DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokémon or any of its characters. I do not own the cover image.
"Are we there yet?"
The little cubone waddles alongside me, his little skull helmet rattling noisily as he walks. As he has done many times during our trek, he trips up, his bone landing upright in the dirt, like a candle lit for the deceased. I help him to his feet.
And I thought the clumsy little fellow was ready for this…What on Earth was I thinking?
Hungry mandibuzz circle a sky of pure sunset, no doubt enticed by the strong smell of death that lingers in this place. For the little cubone, this will be his first time here. Memories flooded my mind; I could remember my first day as clear as crystal. The day I became an adult…the day I was soon to become a powerful marowak- sharp, intelligent, a creature that never lets its guard down in any situation.
"My legs are tired!" he groans, dragging his bone across the dry dirt. He sits down on the floor, and he doesn't seem inclined to move just yet.
I guess I'll just have to wait with him for a while.
Eventually, we arrive at our destination. As always, it is dead silent; not even the soaring mandibuzz utter a single caw. They soon fly off elsewhere, somewhere towards the sunset- somewhere where there might be unsuspecting prey to savour.
"Mum…why did you bring me here? It's creepy."
I sigh deeply. It is not an easy task to explain why I must bring him here; he is too young to have figured it out for himself.
"My boy…this…"
I feel a tear come to my eye. I can remember that day as if it happened just five seconds ago. It has lingered in my mind for too long.
The boy ambles on into the soil, gazing at the plethora of bones that circle the area.
"Mum…why are there bones everywhere here? It looks weird," he complains.
"…This is where departed marowak rest, my boy. Make sure you don't disturb them. "
The cubone stares curiously into the bones, putting the tiny bone he owns up to them. "Wow! Look how big that one is!"
What I had just told him…that wasn't the hardest part. I had to take a while to prepare myself to tell him the rest of the story.
I gently grab the little cubone by his hand, and I walk him over to a particular grave- one in which a withered flower still rests on to this day- the same withered flower I placed on that grave, so I could remember the exact spot in which I buried the fallen marowak.
"Little Cubone…this, here, is your mother."
He freezes. I can see that he is paralysed with the shock of hearing such a thing when, all his little life, he believed I was his true mother. A tear trickles down his chin.
"You see, my boy, you were still very young when I took you in. In fact, you were still tucked up in an egg."
His eyes shine with forthcoming tears. It is no easy thing to tell a child, but I have no choice.
"Your mother…she was protecting you from those big birds we saw over there. Big, scary ones, rather like those. In fact, she even gave her life just to protect you and your unborn brothers and sisters."
"Brothers…sisters?"
"Sadly, the mandibuzz got to them..."
He gasps before crying loudly, his skull helmet rattling again.
"I happened to be coming across that area, but it seemed I was just…too late. My boy…I am so very sorry."
I couldn't help but burst into a fit of endless tears. If it weren't for me not being quick enough, maybe the boy's real mother would still be alive. Maybe, just maybe…
"I decided to take you in. You were the last egg left…I couldn't just leave you there for the situation to repeat itself. The reason I have taken you here, little Cubone..."
I brush the soil from the grave, removing a large bone.
"You must take this bone. You will become strong with this, my boy. You will become a marowak. All wild cubone must go through this at some point of their lives; they must take up their mother's bone as their new weapon. They must grow strong. "
The cubone slowly walks forward and stands next to the bone, as if he were measuring himself up to it. "But I can't hold that! It's bigger than me!"
"This is one of the bones from your mother, Cubone," I say to him, with a smile. "With your mother and me by your side, I'm sure you can achieve anything you like."
I notice that he dries the tears from his eyes, and attempts to lift the bone from the ground. Although he is clearly unable to lift it very well at all, his resilience is fascinating.
"Look! I'm doing it!" he chirps, almost dropping it on his toe. He jumps for joy at this new bone, placing his old one by his dead mother's side. I hear a soft whisper from him as he looks at the grave:
"Thanks for everything, Mum. I promise I'll become a big strong marowak for you!"
I can't help but smile at his determination. I take him by his tiny hand and we venture back home.
My little cubone will make a stunning marowak.
Author note: Thank you for reading. I was inspired to write this by part of the Soul Eater OST- the song 'Camellia'- and mostly by some of Marowak's pokedex entries. :)