The Bitterness Of Being An Audino

Author's note: Hello there! I'm new to the Wattpad community, so let me introduce myself. I'm Stripedfeather, but you can call me Stripes or Stripey or whatever floats your boat :) I enjoy writing short stories and poems, mainly about animals or pokemon. Please don't hesitate to give constructive critism, I would love to hear your thoughts on The Bitterness Of An Audino. Hopefully there will be more to come, and I can't wait to meet you all! ^^ Audino, Snivy, Oran Berries, Leaf Tornado, Pansear, Panpour, Pansage, Liepard, Patrat, Purrlion, Sitrus Berries and Skitty all belong to Nintendo)

I open my eyes, and find myself where I had last fainted. The sunlight was hard on my sensitive eyes, which I was blinking furiously in an attempt to adjust them to the harsh glare. Swallowing, I sit up with a grimace of pain and a dry cough. "Stupid Snivy." I mutter and look down at the wounds on my pink and cream flank, then drew in a breath. Those ridiculously sharp leaves had left some deep wounds, and I let out a grunt of irritation. How could leaves, gentle little leaves that drift to the ground in the Autumn, be so painful? Closing my eyes, the sunlight left a red glow on my eyelids but that didn't stop the battle from flashing through my mind, I could still remember it all too well. "Snivy, use Leaf Tornado!" The trainer cried as the smug Grass Snake pokemon complied. It had had only been a minute ago that I had heard this human, walking down Route 3. I decided to wait a little while, I wasn't sure if I wanted to make myself seen. But the way she let her Snivy walk beside her, the way she smiled and talked to it so trustingly, so lovingly, I couldn't help but want her to notice me. Taking a deep breath I wiggled and rustled the grass. The beginning of the end, I thought wryly and opened my eyes. With another cough, I sat up and looked around. A couple of patrat scurried to and fro, their unnerving eyes spotting even the tiniest of seeds. A mother Liepard groomed her Purrloin kittens before falling asleep in a shady spot, while the kits attempted to play without waking her. Perhaps those kittens won't have the odd sleep at day, prowl at night schedule like their mother. I shake my head, their rest pattern confusing me. But this was no time to be worrying about the strangeness of a nocturnal schedule, as the sharp pain from my wounds reminded me. There's no use just sitting here, I decided. All my berries are back at the Den, and these cuts will only get worst if I don't get something to heal them with. Inhaling sharply, I rise to my cream coloured feet and grit my teeth against the pain. You don't realize how many muscles you have in your body until they all hurt, a voice in my head commented. Shut up and keep moving, I replied. Agonizing step after agonizing step, I finally reach my den. By the time I had arrived, the sun had almost set and nightfall was rapidly approaching as the moon climbed up the sky. I'm exhausted and sweaty and hurting and all I can think of is the sweet relief that the sitrus berry will bring me. The last few steps towards the fruit seem like eons, but finally I reach the clef in the cave where I store sitrus berries and my paw goes up to grab one- And it's empty. "Son of a skitty's scarf!" I growl and searched a bit more, but none were to be found. No.... I refuse.... No.... Not the Oran Berries! I gagged at the mere thought of those repellent fruit. A nook in the wall, hidden far, far back held at least a dozen blue berries, and I couldn't help but turn away at the stench. Realizing I had no other option except to let the wounds heal on their own and possibly become infected, I pinched my nose, then reached in and pulled out a few, shuddering in horror at the crime to my tastebuds I was about to willingly commit. Hesitantly, I poked out my tongue, put the blue berry on it and swallowed as fast as I could, but there was no use. The revolting taste lingered in my mouth, and it was all I could do to not throw up as I gobbled down the disgusting fruit. Finally though, my wounds began to close and my muscles relaxed a bit, though I couldn't get the taste of rotted mushrooms out of my mouth. With a sigh, I walked back to the Nursery and checked the eggs with my antennae. The Lillipup was growing quickly, but the Pidove seemed awfully small for it's age. "I'll keep an eye on that one." I murmered. Going over to the Pansear and Panpour eggs, I listened closely. These ones would be hatching soon, I could tell. The little Pansage though... I don't think it's going to make it.. I sighed and gave it a hug of hope. "You can do it." I whispered and continued embracing it for a moment longer, then let go and retreated to my nest. It was a simple bed, with only a mattress of moss and a blanket of woven feathers, but it was enough for me. Staring up at the hole I had made in the ceiling so I could watch the night sky, flashes of the last battle returned to haunt me whenever I closed my eyes. I didn't understand why, the countless battles and faintings before that had never had this effect on me, dark thoughts and burning sensation to do something, anything about it. This bitterness was never there before, the bitterness of being sought out only for experience and nothing more, the bitterness of not even being noticed for who I am, just what I can give them. No trainer had ever stopped to heal me or make sure I was alright after their pokemon had battered and bruised me. The bitterness of not being given a second thought. The bitterness of being an Audino.