Lonely Death, Marowak's Tale
By Darth David
Disclaimer: I'm just a struggling young writer, I own nothing bar the original characters (Jup, Kat etc) and the story itself. Pokemon is Nintendo's and Gamefreak's.
Any comments (good/bad) can be sent to DarthDavid
@knighthammer.fsnet.co.ukTick. Tick. Tick.
It wasn't easy for Jup to just stay out of the way and wait. He was fidgeting about so much, trying to relax himself by watching TV (the pokécentre had the only Cable TV in Lavender) that one of the many seemingly identical Nurse Joys asked him to heed natures call.
Tick. Tick. Tick. TV: Viridian City's Gym Leader returns in a blaze of glory here's Sam with…
How long had it been? Jup wasn't sure. Long enough. Though it seemed like an eternity it was really only yesterday he and Cubone had been elite competitors in the Pokémon League Under 14 tournament.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Phone: I need more time! Give me a break will ya, the money's on its way.
Jup tried focusing on memories of the past, trying to escape from the tension of the present. Though he'd never actually won a single tournament, he'd never failed to make the semi's. Cubone and he were the pride of Lavender town.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Flash.
Every so often the photographer would immortalise something, somehow making the wait seem longer. Jup couldn't blame him. This was front page stuff for the sleepy little town of Lavender. For Jup, it was more than that.
FLASHBACK: INDEGO PLATEAU STADIUM COMPLEX ONE DAY AGO
"In the red corner, Kat Powers from Celadon City! Two time winner of the Silph Industries Cup and favourite to win the tournament! In the blue corner, Jup Zing Lavender born heavyweight contender. Let the match begin!"
"Arcanine, Go!"
"I know we can do it this time Cubone!"
I meant it with all my heart. Somehow I knew something was going to happen.
The two Pokémon materialised and Jup unconsciously licked his lips in anticipation.
"Cubone, Bonemerang!"
"Arcanine, Agility!"
Before Cubone could even think about launching his attack, Arcanine zoomed forward at impossible speed and ricocheted itself across Cubone's stomach. The attack was certainly powerful, but not powerful enough to take Jup's strongest Pokémon out with one hit. And yet, Cubone fell. Slowly but surely it fell before Arcanine had time to make a second pass, futilely trying to hold itself up with its bone. Jup was puzzled. The medics that rushed to the battlefield were concerned. Cubone was pregnant. Somehow the blow to it's (or her as she is pregnant) chest initiated premature labour.
END FLASHBACK
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Cubone meant everything to Jup. Not emotionally, he had never believed in all that special bond between trainer and Pokémon rubbish, but financially Cubone was important. Even though he also had both a Gengar and an Electrode, Cubone was the most powerful member of his team. Without her all Jup's hopes and dreams of someday turning pro had been shattered beyond repair.
Tick. Tick. Tick. Someone's Voice. Concerned. Nurse Joy's.
"Jup, it's Cubone, she's evolving! And giving birth at the same time! We don't know how that will affect her or the baby or if either will pull through. She's probably not going to make it. I'm so sorry" she meant it.
Jup reminded himself for the fifth time in as many minutes that Cubone was just another Pokémon, she didn't mean anything to him. But despite that he noticed a solitary tickle pass down from his eye onto his cheek.
The evoloution process was far more drawn out than usual, when it had reached ten minutes everyone had to evacuate the room then return with appropriate eye protection for the ever increasing light. The nurse was right. Jup's Cubone didn't survive. Only as Marowak, Cubone's evolved form, could the mother find the strength to keep fighting for her baby's sake. That same strength would later kill her.
Premature birth for a Cubone is far more serious than for a human. Even a few hours can mean the difference between life or death. Cubone hadn't even begun to show when she battled Arcanine, though Jup had to admit, he didn't know whether or not Cubone's did show in the same way as humans. This was historical stuff, noone knew what could happen to either Mother or baby if the mother was forced into premature labour. Somehow though she was pushing herself beyond simple exhaustion Marowak felt like she had some sort of mental bond with Cubone, like already they could communicate, but not orally. More than that, deeper somehow because it was almost psychic. Jup's nervous anticipation, the various identical Nurse Joy's fervent aid and most of all Marowak's lengthy struggles eventually paid off however, as a triumphant cry was scribbled down in a reporters notepad.
"It's a boy!"
The photographer clicked and flashed ferociously. Jup noticed he was aiming it at one of the beautiful Nurses more often than mother or child. The baby Cubone wailed loudly, and Marowak was rushed off for immediate surgery. Leaving Jup holding the baby. Looking into the new born infants eyes, Jup was filled with a consuming sensation of Déjà vu, the time he caught Marowak, their first battle…their second battle. Everything that was ever shared between them somehow felt so sacred now that she might not live and this baby is like her last breath, so precious.
"Congratulations, you must be very proud" said the nurse addressing him and waking him from his dream state.
"Well…I'm a little to worried to be anything else right now…will she…"
The Nurse sighed.
"It's hard to say. Usually Cubone's don't give birth more than a minute premature, these cases are so rare, there's no standard treatment. I'd like nothing better than to say she'll be OK but we'll just have to wait and see"
"and pray" Jup added, much to his own surprise.
Was he actually becoming attached to Cu- to Marowak? The screaming Cubone raised another question. Was he going to keep it - him? Could he? Certainly it would be interesting to see how he developed, maybe keep him as a back up incase the worst happened. The nurse moved on and was replaced by the reporter.
"What does this mean for Lavender town's unstoppable duo?" he quizzed.
Jup was so deep in though and the baby so loud he couldn't make out a syllable of the reporters words.
"Huh?"
"I said how will this affect future tournaments?"
"Uh…well I'm still determind to win, I guess I'll just have to spend some of the prize money on a babysitter"
What did it mean though? He was bang in the middle of this tournament and had an appointment to earn his eighth trainer badge. The reporter more questions at him at a rate of a dozen a minute while the photographer nearly blinded Jup with his camera flash.
In a suprisingly short space of time one of the nurses (there was no way of telling which) returned with encouraging news.
"Your Marowak is improving Jup, you can take her home in about a week. But…she won't be able to battle for months yet"
Great
. Jup didn't know how he was going to win both the tournament and the badge without his best Pokémon but one thing he did know, he definitley wasn't giving up."Rhydon, Earthquake!" Came Giovanni's sharp command, dripping with authority.
"Gengar, Hypnosis!"
Unfortunatley for Jup, Gengar's Hypnosis attack failed to affect Rhydon whereas Giovanni's last Pokémon scored a one-hit KO.
"Fwahaha! You are no match for me! Ready to give up?"
Jup felt enraged by the mans tone and even more determind to win. But Electrode and Gengar had both fainted and Marowak couldn't fight anyway. Though he refused to accept defeat his loss was inevitable. Unless…Jup felt a strange alien sensation. His conscience. He ignored it and pressed on with his idea, remembering these were only Pokémon not real people, they didn't matter.
"Cubone, go!"
The two week old Pokémon appeared before the awesome bulk of Giovanni's Rhydon. The pair were quite a contrast; helplessness and innocence dwarfed by a ferocious rage. Cubone swiveled his head toward his master helplessly.
"Cubone?"
"Cubone, hit Rhydon with your Bonemerang attack now!"
Cubone looked puzzled. Giovanni was unimpressed.
"Rhydon, Horn Drill, teach this whelp the consequences of daring to mock me with this pathetic display of feebility"
Rhydon's ultimate attack was swift and accurate. Not to mention tottaly ineffective. Jup was so astonished he found he couldn't speak.
"He still stands! Again Rhydon!"
Nothing. Cubone might've blinked as the huge monstrosity charged toward him, but that was all. He was somehow being protected from the fatal attacks. Marowak. It was as if somehow Marowak had managed to take the force of the blow instead, protecting her child.
"Again!"
The pain was almost, in fact it was, to much to bear. But still Marowak held on. For Cubone.
Jup couldn't take it in.
"Incredible!" Giovanni declared as his Rhydon collapsed in an exhausted heap. "You have won the Earth Badge! Tell me would you consider a career with Team Rocket?"
"Would I ever!" Jup exclaimed excitedly
"Of course, you can't expect to join for free. There's training to consider, uniforms…bribes. I can take you to the top Jup, put you in with the best. Why don't we make that little Cubone of yours the membership fee?"
Jup shrugged.
"Okay"
Cubone was useless to him anyway. He might've got lucky and survived a repeated volly of Horn Drills, but it'd be a long time before he ever learned any attacks. Besides, Team Rocket had Cable TV.
Epilogue
The experiments lasted for days. In each one, Cubone appeared to be more and more indestructable, while tucked away in her Pokéball, Marowak was pushed further and further past the brink of death. Finally her tormented spirit gave up and left her body to rest somewhere she would no longer be exploited for her power by an uncaring master. She was at peace. She was alone, dreaming of revenge.
FIN