Chapter Thirteen: Saffron City
Thankfully they discovered that after several attempts the car in the Morgan's garage did still run. The engine was not as smooth as the jeep but it was better than facing the prospect of walking to Saffron City. Butch's previous estimate had not been far out but, owing to the interruption to their journey, it would probably be well into tomorrow evening before they arrived at their destination.
Butch and James were taking it in turns to drive and at the moment it was Butch's turn again and Cassidy sat in the passenger seat. The mood had been subdued since they left the Morgan mansion. James had not spoken very much and Butch and Cassidy must have felt too awkward to say anything to him. They were several hours into the journey now and thankfully there had been no sign of the members of the Order but that didn't mean that they were out of danger, Meowth knew.
"We'll stop for a break soon," Butch commented after a while but no one chose to take the cue to begin conversation again. Cassidy seemed to be struggling with a need to sleep and a fear of doing so. Meowth sighed to himself and squirmed a little in his seat. The Morgan's classic car wasn't exactly the most comfortable transportation and the cat Pokémon wished that the limousine had been left behind instead.
This distraction from the matter at hand was a welcome one and Meowth hadn't brought up the topic of what they had learned since they left the mansion behind.
Once we've rescued Jessie, Megumi will return us to the present and we can figure out a way to stop this from happening, too
Thinking of Butch's words, Meowth just didn't know how they were going to go about rescuing Jessie let alone how to help James's parents. Rescuing Jessie was only the beginning. Once they had done that they had to get back to the present and somehow stop the virus from being released. Unless James's parents were somehow interlinked into this mess, Meowth didn't know if they could spare the time to try and help them and this was a possibility that he knew James had already thought of too. Even after all they had done, they were still his parents and Meowth couldn't even begin to imagine how James was feeling.
A few minutes later Butch pulled the car over to the side of the road so they could get out and stretch their legs. Meowth was glad to do so and he also helped himself to some of the food that Keiko had packed for them. Rather worryingly, James stated that he wasn't hungry and simply leaned against the side of the car, not even paying that much attention when Butch again reiterated the need for a plan. At this Meowth attempted to lighten the mood a little and said with a grin, "You're asking us? Our plans don't go too well remember?"
A faint smirk crossed Cassidy's lips before she glanced away and Butch only seemed annoyed that Meowth was being so light-hearted.
"Look," the cat Pokémon sighed, "we don't know what we're dealing with so how can we plan for it? We should just get to Saffron City and then see."
"No wonder your team always failed," Butch shot back a little testily, "with an attitude like that."
"You guys don't fair much better from what I can recall," Meowth snapped back defensively.
"Arguing is not going to help," James interrupted before Butch could reply.
"Then what do you suggest?" Cassidy asked snidely. So much for their unspoken truce, Meowth thought to himself.
"That the Order is expecting us and will have probably set up a trap of their own."
"James," Meowth shook his head in astonishment, "I think that has to be the smartest thing you've ever said."
"Why thank--hey!" the purple haired man pouted.
"He is right though," Butch said quickly before another squabble could break out. "If they're expecting us then we need to prepare a little surprise of our own."
The team was on edge. They had been waiting all night and still there was no sign of them. They had all been briefed on just how imperative it was to capture them and failure was simply not an option. The future that their Master had worked so hard to create was in danger and this had to be protected at all costs.
They waited in the shadows of the Silph Co building. The tension within the group was undeniable and the underlying fear was also; failure on this mission would mean death.
So they waited until the early hours, each lost in their own thoughts until finally they saw movement ahead of them. The enemy of the Order was about to walk right into their trap.
"I can't believe those two bailed," Meowth grumbled as they approached the Silph Co building. "After we'd come so far, too."
"I suppose they got scared," James answered, trying his best to sound calmer than he actually was inside. He had to admit he didn't like this plan at all but it was the only one they had. They couldn't hope to force their way into the building so they had to try a different tactic. Still, James wasn't sure that this would work. Butch assured them that the former Team Rocket Grunts were as stupid as they looked but James wasn't convinced. After all, this organisation had been responsible for taking over the entire Kanto region. Team Rocket could never claim to have done that.
Before this all started, James had never considered Team Rocket to be truly evil. Pokémon were used for profit and obtained through illegal means but no one was hurt, or so he thought. Now, having seen the nightmarish future that they would help create and also learning the fate of his parents, there was no room for doubt in James's mind. Team Rocket was evil and it made him ashamed to be a part of it. Not for much longer, he thought to himself. As soon as all this was over with he was going to quit. How could he remain working for the man who killed his parents? Of course, James did not plan to let this happen but in this future they had died and it was Giovanni's Team Rocket that killed them, not the Wild Fire Order.
"Scared?" Meowth scoffed, interrupting James's thoughts. "Its because Jess isn't their team mate, but we don't need them eh Jimmy? We'll rescue her all on our own."
"Right," James looked up, having detected movement from the building. There were men awaiting them as James had suspected. He wasn't sure how many but it didn't matter for their part in the plan.
Slowing down, James was sure that the men had seen them and so they changed tactic. Moving away from the entrance, James followed Meowth's lead as the Pokémon hurried to a window on the ground floor. James pretended not to see the men moving from the shadows as he tried to slide the window open.
At this moment they decided to make their presence 'known'.
"Don't move!" the leader of the group shouted and James turned round, quickly holding his hands up when he saw that they were armed.
"Don't shoot!" Meowth yelped and hid behind James's leg, "we surrender!"
The leader smirked at this and two of the men stepped forward and grabbed hold of James's arms.
"Where's the other two?" The leader demanded of Meowth.
"They're not here, we're alone."
The man held the cat Pokémon's gaze for a few seconds and James wondered if he would actually fall for this. However, he appeared to finally accept what Meowth told him and nodded to the other men.
"Take them inside. I'll do a search of the city just to be sure."
James didn't try to resist as his arms were pinned painfully behind his back and he and Meowth were forced towards the Silph building's entrance. As they moved, James thought he detected movement in the shadows of the building opposite. He had, had the feeling that they had been followed for a while but had dismissed it for nerves and did so again now. For the moment everything was going according to plan.
Butch watched in silence as James and Meowth were forced inside the Silph Co building. As he expected, one man was going to do a sweep of the city to be sure but this didn't matter to them. Butch had been to the Team Rocket headquarters in Saffron City before and was confident that the base underneath the Silph building had remained. Team Rocket had only taken over the entire building a few months ago in the present and, between himself and Cassidy, he hoped that they could recall the layout easily enough. Back then they hadn't entered through the main entrance but from the old base entrance, which was in the basement of one of the adjoining buildings. Not many had known that it linked to Silph and Butch hoped that this had been forgotten with time.
James and Meowth they would defiantly be expecting and if no one arrived then the Order would be alert and so they had both seen the sense in creating a diversion. Meowth, however, had been a little suspicious and Butch had trouble convincing him that they weren't going to run out on them. It was strange, as only a few days ago that thought would have occurred to Butch but not anymore. The change in attitude had crept up on him slowly and he wasn't sure he liked it at all. Cassidy, on the other hand, did not say much on the matter and although she had agreed to go along with the plan, she did not voice her feelings on the matter at all.
"Come on," Butch said, a little tersely as the door to the Silph building closed. He turned away and slipped inside the abandoned outbuilding.
As Butch suspected the Order had not bothered to put security on these derelict structures. After the virus had been unleashed they had more or less taken control of the Kanto region and, aside from small fractions of resistance, there was really no one to stand against them. Even the Johto and Hoen Governments were afraid to take on the Order lest they release the virus against them all. Isolationism had been the only option in order for them to protect their own.
It was Butch's fault, sir. He's the one who messed up this mission
Although those words and the price of failure seemed so long ago compared to what was happening now, Butch would not allow himself to forget it. His feelings for Cassidy were still confused and right now it was easier to hate her than dwell upon them.
Still, when he uncovered the basement entrance in the floor, half hidden by rubble, he saw her hesitate and couldn't help but comment on this.
"You don't have to come you know."
"I'm fine," was her reply and Butch felt his ire rising at the shrug that followed this.
"We both know you don't care what happens so why don't you just take off now?"
"I said I would help, didn't I?" Cassidy shot back and she pushed passed Butch and pulled the trap door open. The smell of the stale earth was strong but this didn't appear to put Cassidy off at all and she climbed down inside without another word. Very much annoyed by this, Butch followed her.
"Why exactly are you helping? You've never liked Jessie, or James for that matter."
"You heard what Megumi said, Butch. You know the score."
"So that's it? You're only helping so that you can get home?"
"Isn't that why you're helping them?"
"No."
Cassidy chuckled at this, "Butch, this is me remember? Don't tell me you actually care what happens to them?"
"They're part of Team Rocket. It's our duty to help them out, friend or foe. Of course, you don't care much for being part of a team."
Cassidy paused and whirled around to face him, "Don't tell me you're still angry about that? I only did what I had to do to get ahead. You would have done the same."
"No, I wouldn't and you know it!"
"Butch," Cassidy snapped, sounding bored now, "I'm really sorry that you received a demotion but it's really not that big a deal. I'm sure you can make it up again, after all Giovanni--"
"A demotion?" Butch snarled, startling her a bit by edging forward so that they were practically touching. "Is that all you think it was?"
She didn't know? She truly didn't know what happened after she left the Boss's office that day. That Butch had been taken down to the deepest part of the base and been beaten until he was unconscious. That he had been locked down there for nearly a week and received daily 'punishments' for his failure. Butch still had some scarring from these 'punishments' and for days nightmares had plagued him after his release. How could she not know what had happened?
"Butch?" Cassidy's face had suddenly lost its anger and she reached out to touch him, although he jerked away.
"Just forget it. We've got to find Jessie and get out of here."
With that he pushed passed her and continued on his way, not caring if she was following him or not.
Cassidy exhaled softly and leaned back against the earthen wall, watching in silence and Butch moved ahead of her. She was trembling, partly in anger and partly in shame. She hated how things were between them and although she knew that she was to blame, she just couldn't see how she could possibly make things right again, thus her anger. Cassidy always did that, reacted with anger and indifference when confronted and when she couldn't see another way out. However, Butch's reaction had also left her feeling cold.
Is that all you think it was?
What else had happened during that audience with Giovanni? Cassidy did not understand and Butch would not elaborate further. He often did that, began to say something and then it was as though he had changed his mind. Cassidy hated this about him. Why Butch could never just say what he was thinking she didn't know? She always lost her temper and said exactly what was on her mind but Butch kept things to himself. It frustrated her, now more than anything. She just wanted to make things right between them again.
So that's it? You're only helping so that you can get home?
This wasn't true at all. Cassidy did care. Jessie had been her childhood best friend and a part of her would always care, although she was loath to admit it.
We should wait until we get to Saffron City, then I'm sure we'll find out the truth
A chill went through Cassidy as she recalled her words to James. He had missed the hidden meaning behind them, a meaning that Cassidy was only beginning to understand herself. Since this journey began she had felt uneasy. Ever since those grunts had recognised her she felt doubts flooding into her mind. Jessie had been taken but Cassidy knew that she wasn't the intended target. Jessie had been a mistake and that was why the Order had pursued them.
it… it can't be true. You're…
There was more to this than even Megumi knew and Cassidy wasn't sure that she wanted to discover what secrets had been buried with the rise of the order. She wasn't sure how much more she could take. Ever since she had betrayed Butch things had been going wrong for her. More so than that, they had felt wrong. Cassidy had made a terrible mistake and now Butch hated her. She just couldn't see any way of making things right and this hurt her.
However, she also felt some anger directed at him. Had Butch have been a more competent member of the team then Cassidy wouldn't have been forced into making the choice that she had made. There had been failure after failure and so many times Cassidy had been through their actions trying to understand what they could have done different. Each time she felt herself thinking that Butch could have done something different. Maybe she had been right to blame him? Maybe he was the incompetent one? Or maybe it was simply bad luck? Ever since they first met those twerps they'd, like Jessie and James, had nothing but bad luck. Perhaps it was their fault? No, Cassidy dismissed this notion. How could a couple of kids get the better of the two best agents currently working in Team Rocket?
Cassidy just didn't know and now things were so different, so much more complicated. She felt so torn and this made her fear and anger grow. Butch had even sided with James and Meowth now. The three of them seemed on almost friendly terms now, their old rivalry having been forgotten.
Of course, you don't care much for being part of a team
This wasn't true, Cassidy wanted to argue but, deep down, it was. Ever since she discovered the truth about her mother and father and then how Jessie had stolen her mother away from her, Cassidy had convinced herself that she didn't need anyone. True, she had lots of 'friends' but they were all fakes, Mareep who only hung around with her because they wanted to be popular too or simply because they were scared of her. Cassidy went out of her way to make Jessie's life hell and yet she couldn't abandon her old friend now. Her emotions were so all over the place and Cassidy just didn't know which way to turn.
Coming to a standstill, Cassidy suddenly realised that she had lost sight of Butch and now the pathway in front of her forked into two separate ways.
"Butch?" She called out, not surprised, however, when he failed to reply. Butch could be as stubborn as she could at times.
For a fleeting second, Cassidy was tempted to turn back but to do so would only prove Butch right about her and she was not going to give him that satisfaction.
Frowning, she struggled to recall the way but she really couldn't be sure. Sighing out loud, Cassidy had decided to just choose a way and be done with it when she heard footsteps coming towards her. She glanced around; looking for somewhere to hide but there was nowhere. Before they had split up, James had given Cassidy the other gun, for it would have only been taken from him by the grunts anyway, and she slipped it from her belt now and pointed it in the direction of the footsteps. Light from the entrance still illuminated the tunnel well enough, but when the person finally came into view, Cassidy felt the gun slide from her fingertips and fall harmlessly to the ground. She stumbled back a pace, hardly able to believe her own eyes. She had come face to face with herself.
The creature moved forward slowly, observing the human's capture with a suppressed whine. Time no longer mattered to him as he was now, but the days had passed quicker since he had first seen them. Unknown to them, he had followed them; keeping just out of sight and even the cat Pokémon had not sensed him. He had wanted to make his presence known but had also been afraid for he was not the same being that he had once been. Like all who remained, the virus had changed him, and for so long he lived the life of a feral, until his Master had returned. He could recall dimly those days after his Master's parents died and how he had waited patiently for his Master to return home. Saddened that he hadn't been able to protect them, he had felt ashamed but still he waited. If his Master wished to punish him then he would allow this.
Yet his Master did not come. Then he became sick and after that everything seemed to fade. He could barely recall his life before a year ago now but he would always know his Master. And he would remain loyal, right until the very end.
"You…" Cassidy stumbled back from the woman, a cry half caught in her throat as her back hit the tunnel wall. At that moment she wished that Butch were here with her more than anything else. Just what was this? How could she be facing herself? This shouldn't be possible. This wasn't possible. Just what was this?
"You… you're…?" she trailed off, feeling unable to actually say it and the other 'Cassidy' smiled, albeit sadly, at this.
"I'm the person that you will become."
"No," Cassidy forced a laugh at this, "you can't be."
"Why not?" the other Cassidy challenged, folding her arms across her chest as she spoke. "Because it isn't possible?"
"It isn't. We shouldn't meet. Doesn't that upset the balance or something?"
It was the other Cassidy's turn to laugh now, although hers had a scornful edge and Cassidy felt herself cringe upon hearing it.
Do I really sound like that?
"You've been watching too many movies on the subject. We can meet; we can talk. It's not going to cause the entire world to collapse or anything dramatic. Do you think I would be here if it could?"
"Then why are you here? Has Butch…?"
"Butch hasn't seen me and I don't think it's a good idea for him to right now."
"Why not?" Cassidy asked, "He's my partner."
"He was your partner and in this world he is dead."
"He dies?" Cassidy felt cold at the other's words. "How?"
"Does it matter? What matters is who is responsible for his death."
"The Order?"
"Directly yes, but it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't made the choices that I did. My decisions killed him and now I want you to change it. I want you to change the world for all of us."
"Me?" Cassidy shook her head, feeling fear rising up inside of her at the other's words. "What did I do?"
"What do you know?"
"That the Order is Team Rocket, or some of them are anyway and that they unleashed a virus that wiped out Pokémon and enabled them to seize Kanto."
The other Cassidy nodded, "Do you know who is leading them?"
"Giovanni?"
"No. Giovanni is dead too. Professor Nanba is the one who created the virus. He is also the one who killed Giovanni and took over Team Rocket. Nanba is the villain and I helped him to do all this."
"No," Cassidy shook her head and took a step backwards. "No, I would never…"
"Yes you would," the other Cassidy snapped out as she approached her. "Look deep inside yourself and you'll know that the words I speak are true. You betrayed your own partner. Nanba promised me power and I believed him. I helped him manufacture the virus behind Giovanni's back and I helped kill him."
"No," Cassidy repeated, feeling sick inside. This was wrong. It had to be wrong. She would never…
it… it can't be true. You're…
Again she recalled the Grunts reaction to her. Such shock and recognition… She exhaled sharply as her trembling increased.Look deep inside yourself and you'll know that the words I speak are true
She had betrayed Butch and felt only a little remorse over this. She loved Butch and even that wasn't enough. Ever since she joined Team Rocket she had wanted to be the best. She had used Jessie, Butch and anyone else that tried to befriend her. All she had wanted, all she had cared about, was the power and Cassidy could feel that fierce desire still inside of her and this terrified her even more than the other Cassidy's words.
"You see," the other Cassidy said softly. "We are the same and you are already taking steps down the path that I walked a year ago."
"Then what do you want me to do?" Cassidy demanded.
"Change it. When you go back to the present you must or else this future will become reality. Jessie will help you."
"Jessie?" Cassidy scoffed. "Why would she help me?"
"Once Nanba realised Megumi's plan he decided to capture you and ensure that you go over to his side. However, Jessie was captured instead and I have spoken to her. I have told her what will happen. She will help you and so will the others."
"I can't accept Jessie's help. Not after what happened to my mother."
The other Cassidy shook her head sadly and for a moment tears formed in her eyes. "Are you ever going to stop punishing her for my past? She had no control over what happened to my mother or what my mother did to me."
Cassidy felt anger flare up at these words. "It was always about Jessie. My mother only ever cared about finding her. She stole her from me. Why should I let that go?"
"Because you have to."
"You know, I just can't believe I'm arguing with myself over Jessie. In fact I don't see why I should have to justify my emotions or my actions to anyone let alone a future version of myself. This entire conversation is impossible!"
Cassidy heard the other chuckle bitterly as she turned to go back the way that she had come. She wasn't going to listen to this anymore.
"Just let it go," the other Cassidy called after her. "If you love Butch then let it all go. If you don't then we would have killed him again."
If you love ButchWhat does it matter if I love Butch? Whatever the other Cassidy said, she knew deep down that it was already too late. She couldn't align herself with Jessie and the others. They already hated her and after Jessie told them what she did in this world there would be no going back.
Cassidy was already alone.