Cubone: The Aftermath - Chapter 5

Peter stood out in the oddly serene false night of the main hall, thinking. He took a drag off of the electronic cigarette he'd been given upon request. Such an interesting Pokeuman invention that was leaked even into the human world, saving lives by giving an alternative to tobacco. He wasn't a big smoker, but he was nevertheless stressed out enough that he was grateful for the relief he got from this particular vice.

In spite of this, he couldn't help but think about the times he had tried to escape from his past. The scandal. The divorce. The legal actions. Everything...

How ironic. He'd done so much evil in the time since he'd lost his job as a teacher, and yet he had always been innocent of the one thing that had ruined his life in the first place.

There was a girl. A student in his class. She'd never caused trouble or acted up any more than a kid is expected to. However, one fateful day, she entered his classroom as he was in the middle of a lesson. Her face was bruised, blood dripping from her nose. She bore other visible injuries, her clothes mangled and devastated.

He had been writing on the dry erase board, but when he saw her, the eraser dropped from his hand with a loud clack. There was no other sound in the entire class.

Peter had taken a step toward her, but she shied back and he was confronted by the principle, the secretary, the school nurse, and two police officers. 

"It was him!!!" she cried, such force and intensity in her voice. "He attacked me! He tried to KILL me!"

He hadn't. He bore no signs of a struggle; had no motive for doing such a thing. The case never even made it to trial.

And yet, even the accusation was enough. People called his house in the middle of the night, cursing him; threatening him; calling him a child-abusing monster. Parents pulled their children from his classes. There were protests in front of the school. It was a simple matter of time before he had to resign and walk away.

Peter's troubles only continued from that point. His wife left him. He couldn't pay his rent. Everything was going south.

A mere week before his last month in his apartment was up, Peter met the Pokextinctionists. As the saying goes, they made an offer he couldn't refuse. The choice was simple; work with them and have security and comfort; or turn his back and live on the streets as an outcast.

Nevertheless, he didn't like the idea. It was kidnapping, wasn't it? These were thinking children being taken be them. How could he do such a thing? In spite of their warnings, he couldn't imagine the Pokemon were evil or monstrous.

...That was, until he looked at the catch they had made. Inside of the truck, he saw the girl who had ruined his life, glaring at him, her eyes now pure red and monstrous. She looked like a kind of demonic bug. She looked at him without a change in expression.

Maybe it was the terror of seeing that face. Maybe it was his desperation. Maybe he wanted to exact a bitter and petty revenge on the person who'd taken his life away from him. Whatever the case, he'd accepted the job and worked under Pokextinction's banner until he was pulled from his route on the biggest score of his lifetime. After they overthrew the Denver Pokeumans Base, he would be able to retire and not have a care in the world. The idea of being set for life by his mid-30s gave him goosebumps.

Things didn't work out that way. Just as the battle seemed victorious, the door slammed open. He'd known right away that the marowak at the entrance wasn't the proxy his boss controlled by... remote control or something. In a blinding flash, the marowak had launched his bone club at a Pokeuman behind Peter. Before Peter could react or even twitch, the bone club doubled back, smacking him in the back of the head and knocking him out cold.

The marowak had visited him in his cell after that and offered him a new life. And since that time, he'd dealt only with sincerity. The sincerity of the Pokeumans who either hated or occasionally forgave him; the sincerity of the other humans who felt outnumbered and fearful; up to and including the sincerity of the butterfly - that was, butterfree - girl, forcing him to think of all these times. Insincerity and lack of emotion were the norm in Pokextinction. So much so that he'd forgotten what real feelings and emotion felt like. Now that he was surrounded by it, he didn't know what he should do about it all.

Maybe... he should just try to live.

---

Dr. Rogers could hardly keep his hands steady on the wheel. Beside him sat what he could only think of as the angel of death. The massive bone it carried. The terrifying white skull. And now he was at the mercy of this monster.

He drove on, obeying as calmly as possible (which wasn't particularly calm at all) as the marowak wordlessly pointed in the direction he wanted to go. When they arrived at their destination, he would be thrown into a den of these creatures; all claws and wings and terrifying eyes. He had no equipment for taming them now. No soothing purple lights, no long cylinders to shock their minds into submission. He was defenseless.

This could not stand. He couldn't hope to fight his way out, but if he had the chance, he would try to escape. He just needed to be patient; to watch and wait for the opportunity.

It would come... He hoped.

Meanwhile, in the back of the truck, Mr. Steele, Trevor, and Callahan huddled into a close-knit group together. For awhile they sat in silence, but finally Mr. Steele spoke up. "Callahan, do tell me why you didn't confide in me, now that we have a moment's peace. Have I not earned your trust? What made you think that you had to keep your identity hidden?"

Callahan hovered in place (for he was able to hold his presence firm to the truck in order to do so) and looked away. "Mr. Steele... Edward. It's like I told you. It isn't as simple as that." He turned to face the headmaster. "I'm not the same man I was. Hell, can I even be called a man? I'm... I'm literally a ghost. Look at me! No heart, no lungs... It's a wonder I have any sort of self-identity at all. When I woke up, I remembered my wife. I remembered little bits of things. I knew how to speak and - interestingly enough - how to move and control this so-called body of mine. I remembered that a Pokeuman base was the safest place to me. ...But then I also remembered who killed me. I had to do what I could to stop that from happening to someone else. I was lucky. But my past... who I was... it's all fragmented. I didn't even know my name until you told it to me. 

"Seeing my son's face... I also saw my wife's face there. That was enough to remind me of the person I sacrificed myself to save. The one who saved ME first. And yet..." Callahan paused for a very, very long time. And as they waited, they heard the strange sounds of a vehicle's movement all around them. How unusual it seemed to them now.

Finally, he spoke again. "And yet... I don't really KNOW him. I didn't as a human when he was literally my flesh and blood son. But now I have no flesh and no blood. And as for me... I remember being a human. I even remember snippits of my old life. But I'm not that guy. I remember what it was like to be that person, but it's like watching it on television. I don't feel connected to it now. I'm... I don't know WHAT I am anymore."

Trevor placed a hand on top of the haunter, feeling the mist-like ghost body. "You're a friend, Callahan. That is enough."

The haunter smiled at his two companions as the truck rolled on.

---

"Jason! Jason!" A shedinja cried as the sandslash was strolling down the hall, thinking.

Jason turned in surprise. "Huh? What's wrong?"

The shedinja floated around excitedly. "There's a Pokextinction van driving up to the base! Like... RIGHT UP to it! We see it, but we don't know what to do!"

Jason wanted to ask why they had come to him with this problem, but instead of questioning it, he began to act. Perhaps since he was a junior recruit he would only think to come to Jason first because they had so much trust of him. Regardless, he nodded. "Alright. Tell everyone to hold their positions. If they're coming here, chances are they KNOW we're watching them. No sense in everyone coming out to meet them if this is a trap. See if you can scout out the driver. I'll head to the main office and see what I can find out.

The shedinja bowed in his best salute possible and floated off in a hurry.

Not allowing himself time to think, Jason turned and ran back to the headmaster's office. He felt excited in the pit of his stomach and he wasn't sure why. But if this was what he THOUGHT it was...

"Marowak, you clever bastard," he muttered as he flicked the communicator on. He punched in the code to ring the insider, hoping that they were fine.

What he hadn't expected was the face of Mr. Steele on the other end. He looked tired and a little sick, but in good spirits. "Ah, so this is the standing headmaster of the Pokeuman Base, is it? I was wondering when we might hear from you all, my dear boy. Now, would you be so kind as to open the entrance? Password: Headmaster XCQ-3234. I suspect there will be a lot of questions before the night is done, but I am absolutely starving and exhausted."

Jason was ecstatic. He logged off and bolted to the side entrance - the only one even remotely possible for a vehicle to reach. He ran passed the guards who tossed him a salute, returning the gesture offhandedly. It surprised him at how naturally this sort of thing came to him now. 

But there wasn't time for that at the moment. Using his long, thin claw to lift up the cover to the access panel, Jason carefully keyed in the password Mr. Steele had given him. The metal door rolled ever so slowly upward, all of the guards taking places in front of it and asking questions. After five minutes that felt like more than an hour, the Pokextinction van slowly rolled to a stop in front of them. 

The driver stepped out and Jason's blood ran cold as he saw the scientist. Had this been a trick?

The guards didn't hesitate. Immediately diving toward the scientist, they had him pinned quite instantly by the group in a fit of tears, cowardly whimpers, and screams. 

"GET HIM IN HERE!" Jason roared so he could be heard. "FIND OUT WHAT HE'S-"

Jason turned around at the sensation of a paw on his shoulder. It was Marowak. Tears leapt to Jason's eyes and he spun around and hugged him.

Marowak hugged Jason back and in spite of his fearsome exterior, Jason could feel the gentle kindness and love that was inside of his friend. He felt one of Marowak's tears as well.

"It's good to see you in person again, Jason," a strangely wispy, echoey voice said from above him. And just then, the insider floated into his view. 

Jason flinched. "We've... met before?"

"In another life," he said with a smile.

"Mr. Steele and Trevor are in the back, as are some important-looking files," Marowak said, breaking in. "Trevor seems not much worse for wear - no doubt from being a rhydon his metabolism burns so much slower. But Mr. Steele is still at risk of dehydration. Both of them need a thorough medical examination. Their facility didn't look like it was capable of housing any mind control equipment, but those fiends have pulled the wool over our eyes too many times to rule it out. As long as I'm here, we will NOT be ambushed again."

Jason and Callahan watched Marowak, bemused, as he spoke. After a long, respectful pause, Jason finally said in an ever-so-quiet voice, "Amen."

---

"And so, when I look out at this auditorium filled with more people than ever before, I cannot help but be thankful. Each and every one of you has played a part in this hidden world of ours. For those of you who still haven't found your place, we will help you. My office is always open." At the podium, looking out at his incredible number of charges, both new and old, Mr. Steele let out a little chuckle. "I... suspect I will have a great deal of work to catch up on now that I have returned."

The audience laughed and applauded. Some of them even broke out into chants. "MIS-TER STE-ELE!" *Clap clap, clap clap clap" Spirits were high all around.

"I know this is a pure formality, but I wish to officially pardon all of the fullbred humans among us today of any wrongdoing. You are a part of our family as well. I am aware of your pain, perhaps more so than you might guess." The garchomp adjusted his glasses, thinking. "The point is, we welcome you here as full citizens. You are a part of this family, too. It is time we learned that we are all one people. For I myself have learned an important lesson that I had never realized before. My friends, the day will come when we become a part of the above ground world again. It WILL come. What we look like... the abilities we have... Those don't matter. We're humans. Or... whatever you call a thinking, feeling, sentient creature with a sense of self-identity. Someone do work on a word for that, would you? I feel as though we'll need it."

This brought another wave of chuckles and applause from the audience. Even the most uncomfortable-looking humans grinned a little.

"We're here together as a proof of concept. The escalating war between us and Pokextinction has forced us to try bold, new experiments. I don't expect perfection. But a brighter future awaits all of us."

The Pokeumans all applauded long and hard. The sound was almost deafening.

Mr. Steele waited a good, long while before holding up his arms this time. This was their celebration. The dark times had finally ended and they could begin to move forward. They deserved to really let it be known.

When he did finally call for attention again, he gave an extraordinarily rare type of smile for him - one that showed all of his scary, sharp teeth. He often avoided this in personal conversation to put people at their ease, but for now he chose to indulge himself as well. For this was his celebration, too.

The crowd didn't seem to mind. In fact, with the exception of a few somewhat nervous newcomers, they seemed to cheer even louder! Nevertheless, he finally called for attention. "I've received word from Nebraska. The Dimensional Gem has arrived safely to the relay point. Though he has not yet returned, I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Matthew upon his arrival. For without the young zubat's courage and tenacity, we would not be celebrating today."

After this round of cheers subsided, Mr. Steele continued. "And yet, he is by no means the only hero. Each and every one of you who has defended our home, who has worked toward improving things and seeking out a better future, even to the newcomers who have worked their hardest to fit in - as have we all - today we sleep safe and comfortable because of all of you."

This round of applause was more gentle, but no less sincere. "For those of you that are having trouble fitting in, take heart. Each and every one of us was a newcomer to this base. And no matter what you've done in the past, everyone in this room is here because you deserve to live happily.

"Finally, there is one person without whom any of this would be possible..." The audience began to murmur. "...A person who has fought more tirelessly, who has pushed himself further, who has never, ever given up..." The murmur became a rumbling. "Someone who - inside of battle or out - uses his heart and courage, always putting the needs of others before his own." The rumble became a cheer. "It is my great pleasure to introduce the new leader of the PRT Special Task Force, MAROWAK!" And that was it. The cheer grew into a roar so deafening that they could hardly even hear the name."

Marowak stepped out into the stage. How much different things seemed now. When he'd last been here, he was Cubone, terrified of speaking to a crowd that loved him more than he could understand. He still questioned his abilities and whether he was worth all this even now, but he was willing to step forward and be strong for everyone here. So instead of hesitating, he walked purposefully to the podium.

When he got there, though, he had to pause. Behind the podium he looked at the small steps used for shorter Pokeumans so they could reach the microphone. When he'd first been here, he was standing on the second step to the top. Now he was around double his old size and stood halfway down the steps. Even then he was taller than he had been, an image enhanced by squared shoulders and determined expression. He spoke without hesitation and the cheers died down a little. "Before I begin, I would like to say that this victory isn't mine. I've seen people do more for this base than myself. Unsung heroes that don't get enough praise. Without the nursing staff, we would not be sitting here, hearty and healthy. Same for the people that prepare our food. I don't think anyone realizes just how challenging it is for them day in and day out. This isn't like going to the grocery store. Even getting the ingredients to feed so many and feed them WELL is very difficult.

"When Mr. Steele was gone, it left a huge hole in our lives, but we had to move on. Several people in the PRT, the secretarial staff, base security... even janitors and private mentors had to step forward and lead this place. With the tidal wave of new people here, it took nothing short of genius and dedication to see to it that they all got rooms and schedules. It goes to show, Mr. Steele, just how important YOU are; that it took so many of us to fill the role of one man.

"Probably the most important people, though, were those that took care of our young. In the group of newcomers, it's very easy to recognize several very young children who transformed a lot earlier than the rest of us. And that is in addition to our own children, to whom this is the only life they've even known. To say that caring for them is important is a GROSS understatement. What have I done to possibly compare to that? I hit a few people with a bone; they raise the newest members of our family. They should be getting our applause more than anyone else. 

"Everyone I know played a huge part in how things turned out. But this is not over yet. ...No. It isn't. Because I am not satisfied. Ladies and gentlemen and everyone in-between, this isn't the end. Not by a long shot. It's easy to think of living here in peace as the ending we've sought. Yet, each and every one of you deserve more. And I vow, with every breath in my body, that I will see to it that one day your children will all look upon real sunlight. That they will have a real sky above their heads and live in a world side-by-side with humans. No, we still have a long way to go before I'm satisfied. 

"To everyone here, I give my sincerest thanks. I will dedicate my every heartbeat to being worthy of the cheers and accolades I received today."

---

In his cell, Dr. Rogers was mumbling to himself and scribbling with a soft pencil. He had to keep his mind busy as he awaited rescue for this horrible place. the monsters talked to him, using words as if they understood complex thoughts. Here HE was the one in the cage... Put in a zoo while the wild animals roamed free in all of their savagery. Naked, filthy, uncivilized creatures.

If only he could tame them as he had done countless times in the past. He was the best at what he did. After all, he had perfected stealth mind control. All of his work in the field was in the notes the monsters stole from him. Well, he knew... just KNEW that someone would come for him. He'd take all of his files from them - always assuming they didn't tear the folders to shreds of defecate on them or whatever they did with valuable research - and he would bring them to other branches of Pokextinction so that they, too, would be able to create an army the way he had done.

So, all he had to do was bide his time. He was an important person. He HAD to be important. He was a genius, after all. They would come rescue him. He just knew it.

...They would come...

---

"Ah, Mr. Peter Jones, was it? Do come in and have a seat."

Peter hesitated for a long moment in front of the large, scary shark-like monster, but forced himself to walk forward and sit down, knees knocking.

"I do hope my appearance isn't troubling you, sir. I can wear my humanizing ring if you would prefer."

Peter almost said yes, but shivered and shook his head. He was going to have to get used to all of this eventually. Besides, he had trouble believing that one of these guys would look normal at all even if they wore a human disguise.

"Very well. What can I do for you today?" The shark... Mr. Steele, his name was... folded his fin-claws over on another patiently and politely.

This was it. Peter had to see if he had even the slightest bit of spine anymore. "Pride" had been a foreign concept to him for so very long, but now it was stung awake. Word would get out about him. Even in his short time here he'd seen how fast word of things spread. But if he was ever going to sleep peacefully at night again... If he was ever going to make those horrid nightmares and undeserved feelings of guilt go away, this was the only way he could do it.

"Mr. Steele, I heard that you had a job opening for a teacher..."

                                                                                                                         -----

                                                                                                                   Epilogue

Marowak opened his eyes and found himself in a familiar place. It was a dreamlike void where energy and matter seemed interchangeable at will.Colors around him seemed like an ever-shifting and yet perpetual sunset. He had been here before.

"Welcome back, my Pokemon brother," a voice called to him from behind.

Marowak whirled around and instantly assumed a fighting stance. He didn't have his bandoleer, but his normal club alone was enough if he needed to fight. However, he eased up when he saw the table he had once sat at the last time he was here.

At the table was the cloaked figure. This much Marowak had expected. However, he was shocked to see Jason, Priscilla, and Kelly seated there as well. Looking back at Marowak, they seemed every bit as confused about the situation as he was.

"Calm yourself, warrior," the cloaked figure said with amusement. "Come, sit with us."

"Is this some kind of dream?" Jason asked as Marowak tentatively took a seat beside him. "Are my friends really here...?"

"You are all in the realm between dimensions," the cloaked figure said. "As I have come to each of you before, now I come to you once again. For the Dimensional Gems have been gathered and a war will soon take place in my world."

"What sort of war?" Priscilla asked.

"What does that have to do with us?" Kelly asked.

"The Dimensional Gems have been gathered!?" Jason asked.

"Wait... you've spoken to my friends?" Marowak asked.

The cloaked figure couldn't help be laugh at the barrage of questions. "Calm yourselves. I have much to discuss with you all and now there is finally an opportunity to do it. With the Dimensional Gems finally together, the barrier between our worlds has finally lowered." The cloaked figure lifted its hood and pulled both it and the cloak away, letting it drop into the void and out of existence. It was then that the four friends could see the green face of the xatu that stood before them. "I am here because I see the future. My family line is capable of this. One of them is the leader of a group of Pokemon who have a firm dislike for humans, including Pokeumans such as yourselves... Marowak excluded, of course. It is from the humans that we fled to this dimension. And it is at the hands of Pokeumans that war will be waged here. I am the younger sister... and chose not to take part in this war. For you see, I am quite far-sighted and I feel I'm best served in aiding you, who will continue to fight on even after the battle against Mewtwo in my world has ended. That's why I want to help you."

"How do you plan on helping us?" Priscilla asked. "Is this like when you told us Cubone would die?"

Marowak looked at Priscilla.

Jason nodded. "It's true. She told me that you would die... She said that the three of us must choose to fight on without you."

"She told me I would die as well, and she was right," Marowak answered thoughtfully. "Only, I'm still here. What good was the prophecy to me, especially since I chose to forget about it until it happened?"

"You returned from the dead when you chose to evolve," the xatu said. "In so doing, you defeated your greatest adversary - yourself. Had you not been made aware of what was holding you back, you would never have been able to overcome the dangerous proxy of Mewtwo... or as you call him 'Mr. X.' You embraced the thing you feared most about yourself, the bright light of evolution deep inside of you. When you evolved you chose to move on and let go of the pain that had been holding you back. As for your friends, they fought back and found their strength when they might have stayed in hiding. For even with your incredible power, Marowak, it is not just you who is in this fight."

"And now you have another prophecy to share, I assume?" Marowak asked, confident he knew the answer.

"Yes. I can only do so much for you while I am here, but now that our worlds are closer than they have been since the great migration, I have the chance once more to give you my support. For as I gazed upon our sun, I saw many visions of you four. You all share a bond beyond friendship. When one of you suffers, the others will know. You share a connection that will grow in time. Though not one of you is psychic, you will learn to hone your connection as you face adversity."

"I don't understand..." Priscilla said quietly. "What sort of good would a bond like that serve? I mean... let's be honest, here. The three of them have been the ones that have shaped our lives. I've hardly done anything."

"Don't talk like that, Priscilla," Jason said. "You're our friend and we care the world for you."

"I'm not feeling sorry for myself, Jason," Priscilla said. "I have no regrets. But it's true."

"Regardless," the xatu interjected, "you share this bond beyond friendship with one another. This is not the time to question what it is for. Merely be wary of its existence. There's another thing you must know. Two more must join your group. The first is a stranger to you, but in his heart he wishes he was not. Give him a chance to know you. The second is a soul lost in the dark. Save him from a sadness he does not deserve."

"A bond beyond friendship..." Kelly said, unusually thoughtful.

"I don't know exactly what this bond is," Jason said, clearly thinking out loud, "but I will say that I felt like I knew FOR SURE when Cubone died. It was like a sinking in my gut."

"Same for me," Priscilla said sadly. "As if the color drained ever so slightly from the world."

"Don't sugar-coat it, you guys," Kelly retorted, annoyed; her normal mannerisms returning. "When Cubone died, it shattered everything."

Marowak looked away. He didn't think he would ever not dislike hearing these things.

As if sensing this, the xatu spoke up again. "Never forget. The most important part of Cubone lives on. Your friend is beside you." She ruffled her feathers. "Our time here isn't permanent, however, and I need to relay the most important information to you. For I see a future of grim tidings."

Marowak looked back to her, refocused. "Tell us."

"I saw a shadowy horizon and a hard choice ahead of you. Beside your greatest enemy, I see you standing, even against your allies. Marowak will call upon both his heart as well as his savagery in a terrifying battle. When the dust settles, nothing will ever be the same. I see the minds of humans and Pokemon alike under control, by your own hand."

"Oh SPARE me!" Kelly snapped irritably. "THIS ISN'T HELPFUL TO US AT ALL! Why don't you cut the mystical mumbo-jumbo and just tell us things clearly already!?"

"Oh, my sincerest apologies," the xatu replied in a droll tone, "perhaps I should stand aside and let you tell the visions of the future that YOU are capable of. Maybe you can give me advice on interpreting and explaining the visions that YOU have in perfectly clear terms when the future is an ever-changing mist of possibilities. Or perhaps it would better serve you to listen, learn, and understand to accept this."

Kelly sat in silence, but was clearly unsatisfied.

The xatu sighed. "Perhaps I should clarify. It is extremely difficult to interpret the future. For everywhere you look are possibilities; and you must focus upon those select possibilities that hold the most firm in your mind."

"But..." Kelly tried, yet trailed off.

"I wish to give you the advice from the visions I see. No future is set in stone; should you fight against this future, it's possible that you can stop it from happening. It is your choice. Regardless of what you do, I ask that you remain true to yourselves." She held out a wing. "Marowak, take my wing in your hand."

Marowak looked at the wing, then grabbed it. In an instant his mind, his vision, his hearing... everything was completely overwhelmed by an explosion of sensations and visions, a confusing array of sights and sounds and feelings that nearly made him fear for his sanity.

"Focus," he heard the xatu say in his mind. "Drown out the noise and focus on the most distinct picture ahead of you."

Marowak nodded in grim determination. He concentrated with all his might. At first he thought it did no good. Then ever so slowly in the midst of billions of trailing images of bodies and sounds, he saw one which was darker, bolder than the rest."

"Concentrate very hard, Marowak. You need to see the future as I see it."

Marowak focused even more intensely, even to the point of physical pain. But he finally began to see the image more and more clearly. The vision felt more like emotion than sight and sound. If this was what the xatu saw, it was little wonder that she couldn't explain the future more clearly to them. Marowak felt the emotion of guilt from the scene. He didn't know where the guilt was coming from, just the knowledge that one has done something horribly, horribly wrong. Marowak clamped his mind as hard as he could on it, not shying away from the feelings, though they were deeply painful. He knew guilt and sadness, and he no longer feared them. He wouldn't let them dominate his life any longer.

As the vision cleared, Marowak finally saw something he could fully identify in the assorted mess in front of him. He saw himself. He knew it was himself because he knew the way he felt and felt those same things came from this marowak. In the vision, he was standing beside someone. An arm was draped over his shoulders. The strange feeling of guilt he didn't understand was all over the scene, overwhelming him, but he looked as hard as he possibly could at the figure whose arm was around the vision Marowak's shoulders.

What he saw made him snap backwards, falling away, away... out of the vision and away from the xatu with a gasp. 

"MAROWAK!? ARE YOU OKAY!?" Jason asked, getting to his feet and running up to Marowak, who lay on the ground, glaring with extreme intensity at the xatu, whose eyes remained unchanging, looking toward the nonexistent horizon.

Kelly and Priscilla were a mere step behind. "WHAT!? WHAT DID YOU SEE!?" Kelly asked in terror. They cradled Marowak, comforting him and trying to break his trance.

Somewhere deep inside of him, Marowak felt this. He felt his friends worrying for him; caring for him. It pulled him back to the here and now. But the image he had witnessed was burned into his mind.

The image of himself standing resolute, the arm of Mewtwo draped lightly over his shoulders.

"There are many paths to the future," the xatu said as Marowak settled down and was able to focus again. "Many possibilities and changes. I wish I could say more, but our shared dream ends here. I'll see you again one day, should that day appear in the sun I gaze upon. That having been said, I can choose to erase your memory of what you saw. Do you wish that?"

"Perhaps that would be for the best..." Jason began.

"No," Marowak stated firmly. "No. I choose to remember every detail. I want to know WHY you showed me this. And I want to stop this from happening."

"So be it," the xatu said. "Until we meet again, young Pokemon and Pokeumans."

Everything around them grew brighter, brighter, swallowing them whole. The four friends woke up together, all at the same time. And together they looked at one another.

"Did you all..." Priscilla asked.

They all nodded, then sat for a long time, not saying anything.

"Well!" Kelly said. "I for one am tired of dwelling on it. Come on, chumps. We've got breakfast to eat and a base to run."

They all smiled at one another. Marowak smiled as well. In that smile, his friends all saw Cubone. The innocent soul whose kindness knows no bounds. It was a soft, warm smile. Though the story of Cubone had come to an end, their friend lived on. As did they all.


                                                                           The End