Fanfic / KOSATSU

KOSATSU is a fanfic combining the world and characters from Pokémon (specifically, majorly characters connected with Pokémon Creepypastas), and the plot of OMORI, created by MinecraftFan11 (known on Archive of Our Own as ArtyMyella).

Steven is a young man who, four years ago, lost his beloved partner Pokémon and his loving brother, becoming a shadow of his former self who isolated himself from everyone else and slept the nights away imagining he was Kosatsu, a brooding boy who has adventures with his Charmander, Miki, his brother Mike with his Squirtle, and their other friends and their own Pokémon. All of it will soon change once, on the third-to-last day he spends in Kanto before he moves away, he answers the knocking of a door.

Keep in note that there will be unmarked spoilers for most of the mentioned works.

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Tropes in KOSATSU include:

• A Boy and His X: Although the bonds of the trainers, between each other, are the plot's driving force, their bond with their own Pokémon is not far behind.
  • Kosatsu doesn't express it facially, but he adores Miki in spite of her confident, chatty attitude being a contrast to his stoic personality. As in, adores her to a concerningly spoiling, overprotective point. Which is a reflection of the early half of Steven's trauma (losing Miki, the Pokémon who not only was a powerful partner but a supportive friend for him) and his desperate attempts to prevent it from happening again, least he'll consequentially experience the latter half of it.
  • Red and Pikachu, while having diverging opinions when it comes to the former's actions, are close and caring to each other. Better demonstrated by their real counterparts: Red keeps Pikachu as close as he can to him, and cares for him in spite of trying to push everyone else away, while Pikachu defies said attempts of pushing people away so his trainer can really be happy.
  • Alexis cares a lot for her Hypno in spite of the implication that a part of the reason she suffered from bullying in the past was because of picking him for a Pokémon partner, and she casually treats him like a pal and tries to stir him off in a good path. In return, Hypno fights back against anyone who dares to talk ill about Alexis in earshot.
  • Leaf took in Eevee out of a genuine attempt to let him know that he doesn't need to be alone anymore. It takes a long while, but it pays off when he evolves into an Umbreon after realizing Leaf really cares for him, and he repays the favor by staying as close as he can to Leaf as she deals with the grief of losing the boy she loved.
  • Cyndaquil tends to be a little clueless, but nonetheless, supportive of Gold's wishes. In the real world, Quilava is more specifically clueless about why Gold is faking his own happiness in front of everyone else, and does his best to stay by his trainer's side even if he has no idea of the problem's root.
  • As a mirror this little (but taller brother), Mike, a bundle of cheerful sunshine, is always kind and patient ot his relatively humbler, timid Squirtle. In the real world, Blastoise sticks by Steven's side even if both don't click as well as they did with their original partners, trying to fill the role their trainer did for Steven by pushing him towards a better path (opening the door for Alexis).
• Adaptation Expansion: Thanks to being Spared By Adaptation Alexis' personality is elaborated more beyond being Hypno's trainer. There is a glimpse thanks to Ignis Fatuus and the memory sequences that, as a child, she was the cheerful and cute little one of the group, with everyone taking care of, spoiling, and protecting her and Hypno thanks to both being victims of bullying, with her, in particular, being Prone to Tears. As a teen, she became a Plucky Girl who, while still struggling Trying Not to Cry in the face of insults, became more mature, and Grew a Spine to talk back against words and acts she finds upsetting.
• Adaptational Heroism:
  • Thanks to the event that permanently pushed him against humanity (his trainer's demise) never happening in this fic's backstory, Alexis' Hypno is not a monstrous-bordering-on-Eldritch Abomination mass hypnotizer, but a normal Hypno. He is overprotective over Alexis' well-being and not afraid to appeal to hypnosis when he feels pushed far enough by a bully, but never steps too far away (either thanks to Alexis' interventions or his own mercy).
  • Once he remembers the Truth, Steven feels immense guilt for killing Mike over the accident that killed Miki. Made worse by how it is described how it dawns on him that he was too blinded by his anger to listen to his brother, and took too far an attempt to scare him off by shaking him around. En route to the confrontation with Kosatsu, he apologizes to both his brother and Miki for doing it and does everything he can in his power to overcome the guilt and tell everyone about how Mike really died. Justified because, unlike in his original canon, he did not appeal to Missigno to revive Miki, and did not get corrupted by it as a result.
  • Glitchy!Red plays with the trope. Specifically, he goes from remorseless Tragic Monster to grieving Anti-Villain and Jerk with a Heart of Gold who eventually apologizes for his jerkish acts and makes amends with his childhood friends.
• Anthropomorphic Personification: Just like Omori to Sunny, Kosatsu, by the time of the fic, became Steven's very desire to kill himself for "letting" Miki die and killing Mike over it personified in a younger version of him. But, he's also implied to represent Steven's flaws (or at least, them from his point of view), amplified to terrifying degrees.
• Big Little Brother: A mild Running Gag is how, even though Kosatsu/Steven is the little brother, he's much taller than Mike, who's the older brother.
• Bittersweet Ending: After overcoming his guilt for Miki and Mike's deaths, Steven tells Blastoise and the rest of his friends how Mike really died. It is left for the reader to interpret if they forgave him, but at least, he and Gold, with the burdens off their shoulders, forgave themselves and are ready to move on.
• Braving the Blizzard: The "counterpart" to Aubrey pushing Basil into the lake. Red pushes Gold into the part of Route 3 where the snowstorm is hitting the harshest, and in a daze, leaves Gold's Quilava to go after his trainer in spite of the risk, forcing Steven and Blastoise to go after the pair. Ultimately, thanks to Steven having to fight Something embodying his fear of freezing, it's Leaf and Umbreon who have to save the two boys and their Pokémon. Steven and Blastoise are relatively fine, while Gold and Quilava are shivering and have to be hurried away to be taken care of.
• Break the Comedian: Red was originally a kid capable of balancing his grumpiness by being a jokester, and it was an obvious fact that he cared for his friends despite his frustration over their antics (mainly Alexis'). Thanks to losing Mike and the friend group going separate ways, Red's sense of humor shattered, leaving him a humorless grump who keeps no one but his Pikachu close to him.
• Crossover Relatives: Alexis and Leaf, originally from unrelated stories (the Friday Night Funkin' Lullaby interpretation of Hypno's Lullaby and Abandon Lonliness, respectively), are adoptive sisters in this fic.
• Decomposite Character:
  • While Alexis takes Kel's role and Glitchy!Red has Aubrey's, in the dream world, Red seems to have Kel's Plucky Comic Relief and Jerk with a Heart of Gold characteristics along with some of his lines, while Alexis in return gets Aubrey's Nice Girl trait and some of her lines.
  • Alexis is also The Baby of the Bunch instead of Steven, the one who replaces Sunny.
  • Although Gold replaces Basil, he is the one to suffer the Eye Scream that finishes the struggle he and Steven have to prevent Gold's suicide.
• Did Not Die That Way: Steven finds out that it was him who killed Mike by strangulation in a fit of rage gone out of control and, while he hit the Despair Event Horizon, Gold positioned Mike's body outside in a way it'd be implied he died in the hands of a wild Pokémon.
• Dies Differently in Adaptation: Downplayed and Averted with Mike and Miki. Mike still died by strangulation/a broken neck on his own brother's hands, but here, it was because Steven just wanted to be left alone and wanted to scare off his brother by shaking him around, only to lose all sense halfway through. Meanwhile, Miki still died because of a failed trade between the brothers; there is also a difference in the timespan between their deaths (a few days instead of a year).
• Empty Shell: Downplayed and then Subverted. After the deaths that affected him and the four-year time skip, Steven's stronger emotions are rarer and he is a guy of few words, even between his friends. Then, going outside and bonding with his childhood friends again restores a bit of the energy he had in the past.
• Flower Motifs: Like the original OMORI gang, each of the trainers and their Pokémon is associated with a flower (or a herb).
  • Gold and Cyndaquil/Quilava are the thyme, which was once used for protection and inspire bravery and strength, reflecting that Gold wishes he and his Pokémon were strong enough to protect their friends.
  • Mike and Squirtle/Blastoise are the speedwells, thanks to them being used as a good luck charm by travelers, and representing loyalty and kindness.
  • Leaf and Eevee/Umbreon are the snapdragons; while the flower overall represents grace and strength, their colors have multiple meanings like the rose, tying into Leaf being "good at anything she does" and Eevee having many possible evolutions.
  • Red and Pikachu are aquilegia/columbines, simultaneously symbols of fortitude and risk-taking, representing how the duo can be reckless but fun, and together, shrug off anything that makes them angry.
  • Alexis and Hypno are delphiniums, which represent joy, encouragement, and a new life, but also fragility and the people we lost. The duo is emotionally sensitive and went through rough times, but Alexis still builds the willpower to be caring.
  • Kosatsu and Miki are the oleanders because they are charming and, according to Gold, destined to be great. However, later a third meaning is revealed when the flower is associated with Steven and the real Miki: cautiousness in love (likely, representing how Steven's love for his Pokémon later brought his and Mike's downfall, and the group splitting up).
• Fusion Fic:
  • It combines the plot of OMORI, with the characters from Pokémon Creepypastas, and it is set in a slightly alternate history version of Kanto where no one between the protagonists took the title of Kanto's Champion yet thanks to the events in the fic's backstory.
  • For the human character's roles themselves, Steven and Mike from Pokémon Strangled Red take the roles of Sunny and Mari, Red from Pokémon Glitchy Red takes Aubrey's role, Alexis from FNF's version of Hypno's Lullaby takes Kel's role, Leaf from Pokémon: Abandoned Lonliness takes Hero's role, and Gold from Pokémon Lost Silver takes Basil's role.
• Hero-Worshipper:
  • Red idolizes Kosatsu and Miki like superheroes. The real Red used to have this kind of idolization toward Steven too, but it became a Broken Pedestal in the face of Steven's four years of isolation.
  • Gold has that adoration for Steven too, and unlike Red, he kept it intact because he refuses to accept Steven would kill his own brother.
• I Just Want to Be Badass: Deconstructed in a way, thanks to Gold. His dream counterpart says that he wishes he and Cyndaquil could one day be strong enough to protect their friends. Meanwhile, his real counterpart marched on through life using a fake, exaggerated smile to bury his guilt for covering up the cause of Mike's death, and taking the blame for the ruined photos of his diary, all so Steven could be safe from the consequences of his murder; in a way, being "strong" (by trying to shrug away the pain) to protect a friend - his best friend. Doing it for four years straight deteriorates Gold's sanity, to the point he tries to stab his stomach with gardening shears, under the belief that once he dies, "Something" will not haunt Steven anymore.
• Light Feminine and Dark Feminine: Alexis is a compassionately cheerful Plucky Girl who wears purples and pinks (Light Feminine), while her older sister Leaf is a levelheaded mother figure of the group who prefers greens and blacks (Dark Feminine).
• Mythology Gag: There are quite a few to the character's origins.
  • The first half of Chapter 4's title, and part of one of the speeches Alexis gives in the 13th, are the words Alexis says before singing her part of "Bygone Purpose" in Friday Night Funkin' Lullaby: "It's gonna be okay!".
  • Glitchy!Red also quotes a bit of his original self. The second half of Chapter 4's title and part of what he says once he recognizes Steven is "Am I a joke to you?", and in the following chapter, he says a defiant Little "No" multiple times in response/defiance to Alexis' attempts at reaching out for his conscience, and justifies his theft of Gold's diary with a tweaked version of his (thanks to FNF Lullaby) infamous "They took everything from me" speech.
  • Specific to Pokémon Strangled Red:
    • Kosatsu spitefully hisses "Goodbye" before ripping off Dream!Gold's head, and says it again in a tone of acceptance over being defeated by Steven before disappearing. The same word that Steven says in the end before killing Mike. It is somewhat fitting, given that Kosatsu represents Steven's worse side to amplified degrees.
    • Something in one of the Torment Room's areas, and Mike as a spirit, apologize to Steven with the same words that Mike used in the Playable Epilogue of the story.
    • The justification for the "I have no reason to be here" moment (where Steven refuses to enter the Pokémon Tower before the postgame) in this continuity is implied to be because Steven actually has phasmophobia (fear of ghosts).
  • Specific to Pokémon Lost Silver:
    • Gold's "Something" creatures are shadows of Unowns who spell upsetting things around him, reflecting the Unowns who'd spell cryptid phrases in the original story. Some of the original Unown phrases are quoted into the story itself, with the most recurring one being "No more".
    • Dream!Gold, in the Torment Room, has a lot of punishments affecting his limbs, referring to how in the story, he lost his arms and legs. The way he and his Cyndaquil experience their final death is even framed somewhat similarly to the main route of the game: Cyndaquil tries to illuminate a room but is dragged off to death, Gold has his limbs ripped off, then his head ripped off, then finally dies. The Stranger of this fic has nearly transparent limbs, also invoking the limbless image of Lost Silver's Gold.
  • Although this story's Gold comes from Lost Silver, he takes some cues from Blake of Easter Egg - Snow on Mt. Silver too. In the 8th chapter, he and Quilava end up in a snowstorm and after both barely survive it, Gold mutters about his mother and how cold it is (he specifically calls for his mother to come back). And just like Blake, but with differing reasons, he suffers from Eye Scream.
• Pragmatic Adaptation: The "dream" sequences (besides the start, the places with connections to the Truth, and the Torment Room sequence onwards) and parts of the "real world" sequences are abridged to varied degrees, with the focus being more on the important moments. And, between the Multiple Endings of OMORI, it chooses the True Ending to adapt.
• Spared by the Adaptation: Alexis and Leaf (and by extension from the latter, the Eevee), who all died in their respective stories, are alive in this one. Double Subverted with Gold, who almost offs himself but has his attempt halted by Steven, and Averted by Miki and Mike, who are long dead by the story's present, their deaths serving as the reason why the group split, and the reason for Steven's mental decline.
• Stepford Smiler: As a parallel to Basil's amplified meekness and anxiousness, Gold ramped up his energetic personality to mild Motor Mouth levels, and, barring exceptions, he ever appears cheerful, hopeful, smiling, and forgiving towards any bad incident. It is made clear from the start that his attitude is strange, and it turns out to be a mask to cover the guilt for covering up the cause of Mike's death.
• The Stoic: Steven, after years of burying his memories and emotions, always has a neutral face with Hidden Eyes, and speaks as few words as possible. His apparent dream alter ego, Kosatsu, reflects this as well.
  • Not So Stoic: Right at his debut, though, Steven expresses fear in the face of his phobia-induced hallucinations, and later expresses anger, regains the caring nature he had for his friends, and starts to talk more without going beyond The Quiet One. Kosatsu, though, starts out slow with the frustration over something invading the dream world, until said frustration boils and transforms into murderous bloodlust that he satiates in the Torment Room, allowing Gold and Cyndaquil to die in increasingly gruesome ways (most of the time, doing the deeds himself) just so the former won't talk about the Truth. Not to mention the Breaking Speech he delivers to Steven.
• Talking Animal: In Ignis Fatuus, all Pokémon are capable of talking like people. It is Averted in the real world, where Pokémon use their cries and nonverbal actions to communicate.
• Voice for the Voiceless: As Kosatsu is quiet and not a fan of chit-chatting, his Charmander Miki does the talking for him when they interact with the rest of the friend group. Averted from the Torment Room onwards, where the roles between them are switched: Kosatsu talks more, especially with his creator Steven, and Miki goes quiet.