Alright, so before I start this story I want to set up some ground rules for this universe's system, cuz Pokemon ReDux does have it's own universe clearly. I'll try to keep this as spoiler free as possible!
Rule 1: Characters in this universe are the counterparts of characters in the main series games.
Ex: Retsuko's grandfather is the Pokemon ReDux universe's equivalent of Kahuna Hala from the gen 7 games. (This makes him related to Hau and two other fanmade and self-made characters that will be showing up in the story)
Rule 2: The story won't always be in chronological order, and some things you guys are gonna have to piece together. There are dates for the years in the scene transitions tho. (Think of it as Pokemon Re:Dux Lore that you can solve)
Rule 3: In this universe, Pokemon's movesets are set up differently. Pokemon can learn up to 5 moves instead of the usual 4, and I've created completely new moves that will be used during the story. This is only really limited to the Ace Pokemon of the Main characters though.
That's all I can think of for now, but these rules could be updated in the future so yeah.
Anyways, enjoy chapter one of this Masterpiece known as Pokemon Re: Dux!
2027 - Unova, Star City
In an apartment in Unova, a 15-year-old boy with shaggy black and blue hair slept.
The boy was well-built, and had long and shaggy black hair, with highlights fading into blue. He had dark skin, and Ultramarine eyes, a notable trait among his family members.
There were a row of poke-balls on his desk and in a bed resembling a nest, a black feathered Decidueye slept peacefully.
An alarm went off, and the boy turned over in his sleep, attempting to ignore the noise.
He dreamt of a beautiful lake with a rock in the middle of it, with a waterfall streaming behind it.
He wallowed in the peace of the scene.
An orange Pokémon resembling an anthropomorphic otter or weasel stood on a rock in the middle of a lake. Its arms were longer than its hands and it had four fingers on each. On each foot rested three toes. Its feet were small in comparison to the rest of the body, and it had two pointed blue fins on its arms, and aligned, backward-swept, pointed fins on its head, and two tails. It also had a yellow flotation sac, which seemed to be made of rubber or a similar substance, giving the impression of an inflatable life vest. It looked like it was humming some sort of tune.
Whatever it was, it was majestic.
The boy moved his hand to reach out to the pokemon but suddenly found himself sinking into the lake, slowly losing consciousness.
He couldn't move, and sadness and anger overtook him.
No matter how much he yelled, kicked, or begged, he was trapped.
The boy was just about to give up but was suddenly thrust out of the water and into the air, landing on his mattress in his apartment.
A girl walked up to his bedside.
The room was dark, and he could barely make out her figure.
All he recognized for sure… Was her beautiful mix of cyan and magenta hair.
It was like some sort of flower.
The girl opened her mouth to speak, snapping her fingers.
"Retsuko…" She said sweetly as if she were attempting to wake him up.
"Retsuko..." she called out again to the boy.
She smiled softly.
Suddenly, her face turned angry and evil, and her eyes turned red.
Like a monster.
"RETSUKO!" She yelled, sounding like something pure evil.
The boy woke up with a jolt to see his Decidueye, worriedly perched in his lap.
He looked around his room in confusion, letting his eyes adjust to the light.
He placed his hand on his bed and noticed that the sheets were covered in his sweat.
He looked over to his Decidueye.
"Sorry Kuu... I did it again, didn't I?" He said semi-jokingly.
A single tear streamed down his face.
2027 - Unova, Star City Shopping District
The boy walked through the city side by side with his Decidueye, walking past other pedestrians on his way to his destination.
He stopped in front of a holographic television playing a news channel.
"Terrorist Group 'Orakuru' Strike again in Nimbasa City!" It read
"There was another armed robbery yesterday. More pokemon attacks, kidnappings, smugglings. But I guess that's normal for this crazy ass city."
Star City was built as an extension of the already massive Castaelia City, making use of some of the land that was once Unova's route 4. It was established in 2019 and built in time for the inauguration of Unova's new Dictator, Madame Naliah Asther.
"...Been Champion for Two Years completely undefeated. Going on three."
"Wonder what we're gonna have for dinner. Pizza? -Nah, I eat that so frequently that it doesn't hit the same. Something quick and easy. Oh, Takeout. Or maybe I should start eating healthier? I haven't cooked anything myself in a hot minute."
The boy's Decidueye chirped in frustration at his inability to make up his mind.
The two of them crossed the street on a red light, and approaching drivers around him slammed their brakes so as to not hurt him.
His Decidueye began to panic, hooting frantically and attempting to push the boy out of the way.
He received ample backlash for this, ranging from "Pay more attention to your surroundings, kid!" and "Watch where the heck you're going!"
He stopped midway as the cars began to drive around him in annoyance.
The boy breathed in, listening to the hum of their engines, the flocking and chirping of small Pidoves around him.
There was an abundance of rodent Pokemon dashing through the streets of the city, carrying food in their paws and even a small gang of Patrat fleeing from a bakery with a nice haul of Pokepuffs.
The owner ran out after them, waving an egg whisker at them before giving up and retiring back to his shop.
The bakery reminded him of the various delicious malasada shops in his home region of Alola.
His face brightened slightly, though he had bags under his eyes and was clearly malnourished.
"Malasadas. Takes me back home…" He thought.
The boy's stomach grumbled loudly, and he froze in embarrassment.
"Guess I haven't actually eaten in a few days…" He said shamefully, scratching the back of his head.
The boy looked across the street and saw a fresh "Combusken Fried Chicken" Restaurant waiting for him.
15 minutes later he sighed, having acquired a torchicken sandwich that was sitting in his hands with a bite taken out of it.
"So greasy... I wish Alolan Malasada shops were more common here. I can handle pizza and normal fried foods cuz they taste good, but these damn pickles are ruining the sandwich." The boy thought as he took another unsatisfactory bite.
Decidueye took a bite of his biscuit and began to cough hard, jumping around and clutching his throat, pounding on the boy in hopes of receiving some water.
"It's that dry, huh?" Retsuko said, reaching into the sandwich bag and tossing his partner a bottle of water that the Decidueye happily drank in full.
"Welp, I guess they're good for my nutrition." Retsuko added, picking out the pickles from his sandwich and choking them down.
The boy entered an apartment complex in the 8th district and climbed up the stairs to the roof.
He jumped off of a ledge at the top of the building and did a flip onto a hidden enclosure with a view of most of Star City.
He sat down with his Decidueye, finishing his sandwich.
As he observed everything in front of him, filled with busy people and pokemon, moving cars, the screech of trains underground, the operators of bus transportation systems calling out the routes, and the beautiful lights that brightened the entire City, the boy only had one thought.
"The world around me moves so… fast."
2027 - Unova, Star City Pokemon League Hall
"Where is our champion!?" A woman shouted as she stormed into the conference room after rushing through the halls angrily.
She was very tall, well over 6'0 and was a middle aged dark skinned woman with a medium brown complexion and light amber brown eyes. She looked quite young, easily capable of being mistaken for a young adult and her hair was tied up in a bun that extended into a long ponytail, reaching the end of her flowing black and green dress. She wore black extended heels, and a golden crown with green highlights.
The board members looked at each other in confusion and turned back to her.
One of the members, a well dressed, elderly man with red eyes and a mustache named Shino Akaba answered her query.
"Madame, Our young Champion is likely sleeping in as usual." He answered the lady.
The madame rolled her eyes.
"And what about Diaz?" She asked, clearly annoyed.
"That boy has a mind of his own. Arceus only knows where he is and what he's doing." The member answered again.
Madame Asther sighed.
"I don't believe in Arceus. Now bring those two to me right now!"
2027 - Unova, Star City
Back in the apartment, the boy was fast asleep yet again.
On his table, his Rotom phone began to ring violently.
The boy turned over in bed and waved his hand away.
His Decidueye slowly woke up, took the phone off of the desk, and threw it to him much to his disapproval.
"Let me sleep, Kuu." The boy said as the phone whacked him in the face.
The impact with his skin answered the incoming call and a stern voice came in from the other side.
"Retsuko. Wake up."
"Kion?" The boy, named Retsuko asked, now fully awake.
"Get your ass out of bed! Madame Asther needs us at the league and I don't know about you, but I'm not in the mood for her bitching and moaning again." Kion replied.
Kion had light skin and was a skinny but built teen. He had green eyes and wore an open gray vest with a short-sleeved black shirt and a silver pendant dangling from his neck. He wore an Alolan baseball cap and he had light reddish brown hair in a series of thick and long dreadlocks. He wore grayish blue sweatpants that went down to his ankles and black boots with blue strings and flaps.
Retsuko turned over in bed, slightly irritating Kion.
"You're the reigning champion of Unova, Retsuko. Act like it." Kion said sternly.
He hung up the phone.
Retsuko turned over and groaned.
He looked over to his Decidueye.
"Frick my life..." He groaned, ruffling his feathers.
Retsuko eventually dragged himself out of bed and made his way to the bathroom.
He entered his shower and turned on the water.
As he stood in the water, Kion's words rang in his head.
"You're the reigning champion of Unova, Retsuko. Act like it."
Two Years Prior - Unova, Vertress City: Unova League Finals
A 13-year-old Retsuko and Kion stood before a large Pokemon.
The tips of its claws were red and resembled blood, it was covered in black and purple energy, and you could just barely make out the surface of a torn to shreds Pikachu costume.
The pokemon trainer, a blue-haired boy, was in a comatose state inside a cocoon made of the pokemon's energy.
Anything even remotely close to the figure got sucked up in the vacuum of power.
Retsuko's Decidueye, Kuu, and Kion's Samurott, named Khan, stood in front of their trainers.
Compared to the normal Alolan Decidueye, Kuu's appearance was different than usual. He had a smaller wing area and thicker legs, and the plumes around his ankles were longer. His feet were black with white talons, and his tail feathers were green. His head and neck covering are also green, with brown and white accents, and together they resembled an ayaigasa. His wings appeared to have more layers, and 8 arrow quills covered in greenish-blue energy circled him.
Khan also donned an unfamiliar form. The shell on his head had two additional spikes on its sides, and it had a wavy protrusion at the front. His whiskers were also wavy, with the bottom part being much longer than a Unovan Samurott's whiskers. The shells covering his head and legs had sharper edges and were black with red accents, as were his seamitars, which had a wavy blade. There was one less layer of shell covering its hind legs compared to Unovan Samurott. The innermost section of his tail is longer and colored black, while his claws were red. Khan had his seamitars drawn and faced the monstrous Pokemon in front of him.
Retsuko looked to Kuu, and then to Kion and Khan with an air of agreement.
They weren't fighting a pokemon anymore. They were fighting a monster.
Immediately, Khan lunged into the air, ready to fight. It swung its blade at the pokemon, but was sent flying into a wall.
The pokemon prepared to counterattack but Kion and Khan had planned ahead.
Khan threw the seamitars from his hands and they nailed the Pokemon in its face, leaving it open for Retsuko.
Kuu appeared behind the pokemon, drawing its bow back.
Kuu swung his wings and launched arrows at the pokemon.
The arrows completely immobilized the beast, rendering half of its moveset unusable.
The pokemon's trainer still stood there, motionless and unresponsive.
Giant waves of dark energy started exploding from the pokemon, blasting everybody away from it, including the arrows.
"We aren't giving up yet!" Retsuko yelled.
Kuu and Khan both powered through the waves and continued to attack the other pokemon, minding the crowds of people around them.
The Pokemon League audience had been trapped inside the stadium and were in danger of being hurt unless Retsuko and Kion defeated the trainer quickly.
"Use Leaf Blade!" Retsuko ordered, as Kuu pulled out two of its feathers and covered them in spiritual energy, shaping them into two knife-like blades.
Kuu flew straight at its opponent and started to stab and cut at them, doing more and more damage with each slash.
The waves that the pokemon were emitting turned into explosions.
Retsuko and Kion had to do something fast.
Khan picked up its seamitar and used it to block all of the explosions so that Kuu could swoop in with a devastating kick.
Both trainers could feel everything that their Pokemon were feeling, and each other.
They were completely in sync, and nothing would stop them.
Kion could feel Khan begin to give in to the power, and he knew that he couldn't hold in much longer.
Kion made a motion and raised his hand in the air as if he was holding Khan's seamitar.
"I'm leaving this up to you! Khan, ceaseless edge!"
Khan threw the blade over to Kuu, who accidentally caught it in confusion.
Kion looked over to Retsuko and nodded, and Khan was blasted away by the Pokemon's attack.
Retsuko smiled and gave him a thumbs up.
Kuu swung the blade infused with the energy of both trainers and Pokemon and sliced the other Pokemon in two, destroying the energy cocoon that held the other trainer.
The ensuing storm of energy caused a massive explosion.
Once the dust settled it revealed only two conscious figures on the ground.
Those two were Kuu and Retsuko.
Retsuko snapped out of his flashback and stumbled out of the shower.
He grabbed his head in annoyance, noticing that he'd drifted off again.
Retsuko stood up and walked over to the sink, looking in the mirror.
He groaned, dissatisfied with his long and luscious hair.
Retsuko splashed some water on his face and shook his head, and grabbed a blue clip made of plastic off of the sink counter.
He flipped open the clip and straightened out his hair to make it easier to slide it in.
After some adjustment, he put in his hair clip so that his hair was now sticking upwards, making it easier to manage.
"There," Retsuko said, half satisfied.
He picked up his black and white hoodie off the shower rail and put it on.
He'd fallen asleep in his black jeans and white shirt, so he just grabbed them and put them on without much care.
He walked into his living room, where the rest of his pokemon were all awake and playing with one another.
His team on hand consisted of a Lycanroc, Volcarona, Galvantula, Alolan Rattata, and a Goodra.
Retsuko grabbed a box off the top of his refrigerator and Kuu took a mix of different berries out of the fridge.
His Pokemon had normally helped themselves to their meals leaving Retsuko without that responsibility.
Retsuko leaned on the counter, munching on an Oran berry as he watched them eat.
His phone buzzed from a text originating from Kion that demanded to know where he was.
Startled by the ring, he nearly dropped it, finishing his berry quickly.
"Shit! I need to go guys, enjoy breakfast-" He said, hurrying out of the house.
He paused and took a glance at his phone clock.
"Lunch! Enjoy Lunch!" Retsuko corrected himself, remembering the time.
He used his Decidueye as a springboard off of the balcony of his apartment and jumped down to street level, with the owl pokemon following behind him.
Retsuko looked at the time on his phone and went back to Kuu.
"Guess we're gonna have to take a shortcut then!"
2027 - Unova, Star City Pokemon League Conference Room
Retsuko made it to the conference room two hours late and sat at his seat in the roundtable bashfully, much to the chagrin of several council members, including Asther.
A new full roundtable sat, prepared to begin the meeting.
Madame Asther stood up.
"Retsuko Kourada. Kion Diaz. Glad to finally have you with us." She spat.
"Sorry..." Retsuko replied.
"Don't be sorry, be better." The Madame said with an air of intimidation.
Retsuko lowered his head in submission in fear of what the powerful woman in front of him could do to him.
Kion sat back in his chair, comfortable as ever.
"Let's cut the shit... Why are we here?" He randomly asked.
Madame Asther sighed.
"We're calling the two of you here, especially because the Unovan government is worried about your safety." Madame Asther explained.
"Elaborate." Kion calmly demanded.
"Madame Asther pointed to a wall, where a board showing a graph was presented.
"Sir Shino?" Madame Asther asked, referring to the tall orderly man sitting across from Retsuko.
Shino Akaba was an elderly man who looked to be in his 60s or 70s, and was a short but lanky man. He had red eyes and pale skin, with faded gray hair that seemed to be a shade of green in his youth.
Sir Shino grabbed a slider out of his pocket and pressed the forward button.
The slide changed to a brand of some sort, with a star with 8 points on it.
The writing was in English and it read in black and red ink, "Orakuru."
Madame Esther looked at Retsuko.
"Just this morning, two members of the Unova International Police apprehended and captured a 3rd ranking member of this terrorist group, who was rampaging through the city on the back of a wild Tyranitar." She explained.
"I heard about that on the news when I was on my way here," Kion said.
Retsuko tagged into the conversation "It was wild, wasn't it?"
"Yes." Sir Shino replied.
"Was there a purpose to the attack?" Kion asked, suspicious of the madam.
"The officers who ran into the perp found him running away from them for no apparent reason at first. He, and I quote, 'broke open the fence of a Pokemon enclosure and aggravated the tyranitar into running around in a panic'" A board member told everyone.
"Orakuru...?" Retsuko questioned. The phrase reminded him of the English word for oracle which seemed strangely familiar in his mind.
"Yes again." Madame Esther answered.
Another button was pressed, moving the slide forward once more.
"I don't understand, why are we having this meeting again? you said that you needed to Inform us about something but haven't?" Kion interrogated.
Madame Asther sighed.
"As a collective, we've decided... to have the Pokemon League tournament once again this year." She reluctantly admitted.
Kion looked up at her with rage in his eyes.
"Collective? So all of you collectively agreed to hold the same tournament that caused 300 casualties and was the main target of a terrorist attack for a second time!?"
Retsuko stared at Madame Asther, dumbfounded.
"With all due respect, you can't do this. You just mentioned how there's a terrorist group back on the streets of Star City, and now you've pitched this. Remember what happened 2 years ago with team plasma?"
"We've gone two years without a Pokemon league, the very thing that fuels the economic and political health of Unova and the pride we have in our Region. We've been in a decline and you know it. I will not allow criticism from an Alolan and Kalosian Native on how to rule MY region." Asther responded, slamming the roundtable.
"Then I'm guessing that this group known as the Orakuru are descendants of Team plasma?" Kion inquired.
Madame Asther's eyes widened from this conclusion, like a Pokemon that had been caught stealing food.
"Judging by your reaction, I guess I'm right," Kion said, sneering at Asther.
"You know, for someone that doesn't bother to be on time for a meeting, you don't get to have a say in this. We're at risk of falling into a recession." The board member from before added.
Retsuko looked at Sir Shino.
"You don't understand. We've fought the leader of team plasma; both of them. When they attacked the league, Kyu-"
Sir Shino nodded.
"Kyu has made a full recovery under my care, and the majority has spoken. We don't have a choice." He said grimly.
"I doubt it, but if you guys would use your heads, then you can look into the event if you want.
Apparently, there was a group of high school students caught up in the activities by a group known as the "Children of the Oracle," The Orakuru isn't done, especially if they plan to live out team plasma's legacy. This is all connected now, It's not just a coincidence that this all happens now!" Kion explained.
"I see. No, there's one last thing." Another member of the table said.
He seemed to be an army sergeant of some sort and was a tall bulky looking man. His hair and eyes were light brown and he wore a blue uniform.
"Yes, this terrorist group is extremely dangerous. As for now I cannot fully explain the situation, but be warned, these people are dangerous. A class 3 threat." The lieutenant said.
Kion gave him a dirty look.
"I don't live my life by some bullshit classifications," he said coldly.
"Well, you'll have to." Madame Asther said.
"Every member of major importance to our society is to be given maximum security at all times. When you eat, we'll be watching you. When you sleep, we'll be there. This is for your safety and the safety of the league competitors. The same orders are in place for the gym leaders and former champions. Even when you shit, we'll be there." The lieutenant explained.
"I'm the top-ranked trainer in the Region." Kion loudly and sternly protested.
"Jax, calm do-" Retsuko began, but was swiftly cut off.
"I can protect myself, my Pokemon, and my people. If you all want to endanger citizens knowingly, then be my guest. I'll be a protector without any help from you government pigs. But leave me out of this when the hammer comes down on you." Kion continued.
"This meeting was a waste of my time. I'm Leaving." Kion said.
He walked out of the room, hitting the security guard at the entrance with his shoulder.
Retsuko frowned, feeling extremely pressured by the room's discomfort.
"Listen, I don't agree with your decision to have the league again and I really think you should reconsider. I'm gonna go too. I know you probably think I'm naive or something to politics and economics but I was raised under the impression that leaders should care about the lives of their citizens." He said, getting out of his chair and leaving the room with Kuu.
Madame Asther sighed as she watched him walk away.
She paused for a moment.
"DAMN IT." She yelled, punching straight through the reinforced steel.
2027 - Unova, Star City Shopping District
Kion found himself on the streets of the shopping district alone.
"Guess I have some time to go take care of things," Kion said to himself, whipping out his phone.
2027 - Unova, Star City District 3
In a special base on the outskirts of , A man stood over a hospital bed in which an unresponsive woman and a Gardevoir rested.
The man wore a black and white mask resembling a rabbit pokemon and had shiny red eyes. His skin was a light brown color.
The man in the mask lifted up a hand of both the Gardevoir and the woman and caressed them lovingly.
A Castform floated beside him, and he took out a pair of gloves.
The door to the warehouse opened, and a blonde-haired lady walked into the room.
"Any updates on Mrs. Karin's condition," She asked.
The man looked up from the limp body of the Gardevoir and the woman.
The lady reaffirmed herself and held out a clipboard to the man, who took it. "Sir."
"Did our agent get any information on the Oracle?" the masked man asked.
"He did before the idiot got spooked by the police and ran off on the back of a wild Tyranitar." the lady told him.
"Is it there?" Ascent inquired.
The lady nodded.
"The plans for the extraction are ready. However, it requires a necessary amount of force, which will be problematic for stealth." She added.
The masked man cracked a faint smile.
"Then I suppose that we are the threat now."
2027 - Unova, Star City Shopping District
Retsuko sighed as he and Kuu walked through the streets back to their apartment.
"I can't believe Kion just up and dipped on me..." He said as he groaned.
He lifted his head.
"Not much I can do now. I don't have a say in what the Pres can and can't do, especially with a majority vote." He thought to himself.
Retsuko's stomach grumbled again, but this time it was in irritation.
"Great, now my stomach hurts."
He gasped in realization, slamming his fist into his palm.
"The damn pickles!"
He looked at Kuu.
"Yo... Should I just go back to sleep?" He asked.
Kuu shook his head in disapproval but paused to turn around at the sight of a girl walking by the two of them.
Kuu's mood changed immediately and he let out a cheerful hoot, calling out to her.
"I guess you're right, maybe I sh-" Retsuko began to respond but was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder.
He turned around and came face to face with a beautiful redheaded girl around his age, with shiny Violet eyes.
There was a bipedal, fox-like Pokémon standing behind her.
While the majority of its fur was yellow, it had black legs, white arms and face, and a dark orange tail tip. The fur on its cheeks was long, and a small mane of white fur covered its shoulders and chest. Long, wavy tufts of dark orange fur grew out of its large ears, and its eyes and small nose matched its fur in color. Above its legs, the fur sweeps out to either side, resembling a skirt or shorts. Each of its paws had three small digits, and it was very short in stature, standing at about 3'2.
Retsuko looked at the girl in shock, instantly recognizing her.
She was definitely older now, but it was her.
"Via?" Retsuko questioned.
The girl giggled and tilted her head.
"Hey, Retsuko!"
2027 - Unova, Star City Transportation Center
The midday train arrived at the Star City Station, just on time.
As the doors opened and the steam blew from their track pressure being released, a Blue-haired boy walked out of the subway, bag in hand.
He inhaled deeply, and smiled widely, his black tie blowing through the wind.
"Star City, here I am!" The boy shouted.
"Kyu Yeonghon is back!"