Disclaimer: I do not own nor am I affiliated with Pokémon or any of its parent companies. I am merely a humble storyteller. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this journey with me.

Note: I am English, so some of the wording, spellings, and expressions will be those commonly used in England.

Chapter Fifty-One: A Mother's Love

"Just go straight ahead, Pikachu, we're almost there. Look, I think I can see Pokémon Tower in the distance."

Pikachu let out an affirmative squeak and pressed the Sky Dasher onwards, Lavender Town growing bigger and bigger in the distance.

Red looked to his left, where Leaf and Eevee clung on to Aerodactyl, who appeared to be having the time of his life diving and swooping and sometimes get distracted by wild Flying-types he dearly wanted to investigate. Leaf had insisted on using Aerodactyl to get to Lavender, to give him more confidence and practice when it came to ferrying her through the sky, although her grimace and occasional scream gave Red the impression that she might have regretted her decision. Maybe that was why she had Fearow out of her Poké Ball flying alongside them, you know, just in case.

Still, the journey was not long at all, and very soon the duo landed safely in Lavender.

"Good work, Aerodactyl," Leaf said, patting his head. "You've just got to remember to be more careful flying when you've got passengers, okay?" She rubbed her rear and flinched. "I might need to get a comfy saddle too when using you."

Aerodactyl playfully bit her ponytail, which was amazing in the way he could have bitten off her entire head with as much effort as a child biting through a gummy sweet.

"You did well too, Pikachu," Red said as he dematerialised the Sky Dasher. "First trip we made to a different place with it, and it went off without a hitch."

Pikachu nodded, accepting the praise, thought for a couple of seconds, and gave Red a thumbs-up too.

"So," Leaf said after returning her avian team members, "we're going straight to the Pokémon Tower, then?"

"Hmm," Red said, pondering. "Let's try Mr. Fuji's house first. Maybe he's at the Tower, but it wouldn't hurt to check his place, would it?"

"I suppose not." Leaf frowned and stared at the Tower. "That place gives me bad vibes."

"Yeah. It feels worse than last time."

"Do you think the Silph Scope will help? What if it doesn't?"

"Then Pokémon Tower will get worse, I suppose. Depressing thought, isn't it?" Red smiled sadly and took Leaf's hand. "Come on, Leaf, Mr. Fuji's place isn't far. Hey, let's think positively about this, okay? The Silph Scope WILL work, and everything will go back to normal here. We've taken on Team Rocket, and we can do this too."

Red aptly did not say 'beaten Team Rocket', and Leaf saw the flicker of doubt in his otherwise positive expression as he obviously recalled their embarrassing defeats to Giovanni and Archer. But she said nothing more as she allowed herself to be led away by her friend.

o~o~o~o~o

"So, he is at the tower, then," Red said. He turned his head and gazed out at the building which poked its head over the tiny houses like a malevolent titan eager to devour all it could.

"He's been going every day," Reina said from her door, the excitement at having seen Red again replaced by a staunch seriousness. "Fortunately, no one else has been possessed since the last time you were here, but that angry presence only increases." She shuddered. "It's worse for me because I have a knack for these feelings."

"It must be an aura thing with you… er, Reina, was it?" Leaf said. "My cousin's the same way."

"Ditto with mine," Red piped up. "He said it's genetic, and I got excited when he did. Turns out it's not all superpowers and stuff though. With humans, it's all like a stronger sixth sense or something, nothing more, so I said no when he said he wanted to teach me all that."

"Is that why he has a Lucario?" Leaf asked. "That's a Pokémon affiliated with aura, isn't it?"

Red nodded. "Anyway, we're heading there right away, Reina. Don't worry, we're going to do our best to sort this out."

Reina smiled and placed her hand on Red's forearm. "Thank you so much, Red." She reached out to Leaf. "And you too, Leaf. Good luck. The Pokémon we're looking after and I will wait here patiently."

However, one Pokémon did not seem so patient. A small brown creature that hid its face away with a skull while wielding a bone nudged through Reina's legs.

"Oh," Red said, kneeling. "It's that other little one from last time. Cubone, right?"

The Cubone gestured at the Pokémon Tower.

"Cubone, huh?" Leaf said, her handy-dandy Pokédex coming through for her as it always did:

Cubone, a Ground-type Pokémon. Because it never removes its skull helmet, no one has ever seen this Pokémon's real face. Myths and rumours that its helmet is made from its pAReNt's SkULl hAVe bEeN DisPRovEn. A pITy.

"Coming to see us off, huh?" Red said, attempting to pat it on the head, only for it to evade his touch and continue brandishing its bone towards the Pokémon Tower.

"The Tower," Red said, frowning. "Yeah, we're going there."

Cubone continued to wave its bone in the Tower's direction.

Red looked to Reina. "Er… what's up with Cubone?"

"He's been wanting to go to the Tower," Reina said. "Grandpa won't allow it though, not yet anyway." She gulped and her face turned pale. "Since that's where that Rocket killed his mother."

"What?" Red said, his voice hushed as Leaf covered her mouth with her hands. He ran through the library of his memories, pulling books off their shelves until he found the one he was looking for. "The Pokémon Petrel… killed was a Marowak." He gritted his teeth. "Of course, they were stealing Cubone skulls, weren't they? But… you never mentioned that last time."

"It never really came up," Reina said. "You and Blue were so exhausted after the battle, and you left immediately the next morning. Besides, neither I nor grandpa thought you would return to Lavender."

"I guess I understand," Red said. To Cubone: "I'm sorry for your loss, little one, I can't imagine how terrible it must be to lose your parent. I feel like I'd die if I lost my mum. Don't worry though, we're going to sort out the Tower, then you can go there and find… er… find… Leaf, help me out."

"Peace of mind," Leaf said softly.

"That. Besides, you're too little and you'll make it harder for us if you put yourself at risk." Red straightened up and readjusted his cap. "Okay, we're off. Leaf, Pikachu, Eevee, I'll race you there."

And the two Trainers and their Pokémon ran down the street, Cubone squealing after them as Reina ushered him back inside.

o~o~o~o~o

It was nice to see Airi and Kayoko again, even if this situation was not much better than the previous time Red was in Lavender. Unfortunately, neither they nor their fellow Channelers would be of much help, not when their Ghost-type Pokémon were still susceptible to the force that corrupted them before. Nevertheless, an extra Cleanse Tag for Leaf would not go amiss.

The Tower doors were locked with neither key nor barricades not superglue, and only a Zippy Zap-Sizzly Slide combo allowed them through, and the very moment the doors were obliterated, Red and Leaf were greeted by a pressure that buffeted them from all sides like a strong gale, crushing them from above like a weighty stone, the force itself seeming to physically manifest as a blackish, dark purple aura that surrounded them like a mist.

"Are you really sure about this?" Airi called from outside.

"Yeah," Red shouted back. "We just need to get through this fog."

"I'll use my Butterfree's Gust if I have to," Leaf added.

Thus, the two Channelers watched as the children and their Pokémon disappeared up the stairs, and then turned to each other: "Fog?"

o~o~o~o~o

"Okay," Red said, shivering as an icy chill travelled up his spine. "How do I use this?"

From his backpack he produced the Silph Scope and placed it over his eyes. "Is there a button or do I just look?" He gazed up at the ceiling. "Ah, no button." He grinned. "Leaf, what do you see up there?"

Leaf squinted her eyes. "Weird shapes that are freaking me out."

"For you, maybe. But for me I can see a whole bunch of Gastly and Haunter."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I can see where they all are and… oh." His grin faltered as a Gastly detached itself from the friendly (we can hope) chat it was having with its chums (we can hope). It launched itself at Red, tongue oscillating within its large mouth. Red pointed his finger at the Gastly, determined for it not to waver even a millimetre from its target. "Where I'm pointing, Pikachu, use Zippy Zap. Dead on, okay? And that WASN'T a pun!"

Thin lines of electricity did the conga around Pikachu's body, building up the strength in his limbs, and he sprung forward and rammed into Gastly. To Red, he saw a fainted Gastly. To Leaf, she saw Gastly manifest itself before drifting like an autumn leaf to the floor.

"It works!" Red exclaimed, dancing around like a kid who owned a new toy or super cool item. Oh, wait. "I can see the ghosts! Pikachu can't, but as long as I direct him exactly where to hit, then we're good." He took off the Silph Scope and stared up at the ceiling. "Hmm, so they're completely invisible, but it's that aura fog nonsense they can't hide. But they're hidden enough that if we launched attack after attack, we'd be lucky to hit a handful."

"So, the Silph Scope is going to be seriously useful, then?" Leaf said. She rubbed her chin. "It makes me wonder if a Pokémon with Odour Sleuth or Foresight would be of help too. My Venonat knows the latter. Maybe I should bring him out just in case."

"If you think that would help," Red said with the Silph Scope once more covering his eyes. "But we're probably good. The other Ghost-types on this floor don't seem to want to attack now, and we just need the Silph Scope for the main cause of this bad stuff going on."

"Okay," Leaf said. "But he's still in my party, so he's only a Poké Ball click away."

And up the stairs the duo went, bothered by the occasional Ghost-type but nothing that can be described as too frightening. However, the higher up the Tower they ventured, the greater the pressure grew, the more haggard their breathing became, the quicker their hearts raced. Visions of Red's trials against the possessed Rockets and their half-dead Pokémon plagued him, tried to chip away at the brick wall that was his resolve, failing as a booming voice within his soul told them in no uncertain terms to clear off. Still, it did not hurt to hold someone's hand in this kind of situation, did it? He took hold of Leaf's hand, as clammy and sweaty as his was, but reassuring all the same. He squeezed it. She squeezed back.

Were the stairs to the top of the Tower always this high? Red was certain they were not. Granted, he was legging it previously, but there was no way a few hundred extra steps were not added in the time he had gone to Celadon. Was that possible? Probably not.

The simultaneously dreaded and desired final step appeared. Red and Leaf paused, took a deep breath, and hopped over it.

It was worse than Red remembered. It was worse than he would have hoped.

A cyclone of pure, unadulterated hateful energy had manifested in the centre of the Tower's highest floor, smashed urns and broken gravestones and shattered windows a mere precursor to what the force could do should it leave the walls that contained it, the scouting party to an army that would bring forth untold destruction to Lavender and beyond.

"Red!" a familiar voice suddenly cried out.

Red tore the Silph Scope away from his face and handed it to Leaf, who took the opportunity to wear it herself. "Mr. Fuji!" he exclaimed, watching as the friendly old man hurried towards him with someone else he swore he recognised from somewhere.

Leaf recoiled but scanned the malicious maelstrom regardless.

"What are you doing back in Lavender?" Mr. Fuji asked. "Do not get me wrong, it is a pleasure to see you, son, but are you not meant to be on your journey?"

"I am," Red said. "But Leaf and I – she's a Pokédex assistant like me and Blue – found this Silph Scope in Celadon. It can identify ghosts, Mr. Fuji! We can tell exactly what this is and where exactly it is in that foggy tornado thing and battle it!"

"You have such an item?" Mr. Fuji said. His eyes crinkled as he smiled. "You returned to help after finding this Silph Scope. You are a commendable person, as is dear Leaf here for accompanying you here. You two have my sincerest gratitude."

"Save that gratitude until we stop this mess," the second person said, an elderly lady clutching a mahogany cane with greying blonde hair (the lady not the cane). She beheld Red and Leaf with a steely gaze. "You say that crazy thing can confirm what's causing this?"

"Yeah, totally," Red said, his brow furrowed as the lady's name perched on the very tip of his tongue. "Leaf, you found it yet?"

"I… I think so." Leaf turned to them, her bottom lip wobbling. "No, I… I know so. This force… what's causing all this trouble… it's a… it's a… Marowak."

A cold, thin metal needle pierced Red's heart. "No."

"Yes," Leaf said, fortunate the Silph Scope hid the tears that threatened to spring to her eyes. "Marowak. She must be Cubone's mother."

The foursome stared up at the mass of spectral energy, which seemed to be staring – no, glaring – back at them, on the cusp of a mighty attack that would eradicate them all.

"I see," Mr. Fuji said sadly. "It was as we suspected, wasn't it, Agatha?"

Agatha? Red, despite his current environment, looked up at the woman in awe. "Whoa! It really is you! You really are Agatha of the –"

"Yes, yes, yes, boy" Agatha said impatiently. "I'm Agatha of the Elite Four. But that's not important right now; what's important is to end Marowak's suffering and save Pokémon Tower." She smirked as she brandished a Poké Ball. "And I see no finer way than through a battle."

The memory of Red's final night as a regular child watching television came back to him as a Gengar appeared, sticking its long tongue out at its invisible enemy.

Gengar, a dual Ghost and Poison-type Pokémon, and the evolved form of Haunter. One is close by if you feel a sudden chill. It may be trying to lay a curse on you.

"Girl," Agatha said to Leaf. "Use that whatchamacallit to tell me where Marowak is."

"Why don't you wear it instead? Wouldn't that be easier?"

"Do you honestly expect me to wear such a ridiculous thingamajig?"

"I'll join in too," Red said, ready to call out Charmeleon.

"No, you won't," Agatha said. "Gengar needs the exercise; she needs to be ready for the Indigo League after all. Besides, I like the idea of that old coot's assistants being intimidated by my masterful battling prowess."

"Old coot…? Wait, why can't I help? Two's better than one, right? Especially against something we don't know what it's capable of."

Agatha ignored him, instead reiterating to Leaf to tell her where Marowak was.

Gengar formed a sphere in her hands, an orb of spectral energy that seemed to ooze from her palms. She hurled it at the place Leaf pointed at within the maelstrom, which then expanded and contracted, vibrating violently before letting loose an explosion that engulfed Gengar and knocked Red, Leaf, and Mr. Fuji down.

However, Gengar emerged from the resulting smoke, looking no worse for wear.

"You're going to have to do a lot better than that, Marowak," Agatha said. "But we can end this now. Just stop this and move on."

"Yes, Marowak," Mr. Fuji said, bald head covered in dust. "I understand your anger, your desire to make things right, but you're causing harm to others. Please, find peace. This does not need to be a battle."

Whether Marowak heard what they said, they did not know; the ethereal vortex discharged again, knocking down all the humans, Pikachu, and Eevee this time, only Gengar withstanding it, as easily as a stone wall against a light breeze.

And the battle went on, Leaf informing Agatha of where to tell Gengar to launch her attacks, all of them hitting the invisible Marowak point-blank, the damage Gengar accumulated negligible at best.

It was only a matter of time.

Or was it?

Yet another Gengar attack connected, and with it came a change. The ghostly energy that filled the top floor expanded and contracted like before, as though it was a living creature breathing, trying to rouse itself. It shrank until it was no bigger than a marble, and then expanded until it poured out the empty windows, repeatedly, until… until… until…

Marowak stood before them.

It was easy to tell that it was Cubone's evolved form, her skin colour and the skull she hid her face behind quite helpful in that regard. She swung her tail, gripping her bone threateningly, her entire body surrounded by an eerie blue glow.

"Oho," Agatha said, tapping her cane on the floor. "You choose to reveal yourself now? I'll be, that Scope thing did real work! Very well, Marowak, prepare yourself for one heck of a battle!"

Gengar fired off a Shadow Ball. Marowak bounded over it and swung her bone at Gengar, striking the Ghost-type repeatedly with heavy strikes she was powerless to block. Gengar reeled but recovered quickly and curled her hand into a fist. It ignited, and she walloped Marowak in the stomach, singeing her torso.

"I'll see your Bone Rush and raise you a Fire Punch," Agatha said. Yet, despite the humour she spoke with, she frowned. "I see. Your will is strong enough that you've manifested a body of sorts that can dish out hits and take them as well. Remarkable considering you're not a Ghost-type." She sighed. "But it won't last. I'd say you've only got a few minutes as it is if you keep exerting yourself, less if you take a couple more of Gengar's attacks." She called over to Mr. Fuji: "Fuji! What would happen if this temporary body was to go?"

The old man's face was pale. "I suspect she will become invisible again and head back into the fog, although with much more anger to fuel her power." He stared down at his feet. "It is prudent you end it now, Agatha. For our sake. For Lavender Town's sake. For her sake. Believe me…"

Leaf glanced at Mr. Fuji, her eyes narrowed behind the Silph Scope.

"But what if Agatha defeats her even if she goes invisible again?" Red asked. "What exactly happens if Marowak doesn't choose to move on?"

Mr. Fuji paused, as though deciding how to best explain what needed to be said as delicately as possible. "She will cease to exist. She will not move on, not become part of the ether, just… end. It is a horrid decision, but it must be done. She will not listen."

Red hung his head as Marowak's ghost and Gengar clashed at the corner of his eyes. Was that how it was meant to be? Someone whose life was ended before its time, by those who had yet to get a proper comeuppance, who had become so consumed by anger and thus needed to be killed again because she could not help it? Was that fair? Why was someone being punished for something they had no control over, for being forced down a path they had no intention of heading down? Was this the norm? Is this what life truly was, just unfairness? His defeat to Giovanni seared his soul just that tiny bit more.

"Marowak, please!" he screamed, running forward. "Please, stop fighting! Please, please, move on! Those people who killed you will get what's coming to them, I know they will! Please, think about your son! He wouldn't want you to do this, I know it!"

Marowak paused, Red trapped in her haunting gaze.

"He's right," Leaf said, speaking calmly. "You can end this now. You don't have to worry about Cubone though. He'll be well looked after. He already is."

"Yeah, yeah!" Red said, nodding eagerly. "Mr. Fuji and Reina's taking really good care of him, and Leaf and I will even visit him if you'd like that. He got along with my Pokémon last time we were here, so he's got a bunch of friends already."

Marowak tilted her head curiously at the children, her attention slightly more taken by the boy. Mr. Fuji, Agatha, and Gengar watched on with bated breath.

Marowak leapt towards Red and Leaf as quickly as if she had used Quick Attack, bone raised over her head, eyes red with pure rage, screeching bloody murder. Red and Leaf screamed. Pikachu and Eevee jumped in front of their Trainers, growling at their foe. Agatha cursed and then cursed again as Gengar's Shadow Ball whizzed over Marowak's head. Mr. Fuji looked on helplessly.

Red shut his eyes, as did Leaf. It was not the smartest thing to do, was it? Not when they could have dived to the side or trusted their companions to defend them. But it was instinctive. Maybe it was because neither of them had come across anything of the sort ever before, who knows, but all we know is they shut their eyes.

And waited.

But where was the sound of battle? Where was the crushing pain of having a hard-as-iron bone smashed into your cranium? There was nothing.

No, wait, there was something.

There was a squeal, an excited noise, genuine happiness that reached their ears.

What could it be?

Hardly daring to believe it, the duo opened their eyes.

Marowak had stopped short of them, probably about two metres away, huddled over something. A something that happened to be Cubone.

Cubone burrowed his face into his mother's chest, body wracked with non-stop sobs. Marowak rubbed the back of her son's head, cooing softly, tears running down the sides of her own skull.

At that moment, nothing else mattered. At that moment, all there was was this symbol of true love between a parent and their child, a goodbye that should never need to be said.

The malicious energy seemed to die, the black fog that contained the Tower fading away, hurrying from the floor as though a huge gust of wind was blowing through. The suffocating pressure eased, and everyone found they had been holding their breath far longer than humanly possible. Or was that their imagination?

"Oh…" Leaf whispered, and Red glanced at her, at the tears that flowed freely down her face, dripping onto the Silph Scope that now hung around her neck. He bit his bottom lip to stop it from wobbling, but it did little to quell his own tears.

Marowak and Cubone spoke in their own little language, in their own tiny world that held no room for anyone else, holding each other tightly, wanting to stay like that forever.

But of course, very few things last forever.

Marowak's temporary body started to flicker and break apart, turning into otherworldly bubbles that headed to the windows, eager to become one with the world out there.

Cubone shook his head, begging her not to go, bawling so hard one would swear his heart was breaking.

But Marowak was his mother and knew him best. She whispered something, perhaps the love she would always have for him, never stopping, continuing to speak to him until his wailing became mere snivels and she disappeared, at peace at last.

o~o~o~o~o

Red stared out of the living room window, watching the wild Pidgey and Spearow make their way for home before the sun disappeared and her sister, the moon, arrived to take over night watch duty.

Everyone else was in the dining room, humans, and Pokémon, eating as he sat by himself, his appetite having been left behind at Pokémon Tower. Agatha, on the other hand, had already left for Vermilion City, stating that she 'did not want to stay in Lavender any longer than she had to'.

There was more to this world than he could ever fathom. There was more than elemental creatures that battled against each other, more than trying to be the best there ever was. This world was intricate, so much beyond his comprehension.

Was this what being a Trainer was about? Or was this what being a human was about? Was he actually strong enough to handle everything that came his way? An evil syndicate, Mythical Pokémon, the afterlife, could he withstand all that?

For the first time since his disastrous battle with Brock, real doubt found him after a long search and sidled up next to him, promising to keep him company and to never let him go again, telling him Mint was no longer around to ruin its fun.

He sighed heavily. No, this was much more than losing a debut Gym Battle. How had his life changed so drastically since he began his journey? Why had so much nuttiness found him in the time since he left Pallet Town?

There was still time before the Pokémon League would be up and running, before he and his fellow competitors would be required to have collected eight Kanto Badges. Maybe he could go home for a few days? That would not hurt, would it? Anyone would need a breather after the hectic incidents he had experienced, wouldn't they? They could Sky Dash after all.

Yet, would that disrupt the flow of his journey? Despite everything that had befallen him – no, them – he and his team had emerged from the mire that had threatened to engulf them time and again, and they had earned four Badges and achieved various other forms of success without needing a break. Could they brave it and run to the finish line, only resting when all was said and done? Besides, Leaf was still going strong, even capturing a Gastly and Haunter on the way back down the Tower. If she could do it, then he would try his best to follow suit.

Still, it would pay to be a lot more cautious in the future; his mother smiled at him in his mind's eye before vanishing, replaced by the cruel visage of Giovanni…

Oh, was someone staring at him?

Red blinked, aware that someone was indeed staring at him, finding that Cubone had climbed into his lap with his skull helmet inches from his face.

"Hey, Cubone," Red said, picking the Ground-type up and putting him on the windowsill. "Thanks again for saving us. Bet Reina was frantic when she found you ran away! Anyway, how are you feeling?"

Cubone tapped his bone against the window. The glass let out a mournful ping.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Red said. "But I suppose you at least got to say goodbye to her. Some don't get that chance. Then again, you shouldn't have had to say goodbye in the first place."

Cubone lowered his head and whimpered.

"She looked happy though, you know, when she… when she…" Red cleared his throat and started again. "I know she's proud of you. She saved your life, and you're still here. You know, my grandpa lost his wife just after my dad was born, then he lost his first ever and best Pokémon later on." What was Red saying? He had never told anyone this before. "He told me both broke him, but then he realised life was too short and they wouldn't have wanted him not living life to its fullest, so he decided to just do whatever he could to have fun and honour their memories. Maybe you could do the same, Cubone? I mean, it's still going to hurt like heck sometimes, even years later my grandpa said, but it'll be better than being in pain ALL the time, won't it?" Red smiled at Cubone and gave him a quick squeeze. "But you've got everyone here, and you've got Leaf and me if you want, too. You won't be alone."

Red saw himself reflected in Cubone's wide eyes, eyes that were melancholic yet filled with the embers of determination.

"That's right, Cubone," he said tenderly. "That's right."

Shuffling greeted him. Red looked up, finding Leaf, Mr. Fuji, Reina, and all the Pokémon standing there.

"Uh," Red said. "Did you hear all that?"

"Sorry, we did," Reina said, twiddling her fingers in a sheepish fashion. "Our house isn't the biggest and your voice carries."

"But do not be embarrassed, son," Mr. Fuji said. "You were sharing words with this young one to try and make him feel better. The fact that you care so much warms my heart. It emboldens my faith in the goodness this world contains."

"That's nice of you to say, Mr. Fuji."

However, Leaf had nothing to add to that. Instead, with a face flushed with passion, she glided over to Red and wrapped her arms around him, burrowing her face into his chest. She mumbled something, but her words were indecipherable. Nevertheless, Red got the gist of it. Possibly.

"Yeah, Leaf. We'll just keep chugging along, won't we?"

His Pokémon crowded around him, everyone joining in on the hug, even Pikachu jumping on his shoulders and patting him on the head, as though telling him 'Good game, lad'.

"Oh my, what's this?"

Red pulled himself out of the hug at Mr. Fuji's words, finding Cubone appearing as if he wanted to jump off the windowsill.

"Oh, Cubone! Do you want a group hug too?" Red asked.

The Lonely Pokémon pointed at the currently empty Poké Balls on Red's belt.

"Sorry?"

Reina and Mr. Fuji smiled knowledgably, and Leaf punched Red in the arm. "You dummy. What do you think Cubone wants?"

"A hug?"

"Well, yes. But he wants more. You can't say all that to him and not expect it."

"Expect what?"

"Expect him to want to join you."

Red did a double take. "What? Really?" He lifted Cubone off the windowsill and held him aloft. "Do you really want to join us?"

Cubone wiggled his arms and legs in delight.

"Are you sure? But you've got a home here with Mr. Fuji and Reina and all the Pokémon they look after. I can't take you away from that."

The little Ground-types's limbs lost their verve.

"Surely you're not refusing Cubone's offer to be another friend on your journey?" Reina said, eyes twinkling. "You wouldn't be so mean, would you, Red?"

"Huh? Wait, what?"

"I believe you would be greatly helping Cubone," Mr. Fuji said. "Allowing him to expand his horizons, taking him away from a place where horrid memories live." He bowed his head. "Please, take Cubone with you. Give him a good life, a life his mother would be proud of. Become stronger together."

Red turned to Leaf. "Well?"

She beheld him with an expression he had never seen from her before. It stunned him a for a moment or two, yet it also made him smile and his tummy tingle. "Cubone will be lucky to have you as a Trainer. And even luckier to be friends with the rest of your team."

"Huh." Red set Cubone on the floor, the little thing tilting his head uncertainly. He walked over to his rucksack and pulled out a Poké Ball. Cubone perked up, banging his bone on the floor, squeaking in celebration.

Red grinned. "Okay, then. I always thought that I would capture at least one of my Pokémon through a proper one-on-one battle, but this is just as good. Besides, I want to get more than the six I can carry, so there's still time for that. Heck, maybe I'll capture something tomorrow. But for now… Poké Ball, go!"

The Poké Ball barely shook before Red's Pokédex finally confirmed Red's fifth capture.

The next second, Cubone was out again, being forced to dance and spun around by Clefairy, who was promptly told off by Beedrill. Charmeleon slapped Cubone on the back, Pikachu gave him a high-five, and Lo gave Cubone a cuddle, which the former found quite awkward to return since there was not a lot to actually hold onto.

Red knelt beside him. "Welcome to the family, Cubone."

Cubone squeaked, eyes suddenly watery, as though overwhelmed by everything, as though realising how quickly his life was changing. Charmeleon, Beedrill, Clefairy, and Lo quickly surrounded him and brought him into another group hug (Pikachu rubbed his back instead), a family with their new little brother.

It would be hard for Cubone, but he would do well. Red and his Pokémon would make sure of that. Marowak would look down upon her son with no worries.

Speaking of which, Red would call his own mother that very evening and talk to her for two hours, coming to grips for the first time with how lucky he was to be able to speak to her, the fact that she was still with him.

He would not take her for granted.