Zita

She is the main protagonist in *Aftermath*. She struggles to retain a normal life with a criminal record after serving a three-year prison sentence.

## Powers

### Signature Abilities

Speed, agility, fighting prowess, stealth, hunting

## **Physical Appearance**

She is a young Zeraora of petite height partly due to her age. She has yellow eyes, a long, fluffy, winding tail, and thick black fur. She has six lightning bolt-shaped whiskers. Her hand and foot pads are yellow, as are the insides of her large ears. She has five fingers on each hand. As an inmate at the penitentiary, she wore a restraint collar and an orange vest with the number 490326 on the left breast.

## **History**

### **Early Life**

Zita was born during a storm when a lightning bolt struck an erupting volcano, causing it to explode. Soon after, she was taken in by a young woman who wanted a Pokémon for her children to play with. However, as the years passed and Zita matured, the woman and her husband realized they couldn't control Zita's growing power and wild nature. They tried to put her up for adoption, but Zita, having realized she'd reached sexual maturity, returned to the wild before they could do so and learned to fend for herself.

At the age of 10 years, Zita was captured by hunters who were eager to make money. A small troop of Zarude led by a female named Ikki soon rescued her and the other Pokémon who'd been captured. Afterward, however, Zita and some of those other Pokémon were forcibly taken into the troop and trained to fight, steal, and kill; Ikki became Zita's mentor. Having become smart enough to know when to obey, Zita let Ikki dominate her. Sometime later, the troop had to move out of the woods due to human encroachment and moved into a small village inhabited entirely by Pokémon.

Several days after Zita turned 13, she and several other members of Ikki's troop were caught killing civilians for their money and subsequently arrested. Unlike her cohorts, a traumatized Zita had a short trial and confessed to committing the felonies, deciding to plead guilty. The jury ruled out her verdict as guilty, and she was sentenced to three years in the Fula Penitentiary. During her time in prison, she learned to trust nobody and took some time to reflect on her actions.

## ***Aftermath***

### **Chapter 1: Released**

The story starts with Zita gazing at the sky from inside her prison cell. She listens to the chatter of the other inmates like the Penitentiary is their home. She looks up at the clock, reads the time, and notes it's almost lunchtime. Zita tries to think about how long she's been in prison and wonders how much longer she has to go. Her thoughts are soon interrupted by the Corviknight prison guard approaching her cell. The guard calls her by her inmate number and informs her she's being released. Shocked, Zita thinks that her release came sooner than she'd expected. She asks the guard when, to which he responds right now; he then opens the door to her cell and beckons her out before walking away.

Zita follows him out of the cell and right to the front desk on the ground floor, ignoring the inmates who look at her, and becomes excited to have her three-year sentence finally end. The prison guard informs the Liligant secretary at the front desk near the exit that Zita's sentence is up. The secretary nods at this and uses a key to remove the restraining collar around Zita's neck. After its removal, Zita rubs her neck as the secretary removes her inmate vest and gives her a prison discharge certificate, telling her she'll need it to prove her release. Zita understands and fills out all the necessary spaces on the certificate before signing her name. After handing the pen she borrowed back to the secretary, the latter gives her an orange folder for her to keep her discharge certificate along with her mugshot. Zita places the folder in her backpack and thanks the secretary before putting it on. The Liligant tells her to hold on to the certificate and wishes her luck.

Zita then follows the Corviknight out of the building up to the main gates. They stop as the gates open, and Zita walks through them, noticing the guard standing behind her as she leaves. She crosses the parking lot, watching for cars, and finally steps off the prison grounds for the last time in three years.

### **Chapter 3: What Now?**

Synopsis: Zita, now banished from the village she lived in as a member of Ikki's troop, strikes out on her own in the woods and wonders what to do next. She considers going into Fula City to make a new life for herself, but soon rejects the idea, knowing the people there will treat her harshly since she has a criminal record. A while later, she meets another Zeraora named Morpheus, whom she competes with for food and wins. He soon realizes she's a former convict and tries to befriend her, only for her to reject him. However, she allows him to befriend her when he keeps following her. In return, Morpheus allows Zita to live in his territory until she decides what she wants to do with her life.

### **Chapter 4: Confrontation**

Synopsis: Two days later, Zita is hunting with Morpheus when Ikki and four other Zarude from her troop surround them with the intent of taking Zita back and forcing Morpheus to join them. Ikki reveals that she and her friends were also an inmate at Fula Penitentiary, albeit for 18 months, shocking Zita. However, Morpheus rushes to his new friend's defense and attacks the Zarude. Zita, realizing he's in danger of losing his life, joins the fight and manages to save him. Not wanting any trauma from the Zarude, she succeeds in defeating and mortaly wounding Ikki, while Morpheus kills two of Ikki's followers. The remaining two Zarude decide to flee. Zita and Morpheus then retreat and leave Ikki to bleed to death. Zita suggests to Morpheus that they should move out and find a new home to avoid any more trouble from the Zarude, but he refuses. She tells him her backstory and how Ikki and her troop rescued her and then traumatized her. Morpheus sympathizes with Zita and vows to stay with her until the day he dies. Touched by his compassion, Zita accepts.

### **Chapter 5: A New Problem**

Synopsis: A week later, Zita and Morpheus, having developed a habit of scaring humans for fun, are chasing a small child together when they're confronted by a male Zeraora with piercing green eyes. Zita demands who he is and what he wants, but he doesn't answer; instead, he takes the child and runs off with her after glaring at them. The two felines dismiss the incident and soon find more children having a picnic; Zita scares them by roaring and chases them around while Morpheus steals their food and stashes it in his den nearby. After chasing the children, Zita corners them in a ravine and is about to pounce on them when the same Zeraora from earlier arrives and warns her off with a snarl. She hisses at him defiantly before retreating and informs Morpheus, who suggests they stop antagonizing people for now and wait until later. Later that afternoon, the felines come across two parents and their infant daughter, but spot the male Zeraora glaring at them from some distance away. For the rest of the day, each of Zita and Morpheus' attempts to scare human passersby ends in failure, as the Zeraora keeps showing up to stop them from causing trouble. This leads Zita to deduce that their enemy's been following them. Before they bed down for the night, the two felines hatch a plan to get rid of the Zeraora.

### **Chapter 6: The Assault**

Synopsis: The next day, Zita and Morpheus set out to find the Zeraora who ruined their plans and teach him a lesson. They reach a clearing with a dilapidated brick house and come across three hunters and their Pokémon approaching it. Zita realizes they're preparing to mount an assault on the house's inhabitants. She and Morpheus catch the scent of the male Zeraora from yesterday and find out he lives in the old house. The felines watch as the Zeraora emerges to confront the trespassers. The hunters try, but fail, to catch him with a net, and a battle ensues, with a hunter's Goodra being knocked out. Realizing their adversary will keep ruining their plans, Zita and Morpheus join the fight. All four Pokémon cooperate and quickly injure the Zeraora; however, he manages to knock them all back with Close Combat, proving he can still hold his own; this results in Morpheus getting knocked unconscious. The commotion attracts several nature rangers, who call the police before trying to stop the battle. Zita, not wanting to be captured again, tries to flee with the unconscious Morpheus, but the Zeraora pounces on her. Seeing the rage in his eyes, Zita realizes he's still dangerous and tries to throw him off. She then fights with him and loses, and he almost strangles her to death in a fit of rage. However, he stops when the police arrive and arrest the hunters while the remaining rangers carry Morpheus to another vehicle to have him treated. Zita, gasping for air, helplessly watches as Morpheus is driven away and police leave with the hunters.

### **Chapter 7: A New Home**

Synopsis: The Zeraora allows Zita to get her breath back before telling her to wait and subsequently leaving. He returns a while later with Zita's backpack and commands her to get up. Zita, tired from the fight, rasps that she'll get up when she's ready. The Zeraora snaps that she'll get up when he tells her to and reiterates the command. Realizing she has no choice, Zita complies and puts her backpack on before helping her captor down the hill to get some berries. She gives some to him and tries to take a few for herself, but he forbids her by scratching her nose. Suddenly, another male Zeraora and a young woman arrive on the scene in a pickup truck. They gasp upon seeing the first male injured and hurriedly treat his and Zita's wounds. The Zeraora who beat Zita introduces himself as Roberto and asks for her name. Zita introduces herself as well, calling him a dick and earning another scratch on the face. The other Zeraora introduces himself as Rosario and carries Zita into the back of the truck, telling his trainer he'll watch her. The three drive Zita to their home in the suburbs next to Fula City and examine her record. They decide to put Zita up for adoption and take care of her until someone decides to take her in.

### **Chapter 8: Discipline**

Synopsis: A week later, Zita is now living with Roberto, Rosario, and their trainer Ria. Roberto, who has fully recovered from his wounds, attempts to teach Zita discipline. However, Zita distrusts him and the others and tries her best to make things hard for him. She starts by refusing to take a bath, and Roberto punishes her by tying her up in the front yard. After a while, he successfully forces Zita to bathe and do some household chores. Later on, he tries to have her eat Pokémon food, but she resists and ends up getting her face dirty. She then tries to run away, but fails. Roberto angrily spanks her, takes her back outside, and ties her up again. After a few minutes, he scolds Zita for her behavior and tries to reason with her, but she ignores him. Roberto takes her in, washes her face, and puts her in a large cage as punishment for her disobedience.

## **Quotes**

"You can't take care of me forever. There's no way Ria can support another cat living in this house." - Zita to Roberto, Ch 9

## **Crimes**

* **Murder:**
* **Theft:**
* **Vandalism:**
* **Grand Theft Auto:**
* **Assault:**