(Disclaimer: Pokemon and their characters/names do not belong to me.)

Young Oshawott

The woods are looking mighty frightful tonight. Maple trees form knotty, contorted shapes…melded by the troubles of winter. I look into the sky, the stars…the full moon. Though I never really enjoyed the nightscape…I don't really have any choice now. I've been tied down to the dim forest floor, facing skyward…but restrained, unable to reach it. How I miss him. I can't believe the wrong I've done him as his Pokémon. Give me a chance to apologize, Arceus. If I could just break free…so I can go and finally apologize.

A brisk wind slices through the alpine forest where I lay. Michael, my trainer, placed me here because I've done wrong…I've committed the misdeed of trying to run away from home. "Fine. You wanna be alone, little bastard? Be my guest! You try stayin' in these woods for a night," he said as he roped me down and walked away. I think the tears on my eyes are starting to freeze on my skin. But why? A sea otter Pokémon like me—still just an Oshawott—should be warm-blooded. Never mind that, I should let my body freeze…only then will I be be what Michael longs for me to be…cold. Cold enough so the bad blood, the sinful blood, freezes in my veins, never to circulate in my body, never to seize control my body again…and perpetrate trouble for Michael again.

I close my eyes, I must try to "let the night pass". But I'm afraid of the night. Well, not the night exactly, but when it passes. Michael would sometimes make inhale something to make the night pass. But I shouldn't have let the night pass. Otherwise when I finally wake I'm shackled, chained down, beaten. Shouldn't have fallen asleep. Don't fall asleep now, or Michael will punish you. I squeeze my eyes shut, yet I feel more unrested. I do what Michael would tell me to do as he carried out my punishment.

"Hey, you okay?" I snap out of my moment of hysteria and shrill screaming, reliving the punishment. A Noctowl calls from the distance. Without reply, he flies over and helps claw through my restraints with his talons. It's a bit of suspense as the bird Pokémon took a while to break through the thick ropes. I shake a bit from restlessness (and cold).

"Hold still, please!" The Noctowl pleads. "That energy could take you very far, you know."

"At last, I'm free!" I can't help but exclaim. I begin scampering my way out of this dark forest. "Now, guess it's time to find Michael…"

"Hey!" The Noctowl calls me.

"Yes?"

"Shouldn't you be thanking me?"

I turn back, responding to him in a rushed, flat tone. "Thanks…er…"

"The name's Seth, and I'd like to give you a lesson in proper manners, young Oshawott. I—"

"I've got to see Michael—now—I'm in kinda a big, big hurry." I tremble in lieu of sweating from hesitation; it was a very cold night. I turn my back to him and I'm hit with his Air Slash. I tip over and hit the ground. I taste the earth below. Tastes like six feet under. This is not good.

"You'll be staying with me tonight…young Oshawott." I tense up. "The forest is cold, a storm may approach. I suggest that you stay."

I give in with a gentle nod of the head, and Seth leads me to a secluded corner in the forest, marginally shielded from the elements by a few rocks and dense leaf litter.

"What is a sea-otter Pokémon like yourself doing in this forest?" Seth begins.

"Do you really want to know?" I answer quietly, a little calmer in my movements. "It's…it's late, and it's quite a long story. Are you sure you won't be tired?"

"Young Oshawott, I'm nocturnal. I'm awake when you are asleep. I'm asleep when you are awake."

"So in a sense…everything's reversed for you?"

"I guess…now you are delaying. On with your story."

I tell him the story of how I got here.

"…Abandoned? You were abandoned…by your trainer?" Seth asks.

"No, I wasn't 'abandoned'. I didn't use that word. I was being punished for doing wrong. Now I regret my actions—which is why I need to get back to Michael to apologize to him…now!"

"Hold on—"

"Now!" I grow hysterical. I'm laughing maniacally at my state of delirium as I spase about, hot-headed, screaming incoherent gibberish with bloodshot eyes. The full moon brings out the demon inside of me. I struggle to snap free from the tight grasp of Seth's beak. He unleashes another Air Slash, and I fall flat again, sucked of energy.

"From what you have told me, young Oshawott," Seth says, "I will concoct a simulation of your relationship with your trainer, Michael."

I slowly steady myself up. "What do you mean?"

"Look. You told me of the time you urinated on your trainer's area rug. He shouted profanities at you and flogged you with…a fifteen pound hand weight."

"You really know how to make things seem bad," I scoff. "I deserved the punishment. I mean…I practically ruined his P700000 hand-woven Caterpie silk rug. Every smack I got represented every Caterpie's life that suffered from making that rug. Every Caterpie whose hard work and life had gone to waste because of my actions." I felt the tears framing my deep brown eyes. I try to scoff more loudly to rid myself of ponderous emotion.

"Yes…" Seth replies, "…and the rug took 5,000 Caterpie to make.

"I find it a miracle you can remain cheery with the absolute physical state you are in. Maybe you can't see well at this time of night. But my vision is better."

"What do I look like?"

"If I had not perfect vision…I'd have mistook you for a Tepig, with all the red splotched on your body."

"Never mind that. It was still a rightful punishment! All the more I should apologize!" I protest. "I had to have had done something…truly despicable for him to punish me in such a way…he loves me! And I've only perpetrated more wrong…by running away. Now I've got the wish I never should have longed for. He's left me." I start shivering again, bloodshot eyes appear…I wanna just head back to Michael…but fear of another Air Slash holds me back like a flimsy caution tape.

"Come, follow me, young Oshawott. Let me show you something I find very interesting." We traverse through the forest, following crudely maintained paths. Seth glides near the surface…I walk behind.

"Humans used to come here…but after the sign was put up humans didn't come here anymore. Which is why the trails are unmaintained." Seth says. "Is this forest…scary for you?"

"Are you trying to baby me?" I give Seth a reproachful glare.

"Well—"

"If this is going to take a while, I need to go. I have to speak to—"

"No! Do not speak of him. The forest blocks humans from entering, know that. Now this is what I want you to see."

I explain the surroundings. "It's a scenic overlook…and a giant sign."

"That sign is supposed to keep things out…and isolate us in here. This is a nature preserve. The sign says 'Strict Nature Preserve. No Trespassing.'"

I never really learned how to read; Pokémon in general didn't learn how to read. I guess Seth could.

"More specifically," Seth continues, "it keeps humans out, but us Pokémon are not affected by the sign. It means nothing to us. Just an object on the side of a cliff."

"But that's stupid…I can just walk past the sign and leave this forest!" I reply.

"Exactly…exactly…not so fast, young Oshawott!" Seth stops me from trying to get to Michael.

"But you said I could—"

"I said you could. There are a lot of things we can do that we just don't do. Come, follow me back into the woods." We make the journey back to the sheltered area.

"Seth…what is the meaning of all this? Could you please just get to the point? Why are you keeping me here?" I'm all fidgety again.

"As I said, I am trying to explicate for you the relationship with your trainer, you see. Think about it. When I forced you to stay, did you try to break free?"

"Yes."

"And have I punished you by forceful means?"

"Yes…"

"Have I shown you that you can leave me?"

"Yes…"

"And yet you are still here, with me. Does this not resemble your relation with Michael?"

"But…I'm only here because you forced me to!" I argue.

"Ah, but I did not force you," Seth chuckles. "Why, you had every right to just walk out the forest. I can only shout and attack at you so much."

"So why…are you still trying to keep me in these dreadful woods?" Michael nags on my mind again. To think the punishment I will face for breaking free of my restraints and fraternizing with fellow Pokémon. I was never allowed to do either of those. Just let me face my punishment. However painful it be…I can take it. Just get me out of here…no matter how much pain I will face as a result.

"Because you complied with me…you had at least some degree of trust in me, did you not?" Seth replies. "You are sitting complaining of being trapped in a cage that is not there—you are confusing the tall trees for steel bars. Nothing is truly stopping you but yourself. I am but a humble Pokémon. There is only so much I can do to keep you here. There is only so much Michael can do to imprison you. You have survived this desolate forest for an entire night…let yourself take pride in that distinction."

I look to my right and notice the rising sun. I am facing northward.

"My…I can see your wounds are already healing." Seth congratulates.

How true, in every sense of the phrase.

Seth continues, "The outside world is very dangerous. But you have good spirit. You'll be just fine."

Just get me out of here…no matter how much pain I will face as a result. I remember thinking that.

I step away to the forest edge, still keeping my eyes northward. I finally realized who should be sorry.

"Good morning, Noct—I mean, Seth!" I call out into the distance.

"It is 'good night' for me, young Oshawott. Remember, I am nocturnal."

"Ah!" I finally get it. "Everything…is reversed for you."

"Exactly…exactly…" And with that he flies into the distance. The full moon brought a demon…and an angel; just my luck. I remember: Give me a chance to apologize, Arceus. If I could just break free…so I can go and finally apologize. So with Arceus' full blessing I now apologize to myself. For being such a stupid fool. For being a young, naïve Oshawott.

(Hope you enjoyed reading! Be sure to comment on your thoughts!)