"End" — a single word appeared on the computer screen of a young man named Zayn.
"Finally, this game is finished!" he exclaimed loudly.
Zayn was a boy who loved video games and Pokémon very much. Ever since he was little, he had dreamed of becoming a Pokémon Trainer once he turned ten years old, because he wanted to see the Pokémon world with his own eyes and learn what that world was truly like.
Zayn glanced at the date on his computer. Today was his birthday. He had finally turned ten years old—the official age to begin his own adventure.
"Finally, the moment I've been waiting for has arrived," Zayn murmured with a bright smile.
He immediately walked over to his wardrobe and began preparing his gear and supplies for the long journey ahead.
"As a Pokémon Trainer, I should probably have a signature look," Zayn thought. He picked up a black cap with a red Poké Ball symbol in the center. He wore a black T-shirt paired with a black-and-red jacket, along with black pants accented with matching red details.
"This look is pretty cool for a beginner trainer," he said while striking a pose in front of the mirror.
Once ready, Zayn hurried downstairs to meet his mother and ask for permission to begin his journey.
"Mom, I'm ten years old now. It's time for me to start my own story," Zayn said confidently.
"I knew this day would come," his mother replied with a knowing smile. "In the end, a child must choose their own path."
After receiving her permission, Zayn glanced at his wristwatch. The hands showed 08:00. He suddenly realized that he had to head to the laboratory immediately, or the starter Pokémon he wanted might be taken by another trainer.
As soon as he left the house, Zayn rushed toward Professor Diego's laboratory to obtain his first Pokémon.
He began running, hoping he could get his desired starter Pokémon—Cubble, a laid-back little bear Pokémon with the Water/Normal type. After sprinting through several routes and taking shortcuts, he finally arrived at the city plaza. There, he could already see a tall man with fairly long blond hair, blackish-blue eyes, and of course, a lab coat. Zayn immediately knew—it was Professor Diego.
Without hesitation, Zayn ran toward him.
"Good morning, Professor! I'm here to get my starter Pokémon!"
"Good morning, Zayn. You've changed quite a bit since the last time we met," Diego greeted him.
"I'm ten years old now, Professor. It's time for my story as a trainer to begin. That's why I want to choose my first Pokémon!"
"Your first Pokémon, huh?" Diego scratched his head, which wasn't itchy at all. "I'm afraid I need to apologize. I already gave the starter Pokémon to several trainers earlier this morning. There aren't any left for you. However, I can offer you two choices instead."
"First option: you wait until tomorrow. Second option: you take one of the Pokémon I'm carrying right now."
Zayn fell silent and began thinking hard.
"Damn it, how could they run out? I've been waiting so long for today. I planned everything and prepared for so many possibilities, but I never thought the starters could actually be gone," he complained internally.
He weighed his options again. "If I wait until tomorrow, I'll be so embarrassed. I already said goodbye to Mom. That means there's only one choice left—taking one of the Professor's Pokémon."
"Alright, I'll take the second option. What Pokémon do you have, Professor?"
"Excellent choice!" Diego said cheerfully.
Diego then revealed three Poké Balls containing unique Pokémon variants:
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1. Slugma Redux (Type: Grass/Rock)
Appearance:
Instead of molten lava, its body is formed from piles of green shrubs covered with small white flowers. On its back is a shell resembling a piece of wood or a rolled log. Its large, bright yellow eyes give it a mystical forest-creature vibe.
Comparison to the Normal Version:
Element: The original Slugma represents pure Fire (red lava), while this Redux version is fully themed around Grass.
Structure: Normal Slugma has no shell (it only gains one after evolving into Magcargo), whereas this version already has a wooden shell element.
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2. Larvitar Redux (Type: Fire/Rock)
Appearance:
It has a striking crimson-red color scheme with yellow/golden accents. Its body stands more upright, with a sharper crest and a texture resembling armor plating. Its eyes appear sharper, glowing with a contrasting yellow color.
Comparison to the Normal Version:
Color: Original Larvitar is olive green, while this version is red.
Detail: The original design is simple and smooth, while the Redux version adds many "mechanical" or rough textures on its belly and back.
---
3. Gible Redux (Type: Water/Ghost)
This version of Gible resembles a deep-sea shark or a powerful orca.
Appearance:
It uses a dark navy-blue color palette with a grayish-white underbelly. The fin patterns on its head and back are more complex. One of its most unique features is a small red mark on its forehead and rear fin, as well as gill- or scale-like textures on the sides of its head.
Comparison to the Normal Version:
Theme: The original Gible is a "Land Shark" with light blue coloring and red on its belly. This Redux version strongly emphasizes an aquatic, Water-based aesthetic.
Proportions: The Redux version appears slightly bulkier and denser, with fins better suited for swimming, unlike the original, which has more prominent legs for walking on land.
---
Author's Note:
Some of the Pokémon designs in this story are inspired by one of my favorite ROM hacks, Pokémon Elite Redux.
Zayn frowned, sensing something strange. "How can you have Redux Pokémon but no spare starter Pokémon?"
"Hey, listen!" Diego protested. "I'm only a substitute professor! I just handed out the last batch this morning. How could I have backups if I don't even keep any for myself? Do you think I can jump through time to the past or future to get more Pokémon?"
"Isn't there a place called the Pokémon Daycare?" Zayn teased.
"I never trusted the Daycare," Diego grumbled. "It feels like rolling a gacha just to find out whether the egg takes after the father or the mother."
"Then why not just put in two Pokémon of the same species?" Zayn shot back.
"Shh! Just choose already!" Diego interrupted.
After careful calculations and logical consideration, Zayn finally made his decision. "I choose Gible Redux."
"Interesting choice. What's your reason?" Diego asked curiously.
"Simple," Zayn replied. "It's the fastest, it has plenty of resistances, and most importantly… it looks cute."
Professor Diego then handed Zayn the Poké Ball containing Gible Redux.
"Hi, Gible. Nice to meet you. I hope we can become great partners," Zayn said.
"Giible," Gible replied.
"Alright, here's a Pokédex. You'll need this to become a great trainer," Diego said as he handed it to Zayn.
"Why is this an old model Pokédex? Why not a modern Rotomdex?" Zayn protested.
Diego quickly covered Zayn's mouth. "Just take it! Rotomdexes are way too mainstream. I want you to stand out."
"Standing out is fine, but I don't want to manually input index data!"
"Hey, listen to me," Diego replied. "If from the beginning you already have 'the truth' about something, then you can never truly believe it according to your own perspective. You believe what you believe, and that becomes your truth—because truth doesn't exist. Besides, Pokédex data isn't even consistent. Just think about how it changes between regions or even across different times. That alone proves there is no absolute truth in this world."
"That's a good argument, but did you forget I'm only ten years old?! Do you want me to die because I don't have data to fight Pokémon? At least even if the data changes, it's still data!" Zayn shouted back.
However, before Zayn could protest any further, Diego vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.
"Damn it… looks like I don't really have a choice. At least this is better than having nothing."
Zayn checked his watch again. "What?! It's already 09:00?! How is that possible? It was 08:45 just a moment ago. Alright, I don't want my other targets to be taken too. Let's go, Gible!"
"Giible!" the Pokémon shouted enthusiastically.