Shadows on the Heart Window to the soul
by Flygon
Chapter 6

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Authors note

Yahoo, Flygon here. Here are the next five chapters. I will be doing formatting on the story as fast as possible and upping it to The Tower in batches of five to six chapters at a time. I will try my best to avoid sharp cliffhangers too.

The first five chapters I submitted had an error in the portion above. I had my name listed as mal1958. I have corrected this in the remaining chapters. This is just to let you know that this is the same author. I do hope that you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. A few comments in the forum will make me feel that this was worth the effort.

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Ash woke before Brock and saw Pikachu snoring softly at the foot of his bed. He smiled and slowly got out, so as to not to wake the yellow pokemon and got dressed quickly. He donned a sweater and headed towards the main deck to get some air, and smell the sea. When he got to the deck, the first thing he noticed was the ship was not moving, which he found strange. And stranger still was the sun was shining and there was a drizzling rain. The next was the fact that the captain was standing at the bow, and saying thank you to somebody, and the third was the fact that he could see the lights of a town in the distance, in the pre dawn morning. He heard a growling call from under the ship and froze. He had heard that call once before, back in the Hoenn region when the two titanic Legends, Groundon and Kyogre had fought and nearly caused the end. He stared at the bow, and found himself slowly walking in that direction when two fins broke the surface and began to rise. The back was now visible a ways back and then the fins on the side and the face. The back was deep blue with four large white patches, and the fins were lined in red, that seemed to glow. The red also outlined its yellow pupiled eyes on a black background and it lined the mouth. The lower jaw of the massive pokemon was white as were the teeth that showed when it gave off a soft growling call again.

Kyogre held that position for a short while while Ash heard the Captain thank the legendary pokemon for saving the ship as Ash approached the bow. For almost thirty seconds, the yellow orbs turned to Ash and locked with his own brown eyes. Ash was lost in the gaze, and vaguely aware that the three other humans were watching him with some trepidation. Then the Legendary pokemon blinked his eyes tightly twice, and suddenly Ash felt himself pelted with what seemed to be a blue crystal like gravel, five pieces fell into his open hand, and the rest sprayed over the deck. Then the pokemon was submerging and was gone.

"Kyogre," Ash said in awe, staring at the retreating splayed tail of the giant pokemon.

"Yes, son." The captain said to Ash gravely. "And I need to talk to you about something, but first," And he turned to the first mate "Get some hands on deck here to sweep as much of the Tears of the Deep up as they can, and then jet this deck clear of any that they can't." Then he signalled Ash to follow him.

"Oh, Yea." and Ash held out his hand with the five pieces in it.

"Keep-um." The captain said quickly. "You caught them before they hit the deck so they're gifts from Kyogre to you. What I wanted to talk to you about is I need you to keep the fact that Kyogre is in the area here a secret or it will be flooded with poachers, and hunters like crazy."

"sure thing," Ash agreed instantly, then looked at the captain quizzically. "What happened Captain, why is that town so close."

"That, my young man, is SandGem Town." and he grinned at the boy. "Last night the engines quit and a Category five hurricane was bearing down on us, when Kyogre basically gave us a ride on its back to this point. It saved the ship and everybody on board."

Ash shuddered slightly, and gazed in the direction that the giant pokemon had gone.

"It happens every so often, and that is how so many seamen get a small collection of those tears."

"Tears?"

"Kyogre's tears, Tears of the Deep, Sea Tears, all three refer to those things. Salt water combines with some fluid that is excreted near the eye of Kyogre, and forms these crystals." The Captain explained, as Ash looked at the five in his hand. "They can be carved like jade, and set into jewellery, or just worn like a pendant. Seamen collect them for their healing properties though."

"They can heal?" Ash asked excitedly. "What can they heal."

"A lot of different things." the captain shrugged. "The sand can be mixed with warm salt water to help with stomach aches, indigestion, body aches, head aches and the like,and that's about the extent of that. But the larger pieces if they are bathed in salt water, or salted water, can do a lot more. I've seen folk who had accidentally drank something that was toxic, use them and clean their system of the poison, I've seen people with liver and kidney disease literally cure themselves with some of the really large pieces. Some say that they have cured infections with a mixture of a few grains of the crystal sand, and some salt water poured over the wound, though they do say it hurt like hell." Then the Captain smiled at the boy. "I just wanted to impress on you the need of keeping this a secret, for the Pokemon's sake."

"I understand, sir." Then the First mate came up to them.

"We've managed to get eleven full vials of the sand and a little over a half of the other, and we have almost fifty pebbles ranging in size from an eighth of an inch to one giant that's close to an inch and a half in diameter." He handed the small bottles over to the Captain. "Also, the Short range radio is pretty much shot. Long range works fine, but the short range, nothing. We'll have to send one of the power launches to get a couple of tugs out here to haul us in." then he frowned. "And I beg to report that one of the three power launches has been stolen, and was last seen heading for shore wit a blond woman and a green haired man. Cookie, reports that enough food for two people for seven days is missing also. The launch is beached on the shore near the piers, and should be easy enough to recover."

"Take the Boson with you, he can pilot the other launch back here." Then he looked at Ash and smiled. "And you can take this young man to shore with you, it will save him the trouble of waiting another five hours to get there."

"Thanks Captain," Ash responded happily. "I do have some friends with me though."

"No problem son," The first mate said with a grin. "The launch can hold a dozen people including the pilot. I'll be ready to depart in forty-five minutes, from the bow Launch area."

"Thanks a lot sir." Ash smiled broadly and bolted to the rooms that they had.

He found the rooms empty when he arrived and a note on his bed that they were in the Dining room and had found Susie. So he headed there as quickly as he could. The large Dining room was nearly empty, save some of the crew and his friends, including Pikachu who was having a ketchup snack. They were looking at him with some hesitation.

"Ash, Susie is going to be going on a breeders journey here in Sinnoh," Brock began quietly, "like I am. She wants to catch different pokemon for her breeding center and raise a few herself. I'm wondering if She... well...could come with us, so she wouldn't be alone."

"I have no problem there, Brock." he smiled. "We have more than enough supplies, and the tents are big enough for two, so as long as Susie doesn't mind doubling up with Misty until we get another tent for her, should be no trouble."

Then he lowered his voice, while he ate quickly and told them what had happened. He left off the part of the 'tears' but told them everything else. After he finished, they seemed to be in agreement that it should be a secret. Then he told them about the stolen launch and the fact that they could get to shore sooner then the ship because they had to send a launch out to get the tugs to tow in the liner, and to recover the other launch. The rest of the group agreed and they all went to their rooms to grab their gear. Ash was the first to reach the launch area and the first mate handed him two vials, one of which was half full.

"Captain Marlane's compliments." and the mate winked. "Captain saw that you had two women with you, and decided to give you a parting gift. Two or three grains in a glass of warmed salt water, will remove most of the symptoms for any of the female problems. It's a life saver, trust me."

Ash managed to get the vials into his backpack before anybody else arrived, cautioning Pikachu into silence about it. Soon the four of them were speeding along towards the beach, eager to get started on their respective journeys. As they got closer to the shore, they saw the launch, beached on the sand, and something else. Two figures laying up the beach a ways. They seemed to squirm and flip around on the sand, and the Boson, took one look through a pair of binoculars and said that there were two people tied up on the beach. He passed the binoculars to Ash, who asked if he could have a look. He recognized them at once. From the deep red hair of the woman to the purplish blue hair of the man. They had plagued them throughout his journeys."

"Team Rocket." he said as he handed the binoculars back and glanced at Brock and Misty.

No more Trouble made Double

Ash and party got to the shore, and immediately went to where Jessie and James were tied up. James had bruises on his face, and so did Jessie, but Jessie's hair had also been mangled. Her once proud and huge pony tail of her bright red hair had been cut off, with a knife by the looks of it and one of her eyebrows looked like it had been plucked clean. Several burn marks could be seen on and around their necks, as if they had been used as cigarette ash trays. They were tied and gagged, and Ash noted that the sleeves on their belts were empty of poke balls. He knelt down near them and began to work on the gag, which consisted of a greasy rag stuffed into their mouth and held there by a piece of hemp like rope.

"Ash?" Misty exclaimed, "You aren't thinking of untying them, are you?"

"I can't leave them here, Mist." he answered. "Not even Team rocket deserves this."

"Thank you twer..." James began when his mouth was freed, and he paused for a moment before continuing. "Ash," which surprised him greatly. "But we aren't Team Rocket any more."

"And we haven't been for some time, it seems." Jessie finished.

"What, did you finally Quit?" Misty's tone was sarcastic, as she stood glaring at them.

"Hardly," James said sadly. "We were fired and they didn't even tell us about it."

"I wouldn't feel sad about that." Misty said in exasperation. "They were a criminal organization. I would feel happy if they fired me."

"Not if they were the only ones who ever gave you any respect." Jessie snapped.

"Or a sense that you were worth something." James finished.

"What about your family?" Susie asked, perplexed.

"I remember," James said with a look at the woman. "You never met my family. My parents only wanted me to be obedient, and follow the same old traditions that they had. To that end, they were going to marry me off to Jezabel, who would remake me into their vision of the perfect son. If they hadn't crashed in that plane over mount Moon two months ago, I would be running for my life from them."

"Instead, your running from the police." Misty said with some scorn.

"Not really," James said and with his jaw, he indicated the newspaper poking out of his deep shirt pocket. "They got the indictment, and the RICO charges, but neither Jessie, or my name is on the list of Rockets at large. which means that we were fired so long ago and nobody ever told us about it."

"Now we're Jobless." sighed Jessie.

"As well as penniless, and pokeless." James tone echoed the same sad tones.

At that moment, the first mate came over.

"The launch is in good condition, and all, but I wish that we knew who stole it."

"if they hadn't been tied up, I would have bet on them." Misty said with a jerk of her head toward the two Ex-Rockets.

"We may be guilty of being stow-aways, but not Stealing, this time." Jessie snapped out quickly.

"No, she's right," James stated with a few nods of his head. "It was Butch and Cassidy. They took the launch, our money, and our pokemon." He hung his head.

"Butch and Cassidy?" Ash exclaimed. "I thought that they were arrested by the police in Pallet Town? At least they had been, after they tried to steal all the pokemon at Professor Oak's Lab."

"Well they escaped, and from what they said, they had to kill one of the officer Jennys to get away," James said. "Snuck on-board the ship and hid out in one of the lifeboats, like we did, but early this morning they found us looking for some scraps of food. They hit us, took our money, our pokemon, and would have taken our lives, except they saw your boat heading here and decided to beat a hasty retreat."

"So, you were stow-aways?" The first mate said, looking at them. "Lucky you wern't found on the ship, or we would prosecute. However, the launch is another matter. If you give the police the information, and a good enough description of the two who did take it, I can guarantee that the Laughlin Line INC will pay you two hundred dollars each, and if the two are caught, alive or dead, an additional two thousand dollars each."

"I can do better then describe them, I have a picture of them in my shoe." James smiled. "I kept it there so I felt like I was walking on them all the time."

"You'll have your chance," The first mate said, pointing as three Officer Jenny's converged on the group.

"Ash," James said quickly, looking sad for a moment, then smiling. "If we are released before you leave this area, could we talk. I promise you, no more attempts at stealing your Pikachu."

"We can talk." he said as the officers arrived.

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The officer Jennys gave the group directions to the local pokemon center and told them that it would be at least an hour before they were done with the two self proclaimed ex rockets. They found the center without any problem and Ash set up to get two rooms, each with four beds, one room for the girls and then one for them. In addition, they let the Nurse Joy check their pokemon over. It was then that Ash noted that Brock had brought only a geodude, Misty had brought only her marill, and Susie still only had the nine tails that used to be her vulpix. He noted that Susie didn't talk about the incident that had caused the evolution of her vulpix, and for once, he didn't ask. He figured that it would come out later.

"I assume that you all want to register for the Sinnoh League?" Nurse Joy asked with a smile.

"I do," Ash stated. "But I want to wait until I have any updates to my Pokedex."

"And the rest of you?"

"Susie and I are breeders, By the way, my name is Brock Slateton, and this is Susie Brenner, Would there be any messages for either of us?"

"hmmmm." she said as she checked quickly. " I have one for each of you. Brock, yours is direct from Forrest, and Susie, yours was forwarded from Pewter City, and is from Zane."

Ash watched as Brock began to open his, but was shocked when Susie scowled, tore the message up, unopened, crumbled the thing into a ball and proceeded to hit the waste basket with it.

"Uh, Susie?" Brock asked, carefully. "You aren't even going to read his message?"

"NO!" She said vehemently. "I want nothing to do with him or his theories. He used a fire stone of his on Vulpix while she was asleep, and didn't even give her a choice. I kept a fire stone on an end table, for her to use, if and/or when, she felt ready to evolve. What Zane did, was unforgivable."

"That's disgusting," Misty exclaimed with just the same amount of vehemence. "He didn't even consider the pokemons feelings."

"That's right Misty." Susie agreed. "He tried to explain himself, saying it was for the best, three times in person, and almost a dozen times in letters. Now I just throw them away with out even reading them. That was number twenty six." Then she turned to Brock. "The reason that I asked to travel with you, was that you proved that you care about pokemon, you understand that they have feelings, and rights. You don't think of them as something to be used to gain power or money."

"Thanks Susie," Brock responded quietly and smiled. "Coming from you, that means a lot."

Nurse Joy told them that there was a message for Ash Ketchum, who would be travelling with a Brock and Misty. It was a simple message from Professor Rowan, saying that he would be expecting the three of them at two thirty to pick up their pokemon at the lab. Then Ash remembered that he had seen a shop where they sold brushes and such for pokemon and suggested that they stop there. On the way to the shop, they seemed to hear a cry for help coming from an alley. When they looked they saw an older boy, who seemed to be sixteen or so, hefting a poke ball and looking at a Meowth who was pressed up against an wall, begging in human talk for the boy not to do this.

"No, way am I passing this chance up." The boy sneered. "You're my money ticket. I know that some people will pay big bucks to have a talking pokemon that isn't a chatot."

Then the Meowth saw the group at the end of the alley and ran to them, practically crying. He knelt in front of them and began to beg them to help him.

"Why don't you leave this pokemon alone?" Misty snapped at the boy,

"Why don't you mind your own business, sweet-cheeks?" The boy ground out. "One pokemon, what is it, a piplup, stay out of the way of your betters. This pokemon is mine, and I plan to use it to get me a ticket to easy street. Go Graveller." And he released a pokemon.

Misty released her marill and called a bubble beam followed by a watergun. both hit but did little damage. Then the boy simply said brick break, and the marill was knocked back to Misty, and knocked out.

"Like I said, Stay out of my way, you stupid broad."

Then Ash stepped forward and glanced at her.

"Is marill alright?" he asked.

"She just need a rest, and a trip to the Pokemon center."

"Good, I'll take it from here." he growled and turned toward the boy. "Pikachu, your up."

The pokemon jumped from Ash's shoulder and faced off with the larger pokemon, her cheeks sparking. The boy laughed.

"I though that sweet cheeks here had the fluff between her ears." he stopped laughing and sneered at Ash. "Well your in for a lesson, Mr. Knight in shining Armour. Graveller is rock and ground. Scratch attacks, and tackle attacks will do little damage, and electric attacks will do even less because it part ground."

"Pikachu, you ready." Ash asked and grinned when she gave off a growling 'piiiiiiiikaaaaaa'.

"I warned you." he said. "Graveller, flatten that thing with brick break."

"Quick attack dodge, and then move into agility Pikachu."

The boy suddenly found that his pokemon was outclassed. It tried five times to hit the rodent with brick break, and missed each time, He grew frustrated, and called for an earthquake, then Ash called for iron tail. The rock pokemon completed the earthquake, but it had no effect because Pikachu was not on the ground. She had charged and jumped just as the earthquake attack was released, and was now above the graveller, her tail aglow. With a loud PiiiiiiiKaaaaaa, she slammed the glowing tail into the graveller and drove it to it's knees.

Meanwhile, Misty approached Meowth and held out a poke ball.

"This may be the only chance you have, Meowth." She said, with some trepidation. "Get into the poke ball."

"But I ain't been in one for four years." the pokemon responded with a shudder.

"It's either the poke ball, or that." she pointed toward the battling pair. "I don't know how long Ash can keep that kid busy, and I heard that your a pokemon without a trainer. That means that your at risk of being caught every day." She felt compassion towards the pokemon, despite the fact that it had tried several times to steal Ash's pikachu.

"Please promise me," Meowth said with a shudder, "That you won't leave me in dat ting too long." he begged.

"I promise." She said and watched as Meowth screwed its eyes shut and slapped the button on the poke ball, causing it to be drawn inside. She heard the pokemon cry out 'I hate these tings' and then the button turned instantly white, showing a solid capture.

When she looked up, she saw that the Graveller was reeling from multiple hits with pikachu's iron tail. The kid then called on his graveller to use sandstorm and the section of alley suddenly vanished in a cloud of sand. They saw a reddish beam, and heard running, and the boy shouted back from the other end of the alley.

"Your on my short list, you little punk." and he was gone.