Achromatic

3: Youth

He didn't have much to pack. The Kibo family was okay when it came to money, but Touya didn't own anything for a Pokémon journey—nothing for sleeping, for feeding him or Pokémon, or anything. Touko didn't pack anything else, he figured, just enough to get her to Accumula, where the Pokémon Center would no doubt have items like that.

That's my plan, too, I guess. He thought, placing the final folded shirt into his bag. He didn't carry too much on him, in fact, he looked like he normally would, going to school. Sans the awful uniform. His blue jacket was zipped up to his chin, sleeves covering his gloved hands—he really looked dressed for winter, despite the fact that it was summer.

It was an airy jacket, but still.

Touya threw in an extra plain t-shirt into his bag. He wasn't one for wearing t-shirts, much, due to his abilities being tactile, however if he was able to be in solitude at some point, he'd prefer to not have heatstroke, thank you very much.

His parents were expecting him to leave the same day as Touko. Not particularly because he and his sister were inseparable since birth, but because both of them knew the Professor and her hijinks, and his job would no doubt take him outside of the town. They'd even prepared a few things for him, including a lunch for him and Mel.

His Pokémon. It was weird to think that Touya had a Pokémon now, but he did. Mel was a shy, observant creature. The Pokédex told him about her species, how intelligent and calm the Snivy family tended to be, but they never told him that they were shy. It must have been Mel, in particular, who adopted that personality on her own. However, she did keep up the pace with Touya quite well, and even though she hasn't uttered a word, he felt like...

... they understood each other.

Mel was an outcast, from her species. Touya didn't need his abilities to know that, looking at how the other two starters had shunned her a bit.

But that was for the better, perhaps. They both had the same understanding—they were both outcasts, perfect for each other.

Bianca and Cheren were waiting right at Route One, by the time Touya got there. Neither of them had their Pokémon out, which made Touya feel a bit awkward with Mel by his side. But Mel, despite her shy tendencies, was pretty sweet, and he felt bad putting her in the Pokéball. Even though they were supposed to be comfortable. Whatever.

"Oh, Touya!" Bianca smiled, before reaching into her bag, pulling out her Pokédex. "I know that, well... We don't really know each other well, do we?"

Touya shook his head. He knew basics, as much as any brother would know about his sister's friends. And maybe a little bit more, based on what kind of knowledge.

"I thought we should exchange dex numbers! Professor Juniper was telling me about this after you two left." She opened the Pokédex, and swiped down. There was a message list, and a number—003. "All Pokédexes have a certain number, it's how you exchange information. But you can also message on it and stuff. See, this is Professor Juniper's..." She opened a chat, with the number 001 at the top. The only thing in it was a received message, automated, probably, with the Pokédex information of Minccino. "Here, take out your dexes."

Cheren and Touya followed her lead, watching as she pressed a few buttons and pulled up a contact list. Cheren was added as 002, given the nickname "Chere-Bear".

"Really, Bianca?" Cheren asked, narrowing his eyes, glasses glinting in the summer sun. "That's an unprofessional name."

"Oh, hush," Bianca laughed, adding Touya—004—as "Psy-Kid". Not subtle as all.