Title: Art Deception
Author: Chibi Team Rocket (Rocketshipper@WebTV.Net)
Date: July 25, 2000
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: Tracey visits Team Rocket Head Quarters and gets quite a surprise.
Comments: This story is starring the 'artist twerp' Tracey. It was written for my good friend Nightshade Wolf, who is probably the biggest Tracey/Kenji fanatic I know. ^_^ She's been so kind to me and helped me on fun Internet things (Like Neopets!). Enjoy, dear! And thanks for being a friend! Also, the story is coated with my Rocketshippiness, just like all my other Pokémon stories. You've been warned.
Art Deception
Chapter 1 – Dinner Date
Tracey Sketchit sat, his back to the wind, as he watched a Pikachu converse with a Psyduck. He laughed as the Psyduck quacked and fell onto its back. An excellent shot…
"Hey, Trace! What'cha drawin'?" came a voice.
The artist turned to face his dear friends Ash Ketchum and Misty Williams. They both smiled, but then Misty seemed to frown at the Psyduck. "Oh…Nothin'."
"It's something," Misty growled. "Something STUPID!" Her Psyduck looked up at her with glazed eyes. "Psyduck…"
"Psy-yi?"
Tracey laughed again and rose to his feet. "It's Psyduck's nature to be that way," he remarked walking away from the duo. "So, where do we dine?"
"Dine?" Ash asked. Then his stomach growled impatiently. "Right! DINE! Oh, boy!"
"Pika!" Pikachu smiled, and jumped onto his master's back.
Misty groaned at the one-track minded guys.
"There they are!"
"Not that far!"
"Har har har!"
Three pairs of eyes peeked through some bushes on the other side of the path. The blue pair blinked and slitted evilly. "If we can catch that Pikachu this time, maybe we'll get a promotion!"
"Don't ya say dat EVERY time, Jessie?"
"QUIET!"
Whack!
"OW!"
"Look!" The green pair lit up with happiness. "They're gonna go eat! Maybe WE
could…"
Whack!
"OW! Jessie!"
"Quit whining, James! After we catch Pikachu, we can eat all we want!"
"REALLY? YAY!"
The eyes seemed to close in laughter and then darted off towards the restaurant.
Ash and Pikachu stuffed whole chickens in their mouths and gobbled down sixteen helpings of ice cream. Misty couldn't help but groan again. To make matters worse, Tracey was busily sketching every busty waitress. "Men," she sighed.
"Psy?"
"And Psyduck…"
"Good!" Ash grinned, both he and his belly now satisfied. "I think we should do
that more often."
"Who's paying?"
The little boy grimaced at Tracey's words. "Um…I thought Misty was."
"WHAT?!" Misty exclaimed. "No way! I didn't have one thousand dinners!"
"Well, what about Tracey?"
"I'm broke…"
"Uh oh…"
Suddenly, a waiter approached them carrying the fated black notebook in his hands. "Your bill, sir…"
Ash sweatdropped. "Ah, can we take care of this a little later?"
"…Has been paid for." Finished the waiter.
Ash, Misty, Tracey, and Pikachu gaped with astonished glances as the waiter opened the notebook to reveal a check with the exact amount of money on it. "Pika…" Pikachu gasped.
The waiter closed the notebook and bowed, handing Ash a note. "Thank you, and have a good evening, sir." Then he left.
"What's this?" Ash questioned as he opened up the folded letter. Tracey and Misty looked over his shoulder to read as he read aloud. "Think nothing of the payment, old chum. I have watched you from afar and admired your work. If you would be so kind as to grace my presence, please meet me after dinner beside the great Ash Tree. Sincerely, a Friend."
The trio sweatdropped. "Heh, what a dope," Misty laughed. "Admiring Ash…"
"HEY!" Ash said, falling over. "That's not what I wanted to hear!"
Tracey watched as the two quarreled and then picked up his sketchbook and backpack. "Whoever it is, I think they deserve a thank you for paying that bill. It was over a hundred dollars, ASH."
Ash laughed oddly. "Well, let's go, then!"
It was about a quarter to ten as the three friends entered the forest again. It was not too dark, for it was a summer night, but they still were a little uneasy. They walked along the path until they came to the Ash Tree, standing very tall in its entire splendor.
Ash turned his hat backwards and went over to stand beneath it. "Hm…They're not here yet," Ash sighed. "You'd think they would be…"
Misty nodded. "It's really late. Maybe they didn't think we'd come."
"Well, let's wait a bit," Tracey suggested. "If they don't come after ten minutes, we'll leave." Ash and Misty both nodded and sat on the ground to wait.
A few minutes later, they heard a rustle come from the bushes and a man's voice ring out: "Are you there, mister Ash Ketchum?"
Ash rose to his feet happily. "Yeah, I'm here! Thanks for paying for our dinner…"
"YOUR dinner," Misty muttered.
"…Um, that was very nice of you to do it for free."
"Free? HA! It's not for free…"
Tracey stepped in front of Ash. "What do you mean?"
Misty also stood up. "Yeah! Are you trying to cause trouble?"
Evil laughter echoed throughout the entire forest. "Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
"No way," Ash groaned, picking up his backpack. "Let's get out of here."
Three heads popped up out of the bushes. "HEY! You interrupted us!"
"We already know your Speech," Misty yawned. "Even we have done it before."
"What took you so long?"
A beautiful gold coin glinted in the sunset. "Well, we wouldda been heah soonah, but Jimmy-boy decided he was gonna eat!"
"I was hungry!"
A flash of red was next to Ash in a second. "Hi there, twerp," Jessie purred. "Don't you wanna thank us for buying your food?"
Ash blinked. "You paid for our meal?"
Jessie nodded. "Um-hum! We're not THAT bad…But…" she sounded exceedingly dramatic at this point. "We gave up four months wages to!"
"All tree of us!" Meowth cried. "I sold ten cans a' tuna."
James munched on a chicken leg. "And I couldn't buy any food!"
"What's that ya got right there?" Jessie growled, snatching it from him and beating him over the head with it. "Put it AWAY!"
"But why would you do all that for us?" Ash asked suspiciously. He eyed their smiling faces with caution. "What do you want?"
Meowth was busy typing away on a calculator. "Lesse! That was one hundred and twelve dollahs and ninety-eight cents. Poifect! Enough money…We just want sometin in retoin…"
Tracey bit his lip. "And what might that be?"
Team Rocket laughed and pointed to the small, yellow creature riding on Ash's shoulder. "Pikachu!"
"NO!" Ash shouted, jumping back. "Look, it was very nice that you paid, but sure a sneaky way to get Pikachu. You can't have him!"
"You want us to do this the hard way, don't you?" Jessie sighed. "Very well…JAMES!"
"Jess?" The chicken leg was back in his greasy gloves.
"JAMES!"
Whack!
"OW!"
Meowth grabbed a big blaster and threw it into James' hands. "Your goilfriend means dis, bozo!"
James turned red. "Wha-What did you say?!?"
"JUST FIRE IT!"
The blue-haired Rocket member did as he was told, though the whole time red with embarrassment. Large glops of putty-like material shot forth and stuck to the children like glue. Ash screamed as he found he couldn't move. With ease, Team Rocket snatched up Pikachu and took off in their balloon.
"So long!" Jessie laughed, waving to Ash. "We'll be glad to do a favor any time!"
Ash was close to tears. "Pikachu! NO! Bring him back!"
"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried.
Tracey struggled as hard as he could to free himself. Finally, he was able to get his pencil's sharp point to cut through the putty and free himself. He ran over to help Misty and Ash.
"Go, Tracey!" Misty yelled. "Follow Team Rocket to see where they're going! Ash and I will catch up."
"Right," Tracey nodded. And he began running off in the direction of the Meowth Balloon.
End of Chapter 1