Shadows on the Heart Window to the soul
by Flygon
Chapter 16

After they had gone, Ash watched as Eddie and Tommy pulled out their pokedexs and scanned each ball, writing down the moves. He smiled. While they were checking and studying their pokemon's moves, Ash's doctor came in and told him that he, and the boys could be released the day after tomorrow. He thanked the doctor, and to help pass the time, he pulled out the rules book that Chad had given him. He started to read through, skipping from place to place when he ran across one item that caused him to stop. He reread the section three times to be sure then he checked to see if anybody was looking and grabbed his phone when he noted that they were not.

"I'm gonna go to the vending machine area for a soda," Ash said, "anybody want one?"

He heard a chorus of yea's and saw Misty toss him a kiss which he returned, before heading out. He got the phone out in the elevator and was dialling the number before the door fully closed.

"Lance here, What do you need, Ash?" The head of the Kanto Pokemon League, and foremost dragon master asked.

"How!?" Ash exclaimed.

"Caller ID," He explained. "The shop that you bought your satellite phones at has a contract with all the Leagues in every region, they're a chain. They alerted us when you picked up yours, and I simply added the number."

"OK," Ash replied, recovering fast from the shock of the moment. "I just read up on certain articles in the rules book that Chad gave me, and I got a question."

"I was wondering when you'd get to that." He replied in a knowing tone. "Must say, it took you longer then I expected it too. And to avoid any confusion, your referring to section sixty two, point five, right?"

Ash nearly dropped the phone. The man was a psychic.

"Bingo," Ash responded, "And I won't even ask how you knew."

"I'll tell you anyway." Lance laughed. "Ash, been there, done that. Your following in my footsteps almost to a tee. I'm thirty six now, but I was once young."

"OK Mr. Dragon psychic." Ash retorted. "I need to know, what do you think my chances are for that goal?" Then Ash went into a brief description of what he meant.

"Well, I would say that Sinnoh is your biggest hurdle." Lance answered, all traces of joking gone. "Too much new blood there. However, if I were a gambling man, I would put a couple of thousand on you for a sure thing. Kanto, is almost a shoe in. Same old trainers, with just a few new ones, but not in your caliber."

Ash listened and his smile grew. Soon he was almost dancing his way to the vending machines.

"Thanks Lance." Ash stated. "For everything."

"No problem," The dragon master responded, "By the way, better warn that little brother of yours, Tommy. Moira got a good look at him and likes him. She just may try to set her sites on snagging a Ketchum husband herself. If he's not in the girl meeting mood, he may want to go off on a journey alone for a couple of years. And I'm not too sure that that will work. This young girl is one determined person."

"I'll tell him," Ash laughed. "But since you probably have his number too, why don't you send him an picture of her, anonymously of course. That way if he likes what he sees, and meets her, maybe sparks will fly, instead of fire."

"Ooh boy," Lance guffawed into the phone. "Are you trying to play match maker? I'll do it of course, but don't you think that a fiery tempered girl would be a bit too much for him?"

"Yes, and no." Ash laughed back. "I think Tommy could handle her. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders." Then he chuckled. "Besides we Ketchum men like our ladies to be fiery, it keep us on our toes."

He returned to the room with eight cans of soda, and his little group began to make plans for the rest of the journey.

Battle Battle

Tuesday dawned with a bright sun and a few fleecy clouds floating in the sky, as Ash and the rest left the hospital. He had been informed that the League had picked up the tab for his stay, and also he had been credited with a partial on the reward for Butch and Cassidy. The pair had finally been cornered in the Mount Coranet cliff sides. Both were taken, this time they were searched by experts and were almost guaranteed to be held for trial. Though from what he had been told, Cassidy was the one responsible for phoning the ambulance in the first place. She had agreed to turn evidence, and told the police everything. Even how it was Butch that killed the officer Jenny in Pallet town, and ordered the seviper to attack Ash. She said she drew the line at murder, but was afraid of her one time partner, who seemed to have gained a taste for it.

Then even more news hit, as Ash was wheeled onto the side walk in front of the hospital. The big boss of Team Rocket was dead. He heard news paper kids crying out the Extra and yelling that Giovanni had taken an overdose of sleeping pills, leaving a letter that said he would never serve a single day in jail. Team Rocket was history.

Ash rose from the wheelchair for the last time and turned to thank the three doctors and half a dozen nurses who accompanied him out. He shook hands all around, glanced at the rest of his group and began to stride down the side walk on his way to the next town, and the next gym. He was ready and eager to get back into the groove. They chatted as they neared the edge of town when Ash heard a slightly familiar voice.

"Come on," The voice said in a arrogant tone. "Isn't there one person here who can even give me a challenge?"

They cleared a thatch of trees and saw the owner of the voice. It was the sneering red-brown haired boy they had met in Sandjem Town when he had started on his journey. He knew he could take him and started towards the boy, who saw him and stopped him with a bark of laughter.

"Don't even think about it, Newbie." His tone was loaded with derision. "I want a challenge, not a joke. If I feel the need for humour, I'll watch some television, not your pathetic pokemon."

Ash was about to deliver a response when a small fast moving person walked by him. It was Eddie. His fists were clenched, and he had a stern look.

"Don't you talk to my brother that way!" Eddie began to rage at the boy who seemed shocked by the verbal assault. "He eats better trainers then you, and spits them out."

"Kid," The boy retorted, recovering from his shock. "I've seen your 'brother' with a worthless shinx, with an even more worthless attack pool." He looked up at Ash. "Took me a bit, but I realized you got one of the useless rejects that I tried to breed for power, I gave up because I realised that shinx was a worthless effort. Those pathetic pokemon will never amount to anything, just like that little rat on your shoulder. Weak pokemon should be set free so they can either grow to have some power, or die off. Why waste your time withem."

"You sound like those creeps that I saw in Hoenn," Eddie stated to the boy. "Picking on a kid because he wanted to train an eevee."

"HAH!" he laughed, throwing his head back. "Pick on him? They should have clubbed some sense into him. Eevee, just like that useless rat you got, are worthless for battling. They're just toys for the little kiddies to play with." He glared at Eddie. "Take the advice of your betters, kid. Just play with your toy pokemon until your old and wise enough to realize that you'de be better off, ditching the toys and go for all the power that you can grab."

"Volt isn't worthless," Eddie countered "It's one of the best pokemon around. And I do take the advice of my betters. I listen to my parents and my brothers all the time"

"Kid," the boy shook his head. "If you believe that, then your parents did a real poor job of teaching you anything. You should ditch the rat and go for something that will evolve into a power pokemon. Heck, you should slap the moron who gave you that thing." And he turned to leave.

"At least I have parents, and a family that cares about me, and will help me." Eddie snapped back, watching the boy stop in his tracks. "Which is more then I can say about you, I think."

Ash watched as the boy spun back and faced Eddie. The boys face was almost purple with rage, and his brow was knitted as he glared at the much younger boy. He was about to intervene when both Brock and Tommy stopped him with a touch on each of his arms.

"Not yet, Ash." Brock whispered. "Only if it looks like he'll physically attack Eddie."

"Eddie needs to prove himself, Ash." Tommy added in a whisper, yet he looked concerned. "He would stay up at night, talking about how he wanted to prove himself to you. To make you proud of him. Win or lose, He needs to see this through. I know my brother."

Ash held his ground.

"So you want to prove that that stinking rat is really a battler?" The boy grated out. "What other pokemon you gonna toss at me? I only battle with two pokemon, kid." he forced a smile. "Let's do this."

Eddie silently prayed he had done the right thing. He couldn't stand to see his new big brother be insulted like that and acted before he knew what he was doing. But now he realized what he had done. He had challenged a older kid, and it was accepted, but he still needed to have it approved before he could. He turned his head toward Ash, practically begging his new brother to let him battle, yet part of him was scared. What if he failed. He saw Ash give him a single confidant nod, feeling his heart soar for a moment, before turning back to the boy.

"You had to get permission from your big loser brother," The boy sneered, recovering his composure. "Before you battle? What a damn wimp."

"He had to get permission from a Pokemon League member," A woman's voice said from the darkness of the thatch of trees. "Before he could battle. It's the rules, and he's obeying them." And the owner of the voice came into the light.

Ash saw she was tall. dressed in black, and had bright yellow blonde hair that partially covered her face. She also had six poke balls in a sleeve at her belt.

"Who are you, lady?" The boy sneered. "His mommy?"

"No," She replied, staring him in the eye without blinking until he turned his head. "But I wish I was. Name is Cynthia, head of the Sinnoh region's Pokemon League. I'll ref this battle, if that's alright with all here."

"Sure," The boy said, with a little less confidence. "It should be a short battle anyway."

Again Cynthia stared at him, but this time a small half smile formed on her face.

"I agree," She said in return. "In fact, that's probably the only right thing you've said in this park today."

Cynthia pointed to two spots on the grassy field. one near Ash, and the group and the other at the opposite side of the area, about thirty feet away.

"Trainers will be allowed four minutes to prepare." She called out, and a small crowd of kids began to gather.

Eddie started towards the spot near Ash, and suddenly he was scared. What if he messed up. What if he wasn't good enough to battle. He was only eight. He looked up at Ash and saw him handing his sleeve of poke balls to Brock, then move towards him. The feeling in his stomach increased. He was battling in front of his own new brother. The Legend that he had followed, along with his brother for two years. His hero, the person he would like to emulate if he could. He looked up and saw Ash kneel down, and grip his shoulders.

Ash saw his little brother, and all the doubts that flashed behind those bright green eyes. He remembered those same doubts, because he had felt them at Indigo. He knew the feeling, but he could do something to help. He knelt in front of Eddie and gripped his shoulders with both his hands.

"Eddie," He began, looking into those doubt filled eyes. "You know all your pokemons moves. You got pokemon from the Elite four in your hands, and a baby from my pikachu. Trust in your pokemon, battle with your head and your heart, follow you gut, and you'll win. You can do this," Ash smiled and gave Eddie's shoulders a little shake. "I believe in you brother, now you gotta believe in yourself. Think how each move can be used, then, go with the flow." And Ash stood, giving him a thumbs up.

Eddie stared into the brown eyes of his idol brother in stunned silence. Ash believed in him. The Tri-Champ, his hero believed in him. He looked up to the rest of the group and one by one they joined Ash by giving him a thumbs up signal, even pikachu. Doubts fled, he had his first battle to wage, and win or lose, he knew that he had others who would back him and help him. He turned back to the boy, and caught a movement from Cynthia, the head of the regions Pokemon League. She too, gave him a thumbs up, and a wink.

"Finally," The boys smile looked disgusted. "Family time over? Ready to have your head handed back to ya?"

"Your name?" Cynthia asked the boy.

"Rick," he answered, and rolled his eyes at her raised eyebrow, "Just Rick."

"Very well, Rick, just Rick." Then she held her arm high in the air. "This is a one on one battle between Rick, and Edward Ketchum. Each trainer is allowed to use two pokemon, all League rules will be observed at all times." She looked to each of the contestants. "Begin!"

"Great, I'll even toss out my pokemon and let you have first move." He cracked open a poke ball and an elekid appeared in a flash of reddish light.

"Dash, your up." Eddie called out and let one of his eevees out. "And you take first move."

"Your funeral." He called for a thunderbolt.

Eddie watched at the elekids arms rotated, he told his eevee to hold, then the arms stopped and the thuderbolt was released.

"Dash, quick attack dodge left, then use shadowball." he yelled out.

The thunderbolt hit the ground where the eevee had been, but did nothing more then chew up some ground, as the little brown furred pokemon bolted like a blur to the left and sent a shadowy ball directly at the electric pokemon.

"Now Dash, Dig into the ground, Quick." He called out. and saw the paws of his eevee blur as it burrowed into the soft ground.

At that moment the Shadowball hit, sending the electric pokemon falling backwards, it rose and looked around the field for it's foe. There was a hole, but no sign of the other pokemon.

"Don't just stand there, Send a thunderbolt down that hole." Rick shouted in disgust.

Again Eddie saw the arms begin to spin, but he wasn't waiting this time. He saw the tell tale bump in the ground showing where his pokemon had burrowed to. Right behind the Elekid.

"Now Dash, getum." He shouted, while the small arms of the electric pokemon were still whirling.

The ground behind the elekid bulged and shook. Rick tried to warn the pokemon but it was too late. The eevee burst from the ground and slammed into the back with devastating force throwing the electric pokemon to the ground, yet again.

"Brick Break that furball," Rick yelled, turning red with anger. "you worthless piece of crap."

"Dash, quick attack dodge away from it." But it was not fast enough. It managed to avoid the full effect of the devastating attack, but still was knocked back and down. But not out. It also seemed to be shaking slightly while sparks played along its sides. It had been paralysed by the static effect. Eddie was worried. And he saw the smile on Rick deepen. Then they both stared at the little brown furred pokemon as it seemed to yell and threw it head upward.

"Dash, what's wrong?" Eddie called out as concern for his little friend overpowered his wish to win.

Ash looked on, eyes widening. He heard his brother call to his pokemon, and then saw a golden glow form around it. He had seen this glow quite a few times before, but it was always amazing.

Eddie was ready to recall the pokemon when it began to glow, and he simply stared at it. In the glow he saw the outline change: the furred ruff blended in with the rest; tail slimmed down from it's bushy look, and split into a forked form, and the glow was gone. And so was his eevee. In the place of the furry fox like pokemon was a sleek blueish gray pokemon with a forked tail. It had a red gem like object in its forehead, above and between two dark black eyes. It was an espeon, his Dash had evolved. Gone too was the effects of the static.

"Damn," Rick uttered, "Use thunderbolt on it, now."

Eddie heard the command and thought quickly, his Dash was now a psychic type.

"Dash, use confusion." he called out, remembering the quickest and lowest powered psychic attack.

He watched as a sparkling glow reached out from the gem in his pokemons forehead and wrapped its tendrils around the electric pokemon. The arms were whirling but there was something different. It weaved back and forth for a moment and launched the attack, hitting itself. It was confused. It weaved back and forth some more, while its eyes seemed glazed.

"Do something you crap pokemon." Rick yelled at the elekid, and it did. It fell backwards, out of the battle.

"Elekid is unable to continue, this battle goes to Edward and his espeon."

"Crap pokemon," Rick snarled, as he recalled the electric and then dropped the ball onto the grass. He pulled out another poke ball, and released a magby. "Try to do better then your ex partner."

Eddie recalled his espeon and praised it. before looking to his shoulder and telling his pichu it was its turn. He watched as the little electric took it's place on the field. Then Cynthia snapped her hand down.

"Roast that rat with a flame thrower." Rick yelled out. "and do it right."

"Dodge, Volt, then use thunder wave, and then sweet kiss." Eddie called out, feeling a thrill.

He watched as his little electric pokemon bolted to the right, and the flame thrower missed, scorching the ground. Then a light sparking yellow haze came out and wrapped the fire type, causing it to freeze, some black smoke came from it's mouth and electric sparks played around its body. Then the the pichu dashed in close and gave the pokemon a little peck on the cheek, and dashed out again. Eddie knew he was taking a chance. The ability of a magby, flame body, could burn his pokemon, just as the static effect had paralysed his eevee. But it seemed to work. He heard Rick call for a second flame thrower attack and saw red flames mixed with black smoke come out of the pokemons mouth.

"Dodge it, Volt and use Thunderbolt." And watched as the little pokemon just barely missed getting hit by the flames and sent a huge bolt of electricity at the magby, which hit the slowed pokemon causing it to reel back. Then he called out to his pokemon.

"Use volt tackle, now."

He saw a look of surprise on Cynthia's face, and a look of shock on Ricks. He heard gasps from behind him, but his concentration was on his little friend. He watched as the little electric rodent began charging towards the fire type glowing brighter and brighter as it went. He heard Rick yell for his magby to dodge it, but there was no way it could. Confused and paralysed, it took the full impact of the attack and thrown back to hit a tree and then the ground, out of the battle.

"Magby is unable to battle, this battle goes to Edward and his pichu, Volt. The Match goes to Edward Ketchum." Cynthia called out.

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I know, another cliffhanger, you think. Not quite since I am doing a five chapter upload here. Flygon.