Thin-Skinned

Words are like rubber balls
Bouncing off every surface
Yet a few made of steel roll into the batch

We think ourselves thick of skin
But our flesh is malleable

Every impact sinks its way in
Leaves their impression

But they never cut deep

You are not tough because your skin is impervious
You are tough because it always returns to form

Poliwag, the Tadpole Pokémon

“Despite being born with a pair of feet, Poliwag struggle to walk or even stand on their own. Many of this Pokémon live the majority of their lives as Poliwag in inland bodies of water, like lakes and ponds, and very rarely do they risk living in waters closer to or of the open ocean. They are much more proficient at swimming and navigating in water than they are on land, though this does not mean they cannot learn to walk. Mature Poliwag manage to do so after years of rigorous training from their evolutions living in the same pod, and trainers who take care of this Pokémon will teach them no differently than they do an infant on how to take their first steps.”

“This struggle to walk is only a problem for the Poliwag species because of their internal organs. The stomach of every Poliwag is made of a clear but durable film-like skin, and the spiral found on their bellies are in fact their internal organs pressed against the inside of their flesh. The spiral of their digestive track is often the color black, which is a sign of a healthy Poliwag in their well-being and good digestion, while lighter colors indicate a sickness or a struggle to digest their food. Either way, this does give the Poliwag’s body an imbalance of weight their small feet struggle to compensate for in their youth, thus their tendency to spend a majority of their lives in water instead of on land. Instead, the shape of their bodies and the organization of their internal organs actually helps the Poliwag stay afloat more easily.”

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