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Paxton Sycamore was a lad that was often defined by how he tended to live as a whisper, masked in the shadows of his more popular family members. There was of course his father, Professor Augustine Sycamore, known in his early years as a rising star of a trainer before blessing the world with his findings on pokemon research, particularly on mega evolution. Then there was his half-brother, Alain, Paxton has never had the brightest relationship with him, and part of Paxton wonders if that has ultimately come to apply to the rest of the world.
Alain was abroad right now, like he always was. He watched one of his battles on TV, fighting against Sinnoh’s infamous Flint. It wasn’t an elite match or a type specialist cup or anything, so Flint was able to use his not-so-fiery regular team without judgment. Not that it mattered, his brother reigned victorious and continued on with the competition.
Then there was his stepmother and stepsister, Grace and Serene Yvonne respectively. Both of them were esteemed rhyhorn racers, one known for the past and the other ready to form a legend of her own. To add onto Serena’s blossoming rhyhorn racing career, she managed to score all eight of Kalos’ gym badges. Enough that it made people scratch their heads why neither she nor the rest of the so-called Sycamore Clique (her friends, Trevor, Shauna, and Tierno) ever went through with the championship.
The Kalos League would be in a better position had they done so, but alas, they walked their own paths. Wikstrom was left to hold the line now, with Diantha and Drasna retiring, Siebold resigning, and Malva being arrested. If only his brother bothered to do it, but nooo he just had to dodge it all and complete it in Hoenn instead.
And so, this left poor Paxton all alone. Trapped under several shadows.
Right now, he was simply getting ready for the day, because today was his chance to get out of all these shadows, or at least out of the house. He was sixteen, for Arceus’ sake. Honestly he was surprised his father even considered this, a piece of Paxton always thought he would just continue on with the schooling, but no.
Paxton put on his hat right as the door to the Sycamore household opened, and sure enough, his father was there. His father aged quite elegantly, he still managed to rock both a full head of hair and a stubble at this age.
“Are you ready, Pax?” asked Professor Sycamore. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Paxton would follow his father out the door, locking up as he did so. He bade the family rhyhorn at the front yard goodbye as he walked beside his father through the streets of Vaniville Town. The entire town was more or less the exact same as when his brother first began his journey. The town never did see any desire to change, it was always the same old houses cobbled together and the same old cobbled streets. It was a fine enough town that blocked out the rest of the world, which was probably why his father liked living here so much after he married Grace.
The town had its own little lab that Professor Sycamore set up, a sub lab away from the one he was typically known for back in Lumiose City. A river ran through the side of the town and it had a riverside view just for it. It used to be in Aquacorde, but he’d since moved it here.
There, father and son stood side by side. Paxton looked at his father who kind of just looked into the distance, hands on his sides.
“I told you some time ago that I wanted you to be a trainer too…”
Paxton silently nodded.
“Well, I guess now’s the time. I… sorry, I guess I’ve never been the best with all of this,” Professor Sycamore turned around, pacing away before turning around to face his son again. “No son of mine is going to start with a regular pokemon. I did it with Alain and, well, I thought I’d do it with you too.”
Professor Sycamore pulled out a pokeball and placed it in Paxton’s hands. “Go on, reveal it.”
Paxton did as he was told, tossing the pokeball into the air. A reddish energy came out of the ball the moment it snapped open, and a little pokemon appeared with a happy smile on its face.
“Gible! Gible! Gible!”
It was a gible, it hopped for joy and waved at Paxton. It was so small and young, and it glowed with life.
Then it walked over and started nibbling his ankle.
“H-hey!” Paxton lifted his leg, only for gible to latch on. Professor Sycamore chortled at the sight. “That reminds me of your brother too,” he admitted. “I’m sure you know that some years ago, I gave your brother a charmander so that he could begin his journey. I was in Charicific Valley at the time researching about why charizard had branching mega evolutions when my garchomp had relations with one of the females. I didn’t think it fair to leave you empty handed, so I thought to give you the same privilege.”
“Uh… thanks?” Paxton raised a brow, then he shook his head. “Thanks, dad. I guess gible here and Alain’s charizard are brothers? Well… half brothers. Had to stay on theme, it seems.”
“Hehe…” Professor Sycamore scratched the back of his head nervously. “I… didn’t think about that part. I just thought you could use a little zing like your brother, is all.”
Paxton hugged his father. “It’s fine, dad. I love it. Thanks.”
Professor Sycamore was still for a moment. He thought about that night that led to this entire moment. The fights, the chaos, the awkwardness. He thought about all the changes and how it changed how he treated Paxton as he grew up, and how it warped Alain too. There were so many things he wanted to say but there was no real way to start. So instead, he simply hugged Paxton back.
“You’re welcome, son,” he said. “Be the best you can be, okay?”
“Yeah,” Paxton nodded as he let go. “I guess I’ll be on my way then. I can buy some pokeballs and I have my bag back at the house, I think I have what I need.”
Professor Sycamore shook his head, “no, Paxton. We’re doing things differently this time around.”
“Huh?”
“Your brother started right here in Vaniville Town. Your sister too, and her friends. But you? I want things to be different with you,” he pat Paxton on the back. “You’re starting in Lumiose. They’ve got a new thing coming on and I think it’s in your interests if you go along.”
“Lumiose is so big, I don’t know if I can just… live there.”
“Don’t worry about it, Pax, you’ll uncover it all the same way your siblings did, now come on,” he beckoned his son to follow him as he walked off. Back home, Paxton grabbed his things, which could fit in one regular backpack and a hardy suitcase. He loaded it into his father’s car before they then went on a drive. They were headed for Santalune, no doubt.
Paxton watched as they took the road that led to Aquacorde. That was where his brother (and step-sister) got their pokemon, and where they began their journeys. On foot. He just watched it all pass him by as he stared out the window, his heart racing as he thought about this special start his father geared him towards.
“This is all happening pretty fast, huh?” Professor Sycamore said, trying to break the awkward silence. Gible just sat there on Paxton’s lap, not a thought in their eyes as they looked at Professor Sycamore before returning to look out the window with their new trainer.
“Yeah. It’s hard to really make heads or tails off,” said Paxton. Aquacorde was soon replaced by Santalune Forest, with the car right on the road that cut right through it. Paxton tried to imagine the dirt paths in the forest, which he was certain lay there somewhere further deep into the forest. Other trainers took those paths where they could walk, catch all kinds of pokemon, and battle other trainers, Paxton once again just watched it all pass him by. “Lumiose feels like such a last place destination. It’s the capital of the region.”
“Many trainers start their journey in Lumiose, especially after Ol’ Wik started trying to pick up what Diantha left behind,” Professor Sycamore nodded along. “Your siblings didn’t wait on Lumiose either. It was their… what? Fourth badge? Plus the gym’s been closed down on account of repairs, so you couldn’t even go there even if you wanted to, kiddo.”
“Then why start there? Why can’t I start like Alain?”
“Because like I said, they’ve got a new thing going on, plus it’s just… a better idea? You know? It didn’t really dawn on me until a little later on,” said Professor Sycamore. “Lumiose is at the center of the region, all roads lead back to it, so if you ever get lost, you can end up back there. And like I said, something special is going on.”
“You mean all those wild zones?”
“Yep, those and more.”
Santalune City now. This was where his first gym could have been, but instead they’re just driving by.
“You know I’m heading abroad in a few days, Paxton,” Professor Sycamore let out a breath, the kind that comes from a twisted gut. “I… I’m really sorry about the presentation. I’ve never been good with a live audience,” he said with a forced laugh. “I feel like the build up to this is all so slow and suddenly boom, it’s fast. I just want to give you a fair shake is all.”
“It’s fine, dad, I appreciate it,” Paxton said lowly. He focused his eyes on gible, who happily smiled back at him. “I can handle myself. You don’t have to worry about me.”
The two parked behind Santalune Gym and then started walking. A bug catcher tried to stop them only to realize it was Professor Sycamore.
“Heya kiddo, tell Viola I’ll be back real quick, okay? I needed a place to park, taking my son to the metro,” Professor Sycamore winked at the trainer and then put a hand on Paxton’s shoulder. “Ciao!”
Some heads were turned as they watched the one and only Professor Sycamore walk through the streets of Santalune City. Paxton honestly couldn’t believe a scientist could even get this much motion in their life. Like Professor Oak, sure, maybe, but his dad always somehow seemed a cut above that. Paxton looked at gible who happily followed him, always close behind.
It didn’t take long for them to reach the waiting platform. The train wasn’t here yet, but would be soon.
Lumiose. The name rang in Paxton’s mind. The capital. Last time he was there, he bought his stepmom a neat present at a bookstore. Paxton then thought about his father some more. This was the man he spent most of his life with and yet there was still this boundary between them, a barrier that just refused to fall down. A piece of him wanted to tear it down so he could get to him but another piece of him had this feeling like it was up there specifically to protect him. As Paxton stared into gible’s eyes he began to wonder if his father had been trying to chip away at it all this time too.
“Train’s not here yet, and I think this is the last I’ll get to see you in person for a while,” Profess- no. Augustine. Auggie. His father. Auggie broke the silence once more. “If there’s anything you want to ask me that doesn’t feel right through a screen, you can ask. Anything. Any tips. Any… anything, really.”
“Anything?” Paxton looked up at his father.
“Anything. I don’t have all the answers but I’ll try. I want to try. For us, kiddo.”
Paxton looked down at the ground for a bit. The distant roar of a train could be heard.
“My mother. You never told me her name. I asked you once, you didn’t tell me.”
“Your mother’s name…” Auggie’s eyes widened for a bit.
The train arrived, some people began pouring out.
“We are now at Santalune Station. Please disembark if this is your stop. Now boarding for Lumiose Station.”
Paxton watched the people pour out and looked at his father’s quiet face. He gave Auggie a hug, “I love you, dad,” he said quietly as he then let go. Gible held onto Paxton’s leg as he walked towards the train door, which was no longer obstructed by people coming out.
“Paxton wait!”
Paxton turned around.
“Sarah,” Auggie felt his heart race a bit as he reached out for his son. “Her name was Sarah.”
Paxton’s own eyes widened, and then he smiled.
Then, he walked into the train. The doors would close, and eventually, the train would depart, leaving Augustine all alone on the waiting platform.
Professor Sycamore left the station, the people looked at him or perhaps even asked for a picture, and he thought nothing of them as he got back to his car. He glanced at the empty passenger side and back seats as he drove away from the city and headed back home. His car zipped through the forest road and then through Aquacorde.
And then, just like that, he was back home again. He entered the house and sat on the couch.
Grace and Serena were gonna come back soon, that was for sure. They’ll be here to see him off when he and Trevor go do their research abroad.
But his sons? Well, they weren’t here anymore. He’ll see them again some day but… well, now was the first time he’d ever been without either of them, at all. The memories flood in for him for a moment as he reminisces about it all. The pregnancy scare that led to Alain, the good and the bad for the next decade or so, and then, the woman named Sarah. Before he knew it, his ex-wife left him with everything, even him, and disappeared. Then he ended up with Paxton too.
It almost derailed his career, and more importantly the chasm it opened between him and Alain was one he was still trying to bridge to this day. He was able to get there every now and again, but in the end Alain was his own man now, and now Paxton was too. There was a time in his life when he felt so lonely with just these two boys and he wanted to just… let them go because he couldn’t do it.
Now they were elsewhere. One was touring the world and the other was starting his own journey. He didn’t know pride in someone else could be so lonely.