*How'd it go?* Vulpix asked once we've crossed the street from the phone booth.

I ignored her knowing look and told her about Alberto Verdacci - how he had confirmed that the second authorized copy of the Weeping Charizard is hanging cozily in his living room. "In fact, he even said, 'I'm looking at it even as we speak.'"

Vulpix chuckled. *So you got him to help you.*

I knew what she'd wanted to ask ever since I got out of that phone booth. I played innocent. "Who? Mr. Verdacci? He was a real gentleman. I didn't even have to explain why I was – "

Vulpix interrupted. *I'm guessing you're not ready to talk about Pipsqueak Lawford.*

I guess after five years of being my Pokemon, Vulpix came to know me well. Too well.

I didn't have time to come up with a retort.

Right ahead of us stood a small two story building. The words "THE ARTBOX", neatly painted in red, sat on top of the display window. There was a faded mural of a Girafarig one side of the building, its head nesting on the upper edge of the door.

"We're here," I announced as if we had just landed off a plane on Cannibal Island.

Vulpix and I walked towards the front door. Upon closer inspection, the building looked like it needed a good scrubbing. The white washed walls were now stained with grime. The wide display window was almost translucent with dirt. Behind the glass, a handful of paintings were propped up on easels. They looked like they hadn't been touched in ages.

*Should we go in?* Vulpix asked. She fumbled around hesitantly.

I pressed my face closer to the glass window and looked in. Behind the display, I could see a dimly lit room with paintings hugging all four walls. Off to one side, someone was walking towards a door in the back. He was struggling with a large painting draped in fabric.

"Come on! Someone's still in there," I said and tried the front door. It opened with a creak.

Inside, the Artbox was as dreary as the outside. For one thing, the air was musty and I could practically see cobwebs hanging from the eaves.

To my right, a wooden counter wrapped itself around the length of the wall. As expected, the surface of the counter was covered with a fine layer of dust. I leaned over to take a closer look. There were a few knickknacks scattered here and there: a dusty Dragonite paperweight with the word "Valencia" engraved on it, a dog eared sports magazine and a Lapras keychain. There were only two keys attached to the keychain – one was labeled "Main", the other "Storage".

Off to one side, there were a couple of magazines with shiny plastic covers. One looked like an art catalogue, while the other was a copy of Men's Fashion Week.

Above the counter, a small shelf was awkwardly placed between two small Oriental paintings. It held up a row of trophies. I stood up on my tiptoes, squinted and read, "First Place in Orange Island Surfing Championship. Wow."

Someone cleared their throat and I almost stumbled. "May I help you?"

I spun around and saw a tall, thin blonde guy – about twenty-ish – standing behind me. He was wearing a white tailored shirt and a plaid vest, looking very sophisticated and grouchy.

"Good afternoon, um," I read his nametag. "Mr. Jeremiah. I was just uh –"

"The paintings are over there," he said in a monotonous voice, then straightened his arm and pointed a crooked finger towards the main gallery.

I nodded quickly then ushered Vulpix towards the main gallery. I could feel Jeremiah's piercing gaze burning my back as I went down every aisle, looking for a crying reptile, or something close enough. When we rounded the last aisle, my heart was going on one twenty per minute.

"It's not here," I whispered. A lump formed in my throat. "You don't suppose - ?"

*That De Vega was lying?* Vulpix said. She began sniffing around. *He was weird, but I don't think he was a downright liar.*

"Then why isn't the Charizard here?" I almost choked on my words as I watched her circle the ground. "Hey! Do you need to go?"

Vulpix ignored me. She continued sniffing until she was nose to nose with a Milotic. A painting of a Milotic, that is. The canvas was huge – about two by three feet. It depicted the serpent Pokemon in a lake, swimming with a beautiful woman with red and blue hair.

I bent down to read the nameplate on the bottom of the painting, "The Maiden's Milotic."

I gave Vulpix a quizzical look.

*It smells weird,* she whispered. *Like coconut.*

I knitted my brows. Coconut?

"Are you looking for something?" Jeremiah looked up at us from the art catalogue he was reading. He was sitting behind the counter, just right down the aisle.

I shook my head. "Just browsing."

When I couldn't take Blonde Boy's dagger stare any longer, I scooped up Vulpix and dashed for the door.

I gave the Artbox one last look before walking away. "I can't believe it. The Weeping Charizard wasn't there! We checked twice!"

*Maybe it was completely shrouded in dust that it was impossible for us to see it.* Vulpix said.

I rolled my eyes. This was no time for jokes. I mean, seriously. Dust? Then suddenly, something clicked. I turned around and ran back to the gallery. "Vulpix, I need you to go 'round the building."

*What?*

I stopped when we were a few feet away from the Artbox. "People would notice if I start running laps around an art gallery. If you do it, it'd be more discreet."

*Why?*

"I need you to go look for something – anything. Doors, windows, trapdoors, anything," I said, and before I could say another word, Vulpix was off.