This fanfiction is not romantic relationship based, but for those who can't stand certain pairings, there is some slight Isshu, Nameless, and Huntershipping. But none of those are the focus or even will get significant screen time. The focus is on all the character's interactions and friendships. Also, no OCs, not matter what it looks like.
Disclaimer: Pokémon is the sole property of Game Freak and Nintendo. I am profiting off of this fan-made work in no way.
It was a nice day, all things considered. High in the trees, the Pidgey sang. Summer's sun beat down, warming our dear protagonist's back. To his right lay his sneakers, socks, coat, and hat, Xtransceiver safely tucked away from the river that gleamed in the sunlight. Dipping his toes in the cool river, he held a fishing rod.
The day had not brought many Pokémon, but at last he felt a bite at the end of his fishing rod. Leaping up and summoning all of his strength, the boy tugged hard…
Bringing a poor Magikarp right onto Touya, age 16. Right onto his face, to be more precise. The Magikarp bounced out of Touya's face and the hook to flop helplessly on the ground. Touya groaned in pain. Even if the Pokémon couldn't do much to attack, it was still 22 pounds of fish bones to his nose bones. To Touya's left, his Liligant chirped in sympathy.
"Don't worry about me, Tulipe," Touya said. "I'm fine, really." Tulipe gave him a wry look before patting him with one of her leaves and settling back down. Touya rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked down at the Magikarp flopping at his feet. Asking Tulipe to use Magical Leaf seemed too cruel, so instead he gently pushed the fish into the river. Touya sat back down on the bank.
Truthfully, he felt uneasy just sitting around here and fishing. He wasn't in Johto for a vacation – he was here to look for him. Unfortunately, he was proving elusive. Touya had asked many people all over if they had seen a green-haired man with a Zoroark, but most people had never even heard of a Zoroark and those who had seen him had seen him months ago. No matter where Touya went. Touya guessed that he should start far away, and had decided that one landmass and ocean away would be a good start.
The reason he was relaxing at all instead of flying back over the sea and searching Orre like he had planned to was because Bianca had called him the other day with tears in her eyes, begging him to take a break.
She also begged him to come home, but he ignored that, guiltily.
But really, she had been right. Touya knew he spent too much time worrying and searching and not enough enjoying. Supposedly, Hoenn had beautiful scenery, but Touya could barely remember it after months of frantic searching. Apparently Sinnoh had lovely winters, but he spent the entire time wondering what he was going to do when he found him.
So this time, Touya was trying to at least remember a little of Johto. What was the point of traveling out of the region if you weren't even able to enjoy it? (Finding your friend, the logical part of his brain added bitterly.)
Touya leaned back, lying on the bank of the river. Tulipe murmured, seeing the mud under his clothes.
"Don't worry, girl. 'S not a big deal."
The sun was warm against his face and the water cool around his ankles. Touya felt his muscles relax. It had been a very sleepless night. A nice rest would defiantly improve his mood.
Suddenly, the sun felt just a little less warm on his face. Touya cracked an eye open.
Hovering over him was a girl, clearly quite a few years younger than he was. She had bright blue hair clumped into pigtails and seemed like a trainer, if a starting one.
Yelping, he sat up and glared at Tulipe. Why had the Lilgant not told him someone else was here?
Tulipe, on the other hand, was happily snacking on a blue Pokéblock she had sneaked from Touya's bag.
Touya turned around and looked at the girl.
She stared back at him.
"Um, hello?" he tried. The girl seemed shocked, eyes widened to a comical degree. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Touya asked.
"Are… are you talking to me?"
Touya blinked. "Well, it's just you, me, and my Liligant. I don't see who else there could be."
The girl's face had not shifted, eyebrows firmly lifted. "No one can see me."
…What? "I can see you just fine…?"
"No one's been able to see me before!" the girl exclaimed. Finally, he face broke out into a smile. "Hey, what's your name?"
"I'm Touya. From the Unova region."
"Unova? Never heard of it. Never seen anything like your Pokémon there either."
"Well, Unova's a little far off and Liligant are native to there." Touya adjusted himself to face the river and casted again. The girl settled beside him.
"If it's so far off, what brings you all the way to Johto?"
Touya paused and stared out over the river. "I'm looking for a friend. I've been looking for the past two years."
"Must be a pretty special friend if you've been lookin' that long."
Touya felt his ears burn. "Yeah… He is…" he muttered. The two sat in silence for a few moments afterwards. Touya closed his eyes and breathed in, the warm air rattling in his ribs. The girl was as silent as could be. He barely even heard her breathe. Tulipe leaned against Touya's side, sleepy after consuming every dry Pokéblock she could find.
When the silence broke, it was Touya who spoke first.
"Hey, I didn't catch your name."
The girl fidgeted, picking at her shorts. After a few seconds with no response, he tried again.
"I can't just call you 'girl'," he said, smiling. "What kind of person do you think I am?"
"I don't remember," the girl said.
"…Huh?"
"I don't remember my name. No one's been around for so long and I… I've forgotten."
How long do you have to be separated from people to forget your own name? Touya thought. "Well… You kinda seem like a Lyra to me." The girl laughed.
"What, like the Day Care couple's granddaughter? I don't think so."
"Do you have any better ideas?" Touya asked. The girl paused.
"Not really. I've never thought about anything to be called…"
"…What about Clara?" The girl looked at him. "It means clear in Latin," he explained.
"How did you come up with that so quickly?"
"I do nickname all of my Pokémon."
The girl glared. "I am not a Pokémon."
"I donno, you could be a Zorua trying to trick me."
"A what now?"
Touya sighed. "Nevermind."
"But if you think it suits me, I guess Clara will work," she said.
And like that, Touya's party of one became a party of two. It's always funny how fate works.
And fate was going to bring Touya a year just as unusual as the one two years ago.