Author's Note: Welcome to this story. Chapters 1 to 53 were written May to December 2016. They are being edited three years later starting September 2019. Chapters 1 to 53 are not my best work but I hope you'll give it a chance. This story is based off a line in the XY games saying that Professor Sycamore went on a pokemon journey when he was a kid.
No major OCs. Takes place around twenty years ago so some mechanics are different.
Arc 1: Lumiose Town, Route 4, Santalune City (Written 2016)
"Augustine Sycamore! Go to bed! You don't want to be tired for tomorrow!"
"I will Mom!" August called back. "Come on, Litleo."
August Sycamore ran up stairs and into his room with his faithful Litleo at his side. He darted into his room and flopped onto his bed. Litleo jumped on after him.
"I'm so excited I don't think I can sleep!" August exclaimed. Litleo barked in agreement. Tomorrow the two would start their pokemon journey together. Something long awaited. In Kalos, towns like Lumiose didn't give out starter pokemon like the more urban Lumiose City. Instead, chosen officials gave fledgling trainers only pokeballs to start. Some children, like August, had already befriended pokemon whom would be their starters. Others would go out and catch a pokemon traditionally after receiving their licence.
August stared out his window, dreaming of the adventures he would have. In all 10 years of his life, he'd never left Lumiose. The thought of finally doing so excited him.
August sat a while longer. Litleo fell asleep beside him. August soon followed.
"Litleo!" August blinked his eyes open to see Litleo pawing at his face.
"Wha-? Oh. Thanks Litleo," August mumbled and he heaved himself awake. "Let's go!"
"Lit!" Litleo stood in front of him. August stared at him for a moment. Litleo gestured to the clock then to his empty backpack.
"Oh." He still had to pack. "What would I do without you Litleo?"
Litleo chirped. He tucked his haunches beneath him and gave a smile that could've been a smirk. August shook his head and began gathering his things. When he finished, there was still plenty of time before he had to be out. August ran downstairs and greeted his parents.
"Good morning," he said.
"Morning…" his father sounded half asleep.
"Good morning August!" his mother said, completely awake despite the hour. "Are you ready to start your journey today?"
"Of course!" August exclaimed.
"That's today?!" His father suddenly snapped into the waking world. "That brings me back…"
"Er- That's great Dad. Gotta go! Bye!" August usually liked listening to his father but he didn't want to be sucked up into another story. He ran up to the door and swung it open.
"Ow!" yelped someone. "Y'know August, there's a thing in the door called a peep hole. If you look through it, you can see if your gonna hit someone or not!"
"I'm not stupid Meyer!" August yelled. Meyer bust out laughing.
"Yeah, nobody uses those things," he said. "You and Litleo ready to go?"
"Yeah." August shut the door before his mother could say something to embarrass him. "How about you and your pokemon?"
"What do you think?" Meyer replied. Meyer, like August, had befriended pokemon before he got his licence. Meyer had both a Torchic and a Mareep. He was a couple years older than August and had delayed the the day he left so he'd do it alongside his friends.
August, Litleo, Meyer, Mareep, and Torchic left August's house behind and made their way towards the center of town. A few people were already there.
"There's Sophie!" August said. A girl looked up at the sound of her name.
"August! Meyer!" she exclaimed. The pokemon ran up to her and were each greeted.
"Hey," Meyer greeted. "You seen Buck?"
Sophie shook her head. "No. It's kinda early and Buck's… y'know…"
"Slow?"
"I was going to say late."
"I don't think Buck would be late to something like this," August said.
"You guys talking about me?" a boy ran up to the group.
"Yeah. Sophie here was saying you weren't going to show on time," Meyer told him.
"I said no such thing!" Sophie said in fake shock.
"She totally did!" August tattled. "And Meyer called you slow!"
"What? I'm faster than all of you!" Buck retorted.
"Guys, shush. Grown ups are showing up," Meyer hushed. Everyone shut up. The group stood for a while as people began coming but eventually got bored and began mingling with others.
"How much longer?" Buck whispered as he eyed the town's officials began arriving.
"When you see Magnus, that means it's gonna start really soon," Meyer told him. Magnus was the Gym Leader of Lumiose City. He specialized in Steel Types.
"There he is!" Sophie hissed. The other kids seemed to notice this and everyone shuffled into a some-what organized formation.
"Welcome new trainers of Lumiose!" Magnus shouted. "I'm sure you want to get started so I'll skip the speeches. First up is Meyer. He's waited longer than anyone else here so he deserves to get his license first."
Meyer smiled and walked up to him alongside Mareep and Torchic, not seeming embarrassed at Magnus's bluntness at all. Magnus handed him six pokeballs. Meyer accepted them. He kneeled next to his pokemon. He held out two pokeballs. Both Torchic and Mareep tapped the button and were enveloped with a white light. The pokeballs shook 3 times and dinged, signifying capture.
"Next is August." Magnus was already sounding bored. August got 6 pokeballs and caught Litleo the same way Meyer had. A couple other new trainers already had pokemon so they went before those without, like Buck and Sophie.
Eventually, everyone got their pokeballs and licenses. Magnus seemed incredibly bored so he quickly left. The officials soon followed. Many of the trainers ran off, eager to start their journey but the August, Meyer, Sophie, and Buck regrouped.
"Where are all of you headed?" Meyer asked.
"I was going to go on Route Four and head to the Santalune Gym," August told him.
"I'm going to go catch something on one of the surrounding Routes and then head there too," Sophie said.
"Same here."
"So are we all gonna see each other in Santalune?" August confirmed.
"Sounds like it," Meyer responded.
"Sorry to run off, but I'm going to go find my starter," Sophie said.
"Yeah me too. See ya!" Buck ran off.