It was an evening like any other. I was sitting at my desk, cigarette in my mouth, tapping my claw to the beat of a jazz song playing on a nearby radio. Office was a mess, papers were everywhere. I like it that way, it helps the puzzle pieces fit together.

Not that I can see the words of the newspapers and police reports strewn across the floor. Barely any light can make it in through the half-open blinds behind me. I stuff the cigarette into the ashtray beside me as a satisfying plume of smoke comes up into my nostrils.

I just told you that it was an evening unlike any other. These days it's hard to tell who's lying. A soft knock came from the office door. I could barely make out a short green figure from behind the translucent glass. Her head was all weird, widening out at the top with a few red dots.

But, I've seen weirder. "Come in," I said just loud enough for them to hear. The door opened slowly as a fairly nice-looking Breloom walked through. She's got that look in her deep, black eyes. She wants something, I can feel it.

"Are you Pyrose? Detective Pyrose?" She asked.

I stood up. At six-two, I'm pretty tall for a Charizard. The Breloom looked up at me, that look intensifying. I cleared my throat.

"Yep, that's me. What's the issue? Because if it's about the Lorenzo case I've told them that-"

She shook her head. "No, this is something else. Something I only trust you to handle."

Maybe it's my ego, but come on! A case only I could handle? I've made a bit of a name for myself, and for a split second, I was on top of the world. However, that ended as quickly as it began. Gotta keep your head in the game. Private citizens commissioning an investigation has been getting rarer. I'd be a criminal myself not to ask further questions.

"What is it that you only trust me to handle?"

She sulked, I think a tear began welling beneath her eye. "My friend… He's called March."

A soft sniffle came from her as she continued. "Well, he was… Until he was murdered!"

I didn't bat an eye. Murder? I've seen it a million times, just the nature of the beast. This Breloom is clearly no detective. Even though I'd only known her for about five minutes, she ran over to me!

She practically jumped into my grasp. I felt a slight nudge against my stomach as she pressed herself in for a hug.

I'm not a hugger.

But, she was clearly distressed. And for whatever reason, decided I was the best contender to receive her affections, so can you really blame me for wrapping my arms around her?

She was surprisingly nimble and somehow escaped my grasp before I noticed. The Breloom wiped a few last tears off her face before deciding to prod further into me.

"Are you familiar with the March case?"

I scratched the back of my head. "Sorry, can't say I am. How long ago did this happen?"

"Two months ago today. Do you have the paper from then?" Something about her eyes again. That strange, pleading, strangely innocent glare she gave me. Luckily for her, I've got every damn paper to ever be printed in this office.

"Probably, if we can find it."

And so the hunt was on. I dove into the swimming pool of newspapers below, not sure my head would reach the bottom even if I did literally jump in.

A paper from a week ago? Nope.

A year? Definitely not.

Two months ago? Not what I'm looking for.

…Wait a second! It is! I came back up from the realm of literature to find the Breloom tapping her foot against the creaky wood of my office's floor. Not just that, but she made a hole in the paper ocean to do so. Her arms were crossed and a disgruntled look was spread across her beak.

"Took you long enough, great detective."

"I didn't see you helping." I humphed. This Breloom walks into my office, demands me to search for something, and then criticizes me. Some audacity on this one. "Look, I got the paper."

"Sorry, that came out wrong." She apologized. "It's just been so hard since I lost March."

I nodded, "I've lost friends before. I know how it feels. You're good. Why don't you have a seat?"

The Breloom sat down on a chair on the other side of my desk. She sulked a bit, her head hanging down a few degrees. Geez, ten minutes in and she's already unhappy. This is sure going to be a fun case.

I placed the paper on the desk below, before asking a simple question. "So, what's your name?"

"Verdant." She murmured in response.

"Huh, nice name." I began flipping through the newspaper to find any mention of Verdant's friend. She watched intently as I scanned from page to page. Right before I was about to turn to the next one, she nearly screamed.

"Wait, there!"

My head shot up in shock before falling back down to the page. Sure enough, in a corner I had glossed over, was a short article about a missing Pokemon.

I read aloud, "Swampert, March was reported as a missing Pokemon three days ago. His last known location was at his Bonne Street office in Neconfiance Mars Pass. Any information relating to March is to be reported to the NEP police department. The reward for recovery is placed at five hundred dollars."

"I kept calling the police, but no updates." She began to sniffle. "Last week… They told me he was dead!"

Tears again began streaming down her face. I began reaching my arms out to hug her, except I forgot how short my arms are.

And that I'm sitting behind the desk.

So, I just kinda awkwardly held my arms out trying to reach her.

Despite her sobs, Verdant mustered an, "Are you okay?" Looking at me as if I were a monster.

"Uh, nothing," I replied sheepishly, putting my arms back down.

Great job Pyrose! You're already making yourself look like an idiot in front of her! I sighed both mentally and literally.

"Did they find a body?" I blurted out.

Verdant seemed taken aback by this statement. Her brow furrowed and she broke her eye contact with me. Could I really blame her? What is with me today?

"Sorry if that was-"

"No." She interrupted. "That's information you should know. Last I heard they hadn't found a body."

I scratched my chin. "That's odd. He's only been gone for two months, he should still be considered a missing Pokemon."

For a split second, I could have sworn I saw a smile twinge over Verdant's face. But, something was odd about it. It didn't seem hopeful. You know that feeling you get when you see someone that you haven't in years? You just can't hold back a smile? I'll admit it's been a while since I felt that, but that smile on her face. That wasn't it.

But again, I've seen weirder. Grief can do crazy things to a Pokemon. Look at me sitting here in my pile of papers! Best to just get this job over with…

"So, do you want my advice?"

She looked back up at me and nodded.

"We need to find a place to start. Is there anyone you know who disliked March? Ex, family member, colleague, or anyone else you can think of?"

The Breloom grabbed at her claws, leaning back in her chair. "March is… Was the sweetest Pokemon I've ever met. He's always there for me, no matter when I need him! I can't imagine anybody even daring to dislike March."

I closed my eyes for a moment. Something about this is weird.

"Are you sure there is nobody you know that could be a suspect? Nobody was questioned by the police?"

Verdant shook her head. "Nope, no one."

Does she want me to drop this case? Is this some sort of test? She comes into my office to have me solve a case, and you have no information? I get that I'm the detective, but surely she has some useful piece of info. Wait a second! I got it! Pyrose, what is up with you today?

"Do you know his whereabouts before he disappeared?"

She sighed. "We got back home from work around the same time that day. We live right next to each other, so I waved to him and he waved back, we talked a bit about-"

"Just get to the point." I interrupted for once.

"His house. That's where I last saw March."

Alright! Now we're getting somewhere!

"Verdant?" I asked. "By any chance, do you have a way of getting into March's house? Is there a door you know he kept unlocked? Or a key you were given?"

That same smile came back over her face. My suspicions were confirmed, there was something weird about it. It stretched a little too far, maybe her teeth looked a little too white. And her eyes. Why were they slanted like that?

"Why, of course!" She said slyly. "March always keeps a door in the back of his house unlocked."

Okay.

No.

That was wrong.

My heart started to pound, my claws began to shake. Did Verdant kill March? Should I call the cops right now and have her taken away? I always trust my gut, and right now it's telling me something is very, very wrong.

"Excuse me, Verdant. Sorry this is a bit sudden, but I have to use the restroom."

I bolted out the door. I even used my wings to propel myself faster than I could run, probably leaving a storm of papers for Verdant to be showered in. I could feel the fire on the tip of my tail burning brighter than usual as I flew open the door of the office next door.

"BZZT, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS, BZZT?"

"No time to explain!" I yelled at the Magnezone sitting at the desk.

I grabbed the phone and dialed nine-one-one. I'm not making this mistake again.

A small crowd of onlookers had gathered outside the building. No alarms were wailing, but I did have to shield myself from the police cars' flashing lights.

Two Bisharps dressed in blue uniforms with matching hats swiftly exited the building. In their grasp was none other than Verdant. She kicked the air and squirmed, to no avail. A shiny pair of silver handcuffs bound her arms which were hidden behind her back.

As soon as Verdant came out, she looked me square in the eye. It feels like one of those moments I'll never forget. Still struggling, she yelled.

"Pyrose, please! It's not what it looks like! You got to help me! Pyrose, pleeeeeeeeeeeeease!"

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. She probably murdered March. But, I don't know, something about the way she looked at me made me feel a bit insecure about the whole situation. I always trust my gut, and now it doesn't feel too good.

Too late now. The Bisharps shoved her into the back of a squad car. Verdant tapped against the glass of the door, yelling words at me I couldn't make out. I just kind of stared out at her. What am I supposed to do? There's still something else I'm not getting, I can feel it. I'll visit her at the station tomorrow, maybe I can get some real answers there?

Ugh, now this side of the pillow is too warm. I've been tossing and turning practically all night. No idea what time it is. I think I can see a shrivel of light coming through the window, shit, is it already morning?

No time to ponder that. My heart jumped as the sound of the phone ringing filled my bedroom. I stumbled up and reached over to my nightstand where the red console sat. Who could be calling at this time?

"Hello?"

The Pokemon on the other end cleared his voice. "Hello, is Pyrose? Detective Pyrose?"

"Yeah," I said weakly. "Who is this?"

"This is Warden Richfield speaking, from Neconfiance Jail. I have some information you might want to hear before the press gets to it."

Now I was awake. "Really? What is it?"

"Y'know that Brelooom you had brought in? She's dead, poisoned before we could even interrogate her."

My eyes widened. If I had coffee in my mouth, I'd spit it out. "Poisoned? What? Assassination? Suicide?"

"Hard to say." The warden said plainly. "Not sure how a killer would have gotten past security, anything is possible."

I don't get it. This doesn't happen! I knew something was off about her. Was Verdant even her real name? Crap, this is bad, really bad. But, I'm a detective. Only one thing for me to do.

"I'm heading over. Gather all the information you have."

I heard a chuckle on the other end of the phone. "Actually, we'll be coming to you."

What the hell?

As soon as the warden said those words, the phone went straight to dial tone. I slowly placed it back on its dock and lumbered up from the bed. My claw quickly found the light switch, I flipped it up and down a couple of times. No light.

Shit.

Alright, this is pretty bad. My tail flame provided a bit of light, but not enough for me to be able to see clearly. I sprinted over to the shade and pulled it up. I could just barely see the tip of the sun over the horizon, it was not nearly enough to light my room.

Knock knock knock.

Pro tip. If someone is knocking at your door aggressively right after the power goes out, don't answer it.

The knocking kept getting stronger, hell, it felt like whoever was on the other side was trying to break the damn thing down. I began letting out a low growl. If that thing got in, it wasn't gonna be pretty.

Suddenly, BANG.

Well, shit again.

I could feel the house begin to rumble. Someone, something, was inside. My heart was beating like crazy. I could feel the flame inside of me beginning to get hotter and stronger. My claws began curling into fists.

A shadowy figure began to approach from the doorway. The creature seemed a bit shorter than me. It walked on four legs, though the front two were far bigger than the back ones. The light of my tail soon proved enough for me to be able to see who it truly was.

He, I could tell it was a he. Light blue skin coated the top of his body, with a creamier blue lining his stomach to jaw. Three orange cone-shaped protrusions jutted off from each of its cheeks. His thin eyes narrowed as he smiled at me.

"Hello, Pyrose."

There stood a Swampert.

I sort of tilted my head. "Uh, hi?"

When put into a situation where an intruder has broken into your house there are several courses of action you can take. If possible, you should try to get the hell out of there. Unfortunately for me, this guy's blocking my only way out and has a serious type advantage over me. Mind as well play along until I can figure something out.

I cleared my throat.

"Care to tell me why you have just broken into my house. Or, what exactly is going on?"

A smug grin came across his face. "I'm not sure. Shouldn't the great Pyrose have already put all the pieces together? Do not tell me the legendary detective of dusk and flames has finally met his match. And to poor March, of all Pokemon. That isn't the case, right Pyrose?"

"March? I guess the fact that you are alive is the least surprising part of all of this."

Hopefully, I can get him to launch into some sort of self-indulgent monologue. I probably stole his ice cream as a kid or some shit and this is revenge. That's usually how it is, how did I wrong this psycho?

"Perhaps you do still have some brains left in you?" He laughed. "You see, when I was just a tiny Mudkip, there was a Charmander who lived on my street. He was a mean bully-"

I bit my tongue before I could burst out laughing at this guy, though I wasn't quite able to hold back a smirk on my snout.

"Man." I interrupted. "I don't care about your tragic backstory or why you are probably a self-proclaimed evil mastermind. Just get to the point."

March gave me a deadpan expression.

"You killed Verdant, so I'm going to kill you."

I tilted my head. "Wait, what? I didn't kill-"

But apparently, March here had no desire to listen to any reason. Before I could finish talking the Swampert charged me with what I can only hope is all the force he can muster. I felt the building shake as he slammed me up against the wall.

"You idiot! You'll pay! You'll pay for everything you've done to me!"

Yeah, no.

His speaking provided all the time I needed to muster up a small gust of fire and blow it at him. Generally, I try to keep fire breathing outside the house, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

March released me and stumbled back a few steps.

"Gah! You stupid… Thing!" He yelled while covering his face. Certainly, a great comeback if I've ever seen one.

I jumped up and flapped my wings, my body left the ground as I swiftly glided to the kitchen. I looked back to see March had gotten back into a fighting position and looked about ready to charge me again. I looked down the hall, there was a good thirty feet to the front door.

Could I make it?

"Do you really think you can make it?"

My point exactly, March.

Even while flying, I'm not sure I could escape a charging Swampert if I can't fly above it. I looked to my side to see something so conveniently placed.

A large kitchen knife.

Do I want to do this? It's a gamble, but I don't have many other options.

I picked up the knife and held it out at him. "Don't come any closer. I wouldn't want to have to use this!"

March smiled. He took a step closer.

One more step closer.

Closer.

Running.

A blur of blue flashed across the dark floors of my house. He hit me before I even knew what was happening, I swear I couldn't have been any less than a foot away from the ceiling before I hit the ground. The room spun and a horrible ache had shot through my head and back.

However, the magnitude of the situation hit me harder. I pushed myself up to see March lying with his back on the floor. A long, red river pooled from his chest and down his sides.

My heart may as well have gone on strike.

I walked over to March's body and looked at him with sorry eyes. The knife was stabbed straight into him, so far the blade was entirely buried entirely within his chest. I'll never forget those moments, I really won't.

He smiled at me, blood beginning to pool out of his mouth.

"See you soon," he murmured as his orange eyes fell shut for a final time.

Officer, that's everything I saw. We know who killed March, all the evidence is charging at you just like how that psycho charged straight into my knife. Please! Trust me, officer, you've gotta believe me!