CHAPTER 8
"Here we are Cubone," Bone Crush said. "Graveyard Temple. So what do think?"
"It's a lot bigger than I thought." Cubone answered.
"Come, we must speak with Grave Dig." Bone Crush said heading inside.
"Grave Dig?" Cubone asked.
"Oh, he's our leader." Bone Crush explained. "Come, come, the day is not getting any younger."
Cubone quickly rushed over to Bone Crush as they entered the temple. The temple was filled with statues and beautiful paintings of marowaks which caught Cubone's eye. He also noticed that there was a lack of actual marowaks.
"Where are all the marowaks?" he asked.
Bone Crush chuckled, "Don't worry, you'll see them soon enough."
The two then stood in front of a large door with silver door knobs.
"Ah, here we are." Bone Crush explained. He then knocked on the large door several times with his bone.
"Who's there?" asked a voice from the other side of the door.
"Uh, Bone Crush sir, and I have a guest with me."
"A guest," said the voice once again. Then another marowak wearing an orange sash opened the door. He too, like Bone Crush, was holding his bone like a staff. "Bone Crush, you know better than to bring someone in the temple without my…" he paused for a moment when he saw Cubone, "…permission. Who is this?"
Cubone spoke up before Bone Crush had a chance to speak. "My name is Cubone, sir. Bone Crush brought me here to speak with Grave Dig."
"That would be me." said the marowak.
"Well sir," Bone Crush started, "I was wondering if you could allow Cubone to stay here with us for the time being."
Grave Dig looked back over at Cubone with a curious expression on his face.
"Why are you wearing a skull?" he asked Cubone.
Cubone took off the skull to show Grave Dig his true face. Strangely, Grave Dig was not as shocked as Bone Crush was. Bone Crush then walked over to whisper in Grave Dig's ear.
"Please sir," he pleaded, "before today he was living in the desert for eighteen months."
"Tell me something Cubone," Grave Dig demanded, "where did that skull come from?"
Cubone was somewhat nervous to speak. "It's… from my mother… sir."
Grave Dig then stroked his chin with his free hand as he pondered for a moment. "I see, Bone Crush do me a favor, show Cubone around the temple."
"Sir," Bone Crush asked in confusion.
"Cubone won't be our guest," he ordered. "He is to live here and train to become a member of the marowaks."
Both Cubone and Bone Crush were amazed by this decision from Grave Dig. The two looked at each other to see if either was just as shocked.
"Sir," Bone Crush said as he turned his attention back over to Grave Dig. "This is very generous of you. I can't remember the last time an outsider was offered to be a member."
Grave Dig looked over at Cubone and smiled, "Yes it has been a while, but I can tell that that Cubone here is special. I can see it in his eyes."
"As you wish sir," replied Bone Crush as he kneeled in respect. Cubone quickly did the same as if he thought he had to. Cubone then placed the skull back on his head as he and Bone Crush stood up.
Bone Crush introduced Cubone to the rest of the marowaks who were on the second floor of the temple training. Similar to Bone Crush, they all held their bones as if they were staffs. Bone Crush then proceeded to show Cubone the five floors of the temple which included where they sleep, where they eat, and where they relax. The two in time found themselves down stairs in the basement where the storage area was. But then, Cubone found a strange door at the end of a hallway.
"Hey Bone Crush," he asked, "what's behind that door?"
Bone Crush then looked puzzled, "I'm honestly not sure, only Grave Dig is allowed to go in there. I think it's a meditation room for him or something like that."
"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Cubone replied.
"Come," Bone Crush demanded, "there is one more place I want to show you."
The two then headed upstairs onto the roof which made Cubone confused since there wasn't anything there.
"What's up here?" he asked.
"Oh nothing," Bone Crush said, "I just love the view from up here."
Cubone laughed at Bone Crush's response. He decided to look out at the desert to see if the view was as good as Bone Crush had said it was. The view was indeed great despite the fact there really wasn't much to see but sand.
There was however, something that caught Cubone's eye. Towards the right of the temple, in the far distance, were tall skyscrapers.
"Bone Crush," he said while pointing, "what's that over there?"
Bone Crush looked over to where Cubone was pointing and sighed. "That Cubone is Castelia City."
Cubone's eyes opened wide as he heard Bone Crush say Castelia City. A flashback then appeared in his mind. He remembered what had happened in the cave with the feraligatr and him mentioning Castelia City.
"Cubone," Bone Crush said concerned, "are you alright?"
Cubone returned his focus back to Bone Crush. "Yeah, I just … doze off for a moment. Do you know anything about Castelia City?"
Bone Crush frowned in disappointment, "I do," he sobbed, "such a shame really, it was once the most beautiful city I have ever seen. But now the city is ruled by the corrupt and populated by criminals."
"Aren't the marowaks able to help the city?" Cubone asked.
"No, the city itself must fight off those two problems by themselves. We cannot interfere." Bone Crush then looked over to Cubone. "Have you heard of the city before?"
Cubone didn't want to tell Bone Crush about the feraligatr. Instead he decided to lie to him.
"No, I haven't." he said.
Bone Crush looked over his shoulder and noticed that the sun was going down. "We should be heading inside; it will be getting dark soon."
Cubone continued to look at the city while Bone Crush started heading down the stairs. Before he was out of sight of Cubone, Bone Crush looked back at Cubone to give him some advice.
"Oh, Cubone," he started. Cubone turned back to look at him. "Just to let you know, lying here can get you killed." Bone Crush then smiled as if he knew Cubone had lied to him and proceeded to walk down the stairs.
