Chapter 4: Pawns

Days passed; almost a week had gone by from the night of May's abduction. Although the motive still puzzled him, Ash had figured out who was behind it: May was being held captive by Team Rocket. Although this helped his efforts, it did little to direct him to her. Most likely she was being held at the headquarters...wherever that was.

The region of Hoenn was simply a large island, located east of Kanto. Ash knew that, though Team Rocket was an international crime ring, it originated in his homeland. So, he reasoned, their headquarters must not be too far away, from here or Kanto.

Pikachu tugged on Ash's sleeve, and he snapped back to reality. Swellow had already almost reached the sea between Kanto and Hoenn, but darkness was beginning to fall, and Swellow seemed to be tiring. "Stop here," Ash said. "We could use some sleep before continuing."

"Pika." The yellow mouse nodded in agreement as the mountains north of Rustboro City rushed towards them as Swellow dove down towards the caves. The bird Pokémon landed smoothly atop a small plateau, and Ash and Pikachu hopped off. After recalling Swellow, Ash fixed a quick dinner for him and Pikachu before drifting to sleep without even removing his jacket.

Ash had a very strange dream that night. He was in some sort of dungeon; Pikachu and May lay on either side of him, unconscious. A single lightbulb above him illuminated the room enough for him to see the disheveled furniture: a single bed, and one table and chair. But the light didn't reach into the deepest corners of the room, from one of which came an eerie pair of glowing eyes.

Suddenly, Ash froze. The eyes brightened, and the air around the stunned boy glowed blue with the eyes. A mad laughter came from another corner, but he couldn't turn his head to look. He tried to yell out, but his entire body was paralyzed. The laughter loudened, and the eyes brightened even more. It felt as if a thousand hands were binding him. He was sure to suffocate--

He woke with a start. Nobody was in sight; Pikachu was sound asleep, curled up beside him. The midnight tide was beginning to roll in from the nearby ocean, of which Ash had an excellent view from his campsite. This wasn't a good time for him to worry over a dream--but on the other hand, he thought, it could mean something...the eyes looked like Mewtwo's, or some kind of Psychic type...and that laugh, was it Giovanni?

The effort of reasoning with himself was only harder on Ash's consciousness, and he knew he needed to rest. All the same, he tried to stay awake and decipher more of his dream, but couldn't keep it up for very long. Before long, he had once again drifted off to sleep.

Back in the Team Rocket Headquarters, May began to stir. Slowly, she opened her eyes; the pupils were dilated, and it didn't seem that she was at all aware of her surroundings--almost as if her soul had been torn from her body.

The Alakazam relaxed its focus on the unconscious girl, and the glow around her dimmed. As the Pokémon walked to the doorway, Giovanni approached it and stopped beside it just beyond the door. "The procedure went well, I presume?" he asked in his usual curt tone.

Alakazam nodded, its armor moving soundlessly. Giovanni grinned. "Well done, my friend. Wait for me in the gallery; I have other matters for you to be of service in." Nodding again, the Alakazam disappeared in an instant with its Teleport ability, as Giovanni moved into the room and resumed his pacing around the now-hypnotized May.

"You see, girl? Now you know resistance is futile. You are now under my control." He stopped between May and the doorway. "Rise, then, and acknowledge that I am now your master!"

May could feel herself standing at Giovanni's orders, but her mind was completely controlled. Unable to even think about what she was doing, let alone resist, May stood up and bowed to Giovanni. "I am at your command, Master."

An evil smile crept to Giovanni's face again, and he turned to the door, beckoning for May to follow. "Come," he said. "I have someone who wishes to meet you." May straightened again and replied with, "Yes, Master," an followed Giovanni from the room and out of sight down the dank, gloomy passageway beyond.