What Matters? Chapter 5
By Arina Ketchum
Author notes: Based on a character created by my friend Electra. You don't really need to read her fanfics in order to enjoy this story, but you do get a different perspective when you do read them. :) This is my interpretation of Ele's fanfics, with no nudging from her at all. This is completely my doing. :) Many thanks to Electra for allowing the use of her wonderful character.
This fanfic is rated 'R' for language and certain topics broached. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
* * * *
Playing with Brock's 10 brothers and sisters was a lot of fun. By dinnertime, we were all thoroughly exhausted. As Brock dished out supper, I quietly picked up my stuff and slipped out the front door.
I walked down the street reminiscing about the day, as a jet black car with tinted windows came rolling up beside me. I thought nothing of it until it passed two or three houses with me. I started to walk faster and it sped up as well. I broke into a run, now knowing I was being followed. The car sped up even faster and screeched to a halt only a few feet behind me. I heard a car door open and I knew if I didn't run into someone soon...
They tackled me from behind, and I fell to the cement, skinning my knees and palms.
"You're a damn fool thinking you could just disappear, Electra."
I knew that voice. As soon as the first words were out.
Butch!
"Butch, please -"
"Shut up." he ordered me. "And don't try anything stupid like screaming or this trigger might just come off the safety if you get my drift."
Here he cocked the gun at the back of my head. I didn't say a word as Butch dragged me up and led me to the car.
"Damn stupid." was all he kept muttering as he shoved me in the backseat, then got in the other side. "Drive." he ordered the person up front, and we zipped off at an enormous speed.
"And don't you dare start with 'You won't get away with this!' I hear it enough just stealing pokemon." He noticed the blood running down my legs then. "We'll get you all nice and fixed up before I show you to Giovanni."
"What's the point?" I intoned sarcastically. "All he'll do is stick a gun to my head and blow my brains out."
Butch only smiled, which made me even more nervous than if he had responded. He had that cold, calculating look in his eyes I had seen the very first time he'd kidnapped me. I knew the rest of my life was going to be a slow painful, torcherous existence until my last breath.
* * * *
I spent the night in an uncomfortably cold, dank, and smelly cell. It did me no good to swat away the rats that scurried about as I tried to sleep on the small mattress on the floor the cell had been provided, so I gave up and began to cry. I would never see my adopted family again and I knew they would be terrified when I stopped calling and disappeared of the face of the Earth. How I wish I could tell them what was happening - why I was going to die...
"Electra?"
At the sound of my name, I raised my head and looked at the cell across from mine. It was really hard with barely any light, so I asked, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Mary - You know, Splash."
"Splash? What are you doing down here?"
"I should be asking you that - but I got caught by the cops one too many times. The boss bailed me out, but then threw me in here. I think jail would have been better than *this*, at least. Last I heard you'd escaped and that was five years ago. I figured they'd have given up on you by now."
"So did I." I said softly. "Butch got me today in Pewter City." Then it dawned on me - all the notes, all the creepy phone calls... "He must have been on my trail for years, waiting for the right moment to strike."
"Damn." Splash whispered. "That woulda scared me to death if he'd been stalking me like that. They take all your Pokemon?"
"Yeah." my eyes began to water. "Oh God, they'll kill my Raichu! Thunder won't listen to them and they'll kill her for it!" I began sobbing again and cried into the dirty mattress. Maybe I deserved my fate, but Thunder and the rest of my Pokemon sure didn't!
Splash didn't saying anything else for the rest of the night and I cried myself to sleep.
At first light, I was kicked in the shin as a wake-up call. Two Rockets stood above me, grinning malevolently. I was blindfolded with my hands tied behind my back and led down the hall, while I heard Splash screaming, "Not the firing squad! She doesn't deserve it!"
Tears ran down my face as I walked. I gave up silent thanks to everyone who had helped me and prayed my Pokemon would not suffer here.
There was one thing I remembered as we walked up a staircase - James was one of the gunmen on the firing squad.
* * * *
They stuck me in the back of a van and started our journey. We arrived at our destination about a half-hour later. They unloaded me, and marched me up an incline, which I noticed had a lot of dry leaves on it - meaning we were possibly in a forest? We reached the top and the Rockets stopped and I heard a door being pushed open. Where the heck were we?
"We got her boss." One of them said.
Now I knew Giovanni didn't have any indoor firing squads, so this was a building used for other purposes.
"Good." the "boss" purred, and I immediately knew it wasn't Giovanni.
"Butch." I whispered fearfully.
Butch must have motioned the other two to sit me down, because they pushed me down onto something soft - a bed?!
I heard my captors leave and I realized Butch and I were all alone.
"What do you want with me?" I tried to keep the fear out of my voice.
Butch chuckled. "Always straight forward. You haven't changed, Electra."
I didn't reply.
"Giovanni wants you dead, and I find that not the least surprising, even if you are his daughter."
I gasped. "How did you know that?"
He leaned down to me, and I could feel his hot breath on my face. "I know more about you than your own father, my dear."
The way he said that gave me the creeps, as if the whole situation wasn't scary enough. Butch sat down next to me on the bed. "But I had a better idea. You'll marry me instead and help me steal Pokemon, and when Giovanni dies, we'll take over Team Rocket!"
I was horrified and immediately countered, "Never! I'll never marry you or go back to Team Rocket!"
Butch didn't seem phased. "You forget what position you're in my dear. Marry me or die."
I gritted my teeth and jumped up. "What kind of life would it be married to the scum of the Earth? I would rather be dead!"
I heard Butch jump up and I ran for it - still blindfolded and my hands tied behind my back - straight into a wall. I stumbled backwards, into Butch's arms. The last thing I remember was being dumped back on the bed before blacking out.
* * * *
I struggled to regain consciousness many times, but I could only maintain it for a few moments. Every time I did, I saw Butch leaning over me, leering at me, and I would try to say something, but then fall back into darkness before a word could slip out.
I could not tell the difference between the dreams and reality, because Butch, Team Rocket dwelled in both. When I re-gained full consciousness, I found myself back in the truck (I assumed it was the same one that brought me), but this time I was only bound, but not blindfolded. Butch was sitting across from me.
"Have a good nap, Electra? You must've banged your head pretty hard, you've been out all day."
"Let me go Butch, please. I won't tell anyone anything about Team Rocket, I swear I won't. All I want to do is train Pokemon, lead a normal life."
Butch threw back his head and laughed. "Normal life? After what you've seen and heard? Nope, you're not gonna get it. You had your chance when I proposed." he shrugged.
Tears filled my eyes. "Then at least let my Pokemon go."
Butch shook his head. "Can't do that either. Had to shoot all of them -"
"NO!" I screamed hoarsely.
"'Cept your Raichu, which got away from us. You taught it some good agility moves." he admitted.
I began to sob. "You bastard, you son-of-a-bitch BASTARD!"
Butch reached across and slapped me across the face. "You can call me all the names you want, but don't get my mother involved!" He leaned back and chuckled. "I'm glad I took you when you were out. I doubt I woulda had that much fun if you were awake. We did some pretty wild stuff back in that cabin. Would you like a re-enactment?" Butch looked at me, his eyes glittering with malicious excitement.
My eyes widened as I looked at him. He didn't...he wouldn't have...But I knew Butch too well. I heard he'd even taken advantage of one of his former female teammates when she'd gotten drunk and passed out in her room...
My eyes filled with tears. "How could you do this to me?!"
"Call it payback for throwing up in my friend's jeep way back when." Butch's expression hadn't changed. "Hm, maybe I'll cancel our current destination, and get us a hotel room for the night." He reached for me and with all the strength I could muster, I kicked him in the shins.
Butch only grinned. "Too damn bad you're gonna die, cause you were good. *Very* good."
My stomach turned as the truck lurched to a halt. We'd arrived at our new destination: Team Rocket Laboratories.
* * * *
"Butch, is that you?"
"Yep, and I brought you a new toy to play with."
The scientists turned around as we walked into the room.
"A former Rocket member who thought she could escape. She needs proper punishment." Butch continued.
"Why bring her here? We have no use for her."
Butch grinned darkly. He was getting at something. "I had heard awhile ago that Team Rocket does experiments on humans as well as Pokemon."
"No!" I gasped. Butch couldn't actually be serious. The rumors couldn't possibly be true about humans being used for lab experiments here!
"All of our previous attempts at merging Pokemon and human DNA were successful but all the results died from from the procedure soon after."
"Well here's a new attempt." Butch pushed me forward a bit. "I'll go get a Pokemon from the next room. You two strap her in."
I probably should have taken that oppurtunity to run as Butch left the room, but I was feeling such despair at that point that I might as well be dead. Even that little voice that urged me to survive so many times before had left me.
The scientists untied my hands and strapped me down without any resistance from me, which I'm sure they found surprising. But my spirit had been broken, I didn't want to fight, didn't want to live.
Butch came back into the room, a Pokeball in one hand, an unopened can of soda in the other.
I didn't want to see the poor creature that was going to die with me, so I turned my head to the wall. I closed my eyes as I felt the first needle puncture my arm and waited to die.
End Chapter 5
By Arina Ketchum
Author notes: Based on a character created by my friend Electra. You don't really need to read her fanfics in order to enjoy this story, but you do get a different perspective when you do read them. :) This is my interpretation of Ele's fanfics, with no nudging from her at all. This is completely my doing. :) Many thanks to Electra for allowing the use of her wonderful character.
This fanfic is rated 'R' for language and certain topics broached. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
* * * *
Playing with Brock's 10 brothers and sisters was a lot of fun. By dinnertime, we were all thoroughly exhausted. As Brock dished out supper, I quietly picked up my stuff and slipped out the front door.
I walked down the street reminiscing about the day, as a jet black car with tinted windows came rolling up beside me. I thought nothing of it until it passed two or three houses with me. I started to walk faster and it sped up as well. I broke into a run, now knowing I was being followed. The car sped up even faster and screeched to a halt only a few feet behind me. I heard a car door open and I knew if I didn't run into someone soon...
They tackled me from behind, and I fell to the cement, skinning my knees and palms.
"You're a damn fool thinking you could just disappear, Electra."
I knew that voice. As soon as the first words were out.
Butch!
"Butch, please -"
"Shut up." he ordered me. "And don't try anything stupid like screaming or this trigger might just come off the safety if you get my drift."
Here he cocked the gun at the back of my head. I didn't say a word as Butch dragged me up and led me to the car.
"Damn stupid." was all he kept muttering as he shoved me in the backseat, then got in the other side. "Drive." he ordered the person up front, and we zipped off at an enormous speed.
"And don't you dare start with 'You won't get away with this!' I hear it enough just stealing pokemon." He noticed the blood running down my legs then. "We'll get you all nice and fixed up before I show you to Giovanni."
"What's the point?" I intoned sarcastically. "All he'll do is stick a gun to my head and blow my brains out."
Butch only smiled, which made me even more nervous than if he had responded. He had that cold, calculating look in his eyes I had seen the very first time he'd kidnapped me. I knew the rest of my life was going to be a slow painful, torcherous existence until my last breath.
* * * *
I spent the night in an uncomfortably cold, dank, and smelly cell. It did me no good to swat away the rats that scurried about as I tried to sleep on the small mattress on the floor the cell had been provided, so I gave up and began to cry. I would never see my adopted family again and I knew they would be terrified when I stopped calling and disappeared of the face of the Earth. How I wish I could tell them what was happening - why I was going to die...
"Electra?"
At the sound of my name, I raised my head and looked at the cell across from mine. It was really hard with barely any light, so I asked, "Who is it?"
"It's me, Mary - You know, Splash."
"Splash? What are you doing down here?"
"I should be asking you that - but I got caught by the cops one too many times. The boss bailed me out, but then threw me in here. I think jail would have been better than *this*, at least. Last I heard you'd escaped and that was five years ago. I figured they'd have given up on you by now."
"So did I." I said softly. "Butch got me today in Pewter City." Then it dawned on me - all the notes, all the creepy phone calls... "He must have been on my trail for years, waiting for the right moment to strike."
"Damn." Splash whispered. "That woulda scared me to death if he'd been stalking me like that. They take all your Pokemon?"
"Yeah." my eyes began to water. "Oh God, they'll kill my Raichu! Thunder won't listen to them and they'll kill her for it!" I began sobbing again and cried into the dirty mattress. Maybe I deserved my fate, but Thunder and the rest of my Pokemon sure didn't!
Splash didn't saying anything else for the rest of the night and I cried myself to sleep.
At first light, I was kicked in the shin as a wake-up call. Two Rockets stood above me, grinning malevolently. I was blindfolded with my hands tied behind my back and led down the hall, while I heard Splash screaming, "Not the firing squad! She doesn't deserve it!"
Tears ran down my face as I walked. I gave up silent thanks to everyone who had helped me and prayed my Pokemon would not suffer here.
There was one thing I remembered as we walked up a staircase - James was one of the gunmen on the firing squad.
* * * *
They stuck me in the back of a van and started our journey. We arrived at our destination about a half-hour later. They unloaded me, and marched me up an incline, which I noticed had a lot of dry leaves on it - meaning we were possibly in a forest? We reached the top and the Rockets stopped and I heard a door being pushed open. Where the heck were we?
"We got her boss." One of them said.
Now I knew Giovanni didn't have any indoor firing squads, so this was a building used for other purposes.
"Good." the "boss" purred, and I immediately knew it wasn't Giovanni.
"Butch." I whispered fearfully.
Butch must have motioned the other two to sit me down, because they pushed me down onto something soft - a bed?!
I heard my captors leave and I realized Butch and I were all alone.
"What do you want with me?" I tried to keep the fear out of my voice.
Butch chuckled. "Always straight forward. You haven't changed, Electra."
I didn't reply.
"Giovanni wants you dead, and I find that not the least surprising, even if you are his daughter."
I gasped. "How did you know that?"
He leaned down to me, and I could feel his hot breath on my face. "I know more about you than your own father, my dear."
The way he said that gave me the creeps, as if the whole situation wasn't scary enough. Butch sat down next to me on the bed. "But I had a better idea. You'll marry me instead and help me steal Pokemon, and when Giovanni dies, we'll take over Team Rocket!"
I was horrified and immediately countered, "Never! I'll never marry you or go back to Team Rocket!"
Butch didn't seem phased. "You forget what position you're in my dear. Marry me or die."
I gritted my teeth and jumped up. "What kind of life would it be married to the scum of the Earth? I would rather be dead!"
I heard Butch jump up and I ran for it - still blindfolded and my hands tied behind my back - straight into a wall. I stumbled backwards, into Butch's arms. The last thing I remember was being dumped back on the bed before blacking out.
* * * *
I struggled to regain consciousness many times, but I could only maintain it for a few moments. Every time I did, I saw Butch leaning over me, leering at me, and I would try to say something, but then fall back into darkness before a word could slip out.
I could not tell the difference between the dreams and reality, because Butch, Team Rocket dwelled in both. When I re-gained full consciousness, I found myself back in the truck (I assumed it was the same one that brought me), but this time I was only bound, but not blindfolded. Butch was sitting across from me.
"Have a good nap, Electra? You must've banged your head pretty hard, you've been out all day."
"Let me go Butch, please. I won't tell anyone anything about Team Rocket, I swear I won't. All I want to do is train Pokemon, lead a normal life."
Butch threw back his head and laughed. "Normal life? After what you've seen and heard? Nope, you're not gonna get it. You had your chance when I proposed." he shrugged.
Tears filled my eyes. "Then at least let my Pokemon go."
Butch shook his head. "Can't do that either. Had to shoot all of them -"
"NO!" I screamed hoarsely.
"'Cept your Raichu, which got away from us. You taught it some good agility moves." he admitted.
I began to sob. "You bastard, you son-of-a-bitch BASTARD!"
Butch reached across and slapped me across the face. "You can call me all the names you want, but don't get my mother involved!" He leaned back and chuckled. "I'm glad I took you when you were out. I doubt I woulda had that much fun if you were awake. We did some pretty wild stuff back in that cabin. Would you like a re-enactment?" Butch looked at me, his eyes glittering with malicious excitement.
My eyes widened as I looked at him. He didn't...he wouldn't have...But I knew Butch too well. I heard he'd even taken advantage of one of his former female teammates when she'd gotten drunk and passed out in her room...
My eyes filled with tears. "How could you do this to me?!"
"Call it payback for throwing up in my friend's jeep way back when." Butch's expression hadn't changed. "Hm, maybe I'll cancel our current destination, and get us a hotel room for the night." He reached for me and with all the strength I could muster, I kicked him in the shins.
Butch only grinned. "Too damn bad you're gonna die, cause you were good. *Very* good."
My stomach turned as the truck lurched to a halt. We'd arrived at our new destination: Team Rocket Laboratories.
* * * *
"Butch, is that you?"
"Yep, and I brought you a new toy to play with."
The scientists turned around as we walked into the room.
"A former Rocket member who thought she could escape. She needs proper punishment." Butch continued.
"Why bring her here? We have no use for her."
Butch grinned darkly. He was getting at something. "I had heard awhile ago that Team Rocket does experiments on humans as well as Pokemon."
"No!" I gasped. Butch couldn't actually be serious. The rumors couldn't possibly be true about humans being used for lab experiments here!
"All of our previous attempts at merging Pokemon and human DNA were successful but all the results died from from the procedure soon after."
"Well here's a new attempt." Butch pushed me forward a bit. "I'll go get a Pokemon from the next room. You two strap her in."
I probably should have taken that oppurtunity to run as Butch left the room, but I was feeling such despair at that point that I might as well be dead. Even that little voice that urged me to survive so many times before had left me.
The scientists untied my hands and strapped me down without any resistance from me, which I'm sure they found surprising. But my spirit had been broken, I didn't want to fight, didn't want to live.
Butch came back into the room, a Pokeball in one hand, an unopened can of soda in the other.
I didn't want to see the poor creature that was going to die with me, so I turned my head to the wall. I closed my eyes as I felt the first needle puncture my arm and waited to die.
End Chapter 5