Shadows on the Heart Window to the soul
by Flygon
Chapter 9

A Single Step, and a new Rival.

Ash's first thought when he woke was what a great day it was, his mother was fine, and the biggest news, when the doctors scanned the area, they found three babies growing. Two girls and a boy, He was going to have a little brother and a pair of sisters, then he saw the clock showing eleven thirty and a note near the clock. He quickly read the note.

Ash,

Brock.

Ash hurried and dressed and brushed his teeth before checking everything in his pack. He set the sleeve with the poke balls on his belt, hoisted his pack onto his back and left the room with the door slightly open to signal the cleaning person that it was ready to be cleaned. Then he headed downstairs to the main floor. The rec room had about fifteen trainers, but nobody he knew, so he headed to the dining area and found the group at the same table that they had occupied the night before. They had ordered him breakfast, which consisted of eggs, sausage, hash brown potatoes and a large orange juice. They munched on some pieces of toast, while he finished his meal. Then he asked why they had let him sleep.

"Com'on Ash," Brock said in amazement. "With the news that you got and the way you were emotionally exhausted, no way. Besides, we were planning on leaving somewhere between ten and noon, so were only a little late to go. By the way, scan your shinx's poke ball and see what moves he has."

"Huh?" he grunted, "Scan?"

"Here," James pointed out and showed him.

Taking his shinx's poke ball from his belt, he held the pokedex near the ball and pushed a button labelled scan. He watched as an image of a Shinx showed on the screen, with the symbol for male, as well as a list of attacks. He noted at that point that his pokedex was brand new.

"Don't keep us in suspense, what attacks does it know?" Misty asked anxiously.

"Yea, that way you'll know whether to keep or ditch the thing." Said an arrogant sounding voice.

Ash bridled at that. He looked at the trainer near the table. He was about Ash's height, and build, but he stood with his feet planted and hands in his pockets. He had a sneer on his face, and his curly red-brown hair looked like it was moulded onto his head.

"What doya mean, Keep or ditch it?" Ash asked with a hint of his old anger showing.

"Just that why should you waste time on a pathetic pokemon with crap moves." His sneer deepened, and so did Ash's dislike for him.

"Only a meat head newbie trainer will keep a weak pokemon and try to make due. Your not in the little leagues now, so you need power, and the weak ones should just be released before they turn your poke ball into their home and take up space."

"You could also try to work with your pokemon, and teach it those moves if you can." He uttered the last three word as if he doubted that the boy could.

"An idealistic newbie trainer." He shook his head. "You'll survive in this League 'reaaal long'." He added a sarcastic twist to the last two words. "Where ya from, The Orange Islands?" Making it sound like an insult.

"Kanto," Ash's voice was tight, and laced with anger.

"Professor Oaks territory." He sniffed. "He must be slipping if he thought to give you a pokemon. You won't last here very long unless you start looking for power and give up on this little idealists dreams. Strong pokemon win, weaklings lose." He gave a bark of laughter. "some idiot paid me a hundred dollars each for six shinx's I had tried to breed for power a couple of month back. They were weak, and the dummy still paid me, rather then let me do the best thing and release them to their fate in the wild." He turned to the door, "Seeya from the winners circle. You keep that attitude, you'll never be in it."

Ash stood there and ground his teeth in frustration. How dare that kid talk about Professor Oak like that. Ash took a step toward the retreating figure when Brock gripped his shoulder.

"No, Ash." He said with a angry frown toward the now closing door. "Don't sink to his level."

"Brock, why did you stop him?" Misty practically yelled. "That egotistical punk needed a good thrashing, and Ash could do it."

"No Misty," Brock looked at Ash with a firm expression. "He would have lost. Ash would have battled bravely, but with anger and rage, he would have made mistakes. He'll be able to prove himself against that brat when he can learn to use a cool head and go with the flow, like he learned at Dewford Island against Brawly."

Ash looked at Brock and smiled at the reference. He remembered that when he first faced the Dewford gym leader he was angry and tried to have his treecko pound the heck out of Brawleys makuhita. And even more so when it evolved into a Haryama. The story was different when he changed his tactics and, as Brock and Brawley put it, Went with the flow. He turned towards Brock and put out his hand, which Brock gripped tightly.

"Thanks, Brocko." Ash put as much feeling as he could into those two words.

"Hey, That's what friends are for." He smiled.

Half an hour later the group was at the outskirts of SandGem town. Ash had learned that his Shinx had Tackle, leer, Charge, Bite as well as Thunder Fang, Fire Fang, and Ice Fang. He also learned that his shinx seemed to have a higher defence then normal and it's speed was slightly slower. Listening to the others, he learned that their shinx's had the same moves, making it apparent that they had inherited the arrogant brats six shinx's. He looked to his friends, old and new, and smiled.

"On to Jubalife City," he said and started down the road.

The Trip took them two days and nights only because they took their time, and gave Jessie and James some time battling with wild pokemon. Then they would use a potion on the wild pokemon and let it recover. Misty took this time to battle her Piplup and her shinx a bit. Ash had to admit, it looked strange to see Misty working with a type that she normally didn't work with. Ash felt his admiration for Misty grow five time over as she worked with her piplup. Soon the little penguin like pokemon had learned bubble, Water sport, and Peck attacks. In addition, she had taught it to do water pulse, a strong water attack that could confuse an opponent, and was well on her way to teaching it brick break, an extremely strong fighting move. He mad mention of this when they had camped out for the second night.

"Jessie has a bunch of books that she managed to salvage from one of her relatives," Misty explained. "with those and with some of the books that Susie has on battle moves I was able to find the ones I wanted."

"She found the training sequence for brick break in one of my books, Ash." Jessie smiled while she ate some of the stew that Brock had fixed. "You can borrow it when ever you like."

"Thanks Jessie." Ash said, looking with surprise at the woman.

"How's your training with your shinx and Chimchar going?" Brock asked as he ladled another helping of stew around, and handed out some more of his pokemon food to the assembled pokemon.

"With Pikachu's help they both have iron tail down pat." He began as he took another spoonful of stew. "Though Shinx can only do it once then he has to take a break from it and do another attack before he can charge up another Iron tail. Pikachu also coached him in the move thunder, but he can only manage two, then he's exhausted. Chimchar can do repeated iron tails without a break, and I discovered that he has Flame thrower, and three egg moves." He scratched the back of his head. "Blaze kick, Thunder punch, and fire punch." He looked toward Jessie, "If I can borrow that book with the methods for brick break, that attack would really add to the strength of my team."

"And maybe in return," Jessie said around a spoonful of stew. "You and pikachu could help our shinx's learn iron tail."

"Sure Jessie," Ash smiled, then winced slightly. "though you'll have to do a bit of working out too. Half of the training process is showing your pokemon that you are willing to do as much as they are doing."

"No problem, Ash." She grinned. "Considering how much manual labour we did during the time we were chasing you and Pikachu, so we could get money for those outlandish inventions, this is easy."

"Well, I wants to take dis opportunity to say dat I have picked up some tricks too." Meowth stated after he finished his last nugget of poke chow. "I spent hours watchin Misty teach piplup, and Ash teach Shinx and chimchar. Also Pikachu worked wit me a bit, and I tink dat I may be ready to show yous what I can manage."

They all were curious and finished their meal, agreeing to do the dishes after Meowth demonstration. everybody moved just outside the camp site, and Pikachu lit the area with a Flash attack. Then with all the pokemon out, Meowth stepped away from the group.

"Foist," he began "I learned dis from watchin Misty."

He closed his eyes, and stood there for a few seconds, then took a deep breath and exhaled. He ejected a slightly glowing wavy jet of water at a nearby tree, and they all gave a small cheer as some of the bark fell from it.

"Way to go, Meowth," Misty cheered. "You learned to do Water pulse."

"heh heh" Meowth chuckled, "I can only manage bout tree of dose doh. Now dis is what I loined from watchin Ash." He turned towards a smallish boulder and charged it, then he jumped, flipped over and slammed a glowing tail into the rocks surface, knocking a piece off.

"Whoa, Iron tail," Brock stated staring at the pokemon.

"And I loined dis by readin one of dohs books of yours Susie," then he grinned. "I should say that I looked at da picturs and figgered it out. Der wasn't much writin wit dees."

He placed his paws together and seemed to tense slightly, then a dark sphere began to appear as he drew his paws apart. He hurled the sphere at a bush, and it blasted the bush apart. Without much pause, he charged a bush near it, drawing back one paw and a shadowy aura formed around it, He slashed at the bush and they all gasp as the top part of the bush flew away, cut cleanly by the attack.

"I'm impressed, Meowth." Brock said in amazement. "Shadow ball and shadow claw. Pretty soon you'll be doing other attacks."

"I started loin in dohs at the pokemon center. I couldn't practice, but I could study the pictures just fine." he stopped as a thing seemed to waver as it rose from the slashed bush. "Wat da?"

"Look out kids," A figure yelled.

They spun and saw a man get out of a jeep.

"That's a wild pokemon that shouldn't be here." He shouted. "A truck was transporting three of them and a couple of Stunky back to the area where they normally are and it overturned, releasing them. It is a lot higher level then the pokemon around here."

Ash turned to the disk shaped floating pokemon with his pokedex open.

"Bronzor - The bronze pokemon - Implements shaped like it were discovered in ancient tombs. It is unknown if they are related. "

Ash also noted the two symbols showing it to be psychic and steel. He saw it heading right towards him.

"Chimchar, use fire punch on it." He called out and watched as his little monkey like pokemon closed the distance with his fist blazing. He saw it connect and watched as the other pokemon spun around and sank a bit to the ground, He fished out a dusk ball from his pocket and let fly. Then his attention was grabbed by a pair of pokemon that were coming out of the darkness.

"Stunky, The Skunk Pokemon - It protects itself by spraying a noxious fluid from its rear. The stench lingers for 24 hours."

"Shinx," Ash called out. "Use a thunderbolt to separate those two." and he saw his little pokemon blast the ground between them with a bolt of electricity. causing the two to jump apart. "Iron Tail on that one, shinx." he pointed to the nearest one, and noticed that the other was moving towards Misty. "Look out Misty, it's heading for you."

Misty looked at the advancing pokemon with some feeling of nervousness. Then a figure was in front of her, it was Meowth.

"Hold it right der, you stink pot." He extended his claws and grinned wickedly at the stunky. "Yous are gonna hafta go thru me, if yas wants to get to her."

"Meowth, try a water pulse." She said remembering the new attack that Meowth had just demonstrated.

Meowth's grin grew even more wicked as he inhaled and then let loose with a jet of lightly glowing water. It hit the stunky and literally blasted it up against a tree, and it weaved back and forth after getting back up.

"Misty, it's confused and soaked with water," Ash yelled as he noted his shinx's iron tail made solid contact, driving the stunky into the rock that Meowth had used for his target practice. He fished out another dusk ball and let this one fly as he heard pikachu yelling. He also noted that the dusk ball that he had used on the bronzor had a white button, showing a clean capture.

Meowth heard Pikachu too and he gave a grin so sinister, that the stunky began to back up.

"Now for my final demonstration." he winked at Misty who nodded at him. "Now I gets to know wat Pikachu felt like when he did dis to us alla da time." He drew in his paws, and concentrated. Suddenly electric sparks began to dance around him and he thrust out his paws to release a thunderbolt at the hapless, and very wet stunky. It struck with a crackling boom, and threw it back up against the tree where it smoked a bit and its eyes were glazed over.

By reflex she grabbed the first poke ball she could find and let fly. It hit, drew the pokemon in, and almost instantly the button turned white, she then noticed that she had used a heal ball. In the meantime she saw that Jessie and James were looking down two bronzors who had appeared. She did note that the one that Jessie was facing was giving off a crackling dance of sparks. and soon the one that James face was doing the same.

"Use a dusk ball or a heal ball." She called out to the pair and watched as they both grabbed a dusk ball and let fly.

Ash collected his two new pokemon, and saw James and Jessie dancing around with their shinx's held high. both of them were calling out in a singsong voice announcing their first real capture. He grinned, as his mind drifted back to the time he had made his first capture. That caterpie. that soon evolved into a butterfree. A glance at Misty told him that she had caught the other stunky, and was looking at the healball she held in her hand with an amazed expression. Meowth was cheering them all on, and dancing in little circles, while the man stared open-mouthed at their antics.

"I'll tell you all," The man, who introduced himself as Hank, told them with a wry grin "I wish that you had told me that you were experienced trainers, right off the bat. You could have saved me a minor heart attack."

"Well we were a bit busy at the time." Misty replied.

"Yea," Ash stated, while brushing pikachu. He had finished with both chimchar and Shinx, and was now focusing on his first friend. "It wasn't like we could introduce ourselves and all." continued. "I just wonder why Pikachu here, didn't get involved?" At which the electric rodent began a short speech.

"Pikachu said," Meowth translated, "dat shes been very tired since yous guys got here. She also said dat she saw de udder pokemon were doing fine. She woulda thunder bolted one or the other if she had to, doh."

Ash looked at his first friend with concern. She had never been this tired before.

"Wonder why she's tired so much now." Ash wondered aloud.

Hank told them that he would give them a lift to Jubelife City in the morning and went to nap in his jeep after he radioed in about the pokemon. Brock thanked him and promised him a good breakfast. When they woke the next day, pikachu was still asleep and Ash couldn't wake her, at first. When he did he noted that she was listless and seemed to have no energy. He was worried, now. Even Meowth couldn't get an answer. And that scared them. They ate, cleaned up, and broke camp in less then forty minutes, and soon the Jeep was speeding down the road towards Jubelife City, and the pokemon center. Hank had radioed ahead and an officer Jenny met them at the outskirts and escorted them to the center. Nurse Joy was waiting with her chancey and a gurney and they rushed Pikachu into the emergency room, and Ash began to wait.

Two hours later, Misty was watching Ash run his hands repeatedly over his black hair, alternately getting up and pacing, then sitting down again. Brock, Susie, Jessie and James had left, taking their pokemon including Ash's and hers to the main desk for revitalizing. They had left their assurances that everything would be alright, but words didn't seem to make a difference. She thought to herself that something bad could have happened to any of his other pokemon. Sure he would be worried, but not as much as he was now. Not with his first friend. His first pokemon. She found herself almost praying for Ash. Hoping that nothing bad was happening to his friend. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks as she saw the anguished expression on his face. She thought to herself 'GOD, if you have to take a pokemon, then take one of mine. Don't put Ash through this'. And then the light over the emergency room door went out and the door opened.

Ash was on his feet, and so was Misty. Her eyes sought out any signs that disaster had happened and found, instead, a smile. She began to relax.

"Is Pikachu OK?" He begged.

"Pikachu is fine, Ash." Nurse Joy said with a smile. "There was a bit of difficulty, but that's only because it was her first time."

"First time?" He asked, totally confused and befuddled. Then he saw chancey wheel out a small gurney with two yellow and black striped eggs on very soft cushions and stared.

He felt relief, happiness, and release of all the pressure all at once. Then he felt two arms wrap around him in a tight hug and heard a joyful squeal in his ear. reflexively, he returned the hug, and for the first time since he found pikachu nearly comatose, he let his tears flow free. Right on Misty's shoulder.

In the dining area, which was nearly empty this time of day, the group gathered around the table. Ash and Misty had gone to see pikachu. The little pokemon gave them a small smile, and a weak 'pika' and a thumbs up. Then Meowth came in, and told the two to get to the dining area and eat, sounding more like a mother then a pokemon. He had gotten there and told them all what had happened with pikachu and been congratulated several times over. Then he looked at Misty. They had shared a moment in that room that neither could explain. A line had been crossed. A line that could never be uncrossed ever again. Emotions surged through Ash that he never thought he felt before. He had cried out his eyes onto the soft, and willing shoulder of Misty. The girl that he had insulted, derided, picked on, and lord knew what else, and she had accepted the tears by offering her shoulder. Then Brock broke into his train of thought.

"Ash, are you going to raise those two eggs?" He asked quietly, only to have Susie give him a slap on the shoulder.

"Brock," She began in a shocked whisper, "Wait a bit will you."

"But Susie," He responded, rubbing his shoulder. "Ash is going for the Sinnoh league." He looked at his friend. "He needs to train, and can't do that while trying to raise a pichu, even less with a pair of them."

Ash's eyes, went from Brock to Misty's and he gave her a small smile.

Misty saw the gaze and knew the question but was afraid. She too, thought that they had crossed a line in the emergency room. But now that it was crossed, she was scared to go further. But she also didn't want to hurt Ash by rejecting his silent offer abjectly. She gave a small shake of her head, and silently winced at his crestfallen look. Then she explained.

"Brock is right, Ash." Then she seemed to ponder it. "Any of us with a shinx that has rivalry is out." She stressed the last word, and saw his expression softened slightly. "Can you imagine the chaos of one established electric pokemon and two new ones entering the picture? " She rolled her eyes theatrically and got Ash to chuckle slightly. "so that leaves only one logical choice, or two I should say. That is if they want to?"

Meowth came back just as this was occurring and gave Misty a wink that only she saw.

"Dat is what pikachu said." Then he looked at Brock. "She said dat you and Susie should raise one each of her babies. She said dat she trusted yous two."

Later that day, Meowth told Misty, alone, that Pikachu's first choice had been her. But if that was not possible then one each to the two breeders.

The next day the group went around the city and looked it over. Ash went on his own and picked up some items then worked on them for almost an hour, casting glances at the door. Before long he folded the red paper and inserted it into an envelope, sealing it. He remembered his mothers story, but he also remembered his fathers words to him when he was five, and had tried to tell a furious Cathy Wilkins that he liked her.She had flew into such a rage that he ran home crying. He remembered his father had come up to his room to console him. and he left his room giving him one piece of advice in addition.

"Never tell the girl you like or love about your feelings when she is angry,or upset."