Chapter 4 – By the Sea, By the Sea, By the Beautiful Sea
The cafeteria was not very full at this time of night. However, the lights were on and the kitchen crew was working very hard in keeping the place clean and possibly cooking for the morning's breakfast. Tracey's eyes darted from table to table until he saw a bright pink hair tuft sticking out from behind a newspaper. His eyes narrowed and he began walking to the table. When he reached it, he grabbed the newspaper and flung it aside, startling the girl behind it.
I want answers!" Tracey snarled. "I wanna know how you know me and what business I have with you!"
Stacey looked up at him, blinking from the shock of how ill tempered the guy was. "C-calm down and have a seat, oh impatient one," she whispered, trying to un-draw the attention Tracey had gained by shouting. "You're usually not so rowdy."
"I have every right to be angry!" Tracey fumed, but much more calmly than the first time. He sat down across from the Team Rocket member and sighed angrily. "You run off without telling me how you know me. You're very mysterious."
The girl giggled softly and leaned in closer. "I have something of yours…"
Tracey blinked, losing all anger and gaining curiosity. He watched silently as Stacey pulled up a large notebook from under her chair. It was big, with a pencil crammed inside the coil binding. She handed it to him. Tracey let out an excited squeal. "This is…This is…!"
"Look familiar?" Stacey smiled. He took it and she pointed to a name neatly written in pencil on the bottom. "That's your name, huh? Tracey Sketchit."
"Yes! Yes! I lost this a few months ago!" Tracey said, flipping through the pages of old drawings of Pokémon and a few pretty girls. His eyes sparkled with happiness. Finally, he turned to one of the last pages. There was an unfinished sketch of a Lapras. He cocked his head. "I remember…How did you get this, Stacey?"
She was watching him with intensity, her elbows on the table with her chin resting in her hands. She winked at him. "So, you'd like to hear a story?"
Tracey nodded.
* * *
"Now, listen up, Stace!" Jessie growled, shaking her finger firmly at the young teenager. "It wasn't my idea that you would have to be our responsibility today! Your attitude is really honking me off, so shape up!"
James munched on a chicken leg.
"Geez, Jess, you're such a snot sometimes!" Stacey sighed, brushing her hair and purposely whipping it in Jessie's face. "No one said I wanted you guys to watch over me either. I don't know why the Boss put you in charge of me. I'm nearly seventeen!"
"We're better!" James said in between bites of food. "We are top-quality Team Rocket members who do our job with loyalty and dignity!"
Meowth laughed. "Top-uglity, ya mean!"
Jessie stepped on his fat head. "Shut up, mangy DOG!"
"I'M not da dog! You're da bitch!" Meowth hissed, scratching her across the face.
James munched on the chicken leg.
"How DARE you!" Jessie screamed. "JAMES! Are you going to let him talk to me that way?"
James munched on the chicken leg. "You can take care of yourself."
Whack!
"OW!"
Meowth still laughed.
Whack!
"OW!"
"M…May I say something?" Stacey meekly asked.
"NO!" the trio replied, fighting amongst each other.
Stacey sighed and began walking away. She ran into an empty bathroom and changed out of her Team Rocket uniform into a silvery tank top that stopped just before it reached her belly and blue-jean shorts. After looking at herself a few times in the mirror, she stuffed her uniform into a backpack, slung it over her shoulders, and walked out.
Jessie and James had taken her to the Orange Islands to find a very valuable trophy that had recently been hoisted out of an ancient ship. The news said it was over three hundred years old and was believed to be a prize from old Orange League games. If those two clowns figured they could steal the trophy, then they had another thing coming, Stacey thought. They were as incompetent as the Boss said they were. But she still considered them as okay friends.
OKAY friends.
She began wandering along the beach, watching people swim and children build sandcastles. Water Pokémon happily frolicked about. She smiled. There would be no stealing today. Today, she would just relax and leave it to Jess and Jim. It was a good day.
Seeing the other Pokémon made Stacey pull out a pokéball. She unleashed a beautiful, full-grown Lapras into the water. "Get some exercise," she said, petting it across the nose. The Lapras made a cheerful noise and swam away. Stacey went to get some ice cream.
"What island's that?"
"Oh! That's Moro Island."
"Let's head there before it gets dark and find a Pokémon Center where we can stay tonight."
The baby Lapras carrying Ash, Misty, and Tracey slowly edged his way to the beach of Moro Island. The three kids jumped onto the beach and Ash returned his Lapras. The sun had not fully set yet, but was beginning to as they began their hike up the beach to find a Pokémon Center. Ash was miffed at the fact that there were no Gym Leaders on this island so he could not get a third badge. Tracey and Misty watched the water Pokémon swim in the sea.
"They're so pretty!" Misty sighed dreamily. "Look at that beautiful Gyarados!"
Ash grimaced. "Gyarados?"
Tracey chuckled slightly, but then something caught his eye. There was a beautiful Lapras that almost looked as if it were gliding across the water with the sun setting slowly in the background. His eyes wobbled and he grabbed his sketchbook. There he sat, forgetting about Ash and Misty as they continued walking away together. He had to get this beautiful scene!
Stacey yawned, very content that her belly was full of ice cream. She stretched and began to stride down to the beach to pick up her Lapras. She walked brusquely, knowing Jessie and James were looking for her and probably angry. Either that or they cared less, already hatching a plot to get the trophy. She didn't care much either. Three was a crowd, and she knew there was something going on between those two. Why would they need her?
When she was almost at the edge of the beach, Stacey noticed something – Her Lapras was nowhere in sight! She called to it and scanned the water. It was not there. She sat on a rock and scolded herself for being so careless. It was loyal to her, but it could have run out too far into the water and gotten lost. Or someone else could have taken it! It was too much.
Finally, she heard its cry. It didn't sound like it was hurt. It actually sounded happy. Stacey looked to her left. Not far from her was her Lapras. It was on the edge of the beach and almost looked as if it were posing. In front of it was a boy who did not look too much older than she was. He seemed to be sketching her Lapras. Stacey felt herself turn red at the sight of the boy. He was a little cute…
Without warning, the wind started to pick up. It began moving the waves slowly until they started crashing against the shoreline. Stacey rose to her feet but saw that the boy did not move. He did not notice the waves. They grew bigger and more violent. Stacey's Lapras screeched and the boy looked up from what he was doing.
"Look out!" Stacey cried. A large wave loomed over her Lapras and the boy. Carelessly, the boy dropped his sketchbook and ran away very fast. The wave crashed onto the beach just seconds after he left.
Stacey shook her head and ran over to her Lapras. "Are you okay? That boy was an artist, huh?" Her Lapras smiled and picked up the notebook. It guarded it, shielding it from the water. "It's not ruined!" Stacey said happily. She took it and began flipping through the pages. "…These…Are really…Good!" She looked at the front and ran her hand over the name written in pencil. "Tracey Sketchit…" she murmured. "I have to return it to him…"
Tracey ran into the Pokémon Center, damp from the waves. "Damn!" he cursed to himself. "That was my best notebook. I had so many…"
"Tracey!"
"Hi…Ash."
"Where have ya been?"
"Oh…Drawing and watching."
"Like always, huh?"
"Yeah."
"Let's call Professor Oak!"
"Okay."
Jessie and James were not at the campsite they had planned. Stacey shrugged and began walking back to Team Rocket Head Quarters. She was exhausted, but at a happy medium. In her arms, she carried a treasure far greater than any old trophy.
She held Tracey Sketchit's art.
* * *
Tracey's eyes brimmed with tears as he heard Stacey's story.
Stacey held her hands in her lap now and shuffled them around uneasily. "I had to return that notebook to you. I know it must have meant a lot. It means a lot to me. I…I'd never seen any art so wonderful in all my life. It's brilliant!" She blushed deeply. "I look at it at least twice a day."
Never had anyone shown so much appreciation to his art, not even his own family. Tracey looked down at the sketchbook and then back up at the red Stacey. He pushed it across the table to her. "You…Keep it…" Stacey's eyes shot open widely and she stared at him. He smiled warmly at her. "What you said means more than any sketches to me. You've told me that I'm good, and that's all I needed to know."
End of Chapter 4