Chapter 20: Cubone
'Mommy.'
'My mommy who always took care of me.'
'I want to hear your voice.'
'I want to hold your hand.'
'…I want to see you again.'
'But you're not here anymore.'
Thunk!
A loud noise echoed Pokémon Tower.
Ash and Pikachu turned behind.
A sobbing Cubone had tripped and fell.
His mother's weapon being the culprit of the noise.
"You OK, Cubone?" the boy asked, placing a bouquet of flowers beside him.
His hands made its way to the young Pokémon, rubbing his back gently.
"You can enter the Ball if you want."
"The grave is on the last floor, after all."
But the skull wearing Pokémon shook his head, still holding onto his mother's bone club.
Ash said nothing and hugged the poor child.
Still holding onto his mother's memento.
It had been 2 months since Team Rocket's defeat.
A month since Ash and Blue parted ways.
2 months until the Grand League.
3 Badges obtained during that time.
The raven-haired boy collected the Badges even faster than before.
All due to Charizard's new ability to fly.
Travelling in the air was faster and more exciting for the boy.
But before challenging his final Gym, Ash decided to pay his respects to Cubone's mother.
Her grave at Pokémon Tower of Lavender Town.
'It's too big for him…,' Ash monologued to himself.
'He can't use it properly…'
'But he still carries it.'
'Carrying her memory.'
The boy looked around his surroundings.
'He was born here.'
'He must be remembering things…'
Suddenly, Ash and Pikachu's eyes narrowed.
Sensing danger.
A projectile flew towards the boy.
Pikachu was on the other side, unable to defend his Trainer.
And so, glued his body on Ash's arm.
His already metallic tail pointing in the same direction as his fist.
The boy knew what to do.
Using the move for the first time since Giovanni's defeat…
Ash defended against the projectile with his 'arm blade'.
[Slash (Fake)].
A bone clattered on the floor.
Upon closer inspection, Ash saw a pair of wild Cubones.
"Cubones? Why are they upset?" he asked rhetorically.
Seeing this, little Cubone jumped out of Ash's arm.
"Do you know them?" the boy asked Cubone.
The Pokémon shook his head.
But he moved forward. Towards them.
Ash and Pikachu then moved back and hid behind an unmarked tombstone.
Both thinking it was best for them to not interfere.
The Cubones began communicating with one another.
One of the wild ones pointing at a hole behind them.
"That's…" Ash thought aloud.
"The Cubones' home?"
His eyes fell onto some broken glass boxes.
'Team Rocket…' he thought to himself.
'They were wary of humans…'
'After all, humans killed them for their bones and skulls…'
He then looked closer at the hole.
'It's a tunnel…'
'It collapsed so they couldn't protect the bones of their friends…' Ash inferred, seeing multiple bone clubs usually seen carried by Cubones.
But their owners were no longer there.
Ash's Cubone stood still for a moment.
Before beckoning his wild counterparts to follow him.
"Pika?" Pikachu squeaked out his question.
"I don't know. Let's follow them," Ash decided, still holding onto his bouquet.
Together, they followed.
They climbed the flight of stairs.
And crawled through a secret tunnel.
"Oh?"
Ash and Pikachu found themselves in a secret basement of the Tower.
He then faced to Cubone.
The latter had stopped in front of a nest.
Her nest.
His home.
Cubone stood still.
Holding his bone club.
And dragged hers.
A memory played.
He and his mother…
Happy together in their home.
And with a blink…
It was empty.
Droplets of tears fell.
And Cubone decided to keep moving forward.
Gripping his mother's club tighter, he faced the wild Cubones.
"Cu-bo! Cubone!" he said to them.
"Cu? Cubone Cu?" one of them asked.
He nodded, leaving them to their new home.
Ash and Pikachu watched from behind a pillar.
"Cu-bo!" Cubone called out to them.
The boy wore a sad expression.
"Are you sure?" he asked softly.
"You wanna give them your home?"
"This was where you lived with her, right?"
The raven-haired boy had grown up without a mother.
He did not have any memories of her.
Which was why Ash could understand Cubone.
Unlike him, the Pokémon knew his mother.
Remembered the times they shared.
Remembered her face.
Her scent.
Her smile.
…And her demise.
All too clearly.
But Cubone had decided to keep moving forward.
Other than his mother, he also remembered his Trainer's words.
'After this is over, we're gonna climb the Tower again, OK?'
'Let's go see her…'
'I won't let you hurt him!'
'He's already one of us!'
'Don't you dare touch him!'
Cubone raised his bone to the boy.
"…You're already one of us, y'know?" Ash commented, understanding the Pokémon's intentions.
"Do you feel the need to pledge yourself again?"
Cubone nodded again.
"…I see," Ash smiled.
"Let's go."
'He's all grown up,' he mused.
'He's standing on his own now…'
They made their way towards the top of the Tower.
Stopping in front of a tombstone named 'Marowak'.
Kneeling down, Ash placed the bouquet of flowers on the plaque.
Beside him, Pikachu bowed to pay his respects.
"Cubone's mother…" the boy began.
"Miss Marowak."
"We're friends of your son."
"Cubone's gonna travel with us now."
"I… can't replace you but I can promise you."
"I can promise you that he will never be alone anymore."
"Oh, and by the way, it's nice to meet you."
Ash finished and put his hands together.
Praying in silence.
Cubone was curious at his Trainer's actions.
"Oh, this?" he said.
"You put your… Hands? Front feet? Umm… Together like this," he continued, stumbling on his words.
"Then you close your eyes and speak from your heart."
Following his instructions, Cubone began his first prayer.
Unbeknownst to them, orbs of light emitted from the bigger bone.
The lights formed into a visage of Marowak.
With one last look at her son, her spirit patted her boy's head.
Cubone opened his eyes.
But she was already gone.
But he knew.
She was there.
He held her bone club…
And closed his eyes once more.
A blinding light.
"?! Cubone!" Ash called out, interrupted in his prayer.
The figure, clad in light, began spinning the two bone clubs.
Cubone had evolved into Marowak.
"You evolved!" Ash exclaimed in amazement.
'It's as if… He received his mother's strength,' he thought.
He then noticed Marowak's bones.
"Your bone… It grew as well," Ash observed.
"… But hers is still bigger, huh?"
"She must have been incredibly strong…"
Marowak recalled his mother's last moments.
Cubone was being chased by a Rhyhorn.
The gray armoured Pokémon wrecking graves in its wake.
Its horn aimed towards the Pokémon.
But Cubone's mother intercepted the attack.
Using her own body as a shield.
She glared at her enemy, bloodied from the attack.
Gripping her bone club.
She wielded it as if it was a sword.
[Bone Rush].
She brandished her weapon at the Rhyhorn.
Each swing a masterful display of strength and skill.
In that moment…
Her mother was the strongest.
Marowak nodded.
'I felt he needed that bone,' Ash pondered.
'Now, the heavy memory he carried with him…'
'He can use freely now.'
'Pokémon…'
'No…'
'All living beings...'
'Loneliness or despair.'
'Doesn't matter what form they took.'
'Everyone can have the strength to overcome their pasts.'
Marowak stood tall, twirling his clubs. And Ash started to ponder.
'What about me?'
'Green…'
'Blue…'
'Professor Oak and Daisy…'
'They were the closest thing to family to me.'
'But they weren't.'
'Marowak's strength came from his mother…'
'Where does mine come from?'
Ash touched his lips. His answer was already there.
'Oh right…'
He chuckled.
'Never give up until it's over, was it?'
He replayed the scene in his head again and again.
'I'll fight.'
R̶̡̡̞͓̣̮̼̖̝̟͇̺̲̲̈̈́́͋̋͆̈́̋͠ě̵̬̗̻̥̦͖̙̺̟͆̿̑̃̄́̂͆͘͘͝p̵̡͎̂͑͌̇̆̅̍̈́͒̃̀̆͠͝l̴͚̯̿̇̏͋̀̂̀͂̑̽̆̇i̸̡̡̛͈̹̳̩̜̳͔͔̘̣̔͗̄͘͜ͅc̷̛͓̗̪̬̄͌͗̓̆̓̓͘a̷̝̯̦͔̫̻͔̗̥͚̫̞̒̚t̶̢̰̯̜́̀̑̐̀͠ȋ̴̲̱̟̖̬͈̼̭̥̰̘̋̽͗͂̑͐͌̚͜o̴̡̨̹̻͓̲͓̖̳̭͉͙̯͎̽́͠n̸̼̳̲̰̼̞̦̤͆̈́ ̵̧̨͖͙̪̤͔̪͓̟̯̂̓̏̿̎̑̐́̂̓͌ͅs̶̬̣͈̣͖̲̗̭̲̟̤͎̽̈́͊̈́̀́̔̄̚͜͠͝ų̴̢̧̛̤̱͓̣̤̑̓͒̈͐̆͐̀͋͘͘͠ͅc̴͈͈͈͚̦̋̄̆̌̂͘c̸̤̻͔̙̈́͂̒̊͊͌͐͛͐̚͘̚͝͝͝ẽ̵̢̡̡͍̦̰̞͙̝̝̤̟̏̑̋̍̉̀̾͆͌̉͑̕͘͠s̸̖̾̉̌̿̔͛̕͝s̵̢̻̜͉͉̻͎͇͖̣̝̻̒͐̈́̈̚f̶̛͎̠͇̣̟̜̖̹̱̪̥͎̫̎͆̿̄̏̀̄̅͂̿̀̏u̵̮̭̝̩̱̍͒͑͂͐͠͠ḷ̴̛̌̽̂͛͐͊̆̿̒̈̌͒̂͝.̴̧̹̙̘͍̫͖̰̫̝̔ ̸̡̨͖͈̫͇̩̔̍̔̀̏̅̂͌̀͠͠͝
'She gave me my path.'
̵̘̩̣̞͓̥̱̰̳̭̤̺̾͆̓̔̅͑̽̅͘͝ͅS̵̢̛̞͒̏̓̈́̏̀̔͝͝ỹ̴̨̛̻̫̩̺͈͉͔̼͉̞̫̼͈͑̀́̆̿͝͝m̴̧̨̧̱̳̠͕̫̺̒͌͝p̶̨̤̩̬̺̹̻͕̣̪͈̿̉̃̆͛̕͜å̷̦̫̳̄͐̔͗̏̃̅͊̅͊͘͝ṭ̴̡͔̽͗̉̿͛́̚͝͝h̸͍̪͕̜͇̟̼̠̩̙̎̒̒͐̀̿͆̓̒͠į̴͉͔͚͓̜̺̊̋̀z̷͖̜̳̘̝͕̗͔̪̜͆̄̇̿̈̽͜͜͠i̸̧̼̲͇̫̖̭͔̳̜̙̪̹͐̌̈́̓̀̓́̿̆̓̄̈́̂̕͝n̵̢̩̤̥̟͚͖͈̪̫̭͕̰͊͜ğ̷̟̘̩͓͓̖̳͈͉̈́ͅͅ ̷̢̡͚̝͔͔̣̲̪̻̭̦̩̫͜͝ẅ̶̼̰̗̲́̌ͅį̷͓͉̫͕̼̭͚̙̯̀̾͛̌͜͠t̶̨̲̜̠͕͊͛̒͌̓̅͐̓̎͐͘͝͝͝h̴̡͓̟͍̠͔͓̩͓̦͍̬͗̈́̽̈́͛̿̂͗̂͝͝ͅ ̵̙̗̰͇̯͚̌͌m̶̛̞̙̣̫̹̆͆͗͜e̴̜͕̝̘̥̽̓̈́̂̎̀̀͆̐̂͜ṁ̷͕̖͈̻̹̬̟̱͖ͅǫ̴̗̫͔͓̘̟̜͙́̓̓͑̿͆͆̓̃̈́͘ͅr̷̛͎͖̀̀̈͗̅̈̓͋̋̂̚̚̚ẏ̴̠͈̰̰̪̞͎͖͚͔̰͂̓͛́͛.̶̯̜̻̹͓͔͛̔̒̾
'And I'll walk it.'
̴̧̧̜͕̠͈̗͈͛̀̓͌̅̑̍̑́́̐̒͘͝͝ͅP̵̹͍̝̋͘͝r̶̞͎̬͉̘̫̘͖̤͉͔͇̭̝͈͒̅̂̀́̀́ȏ̵̎͜͠c̵̨̨̣̦̥̲͈̫̗͈̤̠͔̎̓̈́̔̓ę̴͕̥̬͓͙̼̊̌̈́̋̆͗̀̌̏̕͝͠͠s̷͖̣̠͇͔̺̓͛͆̾̔ś̴͕̝̩̦̪̥̰̳͚̈́͋ ̸̧̳̮̹͈͎͕͑͊͌̎̕̚͜c̸̢̛̳̭̞͔̲̙̩̽̄́̃̈́̊̾͑͑͒o̷̖̳͊̒̓̈́͑̓͝͝m̷̛̠̬̣̬̒̐̎̀͑̋̓̀̈́̌̕p̵̨̡͚̋̎͛̍͌͒̕͝l̷̨̘̰͔̭͉̟̬͚̜̬̗̣͙̙͌̊͆͊͆̓̎̓̽͑̚e̵̺͚̫͉͈̼̫͖̹̦̲͉̙͗̆̓̂̊͒ţ̴͙̒̅͂̃͑̉̚ḛ̸̢͓̪̜̗͖̲̲̙͈̀̈́d̵̟̬̞͉̦̐̎̔͌̊̑̄̚̕ͅ.̴̡̧̣̙͉̱̳̩͚̼͔̈́̇̃͛́́͘͜͝
'Together with my Pokémon.'
̴̢̙̯͕̟͈̣̯͍̬̱̣̒̀̉̂̔̿̈̒̎̌̄͘Ṁ̵͎͓͉̥̺͎̥̗̮̀͋̆͛͗́ȧ̴̧̗̜̖̥̹̲̙͎̳̱̬̮͍͗̄̐̎͒̍̀͘͜r̷̡͓̻̊̄̇͂͌̀̽͒̄́̀ö̵̧̦̟̜̞̫̺͍̲̦͕̭͕́̈́̇̂̃̿̍̾̔̋̌̋̾͑͠ͅw̶̧̨̨̟̦͚̥͎͖̹̻̤̥̬̒ͅa̷̧̛̞̹͚̙̙̪̮̻̗̯̫̿͐̓̏͗̈́́̃͘̚͜͠͝͝͝ͅǩ̶̢̡̦̘̍̎̀̈́̒̈́̋͝͝ ̵̱͍̃͌͊̀̄̅̂̏̕̕͝ą̸̟̻͍̻̑͊̄̒͛̌͆͝ḑ̴̤͎̺̮̼̬͎̾͒͗͆͒͑̑̕d̴̡̛͈̖̗̠͕̺̞̩̀͛̅̊̄̐̚e̵̡̝͚͖̥̗͔͍͉͎͕̰̒̅̋̀́͋̀̀̚͝ͅͅͅd̵̘͓̜̠̘͖̣̭̥̣̭̠͈̉̈́̇̊̐͝ ̷̡̡̡̡̛̯͍͓̪̱̤̔t̴̡̜̗͖̲̖͙͚̱̙̖̏́͗̈́̚ͅò̵̧̪̙͎̮̼͝ ̸̨̢̢̢̥̣͕̳̘̙̉̍̆̓̓̀̚͜͝l̷̛̝̳̙̜͈͑͌͑̏̔̉̆̈́̑͋͝ì̴̘͚͕̌̎̃̈́͜b̴̳̮̣͇̰̾͑͜ȑ̸̡̨̡̥̹̱̬̖̬͉̙̻̫̒͑͛́̑̂̍̃̄͂̌͘͜a̸̱̯̱͌̈͋ṙ̷̨̨̟̺̝̻͉̜̳͎̰̼̦̈̇͊̍̐ͅy̸̝͔̟̗͉̬̾̇͗̏̓͌́͐̈̊͝.̷̯̪͈̻̑͜͝
'And someday…'
Chapter 20: Cubone
'I'll see you again… Yellow.'