Top of the World

SUMMARY: "You may think this may be a temporary thing for you, Biff, but this will forever be a reality to face every freaking day of your freaking life. Once you start, you can never quit. It's like an addiction. One that never breaks, because when you think it's getting crappy, it gets exciting and you get hooked on it all over again. Sure, it has it's consequences, but I'm willing to take a chance and be the hero. Or, in this case, the villain." It's Cassidy and Butch, the duo that everyone loves— er, hates. But this is a story that centers on them and only them. From start to finish, the moment they met to the moment they said goodbye. And then the stuff in between the years that they thought wouldn't matter in the years to come. A secret love affair; the truth about Cassidy's past revealed; the missions that tested their friendship; the people that they met; this is the story of two very different people, striving to make a change in the world before them. It's the story of Team Rocket and trials of love, life, truth, and the pursuit of happiness.

--Prologue: November 14, 2027

"Damn poochyenas, won't stop barking..." Cassidy grumbled as she stepped out of the room, careful to not make any noise that would wake her sleeping daughter. She walked downstairs, making sure to remember to put Kingsley and Queenie outside to continue with their "barking-fest" without disturbing the family's sleeping patterns. Or put them back into their PokéBalls. Whichever she was in the mood for.

"Shut up, Kingsley! Don't wake up mom-oh. Hi mom." Cassidy's supposed-to-be-sleeping daughter said once she saw her mother standing in the doorway. Cassidy crossed her arms and sighed. Her daughter looked down and avoided her mom's eyes. She focused on the marble table instead of Cassidy's stony eyes.

"Josie, what in God's name are you doing in the kitchen late at night? You know you're supposed to be meeting Professor Evergreen tomorrow morning! Go to bed, now!" Cassidy screeched at her child. Josie nodded shamefully and muttered a quick "sorry" before heading upstairs.

Cassidy turned to her prized poocheyenas. "Josie's right, shut up." Kingsley responded with a "pooch, poocheyena!" Cassidy sighed and whipped out both Kingsley's and Queenie's PokéBalls. "Kingsley, if you don't stop barking, you won't go with Josie tomorrow and will stay in this PokéBall for the rest of the week. Understand?" The pokémon immediately stopped barking."Good, we're on the same agreement now." She patted his head and returned him to the PokéBall.

Just before Cassidy headed upstairs, a flash of red caught her attention. To turned to see her old memory scrapbook on the lying on the table, the frayed edges of the age-old book sticking out. She turned around to make sure Josie had gone back upstairs, then sauntered over to the marble table. She sat on the chair Josie had sat in, then flipped the book to the first page. An array of tattered papers and articles flew everywhere. Cassidy cursed under her breath and scrambled to her feet. She gathered the papers until one caught her eye. She pulled her hair back and grabbed the old newspaper. Cassidy scanned the paper until she found the article that brought back memories.

THIRTEEN POKEMON GONE MISSING FRIDAY EVENING; TEAM ROCKET SUSPECTED!

She laughed when she remembered that day. It was her's and Butch's mission, and a successful one, at that. She could clearly remember the things that happened and why they happened that day. She could remember when Butch tied up Nurse Joy, knocked her out with a drug that made her forget everything that day. One by one, the thirteen pokémon became theirs. Powerful ones, too. Poliwhirls, Absols, a Crobat, Ninetails, a Tropius, and even a Raichu. All theirs and not those other twerps'.

"Mom?" Cassidy jumped and turned around.

"Josie, I told you to- oh, hey Olivia. What's up, darling?" Cassidy closed up her memory book and slipped it behind her back. Olivia raised an eyebrow and peered over Cassidy's shoulder. Cassidy turned around and dug the memory book into her skin in hopes that Olivia wouldn't see.

"Mom...? What's behind your back?" Olivia asked. Cassidy sighed and ignored her. "Liv, what do you want? You need to go to bed now, darling," Cassidy said. Olivia crossed her arms and stood in front of the stairway and glared at her mom. She rolled her eyes and walked to her mom and meandered around Cassidy in a curious manner. She stopped at the chair parallel to her mom's seat.

"Mom, can I finish my goddamn thought? Thanks. Anyway, I was thinking. I'm seventeen. And I'm about to go into the world by myself with just Queenie. I've decided... and I'm just warning you before hand, as your opinion will not, and emphasis on not, change my decision. I'm joining Team Rocket," Olivia folded her hands and smiled weakly at her mother. Cassidy blinked and smirked. She pushed the book to Olivia and pointed to it, saying nothing. "Mom, say something. You're scaring me. What... what is this?" She flipped through the pages and stared at the jumbled mess of papers and pictures.

"Olivia, stay down here, let me tell you a story," Cassidy got up and walked to a kitchen cabinet. She grabbed two glasses and a wine bottle. She plopped back down and poured the wine into both glasses. She passed one to her daughter.

"...I'm not twenty-one yet. I can't drink," Olivia told her mom, gaping at her. Cassidy laughed. "Darling, you said you're joining Team Rocket, right?" Olivia nodded, then said, "So?"
Cassidy stared at her daughter, "Olivia, you might as well drink up. First of all, I have a confession to make. That book right there? Its a memory book. Look at it, it'll tell you everything you need to know about my past." Olivia squinted and skimmed through the book until she found a picture. She gazed at her mom, then back to the photo, "Mom... that's... I mean, this is you." She showed the picture to her mom. It was of Cassidy, dressed in a black and red bikini (the Team Rocket colors, but then again, Olivia didn't know about that) with her partner hugging her and laughing. He sported black swim shorts and a white tank top. The duo were standing in front of the Porta Vista Beach.

"Olivia. This was one of my many missions with Butch, my partner back when I was a Team Rocket executive." Cassidy said while sipping her drink. Olivia widened her eyes. "You- you were in Team Rocket?"
Cassidy nodded. Olivia sighed and took a sip of her drink. "Let me tell you about him, Butch. He was the only man that I trusted with my life. He proved this to be true, as he did save my life once. And maybe my innocence, too. But that was over twenty years ago."

Olivia looked at her mom, "You didn't trust dad?" Cassidy smiled, then frowned, "While, for one, if I did, I wouldn't have divorced him. Olivia, sweetie. What I'm about to tell you will break your heart. But it will make you understand everything about me and life itself. Everyone has a secret. My life itself is a secret. Only one other person knows everything about my life. Figures, I spent a decade of life alongside him. Darling, Daniel wasn't your father," At this, Olivia let out a cry.

"But mom...who is then?"
"Let me tell you a story. Its about Team Rocket, as well, so listen up, kiddo." Cassidy sighed and sipped more of her wine. This was going to be a long night.

-A/N: So, there's the prologue of my story. How is it? I'm a new writer to Pokemon, so I don't exactly how great it is. Just warning you, T for Teen. 'Cos I have a cursing habit in writing. Plus, violence and mentions of sex. This is my experiment on frame writing, which means this story will constantly go back and forth to Cassidy's Team Rocket days and Olivia's time. In one point it will come together, but I'm not going to spoil it for you readers. :)

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