Edited to have fewer mistakes.

Told from Suicune's POV.

I

I made the lake my home. Once, I had been wary of staying in one place for too long, but the water was so pure and clear here, even without my help. It was peaceful, too. For years, not a single human set foot there.

II

The first time I saw her, she sat at the lake's edge, dangling her toes in the water. I watched from the forest, wondering if I should chase her away. She was young, though. A child. I did not have the heart to frighten her.

She turned her head and spotted me. She grinned widely, her expression full of awe and innocence.

III

She comes every day now. Sometimes I consider leaving. My previous experiences with humans have taught me to be cautious around them. But she does no harm, does nothing to make me see her as a threat. Usually she just talks. She talks about her family, things that happened at a place called "school", and the Pokémon she likes. "Absol are neat," she says, "and dragons, too, but you're definitely the coolest."

She peers in the trees, trying to find where I have hidden myself this time. And as always, she falls silent when I step into view.

Then one day, she leaves.

IV

I wait, and I wonder.

V

When she returns, she is older. Pokéballs hang at her waist. Her hair, once held up in pigtails, now trails past her shoulders. She gazes out at the water, and does not speak until she notices me. "You're still here," she whispers. Her smile is forced.

VI

Sometimes she lets her Pokémon out to play in the lake, but not often, and never all at once. So far, I have seen a Noctowl, a Leafeon, and an Absol.

VII

There are times when she looks at me...strangely. In a way she has never looked at me before. I feel uneasy.

VIII

"I'd like you to meet someone."

She clutched the pokéball tightly, her knuckles white. She has never "introduced" me to her Pokémon before. I simply observed from a distance. Always, I kept my distance.

I step back. "Don't leave!" She shouts. An Ampharos appears out of the pokéball. "This is Russel. I've trained him really hard."

I run, but a Thunderbolt follows me, knocking me to the ground. I remember a flash of light and a cold, tugging feeling.

IX

There is only solitude, and darkness.

X

She does not use me in battles. She is too afraid. Whether of me, or of the way her opponents would react to me, I am not sure.

She finally lets me out of my master ball. Where she acquired the thing, I have no idea. It seems like it has been such a long time since I have felt cool grass beneath my paws, or sunlight on my back. I have so missed the sweet, dewy scent of summer.

"I'm sorry I made Russel attack you. I know master balls are never supposed to fail. I could have just thrown it at you. But what if I had missed? I had to make sure you wouldn't get away." Her face crumpled. Tears flowed freely. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry."

I could not understand the pleasure I felt watching her cry. Before, I would have comforted her, I think.

Yes, I would have comforted her before.

XI

I have learned a valuable skill: escaping my master ball whenever I desire. But I am still bound to it; I cannot go far. Until my "trainer" dies, or until she releases me, I am bound.

And I know she will not release me.

XII

She sleeps. Her Ampharos is still - I would not have it interfering. Claws poised above her throat, I hesitate. Hesitate...hesitate...

XIII

The river is calm here. It would be a good place to stay, after travelling for so long. I lower my head to drink, and freeze.

A boy sits on the opposite bank, a sketchbook in his lap. His eyes widen when he sees me. The pencil flies across the page. He is so young...

I do not know if he ever finished the drawing or not. I moved on, while the sun still hung above the horizon. It seemed the river wasn't such a good place for me, after all.

Perhaps such a place doesn't exist.