The Greatest Picture ever
Oak Pokemon Laboratory, Pallet town 18 January
The dim horizon shone with dreary exhaustion in the pre dawn light, painting the sea in shades of lethargic pewter and green, a light drizzle poured on monotonously over the roofs and spouts overhanging Tracy?s upper story room he shivered, even thought he was well covered and protected from the constant dripping it seemed a creeping damp had filled the entire lab on that particular week. He focussed on the warmth of his bed and let his eyelids droop to a state of dozing
DEETDEDEETDEDEDEET
?Curse that flaming alarm clock,? thought Tracy angrily to himself ?Why do I set it so early?.
Reluctantly crawling out of his comfortable blankets Tracy massaged his aching temples while trying to regain the use of his ears.
?Time to get to work,? he muttered to himself softly.
While padding down to the kitchen for a cup of coffee he passed the snoring figure of professor Oak slumped over some half finished research. Tracy half-heartedly decided to let him sleep off his exhaustion rather than wake him. This morning had long day written all over it in red ink.
The windmill creaked in the eternal drizzle as Tracy began his daily duties keeping a keen eye out for signs of the professor?s waking he set about feeding the various pokemon who were lab regulars
?C?mon guys its time for breakfast? he called out
?Muuuk?
?Bulba?
?Veno nat?
?Cookie cookie?
Tracy had to jump as to not to get trampled by the miniature stampede hurtling up the stairs towards the food bowls he had just filled a little behind the stampede came Fang professor Oak?s own geriatric charizard climbing the stairs in a stiff dignified manner grumbling softly to himself.
?C?mon Fang its time for breakfast? Tracy called softly taking out his sketchpad and beginning to draw this strange scene out of reflex.
He shivered slightly as his pencil flurried over the page almost on its own accord, he wasn?t used to all this miserable weather. In the orange islands it was always warm and balmy, here in pallet town it got so miserable in winter the sleet went sideways to avoid hitting the ground.
?Morning Tracy?
Tracy turned round to see the smiling face of Mrs Ketchum peering curiously from under the hood of her coat at him.
?Good morning Mrs Ketchum? Tracy replied politely ?how can I help you??
?Oh I just dropped in to say hello. Is the professor around??
?I?m afraid he?s still asleep, he?s still over stressed with this symposium coming up, its totally crazy, I?ve never seen him work this hard.
?Gee wiz I guess he has been working awfully hard recently? said Mrs Ketchum
?Heard anything from Ash recently? inquired Tracy
?No nothing this week but you know that boy of mine he?d forget his head if it weren?t screwed on. Well I suppose I?ll check up on you later. Give my regards to the professor, tell him he needs to sleep once and a while? she said brightly continuing her walk down the street
I?ll be sure to tell him you called maam? Tracy called after her
And then glancing down at his sketch applied the finishing touches to it
Professor Oak awoke at about noon with a scowl on his face
?Why in the world didn?t you wake me sooner Tracy, I have too much work to do to sleep now?
?Sorry sir I guess I didn?t have the heart to wake you,? said Tracy in hasty defence of himself
?Well if its any consolation you won?t need to worry about me any more after this week? said the professor grinning slightly
?What?d you do,? said Tracy tiredly looking at the roof.
? I?ve been getting really strange reports from a couple of ranger friends of mine out in Johto apparently there have been sighting of a giant phoenix in the mountains near Mahogany Town? said the professor in a puzzled tone
?Poor souls it?s that rotten stuff they drink,? said Tracy sceptically.
?I don?t think they were drunk I really think they saw something I mean if Hoen is anything to go by we?ve barely scratched the surface of known pokemon species? stated the professor slowly ? that?s why I need your help I?ve got too much work here to go and investigate the situation?
?So you need me to do it for you? Tracy finished for him ?I understand professor I?d be honoured?
?Of course you won?t be going out alone I called in one of my friends to join you as a favour? added the professor quickly
?What sort of a friend of yours?? asked Tracy narrowing his eyes the professor had some rather interesting acquaintances including a few maverick Pok?mon rangers.
?Don?t worry Tracy I know how much you hate rangers no this is a photographer who did some freelance work for me a couple of years ago?
?I don?t hate rangers it?s just they have a way of unnerving you,? said Tracy looking over to the professor?s side not making eye contact.
?Were going off the subject here Tracy I really need you to check this out for me. If I fall behind in my research the United Anthro-pokemon studies bureau might cut my funding. Half of them already think I?m going senile, I don?t want to give Agatha a good enough reason? said Professor Oak urgently as he began to look over his notes
?Ah here they are,? he said at last handing Tracy a small stack of paper ?Be sure to give my regards to the McAllister family while you up there?
?Yes professor whatever you say? said Tracy as happily he could, ?at least I?ll be escaping this awful weather he said to himself as he walked out of the room?.
Professor Oak barely watched Tracy as he left the room he would usually have loved to go on one of these legendary Pok?mon hunts, he just didn?t have the time anymore, age it seemed had caught him by the horns.
?Why after all this time does he bother to call me now, never a word to me after his parents died but now I get this cryptic message about the gold Phoenix shall light the way and right after the reports to top it off? muttered Professor Oak settling down in front of his computer ?It all worry?s me too much,? he said reaching for the telephone
Todd Matthews looked out towards the snow-covered mountains that loomed like menacing spires out of the green pastureland below. He was standing on the outskirts of Mahogany town, which sat like a splat of colour in the middle of the surrounding greenery. His eye flickered down to his Camera that hung from its well-worn belt like a well-oiled bell on a tolling rope. He looked through the lens of his camera zooming in on the humdrum of daily activity in the town below.
?Long time no see Todd,? said a heavily accented voice from behind him.
Todd turned around smiling; there behind him stood the young man all cloaked in black, clad with tall boots and wearing a red lapel pin in the shape of an Arcanine head. He had long black hair and unless you knew him you got the sense he was older than he really was.
?Hi Aeron it?s good to see you too!? said Todd all to happy to oblige the greeting ?what?s with the full dress uniform I thought you Rangers were pretty light on your dress code these days?
Aeron pulled the hood of his cloak and gave Todd a mischievous smile.
?Well it?s certainly not for you old friend, as fond as I am of you there?s no chance I?d wear this death-trap actually my old teacher is in town a while?
Todd gave a little chuckle Jared Sancheras was known to be even more of a traditionalist than the current leader of the rangers.
What are you doing here anyway Todd? I thought you were out west looking for that Articuno,? said Aeron fingering the brooch on his collar nonchalantly.
?Professor Oak asked me to help his research assistant track down some great phoenix the locals claim to have seen in the mountains, you know anything Aeron?
?No but I?ll keep my ear to the ground for you, gossip and rumour are a rangers best informant after all,? said Aeron winking and turning to leave ?well I gotta go Charles is gonna need feeding in a while and that?s one Charizard I don?t wanna mess with, good luck?
?Bye Aeron may we meet again by green pastures soon? said Todd smiling as Aeron flinched at the old ranger greeting
?Aye my friend, and may your road be clear of Rockets? said Aeron disappearing into the surrounding Pine forest
