The Life List
12 years and 11 months later

	Saidee knew her time had come. She had known it all her life. But with her time 
only a week away it became real, so real. Seven days before they came. They would take 
her away. Away from her father and her mother and her home. It had never felt more like 
a home. Before it had been a small apartment where no one was ever home, but she 
would miss it. Team Rocket was bad, but she was the only one who saw. At nine years 
old she realized more than her parents, or her brother. Team Rocket was evil. Saidee’s 
parents said no. Team Rocket was noble and strong. Saidee’s parents were stupid. Saidee 
saw the truth. Team Rocket had taken her older brother and now they would take her. Her 
mom had told her they would still see each other, and it was good that Saidee was 
following in her parents footsteps. Saidee’s parents were considered the best agents ever. 
Saidee was to be better. She walked to the kitchen.
	Her mom was looking out the window. She had been doing that a lot. Looking for 
the people who would take Saidee. Her mother had fought and had kept her for 10 years 
longer. But it was time for Saidee to go. She would be taken to Team Rocket and be 
trained. She was expected to become the apprentice to De Witt the leader of Team 
Rocket. That job would have gone to Chase her younger brother but he had died years 
ago. Her mother turned around and Saidee gave her a supporting smile before walking 
out of the room.

	Melli had the most beautiful daughter in the world. With giant brown eyes and 
thick claret hair she was gorgeous. She was Melli’s third child and the last she had left. 
Zane had been taken the day he was born, twelve years ago. Chase had died in a car 
accident when he was only five. It was Saidee’s turn to go. Melli’s life had been Team 
Rocket and now Saidee’s life would be. She should have been honored. Saidee was 
expected to take over when De Witt died. But she only felt pain. Deep, burning pain. She 
wished her husband was there. Saidee walked back into the room and opened the fridge.
	“Mom,” she asked “do we have any OJ?”
	Melli said nothing. She couldn’t, she just wanted to cry. So she did. Tears poured 
down her face and she choked out sobs. Saidee ran over to her. She patted her on the back 
and comforted her. “Shhh,” she soothed. “It’s okay, everything will be alright.”
       Melli was ashamed. She was the mother and her near ten year old daughter was 
the brave one. 

	Fred could have killed De Witt. In seven days time Saidee would leave and De 
Witt had the nerve to give him an assignment. Well no way in hell was he doing it. He 
had a few choice words to say to De Witt. You bleppety, bleepety, bleep, he would shout. 
He didn’t say that though. He chose his words carefully “this is a sensitive time. Our 
daughter is leaving and I think I need to be with my family.”
	De Witt stared at him. Most likely no one had ever refused an assignment. But he 
gained his composure and nodded. “This assignment is an important one. It is vital. Is 
there no way you can do it?”
	Fred shook his head. “Sorry.”
	De Witt shrugged, it was an odd sight. De Witt was not the shrugging type. “If it 
is absolutely necessary you can have the day of Saidee’s leaving off.” His voice was 
husky, as if it had gotten caught between his throat and his mouth. “But I can always up 
the pay. If that is the real problem here…”
	Bastard, Fred wanted to yell. I want to be with my kid and you think money will 
change that??!! He avoided doing that and nodded. De Witt nodded back.
	“Go,” he said.
	Fred went.

	Saidee stroked her mother’s hair and whispered soothingly. She helped her across 
the room and sat her down on the couch. She made tea and gave it to her. Melli looked at 
her with tears in her eyes. “I love you so much. You know that, sweetie. I tried so hard to 
keep you. When they took Zane I nearly died. But now you. Oh, how will I live?”
	“Mother, I’ll be okay! I promise. I always keep my promises.”
	“Yes, baby, you do. I know that. You are tough and smart and beautiful. You will 
be okay. Don’t miss me too much!”
	Saidee blinked. Why would she miss her mother? Was she supposed too? She was 
never home, neither was father. They weren’t really parents just, well, people who fed 
her. She didn’t much care for them. But she supposed she should be nice.
	“I will miss you, mother!” she allowed a few tears to leak out. Her mother saw 
them and held her closer. Saidee was struck by something. She had never called Melli 
mommy or even mom. Even as a little kid she couldn’t remember saying mama. It was 
always mother and father. So informal, so without love…
	Saidee shrugged it off, and with it her mother’s hug. She moved towards her small 
bedroom without explanations. She couldn’t bear to see the hurt look on her mother’s 
face. She closed her door as silently as possible and began to think. She always kept her 
promises. That was true. She wasn’t keeping this promise because of her mother; not at 
all. She was keeping this because of herself. She knew if she went to Team Rocket she 
would get hurt. So answer to this problem, easy. Don’t go to Team Rocket. How, was the 
real question? 

	Melli’s tears hadn’t ended yet. Far from it. Each tear that dropped unto the vinyl 
couch cover was a reminder of how many years Saidee would be gone. She tried to think 
of happy memories of Saidee. As a laughing baby, a gurgiling toddler, sadly, she had 
none. Saidee had never been particularly happy or cute. Always solemn and serious. 
Melli hadn’t however been the best mom. Gone everyday, nurses to take care of Saidee. 
Zane and Chase too for that matter. She felt more tears come. Chase had only bee two 
when he was in a car crash. Team Rocket had taken him and were driving away. I should 
have fought for him, though Melli.  I am a horrid mother. I deserve to die. I never knew 
my children and I never will know my children. Please god, she silently begged. Let 
Saidee be okay. The prayer had no point though. If there was a god he knew that Melli 
didn’t believe in him. Even if she did Saidee would be okay. She was smart. She tried a 
different prayer. This time she said it out loud.
	“Please, God, if you give me another life let me be a good mother. Let me love 
and care for my children.”
	She looked out the window as it began to rain, and for the first time in her life she 
wished she hadn’t joined Team Rocket. 

	Fred scowled at the traffic and honked his horn. It didn’t do anything to help but it 
did make him feel a little better. He made a rude gesture at the women next to him. She 
yelled something back but he couldn’t hear. 
	“God damn, stupid effing traffic,” he muttered. “All I wanna do is get back to my 
house and be with my baby.”
	Baby, right. Saidee had stopped being a baby as soon as she was old enough to 
know about Team Rocket. Just like me, thought Fred sadly. And Melli and all the other 
children in Team Rocket. None of them were children. He wished Saidee was like the 
daughters in books. Cute little girls, who had problems with icky things, like worms. 
Who talked to their fathers and mothers. Not Siadee. He was never daddy to here. He was 
occasionally father but nothing more. He wasn’t home enough to merit a name. He was 
like a relative you only saw on holidays, except they celebrated no holidays. 
	It began to rain outside. Fred sighed, that would just add to the traffic even more. 
He should have stayed at headquarters. At least he wouldn’t be stuck in this bothersome 
traffic. He was immediately mad at himself. How could he even think of staying at 
headquarters when Melli and Saidee were home alone? Well, most likely Saidee and 
Melli didn’t even notice each other. Fred wondered it this would be like last time. When 
Zane was taken she had a complete mental breakdown. That was part of the reason why 
they had let her keep Saidee for so long.
	Fred shivered as he thought of Zane. Melli thought Zane was a darling, innocent, 
angel, who always happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Fred knew 
better, in fact everyone knew better. Zane was evil! Pure evil. He thrived in Team 
Rocket, as a child he was a genius with a dark sense of humor. He would burn ants and 
pick the wings of bugs so he could watch them struggle. When he got older he moved on; 
to much worse things.  He was a natural bully. He would never harm or threaten, just 
watch. Watch until he could find out that persons darkest desire and use it against him or 
her. He could watch a man burn to death and not flinch. In fact he could burn a man and 
not flinch. And the worst part was… he hated Saidee. 
	Hated Saidee with all his heart; if he had a heart, Fred could only guess at why. 
But his guesses usually were pretty accurate. He was jealous. Jealous that De Witt wanted 
her more than anything. Jealous that she was a genius, but most of all jealous of the love 
she had. It was a fake love a forced love but it seemed real. After all, Melli had kept 
Saidee and not him. He would kill Saidee in a second, so Fred must never give him that 
chance. He would save Saidee from that, he would-
	 A car tried to cut him off and his thoughts were jerked from Saidee’s well being 
to honking his horn. 

	Saidee was deep in thought. She had a plan formulating. Well, not a real plan, an 
idea. A way to escape Team Rocket, a way to be safe.

	The front door opened and Fred walked in. Melli smiled as he placed his lips upon 
hers. She remembered when he was younger. Now his fiery red hair had dulled to a gray 
and prominent lines appeared under his eyes. His body was a fit at fifty as it was at 
twenty. He freed her from his kiss. His eyes were a deep brown. They were soft and filled 
with light. At times she had seen them filled with anger and hate, but it was hard to see 
anything other than love in them now. Five minutes with Fred was enough to make up for 
a day of loneliness. 
	“I love you,” she whispered.
	
       He didn’t say anything back. He didn’t need to, his eyes said it all. A noise behind 
them caused them to turn around. It was Saidee.
	“Hello, father,” she said “you’re home really early.”
	Fred smiled “I know Said, but I wanted to be with you.”
	“Oh.”      
	For a while there was silence. Saidee finally turned and walked out. Fred 
collapsed on a kitchen chair. He had just come home and he already felt awful. Some 
father; couldn’t even think of thirty seconds of conversation. 
	“Maybe, we can all go out to lunch?” ventured Melli. Fred shrugged “if Saidee 
wants to. I doubt it though.” 
	Melli surprise him by bursting into tears. “What is a matter with this family? My 
two sons are gone and my baby girl is leaving and she doesn’t even care.”
	Fred was a bit surprised at her outburst. Not that Melli didn’t cry, she did; it was 
just that she choose not to believe the truth. She would rather think her daughter was so 
upset about leaving she couldn’t even talk to her. Fred patted her and the back and 
wished she could be happy again. He wished they all could be happy again.

	“It’s his own fault!” Saidee articulated. Her reflection stared back at her 
unbelieving. “Well, it is!” her reflection was not convinced. “He doesn’t know me. He 
spends his entire time with that evil organization.” She turned away from her mirror.
	“I hate him!” there she had spoken the words she had longed to speak. “I do! And 
he hates me back! I know I’m second best to Team Rocket, and I know I always will be! I 
hate him and I hope he dies!”
	She turned back to her reflection and was surprised to see a tear falling down her 
face. Soon more came and her vision became blurred. She fell unto her bed and began to 
sob. She couldn’t remember ever crying like this, not even when she had broken her arm. 
Saidee couldn’t bear her parents to hear her cry so she buried her face in her pillow. She 
felt like she was never going to stop. That wasn’t the problem though. The problem was 
why was she crying?
	“I do hate him!” she choked out. But she hated her father in the ways all little girls 
do. She didn’t. Because even though he had never hugged her, kissed her, or tucked her 
into bed, she was nine and nine year olds, no matter how independent and smart, love 
their fathers.

	Melli heard tears. They weren’t hers. They were Saidee’s. Melli longed to run in 
there and comfort her, to stroke her head to kiss her and care for her. Saidee would have 
died first. Just as Melli had died too. She looked up at her husband. 	
	“Saidee does love me, right?” she asked.
	“Yes,” he said.
	But she saw it. The hesitating, the analyzing. Should I tell her the truth, her own 
daughter hates her. She was glad he hadn’t, she would have died. As if she had ever lived 
a full life. Her child was crying and she couldn’t help. She remembered that night when 
Saidee had had a fever and she had been fussing all night. Soon after that Melli went to 
work.
	Was that it, wondered Melli. I lost a few hours of sleep and I had to go. Could that 
be true? Could it? It can’t be, oh god I hope it isn’t. But even if it’s not, it doesn’t matter. 
Because I left my child. I abandoned her and know I am the one suffering.



Disclaimer- I don’t own pokemon

R&R please. I really want to know what you think. Do you like it hate it (hope not)! :)