To Walk In Night
Summary: I was born into darkness, blind, but what others would consider a weakness, I decided would become my strength.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Pokemon… at all… or else I could afford to buy a SS Mini Cooper.
Prologue:
Growing up as a child, I was fearless. It didn't matter that I couldn't see, my ears were keen, my body nimble and there was a whole world to explore. I'm sure I scared my parents near to death more than once with my antics, but they never once discouraged me.
"Listen Tabitha; can you hear the Kricketot's chirping their songs?"
"I hear them Mommy!"
"The night breeze carried their music here as a special gift to you. Be thankful for your gift, and if you keep your ears keen who knows what else it might bring you."
That lesson rooted deep in my heart and only grew as time passed. The world was a beautiful place to me and the wind my best friend. Together we played in the meadows and I discovered the hidden gems of the world - a tiny babbling stream, tall whispering trees that cooled me from the heat of the sun, and best of all it gave me a whole world of possible friends, it introduced me to pokemon.
Tiny and furry crawled the Caterpie and Wurmple upon my fingers, gentle the wings of Butterfree and Dustox kissed my skin, the Pidgey would greet me cheerfully, and the Sentret and Rattata played joyfully with me and the toys I brought.
It was a blessed childhood I had, and then came the day it all changed, the day I started school. Now when I first was told I would be starting schooling, I was as thrilled as any young girl could possibly be, but children can be cruel and with my placement into a Special Education class, I certainly found that fact true for me.
This was an especially trying time for me. Not the learning part, that is, I loved finally having answers to all the questions I had and finally being able to read and discover them myself was an amazing gift, but my friendship with the wind had an unexpected downside - I could hear every cruel taunt and joke and comment made about me - and it hurt.
My parents never knew, of course, it would have killed them to know how much I'd been wounded, and since these wounds were only caused by verbal daggers, I could never bring myself to share. So everyday when I returned from school I again became the joyful girl and every night when after they'd fallen asleep, I'd sneak out into the backyard, lay down in the grass, and let my night breeze friend caress the tears from my face.
Is it any wonder then that I fell in love with the night? The scents, the sounds, the refreshing cool air, and near silence when the rest of the world slumbers? It was my saving grace, the only thing that kept me sane as the years passed. Well that, and my dedicated passion for learning everything that I possibly could about those amazing creatures that I loved, pokemon.
My parents thought I might become a pokemon scientist or researcher, but I had my heart set on a different path - that of a Pokemon League Gym Leader. I had a dream of running a Gym that focused on my most favorite pokemon of all - the nocturnal ones.
I have to say that I have been blessed with the most amazing of parents, because despite their fears, and the obviously inherent difficulties my blindness posed, they focused all their energies on helping me make my dream a reality. So first it was classes, the certificate courses mostly. I learned basic first aid for both humans and pokemon. I studied the laws governing pokemon and the duties of Pokemon League officials. I even took a course on wilderness survival and pokemon orienteering. And since that was a practical course, I was quite lucky that my remaining senses are so strong - and that one of them is an instinctive knowledge of the direction of north! Then finally the day that I'd been waiting for came at last and with nervous excitement, and packed bag in tow, my parents and I piled in the car to drive from our home in Terracotta Town to neighboring Pallet. We were going to see Professor Oak!