Note: Last update before HGSS launch. Enjoy!

Follow Me
A Pokémon Heart Gold/Soul Silver Story

Chapter Three
Pursuit

"You're...but you don't know where he's gone!" Soul said, her eyebrows raised in concern.

"If he was here in Johto three months ago, then there's a chance he might still be in the region somewhere," Silver said with a sincere stare. "So I'm going to find him."

"But...why?"

"It's none of your business!" He turned and walked off again.

She chased him and grabbed his arm once more. "I already told you, I'm making it my business!"

"Why do you even care?!" he spat. "Why are you being so nosy about my life?! What's it to you?!"

Her cheeks flushed. Now...? Should she tell him...? No. No way. Not when he was in this bad a mood.

He glared at her for a minute, and when he received no response from her glassy stare, he turned and took a few steps. He didn't get far before her voice stopped him.

"I want to help."

He wasn't sure he'd heard her right. He turned to find her sincere gaze fixed on him. "Wha...?"

"I'm the last person who saw him," she said, stepping closer. "I could help you with your search. Let me go with you."

"No."

The answer was abrupt and definitive. He was striding away again. Growling in frustration, she ran ahead and stood in front of him, one arm outspread to stop him, the other still holding Chocobo. She glared at him. "I'm going with you," she said.

"Like hell you are," Silver scoffed, striding past her.

"And where exactly do you plan to start looking?"

He paused; he hadn't thought of that yet.

"Judging by the fact that you've stopped, I'd say you have no idea," she said with a snide grin.

He turned and shot her the icy glare he'd perfected over the years.

"I'd say that based on your childish outbursts, your plan is to search blindly around the countryside until you're old and gray," she continued, raising an eyebrow at him.

She was right; it pissed him off. "And what would you do, then?"

"Make a strategy," Soul said, straightening. "Figure out where to start looking and then—calmly" she shot him a pointed glare—"comb the area and work my way toward the next area of search."

He grunted and put his hands in his pockets. "...I guess you have a point."

"Dang right," she said, nodding triumphantly. Her expression and body language softened. "It's too late to start now. Let's stay at the Pokémon Center tonight, plan where to go, and head out in the morning."

He glared at her but nodded. "Fine."

In a corner of the PokéCenter, they lounged on opposite sides of the same circular couch, their heads facing one another.

"...So the best place to start would be the furthest west point of Johto and then head east toward Kanto," Soul concluded, tinkering with the map on her PokéGear as she lay on her stomach.

"Well, yeah, that's obvious," Silver said, rolling his eyes as he stared at the ceiling, lying on his back. "I'm so glad I brought you along to point out these things for me. What would I do without you?"

She raised an agitated eyebrow at him. "It wasn't so obvious to you when you were storming out of the city with fire in your eyes," she sneered.

"So anyway," he grunted, ignoring her and rolling over to join her perusal of the map, "the farthest point west of Johto is...what?"

She poked at the map and brought up their destination. "Cianwood City," she said, showing him the screen. "I doubt he'd be in an official place like the Safari Zone or within the city limits, but there are lots of uninhabited parts of the island, particularly the west side. He could be in an alcove there."

Silver nodded and was about to say something when he was cut off by the Center's nurse.

"It's time for lights out," she said.

"Oh, yes, ma'am," Soul said, turning her head toward her and nodding.

The nurse nodded at them and flipped a switch, plunging the room into blackness.

"Cianwood City's pretty far from here," Soul whispered, her face illuminated by the glow of her PokéGear, "so I think it'd be best if we flew there."

"You're doing it again," Silver said with a sigh as he rolled over to his side and faced the back of the couch, pulling his blanket up over his shoulders.

Soul puffed her cheeks in a fit. "Well, excuse me for telling you what you already seem to know, Mr. Obvious!" she huffed. "I assume that you have a Pokemon that can Fly you to Cianwood?"

"You assume correctly."

She glared at him in the darkness and, very much on purpose, noisily shut her PokéGear and shifted the blanket around her more properly, with much protest from Chocobo, who was lying at her feet. "You can be such a jack-ass sometimes," she muttered. "Remind me again why I'm helping you?"

"I was wondering the same thing," he said dryly.

She removed the pillow from underneath her head and smacked him with it. "Good night, jack-ass."

"Good night, Captain Obvious," he said with a snicker.

Soul lied with her eyes closed, but try as she might, she couldn't will herself to sleep. Was it anticipation of the journey ahead that had her stomach in knots, or was it the thrill of knowing she'd be spending more time with Silver from now on that kept her awake? Her lips curling into a small smile, she took this good thought with her into the land of dreams.

Silver's eyes were wide open. Sleep escaped him, not that he was actively pursuing it. His father...he was going to find him. After all the years that had passed, he was finally going to see him, face-to-face.

Selected quote from the next chapter:
"Yep, we're all set."