Heiduo did not have to wait long.
Yellow and Crystal, who were on the coast of Olivine City, had gone through their classic first meeting of identifying each other from pictures, followed by getting tied up and held high by a group of Lickitung.
The two girls slowly flew over from the dock.
The former rode on Butterfree, while the latter relied on Natu's Confusion.
—Heiduo had always thought Crystal flew by being pulled along by her hat, which had made him wonder whether her hat was a magnet.
But now that he looked, he realized she had actually been flying with Confusion.
"Ah! I see them! Uncle! Senior!"
Yellow shouted when she spotted Wilton's rented fishing boat from afar.
Wilton stood up and waved at Yellow.
"Yo—!!"
Then the "fish" beside Heiduo was startled away.
That had been intentional, right?
Heiduo's face darkened as he looked at Wilton speechlessly.
"Hehehe."
With a cigarette clenched between his teeth, Wilton made several apologetic gestures at Heiduo.
Heiduo rolled his eyes at him but did not care much. It was only a Remoraid, a Pokémon he had caught just to release.
At that moment, the two girls, only one year apart in age but vastly different in height, arrived on the boat.
Wilton got up to steer the boat, while Heiduo remained where he was with his back to them, slowly reeling in his fishing rod.
After recalling the panting Xatu, Crystal sat by the side of the boat and glanced at Heiduo's back without much reaction.
After all, they had not seen each other since the Silver Conference ended. It was perfectly normal that she had not recognized him, especially when Heiduo had deliberately not turned around because he wanted to give Crystal a "surprise."
"Phew! Uncle, you guys came so