10 March 2026

Befriending Cubone in Pokemon Pokopia is Surprisingly Sad

By newsgame

Even in a spin-off like Pokemon Pokopia, poor Cubone can’t catch a break. From its very first appearance in Pokemon Red and Blue, it’s borne the burden of having such a sad backstory that it’s scientifically classified as the “Lonely Pokemon” in-universe. According to the Pokedex, Cubone’s mother died, and the skull it wears is actually its mother’s. As dark – and contradictory considering the breeding mechanic – as Cubone’s choice in headwear is, the Lonely Pokemon still can’t escape its mom’s sad fate even in spin-offs like Pokemon Pokopia.

Cubone and its evolution Marowak are some of the many different Pokemon that the player can befriend in Pokopia. However, to find either of them, the player will need to construct a habitat. Only one habitat in the game can attract the Cubone line: the Grave with Flowers.

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Cubone Can Be Found Mourning its Mother in Pokemon Pokopia

While it may take the player a while before they can craft a grave of their own, there happens to be one already made in the game’s starting area. If the player goes up a cliff southwest of Withered Wasteland’s Pokemon Center, they’ll find a gravestone. If the player plants four Wildflowers around the tombstone – either by relocating pre-grown flowers with Rototiller or growing them by hand from seeds – it will create the Grave with Flowers habitat. Then, while the player is at it, they might as well also add some lit candles and a food offering to create the Grave Offering habitat to attract a Litwick or Lampent.

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After some time has passed, the grave will get a visitor: either Cubone or Marowak, although the latter is rarer. The Lonely Pokemon is frightened of the player at first, mistaking them for a human. After realizing that they’re actually talking to a Ditto, Cubone breathes a sigh of relief and says that they’re “safe for now.” Besides some of the Legendaries, most of the Pokemon in Pokopia that can be befriended seem to be fond of humans and want them to come back. As such, the fact that Cubone does not want to see a human stands out. This does, however, line up with Cubone’s backstory in the Kanto games, where its mother was killed by Team Rocket. This Cubone in particular seems to have some human-related trauma, and its final introductory line implies that it has to do with their mother:

“Mom prob’ly woulda liked a place like this too…”

Pokopia’s Lack of Duplicate Pokemon Gives Cubone’s Pokedex Entry More Credence Than Ever

Cubone’s Pokedex entry in Pokemon Pokopia (2026)

While its orphan status has always been a trend in Cubone’s Pokedex entries in Pokemon games, there’s always been something in the games that made those claims a little harder to take seriously. The introduction of the breeding mechanic in Generation 2 allowed the player to build an army of Cubones from a mother Cubone or Marowak, but no matter how many eggs hatch, the mom will be no worse for wear. The Pokedex was a little easier to believe in the Generation 1 Pokemon games, as breeding wasn’t introduced yet, and the orphaned Cubone in Lavender Town is actually plot-relevant. A patient player could still catch an infinite number of Cubones with enough time, though, making it a stretch to accept that every single Cubone in Kanto was an orphan.

Pokemon Pokopia doesn’t have breeding mechanics and will only ever let a player meet one of each Pokemon. This means that there are no eggs or random encounters to stretch the player’s suspension of disbelief that this skull-wearing critter is an orphan. Add Cubone’s backstory to the general solemn vibes behind Pokopia’s cute mask, and the Switch 2 spin-off has one of the most somber depictions of the Lonely Pokemon to date.