Tag: Alolan Marowak

Cubone and Marowak please!

bills-pokedex:

Strange that I’ve never covered this line. They’re truly fascinating pokémon. As they say, coming right up, anonymous!

Cubone
The Lonely Pokémon
Type: Ground
Official Registration #: 104
Entry: Because young cubone are both weak and the favored prey of many pokémon in its native mountains and cave systems, its marowak mother will almost always sacrifice herself to protect her child early in life. As part of its mourning process, the orphaned cubone, sometimes with the help of the rest of its community, will give its mother a funeral, complete with the ritualistic extraction of her skull and one of her femurs. These bones will then become the cubone’s armor and will serve to protect it throughout its life. Either because of the fact that it always carries around a reminder of its mother or because the experience of losing her early in life has scarred it for life, the cubone will never fully heal from the trauma. In fact, the lines that appear to be cracks along the eye sockets of its skull helmet are not cracks but rather stains left by the tears it constantly sheds. The author really has nothing else to add to this entry; he just wanted to inform his readers that those are tear tracks. You’re welcome.

Marowak
The Bone Keeper Pokémon
Type: Ground
Official Registration #: 105
Entry: The evolved form of cubone, by battle experience. Even after evolution, marowak do not find relief from the traumas they had experienced. Instead, evolution brings about the boost in power and confidence that they need to train harder and master the use of bones as melee weapons. Once mastering their style, they collect more bones to add to their armory. No one is quite certain where marowak gets these bones. Some say they excavate them from marowak graveyards. Others who are well aware of the fact that marowak evolve from cubone who had been forced to bury their mothers simply stare at the first group of people in quiet, unbelieving horror while silently praying that marowak just happen upon the remains of other dead pokémon.

Marowak (Alola form)
The Bone Keeper Pokémon
Type: Fire/Ghost
Official Registration #: 105
Entry: The evolved form of cubone, by battle experience, at night, in the Alolan climate. Due to the abundance of its natural predators (that is, grass-types or pokémon that can learn grass-type moves) in Alola, cubone that evolve there take on an affinity for the fire type. Meanwhile, due to the spiritual energies associated with their bone clubs (which are said to not only have come from their mothers but also be possessed by their mothers’ vengeful spirits), they also gain an affinity for the ghost type, resulting in the distinctive fire/ghost Alolan marowak. In other words, with these two origins combined, Alolan marowak is one of the few evolutions to exist that was absolutely, completely born out of raw spite.

Hey, I was wondering. What’s the best way to raise a ghost/fire Marowak?

First and foremost, ensure you have plenty of space, preferably outdoors. Alolan Marowak pride themselves on their dancing, and dancing is, on top of everything else, both a form of communication and self-expression for them. Unfortunately, the fire that lights up the bone clubs integral to such dances is very, very real, and as such, keeping an Alolan marowak can be a bit tricky … or, more to the point, costly for your insurance company.

That said, a sheltered place outside (such as a yard with a canopy over part of it) will be sufficient enough. Your marowak doesn’t need to stay out there, of course, and it would be best to ensure it has a bed inside to keep it out of the rain, but at the very least, it should be able to use this space for practice and enrichment. You can also kill two pidgey with one stone (as it were) by also constructing a place where it can train in this same area: simply clear a spot, line it with dirt, and add targets or practice dummies (a large stone or a log will be sufficient) to allow it to practice both its physical fire moves and its long-distance club-throwing moves.

Beyond training, it should be noted that although Alolan marowak are ghost-types, they are not nocturnal. On the contrary, they very much enjoy sunlight, and they’re happiest when sunbathing. You may wish to set up a heat lamp by its bed in order to give it a place to rest. They are also primarily carnivorous in nature, and besides the usual berries most pokémon will eat, they should be fed a diet of live insects, poultry (including eggs), or fish. Alternatively, kibble will do just as well. (Note: Standard marowak kibble is just as suitable for Alolan marowak as specialty/“Alolan blend” kibble, contrary to what kibble companies may have you believe.) Finally when it comes to the basics, be sure to give your Alolan marowak a dish of clean water; it’s a grave misconception that marowak in general don’t need a lot of water due to their typing, which is why many people believe marowak’s expected lifespan is far shorter than it actually is.

One last note: Alolan marowak are far more loyal than standard variations, as the rugged landscape of their native habitats have forced the entire Alolan cubone line to form strong friendships very early. Keep an eye out for any possessive or “clingy” marowak and be sure to train them firmly but gently to avoid separation anxiety or violence towards ex-significant others. Most Alolan marowak will get along just fine with their own teammates and trainers, but they won’t take kindly to anything that harms the people or pokémon they care about.