With each passing day, her desire to meet him grew. Truly meet him, not just glimpse the other eevee from across the river. She wanted to learn his name. She wanted to tell him hers. She'd never told anyone her name before.

One day, he brought berries to the river and threw them to her, and they sat eating, each on their side. Another, she went upstream and sent a flower crown she'd made down to him. He caught it, put it on. She wore a matching one.

Little things, little ways to get to know each other. Ways to try and connect when raging waters insisted on tearing them apart.

She was at the river so often, the forest became unfamiliar. She barely knew any of it, save for the area around her home and the path to the river. She didn't notice when Pokémon started leaving, or when, a little ways away, trees came down. She only knew the river.

So it came as a shock when one afternoon, as she was looking for wildflowers, there was a rustle in the bushes and a sound like shouting. She turned, ears twitching, in time to see a creature she knew as a human burst through the trees. A Pokémon followed him, a Charmelion. The human pointed at her, and without further warning, the Charmelion blew a burst of flame straight at her.

Waterlily yelled, leaping out of the way just in time. The human shouted another command, and his Pokémon leapt towards her.

Remembering the first thing the Pidgeys had told her, she did the only thing she could: She ran. Turned tail and fled through the bushes, shouts both human and Pokémon echoing after her.

She didn't realize she was running towards the river until it opened up before her, raging waters roaring. She stumbled, turning, only to see her pursuers burst from the forest.

The human said something again, but its words were muddled in her head. The Charmelion opened its mouth, fire building in its throat, and Waterlily closed her eyes. And waited. And waited. After a count of ten, she opened them.

And found the Charmelion crouched at its human's feet, breathing heavily with its eyes fixed on something behind her.