wings in excitement. “I want to get a smoothie!”

“In the middle of the winter?”

I… actually didn’t realize that it was the middle of winter. It might have made sense to reiterate that at a couple points in the one-shot.

He nodded with a serious shine in his eyes. “Yes.”

The great detective broke into a smile and laughed. “Very well, Beni! Let us drink smoothies, and make it home in time for dinner!”

And so they ran off, Benigno taking to the air as he raced ahead of his friend, the greatest detective in the world!

Well, let’s not get crazy here, Benigno. But he’s definitely one of the more entertaining ones out there. Lucky, too. :P

Well then, this took quite a bit longer than I expected to put together, though I suppose that I also have quite a bit more to say about this one-shot than I initially expected as well, both on the positive and critical end of things.

To start off with the positives, but the character dynamics are the main star of the show in this story. You do a good job at selling Oscar and Benigno as being plucky and a bit out of their depth, which reminds me a bit of the shtick Phoenix Wright has in the Ace Attorney series. It’s endearing to see play out, and even your bit characters seem to be fairly built-out, as evidenced by us learning that Lin does have modes other than perpetually snarking at Oscar and Benigno. I also thought that you did a pretty good job at showing how those characters operate in particular, especially Oscar and Benigno.

I also thought that you did a good job leveraging being in a Pokémon setting quite well and in a creative fashion. You make very good use of the fact that your story is set in a Pokémon-centric setting, like how little species-specific quirks and abilities factor into their everyday lives or the way that they approach certain problems, or in this case crimes. I was also pretty impressed at how good of a job you did at maintaining a sense of mystery / "whodunit". There’s a few parts that might’ve worked with a bit more buildup, but most things that are leaned on are details that sufficiently sharp-eyed or else meta-aware readers likely picked up on. Though good job with the twists that you did throw the audience’s way. I legitimately didn't see the twist with Ettore coming, but it was still done in a way that felt pretty natural.

As for cons, there’s a few recurring ones that stood out to me and occasionally dragged things down a bit. The first of which is that this one shot has lots, and lots of big "wall-of-text" paragraphs that should be broken up. The bit where Oscar lays out his theory of the case and how Gino's pearl was stolen three times is the most noteworthy offender. In general, you don’t want to cram more than maybe one or two complete “ideas” into a paragraph, since the longer a block of text runs on unbroken, the more likely those details will blur together and get lost on readers.

I also thought there were a couple spots feel like they would benefit from extra description, especially in the big reveal sequence where there were a number of points that were more or less an extended dialogue with little in the way of described reactions in spite of happening in a room with eight Pokémon present. There were also a couple points that Oscar brought up as part of his fitting puzzle pieces together that didn’t seem like they were foreshadowed as much as they ought to have been. Dropping in a reminder or two for the audience in description would go a long way to helping to smooth that over.

Also while it's getting a bit into "throwing stones from glass houses" territory, but I do wonder if this would've worked better as a multishot, especially if you expand this one-shot further with extra description. Since your own author's notes explicitly suggests a break point in the one-shot a little over 8000 words in as a stopping point while reading, it does make me wonder if it’d have been better to explicitly ship the story as at least a two-shot.

Thanks once again for your patience, and even if it took a while, I had fun with this review. I’ll be looking forward to where else you take Oscar as a character @JFought, especially if he’s meant to eventually intertwine with the casts of your other stories set in Liber.
 

Flyg0n

Flygon connoisseur
Pronouns
She/her
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. swampert
  3. ho-oh
  4. crobat
  5. orbeetle
  6. joltik
  7. salandit
  8. tyrantrum
This first story, Mystery of the Thrice Stolen Pearl, was actually recced to me by sind! And I'm glad she did.

The story is delightfully charming and light, a pleasantly easy read yet with plenty of meat on its bones too. While I've admittedly only seen movies of Agatha Christie (and its been years since I read Sherlock Holmes stories), this certainly fits the bill. It evokes a very classic dynamic of a detective and partner, and plays around a little with relationship and roles, and has a great mystery setup thats neither too low nor overly elaborate and convoluted.

Here, Oscar is blustering and determined but not always the most knowledgeable (but he's trying, heh), and his partner Benigo might seem a little flighty. Yet in reality Benigo is clearly quite smart in his own way, and Oscar isn't entirely hapless. I think the two of them are fun to watch, which is definitely the most important bit of a story since they are the central pairing.

I thought the mystery, though simple, was effective! It unfolded in a way that was fairly easy to follow and kept a sense of mystery, but with enough details that a keen eyed person can perhaps start to connect a few dots. The cast of suspects were also solid, they were distinct and their unique species abilities and setbacks came into play nicely. I appreciate the way pokemons abilities and powers were also a factor of consideration in the mystery. (My gosh it must be a headache to be a detective in a world where magical monsters have a bajillion powers at their disposal)

Even considering the fact that I can sometimes glaze over at a mystery, I think this one was rather fun to follow, especially with the culmination in a big "let me explain everything to you" group scene. I bet everyone was sweating a little on the inside lol. Lin's "you stop stealing, and you stop stealing" was also funny.

Honestly I hope you do end up writing another mystery with these guys, I'd be down to read more!
 
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