Author's Notes and Disclaimer
This is my first formal fanfiction. I've written many chicken scratch stories in the past, and I will fully admit, I am a diehard rocketshipper, and have been for probably 15+ years now. I'm an adult Pokemon nerd, not going to lie. This story might seem a little dark at times, but I promise it will end well. ;) You'll just have to wait and see how it gets there. It's set in the future, past all the shows thus far. Jessie might seem a little out of character, but considering the story line, you'll understand why once you begin reading. There are mature themes in this story, I suggest you keep that in mind before reading. All the other characters from the show that appear should be relatively close to their original characters, however they will obviously be older and more mature. The other random characters were pulled from my mind, all resemblances are completely unintentional. The last names of Jessie and James are ones that I have seen used around here in other stories.
Also, a note, I have not written in a LONG time. Since high school, so over 10 years. Please forgive any major grammatical errors such as sentence fluency or punctuation. I did try to proofread this as best as I can, but I don't have anyone available to help me with any extra proofreading.
Disclaimer: Pokemon and all included characters do not belong to me. Just for the sake of technicality.
Chapter 1
It was over. That was all she could think about as she laid in the back of the ambulance as it drove toward the hospital. Despite the pain she was in, the reassurance of the emergency medical technicians nearby made her breathe a little easier. Her pain was more-so emotional than physical, but she did have some gashes and bruises that needed to be looked at, as well as a possible broken wrist. Her waist length faded red hair was a tangled mess behind her, a strong contrast against the starch white hospital blankets. She sighed, and one of the technicians asked her if she was alright. She nodded, and closed her eyes in an attempt to quell the increasing nausea and nervousness she felt.
They arrived at the Kanto Region General Hospital shortly after, and she was transported to a room. A nurse came in, a grey haired older woman, with a kind and gentle face.
"My name is Linnea, I will be your nurse today. The current on call Doctor is Eric Darnbrough and he will be in shortly to assist with an exam. Can you tell us your name, dear?" She asked.
"Yes. My name is Jessica Tonaka, " the girl with red hair responded.
"Thank you Jessica. We will need your birth date as well as any other relevant information. Do you feel well enough to fill out a few admission papers? There is a police officer on her way to speak with you. We need you to provide a statement on what happened," Linnea explained gently. While Linnea didn't have any idea what this young girl in the hospital gurney before her had endured, she knew it couldn't have been anything good. Jessie's hair was a dismal, matted mess, and her clothes were very old and worn. Her eyes were dull, and her face showed how thin and pale she was, with light bruising on her right cheek. The bruises on her wrists coupled with some deep gashes hinted that she had been kept either handcuffed or chained to something, and given the depth of the gashes, it had been that way for a while. The bruises were a deep purplish blue color with yellowing on the outside, and the right wrist looked swollen. Linnea's heart ached for the poor girl. Jessie had scribbled down the information on the paperwork she had been given, and Linnea spoke again. "Now, I am going to insert an IV line into your arm so that we can get some fluids into you, you look dehydrated. It will also help if we need to administer any other medications. I'm guessing the police officer will want your blood drawn as well to get a full health background on you."
Jessie grimaced, she was never one to like hospitals, and especially not needles. But she turned her head to look the other way and let Linnea do her work. There was a small pinch, and before she knew it, the IV was in and done with. She sighed a small sigh of relief. She was certainly tired of any type of pain, that was for sure. She had a feeling she'd have to explain her last 6 years to the officer, and that was something she wasn't looking forward to either. Her emotions were all over the place, from angry, to sad, to embarrassed, and even to feeling guilty. Sometimes she felt like it was her fault that she had been in the situation she was in, but deep in her heart, she knew it wasn't. She tried to pull up some good memories from her past, but the only thing she could think of was her good Team Rocket days, back when times were good, or as good as they could be. The faces of James and Meowth flashed into her memory, and she tried to suppress a tear, but it slid out and rolled down her cheek.
Linnea saw the tear and patted her on the arm, "I don't have any idea what happened to you, dear, but it's all okay now. I promise. You're safe here."
At that moment, a Kanto Police Officer stepped into the room, a young woman with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She came over to Linnea, pulled her aside and whispered something into her ear, and Linnea excused herself from the room. The officer then came over to Jessie's bedside and smiled gently. "Hi, my name is Lieutenant Johnson. I'm here to take a statement from you. The Kanto Police Force successfully completed a total shutdown of Team Rocket today, as you may already know. Giovanni and his Elite Leaders have all been taken into custody and the Police Force has control of the base, as well as the bases that were located in other regions such as Hoenn and Sinnoh. You were found in the main headquarters in Viridian City, held captive in the Elite Base, is that correct, Miss Tonaka?"
Jessie nodded, biting her lip. She knew she didn't want to talk about any of this, but she knew she had to. Lieutenant Johnson continued, "Can you tell me what happened to you, and why you were a captive? Any bit of information you can give us will help us when we go to prosecute in court. I know it will be hard to talk about, but it's very important."
Jessie nodded again and glanced out the window. She began speaking, quietly but firmly.
"As you probably know, my name is Jessica Tonaka. I was once a Team Rocket agent myself. My partners and I weren't a very successful team, although Mew knows we certainly tried. We had been a part of the team for a number of years, and one day, Giovanni called us into his office. He told us that he wasn't pleased with our work any longer, and that our employment as Team Rocket Field Agents had been terminated. He then proceeded to explain that since we knew too much, my partner James was to be sent to a Team Rocket Facility in Unova, where he would be assigned to various tasks with meager pay. Meowth was to be taken to a remote island and released to fend for himself. Before Giovanni could tell us what I was going to be subjected to, James and Meowth were forced out of the room. I never saw them again." Another tear slid down her cheek, but she quickly reached up to wipe it away and attempted to regain her composure.
"Giovanni then informed me that I was to become an assistant to the one of the 5 Elite Leaders that served beneath Giovanni. The Elite Leaders were the leaders of the main bases in each of the various regions. I was to stay here in Viridian, beneath the Elite Leader, Viper. He was one of the recruit trainers as well. I knew him vaguely from my training days at that point. I had no idea what Giovanni had meant when he said assistant. I had gone into it thinking that I'd be assisting Viper with daily business tasks, and was quickly proved wrong." She tensed up at this point, and Lieutenant Johnson sensed her apprehensiveness.
"Jessica, I need you to continue. I know it isn't easy, I really do. But the more information you give me today could help make or break the case when it goes to court. Please continue. After this, no one will ask you to speak about it again. If you choose, you can sign a form today that will allow me to represent you during the court session so that you do not have to be present. Go on…" the Lieutenant said, as she reached over to touch Jessie's shoulder gently in reassurance. Jessie flinched at the contact, and quickly muttered an apology.
"Viper was not a nice man. Each of the Elite members had a special apartment at headquarters. I was instructed to clean, do his laundry, cook…" she shuddered a bit as she continued, "and to satisfy him physically if he desired it. I was not allowed to leave the apartment. These bruises and gashes on my wrists were from containment devices, they were small bracelet like devices that acted like a shock collar, essentially. If I tried to leave, they'd shock me and tighten up. Viper carried the control device in his pocket at all times. I had tried to escape a few times in the first few years that I was there, but it just ended in pain and misery for me. He would hit me and throw me around if I disobeyed his requests and lock me in the hallway closet if I angered him enough. I slept in a small room with a couple of blankets and an old pillow, nothing else. He barely allowed me to eat. I can't even think of the last time I've had a real meal."
"He forced me to please him sexually quite often, whichever way he desired it. He would force himself onto me, usually in a drug or alcohol induced stupor. It seemed he would come back to his apartment at the end of the day and drink or shoot himself up, and then he'd come after me. I can't even count the times I was raped or forced to please him. At one point, I gave up fighting it. I endured this for 6 years. I can't even begin to tell you how glad I am to be out of there." Jessie bit back the tears and looked away. "That's all. There really isn't any more to it. The days were just another checkmark on the calendar. They blurred together and seemed like an eternity." She stopped and shrugged at the officer.
"Thank you Jessica. I think that's more than enough information to put at least Viper away for a very long time. I appreciate you telling me everything, even though it wasn't easy. I am going to submit your file to our major crimes department and have them look over it. If they have any questions, they will contact you directly. They will be the only ones who would need any further information from you regarding this situation. The only other thing we need is a full exam by the on staff doctor today to include with your file to document your injuries sustained by your treatment and abuse. I believe Linnea said the Doctor should be around to see you very soon. In the meantime, please rest. You are safe here and in very good hands." With that, Lieutenant Johnson left the room.
A few minutes passed, and Jessie sat in silence on the bed. She honestly didn't even know what to think. The last six years of her life had been a true living hell, and it was weird to suddenly be out of it. Now the uncertainty of the future hovered over her; where would she go and what would she do? She had no family or even any friends. She wasn't even sure that she could start over anywhere. Her silent reverie was interrupted by a knock on the door. Linnea stepped in and alongside her was a middle aged man with brown hair, and Jessie could only assume was the doctor Linnea had mentioned earlier.
"Jessica, this is Dr. Darnbrough. He is here to complete your exam so we can send your file off to the Kanto Police Station for review. It won't take long, we just need to do a regular physical. After that, I'd like you to rest. We don't have a reason to keep you here in the hospital, so we will be arranging for your discharge. Is there anywhere you can go?" Linnea said.
Jessie shook her head. "No, I don't have any family and I don't have anywhere I can go." Her voice faltered, the fear still lingering in her heart and mind was apparent to the doctor and the nurse.
"Alright, we have a recovery facility down the road, perhaps I can look into booking you a room there for a few days. There are some social workers there that can help you find housing." Linnea responded kindly. "For now, let's get this exam over with."
The exam didn't take long, Dr. Darnbrough documented all of the injuries Jessie had sustained in the recent months and made note of any past scars. He also noted in her file that there had been signs of multiple types of abuse. He recommended that she see a therapist to help her adjust back to reality. Jessie just nodded. She was exhausted. Shortly after Linnea had given her some pain medication for her wrist, which luckily was not broken, just very sore, Jessie fell into a dream ridden sleep.