Note: I own nothing. Pokemon and its charcters belong to their respective companies. This story is for entertainment purposes only and should/will not be used for profit.

Follow Me
A Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver Story

Chapter One
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"Welcome to Johto, little Torchic!" Soul said with a smile as she and the Pokemon got off the Magnet Train. The Fire Pokemon tottered happily behind her as she left the station.

She stretched as they entered the evening air. It'd been a while since she'd been in Johto...not since the incident a few months ago. She stared at her feet, remembering it. Should she tell him? Surely he'd want to know...But then, what was the likelihood of her finding him? It'd been so long since she'd seen him, she wouldn't know where to start looking.

Soul sighed to herself, her face and eyes gloomy. Even if she did find him, she doubted she'd be able to tell him. She couldn't even express her true feelings to him. That, she knew, was very, very dangerous. She'd only make a fool of herself, and he'd most likely reject her, and quite rudely, at that. No...she couldn't tell him that. She couldn't tell him she was in love. But the other event...

"Are your shoes really that interesting?"

She jolted back to reality so sharply that she was slightly dizzy, but the shock she received when she turned around was much worse.

He cocked an eyebrow at her and put his hands behind his head. "Honestly, could you be more useless right now? You're spacing out right in front of the entrance to the station. Talk about rude and dumb."

Her face flushed. "S...Silver! H...How are you?"

The red-headed boy shrugged. "Same as always. You seem to be your usual spacey self."

Blushing heavier, she rubbed the back of her neck. "S-Sorry; I was thinking about something important."

"Well, you might want to pick a better place next time," he said, turning and walking away.

She couldn't miss this chance...She instinctively followed him. "S-So, Silver, what are you doing in Goldenrod City?"

"Just passing through," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Saw you zoning out and figured I'd bring you back down to earth." He turned to her. "And you?"

"I just got back from Kanto," she said, eying her feet. "This is my first time back in Johto for a few months now."

"Hm," he grunted with a nod. He stopped walking and turned to her. "Anyway, see you later."

He was getting away...Would she have another chance like this? She had to think fast...

"Silver!" she yelled over the din of the crowds, "Do you want to go eat ramen with me?"

He turned and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I...I'll pay for it. My treat," Soul said, fumbling with the hems of her shorts.

Silver's stomach let out a loud growl, and he clutched it with a blank stare.

"Sure."

"So that's a new Pokemon for you, right?" Silver asked as they sat at the counter of a small open-air ramen stand. He was eying the Torchic in her lap with slight interest.

"Hm? Oh yes, this is Chocobo, a Torchic," she said happily. "He's from the Hoenn region. A man named Steven Stone gave him to me."

Silver nodded and, still staring at Torchic, added, "It looks like a wuss."

The Torchic sank sadly in Soul's lap.

"I figured you'd say that," she sneered matter-of-factly, digging in her bag. "But take a look at this before you pass judgment." She dropped a book entitled, "Pokemon of Hoenn" on the table and flipped through the pages. "Here it is...Chocobo may look small and puny to you now, but one day he'll evolve into this!" She tapped a picture of a Blaziken with her finger.

Silver stared at the book for a moment. "...Looks pretty bad ass."

"I know, right?" Soul said, thoroughly pleased. "But for now, he's just a cute little Torchic," she added, giving the Pokemon an affectionate squeeze, to which it reciprocated a happy chirp.

Silver took a sip of his tea and ignored her.

"So, any new Pokemon for you, Silver?" Soul asked as she replaced the book in her bag.

"None worth mentioning."

"Ah..."

Silence. Soul squirmed nervously in her seat as Silver continued to sip his tea and stare ahead. She might as well have not been there. Were meetings with him always this awkward? Actually, she mused, they were usually much worse. Silver was typically much grouchier when they met; now he just seemed indifferent. He didn't mind her presence, but he didn't enjoy it, either. She wasn't sure if she should be discouraged or elated by that.

"So, what did you want?"

Shocked back to reality again, she fumbled with her tea so as to appear busy. "Wh-What?"

He turned on his stool to face her and cocked an eyebrow. "You wouldn't invite me to dinner out of the blue if you didn't want something from me. So cut the crap and tell me what it is."

She flustered; was she that easy to read? She feigned indignation. "Honestly, I haven't seen you in months. Forgive me if I wanted to see how you've been and visit with you." She took an angry sip of her tea.

Silver turned forward again. "I wasn't aware you and I were on such good terms."

"And whose fault is that?" she asked with a haughty smile and raised eyebrows.

He turned and grunted in the beginning of a retort but stopped suddenly, clenched his jaw, and turned back, adding, "...Touché."

"Thank-you very much," Soul said smugly, sipping her tea.

"So are you saying you want to be friends?" He emphasized the word with a hint of surprise mixed with distaste.

She smiled and faced him. "I've always wanted to be your friend, Silver!"

He gave her a side glance and then looked away, his cheeks pink, apparently embarrassed by her enthusiasm. "I don't have any friends."

He regretted this statement immediately, because when he looked back, as expected, he found Soul had fixed a sad expression on him. "Look, friends were never at the top of my list of priorities, okay?" he growled, trying to fend off her sympathy.

She looked at the table and, with a shy smile, said, "Well, whether you like it or not, I consider you to be my friend, Silver."

Their food arrived at this point, breaking the awkward tension, much to the relief of both of them. Strained conversation was replaced by the sound of slurping noodles.

Toward the end of the meal, Soul's stomach was in knots. She needed to tell him, and her opportunity was slowly slipping through her fingers. She glanced side-long at him; he was still eating. Taking a deep breath and holding it, she closed her eyes. Nothing to do but take the plunge.

"So...I met your father the other day."

Selected quote from the next chapter:
"What?"