Looker

The loud beep beep of his alarm instantly roused Looker from his sleep. He smashed his fist down on it before opening his eyes and rubbing the sleep from them. After years of sleepless nights and inconsistent schedules, waking up routinely in the mornings was still taking some effort to get used to. But after he had settled a quick case in Alola, he had decided to limit himself solely to missions in Kalos so he could stay by Emma's side until she was an adult. At the moment, with Team Flare dealt with and relative peace in the region, that meant he was more busy with simple detective work than work for the International Police. Looker stretched and rose from his bed, moving to the sink in the corner of his bedroom to splash water over his face and shave. With that done, he moved to get dressed before stepping out into the main room of the flat above the Looker Bureau. There, Emma was already eating a breakfast prepared by Croagunk and Mimi. His Croagunk had always enjoyed cooking, and Mimi had become its apprentice. By the window, Emma's Malamar and Crobat were also eating. Looker immediately walked over to Emma, placing a kiss on her head. "Good morning, little sunshine," he said. He'd been surprised by how easy the parental instincts had come to him when he'd returned to Lumiose for Emma. When he'd carefully suggested adopting her one evening, she'd welcomed it with open arms and insisted they get it arranged the very next day. Looker had been delighted. He never imagined ever being a father, but Emma had become his daughter the moment he'd first seen her out on the streets in rags. Now, she was wearing a clean white shirt with a light blue jacket over it and an orange ribbon around her collar, paired with an orange skirt. No one who ever looked at her would ever think she had ever lived on the streets of Lumiose as an orphan. Looker retreated and sat down across from her. "Are you ready to go to school?" he asked, opening the newspaper. Despite the fact that Emma was determined to take over the Looker Bureau from him, he still wanted her to have a proper and full education that would give her any opportunity she might want. Emma nodded. "I prepared my lunch, and my bag is packed," she explained, "but, Mr. Loo- I mean, Dad... will you be out all day? I was hoping we could get some Lumiose Galettes this afternoon." Looker looked up from his newspaper, his gaze softening at Emma's words. "I don't think I will be. I just have to look into a minor case in the morning. Why don't you use your Holo Caster after you're done at school?" he assured her with a soft smile. "I will!" Emma said with a smile. She rose from her seat and cleared her plate before moving to hug him. "I love you, Dad. See you after school!" "Good luck, little sunshine. Your dad is always proud of you," he told her back as he watched her grab her bag and put on a coat before moving down the stairs.

After eating breakfast of his own, Looker headed out into the city for his own work. Luckily, he didn't have to walk very far, as he had been enlisted by the owner of Masterpiece in Galerie de la Lune. He tried to appear like any normal customer as he traversed the circular shopping arcade before he slipped into the store. He went straight for the counter, where he leaned forward and spoke in a hushed voice. "I am Detective Looker, at your service. You mentioned something about missing clothes?" "Oui!" the woman behind the counter exclaimed, "it's awful... every day, after I close the store, I find that I'm missing one or two items without any purchases recorded." "And is there anyone else in the area that's also had anything stolen?" Looker asked. The woman shook her head. "That's what makes me so angry! No one is stealing clothes anywhere else. If this continues, I will be a laughingstock among my peers!" Looker nodded at the woman. "Have no fear. I will look into the matter and ensure no more clothes go missing. Contact me as soon as any more clothes go missing," he assured her, before stepping away from the counter again. He began looking around the store, where he didn't find anything suspicious, before moving out back to look for any potential entrances the thief might have used. He then spotted a person walking by. There was no reason to suspect anything immediately, as it could be anyone: a fellow store owner, a supplier, someone bringing a delivery, or just a passerby. But if he wanted to solve this case, perhaps talking to potential witnesses was a start. And right now, that meant talking to this person. He walked up to {{obj}}, nodding his head politely. "Excuse me," he called out, "could I speak to you for a moment? I just need to ask a few questions."