Author's Note: I got this idea from personal experience…although my reaction was much different. And the Perrono is a fan-pokemon of my creation that I thought was fitting. It's the evolution of Mightyena, so that should give you some clue to what it looks like.

Merry Turkey Day, one and all. Hope you don't end up like Laitia.

And the taste of dried-up hopes in my mouth
and the landscape of merry and desperate drought
once I knew myself
and with knowing came love
I would know love again if I had faith enough
too far is next spring and her jubilant shout
so angels, inside
is the only way out
Drought by Vienna Teng

Holidays. People and pokemon alike think they're so great, but they're not. They're just excuses to buy a ton of stuff (usually food or gifts), gather together in groups and act all cheerful.

But it all sucks.

And no single being on this world knows that better than Laitia.

"Those humans are gathering again. It must be one of their dumb holidays." Laitia whispered to herself. "Hmm…what one would it be at this time of year?"

She looked around. The leaves on the trees were all red, gold, brown and yellow, signifying fall. She jogged her memory to try to remember which holiday was in the fall.

"Hmm…that costume-thing already happened…so it must be Thanksgiving." Laitia paused for a moment, then threw her head back and howled with laughter. "There is nothing to give thanks about, stupid people!"

She turned and left the edge of the forest, heading back to the pond. She was thirsty, and she wanted to examine herself again. After all, she had just evolved the night before.

Lapping at the water, she let her thoughts drift freely. Humans were stupid. But the pokemon who chose to be with humans were even stupider. Why give up the beautifully rugged life of hunting for survival to become a fat, sappy old fool?

Laitia stopped her thinking and drinking. Examining herself in the glass-like reflection of the water, she smirked. Here she was, a beautiful Perrono, admired by all yet loved by none. She didn't need a trainer, a human, or any friends for that matter. Canines were solitary creatures by nature, except those blasted Growlithe and Arcanine. They actually served those stupid officer-females.

She turned her head to examine her jet-black fur better. It was still in perfect condition. Laitia smirked, revealing to herself her shining, sharp fangs. Sleek but muscular figure, beautiful fur that camouflaged her perfectly in the velvet night, piercing red eyes that could stare down anything that got in her way, and the most charming personality one could hope for.

"Alright, let's go see what we can get for dinner now." The canine turned from the water.

A half hour later, Laitia was munching down on the flesh of her unlucky prey, tonight a fat Pidgey. Her muzzle stained with blood, she paused, looking at the bird. "Oh, you're still alive?"

The terrified, dying (but still alive by a twist of cruel fate), bloody bird gave a low chirp of some unknown element, which puzzled Laitia. All the other times she caught something and it managed to live through her first few bites, it'd squawk or squeak and try to get away frantically, although it was doomed to die anyway. Laitia paused from her chewing on the leg, bending over to it's head. "What did you say?"

"…said…" The Pidgey gasped each word, a steady trickle of blood making it's way down the cream-colored feathers of its breast. The bird chirped again, only this time it sounded a bit more like a word.

"Repeat that." Laitia leaned closer, so their eyes were level.

"…" The bird gave a shuddering cough, spraying the Perrono's face with blood (not that she minded). "…" Another chirp. Still not understandable to Laitia, but she sensed what emotion was fueling it. It wasn't sorrow, nor terror, nor anger or rage (her usual responses).

Understanding.

"I…Repeat it once more, bird."

"…You're…"the Pidgey coughed again, but this time it's breath stayed out of it's lungs. One last chirp. The light trickled away from it's onyx eyes as the poor thing died.

Normally, Laitia would snort, snicker, smirk then start chowing down on her meal again. But that Pidgey's last words came back to haunt her.

"You're lonely." The canine growled inwardly, letting a mere meal get to her. "Give thanks…"

"Stupid bird." she snarled, dragging her claws over the Pidgey's throat. Just to add insult to injury.

"Stupid Thanksgiving, stupid humans, stupid Pidgey, stupid holidays, stupid world…" Laitia cursed, trotting through the woods. She was headed to the humans, to sort this thing out once and for all.

Near the edge of the woods, she spotted a fire. Stealthily stepping towards it, Laitia observed the scene with contempt and resentment.

A trainer, a little snotnose who probably started yesterday, was sitting in front of the fire with a Chikorita and a Sandshrew in his lap. The scene belonged to a Hallmark card. And it made Laitia sick.

The Sandshrew's ears perked up, and it turned towards the concealed Perrono.

Damn, Laitia swore silently, knowing her eyes would've reflected the firelight. Worse yet, she was upwind. She wondered vaguely where all her hunting skills went as she was so easily discovered.

"There's a pokemon over there." The Sandshrew told its trainer, tugging on his shirt. The boy looked over, straight at Laitia. She locked her maroon eyes with his hazel. They stared at each other for the longest time.

"Do you want something to eat?" The boy asked finally, moving his hand over a plate of some sort of toasted sandwiches.

Heh. He's a hundred yards from a city and he still eats this crap, Laitia snickered, stepping forward into the clearing. She turned her head slightly, letting him bask in her glory and radiance. Indeed, the boy and his pokemon stared with wonder. She imagined that her beautiful body, lit by the flickering orange glow of a fire would be quite amazing to such a newbie. Stupid human.

"Do you want something to eat?" The boy repeated. Laitia turned her head so he could see her profile, and she heard (with a pang of triumph) his shocked gasp at the blood still covering her muzzle.

"She's a Perrono. They're dangerous." The Sandshrew told it's trainer, eyeing Laitia warily. She snorted. Like two wet-behind-the-ears newbie pokemon could stop her. She wasn't just barking about her abilities.

"I'm not worried. She looks…lonely, so we should share our dinner with her. You might not trust her, but I do. No one should be alone on Thanksgiving." The boy said pleasantly, setting his two pokemon on the ground in front of him to stand up. "Come on, girl, want some food?"

"I'm not a retarded little freak like your two things, I know what you're saying!" Laitia snarled, her ebony fur bristling.

"It's…okay…I just want to know if you'd like to come eat dinner with us." The boy said quietly, visibly frightened by her.

"I already ate." Laitia turned her head towards the rising moon. It was full tonight, and the largest it's been for quite awhile. Strangely, it also had an orange tint to it, as thought it knew it was autumn.

"HA-HA!"

Laitia groaned. The boy and his pokemon looked around in confusion, but the canine would know that voice anywhere. It was the only bird that ever got away from her, and sadly, it was the only bird she wanted to kill so much.

"I HAVE FOUND MY DINNER!" Jap the Murkrow swooped in from almost literally nowhere, since he usually appeared in places with his pride, Faint Attack. The boy looked both surprised and alarmed, since the pesky dark bird was aiming right for his food (and the Chikorita next to it).

In one swift, fluid motion, Laitia bounded across the clearing and rammed into Jap. The bird gave a squawk of surprise as they both tumbled to a halt a few yards off. "L-Laitia!"

"Back off, you stupid bird!" The canine barked, her hackles raising and her ears pinned against her skull.

"I…uh…didn't know you had a t-trainer…" Jap stammered.

"THAT FREAK IS NOT MY TRAINER!" Laitia dove for his throat, the bloodlust apparent. Jap shrieked in terror, throwing his dark wings up over his head in a vain attempt to stop her. But he was mightily surprised when the fangs and claws didn't come.

Peeking out through his feathers, Jap was even more surprised when he saw the boy restraining Laitia. She was staring hard at him, while the trainer was looking down at her fur.

"Don't…" the boy murmured into her mane.

"Get. Off."

"Don't hurt him…please…Laitia…"

Laitia walked away from the scene.

Front paw, back paw, front paw, limp. Front paw, back paw, front paw, limp. Front, back, front, limp.

Her muzzle was still stained with the crimson liquid, but her paws were now soaked in the precious blood as well. She felt oddly satisfied…but something was different inside of her.

"Give thanks…you're lonely…" That stupid Pidgey's last words. They bubbled under the surface of her mind, reminding her of all the truth in at least half of it. But now she saw the hold truth.

The Perrono limped back into the forest, to Mew-knows-where. She didn't know or care at the moment.

"Just…gotta…get…home…" she panted, dragging her hind paw instead of trying to step on it. It made progress slower, but it was a bit less painful.

But she was hurting on the inside, too.

Laitia knew she wasn't going to go any farther. Her body wouldn't take it. She sat where she was, and tipped her head back. She let loose a long and mournful howl, filling the autumn night with her melody.

A note for the Pidgey.

Oooooooooooohhhh…

A note for Jap.

Ooooooooooohhhh…

A note for the Sandshrew.

Ooooooooohhhh…

A note for the Chikorita.

Oooooooohhhh…

A note for the boy…

Oooooohhh…

And finally, a note for herself. For giving thanks.

Giving thanks for that final bloodbath she got before that stupid human found her ripping out the boy's throat. The howl was for that silver stick a lot of humans carry, the one that made the bullet appear deep in her side.

A note for her lost hopes and dreams that she'd never accomplish. Finding a mate, having a family, the thrill of the hunt of larger prey, taking down her first stag Stantler, feeling blood on her fur one last time…

The final note for giving her thanks to the orange moon. Giving thanks for her loneliness, that allowed her to go out in such a way. Such a way was the irony in her whole existence.

A final note for her Thanksgiving.