-----------
Ash regretted telling Mew to leave almost as soon as he had. Running under the cover of what little smoke there was left, Ash began to make his way to the water. He could get through it a lot easier running than riding a fire pokémon. If he let out any large pokémon now, Ash just knew he'd get caught. He tripped and stumbled, unable to see his feet, but continued desperately. A whinny behind him caused him to stop in his tracks and turn around. He found himself nose to nose with a rather angry black Rapidash, who bared its teeth. Giovanni had no less a crueler look on his face.
Eyes darting around, Ash turned and made a break for it. Ash continued to run. Up ahead, he could see the funnel of water and grinned. The Rapidash wouldn't be able to get high enough with such little room… and Giovanni was no light little Misty either. Putting his arms in front of him, Ash dived into the water, and caught his breath.
It was cold, beyond cold. He could have sworn he'd just jumped into water, frozen by a Dewgong. Erupting from the other side, it was as sudden as if someone had just popped a bubble. Warmth rushed back into his bones and soaked into his skin. Staggering for a moment, Ash then continued to run. He had to get away… but how? From here on in it was a straight span of dusty ground. If the Black Rapidash got over that water, he was as good as captive. Glancing around, he wondered what he ever thought he was capable of, trying to outrun a Rapidash. If worst came to worst, Giovanni could always just recall his pokémon, and send it out again after he'd crossed the water. There'd be no real lost time, and the Rapidash would catch up within seconds.
Shaking his head to clear it, Ash looked back. Oops. Taking his eyes off the rocky path for a second caused him to loose his footing on a rock, and trip. What he saw behind him was no better. Looking back, he watched as the black Rapidash burst through the water. Giovanni had forced the poor thing to go straight through the freezing liquid, but the horse pokémon barely seemed phased, clearing the distance between itself and Ash swiftly. Pushing himself up, Ash began to run again, but he was panting heavily by now.
A hand grasped his shoulder and he looked up to see Giovanni, the Boss of Team Rocket, looking down coldly at him. "You've caused me so much trouble" The monotone voice came out harshly, and Ash tried to back away and yelped as the Rapidash latched onto his other shoulder with stout teeth. "I just hope you're worth it boy, for your sake, you'd better hope you are too" He watched helplessly as Rapidash began to drag its ebony muzzle backwards, and Ash felt himself slide with it, before feeling the searing pain of tearing flesh in his shoulder.
-----------
"Ahhh!" Mew cried out, gripping onto its shoulder as Bolt charged through the street. It was mid-day in Viridian, but strangely it was quiet. Misty wasn't against this, for riding on the back of a galloping, sweating Rapidash, with a Mew floating over head would not have been easy in a crowded town. Misty reined Bolt to a halt with his mane, reaching up to Mew and letting the pink pokémon settle in her lap, still moaning in pain.
"Hang in there Ash…" Misty whispered, before looking up. They had to get to Pallet, and fast.
-----------
Ash was chained against a wall, in a dank cell, with Jessie and James looking at him, if anything, worriedly. As much as he struggled, they seemed to wish for him to break the chains. But, it just didn't seem possible. "Why don't you guys help me out here… please?" He asked, but the rockets shook their heads.
"Sorry Ash" Jessie started, "We only came to give you this…" Ash looked up as Jessie held up her hand. A small stone sat in the middle of her palm, it was the shape of an eye. "What…-?" Ash began but as a bright flash erupted from the eye, and semi-invisible lavender circles swept over him, Ash began to feel drowsy. The hypnotic waves of a Gengar, or something such. He couldn't think much else before his head dropped forward onto his chest and he passed out.
The trio exchanged nervous glances "Should we really take 'im to the boss?" Meowth questioned, and both Jessie and James seemed to be considering, until they shook their heads in unison "No" James said, "We can't disobey the boss" Jessie agreed. James took out a small key, and unclipped Ash from the wall, before hoisting the limp boy over his own back, and they all began to walk.
The small gray jewel like eye remained on the floor, until a golden paw reached from the shadows to pluck it off the cement, and dart away in silence.
-----------
A sharp slap across the face brought Ash back to reality, although groggily. "Wha?" A figure stood before him, blurred and in very little light. Eyes focusing, Ash pulled back from the face that came close to his and groaned. Giovanni grinned, rather broadly, but the smile never so much as touched above his cheeks.
"So…" The voice was cold as he stared at the boy who crawled backwards across the hard cobble floor of the room. "What… What…?" Ash stammered, as he cowered down.
Giovanni's lips pursed angrily and he raised his fist, Ash expecting another blow, closed his eyes. But it never came. Huh? Opening his eyes, Ash looked up to see the Rocket Leader smirking down at him. The boy pushed himself to his feet, and managed a glare before speaking "Let me go!"
"Oh no, little fool. I can never do that, and I would have thought that you would know it by now…" Ash jumped with shock as something cold was slapped onto his arm. Looking sideways, he saw a plate of metal covering form his elbow to his wrist. What's going on? Another piece of metal was placed on Ash's other arm, each slab of steel so cold and tight, he felt his fingers going numb.
"I bet you are very confused…" Giovanni asked, or more demanded Ash's question, but continued regardless "You know me well, and know that I will do anything to win. Well, this battle suit is well fitted for you Ash… though soon you will no longer be Ash"
Giovanni's laugh chilled Ash's blood more than the metal could have done as another piece descended from the roof. He was almost covered in steel plates, apart from his head. "You will be another mindless battler of mine… you'll see soon enough, well, actually… you won't see anything Ash…" With a clunk that made Ash's body tremble, the metal slipped over his head, and blotted out all light. There was a slit of red metal in front of his eyes, which tainted everything a blood like colour, including Giovanni's laughing face. By that tint lasted no more than half a minute before Ash's eyes closed and he dropped to the ground, armor and all.
-----------
"M-Mew!" Misty asked desperately, the pokémon was twitching uncontrollably, and had been for the past few minutes. The girl was scared. She was more than scared, she was petrified. So caught up was she in watching the pink cats condition that she hadn't noticed the Professor's Lab on the horizon until it's shadow fell over her. "Hang in there Mew… hang in there Ash…" She thought as she jumped off Bolts back and charged inside the lab.
-----------
Giovanni laughed as he stared at the metal beast before him. The metal covered the entire body, and it seemed to have a snout, as that was how the metal curved around the mouth area, though one couldn't be sure. Spines ran down it's back and it looked out through a wedge of opaque red glass. Behind that the faint shadows of eyes glittered menacingly.
