Chapter no.188 Lavender Town

Marowak glanced at her son's torso, yellow color completely contrasting with his brown body. But the contrast did not hold her attention. For on her son's head was a horned skull helmet, the same bright white as the bone he held. It was another thing unique to their species, something that all members displayed proudly. As the cheerfulness still shown in her son's black eyes, she knew her son understood the value of the object that protected them.
After all, he was not too young to understand some things.
Like that he and his mother were called pokémon.
Or that his species was known as Cubone.
For a time, he thought his mother was the same, but he was quick to learn such was not the case
They had the same brown body, but most of the similarities ended there. She no longer walked on short and stubby limbs, but stood tall as she traversed the world on full-length ones. Her torso was more prominent, yellow fading away to tan. Her deadly white bone stood tall and large as she gripped it in her hand. Anyone who tried to harm her son would quickly know why her species prided themselves on using bones as weapons, as she would instantly utilize hers to deliver furious blows to any opponent. Curious black eyes had been replaced by brown ones, keeping a sharp watch for any potential threats. She still wore her cherished horned skull helmet, the item as prized as what her son had despite the former's larger size.
But the most noticeable change was perhaps her name.
Her species was known as Marowak, a mature and stronger form of Cubone.
A form she hoped her son would take someday.
But someday was not now, so she simply continued watching.
She could pick up the fine movements of the rustling grass, and hear the quiet sound of the nearby river flowing. She had heard there was some sort of human settlement across there, but she didn't dare go. It wasn't like she and her son could swim well enough to get across, and it wasn't worth bothering the humans if they didn't bother them.
An imposing cave loomed to the south, swallowing all with its darkness inside. The outside of cave towered over almost everything, brown rock resembling a natural building.
Intimidating, to be sure.
However, she understood it wasn't completely hostile, as there were others of their kind that lived there. There were different species of Pokémon as well, so being careful was required. She planned to take her son there eventually, but he was too young and helpless now.
To the west there lay a long stretch of land, filled with ledges and another natural road. She knew many humans liked to train on that road, and once again, she did not bother them. The humans being there were no surprise, really. She had heard that even further west was a massive human city. But once again, she didn't dare go. Better not to bother the humans and possibly put everyone in danger. Besides, if the humans wanted to train, there were plenty of other ferocious Pokémon they could fight against.
Of course, there were other species of Pokémon here too. They were far fewer in number, however, and none of them were where she and her son were.
At this point, the only thing here was familiarity and safety.
But that didn't mean she could stop watching her son.
His earlier fear and uncertainty had vanished, replaced by an even wider smile. Her son's scampering had broken into an all-out sprint, and she could hear the grass rustling loudly as her son ran even further into it.
She returned her son's smile with her own.
But there was more to think about.
Such as the future.
She wanted many things for her son.
She wanted him to be strong, brave, and fierce, as the strongest members of her kind were.
But more than that, she wanted to tell him something.
She turned to the side, using her free hand to delicately pick up something on the ground. She brought the object even closer to her, her gaze now relaxed but focused.
For in her hand was a flower.
The petals displayed a deep, dark, but brilliant pink. The petals were woven around a round, yellow center, and she could also see a bit of red staring back at her.
Yet she didn't tear her gaze away.
For this was more than just a flower.
Its name and meaning had been passed down from generation to generation.
She knew it all like her own name.
Magenta zinnia, a symbol of lasting affection.
Between family, friends, even lovers.
And now, a symbol of the lasting affection between her and her son.
A sentimental symbol, one that could guide others through dark times.
Perhaps that's why those of her and her son's kind chose to pass the knowledge of the flower down.
Which meant that she would pass the knowledge down to her son, trusting him to carry on the tradition.
She glanced back at her son, as he still frolicked in the grass without a care in the world.
Her gaze slid back to the flower, still unruffled in her free hand.
Her son was still very young, so he might not understand the symbolism or its importance. Besides, she wasn't going to interrupt him for something so serious when he was finally so carefree.
She could wait another day.
The next day, the men came.
The grass was trampled and tore as they ran, and they didn't even seem to notice.
The sound of the river was drowned out by their pounding footsteps, to the point where the men didn't even seem to realize the river was there.
There were so many men that it was impossible to count them, and they seemed to all move as one.
With what they had on, they may as well have been.
For the men all wore pitch black outfits, emblazoned with bright red in the center. She thought she could make out the letter R, but wasn't sure.
Because the area was filled with the screams of Pokémon.
Screams of suffering, sorrow, confusion, agony…
She shuddered to think of what the men were doing to the Pokémon.
Whatever it was, it was nothing good.
She was torn from her thoughts as another scream pierced the air.
She instantly recognized it as her son's wailing cry.
To the right she could see him.
He was scared and she couldn't blame him.
Closing her eyes , Marowak used the move substitute to make a copy of herself to keep the men distracted while she escaped with her son towards a place she once heard about from the flying pidgeys.
A place where humans don't normally go.
A tower full of ghosts.
With her normal typing as the humans called it , she shouldn't have a problem staying in that place if it guaranteed the safety of herself and her son.
Oh ! How wrong she was ?
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[ Present Day - Lavender Town ]
A flustered Austin found himself standing in front of a humongous gate made of wrought iron, looking beyond at the apparently ancient conurbation everyone knew as Lavender Town. Despite being on the periphery of two famous cities, namely Cerulean and Saffron, the jaded region of Lavender Town stood like an oddball, a region lost in time, with its stone-walls, cobbled streets, and tall, pointy rooftops, and an everlasting stench of desolation all around. For the more sensitive population, the town smelled alien, with an odd… sensation in the air, the sudden chills on turning through a sharp corner, and the strangeness of the shadows.
A miniature biosphere for the ghost kind, and those who revelled in their presence.
And in the dead center of it all, a massive stone mansion, with seven towers spiralling out of it from the periphery, each having a large stone gargoyle carved out of single monoliths, and a large Haunter sculpted on the pointed top of the main roof, with its malicious eyes looking way too alive than it had any right to be. The home of the Ainsworth family, one of the oldest and most notorious families in Kanto.
The Ghost Tower.
" Pika !"
" Then I leave you , young trainer to your time of mourning." The young woman said as her Alakazam looked extremely uncomfortable before the duo disappeared.
Austin sighed as he looked at Raticate's casket," Pikachu, do you think she was happy with us ?"
" Pika , Pi ." Pikachu nodded his head as he reassured his melancholic trainer who brushed the casket with his hand as if he was brushing Raticate.
Austin closed his eyes before he began his walk through the eriee lavender town towards the tower in the center.
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[ 𝐎𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡 ]
𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗲𝗿𝗮, 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘁. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲, 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲, 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗻, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀, 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. 𝗙𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗣𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘆. 𝗔𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻, 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶, 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘀𝗸𝘆𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲; 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗮, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗼, 𝗣𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗰 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀, 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗶𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗮; 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗣𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗳𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵'𝗱. 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗣𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗼𝗲𝗻𝗻, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗣𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.