This story is set seventeen or so years before the events of FR, when everything is still steadily going to hell in a handbasket in Kanto… but not in this little fairy tale, which is a Christmas present for my most fabulous muse, Key. Without her, most of these fics would not exist. Merry Christmas, Key-chan!

This story features a Togetic called Tashigi and a little boy, both of whom will be relevant in later fics. (I'm sorry if I've gotten Tashigi wrong, Key; I realized that I didn't have a very clear image of her personality in my head while writing this, but I didn't want to ask you about her in case I spoiled that this fic was happening T_T)

"Hello, little one."

The child looked up. A white Pokémon was fluttering over the water in front of him. It had a round body with funny red and blue shapes on it, and really tiny white wings, and a pointy white head. It was almost as tall as he was, and he was four already so he was a big tall boy. Not as tall as his daddy or his big brother, but one day, when he grew up…

"That's still a long way away, though. A little boy like you shouldn't be out here alone."

The boy frowned. "You're talking," he said. "Pokémon don't talk. They just make noises."

"Most humans will just hear noises when I talk, but not you." The white Pokémon fluttered over to him where he sat by the side of the lake, hovering over the water in front of him. "Not little children like you."

"Are you a wild Pokémon?" the boy asked. "Mummy says wild Pokémon are dangerous, and aren't friendly much to humans anymore, and that they'll eat me up. Could you eat me up? You're littler than me. I don't think you could."

"I wouldn't," the white Pokémon said. She had a nice, soft voice that made the boy feel happy and safe. "I'm a Togetic. I'd never harm a child."

"Gran told me that Togetic live in forests an' when kids get lost, they lead 'em home," the boy said. "D'you live in a forest?"

"I live by this lake, protecting children from drowning," the Togetic said, dangling her long, round feet in the water. "I'm not sure that I'd have to save you, though. The water likes you."

The boy laughed. "I promise I won't drown," he said. "Daddy taught me all about swimming, an' I can hold my breath for a real long time, an' anyways Daddy's got all sorts of water Pokémon and they'd come get me if I got really stuck. Daddy's got the best water Pokémon. Water Pokémon are really cool, I think. Are you a water Pokémon?"

"I'm not," the Togetic said, shaking her head.

"Well, I think you're cool anyway, saving other kids who don't have daddies with water Pokémon," the boy said, reaching out to the Togetic. She held his hand. It made him feel warm. "D'you ever get lonely up here? There's not lots of people living here. I bet there's not lots of kids to save."

"There aren't," the Togetic agreed quietly. "Very few humans live around here now, and not many with children. I do so miss getting to play with human children. You're the first one I've seen in a long time."

"D'you wanna be my friend?" the boy asked, stepping into the shallows of the lake, still holding Tashigi's hand. "Then we can play all the time, forever an' ever!"

"You won't be a child forever," Tashigi laughed.

"Yeah, but then I'll be a grownup, an' I can have my own kids for you to play with!" the boy declared. "An' I won't make them go to bed early or eat yucky food or be too much older than their little brothers! My brother's basically a grownup already, so he won't always play with me," he whispered to Tashigi. "So I'll play with you all the time instead!"

"I like you, little one," Tashigi laughed, fluttering her wings and flying into the air. The boy screeched with laughter as he was lifted up too, flying a couple of feet above the lake.

"Wheeee!" he cried. "Awesome! Can you go higher!"

"Not today," Tashigi said, setting him down. "Your parents are calling for you. I can hear them. They're worried about you."

"Awww… they're gonna be mad that I ran off," the boy said dejectedly, scuffing his feet on the ground. Then he hugged Tashigi. "But they won't mind when they see how cool you are! C'mon, Tashigi! I want Mummy and Daddy to meet my new best friend! An' I wanna show you off to my brother…"

I hope you liked my vision of how they met :) Merry Christmas!