Zoroark Mom & Blind Human Son . >ruse fox going around >find some kid all alone, a perfect target to pull a prank on >make all sorts of illusions >no reaction, no matter how big or obvious they are >realize he's blind >ruse fox begins getting concerned >he hears a voice call out to him, asking where his parents are >he's an orphan, pretty much wandered off and got lost >maternal instinct kicks in and she takes him in >carefully wraps him up in her mane and carries him off, trying to avoid touching him with her sharp claws and scaring him >might not even realize she's a pokemon for awhile . >gets kid back to her den >normally its pretty bare and just filled with odds and ends she nicked from others on a whim >starts trying to spruce up her den to make it as comfortable as possible for her new adopted child >begins making trips to the nearest town to try and scavenge items >doesn't ever want to leave him alone so she makes her trips extra quick >manages to get a blanket but the kid prefers sleeping wrapped up in her mane >toys sort of hold his interest but he bonds rapidly to his new mother figure and wants to be with her no matter what >she's doing her absolute best, even though she knows she can't give him the same kind of life a human parent could >Or...can she? . >after some time, momzark realizes that as much as she would love a natural ruse fox upbringing, her adopted son needs to be raised as a human >at bare minimum, she knows he needs to go to school so he can learn all the things humans normally learn >also making sure he has the opportunity to socialize so he can fit in as best as he can >the only problem is to do all this, they'll have to live right there...in the middle of all the other humans >she needs to find a human place to stay >blend in with the humans >do like humans do, or pretend enough to get by >for her son's sake . >A cold winter set her mind firmly on getting him moved into a proper home as quickly as possible. >She kept him warm but he needed better. >It would take her awhile to figure out how to do things, but she could study in relative peace. Keeping hidden was her specialty. >Makes her way down to a pokemart >Casually browses while she formulates her questions ahead of time >Approaches cashier, first asking about the difference between a couple of potions before her actual query, "I'm looking to move into the area with my son but we don't have much things, do you know any place we can stay?" >"Uhhh yeah there's some low cost apartments down on the edge of town, 'bout five hundred bucks a month." >Hundred!? From what she had seen of 'borrowed' wallets, most people only had a few dollars on them, there's no way she could just pickpocket that every month... >"O-oh. Is there...any place near by I could get enough dollars for that?" >"Eh I think they're hiring at the diner on the corner. They're always going through dishwashers." >Finally she had a lead on a place to stay and perhaps a way to sustain it. . >Well, the home seemed to be going smoothly but the apartment owner wanted a 'down payment' first. >And now the job at the diner was looking a bit rough... >8 hours...away from her son... >Fortunately her usual human disguise held up fairly well, but looks only get so far. >Asking for the money before doing work was treated as foolishness until she offered to do extra work for free. >All she needed was that initial payment to get her son safe and sound in that apartment. >It took a little bit of quibbling over the numbers but the manager agreed, but she had to work This shift starting immediately to prove she was serious about the work. >That was out of the question, she had to find a place for him first and let him know how long she would be gone. >She tried negotiating for just even a small amount of time when a waitress overheard the conversation. >Happy to try and help a clearly distressed mother in need, she convinced the manager to let the kid stay in the back corner booth right beside the door to the kitchen. >It was only half a shift at this point anyways. >In a short time, momzark had returned with her kid holding her hand, a dirty teddiursa plush in his other hand. >She carefully guided him over to the booth where the waitress fawned over him before realizing he was blind and doubling down even more on being his friend while mom went in the back to work. >In the back room, another employee showed her the basics and where things were. >"There's the soap and rags, the dish washer doesn't work so we gotta do it by hand. They pile up quick so don't fall behind." >Another plate was deposited to the sink. >And another. >Another. >She peered down through her illusion to her claws, then back to the sink. >How she would pull this off without getting found out began to seem like a problem once she realized how often she would be doing this. . >By the end of the day, she broke two dishes and put a rather conspicuous gash across a third. >Much to her surprise, her co-worker covered for her, and she was able to walk away with that lump sum of a couple hundred dollars. >The manager seemed a bit irate from the busy day but did take note of the earnest attempt she made to her labor. >Her son had fallen asleep in the booth by the time she was done. >Sitting at his table was a glass of water and half of a small paper bowl of fries with a carryout bag beside it, traces of ketchup on his cheeks. >She kissed him on the forehead before dabbing the ketchup from his face, wrapping up his things to bring with them. >Picking him up, she set him snuggly and securely in her mane, though to others it appeared she had him piggyback with his head and arms around her shoulders. >Before she could leave, the waitress stopped her at the door and held out a large tupperware container for her, stuffed full of the leftover biscuits that would have been thrown out that day. >Her brother worked at the pokemart and tipped her off that the lady coming in for the dishwashing job might be in need of some help and also might be homeless, though she made no mention of that detail. >Momzark thanked her graciously, yearning to give her a hug but held herself back from physical contact. >For now she just promised to repay the favor someday. >With enough money for the down payment, she rushed over to the apartments to find the landlord and get her son inside for the night. . >By the time she made it to the apartments, night had solidly set in under the street lights with starless skies on a moonless night. >Considering how fast she managed to acquire money, the landlord gave her a suspicious stare before begrudgingly accepting the money, handing her a key, and giving her a second run down of the rules. >While she knew numbers, she could barely read, but fortunately the key was labelled according to its apartment and she just needed to match the symbols. >Trying the key a couple of ways, she managed to get the door unlocked, slowly creaking the door open. >It was dark inside...but she knew from watching other humans that there was usually some kind of switch by the door that turned lights on and off. >Directly to the side as expected, she saw one and gave it a flick. >A warm, yellow glow filled the room. >A rather wide room lay before them, grey carpets, a mildly used couch sat in front of a scratched up coffee table, a brown recliner with part of an arm rest lightly charred in one spot. >In one corner of the room was a counter with a sink, oven, and a microwave, the latter two of which she had no idea how to work, but she knew water came from the sink. >To the back were two doors, one to a small room with a sink visible that she presumed was the bathroom where one could relieve themselves and clean up, but the other she couldn't see much of from the front door. >Treading upon the carpet, she tried to keep her toe claws from digging in, the floor creaking with each step. >A musty odor filled her nostrils as she passed through the room, definitely some amount of smoke had been present at one point along with a faint scent of some other pokemon, presumably a fire type judging by that charred spot on the recliner. >She nudged open the wooden door in the back, cracked from some kind of impact that left the top corner permanently bent back. . >A queen size bed with a pillow, one blanket, and one sheet, one window to allow light in, the same grey carpet from before, and nothing else filled that room. >Carefully she sat down the still-slightly-warm bowl of biscuits and other belongings before pulling the sheets back and tucking her boy in. >He roused for just a moment as she kissed him goodnight, mumbling for her. >Going back to close the front door and turn off the lights, she finally dropped her disguise, feeling a great deal of tension unwinding as she returned to the bedroom. >On the other side of the bed she crawled in and curled up around him, her son snuggled up safe and secure in their new home. . >Over the course of the summer, so many trials had passed. >Her first rent payment, avoiding getting found out on the job, worrying about her son while away at work. >The waitress at the diner was such an invaluable friend for the latter problem, with her cashier brother's wife willing to look after him through the day. >This also gave her just a brief window where she could forage some berries outside of town to have ready when she picked him up. >Between that and the occasional leftover biscuits, she was able to keep a steady diet for both of them. >Although soon after the first full rent payment, momzark realized she had made wages over target and had money to spare and a fair amount at that, maybe even enough for the next rent too. >Could...this be money she could spend for her son? >The next shift, she asked the waitress if she knew any place to get clothing for the boy and maybe a few other supplies. >A few streets down was a second-hand store that she recommended would get her the most for her money. >If there was anything else she needed then the PokeDollar General next door might have it. >Both stores should be still open well after her shift ended in the evening so she shouldn't have to rush. >As soon as she was able, she went to pick up her boy for their first shopping trip. . >The second-hand store came first. >The vast majority of the store's stock was clothing, there were a few bins of assorted items though their contents more resembled an organized trash heap. >Clothing was her purpose anyways. >Passing on aisle after another of gradually decreasingly sized clothes, she came to an aisle containing shirts that looked about his size. >All this time he only had a couple changes of clothing, one which he wore when she found him and another she had gone out and 'liberated'. >How much should she get, though? >...Five, she figured. At least five. >There weren't many shirts in his size, but as a growing boy he had room to fill so she grabbed a couple the next size up and slipped one over his head to see if they would work. >It came down almost to his knees, but it seemed comfortable for him. >He flapped his arms around, if the sleeves were much longer he'd look like a Mienshao. >They giggled at each other and she looked him in his milky white eyes...her precious son. >Each smile came so rarely for awhile but they seemed to be more frequent these days. >Two oversized shirts and three right-sized shirts she picked out, along with some pants and shorts to go with each of them. >Socks were a struggle to match but despite a few mismatched pairs, they managed to wrangle up some along with some undergarments and a nice pair of shoes before they were ready to check out. . >The waitress was right, though momzark didn't have a bearing on clothing price, she walked away with more money kept than she thought. >In the PokeDollar general, she could immediately tell that goods were of a much higher quality, so she steeled herself to be prudent with her money. >First thing's first, she had some specific items she thought to look for. >She was always a crafty fox in more ways than one, and from experience toying with some lifted items, she knew a thing or two that could help. >'Tape' or 'glue', one was a roll and the other was a tube of paste, either one would work. >Any kind of string would also be helpful, the rest she can make do with materials she can find outside. >Attentive eyes studying each aisle, she searched for clues that might lead her those items and eventually came across them. >Thick brown twine with a rough texture, different kinds of tape from small and transparent to big and durable, and a tube with a picture instructions on the back clearly indicating it to be some adhesive. >Each item she noted had a number value on the shelf which she knew to be the price, and so she began subtracting from her money. >Not bad, still plenty of money left. . >Detouring on the way to the cash register, she took a look at the grocery section. >Many items in the cold section were beyond her ability to prepare, not to mention they had no place to store any of that, but the rest she browsed more in depth. >Bread, chips, cookies, crackers, cereals, pastries, dried meats, canned fruits, all of these and more and many she had tasted and knew to be good and many she had not but wished to know. >Then she looked at the price. >That can't be right... >She looked at the price tag for one item, then another, and another. >It was all so low. >Food was... >Was it really...that cheap? >Two dollars a bag of chips. >Three dollars a box of cereal. >It was so plentiful too. >She could just get all of their food here, no trouble or competing with other pokemon who would have the berries picked clean, no worry about going a day without food, it was all here. >There was still a struggle to be sure, one needed to pay for their goods via money from work, but this brought great consistency, and that was itself a great burden lifted. . >Work may give her days off each week, but she did not. >A mother's work is never done, though the break from the diner did give her time to fix up their home. >All around the walls of the apartment, she secured twine at about the height of her son so he can feel his way around the rooms and know where he's at. >If he feels any sticks or twigs in the twine, he's in the living room. >If its leaves, he's in the bathroom. >Any rocks or pebbles and he's in the bedroom. >There were also a few lines of twin secured to the carpet in case he needed to cross a room. >The landlord didn't seem too thrilled about the changes but relented while mumbling something under their breath about "the rooms needed remodelling later anyways." >The son however found entertainment in his newfound ability to move independently between rooms, although became distressed for a moment when he accidentally broke a bit off of a twig, to which she quickly assured him it was ok. >While working on this home project, the next big thing already came to the mother's mind. >She had to get him in school. . >A list was given to her by the waitress of some things he would need, although some she was unsure of. >He was blind, so reading was beyond his ability, and that was incredibly important for humans. >Would the school be able to take care of him? >Could...could he even learn as well as the other kids? >It worried her sick that he might not fit in, let alone the thought of him getting left behind yet again. >His memory...that was good, and he was exceedingly patient. >Enrollment was coming up soon, just the parent needed to come and she could go by the school after work. >Then after enrollment, school would start soon and her boy would be learning while she was working. >Her boss had let her shift her schedule accordingly so that their times would closely overlap. >When the day finally came, she followed the steady stream of parents leading into the school's cafeteria. >Naturally falling into line, she patiently waited her turn... . >On one of the cafeteria seats, a fair distance away from the line, she sat. Hands trembling. >They gave her a pen and a form to fill out. >She couldn't fake this. >It had to be filled out legitimately, lest they try and retrieve it later and find it to be blank, and then trouble would happen. >But...she can't read. >She can't write. >She probably wouldn't even know what to write if she could. >So she sat, as time ticked away, the line gradually emptied, the tears steadily dropped. >Quietly she sobbed as the school employees began packing up with the last parent gone except for her. >"Ma'am...is everything alright?" >The person who handed her the form sat across the table from her. >She tried to respond but her breath hitched with every attempt for a good minute before she could explain her situation. >Her own lack of education, her son's blindness, they're both new to the area. >The school worker silently took the pen and smiled across the table. >"Don't worry...everything's going to be ok, I can help fill it out for you. Can you tell me your name?" . >The tears this day were happy. >Momzark stood in front of the school on an early morning with her son, with a backpack on his back and stuffed teddiursa poking its head out of the main zipper. >A school aide reached down and took his other hand and the mother passed him off with a sweet goodbye until the evening. >She got him in. >His first day of school, he was bashful for sure. >A new environment that would take him time to learn. >All sorts of new noises that he needed to identify. >Ten times more people interacting with him than had before, most of which were other kids. >It was overwhelming, but not unpleasant. He could get accustomed to it. >His aide remained at his side constantly, but inevitably he did miss his mother, which made his return home all the more enjoyable. >When it was time to pick him up, there she stood at the same spot and the aide passed him back off. . >He loved it. >Even though he didn't always know what was going on, he loved it. >One day, he brought home a paper with something attached to it. >Several bits of string glued to the paper, a vague shape could be made out. >Hair, eyes and a mouth, long pointy ears, and the aide's handwriting underneath which read 'Mom'. >She snickered, knowing the ears might have gotten funny looks, but she wondered...he did this by himself? >The aide praised him that day, how he carefully felt out each bit he placed. >She offered a few suggestions, but it was mostly him. >It was a small thing, but it was the first thing he brought back and his mother treasured it greatly. >One thing she knew though, there may be fun projects like that but she knew there were these 'Tests' that would be given. >The aide would do the writing for him, but he still needed to learn some basics about letters and numbers. >She wanted to help...she wanted to help him so badly but it was beyond her ability. >Even as she studied the material he brought home, she could only learn so fast and not enough to help him, and she definitely didn't want to teach him incorrectly. >All she could do was pray he would be fine. . >The time had come, and she spent most of her work shift a nervous wreck. >When she went to pick him up, the aide made no mention of the test, but the results and his work that day were with his belongings in his backpack. >The mother and son got home and she unpacked his backpack. >Her heart thumped as she pulled out a red folder. >She flipped it open, only one item in its contents. >A single sheet of paper, black and white, with different shapes and images asking letter and number questions. >At the top of the page sat a number on it in red ink. >75 >Her knees were trembling as she read the number >...He passed. >He didn't just pass, he got 3/4 of them right! >She couldn't hold anything back and the floodgates immediately opened up. >The mother collapsed to her knees with deep, bellowing sobs and she hugged her son fiercely and lovingly. >Never before in her life had she been so happy, with unending joy and pride in her son. >He was going to make it.