Maybe I'm foolish
Maybe I'm blind
Thinking I can see through this
And see what's behind
Got no way to prove it
So maybe I'm blind
But I'm only human after all
I'm only human after all
Don't put your blame on me
Don't put your blame on me
-Human; by Rag'n'Bone Man
The walk was tense, with Lani holding her bag close to her while Marowak and Mimikyu were just as tense and anxious. The young girl tried to keep her eyes forward, but she couldn't help but stare directly at the figure — maybe even figures — that approached them. The backroad the trio was taking was known for being relatively unpopular among Trainers and citizens, that was the main reason Lani chose it. She didn't want to deal with Trainers or curious citizens, or even run into those people who'd chased them down earlier. With Marowak's arm still healing, the last thing they needed was another encounter.
"(He doesn't look like the people who chased us)," Mimikyu said softly, shifting a little on Lani's shoulder.
"So there's only one of them?" Lani murmured.
"(It doesn't mean he won't try something)," Marowak grumbled, holding his Bone Club a little tighter. "(He could be well acquainted with those humans)."
It wouldn't be surprising. But anyone who worked there, at Lani's mother's company, had a specific dress code to adhere to; and the closer the boy got, the more Lani started to wonder if it was possible he worked for her mother. He looked too young, from what Lani could tell, and he seemed way too energetic, even from the distance the trio was at. Lani's mother wasn't a fan of people — whether it be kids or adults — who had an abundance of unnecessary energy. Not to mention Lani could detect a bit of naivety coming from him, but that was a bit of a stretch. She wasn't going to get ahead of herself.
"He seems too young to work there," Lani muttered, her eyes narrowing slightly. "My mother wouldn't allow someone like him a position." Neither Marowak or Mimikyu responded, and it didn't seem to matter either way to Lani. She wasn't expecting them to. She did believe that he wasn't employed with her mother, simply because of his age and the seemingly energized air that came off him. Lusamine, Lani's mother, made sure to surround herself with people who were, in a sense, elegant yet reserved. From what Lani understood, people who were elegent yet reserved were considered "beautiful". Lani promised herself that she'd hate that word until the day she died. Lusamine used that word so frequently, it lost all meaning and importance. There was nothing of significance behind the word "beautiful", Lani had no use for it, she had no connection to it. Whenever she heard someone who wasn't Lusamine say that blasted word in any way at all, Lani grimaced. She felt her blood curdle. Her attitude would dampen. The boy who was coming towards her, Mimikyu, and Marowak, he didn't seem like the kind of person who'd qualify as "beautiful" in Lusamine's books.
The young boy seemed to not have a care in the world, as he looked at everything with merriment and wonder. A Pikachu was perched on his shoulder as he held the straps of a backpack he wore. His black hair looked messy, though he wore a hat on his head to cover most of it, and his brown eyes were glittering with excitement. That was when Lani realized how close they had gotten. Lani came to see he was a bit taller than her, but not by much. He had on a blue and white striped shirt and some shorts, plus tennis shoes. He had to be a year or two older than Lani, maybe around her older sister Lillie's age. Lillie was fifteen, only a year older than Lani herself. But the boy's appearance made it difficult to really determine his age. When he finally noticed the trio, much to Lani's dismay, his eyes widened with wonder when he saw Marowak and Mimikyu.
"Wow!" he exclaimed, running over to them. "Your Pokémon are so cool!"
Tensing ever so slightly at his sudden approach, Lani studied him carefully before responding. "Thank you," her voice was tense, and she was certain he'd pick up on it. He didn't. His Pikachu did.
"A Marowak and a...," he trailed off. "I don't think I've seen a Pokémon like that before."
Before he could say anything else, and before his Pikachu could try and do anything, the boy's backpack popped open and a Pokédex came out. A Rotom Pokédex. Lani had heard of those before; they were rare, since not every Pokédex distributed to new Trainers were able to connect with Rotom. At least, that was Lani's understanding. She wasn't a Trainer, anyway.
"Two new Pokémon!" the Rotom-dex exclaimed. Two appendages came out of its sides as it levitated beside the Trainer. "Do you wish to know what kind they are?"
"I know that's a Marowak." The boy's face twisted a bit in confusion. "It sure looks weird, though."
"An Alolan Marowak is different than a Marowak found in another region," the dex went on. "Here, let me show you." There was a slight pause before the dex continued. "Marowak: the Bone Keeper Pokémon. A Fire- and Ghost-type Pokémon. The bones it possesses were once its mother's. Its mother's regrets have become like a vengeful spirit protecting this Pokémon."
A look swept across the boy's face. "That's really dark," he murmured.
"I'm trying to get by," Lani exclaimed, interrupting the conversation going on between boy and machine. "If you wouldn't mind..."*
Blinking a bit in surprise, the boy took a step back while his Rotom-dex looked equally as perplexed. Lani's tone was clipped, her eyes looking between them cautiously. She could detect Marowak's change in attitude at the announcement of his Pokédex entry. It was common knowledge that all Cubone and Marowak, regardless of regional origin, had the looming memories of their mother's deaths. It was difficult to be reminded of something so difficult.
Rubbing the back of his neck anxiously, the boy smiled widely before stepping aside. "Sorry about that," he exclaimed loudly. "I just came to Alola not that long ago! It's awesome seeing all these Pokémon."
Mimikyu looked at Lani before glancing down at Marowak, who was holding his Bone Club tighter than she'd ever seen. His injured arm was being held close to him as he regarded the unknown human in front of him. Obviously the Trainer's Pikachu was more observant than him.
Without so much as a grunt in response, Lani started walking. Marowak was not far behind, glaring at the Rotom-dex hatefully.
"Wait!" the boy nearly shouted. "You're not going to say your name? What if I run into you again?!"
"It'll be highly unlikely."
"Well, I'm Ash Ketchum!" he stammered. "From Pallet Town!"
. . . .
Ash Ketchum. Marowak swore he'd remember that name. While he didn't hold a grudge against the young Trainer per say, he did feel a great deal of anger towards the Rotom-dex he possessed. It wasn't uncommon among the Cubone line that their mothers always seemed to meet an untimely end, which resulted in the skulls and Bone Club the Pokémon possessed. Marowak could very vividly remember the day his mother had been taken down. He was a young Cubone at the time, that had been the reason he'd been wandering around. He wanted to find somewhere to stay, a way to survive. Then he ran into Lani on her father's farm. Their early friendship was shaky in those days, but they grew closer as time went on. Everything that happened afterwards was history.
Looking at his Bone Club, Marowak studied the bluish green flames on both ends, the way it crackled without causing damage to the bone itself. There were no signs of the bone cracking, of the flames charring it.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Marowak let out a frustrated sigh. Looking up at Lani, he could detect she was experiencing some emotional discomfort. Ash Ketchum had certainly made her as nervous as he had expected. Even Mimikyu was anxious, but that was to be expected. The Disguise Pokémon was still young, so she didn't have many experiences in the world yet. Marowak did, and he didn't like how Ash seemed to think the trio would run into him and his Pikachu again. Marowak had to keep in mind, though, that if they did run into Ash again, he'd probably attack them. Not only because of the entry, but because he wanted to keep Lani and Mimikyu safe.
(A/N):
How was this? Again, these first couple chapters were wobbly, and I'd appreciate some criticism on how to make them better. I'm always for constructive criticism. Also, let me know if I get canon characters wrong. It'd be awkward if I have to go and rewrite a bunch of chapters because I ended up representing the characters incorrectly.
Nothing in this fandom belongs to me.
Leave any thoughts you have on the story so far. I know it's not the best, and I'm hoping to improve it once I have a steady momentum going. Let me know in the reviews.
Also, let me know if you've got an OC or a subplot you'd like added. PM me or leave a review with your thoughts.
Thanks a bunch.
Willow