When Shade found the river, he didn't think much of it. He loved it as much as he loved the rest of the forest, simply for being new and pure and beautiful. But it meant no more to him than a sunny rock or comfortable tree.

That was before he saw her.

He was walking along the bank, sticking to the shade of the plants, when suddenly he was aware of another. He looked around, but found no one anywhere near him. He looked across the river. And there she was.

She was an eevee, like him. Smaller, with fur a shade lighter than his and with a softer look to it. She was lying on a sunny stone that jutted out into the river, trailing a paw in the current. Her eyes were closed.

He found that unlike with all of the other Pokémon he'd encountered, he didn't have the instinct to hide from her. In fact, he rather wanted to talk with her.

All of a sudden, she looked up, lavender eyes meeting his dark green ones. They stared at each other, across the river. Then she took her paw out of the water and backed away slowly before turning and running back across her rock. She disappeared between fronds of tall grass, her tail whisking out of view. The bushes swayed for a moment before settling, all evidence of her gone.

Shade remained at the river long after day had turned to night and stars shone down in place of the sun.