Well, usually in such a story, the lion might be presented as a proud and powerful character. Maybe the elephant is seen as a gentle giant. They could be in a situation where they compete for resources like water or territory, or perhaps they learn to co - exist in some way.
I'm not sure which novel Journey to the West is referring to, but according to what I know, the leopard spirit is not described as working with the indigo lion, the white elephant, and the roc.
In Journey to the West, the leopard spirit, tiger spirit, snake spirit, fox spirit, and other demons were defeated by Sun Wukong and others. However, there did not seem to be any mention of the leopard spirit in Journey to the West.
Well, in the big elephant little elephant story. The big elephant was like a mentor to the little elephant. The little elephant was small and a bit clumsy at first. But with the big elephant's guidance, it started to grow. For example, when they came across a river, the big elephant showed the little elephant how to cross it safely by using its long trunk as a snorkel when the water was deep. They also shared good food sources like juicy fruits and fresh leaves in the jungle.
Maybe she stumbles upon the elephant while exploring the forest. It could be a chance encounter where she was just wandering around and suddenly came across the huge animal.
In a sad elephant poaching story, one consequence is the death of individual elephants. For example, when an elephant is poached for its tusks, it's a direct loss of that beautiful and intelligent life.
It could be other animals like a monkey, a bird and a deer. The monkey might be her friend because it's very clever and can help the elephant reach fruits on high trees. The bird can fly and give them information about the surrounding areas. And the deer is fast and can warn them of approaching danger.