A
Aurora
Guest
Rated PG-13 for violence and blood
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.
Motherly Love
by Aurora
Cubone shivered, and nuzzled up against the warm form of his mother. He felt her arm wrap around him, and he smiled in contentment. He began to drift back to sleep, but his mother put her hand on his.
“It’s time to get up, little Snorlax,” she teased. He opened his eyes blearily, and rubbed them. His mother was sitting on the nest of leaves and grass. Her brown body was barely visible in the faint light of the tunnel. Her face was obscured by a white skull, giving her a menacing appearance, but her eyes were kind. Cubone could tell she was smiling. Her tail was swinging back and forth slowly, her tail spike casting a dangerous looking shadow.
She picked up a small bone, and threw it to Cubone. He caught it, but immediately dropped the club. Cubone felt his face grow warm. His mother smiled and picked up her own bone club.
“Make sure you’re holding your club tight, so that you don’t drop it.”
“I’m hungry,” Cubone declared, looking around expectantly. Usually his mother had food ready when he awoke.
“It’s time you learn how to get food for yourself,” his mother said softly. “I’ll help you carry it back, but you need to find it.” She pointed towards an Arbok skin that lay in the corner. She had carefully knotted it so that it now could be used to carry things in.
Cubone sighed. He followed his mother out of the tunnel, blinking in the bright light. It was at least an hour after sunrise. At least his mother had let him sleep in.
He frowned slightly, trying to remember the lesson of the day before. “The best place to look for food is the forest,” he whispered to himself. He looked expectantly at his mother. She nodded.
Cubone began walking towards the sun, in the direction of the forest. He stopped when he reached the trees. He glanced around, looking for something to eat.
“What kind of food is in the forest?” his mother asked, prompting him.
“Berries, roots and stuff,” Cubone said. He spotted a berry bush and scurried over. He proudly stood in front of the bush, his stomach growling faintly.
“Those berries are poisonous,” his mother said gently. “Remember what they look like, and don’t ever eat them.”
Cubone stared at the bush, fixing it in his memory. He tried to hide his disappointment as he walked away from the bush.
His mother laughed, “Don’t worry. Everyone makes mistakes. When your father was young, he ate some of those berries. He was sick for days.” Her laughter died, and her gaze became distant. Cubone smiled, but he stopped when he saw a teardrop trickle down her skull. His mother wiped it away and shook her head.
Cubone was silent as he began to walk, but his curiosity soon got the best of him.
“What was Father like?” he whispered, flinching when his mother looked at him.
She gazed down at Cubone sadly, “He was strong and fast. And kind. He liked to sleep in, like a certain lazybones I know.” She smiled down at Cubone, who fidgeted guiltily. “He must have picked it up from that human he knew.”
“He knew a human?” Cubone asked in shock. His mother had always warned him to avoid humans.
“The human cared for your father when he was injured,” she explained, “Your father left after he recovered.”
“I thought humans were dangerous,” Cubone said, feeling very confused.
“Most are,” she said. “But I suppose there are a few good ones. Since there is no way to know which humans are good, it’s best to avoid them all.”
“Sort of like Beedrill?”
Cubone’s mother laughed, “Exactly. Now quit trying to get out of looking for food.” Cubone smiled and continued his search.
Cubone found another berry bush, and glanced at his mother. She nodded and helped him pick the berries. He popped several in his mouth, savoring the sweet taste. He felt more confident as he found several other berry bushes, and he even managed to find some very tasty roots. Cubone walked proudly back towards the den, his mother following him.
He wandered under a large tree and jumped when he heard a large screech. A brown blur dived at him. He froze, paralyzed with fear.
Crack! A white blur hit the Spearow’s beak, and it veered off course. It crashed into a large thorn bush. The bone club curved and flew back to Cubone’s mother. She caught it without looking, her eyes on the thorn bush.
The Spearow struggled out of the bush, screeching in pain. It stumbled out of the bush, and jumped back fearfully at the sight of Marowak, whose club was pointed at the small bird. A trickle of blood came from its beak. It hopped away, too dazed to fly.
“Never freeze like that,” she warned. Cubone stared at his mother in amazement. “You have your club; you need to use it.”
Cubone looked down at the bone in his hand. He had not even considered throwing it.
The search for food was interrupted by an impromptu self defense class. His mother began teaching him how to use his bone club properly, using a rotting tree trunk as a target. He threw the bone at the trunk, but no matter how hard he tried, it would not come back to him.
His mother put her hand on his shoulder after a while. Cubone looked at her dejectedly. “It won’t come back.”
“That’s enough for today,” his mother said. “You’ll get it eventually. Let’s go home and eat. It’s almost midday.”
Cubone stared up through the tree branches, amazed that the sun was already overhead. He followed his mother home. When they reached the edge of the forest, he grinned and began to run. His mother passed him easily, and he sped up. She slowed slightly, allowing Cubone to pass her. The Arbok bag was slowing her down. Cubone spotted the den and grinned. He had won the race.
“Stop!” his mother yelled, and he froze. He glanced at his mother. She had dropped the Arbok skin. She motioned for him, and he ran over, puzzled at her strange behavior. She was sniffing the air, and she seemed angry.
“Wait here,” she whispered, “Hide behind that rock.” Cubone began to protest, but a single look from his mother silenced him.
He hid behind the rock, watching his mother crawl towards the den on all fours. She entered the tunnel and vanished from sight. Cubone heard a cry of pain, and the roof of the tunnel collapsed, burying his mother. A head appeared. It was brown and oval with a small red nose.
“Good work, Diglett,” a unfamiliar voice said. A tall creature appeared from behind a large pile of rocks. The creature was huge, towering over its surrounding. It had pink skin, and black fur sprouting from its head. A human.
An explosion of dirt obscured the area, and Marowak appeared, coughing. She was covered in dirt, and her face was enraged.
“Dig!” the human snapped, and the Diglett head disappeared. Cubone watched his mother anxiously.
She stood perfectly still, her eyes shut. Several moments passed, and Marowak remained motionless.
Without warning, she pushed herself off the ground, and a head appeared below her. She threw her club, knocking the Diglett senseless. Marowak landed on its head, and bounced off, coming to a stop a few feet away. She lunged at the Diglett, which was shaking its head in confusion. She spun as she reached it, hitting it full in the face with her tail spike. It screeched in pain and slumped down.
The human took a red and white sphere. A red light enveloped the Diglett, and it vanished.
The human smiled, baring its teeth at Marowak. “Excellent. Very strong. You are just the kind of Pokémon I’ve been looking for. The boss’ll be pleased.” She paused and glanced in Cubone’s direction. “And you have a baby with you. Two for the price of one.”
Marowak snarled. “Stay back.”
The human pulled out three spheres and threw them, one at a time, towards Marowak. She dodged backwards. Three red streams of light appeared and solidified into Pokémon. A large yellow and black Pokémon appeared first, sparks emitting from its horns. The second light became a white Pokémon with a jagged blue stripe on its stomach. It extended its long claws menacingly. Cubone recognized it as a Zangoose.
The third light became a round pink Pokémon. It had a pouch which held a white egg. It glared at Marowak.
“Electabuzz, Zangoose, Chansey: get the Marowak,” the human said, a large grin on her face. “Don’t kill it,” she added as an afterthought.
The Electabuzz lunged, its fists crackling with electricity. Marowak stood her ground. The fist hit her skull, and the Electabuzz began cursing. It shook its fist in pain, and Marowak smiled grimly. She threw her bone, hitting the Electabuzz in the stomach. It doubled over, gasping for breath. An explosion knocked Marowak to the ground. The Chansey had thrown an egg at her. The Zangoose lunged from behind Marowak.
Marowak jumped up and punched the Zangoose, her fist sparkling blue. The Zangoose swore as its left forepaw was engulfed in ice. It shook it, trying to free its claws.
The Chansey threw another egg, which Marowak dodged. She rolled on the ground, landing in front of the now enraged Electabuzz. It kicked at Marowak, who latched onto its foot. Her teeth bit deep, and Cubone saw drops of blood splatter the ground. The Electabuzz screamed and shook its foot wildly, but Marowak dug her teeth in deeper. She was finally dislodged by a punch from behind.
The Zangoose hit her with its still frozen paw. The Electabuzz continued screaming, clutching its foot. Marowak pulled herself up slowly.
She crouched on all fours as the Zangoose circled her. The Chansey smiled from behind, and a beam of light shot from her mouth. Cubone gasped as his mother’s figure was enveloped. The light disappeared and Cubone began to cry. All that was left was a pile of dirt and his mother’s bone club.
The human began screaming at her Pokémon, but Cubone could not understand what the short, biting words were.
A brown blur shot from the ground, and Marowak reappeared, showering dirt on the surprised Chansey. She punched the Chansey in the face, and then head butted her. The Chansey fell over on her back, struggling to roll herself to a standing position. The Zangoose dived at Marowak, who could not move quick enough. Its claws bit into her arm, and blood spurted on the ground. It swung its frozen paw at Marowak’s chin, and the ice exploded and showered the area in sharp icicles. The Chansey yelled in protest, attempting to shield its eyes with its short hands.
Marowak slumped to the ground, and the human threw one of her spheres. Marowak disappeared and Cubone ran forward. Zangoose spotted Cubone and lunged. The sphere burst open and Marowak reappeared. Marowak jumped Zangoose from behind, and they became a blur as they rolled on the ground. Flecks of red stained the ground, and they finally untangled themselves. Marowak’s left arm was bleeding profusely, but Zangoose’s right leg was bent strangely, and one of its leg bones protruded from the back of its leg.
Zangoose slumped to the ground, and it disappeared in the red light of the human’s sphere. The Chansey had finally managed to get up with a shove from the human, and it held an egg in its hand. It tossed the egg at Marowak.
Cubone picked up a nearby rock and threw it. The rock struck the egg, causing it to explode in midair.
The Chansey coughed and Marowak faced it, her left arm hanging limply. The human threw another sphere, which Marowak knocked away with her bone club. It landed on the ground, its side bashed in.
Chansey took advantage of the distraction. A green ball of energy began to form in her hand, seeming to come from the sun. She aimed at Marowak, who was no longer able to stand. She was leaning on her club, using it to remain upright.
“No!” Cubone screamed and threw his bone club. It cut through the air, and hit the Chansey’s short legs. The Chansey stumbled and fell on its face. A green light appeared under it, causing the Chansey to fly backwards. It landed unconscious on its side. Cubone’s club flew back, and he caught it, astonished.
He darted towards his mother as the human called the Chansey back into its sphere.
Marowak fell over, landing on her side.
“Mother!” Cubone cried. He knelt beside her. “Get up! Please!”
Marowak looked up at her son, her eyes unfocused.
“The bone. It came back, Mother. I did it,” Cubone said, “Please, get up. I did it!”
Marowak shuddered, and her eyes began vacant. Cubone reached for his mother’s now stiff body.
“Wake up, Mother. Wake up. Please,” Cubone begged. He felt something strike his side, and he landed hard in the dirt.
He had forgotten the human. She kicked Marowak, who did not move.
“Pity,” she muttered. She reached for her side and swore. “Looks like I’m out of Pokeballs. I’ll have to do this the old fashioned way.”
She glared at Cubone, who struggled to his feet. His bone club lay beside his mother, out of reach.
“Mother!” he called, tears streaming down his face. He backed away fearfully from the approaching human. She kicked him again, and he felt pain sear through his side. He gasped for breath. He felt the human kick his side again, and his vision blurred.
He struggled to his feet and threw a handful of dirt at the human. She cursed and began rubbing her eyes, tears making streaks down her now dirty face.
Cubone ran to his mother, his side aching. He pulled her hand. He had to get her to safety. He managed to drag her only a few steps before the human recovered.
“Wake up, Mother,” he urged, “She’s coming back.”
“You stupid little runt!” the human said, her voice dangerously low, “You’ll pay for that.”
She advanced at Cubone who leapt in front of his mother. Cubone curled in a ball as she began to hit him. Again and again. His whole body ached, and he could no longer see or hear. Pain became his whole world.
“Stop!” a voice called, and the human woman jerked her head to the side. Another human had appeared. Cubone felt his heart sink. Not another one! One was definitely bad enough. He opened his eyes wearily to look at the new human.
The human had sparse white fur on his head, and he was hunched over. He was glaring at the human woman, his face filled with undisguised hatred and rage.
“Are you going to stop me, old man?” the human female sneered.
“Yes,” the man said. His fists were clenched, and he spoke through gritted teeth. “Bulbasaur?”
A green and blue Pokémon appeared from behind him. The grass Pokémon had a large scar across its face. Vines grew from its bulb, and it snapped them at the female’s feet. She jumped back, cursing. She ran off, shooting a look of anger at the man.
Cubone picked up his mother’s club and brandished it threateningly. “Go away!” he told the Bulbasaur, his voice a whisper.
The Bulbasaur withdrew its vines. “Don’t be afraid,” it said in a soft, feminine voice. “We wouldn’t hurt you.”
Cubone shook his head. His vision blurred as he turned to face the Bublasaur.
The man knelt before him, and he lashed out at the human’s hand. He missed and fell on his face. His head spun, and the world faded.
* * * * *
Mr. Fuji sighed as he wrapped the injured Cubone’s side in bandages. The poor thing was barely alive, but it would survive. Unlike his mother. He had known the second he had seen the Marowak it was too late. He had known before he saw her, but he had not wanted it to be true. Just like he had not wanted to believe that Marrow was truly gone.
He had brought Marowak’s body with them. She would receive a proper burial in Pokémon Tower. A burial next to her mate.
Mr. Fuji sighed. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t save her.” He wiped a tear from his eye, and stared sadly at the box that held the Cubone’s mother. He had seen many Pokémon die in his lifetime, but it was never easy.
Mr. Fuji looked out his window at the soaring Pokémon Tower. He had been at the Tower when it had happened, leaving flowers at Marrow’s grave.
A voice had echoed in his mind. Two words over and over. “Save him.” The wavering form of a Marowak had appeared. A vision of the meadow outside of town had filled his head, and he had hurried off with the ghost’s words ringing in his ears.
He shook his head, clearing it. There would be time enough to reflect on the day later. After he finished bandaging the Cubone.
“I promise I’ll take care of you,” he said quietly. As he finished, Mr. Fuji allowed himself a few moments to marvel at everything that had happened.
“She must have loved you a great deal,” Mr. Fuji said to the unconscious Pokémon. Even from the grave, Marowak had protected her son.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.
Motherly Love
by Aurora
Cubone shivered, and nuzzled up against the warm form of his mother. He felt her arm wrap around him, and he smiled in contentment. He began to drift back to sleep, but his mother put her hand on his.
“It’s time to get up, little Snorlax,” she teased. He opened his eyes blearily, and rubbed them. His mother was sitting on the nest of leaves and grass. Her brown body was barely visible in the faint light of the tunnel. Her face was obscured by a white skull, giving her a menacing appearance, but her eyes were kind. Cubone could tell she was smiling. Her tail was swinging back and forth slowly, her tail spike casting a dangerous looking shadow.
She picked up a small bone, and threw it to Cubone. He caught it, but immediately dropped the club. Cubone felt his face grow warm. His mother smiled and picked up her own bone club.
“Make sure you’re holding your club tight, so that you don’t drop it.”
“I’m hungry,” Cubone declared, looking around expectantly. Usually his mother had food ready when he awoke.
“It’s time you learn how to get food for yourself,” his mother said softly. “I’ll help you carry it back, but you need to find it.” She pointed towards an Arbok skin that lay in the corner. She had carefully knotted it so that it now could be used to carry things in.
Cubone sighed. He followed his mother out of the tunnel, blinking in the bright light. It was at least an hour after sunrise. At least his mother had let him sleep in.
He frowned slightly, trying to remember the lesson of the day before. “The best place to look for food is the forest,” he whispered to himself. He looked expectantly at his mother. She nodded.
Cubone began walking towards the sun, in the direction of the forest. He stopped when he reached the trees. He glanced around, looking for something to eat.
“What kind of food is in the forest?” his mother asked, prompting him.
“Berries, roots and stuff,” Cubone said. He spotted a berry bush and scurried over. He proudly stood in front of the bush, his stomach growling faintly.
“Those berries are poisonous,” his mother said gently. “Remember what they look like, and don’t ever eat them.”
Cubone stared at the bush, fixing it in his memory. He tried to hide his disappointment as he walked away from the bush.
His mother laughed, “Don’t worry. Everyone makes mistakes. When your father was young, he ate some of those berries. He was sick for days.” Her laughter died, and her gaze became distant. Cubone smiled, but he stopped when he saw a teardrop trickle down her skull. His mother wiped it away and shook her head.
Cubone was silent as he began to walk, but his curiosity soon got the best of him.
“What was Father like?” he whispered, flinching when his mother looked at him.
She gazed down at Cubone sadly, “He was strong and fast. And kind. He liked to sleep in, like a certain lazybones I know.” She smiled down at Cubone, who fidgeted guiltily. “He must have picked it up from that human he knew.”
“He knew a human?” Cubone asked in shock. His mother had always warned him to avoid humans.
“The human cared for your father when he was injured,” she explained, “Your father left after he recovered.”
“I thought humans were dangerous,” Cubone said, feeling very confused.
“Most are,” she said. “But I suppose there are a few good ones. Since there is no way to know which humans are good, it’s best to avoid them all.”
“Sort of like Beedrill?”
Cubone’s mother laughed, “Exactly. Now quit trying to get out of looking for food.” Cubone smiled and continued his search.
Cubone found another berry bush, and glanced at his mother. She nodded and helped him pick the berries. He popped several in his mouth, savoring the sweet taste. He felt more confident as he found several other berry bushes, and he even managed to find some very tasty roots. Cubone walked proudly back towards the den, his mother following him.
He wandered under a large tree and jumped when he heard a large screech. A brown blur dived at him. He froze, paralyzed with fear.
Crack! A white blur hit the Spearow’s beak, and it veered off course. It crashed into a large thorn bush. The bone club curved and flew back to Cubone’s mother. She caught it without looking, her eyes on the thorn bush.
The Spearow struggled out of the bush, screeching in pain. It stumbled out of the bush, and jumped back fearfully at the sight of Marowak, whose club was pointed at the small bird. A trickle of blood came from its beak. It hopped away, too dazed to fly.
“Never freeze like that,” she warned. Cubone stared at his mother in amazement. “You have your club; you need to use it.”
Cubone looked down at the bone in his hand. He had not even considered throwing it.
The search for food was interrupted by an impromptu self defense class. His mother began teaching him how to use his bone club properly, using a rotting tree trunk as a target. He threw the bone at the trunk, but no matter how hard he tried, it would not come back to him.
His mother put her hand on his shoulder after a while. Cubone looked at her dejectedly. “It won’t come back.”
“That’s enough for today,” his mother said. “You’ll get it eventually. Let’s go home and eat. It’s almost midday.”
Cubone stared up through the tree branches, amazed that the sun was already overhead. He followed his mother home. When they reached the edge of the forest, he grinned and began to run. His mother passed him easily, and he sped up. She slowed slightly, allowing Cubone to pass her. The Arbok bag was slowing her down. Cubone spotted the den and grinned. He had won the race.
“Stop!” his mother yelled, and he froze. He glanced at his mother. She had dropped the Arbok skin. She motioned for him, and he ran over, puzzled at her strange behavior. She was sniffing the air, and she seemed angry.
“Wait here,” she whispered, “Hide behind that rock.” Cubone began to protest, but a single look from his mother silenced him.
He hid behind the rock, watching his mother crawl towards the den on all fours. She entered the tunnel and vanished from sight. Cubone heard a cry of pain, and the roof of the tunnel collapsed, burying his mother. A head appeared. It was brown and oval with a small red nose.
“Good work, Diglett,” a unfamiliar voice said. A tall creature appeared from behind a large pile of rocks. The creature was huge, towering over its surrounding. It had pink skin, and black fur sprouting from its head. A human.
An explosion of dirt obscured the area, and Marowak appeared, coughing. She was covered in dirt, and her face was enraged.
“Dig!” the human snapped, and the Diglett head disappeared. Cubone watched his mother anxiously.
She stood perfectly still, her eyes shut. Several moments passed, and Marowak remained motionless.
Without warning, she pushed herself off the ground, and a head appeared below her. She threw her club, knocking the Diglett senseless. Marowak landed on its head, and bounced off, coming to a stop a few feet away. She lunged at the Diglett, which was shaking its head in confusion. She spun as she reached it, hitting it full in the face with her tail spike. It screeched in pain and slumped down.
The human took a red and white sphere. A red light enveloped the Diglett, and it vanished.
The human smiled, baring its teeth at Marowak. “Excellent. Very strong. You are just the kind of Pokémon I’ve been looking for. The boss’ll be pleased.” She paused and glanced in Cubone’s direction. “And you have a baby with you. Two for the price of one.”
Marowak snarled. “Stay back.”
The human pulled out three spheres and threw them, one at a time, towards Marowak. She dodged backwards. Three red streams of light appeared and solidified into Pokémon. A large yellow and black Pokémon appeared first, sparks emitting from its horns. The second light became a white Pokémon with a jagged blue stripe on its stomach. It extended its long claws menacingly. Cubone recognized it as a Zangoose.
The third light became a round pink Pokémon. It had a pouch which held a white egg. It glared at Marowak.
“Electabuzz, Zangoose, Chansey: get the Marowak,” the human said, a large grin on her face. “Don’t kill it,” she added as an afterthought.
The Electabuzz lunged, its fists crackling with electricity. Marowak stood her ground. The fist hit her skull, and the Electabuzz began cursing. It shook its fist in pain, and Marowak smiled grimly. She threw her bone, hitting the Electabuzz in the stomach. It doubled over, gasping for breath. An explosion knocked Marowak to the ground. The Chansey had thrown an egg at her. The Zangoose lunged from behind Marowak.
Marowak jumped up and punched the Zangoose, her fist sparkling blue. The Zangoose swore as its left forepaw was engulfed in ice. It shook it, trying to free its claws.
The Chansey threw another egg, which Marowak dodged. She rolled on the ground, landing in front of the now enraged Electabuzz. It kicked at Marowak, who latched onto its foot. Her teeth bit deep, and Cubone saw drops of blood splatter the ground. The Electabuzz screamed and shook its foot wildly, but Marowak dug her teeth in deeper. She was finally dislodged by a punch from behind.
The Zangoose hit her with its still frozen paw. The Electabuzz continued screaming, clutching its foot. Marowak pulled herself up slowly.
She crouched on all fours as the Zangoose circled her. The Chansey smiled from behind, and a beam of light shot from her mouth. Cubone gasped as his mother’s figure was enveloped. The light disappeared and Cubone began to cry. All that was left was a pile of dirt and his mother’s bone club.
The human began screaming at her Pokémon, but Cubone could not understand what the short, biting words were.
A brown blur shot from the ground, and Marowak reappeared, showering dirt on the surprised Chansey. She punched the Chansey in the face, and then head butted her. The Chansey fell over on her back, struggling to roll herself to a standing position. The Zangoose dived at Marowak, who could not move quick enough. Its claws bit into her arm, and blood spurted on the ground. It swung its frozen paw at Marowak’s chin, and the ice exploded and showered the area in sharp icicles. The Chansey yelled in protest, attempting to shield its eyes with its short hands.
Marowak slumped to the ground, and the human threw one of her spheres. Marowak disappeared and Cubone ran forward. Zangoose spotted Cubone and lunged. The sphere burst open and Marowak reappeared. Marowak jumped Zangoose from behind, and they became a blur as they rolled on the ground. Flecks of red stained the ground, and they finally untangled themselves. Marowak’s left arm was bleeding profusely, but Zangoose’s right leg was bent strangely, and one of its leg bones protruded from the back of its leg.
Zangoose slumped to the ground, and it disappeared in the red light of the human’s sphere. The Chansey had finally managed to get up with a shove from the human, and it held an egg in its hand. It tossed the egg at Marowak.
Cubone picked up a nearby rock and threw it. The rock struck the egg, causing it to explode in midair.
The Chansey coughed and Marowak faced it, her left arm hanging limply. The human threw another sphere, which Marowak knocked away with her bone club. It landed on the ground, its side bashed in.
Chansey took advantage of the distraction. A green ball of energy began to form in her hand, seeming to come from the sun. She aimed at Marowak, who was no longer able to stand. She was leaning on her club, using it to remain upright.
“No!” Cubone screamed and threw his bone club. It cut through the air, and hit the Chansey’s short legs. The Chansey stumbled and fell on its face. A green light appeared under it, causing the Chansey to fly backwards. It landed unconscious on its side. Cubone’s club flew back, and he caught it, astonished.
He darted towards his mother as the human called the Chansey back into its sphere.
Marowak fell over, landing on her side.
“Mother!” Cubone cried. He knelt beside her. “Get up! Please!”
Marowak looked up at her son, her eyes unfocused.
“The bone. It came back, Mother. I did it,” Cubone said, “Please, get up. I did it!”
Marowak shuddered, and her eyes began vacant. Cubone reached for his mother’s now stiff body.
“Wake up, Mother. Wake up. Please,” Cubone begged. He felt something strike his side, and he landed hard in the dirt.
He had forgotten the human. She kicked Marowak, who did not move.
“Pity,” she muttered. She reached for her side and swore. “Looks like I’m out of Pokeballs. I’ll have to do this the old fashioned way.”
She glared at Cubone, who struggled to his feet. His bone club lay beside his mother, out of reach.
“Mother!” he called, tears streaming down his face. He backed away fearfully from the approaching human. She kicked him again, and he felt pain sear through his side. He gasped for breath. He felt the human kick his side again, and his vision blurred.
He struggled to his feet and threw a handful of dirt at the human. She cursed and began rubbing her eyes, tears making streaks down her now dirty face.
Cubone ran to his mother, his side aching. He pulled her hand. He had to get her to safety. He managed to drag her only a few steps before the human recovered.
“Wake up, Mother,” he urged, “She’s coming back.”
“You stupid little runt!” the human said, her voice dangerously low, “You’ll pay for that.”
She advanced at Cubone who leapt in front of his mother. Cubone curled in a ball as she began to hit him. Again and again. His whole body ached, and he could no longer see or hear. Pain became his whole world.
“Stop!” a voice called, and the human woman jerked her head to the side. Another human had appeared. Cubone felt his heart sink. Not another one! One was definitely bad enough. He opened his eyes wearily to look at the new human.
The human had sparse white fur on his head, and he was hunched over. He was glaring at the human woman, his face filled with undisguised hatred and rage.
“Are you going to stop me, old man?” the human female sneered.
“Yes,” the man said. His fists were clenched, and he spoke through gritted teeth. “Bulbasaur?”
A green and blue Pokémon appeared from behind him. The grass Pokémon had a large scar across its face. Vines grew from its bulb, and it snapped them at the female’s feet. She jumped back, cursing. She ran off, shooting a look of anger at the man.
Cubone picked up his mother’s club and brandished it threateningly. “Go away!” he told the Bulbasaur, his voice a whisper.
The Bulbasaur withdrew its vines. “Don’t be afraid,” it said in a soft, feminine voice. “We wouldn’t hurt you.”
Cubone shook his head. His vision blurred as he turned to face the Bublasaur.
The man knelt before him, and he lashed out at the human’s hand. He missed and fell on his face. His head spun, and the world faded.
* * * * *
Mr. Fuji sighed as he wrapped the injured Cubone’s side in bandages. The poor thing was barely alive, but it would survive. Unlike his mother. He had known the second he had seen the Marowak it was too late. He had known before he saw her, but he had not wanted it to be true. Just like he had not wanted to believe that Marrow was truly gone.
He had brought Marowak’s body with them. She would receive a proper burial in Pokémon Tower. A burial next to her mate.
Mr. Fuji sighed. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t save her.” He wiped a tear from his eye, and stared sadly at the box that held the Cubone’s mother. He had seen many Pokémon die in his lifetime, but it was never easy.
Mr. Fuji looked out his window at the soaring Pokémon Tower. He had been at the Tower when it had happened, leaving flowers at Marrow’s grave.
A voice had echoed in his mind. Two words over and over. “Save him.” The wavering form of a Marowak had appeared. A vision of the meadow outside of town had filled his head, and he had hurried off with the ghost’s words ringing in his ears.
He shook his head, clearing it. There would be time enough to reflect on the day later. After he finished bandaging the Cubone.
“I promise I’ll take care of you,” he said quietly. As he finished, Mr. Fuji allowed himself a few moments to marvel at everything that had happened.
“She must have loved you a great deal,” Mr. Fuji said to the unconscious Pokémon. Even from the grave, Marowak had protected her son.
