Meanwhile, Raizer was strolling through the gallery with Zayn and Xavier, accompanied by their Pokémon, casually taking in the artworks on display.
"So... what do you all think of this one?" Raizer asked, jerking his thumb toward a painting behind him without breaking his stride.
Zayn, Xavier, and their Pokémon immediately gathered around the piece.
"The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke," Xavier read aloud, tilting his head as he studied the intricate composition. Chatot perched on his shoulder, craning its neck to get a better view, while Cubble—as usual—dozed peacefully atop Xavier's head, completely unbothered by the art critique happening beneath it.
"To be honest, I've never seen this one before, but I think it's beautifully detailed," Xavier continued, then turned to Zayn. "What do you think, Zayn?"
"It's quite complex," Zayn replied, stepping closer alongside his Joltik, who was already skittering across the frame's edge to inspect the finer details. "There are so many strange characters in this painting—someone cracking nuts with an axe, an old man, a witch, fairies, a woman, a trumpeter, and even a dragonfly playing a trumpet. It's chaotic, but... I like it."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his Pokédex, thumbing open the camera app with practiced ease.
But just as he raised it to take a shot, Xavier's hand darted out, covering the lens.
"Hey—what do you think you're doing?" Xavier asked, one eyebrow arched.
"Taking a photo, obviously," Zayn replied flatly.
Xavier pointed toward a small sign on the wall: *No Photography of Artworks*. "See that?"
"Seriously...? Fine, fine," Zayn muttered, slipping his Pokédex back into his jacket pocket with a sigh. "So we're really not allowed to take photos here?"
"Nope. Not at all," Xavier said, crossing his arms firmly. "Most of these paintings are high-value pieces, and some of them even have supernatural properties. You heard the professor's explanation back in the lab, didn't you?"
"What about just for a personal collection?" Zayn asked, his tone tinged with disappointment.
"Still no," Xavier reiterated.
"Alright, alright," Zayn relented, turning back toward the painting. But inside his mind, a familiar interface had already materialized:
> Pokédex
> DexNav
> Use the PC
> Pokémon
> Inventory
> Information
> Settings
> Save
> Exit
He selected *Settings*:
> Text Speed
> Overworld Speed
> Battle Scene
> Battle Style
> Gameplay
> Point of View
> Sound
> Music
> Frame
> Save Changes
Then he picked *Gameplay*, which presented him with several options:
> GBC
> GBA
> DS
> 3DS
> Nintendo Switch
> Console
> Smartphone
He selected Smartphone, and the interface shifted seamlessly. A small camera icon appeared in the top-right corner of his mental display. With a subtle mental command, he snapped a photo of the painting, cropped out the unnecessary edges, and saved it directly to his gallery.
From the outside, he appeared to be simply staring at the painting for an unusually long time.
Xavier eyed him with growing suspicion, his gaze narrowing as he watched Zayn study the artwork with far too much concentration for someone who'd supposedly given up on photographing it.
Raizer, however, had already figured it out. He let out a knowing chuckle.
"You're going to save every painting in this museum to your gallery, aren't you?" Raizer asked.
Zayn simply smiled and shrugged. "You already know my habits."
Xavier blinked, utterly confused. *Wait—saving paintings to his gallery? He didn't even use a camera! What kind of game logic is he operating on?*
"Alright, time to check out another—" Raizer's words suddenly caught in his throat. A message had materialized in his mind—a telepathic transmission.
I've found someone suspicious here,
came a voice in his head.
Wait a minute, Z—aren't we on the same floor? Why are you using telepathy?
Raizer replied mentally.
This is urgent. The person next to me seems to be part of a group aiming to steal the Nexus Sapphire. Z sent back.
A group aiming for the Nexus Sapphire? Where are you now? Raizer asked.
I'm in Room 1. I'm about to start tailing him now—I'm sure he's about to make a move.
Be careful. He's definitely not some ordinary thug. I'll head over there, Raizer replied.
Understood. But who's going to watch Zayn and Xavier? Z asked.
Don't worry. Diego should be arriving soon to keep an eye on them. I'll come help you, Raizer assured him.
Alright... looks like it's finally time to get started, Z said before severing the connection.
Raizer turned to Zayn and Xavier, his expression shifting to something more serious. "Zayn, Xavier—stay here for a bit. I need to help Z take care of someone."
"Got it," they both replied in unison, already turning their attention back to the painting.
Raizer and his Azumarill quickly slipped out of the room, heading straight for Room 1.
---
Inside the gallery room, Xavier turned back to Zayn, still clearly bothered.
"So... how exactly did you save a photo without actually taking one?" Xavier asked, crossing his arms.
"Simple. You know what a screenshot is, right?" Zayn replied casually.
"Does game logic even work that way? Shouldn't it only rely on in-game mechanics?" Xavier asked, baffled.
"You don't think any games have screenshot systems?" Zayn countered with a shrug.
"...Huh. Fair point," Xavier admitted after a moment.
"If you really want to become a great detective, you have to consider every possibility—down to the smallest, even the most impossible scenarios," Zayn said, his tone carrying a hint of wisdom.
Xavier fell silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. "You're right... I guess I still have a lot to learn."
Then his eyes narrowed again. "Wait a minute—if you can do that, just how many paintings have you already saved?"
"Relax, I'm not that kind of person. I only save the ones I find interesting," Zayn replied smoothly.
"Just tell me how many you've saved already—I'm sure you took photos of other artworks before I told you about the rule!" Xavier pressed, his voice rising slightly.
"Alright—alright!" Zayn said, taking a small step back. "I saved all the paintings on the first floor, but this is the first one on the third."
"I should report you to the police for this," Xavier said, half-joking but with a stern look.
"Fine, fine—I'll delete them," Zayn sighed. Then a sly grin crept across his face. "But wait a minute... do you actually have any proof?"
Xavier smirked and pointed to the Chatot perched on his shoulder. "See this little guy?"
Zayn's expression dropped. "Damn—that automatic recorder again. Alright, I'll delete them."
He opened his gallery interface and, with a dramatic sigh, selected the photos and deleted them from his collection.
As the images vanished, he shot a sideways glance at Xavier. Detectives really are a pain...