Part II - Cassidy
nine: no one, really
Promise.
Even when no one had expressed any specific promises to random losers who joined Team Rocket, a promise of finally finding something better was always there, implied in their mind. It drove them to join the group looked down upon by anyone on the up-and-up. It gave a reason to do various things. Boring things. Illegal things. Maybe even terribly immortal things. Things that even the most witless of average people could say couldn't possibly be that rewarding.
So why had he joined?
Why had he ever, ever thought this was a good idea at all?
He probably should have known from the start it was going to be terrible.
Well, it did give a place to stay. Also something to do.
Right before joining, he'd had neither of those things. His latest ex-girlfriend - if that's what she or any of them ever were - had kicked him out. Left with no choice, Butch dragged himself back to the people he'd burdened while growing up. Reaching the front door and seeing the familiar, perhaps slightly more sun-bleached door, he recalled, as he often did, that without his mother's sister, he would have been left on the street years ago. They'd probably also give him a break right then, but how embarrassing was it to continue to rely on this group as an adult?
After knocking, Wendy was the one to open up the door. Instead of greeting him, she grimaced at the sight of him. Butch's cousin had moved out even before him, so was probably just back for a visit. He always had bad timing. Wendy raised her eyebrow questioningly, but didn't say anything as her father called them both in.
Before entering, Butch looked around to make sure one of his uncle's former battling pokemon, often pretty ill-behaved, were crawling around the small space. There wasn't any sign of the giant dodrio that often pecked at people or items, nor the smaller ledyba that would punch others if surprised, so he just sat down. He was offered to have some of whatever haphazard lunch had been set out, but then he had to tell the story of what had happened. Wendy was ready to laugh at Butch's situation as usual, and did. "Are you doing any better?" Butch snapped.
"Of course I am," Wendy shot back. She at least lost her snooty attitude as she went on the defensive. "I'm a valuable asset in Team Rocket. They really rely on me. Sometimes I'm the only one that knows what's going on around there. A lot would fall apart without me."
Butch had heard of the group before, of course. They could be trouble at times. But they had pokemon, and plenty of money to fund their various operations, it seemed. They continued on despite how anyone outside might disapprove of them. If she was valuable to them, Wendy was absolutely doing better than him. He had nothing to say.
"Listen!" Butch's uncle interrupted Wendy's bragging, looking toward Butch with some seriousness. "We need to talk about a pattern with you. How you approach relationships is messing you up. It's gotta stop."
This man wasn't even related to Butch by blood, and therefore had no reason to care about him, but somehow had allowed the younger man to rely on their household since childhood. Seeing the intense expression on his former caretaker's face, Butch instantly felt guilty for having been a burden yet again. "Yeah, I know," he said, looking away. "I messed up again."
"Come on, Dad," Wendy began, a grin on her face. "Can you even call how gets involved with women 'relationships'? He's just some parasite that hangs around until they purge him."
"No. No, that's wrong. I don't do that. She asks me to leave and I'm gone," Butch insisted. "I'm not sticking around and leeching off anyone."
"Then what are you doing here?" Wendy asked poignantly, crossing her legs as she glanced around their childhood home.
"You've really gotta start thinking of yourself more," the older man continued, ignoring his daughter's comment and the exchange that had followed. "It's like all you think about is what's best for your latest. And who's gonna take care of you, huh?"
"Yeah, I get it," Butch said. He should have considered the people he'd already leeched off of before coming back to them, even planning to rush to find another place to be right away. Maybe he ought to get out of there right now rather than continue to burden people who continually struggled to make ends meet that he'd already taken plenty from. "I'll get some cash for you," Butch added, though he might have trouble fulfilling that promise.
"No, forget about that right now! What happened to the rest of your money anyway, huh? Didn't you give that bitch your share of the rent? Why did you let her kick you out then? Why didn't you at least get it back?"
Doing either of those things would have put less of a strain on the people that had taken him in, but he hadn't even considered that. The situation hadn't been as dramatic as him being forced out of the door, anyway. He'd just found out he wasn't wanted and relieved the woman of his presence. But he had just given her the rent the previous day, so asking for it back might have been okay.
"Look at you. You're homeless. Jobless. You just go and hop to do what your next girl says. Prioritize yourself for once!"
Butch looked at the table, unable to say anything with his uncle's berating. He deserved it. If he'd prioritized holding onto the cash from the last job he'd lost, or keeping his job over what the girl that had just pushed him out had wanted him to do, he'd have something to give in exchange for a place to stay. Instead, he was empty-handed. Dead weight. He couldn't even think of anything to say to fill the silence.
Wendy eventually did. "If you need a job, you might be able to find something at my work. We're always looking for people. I'm involved with recruitment myself, actually."
"What, in Team Rocket?" Butch asked, looking up.
"Of course. That's where I just told you I work. You probably wouldn't make it in the long run, but they do make use of guys like you sometimes. They even cover room and board."
So he'd have a place to stay. That alone was something. "Where do I go?" he asked.
"You sure you wanna join that group?" his uncle broke in. "They talk like they're something noble, but they're just a pokemon-wielding gang, you know."
"Come on, Dad. We're not that bad. There's actually a lot that goes on there," Wendy defended, scowling.
"Yeah, I already told you what I think. He deserves to hear it too. Team Rocket isn't thought of well among pokemon training circles. They're criminals, really. You could end up locked up."
That was right, Team Rocket was involved with pokemon. That was their thing before anything else. So upon joining, he could train pokemon and have a place to stay. Knowing his uncle's feelings on the matter, Butch didn't talk about the process any further right then. But the next day, he discussed it more with Wendy, then headed right to where she said new recruits were sent.
The guys he met there were jovial about joining, or even how they were already part of the group. They had a place to stay, and had even been given pokemon right away. They were paid, and if they became valuable enough employees, anyone there could even get rich, they said.
Not having to worry about money didn't sound bad. Being handed a pokeball after having proven himself with the basics was also pretty great. It was a mankey, a notoriously difficult to train species. Though this was the first pokemon that was 'his', Butch was used to taking care of difficult pokemon when he'd helped his uncle while growing up. He directed Mankey easily after some practice. Then when Mankey evolved to Primeape after only its second battle, there was even something to brag about. Wendy might have tried to make his life as miserable as possible before, but this time she'd helped him steer into something good.
Or at least that had been the thought at the time. Even a false promise was quite the draw to a no one with nothing.
As the days went on, Butch found himself saddled with grunt work. Wendy sometimes made jabs at him for being low ranking in the organization, but he was mostly content to just have something to do. Having a job he could complete and then be done with to get that sense of accomplishment was worth a lot. He also trained his one pokemon in-between, or even during. Assigned to clean a conference room, he brought out the supplies, directing Primeape in how it would help wipe down the tables after Butch sprayed them.
Primeape hopped up and down, and Butch couldn't tell if it was protesting or just showing it was ready. "Cut it out," Butch said. He forcefully pointed to the ground while opening the door to the room. "There's stuff you can break if you run around, I bet. Just-"
Butch stopped lecturing his pokemon as he entered the room, finding it unemptied. A single occupant gazed up at him from her hand with mild surprise. The lone woman had been painting her nails, now observing him quietly while remaining seated in the tall stool. Butch had nothing to say initially, just taking in how gorgeous she was. The stranger was a blonde with a beautiful face and body accentuated by what looked like some kind of designer outfit. Beyond her physical appearance, she just held herself well, staring toward him with absolute confidence. Maybe her hairstyle was a little eccentric, but someone like her that seemed to have it all together could pull it off. Maybe she could even sport a look even more off-the-wall without seeming strange.
Why was she there? She didn't even have a uniform. Was she new? Maybe he ought to say something instead of just standing there dumbly. That was definitely weird. "Hey," Butch greeted, then thinking such a salutation was unfitting of his current company. Primeape stomped next to him, also seeming to respect this person's awesome presence.
Such a high class, chic person would be marred by speaking to him. He almost looked away before the woman caught his eye. She interrupted his negative thoughts with her calm, alluring smile. "Hello there," she greeted him with a steady voice. Just from how she spoke, she didn't come across as a nervous new member at all. She seemed far above what Butch would ever be.
Even considering that, Butch decided he shouldn't just stand there and sputter. "You waiting for someone?" he asked. If so, the room should be vacated to make room for whatever kind of meeting she had. Butch himself would have to shuffle off and mind his own business. He held up the pokeball, recalling Primeape for the moment.
The woman stood, holding out her arms and admiring her nails before she looked back at Butch. "Not anymore," she said. Her smile widened as she glanced back at Butch. "I haven't been back at HQ in a while. A handsome guy like you showing up is a sign that I shouldn't just lull around here. You can show me what I've been missing."
It was more an order than a request with a little more than implied attraction there. Butch would be happy to do what she said, but at the same time didn't expect he'd get far with her despite the compliment. He followed her outside, seeming to be the one to be shown around instead. "Where have you been?" he asked. Though there were a lot more questions that might be asked, that was a place to start.
"Top secret," the woman replied with a wink. "Giovanni wouldn't want me just talking and talking about the work he has me on."
So she was important to Team Rocket overall, even referring to the boss by his first name. That may have been expected, if only from how she held herself. "How long have you been gone?" he asked as she led him through the wide halls. She told him, and he shrugged. "I'm new. Doubt I can catch you up that easily."
"Oh?" She still didn't seem that concerned, but frowned as they stopped. "Just take me to where the fun is. I'm tired of waiting around."
Even thinking there wasn't much 'fun' here with Team Rocket, at least not what this person might be looking for, Butch tried to think of where to go. He ended up taking her to where a group was testing a strength enhancing device for pokemon with a wooper. It didn't work, so Wooper just had a cumbersome accessory bothering it during its regular battles. The woman laughed at how Wooper looked while trying to battle while balancing the item with its gills. She tittered again as the device exploded. Butch ran onto the field to help, his guest of sorts following. Butch's current company showed some concern if Wooper were alright, then laughed again as she saw it was teetering around goofily, seeming to be fine overall.
"Well, I should get back," she said after the grunts cleared the field.
"Did I mess up what you should have been doing?" Butch asked.
"Forget it," she said with a single dismissive wave of her hand. "They might have been waiting for a while, but oh well. That just means I just had someone else wait around for me instead. I'm not going to let anyone keep me waiting, you know?"
"Yeah," Butch agreed. No, it didn't seem like this person would tolerate such a thing at all.
"There's not much to do here. Good thing I never stick around for long," she said. "It was fun enough with you. Maybe we could do something again next time?"
"Yeah, sure," Butch said. "By the way, I'm Butch."
She turned around and extended her hand to him casually. "Annie," she introduced before Butch shook her hand.
Annie didn't want to see him right away, so Butch assumed she'd changed her mind. That was understandable. She could do a lot better than him. He wasn't dumb enough to think any woman that paid him mind for five minutes was actually interested in him, anyway. Maybe he wasn't that interested in her either. Sure, she was pretty, but he wasn't completely comfortable around her somehow.
Just as he forgot about her, Annie showed up on a battle arena one morning. Butch shaded his eyes, blocking the morning sun before he recognized her with her espeon. "Oh, hey," he greeted.
"You're free, right?" Annie said casually, toying with one of her curls. Espeon called out in anticipation and arched its back.
"Uh, yeah," Butch said plainly.
"I am, too. Let's go."
Before he could assume anything else, she motioned to have Espeon hop into the arena. Realizing that was what she had meant, Butch sent Primeape into battle. It quickly lost, and Annie laughed at the results before praising her own pokemon. "Good battle," she said, then turned back to Butch. "Now... You must be free for something even more fun than this later."
He was, or at least he made himself free. She had him take her out on the town. They went around to fancy shops and restaurants, him paying for everything. He didn't mind, but he supposed he wasn't really having the best time. Annie didn't seem to dislike him, but there also seemed to be a disconnect between them. She was incredibly attractive along with being mostly pleasant, but also somewhat caught in her own world. He just couldn't think of much to say as she often stared off, thinking about who knew what with her quiet smile. The silence was uncomfortable, distant.
That didn't stop him from going out with her again. And a third time, even. This time Annie insisted they find a private place, and they ended up sleeping together. He didn't object to any of that, either. Afterward, the idea that they could grow closer in time became prominent in his mind. He looked forward to seeing her again. She was feeling something with him, wasn't she? He ought to also give this his best.
Seeing Annie in the lobby of HQ a different day, Butch approached her with that in mind. "Hey," he greeted, sure to smile even though he knew his attempts at a pleasant expression could look creepy sometimes. "Are we still on for later?" he asked, sweeping the one stray hair from her face.
"Something might have come up," Annie said, glancing toward the door.
For a moment, he felt that disconnect again, but tried to push past what he assumed was his own baseless insecurities. "Sure. Whenever you feel like it, then," he assured. They made a little more small talk about the goings-on at HQ, and then he leaned close to her. They ended up kissing. As it ended, he still felt weird. There was that detachment again, this time even stronger than before. Why was he always making himself feel this way?
He glanced away, ready to head toward the door when he came face-to-face with a familiar agent that sported a horrified, devastated expression. It was Jennie, someone that had joined about the same time as Butch himself. He looked behind himself to try and spot what might be the cause of his co-worker's distress, and couldn't find it. It soon became obvious that Jennie was glaring at Butch himself. He opened his mouth to maybe ask what was wrong. Maybe it was none of his business. They had gotten along fine but hardly interacted, so maybe he shouldn't be asking her personal questions. Before he could say anything, she ran off. Annie followed, slowly. Butch glanced her way questioningly, but she didn't give him a second look. What was all that about?
Wendy caught his attention with her laughter as he went across the lobby toward the opposite hall. "You really messed up," his cousin commented, seeming way more amused than she ought to at the idea.
"What? I didn't do anything," Butch protested, taking the bait.
"Messing around with Annie, huh?" Wendy smirked. She picked up a folder, not even looking at it but instead glancing around the room at the various onlookers.
"So?" Butch inadvertently gave away the truth.
Wendy laughed again, grinning and still looking at others besides the person she was talking with. "Why would you do that?" she asked.
"Why not?" Butch asked, getting uncomfortable as he also noticed the various others. Other Team Rocket employees approached them, already getting the idea of their conversation if not having heard and seen everything. The people crowded him, at the same time as keeping several feet distance. Maybe this conversation in this too public area should be avoided, but it was too late for that thought.
"She's already got someone," Wendy said. "They're really close. It's adorable. But it's just like you to destroy a good thing, isn't it?"
"You're just making shit up," Butch said.
Wendy shook her head. "Why did you think Annie would pick you, anyway? She's gay."
"Didn't seem that gay to me," Butch said with a smirk, remembering some of the things they'd done together.
That comment incited a rush of jeers. "She doesn't need anyone judging her!" a woman shouted. "She's got something with Jennie! You shouldn't be trying to mess it up."
"Were you trying to fix her or something?" a man added.
"Listen to your bullshit. Who would want to be around a person like you, anyway?"
More comments followed. Overwhelmed by the amount of people and the realization of what had been going on with Annie, Butch could only listen as they continued to villainize him. They even resorted to name calling. Someone called him 'Botch' after another said that he had fucked up a good thing. Butch couldn't really defend himself as he was assaulted with various words without a single ally in sight. He tried to find his way out. Wasn't it time to do his job? Despite how things had fallen apart, he could still do the stupid tasks that had been assigned. Then he'd feel be able to accomplish something and forget about everything else. No such luck there. The people he was supposed to collaborate with said they didn't want anything to do with him, talking about how unpleasant he was to work with to start. They weren't going to do any work with him, they declared.
Later, Annie showed back up sans the supposed girlfriend, though another ununiformed woman was by her side. No one was willing to tell her what went on at first, though as Butch finally stepped away in the distraction, he saw various people going up to talk to her.
"Yeah, I really didn't know what to make of him. I wouldn't let someone like him wreak things for me though," Annie said, playing into various questions she was asked.
Butch turned around and faced her. She didn't acknowledge him at all. He'd faded into nothing. Maybe he ought to be grateful for that.
He joined the other grunts for the laboratory work. They were glad enough to use his current ostracization as an excuse to leave him to what was supposed to be their collective work. He completed it without complaints, though their overseers certainly had something to say about the rushed job. Everyone then complained about Butch again, making the occasional reference to Annie and how awful he'd been to her. As they finished for the day, two were having fun berating him again. He was about to really start a fight with them before the unknown woman that had been with Annie approached.
"Back off!" she barked at the other grunts, who soon did so. Did she know what had really gone on? "Mitch, right?" she said to Butch.
"It's Butch," Butch corrected.
"You know what? Whatever, Botch," the woman continued hotly. "I have something to say to you, so listen up. My sister knows who she is. She's been happier in the past month than I've ever seen her. She doesn't need some loser fuck up like you confusing her, telling her she can't be herself, and messing up the best relationship she's ever had. So don't ever go near her again!"
Butch stayed in place as Annie's sister walked away. Her name was Oakley, though Butch had only known her through Annie's brief mentions before. Of course he hadn't been introduced. He hadn't ever been that important.
On some level, he'd known that, hadn't he? Maybe that distance he'd often felt was because Annie was completely a lesbian. Had he pushed his own wants onto her, tried to convince her of anything? She'd never said she was into women, but they hadn't talked about their preferences in that regard either. Should he have?
If it was so important, maybe Annie ought to have brought it up herself. It wasn't like he couldn't take rejection, for that or any reason. They hadn't really connected, so why wouldn't he just move on like he always had? It wasn't like he was super in love with her or anything anyway.
Had he ever really loved anyone he'd been involved with? Maybe he just existed to mess things up for them and take them away from anyone that it was possible for them to really connect with.
Wandering around outside to try to avoid anyone that might object to his presence, Butch spotted Annie and Jennie together. They were smiling, laughing with each other. Annie was cuddled up with the shorter woman, arm around her as they rested under the tree, Espeon curled up by their feet. Maybe they did look 'adorable' or whatever stupid word Wendy had used to describe them. "You don't need to worry," Annie assured. "You're the one that excited me. I don't want to ever lose you. I'm only looking at you, really. You're so important to me. All my love is only for you."
"I love you so much too!" Jennie exclaimed, hugging Annie as she seemed to choke back tears. Annie seemed calm as she hugged her actual love back while her espeon cooed out in approval. Witnessing the encounter caused some kind of feeling. It wasn't envy, but maybe something similar.
He wanted that.
Not Annie of course. She could go to hell. But what Annie had, Butch strongly wished he had as well. That support from family. Someone he was allowed to love who loved him as well. Surrounded by companionship - being accepted and valued by everyone, really.
Despite any selfish animosity he might feel toward her because of how he'd been treated that day, Annie deserved it all. People who did would get it. Butch made his way away from Annie and the person that was truly valued, trying to be as quiet as possible. The least he could do was leave them the hell alone and try not to make any other kind of scene. He shouldn't mar the moment with his presence. Thankfully, they never noticed him at all.