Notes: I feel the need to say there's lots of "possibly upsetting content" in this chapter, including but not limited to references to previous chapters. Also, though staying within the realm of "vague", "implied" and "off screen", there's some sexual references/talk that really isn't in any other chapter.
The last of the chapters specifically spotlighting the individual rocket members. Though of course it's not the last of Team Rocket in general for the story... Being the main conflict and all... Enjoy!
63: Cassidy vs. Mew
"Come in," Giovanni ordered as he heard the knock on his office door. After a trying schedule, he was fairly sure this was the visitor he'd been waiting for all day.
Sure enough, Cassidy entered, a bound set of papers in her hand that she placed in front of him. "Here's the report as requested, sir. I included a summary of everything from before for anyone new, or not so new, to be able to follow up on."
"So you went above and beyond," Giovanni said. That much was pleasing. He'd given her that day as an absolute last possible deadline for this update after previous delays. Putting in more work than necessary to make up for past lapses wasn't expected, though maybe it ought to have been.
Just as Giovanni was about to start to look it over, Cassidy dropped another item on his desk, a standard sized envelope. "There's one more thing," she said as she did.
"What's this?" Giovanni said, picking it up and noting the fancy seal.
"My resignation."
Rage started to build as he heard the explanation, but the rocket boss still held back. "And why would one of my most elite agents resign?"
"It's my son," Cassidy said, not even trying to cover up the expected reason. "You know I haven't been able to dedicate myself completely due to his difficulties. I'll have to resign to be able to-"
"I won't allow it," Giovanni interrupted.
Cassidy glanced away before looking back at him. "I'll be done in a week, feel free to ask anything of me in the meantime."
"How troublesome that boy has been," Giovanni continued, ignoring her insubordination. "He's the one responsible for our true headquarters being revealed to authorities, isn't he?"
"I apologize for that. That incident is one reason I need to look after him more. I can't do that and give what's required here as well, sir."
Giovanni shook his head. "Yes, he's always hindered you. It would be better to be rid of him, wouldn't it?" the rocket boss snapped. "He's been distracting you all along. He's not needed. Get him into shape without this nonsense or I'll make sure to be rid of him myself. Understand?"
Cassidy's mouth opened, but she didn't speak. She had nothing to say, which wasn't typical of her at all. Even when he'd berated her before, she'd usually had some kind of rebuttal if not apologizing while agreeing to what he said straight away. Now, she even seemed to tremble, frozen for any kind of response.
Giovanni knew when to back off. He'd pushed too far already. One didn't acquire, or keep good subordinates by breaking them. "I know he's not the only reason you've been lacking. The support I allotted you before is gone. I haven't overlooked that. I'll forgive this lapse, at least knowing you're trying to correct yourself. I'll get you the assistance you need as well. But this..." Giovanni stood, holding the envelope up and ripping it in two. "This I won't accept. Understand?"
Cassidy held back from shouting as she returned to her dorm. She wanted to scream, cry, break things, but those nearby would hear. Then they might ask questions, or more likely, spread rumors. She ought to avoid that, especially since it seemed she was stuck here.
After all, her son had just been threatened, and this time by a so-called ally to her instead of an enemy. If it was an enemy or an ally to Team Rocket made no difference, her sweet boy was being targeted. Cassidy lay on the bottom bunk, trying to calm herself as she processed that conversation. How could that man threaten her child, the only thing left in her life that still mattered? The rocket boss himself ought to be the one killed just for that suggestion, though trying or even succeeding at that wouldn't end well. Why couldn't he just accept her leaving? It wasn't like she was even insisting he follow up on his promises, as she'd outlined in the letter he hadn't even read.
She was over focusing her life on this shady organization and its incompetent, narcissistic boss. Her son was the most important, and the fact he wasn't getting what he needed screamed out louder than ever before. He was neglected and traumatized. The group she'd hired to protect and care for him after he'd been kidnapped only made things worse. The other kids they watched over after school were all ill-behaved punks who bullied Jonathan, though not outright harming him as he'd been before. To avoid going with them, he'd run away, skip school, and otherwise get into trouble when the sweet kid had been nothing but cooperative before.
It was more than past time to go. All the money she had saved at this point including what Butch had left her was enough to start out. She'd wanted to give her little boy everything, but had realized he was suffering right then. He needed her. Jonathan couldn't wait for her to finally be rich. He certainly couldn't be left in Kanto with no one looking after him while she went across the ocean to look for Mew. But it seemed the boss might push for that.
Could she ask James to look after him? Cassidy quickly put that idea aside, for various reasons. Besides often being transient, he was also detached. Not that she'd ever relied on him, but she'd never told him to stay away either. He just had, remaining distant, only visiting her son the one time without even saying he would in advance. James asked about Jonathan, but it was just his way of reminding Cassidy that she wasn't taking care of the vulnerable kid well enough herself. James hadn't ever done any real caretaking himself, why would he now? No, she really was on her own, with an impossible quandary. Butch had been the only one she could send to check on Jonathan in her place, and yes, now that one support was gone. She had no one, she was the only person there for her little boy, but now she seemingly had to go along with the boss's wishes in order to protect his life. What could she do now?
Initially joining Team Rocket had been an easy decision for Cassidy. She was from the neighboring region to Kanto, which certainly had some pokemon, but far less. The pokemon that appeared near where people lived were managed and redirected away, laws were much more strict, and the overall culture much more wary. Of course, Cassidy had wanted to be a pokemon trainer since she'd first seen a pokemon battle show as a child. Growing up and finding out more and more about the world of pokemon, she realized how difficult it would be to break in. So of course, when hearing whispers of an opportunity to be a part of a group that sought to gain power through pokemon, she'd done everything to seek it out. After joining in one of their rare operations in her home region, she'd been invited to join them back in Kanto, and left without a second thought. Why would she hesitate, with promises of everything she wanted ahead and nothing she was really leaving behind?
At least, that's what she'd thought at the time.
James had joined Team Rocket just a few months after Cassidy herself. He seemed the most excited of the newbies that she'd been tasked to show around, paying close attention to everything she said, asking questions, and then making comments about how wonderful it would be once Team Rocket ruled the world.
Though others perked up at his enthusiasm, Cassidy herself wasn't moved. By that time, the initial excitement about joining had dulled. After all, she'd only engaged in various grunt work the past few weeks, getting harassed along the way. The thought she'd gain massive amounts of pokemon, power, and riches through the group that sought to monopolize all pokemon was starting to fade fast. The vision of creating an organization of pokemon taming and training to rule over the rest, cutting through the lackadaisical mediocrity of the current world that had incited her to join seemed to have been a farce.
No, the reality of Team Rocket wasn't very exciting, containing many of the problems Cassidy had sought to run from. What could this group of idiots do? Maybe she'd leave. That idea was only a momentary consideration. Having moved to Kanto, Cassidy was isolated from any former family or friends, but of course, none of those had ever been reliable in the first place. She had nothing else, and besides, she was too depressed to do anything other than continue with the current routine, doing whatever the boss or others currently considered her superiors told her.
"Excuse me, excuse me." James approached with a wide smile after she'd completed her tour.
"What?" Cassidy ought to have told him everything he needed to know before, so why was he bothering her now?
"You have a pokemon, don't you?" James asked.
"If you want a pokemon, you'll have to prove yourself worthy first," Cassidy said. When they'd get pokemon was a popular question with the newer members, and she was tired of hearing it. She'd gotten lucky to have one herself. The boss had acquired a pile of rattata and just given them out to everyone before they were dispersed. Agents with more seniority hadn't wanted them, so Cassidy had ended up with one herself.
"Of course," James said. "I just... I'd like to see some! Are you going to battle with it? How do you train it?"
"It's just a rattata," Cassidy said, taking out her pokeball. If he saw her pokemon was a commonplace species, maybe he'd leave her alone.
Instead, James shouted out in glee as it appeared, leaning down to the ground to see it better. "Look at that!" he said. "It's certainly different from an actual rat. It's not just larger, it's so bright and colorful. It's attractive and appealing in its own way, so dignified and charming. Pokemon are just wonderful, aren't they?"
Cassidy nodded, relaxing somewhat as the overenthusiastic man continued to observe her pokemon, which eventually stepped over next to Cassidy herself, calmly staying by her side.
James stood, now paying more attention to the trainer. "It's quite attached to you! How long have you had it?" he asked.
"Hm, just over a month," Cassidy informed.
"You must have taught it some powerful techniques. May I see you two battle? Please?" James asked.
Cassidy looked down at her pokemon, which peered back up at her expectantly, then nodded. What else did she have to do? Her pokemon needed more training anyway. They went outside, where an agent Cassidy might have thought better to avoid trained alone with his fearow. She'd caught that pokemon along with rattata before it had been given to a different field agent, but wasn't sure she could win in a standard battle. James ran ahead of her and requested the battle before she could protest. Since the new recruit was there, things would probably be fine. Cassidy ordered her rattata onto the field. It ran out swiftly, narrowing its eyes toward the fearow. "Quick attack!" Cassidy shouted.
"Rattata!" Rattata called as it ran toward the fearow, practically a blur.
"Fearow, fury attack!" the other trainer ordered as Rattata hit, only to be repeatedly pecked by its opponent.
"Rattata, tackle!" Cassidy ordered, hoping her pokemon could get a hit in with its opponent so close.
"Spearow, take down!"
Before Rattata could complete its own attack, Spearow rushed toward it, hitting the smaller pokemon and causing it to tumble back. Cassidy took out its pokeball and returned it. No point in continuing when it was outmatched. She'd have it battle more later. As Cassidy put the pokeball away, she felt a momentary panic as her opponent approached her. "Since I won, I guess you owe me a drink, maybe a good time to go with it."
"No thank you," Cassidy said coldly.
"You think you're too good for me?"
Cassidy tried to pull away as he grabbed her by the arm. James stepped in between them, and the other man lost his grip. "Why did you touch her?" James said in a moment of seriousness. The other agent had no good answer to that, and returned his own pokemon before leaving. James then turned back to Cassidy with a grin. "Your rattata was superb! Perhaps it didn't win, but that was a fully evolved pokemon! Its quick attack was perfect, precise. It handles itself well, much thanks to its training, I'm sure."
"Right," Cassidy said calmly to his praise, her heart slowing. Was this guy going to start to expect things just because he'd stepped in? She'd make things clear to him. "About that other trainer, understand that I'm not so weak that I'm all that vulnerable to him. You get it, don't you? I don't have a reason to fear him, or you."
"Oh, that." James glanced warily toward the direction the other man had headed, now long gone. "I couldn't stand aside silently. I hate that sort of thing. I've not been exempt from it myself." James grinned as he looked back at her. "Does your rattata know other techniques? I'd like to see them!"
And that was it. He really hadn't expected anything else. He'd never even mentioned that incident again, though he did make sure to sit nearby Cassidy later when the offending agent was nearby. James's conversation was all about pokemon and Team Rocket's ambitions to acquire and eventually monopolize them. He wanted to know more about Cassidy and what role she'd play, adding how he'd like to contribute himself. He seemed to honestly enjoy her company, not holding her to anything more as she enjoyed his in return. They really seemed to hit it off, and develop a sort of mutual trust.
Unfortunately, Cassidy fell for him hard. This was a caring, considerate person who didn't belong in a place like this, just like her. Being around him was all she cared about. At first, she'd make sure they could work together whenever possible. Then she'd asked to spend time with him when they weren't on the job, eventually time alone. James agreed to it, and Cassidy was ecstatic. This was the person she wanted to be with, for the moment as well as the rest of her life. He was a bit eccentric and outspoken, but that was sweet. He seemed to enjoy her company as well. Cassidy had really been convinced she'd found her match, the person that would make up for all her previous strife and loneliness.
How dumb she'd been.
After they'd slept together, she understood when he'd expressed he didn't want to do anything like that again. She fully accepted when he told her he'd figured out he didn't have those kinds of feelings toward her, then or ever. What had really hurt was how he could no longer even look at her, stopped speaking to her, and then continued to avoid her otherwise. That he'd rejected her to the point of wanting nothing to do with her anymore was a very acute pain.
Like all of the rest of the pile of disappointments in her life, she had to accept that as well. She couldn't hold him responsible. Looking back, she noted with some embarrassment how much she'd projected onto the situation. It would have been one thing if she'd only liked him because he was handsome, and he certainly was. But she'd expected far too much, then pushed everything too fast. James hadn't encouraged things or led her on, in fact he'd told her he wasn't sure about his feelings more than once before completely pushing her away.
She allowed him the space he wanted, even though that meant nowhere near her. That did leave her no one she trusted to work with. When it came time for her to follow up with a possible location for their next operation, of course James was nowhere to be found. Maybe she could go and complete the job herself, but it would help to have someone else there. Preferably someone who might complete the job with her if they were approved. Now that she thought of it, she likely wouldn't be chosen if she had no one to work with, except maybe as a hanger-on, and in that case, couldn't control the situation, nor who she worked with.
Wendy seemed like a safe person to ask. She wouldn't be the one to help out, working more on the management and paperwork side and hardly ever leaving the base. But she was probably the closest thing to "human resources" their ill-run organization had, which meant she might know someone who would be good. Cassidy waited until she saw her in the lobby, then asked.
"How about Mitch, he's new and been mostly useless to us so far," Wendy suggested, stopping and staring at a man in the lobby. "Hey dumbass!" she shouted at him. He stood up and swore back at her. Wendy nodded toward Cassidy. "She needs help. Why don't you go and make yourself useful before I tell the boss about what a mistake it was to hire you?"
"Why don't you go to hell?" the man said, though he still walked over to Cassidy and nodded. "What do you need?"
Cassidy held her documents closer as Wendy left, then narrowed her eyes at the man that had spoken to her. "If it's too much trouble, I'll find someone else," she said.
"No, it's fine. I'm just tired of her messing with me. She brings you over trying to start shit. She knows I'm sick of women."
Cassidy raised her eyebrows. She was used to more vulgar speech around here, but now this guy was being outright rude. "What a thing to say!" she exclaimed in her surprise. "What if I told you I was sick of men?"
"I'd say, finally, a lady I can work with. We can just get shit done since we've already decided we dislike each other. What do you need?" Despite being obnoxious, he seemed serious and earnest about actually helping her with work. Being new, he was likely also eager to prove himself. Cassidy explained the job. "A long term project," the man commented.
"You have a problem with that, Mitch?" Cassidy asked.
"That's not my name," he replied. "I'm Butch."
Had she misheard it? "Well, if you have a problem, Butch, I'll just go find someone else."
"No," he assured. "I'm free."
They discussed the specific details briefly before Cassidy turned back in the direction she'd gone. Wendy looked her way with an eyebrow raised. "You went with him?" she asked.
"Didn't you suggest I do so?" Cassidy asked with more than a little annoyance. Wendy's attitude reflected what Butch had seemed to imply.
Wendy shrugged. "I just thought about it because he was there. I guess he'll do. But be careful around him. He sleeps around, so he'll probably want to try something with you. Don't want him lying to you and breaking your heart."
"That won't be happening." Cassidy already had some heartache, though she wasn't about to lie around and marinate in it. This guy wasn't her type, unlike James. She wasn't into someone with such a coarse personality. He didn't seem to be interested in that kind of thing with her either, thankfully.
However, with Wendy's warning, Cassidy found she was a lot more wary of him, even without realizing it. She jumped in a start as he approached her and greeted her the next day. "What? See a gastly or something?" He smirked at his own joke.
"It's creepy to have a ghoul like you sneaking up. Be more careful," Cassidy shot back. "Besides, didn't you agree to help me out tomorrow? Why don't you get directions for all these places?" Cassidy opened up her notebook, ripping out the list of addresses from her investigations.
"You're not gonna do that?" Butch asked.
"I'm done with that kind of grunt work," Cassidy said. Though she'd likely check over anything he came up with later, giving this task established her as the one in charge. That was, if he accepted.
He did, taking the list without comment. Later, he approached her outside, right after she'd finished having her rattata practice its techniques, and handed several papers to her. "You have a pokemon too?" he asked, noting the pokeball in her hand.
"Of course. Did someone like you end up with one?" she asked.
Butch nodded, taking out his own pokeball. "It's evolved, too. Should we battle?"
Cassidy agreed. They went into the field, her sending out Rattata, while Butch sent out a primeape. The battle ended fairly quickly with Primeape defeating poor Rattata, though Cassidy's pokemon was still able to show off its quick attack and bite fairly well before they were done. Since Primeape was fully evolved with a type advantage, the outcome was expected. Cassidy praised her pokemon upon returning it.
Then her victorious opponent started to approach her. Cassidy stood back, glancing around and noting she was alone. James wasn't here, not that she should have to count on him. This guy defeated her, so now he expected something else, was that right? As he reached forward, Cassidy stepped back. "What are you doing?" she shouted, deciding to fuel her anxiety into rage. She'd put him in his place.
Butch put down his hand with a miffed expression. "You don't do this here?" he said.
Calming, Cassidy realized he'd just wanted to shake her hand after a battle, a standard gesture. That's all there was to it. Now he was somewhat offended, which maybe he ought to be. He turned away without further discussion as his expression turned blank. "I'll be ready tomorrow," he assured.
Was she going to leave it like that? Cassidy glanced at where she'd put the papers he'd given her, directions carefully, if messily scrawled. He'd already obeyed her without issue, doing the task that she'd planned to do easily and quickly the day of, already having the necessary maps ready. She hadn't exactly been nice to him, and then others also treated him badly from what she'd seen over the past day. Wendy had said various nasty things both to and about him while the other grunts made referring to him by an incorrect name into a joke.
Working with someone that was considered so lowly wouldn't do. "Butch," Cassidy called before he left. She held out her own hand to him. As he got closer, they shook hands, completing the gesture of sportsmanship. "Stand up straight," she advised. "You're a talented trainer. It's a good thing I'll have you with me instead of someone else, in case we run into real trouble."
The man's expression relaxed somewhat, possibly surprised she'd speak of him in a positive light. He then smirked. "Yeah. I can tell you've been working with yours, too," he said before leaving.
The next day, they didn't run into any real trouble or excitement, not having come there to do much anyway. They just ended up doing the grunt work to report back. Having him around made it less tedious. She had someone to talk to, mostly about what they saw and experienced in the moment. He noted things about various possible locations that Cassidy herself may have not. He was attentive and serious about the work. She found herself trusting him as well. "Good job today," she noted once they were back at base. "Maybe we can work together again sometime."
"Sure," he agreed. The next day, he decided was 'sometime', finding her in the lobby and asking her what she had going on. She'd given him some grunt work of cleaning, which she stood back, pretending to do as well only as she saw the boss passing. He came up to her the next day and asked again, and again the following days. It was almost like he had imprinted on her or something.
The boss eventually got back to her, wanting her to be one of the agents that helped assist with setting up their lab at one of the locations she'd investigated, acquiring pokemon and any needed supplies. It seemed like a sort of promotion, being put in charge of something instead of hoping for work to come to them back at base. She asked if she could have Butch with her as well, and the boss agreed.
"I had a feeling I'd get somewhere by hanging around you," Butch commented once she informed him of their new assignment.
So, he'd picked her to suck up to in order to try and claw his way up the ranks. It wasn't a bad strategy, though Cassidy hadn't had any actual status until just then. Though maybe she hadn't been the best target, she could respect his social climbing strategy.
They went to get ready and talk to the scientist they'd be assisting, then passed James in the hall. "James!" Cassidy greeted, happy to see him. She'd just share the good news. Maybe he'd be able to join them as well.
But of course, James brushed her off again, hemming and hawing before saying he was otherwise occupied. She made the mistake of asking if they might talk later, but he was vague, basically rejecting her again. Cassidy pursed her lips and clenched her fists as James moved on. She'd known better, she'd just gotten somewhat excited with her current success. She should still be excited, and forget all about the guy that wouldn't talk to her anymore.
"Ouch," Butch said with a chuckle. "That guy acted like you were some kind of weed."
His amusement was obnoxious, not allowing her to forget what had just happened, but giving her another target. "You'd have experience being treated like a weed, wouldn't you?"
"Maybe. Anyway, hope he's not your boyfriend."
"He's not!" Cassidy insisted, but kept rambling. "...now. Maybe not ever."
"Is that something you should be confused about?" Butch asked.
"We're not together, and if we were, it wouldn't be your business," Cassidy insisted.
"Of course not," Butch said, dropping the topic as they went to get to business. When they came out, they saw James engaged in rapid conversation about another trainer's pidgeotto, then imitating the flying type pokemon. He almost ran into the two of them as he did before muttering a quick apology and veering away before tripping. "What a Prince Charming," Butch commented. "If Prince Charming were a clown, he certainly fits the bill."
Cassidy had to chuckle at that. Even thinking about the guy she'd let herself get so hung up on still stung, but that was all done. She was moving on. She could laugh at her new field partner's jabs at him. There were other things to think about, anyway.
As they helped set up the new Team Rocket sponsored lab, there were many other tasks to concentrate on. They did the grunt work and paperwork so that the scientists could concentrate on their actual experiments, of course, but then they were given tasks in said experiments. Then they were also called into base for plots that required a large amount of people, splitting them between multiple sites. They started to get more well known, the boss staying pleased with them.
And Cassidy also started to know who had become her field partner fairly well. Though he wasn't exactly sweet and charming, she appreciated having him around. She could count on him to do the work. He did everything she said. He was pleasant enough for conversation, but at the same time, brief enough that he stopped before he got annoying. He'd also taken her cues and goading to hold his head high, showing pride enough with the other agents to help give them the attitude of superior agents, which was the first step to being one. Wendy always talked him down in particular, both when he was and wasn't there, but he'd talk back. There was definitely something weird between those two, but it wasn't any of her business to ask.
When they'd gotten a bonus for their work in the new lab, they'd celebrated together, going to a local restaurant. It almost seemed like a date, but Cassidy made sure to keep the topic on work. "This is just the start of our prospects," Cassidy said. "I'm sure more money and more pokemon await."
"Which are you in it for?" Butch asked.
"Both, of course," Cassidy said. "I deserve to be comfortable, and I'd still like to train more and more pokemon. Having access to one gives access to the other, anyway."
"True," Butch said. "It'll be fun to have a whole team one day. And that takes money, too."
"So you want money for pokemon? Anything else?" Cassidy asked.
Butch smirked, looking to the side before he glanced back at her. "I'd like enough to make things nice for myself, and maybe a special lady."
"Really? I thought you were sick of women," Cassidy joked. That statement had never been serious. He obviously still enjoyed being around women, though maybe not being rejected by them.
"Maybe not every woman," Butch said, gazing toward her as he spoke.
He was definitely flirting with her, trying and failing to be subtle about it. This wasn't the first time hinting his attraction, either. He'd briefly complimented her appearance, stared at her a little too long, ran into her and ended up too close before backing away and apologizing, probably having some weird thoughts about her. At least he didn't seem to feel entitled, but it was annoying to have to set up boundaries with him. She sat back. "I'm sure you'll find someone if you keep looking," she said. "Though maybe not if you try and dedicate yourself to every girl you meet. How's anyone going to take you seriously then? They'll just see you as a joke, or worse, some sap they can take advantage of."
"Oh, yeah, maybe." He seemed to back off with that unfiltered advice. Later she noticed he stopped flirting with anyone else. Perhaps it was all of them from what she knew. Maybe Cassidy's current field partner really was done with women.
Cassidy thought she'd be done with men herself. She'd meant to completely forget the one she was formerly infatuated with, but then there was a glaring reminder. She couldn't just continue on without telling him. James had a right to know. Just wanting to get it over with, she'd caught his attention when seeing him at base, then continued to call out when he tried to ignore her. Eventually, he looked her way. "It won't take long, but it's important. It's private, too," Cassidy explained.
"Right... Just a moment then," James agreed.
"Good luck," Butch muttered as she went to talk to James in an empty conference room. Her field partner didn't know the true context of their conversation, and he didn't have to. Cassidy closed the door so that no one could overhear.
James stared back at her silently. He probably expected her to berate him and cry about how he'd treated her and how hurt she was about it all, but she was definitely above that. He wouldn't get that satisfaction. She'd just tell him the necessary information and be done with it. "I found out I'm pregnant," she said. "And..."
Cassidy stopped her explanation upon seeing his reaction. He stopped avoiding eye contact, instead turning to her in shock, mouth agape, looking as if some truly awful tragedy had occurred. It seemed there was nothing worse she might have told him. He stared at her in a shocked silence, not saying anything even given her own absence of speech, obviously hating the news. She'd been more nervous about getting the idea out in the open than thinking about what his reaction might be and hadn't been prepared for anything like this.
Then he corrected himself, going back to that default blank expression he'd adopted around her. "W-Well, that's..." James muttered before going mute, not seeming to think of anything else to say.
Though he'd tried to cover up for his initial reaction and didn't say anything else, she knew. She knew how he felt, and couldn't stand to hear anything he might have to say. "Don't think I need anything from you," she asserted before he could speak up and say anything else. "It's yours, so I wasn't going to keep anything from you, but I'm not asking you for anything. I'll do everything for my baby myself. I'm capable of that all on my own. You don't need to do anything. I don't need you at all. I never did. I'm just not the type to keep secrets like that. Understand?"
James agreed he did with a silent nod, and Cassidy swung the door open, leaving without another word as she slammed it shut behind her. Butch met her eyes with a smirk, and she realized she'd been putting her emotion on full display. Cassidy tried to calm herself as she brushed off her clothing, saying nothing as she walked by his side, but he couldn't hold back the commentary. "So that didn't go how you expected, huh?"
"Just shut up," Cassidy chided. "It's not what you're thinking, anyway. And it's none of your business!"
He did shut up. They continued on, going back to the lab they'd helped establish, and continued with the tasks they had been assigned there. Cassidy found herself distracted, unable to concentrate at first. Could she really care for a baby alone, or at all? What would she do with it while she was being ordered around like that very day, going various places both in the city and even out in the wilderness?
Thinking about the job rather than those questions felt better, so Cassidy decided to do just that instead. She ignored the reality, acting like the only worries she had were completing missions and otherwise gaining prestige in Team Rocket. Not that it never came to mind, but the idea she might have a baby in a few months was totally removed from herself. She thought about how her status might be too high for anything to matter once her baby was born, or maybe how she might catch the elusive Mew and have enough money to give her baby anything. How unrealistic those ideas were wasn't considered as they were just passing thoughts to keep her going.
Researching where she might find Mew energized her somewhat, but seeing James again in passing dragged her back down. Recalling his reaction to her news was her reminder, not just of her various complications in her life, but also the sting of his rejection. Not even thinking about herself, what about her kid? Even not wanting to be Cassidy's partner, James overall came across as a caring, loving, affectionate person, so he'd probably get over himself and want to be involved, wouldn't he? Or would her baby have to deal with a similar situation as Cassidy herself had been growing up?
The cold question went through her mind as she returned to her assigned dorm. She didn't want to think about the possible answer. She didn't want to think about how she'd created the situation that had made her feel so terribly all on her own, choosing to love James and want him that badly, ignoring any complications and setting herself up for disappointment. She didn't want to think about how maybe she really didn't have the ability to care for the kid that it seemed James wanted about as much as he wanted her.
"What's with you today?" Butch asked as they approached the base, having been driven there just before it got dark. Cassidy just shrugged, not in the mood for any kind of banter or other conversation. They arrived late, finding their own meal in the kitchen, the few other people around clearing out as they took their spot in the Cafeteria. After they'd sat, Butch spoke again. "Something's wrong, huh?" he said.
Cassidy glared back at her field partner warily. The question was earnest, not just small talk, making it difficult to blow him off. Cassidy poked at her food, scowling as she pushed it aside. She was hurting, not that she wanted to talk or even think about it. That he knew her well enough to note her mood was just annoying. She didn't want to feel hurt anymore.
Maybe she could hurt him instead.
"You like me, don't you?" Cassidy said.
She'd expected denial, or maybe him to agree and take the question as an opening to proposition her. She'd have fun rejecting him then, just like she'd been rejected. Instead, her field partner let out a subtle noise of surprise, looking away in embarrassment. He was quiet, but just a moment before speaking up again. "I guess it was that obvious." He tried to pull his features into a smile, but the expression was even less convincing than usual, looking more sad than anything. "I like you more than I've ever liked anyone. I might..." He pursed his lips. "Well..."
Him taking the offhand question so seriously made things awkward, so Cassidy decided to speak up to stop his rambling. "Are you fooling yourself? Why would you like me?" she asked, furrowing her brow. "What's there to like?"
"Everything. I love being around you. You're pretty, but you know that, huh? You're also smart. You see what I don't, not just on the job, but even in me. No one else has been there for me more than you. I've been able to pick myself up because of you."
"And now you think I'll be your girlfriend too?" Cassidy asked, giving herself an opening to reject him at his affirmation.
"No!" Butch denied the idea intensely instead. "I won't lie, I would like that, but I'm not asking for it. I only said it because you asked. I know you're trying to work things out with that one guy. I don't like him, but I won't pretend I'm better than him... Am I what's been bothering you? Don't worry. I'm not expecting anything. I'm not gonna mess up whatever else you have going on. I just can't believe how lucky I am to have you in my life. That's it."
He really was serious. All she'd done was talk to him, order him around, and try to get him to be a little less of a doormat, and he'd fallen for her this intensely. His mistake, just like Cassidy's own with James. She was embarrassed, and tried to convince herself it was for him, but it was ultimately still for herself, recalling how much she'd gotten into everything. After all, there was a major difference between the two of them. Unlike Cassidy, Butch had expected nothing from her beyond what she what she'd already given. She'd gone to the opposite end of the spectrum, and expected everything from James.
Thinking of the difference between them only made her want to hurt him more.
"James means nothing to me," Cassidy declared. She said it to establish something, but maybe also to convince herself. After all, though he did mean something, the only thing that person had to offer was pain.
"Sure seems like something," Butch commented. "Want me to beat him up?"
"No. Don't worry about what happened between us," Cassidy said.
"Not my worry," Butch said.
With that, the subject of James was dropped. Maybe she could use the person who actually wanted her, even if it wasn't mutual, to forget about all of that. Cassidy reached over, lightly touching Butch's hand with her own. Both of them still wore their gloves, so they weren't really touching, but he still broke his deadpan expression, a mixture of apprehension and wanting appearing on his face with just that tiny gesture. He looked away, trying to cover up his reaction, though he still looked right back at her as she moved her hand, still on his own. "Why don't you stay with me tonight?" she asked.
His face flushed, not immediately responding, though she could tell he wanted to.
"Don't think I'll let you do anything you want to me. You need to listen to absolutely everything I say, or else," she said. "If you're willing to, then..."
"I'll do anything you want," he said.
They went back to the small dorm Cassidy had stayed in alone. She'd requested nothing co-ed, and been accommodated, a small room at the end of the hall with a single bunk. She even had it all to herself for now, since no one else had been assigned to stay with her since her last roommate had been reassigned. Now, here she was inviting a man here anyway. Cassidy initially had some uneasiness, but relaxed after outlining her ridiculous conditions for their encounter, him listening intently to everything.
She let herself fall into the moment with the guy who did everything she said. The seeming intense wanting was quite the difference from James. When he kissed her and touched her the first time, Cassidy instantly felt a warmth and excitement that washed through her heartbreak. With that feeling, she could really forget about anything else. Except, when he kissed her again it seemed too fast. Getting apprehensive, she told him to slow down.
He did, but how could he really have any fun with someone like her? Except, it really did seem like he enjoyed himself, and way too much at that. She did as well, but felt irritated later, thinking back. "Don't think I'm your girlfriend now," she told him the next day.
"Yeah. We're whatever you want," he said, accepting it easily.
Way too easily. She'd led him on, and maybe there was a twinge of letdown in his expression, but overall, at least on the surface, he accepted her words and moved forward. Could she not hurt him as easily as she'd thought? Of course, unlike James with her, she remained with Butch, acknowledging him and spending time with him every day. Then she'd ended up letting him fool around with her again. Even though she didn't let him do much, also being sure to assert what they actually did do didn't mean anything, over time he seemed happier and happier around her. He didn't show any discouragement or act mopey about how slow things were going between them at all.
Maybe he was just using her, despite acting like he might be in love with her or something. Except that obviously wasn't true, he was just willing to go along while she used him. When she had him perform tasks for her as part of their job or had him do things with her in private, both times all he happened to be to her was a person that could be used. The fact he was both eager and easily controlled allowed him to be manipulated to give her what she needed without giving him any of herself. It seemed she couldn't hurt him like she originally sought to, but their current actions still served the purpose of making her feel better about her own failings.
"This is a restricted area," Cassidy informed as the group of unaffiliated scientists entered through the front door. She and Butch stood side-by-side, blocking their way to the back.
"We're here to inspect the area," one of the uninvited guests informed. "We've heard rumors this facility may not be up to standard."
"You have no authority to request such an inspection," Cassidy asserted.
"Our authority comes from-" the man began, fumbling with his paper before Cassidy knocked it out of his hand.
"Were you listening? You won't be inspecting anything today," she asserted again.
One of the scientists leaned down, speaking lowly though not too subtly to the other. "Why are we trying to protect integrity here, when they're affiliated with Team Rocket?" He nodded to Cassidy and Butch.
Cassidy was sure to toss her hair over her shoulder, giving full view of the large emblem on her uniform. "Team Rocket has a vested interest in protecting advancements in pokemon science, not just for us, but for all," she continued. "Did you want to be sponsored by us? My boss is the one in charge of that. Feel free to talk to him, but be warned he won't just support just any dreck."
"He only supports people with the possibility of real advancements," Butch added with a smirk. "Why don't you all go back to spinning your wheels and let the real scientists do the work." He motioned his hand toward the door.
The man who had previously mumbled now spoke in a louder voice. "Don't insult us!" he insisted. "We're here to be sure there are no major ethical violations. We have a note from the association."
"I don't recall anyone here being affiliated with such an association, do you?" Cassidy said, looking back over her shoulder at her field partner.
Butch shrugged. "No. I don't see why anyone would want to be."
Cassidy turned back to the others. "And there you have it."
The invited man then brandished a pokeball. "I don't hold back when it comes to Team Rocket. I suggest you step aside," he said firmly.
"Oh? How unprofessional of you to threaten us," Cassidy said.
"Let me take care of this guy," Butch said, taking out his own pokeball.
"No, I've got it," Cassidy said, then throwing out her own. "Go, Rattata!"
The threatening scientist smirked. "See? Nothing to fear from them. They can only get low level weak pokemon like this."
"Rattata-" Cassidy began as her opponent threw out his own pokeball.
"Electrode, get ready!" the scientist shouted as the pokemon appeared in the center of the large lobby.
"-quick attack!" Cassidy shouted.
Rattata dashed toward expertly, almost moving in a blur as it hit its opponent before the electric type received its own order. "Electrode, thundershock!"
Electrode was surrounded by sparks before it rolled forward, shooting the concentrated electricity at its opponent. Rattata's ears stuck out unnaturally as its fur rose. "Now, let's finish it off. Electrode-"
"Rattata, don't back down!" Cassidy ordered, though her pokemon was already adamant enough to not be deterred by the large, intimidating electric type. "Hyper fang!"
"Thundershock!" her opponent repeated. Rattata again was able to hit first, biting through the round pokemon in a brutal, swift motion. It only squinted as it was hit again by the electrical attack, which seemed weaker than the first time, perhaps in the face of Rattata's brutal attack. "Electrode, enough! Thunderbolt, don't let yourself be hit again!"
"Rattata, quick attack!" Cassidy spoke over Electrode's trainer's directions. Rattata again moved forward with its well controlled attack, hitting the dead center of the electric type's face. Electrode rolled to the side in a way that seemed uncontrolled. Cassidy returned her pokemon before casually dusting off her uniform. "There's no need for such violence," she said. "Just remove yourself from the premises."
The men left without another word. Right after, the facility's resident scientists came out from their hiding spot. Cassidy turned to them unsurprised, already having seen them peeking through the door. "Are they still leaving?" one of the scientists spoke.
"They are," Cassidy said. "We'll be ready to deal with them if they come back."
Upon hearing the news, the man stopped cowering and went forward, shouting in Cassidy's face, "How did they even make it through the door?!"
"If they find out the specifics of our operation here, we're finished for good," another scientist whined.
"This security isn't adequate at all," another man said, shaking his head as he threw up his hands toward Cassidy and Butch.
So they weren't going to be appreciative, instead taking out their frustrations regarding this situation on her. "The boss will take care of you. He already has, hasn't he? Maybe you should complain to him if you really feel that strongly," Cassidy suggested.
Instead of deterring them, the scientists became even more stubborn in their critique. "Maybe the rocket boss should know exactly how useful these two have been," one suggested.
"Right, right. We should demand an immediate meeting with him," another agreed.
They ended up in a late meeting, that fact alone enough to piss the boss off. Cassidy then had to endure the thankless scientists berating everything her and her field partner had done for them over the past few months. Cassidy spoke back, outlining the difficult situations they'd had to deal with, and how hard they'd worked to make sure things ran smoothly. She wasn't about to lay down and accept the assessment of the scientists. But at the same time, Cassidy had to praise them for their contributions and be sure to say that them being absorbed in their work is how the hard work of herself and her field partner went unnoticed.
"I don't want your operations disturbed, so I'll assign six more field agents to your facility, and make sure even more of my people are nearby in the coming days, to make sure the situation dies down. I trust you'll find that satisfactory." Giovanni asserted.
The scientists agreed they would. They even thanked Cassidy as they left in the dark. The rocket boss himself praised her.
As they left, Cassidy stayed, then sitting down, putting her head on the table once they were all gone. She'd handled both the association's goons and the backlash for the situations falling mostly on her, and everything was fine now. Even so, it was exhausting. Being the target of all their frustrations wasn't fair. And now, she'd be expected to be on her best game the next day.
"You were amazing," Butch said. "That battle, and then handling all of those ungrateful dolts. Good thing I have you around to take cues from. I'd probably just threaten them to shut the hell up."
Of course, Butch was still right around her, as always, at the end of this difficult day. Cassidy stood up, closing her eyes and heading to the door, acting like nothing had bothered her at all. "There's a place for acting like that," she said. "But you'll get into trouble if it's your first and only inclination. Especially since those scientists are our allies."
"I get that," Butch said. "You know I'll go along with what you decide."
Before her hand reached the doorknob, Cassidy felt a sensation on her side. She swung her hand to the side, slapping the offending person before pushing him away. As she caught her breath, she realized Butch had only put his arm around her, gently at that. He'd done that before, and she'd liked the gesture even. But in that moment after that upsetting day where she'd been berated by many men, she'd reacted like this, assaulting her unaggressive partner without thinking.
He'd nearly tripped, but then caught his balance, holding his face in silence while staring back at her in disbelief. His reaction was expected, given Cassidy's unexpected actions. People didn't act like this normally, hitting their friend for a gesture that had become something typical between them. She'd made a mistake, and he'd certainly be pissed off about it.
Instead, Butch stared back at her with some concern. "You okay?" he asked.
At that simple question, she slapped him across the face again. How could he act like this, and after she'd attacked him? Him acting like she was so fragile she needed to be asked such a thing when she'd been the one to harm him was unforgivable. If he thought so little of her, maybe he deserved to be assaulted even more. Cassidy pushed him back again, and this time he did trip over a chair behind him, falling to the ground and hitting his head on the table.
This time his face actually showed anger as he grabbed his head, much preferred to his previous reaction. Maybe he'd curse at her or even hit her back. Both options would be preferable to the way he'd acted before. But instead, he asked an even more biting question, "Who did what to you anyway?"
Hearing this pulled a plug inside her, inciting the worst sinking feeling. "What kind of shit are you thinking about?" she asked. "I hope it's not what I think, you sick freak. Just because I'm a woman, you think I'm that vulnerable?"
"So it was something like that," Butch said calmly as he stood up.
"Like what?!" Cassidy demanded in a panic.
"It's completely obvious. How many times did you tell me I wasn't allowed to take off your clothes? You're used to people not listening the first time, huh?"
Cassidy broke out into a cold sweat. She had repeated that to him, many times, over and over again without realizing it, along with other directions he could infer various conclusions from. She thought she'd just been indulging in his attention without giving anything of herself, but instead she'd just been putting her various vulnerabilities on full display for him. "You've come to some really stupid conclusions. Keep me out of your fantasies." It was too late to try and cover things up, but she shouted at him just the same.
"So what's with all this? You're not going to tell me you're just on your period, are you?"
Cassidy rolled her eyes at his annoying smirk. Did he think that was funny? "I'm pregnant, actually," she said.
"Wow." For a moment, her field partner was speechless, and Cassidy might assume she'd finally shut him up, but then came another stupid comment. "Did you think I could do that with just my hand?" He shook his head. "No, that's not how it works. Let's take off our clothes and lay down and I'll show you how it's done."
His condescending, nonchalant reaction was enough to fuel her already present rage. Cassidy picked up a chair and threw it toward him. He again fell to the ground. "It's James's," she informed. "You think James did something horrible to me? You're an idiot. I always had absolute control with him."
He raised an eyebrow, again seeming amused as she shared more personal details. "So it wasn't him," Butch concluded. "It was someone else. Maybe more than one person?"
Cassidy shouted after he spoke, picking back up the chair and hitting him again and again as he remained on the ground, only raising his arms in defense as he took the punishment. She paused, the beating, catching her breath. He dropped his arms, also seeming a little winded, but still found the energy to speak again. "You calming down? Yeah, it's okay. Don't worry so much, maybe you're just getting fat." With that comment, Cassidy raised the chair higher, swinging it down with all her strength.
As she raised the chair to do it again, she realized the man was no longer making any attempt to defend himself, instead splayed on the ground unconscious.
The metal chair clanged on the floor as she dropped it, staring down at the person who had been constant companion over the past few months. He'd obeyed her every order, kept her company when she'd been bored or lonely, been patient and gentle with her when she'd selfishly asked him to get cozy with her in private without going too far. She'd thought it might be fun to hurt him by rejecting his advances, but her attempts to get closer and do so had led to her hurting him like this. Was he even okay?
Finding he was still breathing, she went to get help. Wendy had been the only one left working that late, and taken the steps to locate their medical staff. After doing so and standing watching Cassidy's field partner being taken away on a stretcher, she laughed and mocked him. "Look at that idiot," she said. "Did you see his face?"
Cassidy wanted to be annoyed, but Wendy had still helped before mocking the unconscious man. Besides, Cassidy herself was the one responsible for his predicament. She felt too much guilt to berate the other woman's attitude, and just watched the scene in silence as Wendy continued her commentary. "He's always being beaten up like this. Who did it this time? It's always a woman. Was it you?"
Cassidy shuddered, standing up straighter as Wendy suggested the truth of the matter. But Wendy only laughed at her giveaway. "So it was you!" Wendy realized, still giggling. "Unbelievable."
Cassidy didn't reply, just leaving for her small dorm after being sure her field partner was being taken care of. She'd meant to ask him to stay with her, though that wasn't happening that night, or possibly ever again.
Cassidy didn't sleep much, but there wasn't anything for her to do either. In the morning, after being sure their tasks were being taken care of by the new field agents assigned to the facility, she found out where he was. They'd kept him at base. Was that really for the best? As she approached the room, she saw he was awake. Butch noted her before looking away. Of course, he didn't want to see her. She walked in anyway. How could she even start to apologize for harming the person who had done the most for her of anyone ever in her life?
"I'm sorry." The words were spoken by Butch instead, intended for Cassidy herself. "I sure said a lot of shit, huh? Sorry," he repeated the apology, again with that annoying smirk on his face. He held up his arms, showing the various bruises from when she'd hit him and he'd been able to defend his head. "I earned this, huh? It's called karma. I get it."
Cassidy shook her head at his words. He was really taking this all onto himself, and it wasn't right. Of course, he had said a lot that upset her, but she could have handled it better. How could he lay there and just say how much he deserved it? "You're wrong," Cassidy eventually spoke firmly. "Don't think you deserved a punishment just because someone gave one to you."
"It was you though," Butch said with a laugh. "You'd know better than anyone what I deserve."
Did he really think that much of her? With this kind of dedication, she could surely not just have him around after what had just occurred, but continue to mistreat him. But she didn't want that. "No one should treat you like that," Cassidy managed to admit. "Don't let anyone do anything like that to you again. Defend yourself next time!" Why did she have to say this? He should already know as much. "Even if it's me," she added.
"Sure. Next time a pregnant woman is beating the hell out of me, I'll just beat her up instead. That'll work out great."
Right. She had admitted that to him. Now the fact she'd been avoiding even in her own mind was out in the open. "I didn't mean to tell you that," she said.
"Was I not supposed to know already?" Butch asked.
Cassidy's eyes widened as she met his. He seemed serious. "How would you?" she asked. Had James told him? He was the only other person she'd told, but the two of them didn't talk at all as far as she knew.
Butch shrugged. "A bunch of stuff you've been saying, doing. Besides, everyone knows by now. Look at yourself."
Cassidy couldn't bring herself to actually do as suggested, but trusted his implication that she might look pregnant by now. She had noticed changes to her body, but quickly dismissed them, sure they weren't enough that anyone else might notice too. Any thoughts on the topic were brief and distant, as if she were someone who might have a baby one day instead of someone in a more immediate situation. She should have been thinking about it more, especially as she'd even started to feel the baby moving.
"Wendy thinks it's mine," Butch continued. "She's been really obnoxious to me about it. She can't stop going on about what a loser it's going to be."
Cassidy let out a sob as she let the idea by proxy affect her. As much as she'd like to believe her fantasies of what kind of wonderful life she'd give it, her kid was going to be in a terrible situation, wasn't it?
"Hey," Butch said, raising an eyebrow. "Forget about it. She doesn't know anything. There's no way any kid of yours would be a loser."
Cassidy pursed her lips, controlling her reaction. "What's with you and Wendy anyway?" She decided to shift to a less upsetting topic she'd been curious about. "She said women were always beating you up."
Butch winced, though he still managed to force a laugh. "Yeah, she did use to do stuff like that, before I got too big for her."
"Is that a euphemism?"
"Oh, hell no," Butch denied the idea right away. "She's my cousin. Older. So yeah, when we were kids. When I was older she backed off eventually."
And then, Cassidy herself had managed to recreate that kind of trauma. "Was she the only one?" she asked. Wendy had implied there were others.
Butch shook his head. "Come on. I don't just want to sit around and talk about what a victim I've been."
"Neither do I," Cassidy asserted.
"Huh." Butch was silent for a moment. From the thoughtful expression on his face, she could tell he got the message. They didn't need to address the rest of the conversation from the previous day. Instead, he'd started to stand up. "We've got stuff to do, right?" he asked.
"Do what any doctor says, and rest for today," Cassidy ordered. "It's all taken care of. I'll see you tomorrow."
Being sure he lay back down, she spoke to him again. "What happened yesterday won't happen again," she assured. "You're too valuable to me for me to allow it." Cassidy sighed. He had to be stronger than just letting her assault him, from what she'd seen. "Why did you let me do that, anyway?"
"Maybe because you have absolute control with me."
Cassidy laughed in her embarrassment, but in a way Butch didn't look like he'd been joking. She nodded at him before she left. Was that his dysfunctional way of flirting with her? Him having to go that far to prove himself was shameful, but at the same time, Cassidy didn't hate it.
She wanted to keep him.
If he wanted to be hers, she'd take full advantage of that. And as long as he was hers, no one would be permitted to hurt him.
Even Cassidy herself was forbidden to do so.
Seeing her field partner holding the baby carefully, Cassidy knew the man understood just how valuable her son was. No one else seemed to comprehend as much. The boss hadn't fired her outright, but had made it clear the whole situation was a bother to him, and docked her agreed pay when she'd had to take off. Other agents often implied she should have gotten rid of it one way or another. James hadn't said anything so appalling, though certainly being a different sort of dolt, acting like her baby was radioactive.
But Butch held her tiny newborn with a smile, carefully supporting its head. The man was patient even as the baby cried and cried. "Doesn't it know when to shut up?" Wendy complained as they rested in the lobby.
"Oh, no, a baby that cries," Butch said dryly. "Never seen that before. You're crying and moaning all the time and we don't say anything."
Wendy left. Cassidy tried to calm the baby before they would go as well. Once he was quiet, she spoke. "Let's go." She didn't want her son to be here, anyway. She didn't want these people to even know about him at all. It couldn't be avoided now, but she'd avoid even mentioning him in the future so they'd hopefully just forget he existed.
For now, Cassidy's baby would stay nearby, in Viridian. Butch had said she could trust his family. As long as she paid them, they'd see her son as valuable, taking care of him much better than other options. She decided to trust them because the person she trusted also did. It worked out, for a while, until one of them got too sick, their health condition causing them to pass out at times. When Cassidy and Butch had come to visit, they'd found little Jonathan panicking at the older man's state, also functionally unsupervised.
Then she'd had to look for other options. Government programs were the only option until she got some money. When she actually got some after helping capture the legendary birds, boarding schools had said Jonathan wouldn't do well starting so much later than everyone else. They continued to reject her applications, maybe knowing her affiliation. She'd settled for just having him in a foster home nearby her.
Throughout it all, her field partner supported her, knowing her son was her priority. He helped her plan, he worried about her son. That caring was so rare. Butch wanted to know about the little things, if Jonathan was feeling better after an upset or a cold or if he'd gotten the latest issue of his favorite comic. The man even pretended he'd bought it for himself and finished reading, telling her to be sure to pass it on. He noted dangers that she didn't, comforted her son when upset, checked up on Jonathan when Cassidy herself was pressed to complete or monitor other tasks.
Not that her son was the only kid he worried about. "Look who's here," he'd pointed to a group of visiting kids one day at Viridian Gym. It was the girl that had angered the boss by challenging him, very young when she'd done so. Cassidy hadn't cared at all about why the girl might be there. Plenty of other agents around could deal with her if she was dumb enough to try and start trouble again. But Butch had insisted on going to antagonize her, leaving her alone once it was clear that she wasn't there to start trouble again and would be fine.
And of course, most tragically, there was the kid on the Orange Islands. They'd really shaken up that boy. "You think that dense little kid is gonna find his way back?" Butch had asked, unable to drop the topic as they made their way back from the wilderness.
"He found his way up there," Cassidy replied, sighing.
"What are we gonna do with his pokemon?" Butch said, looking down at their small stash.
"We'll give them to the boss. I guess he won't care much about so few, but it'll be something else in addition to our new information."
"Yeah, it's not that many," Butch said, looking back in the direction they'd left the kid. "That stupid kid needs them to protect himself. They probably aren't that powerful, anyway. And if he gets them back, maybe he won't report us. He'll go right to the pokemon center at the end of the path, right? Let's just drop them off as a lost and found or something."
Cassidy had then taken the pokeballs and thrown then off the nearby sharp cliff, smiling with satisfaction as she heard them break.
Or maybe she'd built a campfire, having a good time with her partner as they tossed all six in, one after another, enjoying the fireworks together.
No, actually, she'd agreed with his reasoning. The pokemon weren't worth much compared to the ones they were chasing and regaining them might deter the boy from reporting the ones that had attacked him. At that point, they'd only taken a notebook, so he'd probably cut his losses. Then they'd avoid possible trouble on their way back to mainland. They'd gotten enough from that kid, anyway.
So they'd returned the damn pokemon, only to have one of those worthless pokemon kill her valuable partner years later.
If only he wasn't always worrying about what didn't concern him. Then he wouldn't have tried to stop the pokemon battle when the officer's son had run on the battlefield, unnoticed by the kid champion.
If only he'd prioritized himself and any possible minor gain over anything or anyone. Then the pokemon that had killed him would be with a rocket asset instead of there on that day. Cruelty seemed to be the better option.
But then again, she'd never have kept him if he were different. The kindness she'd eventually decided to respect had been his downfall. If she had a second chance, she would have ordered him to only worry about her and her son. Maybe she'd let him say she was his girlfriend. Perhaps she'd even let him call her his wife.
Being given permission to use, think of her with one of those words would probably have made him happy, but those were all just words. What they'd been to each other didn't require any of those words at all. She hoped she'd made him happy in the time they'd had, since he was gone now.
And it wasn't just Butch himself, but his memory that seemed to fade away as he died. The agents that had teased or otherwise antagonized him recalled someone completely different. There was a purpose to the lies, but she hated hearing them. Wendy acting like she loved her cousin and they'd always gotten along so well made Cassidy feel like she was in a completely different world.
But it was all the same. When she'd gone to visit her suffering son, Jonathan had asked about the dead person. Of course, Butch had been sent to Viridian in Cassidy's place as the boss demanded more of her regarding Mew. Her field partner had gone nearly every day to make sure Jonathan was with his tutors after school rather than being kidnapped again. That had suddenly stopped upon the man's death. Of course Jonathan would notice. Why hadn't she mentioned it to him before?
When Cassidy told the news, her son had completely broken down. She comforted him, but badly. She hadn't even cried over her field partner's death herself. Having to put aside her own hurt to process things for her son wasn't fair. Knowing Jonathan was just a kid who had also lost that support, she pushed herself to do so anyway. Her little boy had been through so much and at the very least deserved patience and comfort from his mother upon a loss.
The boss wouldn't let her quit immediately, but once she finally caught Mew, she'd finally be rich and free enough to give her sweet son all the time and attention he deserved. If her field partner were here, he'd want her to do that. He'd support her if he were around, but she was still capable of completing the complicated task on her own. She just had to keep moving.
After they'd sighted Mew for the first time, Jessie suddenly became more useful. She spotted the elusive pokemon the second, and then the third time. Jessie had also made the plan for them to split up and search for it upon Cassidy's suggestion. The brash, egotistical woman had even followed through. As they worked for days, moving into cold weeks, all sightings were mapped appropriately by both of them.
"There," Cassidy made a mark in pencil on the map. "I think Mew will be around there somewhere tomorrow. It fits the pattern."
"Explain it to me," Jessie demanded.
"You want me to waste my breath on an explanation? Just listen to my plan," Cassidy demanded.
"I already told you, I'm not here to just listen," Jessie said.
There was the major difference between Cassidy's current and former field partner. Jessie might be like him in some ways with her humor, and worrying about kids - specifically Cassidy's own - by questioning and insulting the kid and Cassidy as a parent, but the other woman wouldn't just listen and obey. It was obnoxious to Cassidy, who just wanted to get things done.
Even so, Cassidy took the time to explain the pattern of appearances she'd noticed as they'd been spotting and tracking the pokemon. Jessie listened carefully, then nodded. "So where should I be?" Jessie asked.
"I'll scale the cliffside, you stay as my backup on the ground. You should also have pokeballs ready. Mew can levitate, it may appear closer to me or you. I'm guessing me, but we'll see."
"Too bad we don't have a pokemon that levitates too," Jessie said with a sigh.
"The boss provided us with the 'Ultra' brand pokeballs. They're said to be more effective. I'm hoping that plus catching Mew off guard will help us catch it."
Jessie agreed to the plan, previous negativity regarding their possibility of success having worn off. The next day, they prepared starting midday. "I'm sure this'll be the last day we're looking out for this thing! We're going to return to bonuses and promotions. We'll be the boss's very top agents!" Jessie cheered on their success way too early.
"We'll see. Just keep working," Cassidy goaded. Jessie's previous total pessimism flipping to over-the-top optimism was amusing, but they had to be sure to stay on task.
"I'm going to be sure to buy a beautiful dress for our appreciation ceremony," Jessie said. "What will you spend your bonus on?"
"A comfortable place for my son and I to stay together," Cassidy said.
"You'd take him from James?" Jessie asked.
"I'd never keep my son from his father. But I know the place they're staying in isn't much bigger than a closet, so I'll find a place that's more spacious. James can do what he wants, as always." Cassidy sighed. James had eventually come through for Jonathan, but he was another one she knew she couldn't just order around, much like Jessie.
"Hm." Jessie sighed, turning back to peer at the various possible places Mew might appear. "You really are always thinking about your kid, aren't you?"
"Of course," Cassidy declared. Had Jessie not realized as much before? The egotistical woman doing so now seemed to cool the antagonism between them. Nothing else needed to be said as they both continued their planning.
Cassidy soon put on her jacket and thicker gloves, starting to scale the cliffside. Mew appeared mostly near the start or end of the day, seeming to like being in long shadows of various things. It had been in the shadow of this cliffside before, and its pattern of movement hinted it very well might this very day. Of all the places it might appear, this one was most open to see it. Reaching a good vantage point, Cassidy looked down at the area below. She got ready to wait, but it wasn't long before there was a shimmer of movement as something previously invisible came into view.
"Mew?" the pokemon called.
Jessie shouted, giving them away. Cassidy would have cursed back at her, but was too busy already throwing out the Ultra ball. Jessie shouted again as it encapsulated the elusive pokemon, falling to the ground. The woman on the ground got ready to catch the Ultra ball in a net, Mew escaped out of it when it was closer to the ground. Jessie allowed the now opened pokeball to fall to the ground before she threw out her own Ultra ball, causing the world's rarest pokemon to be drawn in again. This time, Jessie did catch the Ultra ball containing Mew, then shouted something up a third time, waving the object around to indicate their success.
Cassidy sighed happily. Finally, she was done. Mew couldn't be held over her head any more because she'd finally caught it. There was more than likely only one Mew, the rarest of any pokemon, and the boss would be pleased to have it. She wasn't with the person she'd prefer, and she'd most rather prefer to just not be there at all, but there was a definite sense of overwhelming satisfaction to completing the task. Now she was set free. They just had to get back home.
As Cassidy carefully descended the cliff, she heard Jessie shouting yet again as she got closer to the ground. Before she could shout back at the other woman to shut up, she spotted the reason for the concern.
Time seemed to slow. Before the reality could truly register, Cassidy was hit by the falling snow.
Next chapter: Mew vs. Solitude