Title: A Different World In His Eyes

Pairing: Mei/Rosa & Touya/Hilbert (ElectricBlackShipping)

Rating: T just to be safe of course.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

Before meeting Touya, Mei had never considered herself a 'kid'. She had always assumed that she was rather sophisticated for her age. Bright, confident, and cheerful- ready for any and all obstacles thrown her way. But boy was she wrong.

Once Touya entered the picture, she realized just how naïve her outlook on everything really was. He became a sort of mentor to Mei. He taught her, not just about Pokemon and battling, but about life as a whole. He opened her eyes. He showed her that things weren't black and white. There weren't just good guys and bad guys. There were those in between and those that were neither.

The more he taught her, the more she truly felt like a kid. And the more she learned, the more she fell in love with him.

Touya was mature. He was experienced. She, on the other hand, was just another childish, rookie trainer with dreams that were possibly too large to achieve.

x

"Hey, Touya?"

"Hm?" Touya appeared to be lost in his thoughts as he stared at a Frillish floating about. After Mei had finally worked up the courage to invite him to visit Humilau City with her, the two found themselves spending hours wandering around the Marine Tube- a gorgeous, yet seemingly endless aquarium tunnel.

She glanced at Touya. He was probably immersed in his memories, she figured. There was always an air of mystery surrounding him that intrigued Mei. He was a book. A book that she wanted to read and fully understand. Besides the usual chit-chat about his training, Touya rarely talked about himself, and as much as it frustrated the young girl, she would never dare to pry into his personal life. The last thing she wanted was to become a nuisance.

There was one thing that he seemed to openly discuss about with her. A person, rather.

"Have you managed to find him yet?" Mei spoke, a tad nervous.

The male turned to face her with a half-knowing expression- as if he knew exactly who she meant but only wanted to be certain.

"Your friend." She placed her hands together.

A hint of sadness formed in his eyes. "Nah." He simply said before returning his gaze to the colorful sea life that was sealed behind the glass.

"Oh…"

There was a brief moment of silence. Determined to encourage Touya, Mei clenched her fist and spoke again. "Don't worry! I'm sure you'll run into him eventually. He's probably out looking for you, too!"

He chuckled a bit. "Let's hope."

Mei smiled in relief. She wanted to keep his spirits high. It was the least she could do. Touya had helped her countless times throughout her journey; from battle tips and Pokemon food, to giving her a shoulder to cry on when all seemed hopeless. She had never truly been alone. But perhaps Touya felt as if he was. Whoever his friend was, he obviously cared very deeply for him. She silently prayed that he would find him again, if only so she could see the sadness in his eyes disappear.

The female recalled meeting Touya for the first time. It was during a cold night in Nimbasa City. Mei remembered feeling absolutely miserable around the time she noticed him standing near the ferris wheel all by himself. Curiously and maybe a bit too boldly, she went up to him and asked if they could ride together. Although Mei had only approached him in an attempt to make a new friend, the 'date' ended up feeling like much more than just that. Afterwards, Touya thanked her for saving him from being lonely that night.

It occurred to her that he might have been expecting someone to show up, but they probably never did.

x

Mei was now comparing her reflection to Touya's. Despite the fact that he was a few years older than her, she felt like such a child next to him. Or maybe she was just overanalyzing things. Or maybe she wasn't.

She looked up at the older and far more experienced trainer. His face was illuminated by the pale, blue, ocean light that glistened brilliantly through the glass. Her eyes traveled to his lips and all of a sudden she found herself wondering if he had ever been in love.

Mei shook her head. She may have been a kid, but she knew better than to think her love was anything more than a silly schoolgirl crush. That's right. It was all so silly, she convinced herself.

"So what are you going to do once you get to Humilau City?" Touya broke the silence for a change which caught Mei off guard.

"Oh, well, um…" She thought for a moment.

"You don't know? Aren't you planning on challenging the gym leader there?"

"That was the plan… But I'm not too sure right now."

"It's okay to be a little nervous considering this is your final gym battle before the Pokemon League. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try at all, though."

"I know…"

"Besides." Touya patted Mei's head, "Being nervous isn't like you."

She felt an unwanted blush creep to her cheeks. "What do you mean?"

"You're usually so cheerful and optimistic." The male grinned at her while adjusting his cap.

Her heart did a couple of back flips. Even if it was just a crush, the feelings she had were all so new to her. She was inexperienced.

"I want to be more like you." Mei stated bluntly.

"More like me?" Touya seemed surprised and amused all at the same time.

"You're just so… mature. And you always have your head on straight. You're never reckless and you never make any dumb mistakes-" She paused after realizing she was starting to sound like she worshiped him.

He laughed.

"Hah, you're kidding, right? I've made plenty of mistakes. Everyone has. Don't flatter me, Mei."

"B-But I'm not!"

"I wasn't always like this, you know?" Touya looked at her, his expression now serious.

Mei tilted her head. "What were you like before?"

"Like you."

Taken aback, she crossed her arms. "I don't believe that."

"I'm serious. I used to get myself into loads of trouble. Always rushing into battles headfirst, being careless, making stupid decisions…" Touya shoved his hands into his pockets and began pacing forward through the tunnel. "I didn't have any direction as a trainer. I didn't have any dreams."

Mei stayed close behind him. Her long hair swaying back and forth with every step. "So now you're saying I'm some sort of troublemaker?" Regardless of her question, she understood what he meant. Granted, she was surprised that someone like him was once deemed careless.

"No, Mei. I'm saying that I wasn't always 'mature'. Not too long ago, I was just as naïve and unsure of myself as you are right now. But things will change. They'll get better."

"How?" The adolescent girl asked with a perplexed look.

He smiled. Mostly to himself though.

"You'll grow up."

And those words were enough for Mei. She understood- it made sense. Everything clicked. Her fingers reached out to tug on Touya's sleeve. He halted and turned around. "What's the matter?"

Mei merely smiled at him. "Thanks."

Touya wasn't quite sure what she was thanking him for but he nodded and returned the smile. It was genuine.

There was a completely different world in his eyes. One that she had yet to explore. It was vast and unique; far away. She didn't grasp everything about it but that was okay. She would get there eventually.

He then pulled out a hand from his pocket and glimpsed at his Xtransceiver. "We've spent the entire day here."

"Oh no! I'm sorry!" Mei pointed ahead. "The exit should be nearby."

"Don't worry about it. I enjoyed myself. It's not everyday that you get to have a staring contest with a Frillish." He smirked and held out his hand in a most chivalrous manner. "Shall we depart?"

"Yes, let's go!" Mei giggled and happily took his hand.

Mei decided, someday, she would tell Touya how she felt about him. But not now. Perhaps she would wait until she was a bit more grown up.

"Touya?"

"Yeah, Mei?"

"Thanks for coming with me. You saved me from being lonely today."