9659


It's pretty common knowledge that Cubone wields the skull of it's deceased
mother. But how does the mother die? Do Cubone's kill their mother at birth,
or do they just die after giving birth?

![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2orjy.png)


CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-11T23:29:58.547
9657
2020-08-30T19:49:25.067
1458
question
pokemon
Does a Cubone kill its own mother?


Can't say for sure but, if Cubones do kill their mothers at birth, I would
think it is not intentional—at least from the sad tone of its Pokédex entries.

>   * Always wears the skull of its deceased mother on its head and never
> shows its face. It cries mournfully in the moonlight.
>
>   * It pines for the mother it will never see again. Seeing a likeness of
> its mother in the full moon, it cries.
>
>   * When it thinks of its dead mother, it cries.
>
>

>
> [_Source: Bulbapedia -
> Cubone_](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Cubone_%28Pok%C3%A9mon%29#Pok.C3.A9dex_entries_2)

This particular entry seems to have the most detail about the mother's death,
but I don't think it is very clear (Generation I):

> It lost its mother after its birth. It wears its mother's skull, never
> revealing its true face.


CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-12T00:31:04.170
9659
2015-01-14T06:52:32.160
2020-06-17T09:17:53.303
-1
3680
9657
answer


One theory is that Pokedex entries are based mostly on folklore that trainers
have collated over the years. Which would account for many entries which seem
exaggerated. For example:

> Shedinja: Shedinja's hard body doesn't move - not even a twitch. In fact,
> its body appears to be merely a hollow shell. It is believed that this
> Pokémon will steal the spirit of anyone peering into its hollow body from
> its back.

The pokemon Arceus is said to have emerged from an egg in a place where there
was nothing, then shaped the world.

The later series seem to specify information that are not fact or proven more
reliably than the earlier series.

So potentially, the information about Cubone wearing its mother skull is
nothing more than a rumour.

Supporting this theory, any Cubone that produces an egg in the day care center
in the video games do not die afterwards.


CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-12T15:16:27.543
9667
2014-05-12T15:16:27.543
1530
9657
answer


There is a fan theory that fits your question but is, of course, a theory.
Cubone is the child of a Kangaskhan whose mother deceased but it has not aged
enough to become a Kangaskhan. The mother's skull is, therefore, fitting as
the Pokemon would only appear if the mother was dead. The only way to explain
how a species could exist if every birth yields 1 child with 100% mortality
rate for the mother is to say that it isn't really a different species but a
special evolution that occurs under some very depressing circumstances.

There are several viable counterarguments to this theory based on color
differences, breeding, and evolutions. This theory only really worked during
the generation 1 games, but it was the answer which I thought to be most
believable and striking at the time.


CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-12T15:54:05.557
9669
2015-01-14T05:56:33.430
2015-01-14T05:56:33.430
1398
3561
9657
answer


I know it's kinda late, but in [Pokemon Origins : File
2](http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/PO02), The stories set in Lavender
Tower and told about Marowak, Cubone's mother, is killed by Team Rocket when
she protected Cubone from team rocket.

> She explains Cubone's story to Red: A trio of Team Rocket Grunts was
> poaching Pokémon near town, and captured a Mankey, a Raticate, a Sandshrew,
> and a Sandslash. One Grunt noticed Cubone attempting to run away, and the
> others almost netted it, in hopes of selling it for a high price; however,
> an unknown Pokémon tackled them to protect it. The Pokémon was soon revealed
> to be Cubone's mother, a Marowak, who told her child to run. Cubone was
> hesitant at first, but soon ran off. **One of the Grunts, infuriated by
> Marowak's intervention, pulled out a stun baton and beat her to death.** The
> orphaned Cubone was found by Mr. Fuji and given a loving home.


CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-02-11T01:46:09.660
29692
2016-02-11T02:42:37.010
2016-02-11T02:42:37.010
17975
17975
9657
answer