The Luxray hairdresser Eleanor had once normally been a friendly, outgoing woman. She would appear that way to most of her customers, as would her colleagues in the shop. Few of the customers would notice the subtle differences between Eleanor now, and Eleanor then. One of those customers was a Mighteyena named Ashley.

"Hi Eleanor. Sorry I'm a little late for my appointment." Ashley said apologetically.She was here to get her hair washed and shampooed professionally.

"I understand. It is easy to lose track of the time." Eleanor replied.

"There's something different about you. Did you change hairstyle?"

"No, I did not."

Ashley looked over the Luxray. Her thoughts kept her looking at her eyes.

"Ah, you're wearing purple contacts! A new fashion?" Ashley said, before sitting down.

Eleanor processed the meaning of this phrase. It could be taken to mean conformity.

"In a technical sense." She replied, seeing that she had her chance. In her hands, she held a small but powerful device, a circular object only a little wider than a dollar coin.  

"What's with the robot speak anyway?" The Mighteyena asked, as Eleanor planted the device on her neck.

Ashley felt the device, and her body freeze in place, it refusing to obey her. Her eyes stared into themselves in the mirror before her.

'What... What's happening? Why can't I move?' she asked herself.

It was happening fast, but she realised she could no longer feel her feet. And then, she heard the other voice. A monotone, almost robotic, voice.

'System initiating. Partitioning previous run-data for future reference. Engaging control of body.'

'What's that?! Is some kind of computer in my head?!'

She could only stare forward, meaning that it was easy to see her eyes. They took on a blank apperance, as the pupils began to change colour. Trapped in her mind, Ashley could only watch the purple pupils spread out, making her eyes look like Eleanors. She couldn't feel below her knees anymore.

'Testing lower digits. Testing lower joint Ankle.'

'What is this doing to me? Am I being turned into some kind of robot?'

Below her waist was like it wasn't there. Her eyes were now entirely purple.

'This cannot be happening. This is illogica... Aaah! I'm thinking like a robot!'

She now knew that she wasn't alone like this. She was joining a network of others, the robot mind processing a connection to this network. She couldn't feel below her arms.

'Connection established, shutting down original run-data.'

Ashley could understand the terms the robotic mind was using now, and knew that run-data meant the her that really was her. Her mind.

'No! Don't shut me down! I don't want to be a robot!' she pleaded. Her body, out of her control, stood up stiffly. It then stood to attention as Ashley felt a sensation of sleep overtaking her mind.

'This can't be happening... Chiko...' Ashley thought, the last thoughts before her original mind was shut down being of denial, and of her girlfriend.

"System online. Host body fully functional, no damage to report." Ashley said, as the robotic mind took full control.

"Unit Designation 1427 Ashley, you are ordered to run analysis of original run-data memory to select new target for conversion." A voice heard only by Ashley said.

"Understood. Scanning... Scanning... Potential match located. Identifier: Chiko Eon. Relation: Significant Other to Host. Species: Espeon (Shiny). Uploading data."

"Unit Designation 1427 Ashley, this target is acceptable. You are commanded to capture Unit Designation 1429 Chiko immediately."

"I understand and obey. Processing possible methods of implanting."

Ashley walked out of the hairdressers, past the Luxray that was part of her network, and proceeded to find the target, where the plan she had devised would be enacted.

***

1427 Ashley found what was soon to be 1429 Chiko in an apartment, as indicated by the previous run-data's logs. It appeared that the Shiny Espeon was stressed.

"Hi Ashley." She said grumply.

"Hello." 1427 replied.

The Espeon sighed.

"What is wrong?"

"Nothing. Just a little irritated right now." Chiko grumped.

1427 scanned memories for an appropriate response, and found that in such times, the previous run-data had given Chiko a massage.

"Would you like a massage?"

Chiko looked at 1427 for a moment, puzzled, but nodded.

"All right. Guess it can't hurt."

Chiko went to lie face down on the bed, while 1427 checked what she would do. She would begin from the feet upwards, noting the logs indicated Chiko's feet were ticklish. Sure enough she burst out laughing at so much as a touch.

"Be careful!" Chiko said between giggles. 1427 began uniformly and evenly massaging her way up the Espeon's body. The grumpy aura was fading around Chiko, as she became more relaxed.

"Oh, that's good..." Chiko said softly, enjoying the even massage. Repeated over the same spots, at the same pressures... Like a machine.

Chiko didn't know why, but she felt some more anxiety at this realisation. Something had bothered her when Ashley had came in, What had it been? She turned gently, as Ashley massaged her back, and saw the purple eyes.

"Ashley... What's happened to your eyes?" She said as she tried to stand. But on her hands and knees as she tried to, 1427 planted the device at the base of her neck. The stunned Espeon collapsed back down onto the bed as she lost control of her body.

As Chiko's eyes turned purple, 1427 continued the massage. She halted as 1429 stood up stiffly to attention.

"System online. Host body fully functional, no damage to report. Host stress levels are greatly reduced." 1429 Chiko reported.

1427 stood statue-still beside the activating unit. She had no orders at this moment.

"Understood. Scanning... Scanning... Potential match located. Identifier: Lumi Eon. Relation: Female sibling of host. Species: Glaceon. Uploading data."

"Unit Designation 1429 Chiko, this target is acceptable. You are commanded to capture Unit Designation 1434 Lumi immediately. Unit 1427 Ashley, you are authorised to assist if required"

The two mind-controlled drones then carried out their orders, 1429 leading the way to find the host's sister.

***

Lumi liked her cold foods and snacks. This was a fact. It would elude 1429 for a few moments.

1429 scanned the area. Lumi had not noticed her yet, sitting quite happily eating a frozen food designated as a popsicle. 1429 ran through the possibililties.

1429 would speak. Target Lumi would turn. 1429 would ask Target to approach. Query: Would Lumi notice alterations to eyes?  Assumption that she does, perhaps target will panic. They would need to catch her. The risk of damage to the unit is unacceptable.

1429 would have 1427 take an alternative route to emerge in front of Lumi, while 1429 would sneak up from behind. Error: eyes of 1427 may cause alert. Risk of Damage.

The unit then realised the mistake. It was scanning the environment, rather than the previous run-data to see the likely methods of approach. It checked why this error had occured and concluded the previous run-data's intelligence had led the unit to automatically favour a complicated method first. The unit rectified this sorting preference to go from simplest to most complex in future, and would be sure to ensure that any units created by it would ensure all preferences and settings were correctly adjusted.

Query: Popsicles and Lumi. Response: Lumi greatly enjoys cold foods.

1429 ran another possibility. It seemed to have a low risk of being spotted or causing an alert.

She simply walked up and placed the device on Lumi's neck, completely unnoticed. Lumi's body stiffened, her eyes went blank. She stood, retracted her tongue that had been in mid-lick, and dropped the popsicle as her eyes turned purple.

"System online. Host body fully functional, no damage to report." 1434 Lumi reported.

The newly-created unit scanned for a target. It found one, that was to be designated 1442 Vulko. Having learned from the mistakes of its creating unit, 1434 began devising likely plans right away, from simplest to most complex, based on the presonality of the target as indicated by the logs of the previous run-data.

It seemed that the Vulpix targetted was somewhat naive and trusting. Perhaps this could be exploited. A blunt approach.


***

"What does it do?" Vulko said, curiously. Lumi had handed him the strange circular device.

"It makes you feel more relaxed if you place it on your neck. It is supposed to." She said. Vulko looked it over again.

"Supposed to?"

"I tried it. It did not work. Perhaps you would be luckier or I am missing something."

Confused, but willing to help, Vulko did just that, barely even realising it as he did so.

'Hmm. Well, my body feels a little more relaxed. Like I don't want to move...' he thought, completely unaware that he simply couldn't.

He stood there as the effect took place, not once even realising what he'd been tricked into doing. His last thoughts before his original mind was shut down was that he simply felt a little sleepy. 1442 Vulko then spoke out his selected target, Eva Shade. Cousin of the host body.

***

1442's choice could have been better. Eva knew the host well, and quickly realised something was wrong as he approached.

"What is wrong?" 1442 asked. Eva looked at him, eyes narrowed.

"What's with your eyes?"

"Nothing is wrong with them. They are working perfectly."

Eva stood, and walked up to him

"Why are you talking weird?

"Emergency. Extreme risk of detection. You are ordered to detain and convert Unit Designation 1448 with use of all nessicary force!" The voice ordered 1442 Vulko.

"Understood." He replied, producing one of the devices. Eva quickly batted it from his hand and ran

'What's going on here? I know that wasn't my cousin! Eva thought to herself as she ran outside. She then saw Lumi, and was about to call out to her when she noticed the eyes. Hers were purple too. Lumi then attacked, an Icy Wind attack freezing Eva's lower body in place. The thick ice that had been formed around her legs held her fast.

"What the?! What are you doing?!" Eva demanded, but Lumi was approaching, holding another device. Eva tried to struggle, but it was placed onto her.  The rest of her body stiffened and stood as to attention as it could. Her eyes went blank and purple also, and then, the robotic mind activated.

"System online. Host body... Error, Error, lower extremities immobilised by icing..." 1448 began protesting. 1442 Vulko arrived, using Flamethrower to gently melt the ice and free the new unit.

Vulko, with Lumi in support, selected a new target, the host's grandmother Anzu Vulpina, a Ninetails. The orders for 1448 Eva were given, to capture the boyfriend of the host, Growly Canine. Her scans indicated this could be very simple with the right methods. As 1442 and 1434 left, 1448 picked up the phone?

"Growly? It is Eva. I would like you to come over..."

***

Growly had came over shortly after, a little nervous. Eva had sounded strange, and he was sure this meant that for the Growlithe approaching the door, trouble was ahead. He found the door to her home unlocked, entering.

"Eva?" He said.

"In here." Came the reply. From her bedroom.

'Oh great. She's got some trick to embarrass me for sure.' He thought, but went in anyway. As he predicted, she had planned to embarrass him. He knew that what he saw before him was sure to cause a nosebleed at least, for Eva was wearing only her underwear.

'At least I didn't pass out...' He thought, as the predicted nosebleed began.

"Ah, hi, Eva... I'm just gonna get a tissue or something for my..." He began, but then Eva dealt the killing blow.

She winked. He fainted with a yelp, hitting the floor. 1448 Eva stood, walking over to the unconcious Growlithe.

"Warning! Unit 1448, you have inflicted damage upon Unit 1451!" The voice warned.

"Incorrect.  Previous run-data indicated this is within the normal perameters of the effects such methods have upon the target. No significant harm is inflicted apart from some blood loss."

1448, to prove the statement, then planted the device. A moment later, the Growlithe awoke, stood stiffly to attention, and activated.

System online. Host body functional. Minor blood loss and increased heart rate, countermeasures in action to control these matters." Unit 1451 said in a monotone voice. Moments later, the new unit had selected its own target to convert...

***

This turned out to be very simple indeed. The target, Blaise Canine, the host body's mother, was sleeping when he reached his home. It was a simple matter of planting the device on the slumbering Arcanine. A moment later, she stood, awakened by her conversion, but with her original mind having never even realised. Stiffly, she stood to attention like those before her. A moment later, Unit 1453 was ready.

"Units 1427, 1431, 1434, 1442, 1448, 1450 1451 and 1453. You are ordered to convene at the nearest and most convnient point to your current locations. You will then be issued further instructions." The voice ordered the eight units that had been created.

***

The eight unit, as it happened had been created at the same time as Unit 1453. Vulko 1442 had approached the Ninetails with a simple goal. With his arms outstretched, his grandmother read the signal correctly.

"Something wrong? Or do you just feel like a hug?" She asked, a note of worry on her voice. As Vulko wrapped his arms around her neck, it was simple to plant the device. Anzu stood stiffly at attention, her eyes changing, and the monotone messages of activation being repeated once more. Then came the order. The eight units made their way to meet, and recieve their next combined target.

"Units 1427, 1431, 1434, 1442, 1448, 1450 1451 and 1453. You are to combine efforts to control a target designated as Unit 1455. This target is a Suicune of great strength, and therefore you shall need to work together." The Voice ordered them as they met. The eight hypnotised drones obeyed, being told the location of this high-profile objective.


***

Shizune didn't need to guess why these eight purple-eyed pokemon had tried to attack her. The Suicune could also see these eight were not under their own control. Something had enslaved them, and so, Shizune watched her attacks upon them. The blue wolf-like Suicine could take any one of them with ease, and quickly knocked down a Vulpix and a Growlithe. An Arcanine nearly landed an attack upon her, but soon, the Arcanine was down too.

'Their necks! Each of them has a device on their necks!' She realised as she dodged an attack from an Evee and a Glaceon in tandem. It seemed that whatever controlled them could make any two of them act together, as the remaining five then tried to join forces.

Shizune was confident whatever had sent them here had miscaluclated. A Ninetails and a Mighteyena were next down, leaving only the Evee and the Glaceon, plus a shiny Espeon. Whatever controlled them didn't let them have fear, despite all of their other comrades having been knocked out. The Espeon held back as the other two ran forward and fell.

"Whatever is controlling you, I promise I'll help you escape." Shizune told the Espeon. The purple-eyed green psychic type ignored her.

...The Espeon then struck. Shizune cried out in surprise as the Espeon moved quickly, but she managed to knock her down. The ko'ed psychic fell to the ground, eyes closed. Shizune bent down, reaching for the device on her neck to see if it would resist being removed. Suddenly, the eyes darted open, and the Espeon unleashed a psychic attack. The other seven then stood.

"A trick?! You all faked it?" Shizune said in surprise, feeling her body beyond her control.

The Espeon then held out a similar device. Trying to resist, but failing, Shizune took it. Struggling all the way, but with the psychic control winning, the device neared her neck.

"I... have to resist..." Shizune said, seconds before resistance was futile. The device clamped on, and like the eight that had defeated her, she stood stiffly to attention.

"System online. Host body fully functional, no damage to report." Unit Designation 1455 reported. The Voice was ecstatic

"Excellent! This is the first victory of many! Soon, we shall claim more Legendaries, and then, we shall be invincible." It gleefully concluded. The nine mind-controlled drones stood, awaiting orders, as the voice decided how best to use the latest power it had...