Pokemon Fan Shares Moving Art of Ditto Comforting Cubone

A Pokemon fan has shared a moving piece of fanart featuring Cubone, with Ditto disguised as Marowak. The piece has elicited a lot of emotion from the Pokemon community, with viewers finding it both heartwarming and upsetting.

Cubone has a tragic backstory in the Pokemon universe. According to the Pokedex, the skull and bone Cubone wears and carries, respectively, are those of its late mother. The story would be upsetting enough on its own, but Cubone and its mother got some time to shine in the Pokemon anime as well as the Pokemon Let’s Go games, making this particular Pokemon tragedy prominent in many fans’ minds.

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Now, a Pokemon artist by the name of JumiiFoxx on Reddit has shared their depiction of Cubone and Ditto. The charming image shows a weeping Cubone, who has dropped its bone club, signifying its vulnerability in the moment. The Cubone is embraced by Ditto, which has transformed into an approximation of Marowak. The scene is set in a woodsy area, with a number of Oran Berries on the ground and multiple Foongus looking on at the emotional scene.

Pokemon Fans Struck by Meaningful Artwork

Those in the comments have been quick to share their thoughts on the fanart, with some declaring it heartwarming, while others find it heartbreaking. With no context on how the moment came about, players have been left to fill in the blanks, which largely explains the difference in opinion. Some players think that Cubone is being comforted and could even be getting a form of closure by gaining a sort of surrogate mom in the form of the Ditto. Others think that it’s just making the poor Cubone relive its past, possibly traumatizing it all over again. The distinction is ultimately up to the viewer, but with over 20,000 upvotes, it’s clear that the art has had a big impact.

The Pokemon series has a surprising number of tragic and sad moments in it that have been a part of the franchise since the beginning. Pokemon Red and Blue featured the Pokemon Tower of Lavender Town, which serves as the final resting place for numerous Pokemon, including the restless spirit of a Marowak that died protecting its child. Since then, there have been other sad moments, like leaving a Pokemon behind to keep an elderly man company in his last days, human ghosts with unresolved problems, and of course, myriads of sad stories that have peppered the Pokemon anime, with several members of Ash’s eventual team having previously been abandoned or badly treated by their trainers. It’s accordingly easy enough to imagine a sub-story involving a moment like the one depicted in JumiiFoxx’s artwork.

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Pokemon

Pokemon is a franchise that needs no introduction. One of the most successful media empires in history, Pokemon spans games, television, films, manga, merchandise, music, and more.
 

Created by

Satoshi Tajiri