Chapter Text
Two figures stood across from one another on a field, with two distinct Pokémon locked in combat, following their commands.
“Forward, Lucario!” “Deflect the hit, Magmortar!”
Two blurs of movement, one prominently red and the other blue and tan, followed by a deep yell of pain which rang out across the stadium as Magmortar was struck with one last attack due to a failed attempt at defense, sending it tumbling to the ground. The referee took a moment to investigate the downed Pokémon before he made his call. “Magmortar is unable to battle! Lucario is the winner!”
“Would you look at that, folks! With a devastating Close Combat, Champion All Might’s Lucario has taken down Challenger Enji Todoroki’s Magmortar!” the announcer called out. The roar of the crowd was deafening, and the announcer’s voice could barely cut through it all. “With that knockout, each side only has one Pokémon remaining!”
The referee called for Enji to send out his next Pokémon, but the man only scowled at the Champion.
“You aren’t trying,” Enji growled, throwing his next Poké Ball into the air and catching it with a tight fist. “This isn’t a battle; it’s a disgrace!”
All Might coughed into his fist. “Perhaps I’m just getting rusty because of the lack of training time that comes with this position. Or maybe you have surpassed me because of your hard work and rigorous training!” All Might flashed him one of his award-winning smiles.
Enji’s jaw clenched in irritation. “Quit lying and stop holding back! I’ve seen you do better than this!” With a raging shout, he pulled his arm back and chucked his last Poké Ball forward. It popped open, releasing a massive Charizard onto the field. The fire-type locked eyes with its opponent and unleashed a fire-coated roar with enough power to shake the glass of the announcer's broadcast room.
“And Enji lets loose his fearsome Charizard! After an intense bout with Magmortar, will Lucario be able to face this challenge, or will our Champion finally pass on the title to the Challenger?” The question from the announcer got the crowd cheering once again as the referee called for the battle to continue.
All Might’s grin vanished. “It’s time to wrap this up, my friend…” With a deep exhale, both Trainers called out their moves simultaneously.
“Aura Sphere!” “Flare Blitz, Charizard!”
Lucario readied a sphere of energy as Charizard enveloped itself in fire-type energy, flapping its wings to get a rush of speed towards Lucario. As Charizard was about to strike, Lucario pushed the sphere forward, creating a blinding collision of moves as the stadium watched with bated breath.
Sitting on a log near the edge of town, Izuku tapped his pencil against the page of his notebook, looking over the pages again with a frown. The page on the right contained notes on the final recorded battle of the former Champion, listing every mistake he could have avoided, alongside instances where he hadn’t made those mistakes in past battles. On the other open page was a detailed sketch of All Might and his partner, Lucario.
After several seconds of looking over his notes again, he sighed. “I just don’t get it,” he mumbled, tapping the pencil to his chin. “He had so many chances to end the battles quickly, but he just didn’t take them… Was Enji right about All Might holding back? Ah, but that still doesn’t explain why he’s completely missing from the public… It’s possible that he retired from his celebrity persona, but…”
Nothing about the situation sat right with Izuku since he had learned about it. Even though the battle had taken place eight years ago, when he was just a few years old, he had felt something was wrong back then. He dragged a hand through his dark green hair as he pondered a single question to himself:
“What happened to you, All Might?”
The sound of stomping caught his attention, and Izuku looked up just in time to catch a Poké Ball to the nose, whipped at him by his most persistent tormentor.
Izuku yelped, dropping his book as he recoiled and fell on his back from the sudden pain in his nose. “Ow… What was that for, Kacchan?” he muttered. He sat up to look at the approaching blonde, and his body went stiff as he saw his black and red cat-Pokémon in tow.
“What are you talking about, Deku?” Katsuki asked with a cruel smirk. “I was just practicing throwing Poké Balls. Not my fault that you were in my practice area. Eh, Lord Explosion Murder?”
Izuku frowned, trying to keep his breathing steady as he stood back up shakily. He watched the horrifically nicknamed Litten snicker at his misfortune before the Pokémon approached the open notebook, sniffing at it. “Um… Kacchan, can you please move your Litten?” he asked, trying to hide the unsteadiness in his voice from the Pokémon being so close.
“Hah? And why would I ask Lord Explosion Murder to move? He isn’t doing anything wrong.”
Izuku forced himself to take a deep breath as he eyed the cat warily. The Litten looked up at him with a blank stare, seemingly uninterested in the situation anymore. Trying his best to keep calm, he reached towards the notebook with a shaky hand, only to see a quick flash of Normal-Type energy and feel a sharp pain in his wrist.
Katsuki laughed as Izuku cried out in pain and recoiled once again, pulling his hand back. Litten snickered as he saw the injured boy start to tear up. “Great Fake Out, Litten! It really shows that you came from the best breeder in the region! We're getting your moves down more and more every day!”
“Ow…! Kacchan, why's your Litten attacking me again!? I thought you said you'd get him to stop!” Izuku winced as he tried to move his wrist, and a jolt of pain shot up his arm instead.
“You think you're so smart, yet you can't even figure it out, huh?” Katsuki sneered, getting in Izuku's face. “I’m the only one of our class with a Pokémon, and every single rental and townie Pokémon team has one thing in common…
“They’re! All! WEAK!” Katsuki jabbed his finger into Izuku's chest to emphasize each word, causing the green-haired boy to flinch back. “None of those losers want to fight me and Lord Explosion Murder anymore if it isn’t for a graded lesson, and there aren’t any strong wild Pokémon near the town this time of year. But he still needs a moving target for his moves…
“And you’re about as good a target as any, Deku.”
“Lit, litten!” the Pokémon cried out as it charged the opposing boy and leaped at him.
Izuku’s eyes widened, and he jumped back instinctively to avoid the speedy second activation of Normal-Type Energy, this time shaped in the telltale claws of a Fury Swipes. With the danger of the situation pushing his fear down, he kept trying to dodge Litten’s strikes, but a couple of attacks grazed his arm, causing him to wince once more as the cuts began to bleed lightly.
Katsuki laughed once again. “Keep it up, Deku! This is great practice! Lord Explosion Murder, swap to your Bite routines!”
“Lit!” the cat Pokémon cried out in response.
Litten’s Type Energy swapped from Normal to Dark as fangs appeared at its mouth. He pounced at Izuku, forcing the boy to sidestep the attacks again. Due to the slower, more telegraphed manner of attack, he could dodge the Pokémon’s attempts at Bite far more easily than Fury Swipes, at least until he tripped on a rock.
At the edge of his vision, he saw Katsuki grin. “All right, Lord Explosion Murder, time to show off your new move! Fire Fang!” he ordered, striking a League-worthy pose.
The Dark-Type Energy shifted to Fire, with flames coating the edges of his mouth as he lunged forward with a cry of, “Lit… ten!”
Out of reflex, Izuku closed his eyes and put his hands out to try to block the attack. He felt Litten land on top of him and bite down on his previously uninjured hand, pain shooting up his arm. However, the attack was only brief before the jaws left his hand, as did the weight of Litten on top of him.
He opened his eyes to see that Litten had been knocked back towards Katsuki’s feet, the blonde’s expression having shifted from cruel amusement to a disappointed scowl.
Looking to his savior, Izuku saw a familiar white-furred bipedal Pokémon in his signature lab coat. It was Professor Nedzu who had come to the boy’s rescue today. “Now, now, Katsuki. I do not believe that is proper form for a Pokémon battle,” the Professor scolded, waving his claw disappointedly. “Common courtesy calls for the opposing Trainer to send out their own Pokémon in kind. Or challenging someone who is a Trainer in the first place.”
Katsuki scoffed, but was unable to look the Professor in the eye. “Deku was just helping with target practice. He agreed to the whole thing. Not my fault he's ‘fraid of Pokémon.”
“That he was helping you somehow, I can agree with. However…” Nedzu's tone turned stern. “It certainly didn't look like he agreed. Nor is that a proper way for someone to assist in training. With that type of treatment, I'd say it's quite understandable that Izuku would be afraid of your Litten. Wouldn't you agree, young man?”
Katsuki grumbled something, and Nedzu clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “I asked you a question, Katsuki Bakugo. No matter what connections you have to the Goodshow Clan or how much of a ‘prodigy’ you are, I refuse to look the other way and forget about your antics, as light as a word for this as it is.
“Keep this up, and I'll do everything I can to delay your journey for as long as possible. Do you understand me?” Nedzu's stern, unimpressed gaze met Katsuki's responding glare. The two sides stared each other down for what felt like hours before the blonde finally relented.
“Yes, I understand! Fucking hell…” Katsuki growled, gesturing for Litten to follow. “Let's get out of here, Lord Explosion Murder. See if we can find some wandering Heracross or something,” he muttered as the two wandered off.
“That boy, I swear…” Nedzu huffed, turning to face Izuku with a much softer expression. “Are you okay, Izuku? Where did he get you?”
Izuku sniffed, finally realizing he was still on the ground when Nedzu offered him a paw up. He took it, getting back to his feet slowly. “L-Litten got me on my arms and wrists… and I think I hurt my ankle when I tripped.”
Nedzu took the time to inspect the injured areas Izuku listed, shaking his head in disappointment as he noted the severity. “We'll need to get these cleaned and healed by a Chansey or Audino. I know you prefer not to worry your mother and cousins about this, so we'll avoid the Pokémon Center and head to the lab instead.”
Izuku breathed out a shaky sigh of relief. “Thank you, Professor Nedzu, sir…”
“If I may ask, which moves did Litten use on you? It will help to know how much energy should be put into healing these wounds.”
Izuku hummed, frowning as he went through the last few minutes in his mind. “My right wrist was F-Fake Out… The scratches on my arms were from Fury Swipes. I tripped on a rock trying to avoid Bite, and my left hand and wrist were from… Fire… Fang…”
Izuku's eyes widened. “My notebook! It was in my hand before I got hit by the move! It might--!”
Izuku flinched as the familiar crackle of fire reached his ears, and he turned around to see his notebook quickly burning away. Nedzu acted fast, grabbing a Poké Ball from his lab coat pocket. “Marill, a Water Gun on that fire, if you would.”
From the Poké Ball popped out a Marill. “Rill, mar!” it cried out before unleashing a steady stream of water. Izuku subtly shifted away from the round blue ball of a Pokémon.
Unknown to Izuku, Nedzu noticed it but didn't say anything. Not yet.
A few moments later, the fire was extinguished, and they were left with a half-destroyed, waterlogged notebook sitting atop muddy grass.
“Mar, mar!” Marill cheered once it saw that the fire was completely snuffed out.
“Well, it's a good thing the fire is out! Marill, thank you for your help,” Nedzu said before returning it to its Poké Ball.
Izuku crouched down to pick up the book, sniffling as he realized none of the notes were salvageable. He didn't want to start crying, not in front of the Professor.
After a few moments, Izuku felt Nedzu place a paw on his shoulder. “I'm very sorry about your notebook, Izuku,” he said before helping the boy back to his feet. “I don't know how much it will help, but I should have some fresh books at the lab.”
Izuku perked up a bit. “You do?”
“Even if I didn't have any generic notebooks that I could give you, I definitely have something from my personal stock you could have. Ah, no protests about it being too much, young man! I'm offering,” Nedzu said, cutting off Izuku. “Now, tell me, have you watched the League Battles from last night?”
Izuku shook his head. “No… I got too caught up drawing All Might's team in a different notebook.”
“You'll have to show me those drawings sometime,” Nedzu remarked. He chuckled, as if he were laughing at a joke Izuku was not privy to. “Back to my point, I have a recording of the match. It was between two of the Elite Four. Perhaps that could be this new notebook's first set of notes?”
Izuku’s eyes shone at the prospect. “Yes, yes, that sounds amazing!”
The boy took Nedzu’s offered paw and, with careful steps, chatted excitedly with him the whole rest of the way to the lab about how he thought the battle would go. He winced a few times as he put too much weight on his injured ankle, but the walk went pretty smoothly overall.
After scanning his ID card, Nedzu opened the lab door and ushered Izuku inside. “Let’s have our resident Audino look you over while I get you that notebook.” He brought Izuku upstairs to the living quarters and had him sit down. “I'll go get her while you relax for a moment. I'll also fetch us a nice pot of tea while I'm at it!”
Izuku nodded with a shy smile as Nedzu started waddling away. He always appreciated it when the Professor tried to brighten his spirits.
He’d been doing it since he was the assistant to Izuku’s father, Hisashi—the previous Pokémon Professor. He looked out for Izuku as a semi-big brother figure and was one of the few Pokémon Izuku wasn’t absolutely terrified of.
Two sets of approaching footsteps made Izuku realize he had been lost in his thoughts, reminiscing about his father. He looked up to see Nedzu heading in his direction with Audino holding a first-aid kit, who waddled at a matching pace beside him. “Audino, you remember Izuku, don’t you?”
“Aud, dino!” she said, nodding.
“Splendid!” Nedzu clapped his paws together. “If you wouldn’t mind, could you please clean up and heal his injuries? Focus particularly on his arms, as well.”
“Aud, aud!” Audino cried, and she got to work, pulling out disinfectant spray from the first-aid kit to clean up his many cuts. A couple of the sprays caused Izuku to wince, but Audino stopped the spray to help soothe him.
Once she was satisfied with her work, she set the spray down to hold out her three-fingered hands. In no time at all, she began to use Heal Pulse, causing both her hands and Izuku’s body to glow green as the move did its job to heal Izuku's injuries.
The glow eventually faded and, with one more check-up from the Hearing Pokémon, she nodded. “Audino!” she cheered, smiling widely.
“Thank you, Audino,” Izuku said, bowing his head slightly. The Hearing Pokémon dismissively waved her hand, her way of expressing her lack of need for a thank you.
Nedzu inspected Izuku, making sure all of his injuries healed properly. After a few moments, he smiled and nodded. “Everything seems to be healed fully! Audino, you may return to your previous task, if you wish.” With that dismissal, Audino waved goodbye before waddling back into a deeper part of the lab.
From what Izuku recalled, down that hallway was where the Starter breeding facilities were. There were also habitats for the Pokémon of varying types, including… Izuku's mind flashed back to Katsuki’s Litten, its fiery fangs particularly.
He quickly shook his head. He didn’t want to think about them.
Not right now.
Nedzu placed the pot onto a built-in heater on the table, setting aside a cup for both himself and Izuku. “There we go. We’ll need to allow some time for the tea to heat. Rotom, could you please get the recording of last night’s League Battle ready to play?”
At Nedzu’s call, the television flashed to life, and Rotom’s face lit up, eager to assist as it pulled up the video from within its files. Before it started, however, the Professor reached into his lab coat. “I believe I promised you a notebook, Izuku. However, given that the Starter Choosing Ceremony is tomorrow, and you’re set to go on your journey soon… I want you to have something else too.”
Confusion crossed Izuku’s face. “What do you…” His confusion turned to shock as the boy watched the Professor take a peculiar-looking device out of his pocket. “I-is that–?”
His question was answered before it finished as Nedzu popped open a Poké Ball, and out came a Rotom. “If you would, please?” The Rotom zipped right into the phone with obvious glee, causing the start-up sequence to commence. After a few moments, the phone gained a face and began floating over to Izuku. It hovered right above his hands. “Splendid work, Rotom! I do love that enthusiasm.”
“I… I… This is a Rotom Phone, Professor! I can’t accept this--!” Izuku yelped, his hands shaking. Concern crossed Nedzu’s face, but it disappeared as the boy continued, “These things are way too expensive, and they’re normally only for trainers sponsored by high-ranking League Officials and Lab Fellows!”
“Ah… That’s what your objection was. I was worried… Never mind, it’s nothing.” Nedzu smiled fondly. “Izuku, were you ever told the story of how I came to be your father’s assistant?”
The boy shook his head. “I’d imagined not. It’s not exactly the happiest tale, nor one either of us liked to dwell on. But, putting it as simply and bluntly as possible, your father saved me from spending the rest of my life as a lab experiment. Because of my immense intelligence as a Pokémon, approaching that of a Metagross despite our wildly differing species, there were groups from the old times of the Clans that wanted to research what made me tick and see if my genetics could be passed on, regardless of how I felt about it.
“But your father… He found me being abducted by those thugs, and what does he do? Why, he unleashes his Donphan and Vanilluxe on them! The sight was quite amusing,” he remarked with a chuckle. “After rescuing me, he offered to find me a place in the wild where I would be far away from poachers like that… But after such a brave display, and for a Pokémon he had no obligation to help? I asked to stay with him.”
“Wow… I never knew my dad was that brave when he was younger.” Izuku was practically vibrating from excitement. His dad had actually helped save Professor Nedzu! He was a hero!
“He was a wonderful man who took me in and basically raised me as his own. I’m certain his only regret in life was not being able to see you finally go on your journey,” Nedzu replied sadly. “Hisashi Midoriya was like a father to me, Izuku. And that’s how I know he would have loved to give you this for your own journey. So, please, allow me to carry out that desire in his stead.”
Izuku stared at the Professor with new eyes after he finished hearing his story. To know that his father had played a massive role in making Nedzu the Pokémon he was today… It was truly perspective-changing. And it was also why he knew he couldn’t refuse this gift.
It was one thing to grow up thinking Nedzu was just a Pokémon that his dad had caught and eventually made his lab assistant; it was another to hear that his father had saved Nedzu.
“Thank you, Professor Nedzu. I’ll be sure to take great care of it,” Izuku said, allowing Rotom to float into his pocket.
Nedzu clapped his paws together. “Splendid! Now, here’s your notebook and a pen. We have a match to watch!” he called out, passing the two mentioned objects to the boy.
As Nedzu called for Rotom to start the recording, Izuku opened up the notebook to the front page. “Who’s battling this time?”
“Why, I believe it was Keigo and Rumi… who do you predict will win the match?” Nedzu asked.
“Keigo,” Izuku answered with little hesitation, writing the two names at the top of the page. “It’s just a matter of how many battles Rumi can win before she loses.”
The Professor laughed at the boy’s ruthless, analytical answer. “Well, you never know! After all, I believe they allowed Mega Evolution in this battle.”
Izuku’s writing paused as he looked up at the screen. “That… does change things, actually. It may be a lot closer than I first thought… And that doesn’t even get into the possibility of either of them changing team members to account for different Mega Evolutions…”
While Izuku kept pondering the different outcomes of the match as both Trainers sent out their Pokémon onscreen, he missed Nedzu discreetly pulling out his own Rotom Phone and pulling up a draft email. With one last look to the boy, the Pokémon Professor hit send, putting the device away to enjoy time with his Trainer’s son.
It wouldn’t be long before Izuku was set to head off into the world with nothing but his Pokémon to protect him, and Nedzu would ensure the young man went on his journey.
He owed Hisashi that much.
The next day, Izuku stood at the edge of where his class was gathered. He had just finished telling the story of what happened with Katsuki to his best friend, Tsuyu Asui, and she kept staring at him, then went to take a sip of water.
However, she decided that was the best moment to make her thoughts about the story known. “You should have punched him.”
The sudden comment made Izuku spit his water out mid-drink, coughing at the blunt remark from Tsuyu. “I can’t just punch Kacchan! That… Two wrongs don't make a right!”
The girl hummed, clearly unimpressed with his waxing philosophical. She smiled as she held up her Mudkip. “It certainly would help prevent some future wrongs, though. Right, Froppy?”
“Kip, kip!” the Mudkip replied, clapping her two front feet together before she got distracted by her Trainer's long, green hair, which Tsuyu let her play with.
“See? She agrees with me.”
Izuku groaned. “That’s because Froppy’s your Pokémon! She’s going to agree with you no matter what! Besides, even if I tried, his Litten would tear me up even more…”
“That’s why you punch Katsuki and his Litten,” she replied, as though she hadn’t just suggested he directly pick a fight with a well-trained, sadistic Fire-Type.
Before Izuku could elaborate on the long list of reasons why that was a terrible idea, the sound of someone tapping a microphone caught the attention of everyone in the area, students and adults alike. “Ah, perfect, it seems everything is in working order!”
Nedzu had taken the stage, waving to the crowd. “Why, hello, everyone! As you all know, I am Nedzu, the Pokémon Professor of the Musutafu Region. Though I suppose in this case, I am also a professor Pokémon,” he joked, getting a few laughs from the younger kids and light chuckles from the adults. Izuku smiled as everyone laughed. Nedzu always knew how to lighten the mood.
“As it does every year, the day of the Starter Choosing Ceremony has finally arrived! And this year is set to be quite exciting, with two of our students already having Pokémon of their own!” Some of the younger spectators grumbled at that but he waved them off, “There is no rule against having a Pokémon before the Choosing, so for our younger students, if you can somehow get a head start on your Pokémon rearing journey, legally, I might add, I have no problems with you doing so.”
Moving right along, Nedzu shifted to the next part of his speech. “Among the batch of Pokémon chosen to be part of the ceremony today are many donated from some of the Region’s top breeding families.” Polite applause followed Nedzu’s announcement.
“For those unaware, we hold the Starter Choosing Ceremony so that our up-and-coming Trainers can get their very own partner Pokémon! But where other regions have their Trainers pick the Pokémon, we allow for the reverse! The Partner Pokémon will choose their Trainer, forming an unbreakable bond that should, if all goes well, follow you for the rest of your lives,” he explained, gesturing to the students in the front row.
The crowd started clapping again, though Izuku noticed Katsuki and his Litten sneering impatiently across from him. Nedzu, despite having a clear view of the blonde's attitude, ignored him.
“Before we begin, as per tradition every year, a random lottery took place between the top ten students of the class. The pictures of the winners were then shown to the Pokémon, allowing each to pick their Trainers before the event. So, without further delay, I will reveal the results of the lottery.”
“I wonder who won…” Izuku muttered as he watched Nedzu cut open a sealed envelope, no doubt just for suspense.
He was convinced he hadn't been considered for the lottery roster. While he had top marks in every other class, he was sure his middling performance in the lessons involving Fire-Types was enough to hold him back. “Hey Tsuyu, who do you think won?”
Before she could answer, Nedzu cleared his throat. “Would Tsuyu Asui, Chikuchi Togeike, and Izuku Midoriya please come onto the stage?”
Izuku froze. There was no way he should have won. His grade point average wasn't that high… Right?
“There's your answer, Izuku,” Tsuyu joked as she made her way up to the stage. Mudkip was at her heels, and he stiffly followed after her.
They were joined by a girl Izuku hadn't seen too frequently, given his tendency to take notes by himself. She had dark brown hair and eyes, and, unlike her typically sullen look, he remembered her having, she seemed excited at having won.
Izuku wished he could relate.
‘ Okay, Izuku, don't panic… It'll be fine! I'm sure Bulbasaur or Squirtle picked me,’ he thought to himself.
“Miss Asui, you were selected from the lottery first. As such, you'll be the first to get your new Pokémon,” Nedzu said, placing a Poké Ball into her hands. “Please release the Pokémon when you’re ready.”
Tsuyu took a deep breath before tossing the Poké Ball into the air. It popped open, and from it appeared a Bulbasaur. Its gaze darted from the different sides of the stage before it finally locked onto its new Trainer.
“Bulb, bulba!” it cried out before it jumped into Tsuyu's arms to hug her. The girl moved to catch it and laughed as she hugged it back.
“The Seed Pokémon, Bulbasaur! A fitting partner for you, Miss Asui. He chose very well,” Nedzu remarked as the crowd cheered.
Izuku began clapping politely, but inside, he was panicking. ‘Okay, don't panic… There's still Squirtle! Or any Pokémon but…’
“Miss Togeike, you are next. Please release your new Pokémon when you're ready,” he said as he handed her the next Poké Ball.
And with a simple toss, Izuku's hopes were crushed. A Squirtle appeared on stage with a flash of light and immediately ran over to get attention from Chikuchi.
“Squirt, squirtle!”
“Oh, he's so cute!” Chikuchi said, picking up Squirtle and hugging it tightly.
Nedzu smiled at the display. “The Tiny Turtle Pokémon, Squirtle. He’s a loyal companion and will do well on your journey, regardless of the path you decide to take.”
Izuku couldn’t hear the cheering crowd over the sound of rushing blood in his ears. This couldn’t be happening. ‘Maybe… Maybe he has a different Pokémon selected this year?’
Nedzu’s voice was muted to Izuku's ears as he spoke, “And last but not least, Mister Midoriya, it's your turn to release your Pokémon. He's been very excited to finally meet you.”
He vaguely acknowledged Nedzu handing him the last of the three Poké Balls. Surely, this was all just a big misunderstanding, and there’d be some other Pokémon in this thing. All he had to do was open the thing and confirm that.
But yet, he stood still, gaze locked onto the Poké Ball like it was going to bite him. To the crowd, it looked like he was trying to collect himself from his excitement. But to Izuku, Katsuki, and those on the stage?
Everyone could tell he was on the verge of a meltdown, but only two of them knew why.
After several moments, Tsuyu hesitantly stepped closer to her friend. “Izuku, are you okay?”
That one question seemed to shake Izuku from his frozen stupor. “H-huh? Oh, yeah! Sorry! I’ll just… um… open this now…” With a deep breath, Izuku forced himself to toss the Poké Ball into the air. It popped open, just like the other two. A Pokémon appeared on the stage, just like before.
However, this wasn’t the same as before. Because before, it wasn’t a Charmander.
The Charmander looked around the stage and locked eyes with Izuku. While everyone else focused on the way the Pokémon’s face lit up in glee, most missed how Izuku froze up, how his skin was pale, and how he looked like he could barely breathe from how much he was shaking in fear.
As the Charmander took a step closer, images flashed through Izuku’s mind. Sneaking into the breeding facilities, a Pokémon’s terrified cries followed by the enraged cries of its mother, shoving a blonde-haired form out of the way of an incoming Flamethrower–!
It was too much.
With no time to explain himself or apologize, Izuku stumbled away and ran off, hand clenched over his chest as he tried and failed to keep his breathing steady.
He missed the sounds of those closest to him calling for him to return. He missed the heartbroken cries of a Pokémon who had just been rejected by its partner. Its small, clawed hands were reaching out for someone who couldn’t be reached yet.
Most of all, he missed the professor's regret-filled expression, as he lacked the information to know that a reaction this intense would happen.
As soon as he handed Izuku his chosen partner, Nedzu realized something was wrong.
Izuku had been locked in place, staring at the Poké Ball like it was going to attack him, barely breathing. Miss Asui had called out to him, and it seemed to bring him back to the present, but only slightly.
It was when Charmander appeared on the stage that everything went to Distortion.
Nedzu didn’t realize a human could go pale so quickly, so dramatically, upon seeing a single Pokémon. Even from what he’s seen of Izuku around other Fire-Types, it was never worse than freezing up, like he had when the Professor handed him the Poké Ball.
But this time, it was so, so much worse.
Nedzu watched in growing horror as Izuku stumbled back and ran away. “Mister Midoriya, please come back!”
Miss Asui called out to him, too, as did many of their mutual classmates, as regret settled into Nedzu's heart. The adults in the audience looked horrified at the turn of events, but for the wrong reason.
They thought this boy made the heartless decision to abandon his new partner in front of everyone. They had no way of knowing that Izuku had panicked.
Charmander's cries ripped his attention away from Izuku’s retreating form, and he rushed to console the Fire Starter. “I'm very sorry about all this, Charmander. It's not your fault,” he whispered as he prepared to return him. “Please return to your Poké Ball… I’ll explain everything after the Choosing.”
“But… My Trainer… Why did he run off? Does he hate me?” Charmander sobbed, his small hands reaching up to wipe the tears in his eyes.
“No, no, he doesn’t hate you, Chamander. It’s just… It’s complicated. Too much to explain right now. I promise I will tell you what I know once we’re back at the lab. Okay?” Nedzu waited a few moments for Charmander to nod in acknowledgement. “Good. For now, please return.”
Nedzu held up the Poké Ball and, in a flash of red, Charmander’s form shrank down and returned to the device. The Professor let out a sigh as he minimized the Poké Ball and placed it into his pocket. He was not eager to address the crowd, but it was necessary.
He faced the audience again with a faux smile that did not reach his eyes. “I apologize for that turn of events, everyone. Rest assured, the matter will be dealt with privately,” he said, gauging the reactions of the people. Most of the adults, and even some of the students, had caught on that there was something deeper happening than what they understood on a surface level. He wasn’t worried about them; they wouldn’t hold this against Izuku, especially after Nedzu helped resolve this fear of his.
No, the reactions he was concerned about were the sneering classmates, the subdued, mocking laughter, and the angry gazes of those who just could not understand what would drive a young man who was about to leave on a journey across the region to run away from his new Pokémon.
There wasn’t much that could be done at this moment, however. The Ceremony had to continue, lest it throw off much of the administrative work, which involved organizing the Trainer IDs of all of these students and their traveling kits.
“Now, students, if you would all make your way to the Pokémon enclosure, you'll be able to meet your new partners!” Awkwardly, the students began to move, following Nedzu's direction.
Giving the auditorium a moment to clear out, Nedzu quickly looked over to where his lab assistant was waiting and waved him over.
“Do you need me to do something, Sir?”
“Yes. I need your assistance with a critical task,” Nedzu said, glancing off towards the direction of Aldera Town.
“Ah, you want me to keep an eye on Mister Midoriya?” Higari asked, and Nedzu nodded. “You sure you'll be able to run everything by yourself, sir?”
“Yes, yes. I've done it before, and aside from Mister Bakugo, this group is relatively well-behaved, and Miss Asui is often willing to jump in if things get rowdy,” Nedzu remarked, waving the man off. He turned his attention back to the enclosure, where the rest of the ceremony had already begun.
One by one, the Pokémon approached their chosen Trainers, some hesitantly, while others approached without worry. He saw many different species among the Choosing too. Budew, Pichu, Azurill, Tympole, Grubbin, Fletchling…
He even witnessed an overly enthusiastic Magikarp splash its way over to Mister Bakugo. A male, upon further observation. It would have been a funny sight if not for both Professor and student knowing exactly what a Magikarp evolved into, a fact only made worse by the clear personality and sense of self shown in this member of his species.
Nedzu sighed through his nose as he started making his way toward the enclosure. While he did so, he silently pulled out his PokéNav. First, he alerted Izuku’s mother of what happened, as she was busy at the Pokémon Center and couldn’t be there for her son like she wanted. Second, he typed a quick message to Toshinori.
Nedzu had tried everything he could to help Izuku overcome his fear of Pokémon, and for the most part, he had succeeded. Izuku was still wary of Pokémon he didn’t know, but he didn’t freeze up anymore around them.
Unfortunately, simple fear and a phobia are two distinct things, even though a phobia is a type of fear.
Izuku feared Pokémon, but he could overcome his fear of them. It was never crippling for him, and eventually, if he continued on his chosen path, he'd be rid of it.
But Izuku was crippled by his pyrophobia. He feared fire, or more specifically, he feared Fire-Type Pokémon, to the point that he would flee from them if he could, and if he couldn’t, he’d pass out from panic attack-induced hyperventilation.
And after what happened today? If he left this off any longer, Izuku would regress back into his Pokémon-fearing shell, and he wouldn't be able to go on his journey.
He sent the message off with a sigh and hoped for a response soon. After all, the man owed him a favor; though it was sooner than expected, it was time to cash in.
Near the very edge of Aldera Town, Izuku sat with his back to a tree, hugging his knees as he tried desperately to calm himself down. All he could hear was his heart beating, and his vision was blurry with tears. He tried to wipe them away and calm himself down, but nothing was working.
He ran away from the Ceremony. He actually ran away from the stage, from everything, in front of everyone. He didn’t even get to explain anything to poor Charmander! He probably thought he was horrible now.
Even though just eight years ago, Izuku would have done anything for a Charmander as his first Pokémon. Up until the incident at the lab with Katsuki…
Izuku sniffed as he tried to hold back more tears. He couldn’t think about it. Not now.
Except he couldn’t stop thinking about it. All because he couldn’t get over his stupid fear, he upset an innocent Pokémon, probably made his class annoyed with him… And he almost certainly disappointed the Professor.
Even after all the effort Nedzu put into helping him, he was nothing but a disappointment…
Izuku looked behind him, at the trees that made up either side of the road out of Aldera Town. ‘I’m such a failure… Maybe I should just leave…’ he thought to himself. It certainly wouldn’t be difficult. The road was right there; he just needed to walk down it.
Maybe if he disappeared, he wouldn’t keep bringing down his Clan’s name by being such a useless deku.
As his spiral of depressing thoughts continued, he didn’t notice the figure approaching him from behind until they cleared their throat. Izuku yelped, whipping around in the direction of the sound, only to find…
“Professor Nedzu? W-what are you doing here?” Izuku asked, hastily trying to wipe his tears away.
Nedzu hummed, giving him a look like the answer should have been obvious. “I’m here to talk to you about what happened, Izuku.”
“O-oh… Of course…” Izuku winced, hugging his knees closer to himself, not daring to look back up at Nedzu. “I’m really sorry I messed everything up, Professor… You put so much work into today, and you had so much faith in me, but I just ended up disappointing you…” He mumbled, sniffing as he tried to keep the tears from returning.
Instead of the confirmation Izuku was expecting, he felt something pat on his head. He looked up to see Nedzu patting him with his paw, looking at him with regret on his face. “No, I should be the one to apologize today, Izuku. Even after all the work we put into helping mitigate your fear of Pokémon, to be able to exist near them without freezing up, I had not realized just how deeply ingrained your fear of Fire-Types was.
“It was because of my oversight on the matter that the events of today occurred as they did. And for that, I am sorry, Izuku.” Nedzu bowed his head slightly, and Izuku felt his face go red in embarrassment.
“But… But I made a mess of everything! A lot of people doubted that I could become a Trainer in the first place!” Izuku groaned, holding his head in his hands.
Amused, Nedzu to himself, patting Izuku once again. “You shouldn't worry so much, Izuku. If the opinions of others were truly enough to influence you, you would have given up on your dreams when you first developed your fear in Pokémon..”
Izuku sniffed, wiping his face. “So… I didn’t ruin the Ceremony?” Izuku asked, and Nedzu shook his head in response. “And I didn’t bring shame onto my Clan?”
Nedzu was unable to suppress the surprised laugh that escaped him. “Bring shame onto… Izuku, you are adored by the Joys, and the whole region adores them! Nothing you do could possibly bring shame to the name, nor would any of them be upset with you over something like this. In fact, I’d be willing to bet they’re actually rather concerned for you, and hope you’re doing okay.”
Izuku frowned, narrowing his eyes at the Professor. “You only make a bet when you know the outcome. You messaged my mom!”
“Guilty,” Nedzu remarked, though he didn't sound at all regretful. “But it was necessary, especially for what’s coming.” At Izuku's confused look, he continued, “There's someone I need you to speak to. This isn't an issue we can put off any longer.”
Nedzu handed Izuku a slip of paper containing a name and an address. He frowned as he considered the words. “Is this… Are you sending me to a therapist?”
Nedzu nodded. “In a sense, yes.”
“I… I don't know. Can’t you keep trying to help me through this?” Izuku asked, daring to maintain a bit of hope.
Nedzu gave him a sad smile. “We've tried about everything I can, Izuku. And with how busy I'm going to be this year with the Trainer IDs, travel kits, and helping organize the two sponsorships… I won't be able to help you in time for your journey. A month is just too little time for me.”
“I… Okay…” Izuku sighed, slumping a bit in resignation. He moved to stand and leave, but Nedzu stopped him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Professor Nedzu?”
“I just have one more thing to say, Izuku. A bit of a warning, you could call it,” he said. Nedzu seemed to need a moment to find the right words before he continued. “I must warn you that the man you're going to meet, he… Well, he's…”
Nedzu sighed through his nose. “Just be patient, okay? He will help you.”
“Okay…?” Izuku said. He wasn't sure how to take the warning, but he appreciated it regardless. “I'll see you later, Professor Nedzu!”
“Goodbye, Izuku. I'll see you again when you're ready to go on your journey!” With nothing else to say, the two went their separate ways.
As he walked off, Izuku decided to double-check the name and address on the note. “Let's see here… "Toshinori Yagi,” and he lives at… Oh, that's on the complete other side of town… I guess that's not that far.”
Resigned to his fate, Izuku began his march through the streets. Mercifully, most were still empty. Not everyone returned right away from the Ceremony, and many families would have gone straight home to help better introduce the Pokémon into their lives.
Still, it wasn’t the shortest walk, despite his earlier comment. It took him nearly twenty minutes to get to the other side of town, and then another five minutes to use the map on his Rotom Phone to find the offshoot path into part of the forest where the address was listed.
When Izuku finally approached the right house, he was shocked at the sight before him. The building, despite only being one-story, was tall. The door was around half a foot taller than the doors to most homes, and the rest of the house had been built to accommodate someone really tall. From what he could see of the backyard, it looked like it had a battlefield in the back for Pokémon battles. But aside from that, the house wasn’t much to look at…
With a house like this, Izuku couldn't help but wonder what kind of person Toshinori Yagi was.
Unable to put it off further, Izuku finally worked up the courage to knock on the large door. After what felt like no time at all, the door opened, and Izuku began to speak. “Excuse me, Mister Yagi, but Professor Nedzu said I was to meet… with…” Izuku trailed off as he took in the sight of the homeowner.
Extremely tall, over seven feet. Electric blue eyes. Blonde hair with bangs that could look like a ‘V’ if spiked up with gel—impressive build, especially for someone of the man’s stature. There was only one man, Izuku knew of, who could possibly fit this description…
“ALL MIGHT!?” Izuku screamed, nearly falling over. ‘Did Nedzu really send me to meet All Might, of all people!?’
Toshinori stared down at Izuku, who shifted uncomfortably on the spot, both from the former champion's gaze and the revelation that Nedzu had absolutely set this up for a reason… One that the boy was not privy to.
But then, Toshinori suddenly began speaking. “So, you’re the kid Nedzu wanted me to talk to, huh?” His voice was completely lacking the positive, boisterous energy of the past. It was extremely uncanny to Izuku, but the boy shakily nodded in response to the question. “All right then. Come inside, and let’s have a chat.”
He opened the door the rest of the way for Izuku to come inside, and while Izuku followed the direction, only one thought crossed his mind:
His life had gone in a wildly different direction than he thought it would this morning.
Chapter 2
Notes:
Professor Donger: I'm glad people enjoyed the last chapter. Here's another for you. To answer some questions left by a few commenters, no, this fic won't be a harem; the tags will be updated when we have the ship for sure started and on the way. Another thing that I'm sure you've noticed is that Katsuki is terrible in this fic. That's intentional; he and other characters from MHA aren't the same as their canon counterparts. Katsuki doesn't have the goal of being a hero to temper his more negative personality traits; he wants to be the Champion, to be the strongest, and it has basically turned him into a Paul/Silver-esque character. I don't want to say more without going into what we have planned, but he will develop as a character as the fic progresses. This isn't a bashing fic.
Jk1013: I certainly hope everyone enjoys this update. Before anyone makes any requests for certain species to appear as team members, I'll unfortunately need to stop you there. We have his team plotted out already, and won't be making any adjustments from requests. As well, we'll be posting the regional Pokédex at some point soon on this fic, so keep an eye out.
For team tracking, we'll post the teams in the end author's note once it becomes relevant what Pokémon characters have with them. For now, it isn't, so there isn't a team list.
Chapter Text
If you had asked Izuku this morning what he thought would happen to him this week, he could have told you he’d get attacked by Katsuki’s Litten. He could have said there was a chance he’d end up running away from the Starter Choosing Ceremony if he had encountered a Fire-Type. He could have even expressed his wish for a Rotom Phone for his journey, as much as getting one would have been wishful thinking.
Izuku never could have guessed that he would be invited into his idol’s house, served tea, and seated across from the impressively tall man, who stared down Izuku with an unimpressed look.
“So, kid, tell me… Why do you think Nedzu had you come meet me today?” Toshinori asked, unflinching in his leveled stare as he took a sip of his tea.
“Well… It probably has to do with what happened today, Mister Yagi,” Izuku said. After several moments of silence, he shifted uncomfortably as he realized Toshinori was waiting for him to elaborate on that. “Today was the Starter Choosing Ceremony. Everyone from the Pokémon School in my class gets partnered up with the Pokémon that chooses them.”
“Yes, I know about the Ceremony, kid. I’ve known about it since before it was changed from the Trainer picking the Pokémon to the current system around twenty-five years ago. Get on with it, and skip to the good part,” Toshinori said, dismissively waving his hand.
Izuku frowned at the man’s reaction. ‘Is this… actually All Might? Or was I mistaken?’ he asked himself. He really wasn’t sure, based on how this man was acting towards him.
Nonetheless, he still had a story to get through. “Well, normally we are picked that day by the Pokémon that are donated to the event, with their consent, of course. However, I won one of the three lottery slots for the top students. Two others and I were the options to pick for the Starters, which only the Pokémon Professor gave out. The Pokémon were--”
“Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander. Yes, yes, I already know which species he gives out. What happened next?” Toshinori asked. If the man had looked unimpressed before, he looked to be almost completely done with Izuku now and bored out of his mind.
The aggressive interruption resulted in Izuku hunching in on himself. ‘Great, now he’s sick of me… I just need to get to the point before he kicks me out… Patience, Izuku. Like Nedzu said…’
Taking a deep breath, he continued. “Because of a… past incident involving a Charizard, when I was younger, I was afraid of Pokémon in general. I managed to overcome that fear mostly with Nedzu’s help, but I still don’t react well to Fire-Type Pokémon. I’m terrified of them, and fire in general, actually... But I’m terrified of Charmander and its evolutions. And today, it turned out that Charmander chose me, and I just… I couldn’t handle it. I had to get away from him. From everything. All I could think about was that day, and--”
“Ah, I get it,” Toshinori said, interrupting Izuku for a third time. “Nedzu sent you here after coming up with some sob story to get me to ‘help’ you. Is that right?”
Izuku's eyes widened in shock. “W-what? Why would you even think that?” Izuku asked. “What even– How did you even come to that conclusion?”
“Because I think you're lying—you and Nedzu. Not the first time, won't be the last either,” Toshinori stated bluntly. “So, tough luck, kid. The answer is no.”
Izuku sat there, stunned. In front of him sat All Might, the former Champion, well-known for helping others… He rejected him so brutally and accused him of lying. He wasn't expecting him to go out of his way to help after being retired for so long, but this…
“Why would you even think I'm lying?” Izuku asked, taking a deep breath to steady himself. “You can ask anyone in town… I made a fool of myself in front of everyone.”
“Who's to say it wasn't planned? That was only this morning, after all. You could've been planning to do that for weeks,” Toshinori argued.
Izuku tried to speak up, but Toshinori continued laying into him. “You'd have to be a fool to believe a story like that. A kid wanting to become a Trainer despite being afraid of one of the most common Pokémon types in the region? It's a poor attempt at trying to tug at my heartstrings, presenting an impossible goal like that.”
Toshinori’s glare grew so intense that Izuku flinched.
“So, let me be clear, kid: I think you're full of it. The only time anyone comes into my home is when they have an ulterior motive, and I'm always certain what they're after, so if you think you're going to get it, you're in for a rude awakening.”
“You… You…” Izuku couldn't get the words out. The words felt stuck in his throat. He knew he was crying, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Instead, he stood up, turning on his heel towards the door.
“Running away that fast? And you want to call yourself a Trainer? As if Nedzu thought anyone so weak-willed deserved anything from me,” Toshinori remarked.
It was with those final words that Izuku finally found himself able to say what he needed to: “You're not All Might.”
Toshinori stopped his tirade, his hateful glare changing to one of confusion as if a stray Confuse Ray had hit him. “Excuse me?”
“I said you're not All Might,” Izuku said, looking up at Toshinori and ignoring how blurry everything looked. “All Might means everything to me. He’s why I want to become a Trainer and reach the very top of the Pokémon League. He’s why I put so much effort into learning everything I could about raising Pokémon and battle tactics, even though I was so awful at interacting with them for most of my life.
“All Might… he cared for people. A lot.” Izuku stared down at his feet as he thought of every powerful memory he had of his idol, missing as the man's confusion turned to genuine shock. “As Champion, he and his team fought with everything they had to prove he deserved to be at the top, heading out on the battlefield with a smile as he brought out the very limits of power in his Pokémon. And even beyond that, despite the League's numerous past attempts to block his efforts, he continued to strive to improve the lives of the people of Musutafu.
“But you… You’re not that,” Izuku said, sniffling. “You’ve done nothing but bully me and call me a liar this whole time, without even considering that I was telling the truth… All Might was a kind person, but you? You’re just a jerk… I'm going home…” Without looking up to see the man’s reaction, Izuku turned on his heel and left the house, tears in his eyes.
He didn’t slam the door behind him, but it was a pretty close call.
Toshinori remained seated, staring at the door with a hand half raised to reach out for the boy, who was likely long gone by now. Frustration was building up within him, but not necessarily with Izuku. No, he was just a boy asking for help, if his story was to be taken at face value.
No, he was frustrated with himself.
“Dammit… Why do you keep doing this to people, Toshi?” he wondered aloud to the empty room.
He knew why, of course. He was certain Nedzu was up to his old tricks, trying to get him to pass on the legacy he currently held onto by sending him someone the rat thought was worthy. The Pokémon Professor could be quite crafty when he wanted to be, and it wasn’t that out of the ordinary for one of his old contacts to send him someone they thought would fit the criteria he was looking for.
Mirai had already tried several times before Toshinori cut off contact. The final straw had been when he had recommended a member of the Big Three Gym. The one in Korusant that a group of three friends took over a few years back, if his memory served him well, and it usually did.
So, sure, maybe Nedzu decided to shake up Mirai's usual routine, sending a boy who had no clue who he was about to meet his hero and putting him on a fast track to get his hopes crushed. That didn't mean he'd fall for it. Ultimately, it would always end up as a futile attempt to steal the legacy he held onto.
The sound of a Poké Ball opening in the other room shook him from his thoughts. He warily glanced towards his Lucario as he made his way into the room, lazily scratching at the scar on its chest, a testament to years of hard-fought and hard-won battles.
His partner's voice rang as clear in his mind as if the Pokémon had spoken aloud, “That was unkind, Toshinori.”
He groaned as he leaned back in his chair. “He was here to trick me, to steal the legacy Master had entrusted to me, Lucario.”
His Pokémon snorted as it sat across from him, where the boy had sat. “You don't know that. His intentions were honest. I am old, my friend, but even I could tell that he was being truthful. I'm surprised you couldn't.” He squinted at him. “Master would have boxed your ears for your blindness, not to mention the cruelty you showed that boy. So would Father, for that matter.”
Toshinori was about to answer him, a furious defense of himself on his tongue, when his phone began to ring.
Lucario sighed and stood. “I will find him. Hopefully, Nedzu is lenient with you.”
Toshinori blinked at him in surprise. Frowning, he asked, “And how are you going to find him? Your nose hasn't worked in years, and I know for a fact you can't sense his Aura. There's too much life in this forest; it clouds even my senses.”
Lucario once again snorted out a scoff. “You may have refused the boy, but someone else hasn't.” With that, he walked away, specifically towards the Nursery, where Toshinori kept the baby Pokémon and Eggs he was raising.
With a singular goal in mind, he passed by the baby Pokémon playing in their enclosures, heading toward the wall of incubators, and placed a paw on one of them. It was of the utmost importance that Lucario both find Izuku and deliver this incubator to him.
Because inside it was a green-spotted Egg that contained an unhatched Riolu, one half of the duo that is set to be the successors of the Aura Guardian title.
Lucario opened the incubator carefully, picking up the Egg inside. Immediately, he could feel the connection to an Aura Signature, as faint as it was. With just a little bit more focus, he was able to feel out who the Aura belonged to, and, as he had predicted, it was Izuku’s, slowly moving away and into the forest.
That was enough confirmation for the Aura Pokémon and, with a slight smile on his face, he left Toshinori’s home and began making his way into the forest, following the same path that the young man had. The thought of his child finally being able to hatch and succeed him helped push him forward further.
A fire had been lit in Lucario, unlike anything he had felt in almost a decade. He would find this boy and help make him into the finest Aura Guardian and Pokémon Trainer there ever was, with or without Toshinori’s help.
Izuku wiped the tears from his face, trying to clear the blurriness that had filled his sight. His steps through the forest were silent, save for the occasional cracking of twigs or the crunch of the rare spot of unmelted snow. He grimaced as he thought back to the conversation with Toshinori and just how rude he had been.
He was an idiot to think the man would have been anything like the person All Might had been. It was his own fault for letting himself believe that the kindness of his idol wouldn’t have disappeared alongside his public appearances. “Stupid…” he muttered to himself.
A nearby Pidove called out to him in annoyance before flying away, and he groaned. First, he had upset Charmander, and now, a random wild Pokémon thought he had called it stupid. “Great going, Izuku… Mister Yagi was right, you’re just a weak-willed kid with an impossible dream…” he said, berating himself for what had to be the fifth time today.
Any time it seemed like he was making progress, something would happen to throw him off and drag him right back to where he started. The thought brought back the sniffles, and he was trying his best not to cry for the third time today.
Mercifully, the sounds of a Pokémon battle reached Izuku’s ears, and the boy perked up. Was there a fight between wild Pokémon happening? Or perhaps a Trainer was already trying to catch one?
He found himself scrambling to get a closer look, only to end up tensing up, hiding behind a tree, as he had come across Katsuki and his Pokémon, locked in a battle.
His Litten was fighting a group of Vivillon, jumping back to dodge a series of Giga Drains as he prepared an Ember. Behind his Trainer, a Magikarp sat up, watching the battle with a focus unlike what was expected of its species.
With a battle cry, Litten jumped and released his attack from above, causing Ember to spray wildly across the clearing. The Fire-Type Energy hit each of the already weakened Vivillon for super-effective damage. As was typical for Katsuki's battles with wild Pokémon, the move was more than enough to overwhelm them, causing them all to faint.
“Ha! Good work, Lord Explosion Murder!” he shouted, before turning to his newest partner. “You'd better be taking notes, Magikarp. Once you evolve into Gyarados and earn yourself a nickname, you’ll be kicking ass, just like that!”
“Karp! Magi, magikarp!” the Fish Pokémon cried out, splashing up in the air in his excitement.
“All right, let’s get moving to the next spot! I wanna see if we can find any Scyther! If not, I’ll just have to settle for beating up the Zigzagoon population again!” Katsuki laughed, his two Pokémon snickering right behind him as they left the clearing, causing Izuku’s body to relax as the aggressive Fire-Type left the vicinity immediately.
As Izuku emerged from hiding and saw the state the Vivillon were left in, he frowned. “Why is he like this… These Pokémon could be in danger if they’re just left there in the open!” He was about to take a step, but Toshinori’s words ran through his mind once more.
“A kid wanting to become a Trainer despite being afraid of one of the most common Pokémon types in the region? It's a poor attempt at trying to tug at my heartstrings, presenting an impossible goal like that.”
“And you want to call yourself a Trainer? As if Nedzu thought anyone so weak-willed deserved anything from me.”
The words caused him to pause, just enough to take a shameful step away from the fainted Vivillon. “I… I should go…” he muttered sadly, taking a couple of steps back to turn away from the situation. But just as he was about to, something caught his attention:
The sound of a small fire.
Izuku turned to see a flame catch on the grass and quickly spread across the clearing. Realization spread immediately through Izuku. “Litten’s attack… Those Vivillon are going to get hurt!”
Seeing the imminent danger in front of him pushed all doubt out of Izuku’s mind, if only for a short while. Because even with his fear of fire and the buried thoughts that his efforts may be in vain, Izuku couldn’t just stand still.
In that moment, when those three Pokémon were in danger, Izuku ran out to face the rising flames and save them.
With a desperate burst of adrenaline, Izuku reached the fainted Pokémon, grabbing hold of one of the Vivillon gently. He hoisted the Bug-Type onto his shoulder, ensuring its wings were safely tucked in. He repeated the process with the next Vivillon, adjusting his stance to accommodate the extra weight.
But as he went for the third, things went wrong.
The Vivillon stirred, its gaze unfocused and frantic. It saw Izuku and panicked, trying to fly away, but it failed to take off, its injuries from the battle with Litten too severe. He winced and held his hand up in a placating gesture. “It’s okay, it’s okay… I’m not gonna hurt you, but we need to get away from the–”
The fires that were creeping towards them flared up once more, scaring the Pokémon even more. “Vi, vivillon!” it shrieked. With a clear preference for not getting burned further, it scampered over to Izuku, climbing onto his body and holding onto his arm.
“It’s okay, I’ve got you… Let’s go,” Izuku said. He secured his hold on the Pokémon and turned to move away from the flames and into the forest. As he started to move as best he could, carrying them, the fires once again flared up, moving fast towards Izuku and the Vivillon. With little time to react, he twisted in on himself, moving to protect the Pokémon over himself.
But just as fast, the flames and heat began to rush towards them, the feeling of sharp, rushing air flew past him, cutting through the fire and causing it to dissipate.
Both Izuku and the conscious Vivillon whipped around to see who the newcomer was, and the boy was shocked to see a very familiar-looking Lucario. It had a large scar on its chest, and it was clearly an older Pokémon, but…
“Are you… Mister Yagi’s Lucario?” he asked hesitantly, and Lucario nodded. “Th-thank you…”
“Don’t thank me yet, young man. The fire is not out completely,” the Aura Pokémon reminded him. Izuku rushed to get behind Lucario as it prepared another move, a ball of Water-Type Energy forming in its paws. With a shout, he released a huge Water Pulse, launching the attack into the air where it burst, covering the clearing in a makeshift rain and dampening the fires.
Izuku watched in awe of the fine control as the fires were doused by the Water Pulse, reducing it to smothered and drenched smolders that were slowly dying out. “Wow… That was incredible! I forgot that Lucario could even learn Water Pulse! How long did it take you to get that level of… Oh, right!”
Izuku, having seemingly forgotten the Vivillon for a moment, got to work. He laid the two Pokémon that rested on his shoulders onto the grass in front of him, prompting the conscious one to bolt to its friends to check on them. He reached into his pocket to find a couple of Revives and a Burn Heal.
Izuku could feel Lucario’s gaze on him as he brought out the supplies, but he ignored it, focusing only on helping the injured Pokémon in front of him. With practiced ease, he cracked open the Revives, allowing the energy inside to pour onto the two unconscious Vivillon, who began to stir awake. He twisted the cap of the Burn Heal and began to spray the injuries caused by Litten, taking care to use small amounts to ensure there would be enough for the three of them.
As the bottle emptied and he saw the three Vivillon standing, looking at each other over, a sigh of relief escaped Izuku. “There… Do you three feel better now?”
Despite Izuku’s genuine concern, the three Vivillon were still extremely wary of him, huddling up together as they nursed their partially healed injuries. The boy frowned as they cowered away from him, but he understood why. Not even five minutes ago, they were in a brutal battle with a human, and it wasn’t like he could just hide the burned clearing from them.
With a sigh, he turned to leave them alone, but was stopped by a firm paw gripping his shoulder. He looked at Lucario, his expression shifting to confusion as the Aura Pokémon stopped him from leaving. “Is something wrong, Lucario?”
“I refuse to let this interaction conclude with a misunderstanding,” Lucario stated bluntly, holding out his other paw towards the Bug-Types. It briefly glowed green, and a wave of energy washed over them, causing Izuku to gasp in surprise. “I have healed your injuries fully. However, I must make something clear to you three.”
Izuku shifted uncomfortably. “Lucario, you really don’t need to–” One look shot down Izuku’s protest, and he instead chose to look at the ground, avoiding Lucario’s gaze.
The Aura Pokémon sighed, shifting his attention back to the Vivillon. “As one of you is already aware, this young human here saved you from the flames that consumed part of the forest clearing you were residing in. Not only that, he helped you recover from the battle enough for me to heal you.
“I wouldn’t ask you to be completely trusting of humans. From what whispers I hear from Aldera Town, the boy who battled you has a noticeable sadistic streak,” Lucario explained, before gesturing to Izuku. “Regardless, I ask that you do not hold that judgment against this child. Without any expectation of reward or thanks, he still chose to help you. Many would have cowered away from the flames, but he did not. And thanks to his bravery, you are here now.”
Izuku watched how the three Vivillon reacted to Lucario’s words, stunned into silence by the declaration one of All Might’s Pokémon just made. He managed to keep himself together because he refused to cry in the presence of All Might’s Lucario, not even from being overwhelmed with joy.
Slowly, the Vivillon inched closer and closer to Izuku. With a quick flap of their wings, they approached at eye level, and the wariness seemed to melt away, replaced by a look of pleasure. “Viv, villon!” they cheered, flying around his head briefly.
Izuku found himself frozen in place, watching the Pokémon nervously. “Y-you’re welcome,” he muttered, unsure of what else to say.
The trio of Vivillon stopped in front of him, waving their little arms at him. “Viv, vivillon!” they said before they flew back into the forest, disappearing from sight.
Izuku turned to look at All Might’s Lucario, quickly bowing his head once again. “Thank you for your help, Lucario. Things would have been a lot worse if you hadn’t shown up, but uh…” He paused as he looked at the Aura Pokémon in confusion, “But how did you find me so quickly? Why were you here in the first place?” He scowled. “Did All Might send you?”
Lucario chuffed as he waved Izuku off. “It was no issue, young man. And no, my partner didn’t send me, I came of my own volition.” He shook his head, “I have known Toshi since he was as small as you, and he has never disappointed me as much as he did today.”
Izuku blinked at the stern tone the Lucario took, never once imagining that he’d hear one of All Might’s Pokémon talking badly about him.
Lucario chuckled, “But that is why I am here, to rectify my partner's mistakes. As for why I was able to find you so quickly, I had a bit of help.” He turned to retrieve his child’s Egg from where he had stashed it, only to blink and find that it was not there.
He was about to flare his Aura to find it, as well as potentially hunt down whatever Pokémon had dared to take it, when he heard Izuku squeak behind him. Turning, he blinked at the sight of the young man on his behind, green-spotted Egg rocking in his lap, cracks rapidly appearing along its surface.
Did the Riolu inside tackle him through the Egg? Lucario didn’t know how that was possible, but he put that aside as a question for later. He quickly made his way closer to the young man, ready to attempt to calm him down, when a voice echoed through the latent Aura in the air.
“ It's you!”
Chapter 3
Notes:
Jk1013: You know, last chapter only ended up around 4k words because we realized the place we did end it was perfect. I imagine most of our chapters are likely going to hit at least 7k, perhaps even longer. Still, we're pretty proud of this one, so I hope you like it.
Professor Donger: I'm glad you all are enjoying the story, it's been a joy to write.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“It’s you, it’s you!”
Izuku sat still, frozen in place from shock as the Pokémon inside the Egg he held kept repeating those words to him over and over. It took him a moment to find his voice. “Is… Is that the Egg talking?”
“The Riolu inside of the Egg, actually,” Lucario said, looking down at the increasingly cracked Egg. “She’s been quite active ever since you came to visit Toshi, calling out for you. It’s the first time she’s called out for anyone, despite being ready to hatch for nearly a year now…”
“The Riolu inside… Wait, a year!?” Izuku asked incredulously, staring at All Might’s Lucario with wide eyes. “Why would she have taken so long to–”
Izuku was interrupted by the Egg finally cracking the rest of the way, a bright light forming from it as the hatching process came to a close. When the light disappeared, he was met with the sight of a Riolu practically vibrating with excitement as she stared at him, her paws reaching up to his face almost reverently.
Izuku was incredibly confused, and it must have shown on his face as Lucario stepped up to interrupt, barking verbally, which caused the newborn Riolu to look at him in surprise before she sheepishly backed away.
“I apologize for her… enthusiasm. She is just very excited to have finally met her partner,” Lucario explained, which Riolu responded to with an offended bark.
Izuku let out a sigh of relief. “That’s okay… I can kind of relate to her excitement, at least. I mean, it’s extremely rare to ever find a Riolu in the wild and…” He paused, blinking as he finally registered what Lucario had said. “What do you mean ‘her partner'?!”
Lucario simply waved him off and began walking back in the direction they had come from, “I’ll explain once we get back to Toshi. We need to alert him about the goings-on in the forest, as well as the fact that this one,” He nudged Riolu with his foot, causing her to squeak, “Finally decided to hatch.”
While her father spoke, Riolu tried to sneak back over to Izuku, only to get pulled back by a firm paw on her shoulder. “Leave him be, daughter, at least until he has a better understanding of his situation.”
“But I’ve been waiting for so long!” she whined, pouting as she looked at Izuku with sad, pleading eyes. The two stared at each other for several seconds, and Izuku felt his resolve break down.
“I guess I could carry her while we walk?” he suggested, causing Riolu to light up with excitement as she barked excitedly at her father. With a resigned nod from Lucario, she ran over to Izuku, allowing him to pick her up into his arms.
“Let’s be off sooner rather than later. We are burning daylight,” Lucario pointed out, calling for Izuku to follow as Riolu yipped happily.
“So… What did you mean by me being Riolu’s partner?” Izuku asked, looking over at the Aura Pokémon.
Lucario hummed thoughtfully. “It’s rather complicated, but to put it simply, it means exactly what I said. You were chosen by Riolu, and now, you are her partner,” he answered, glancing at Izuku. “Riolu and Lucario are Pokémon that are found in the wild, though we are rare. However, those of my familial line are… special.”
“Do you mean because of her fur color? Because I don’t think Riolu are supposed to have green fur…” Izuku said.
Lucario shrugged, “That I can’t answer. My grandfather was silver, and her mother, who was a wild Lucario that I met some time ago, had a bit of green in her fur.” He waved Izuku off, “I’m getting off track. Riolu only evolves through a formed bond with someone, usually their parents or siblings.”
Izuku nodded, following along, ignoring Riolu touching his cheeks in curious awe.
Lucario continued, pushing a branch out of the way. “My family line, however, is strange; we have no documented cases of anyone in our family evolving from a bond with anyone other than a human, and our family can trace itself back eight…” He glanced at his daughter and chuckled, “Make that nine, generations, at least. ”
Izuku tried to nod, but found his face encased in the soft but firm hold of Riolu’s paws. He looked at her and asked through squished lips, “Can you stop?”
“I can’t believe you're real… I’ve dreamt of this moment forever…” she whispered softly through her Aura, and didn’t that just break Izuku’s heart a bit? His hold on her tightened just a bit without him realizing, causing Riolu to giggle.
Lucario let out a short bark, catching the attention of Izuku again. He sheepishly mumbled, “Right… Continue explaining, please.”
“While my family line has always been partners of humans, we do not just pick the first human we come across to partner with. In fact, most of us were very picky. After we hatched, we would search for a human with a strong Aura signature, and from those individuals, a human who upheld a value, be it strength, morals, or in the case of my own partner, both,” Lucario explained.
He reached out to pat Riolu’s head, causing her to squeak indignantly. “This little one is a very notable exception. Much to the concern of both Toshi and the Nurse Joys, she refused to hatch for an entire year. I wasn’t concerned, however. I knew that she wouldn’t hatch until she found the one, her partner. And yet…”
“You weren’t sure she’d find someone she’d choose?” Izuku asked, finishing the thought.
Lucario nodded. “Yes. I chose Toshi because of his strength. It was significant enough that his Aura seemed to embody the very essence of the idea. My father chose his partner for her capacity of care and love, his father chose his partner for his strength of will, and so on. But my daughter, the first girl born in our line… she wanted something different.
“Most people’s Auras have a large focus on one aspect of their character, and if it is strong enough, it will enhance that aspect of them even further. But in some cases, their Aura will achieve a balance,” he explained, looking pointedly at Izuku. “Those who have that balance have immense potential, but are so rare that you would be hard pressed to find someone who meets both the requirement of a strong Aura signature, and that perfect balance. Two individuals have ever held this balance: the very first partner of our bloodline, Yoichi, and now… You.”
Izuku’s eyes were wide. “M-me? But I’m… Am I really that good of a pick?”
Before Lucario could protest, Izuku had his cheeks grabbed by Riolu’s paws, and he was forced to look at her. “Of course you are! I picked you, didn’t I?! And I won't let you think otherwise!”
“I… Thank you. Really, that means a lot!” Izuku said, trying to push down the feeling of guilt he felt as his thoughts wandered back to the Charmander…
He's stopped abruptly from riding that train of thought by Lucario speaking up through his Aura. “We are here.”
And sure enough, they had arrived back at the house Izuku had turned his back on only about half an hour before. The house, he was sure, he would never return to...
“I hope this conversation goes better than the last one…” Izuku mumbled, prompting a bark of laughter from the two Pokémon.
Lucario ushered Izuku inside and into the living room, where he once again sat across from Toshinori Yagi.
The Aura Pokémon seemed to chuckle at the expression on Toshinori's face. “Did you have fun getting chewed out by the Professor?”
“Enough out of you, Lucario. I don't need to hear that right now…” he grumbled as his partner laughed at his expense.
“Wait… Professor Nedzu actually called you to chew you out?” Izuku was stunned. He knew that Nedzu wanted the best for him, but to stand up to a former Champion on his behalf…
It was weird to think about.
“For twenty minutes straight, at least…” Toshinori sighed, glancing up at Izuku. “And now, it seems, there's been another decision made outside of my control. The Egg finally hatched, huh?”
“Yes, almost immediately after coming into contact with Young Midoriya. In fact, she pushed her Egg right into his lap,” Lucario explained.
Riolu whined, hiding her face in Izuku's shirt. “You weren't supposed to tell him that!” she mumbled as Izuku patted her back.
“Well, she's certainly excitable,” Toshinori remarked. “I must commend you for managing to become a successor to this legacy despite never coming here to do so in the first place. Be it fate or just luck, it seems that Riolu thinks she made the right choice with you.”
Izuku frowned at Toshinori's wording, while Riolu glared at the blonde over her shoulder. “I don't ‘think’ I did, I know I did!”
“Of course,” Toshinori replied, but he didn't seem entirely convinced. “Regardless of my feelings, you're a Trainer now, and I do owe Nedzu a favor–”
Lucario chimed in. “A huge favor, as I remember him putting it,” he said, not caring about interrupting his Trainer.
“Right. Thank you , Lucario,” the blonde muttered through gritted teeth. “Because I owed him that favor… If you accept, I will assist you with your training for the remainder of your time in Aldera Town. For this last month before your journey truly begins.”
Izuku stared at Toshinori. Conflicted feelings rushed through him, remembering how the man across from him had acted not that long ago. He couldn't help the question that escaped him:
“Do you actually mean that, or is Nedzu forcing you?”
“Well… I can't say I wasn't expecting that accusation. Not that I don't deserve it,” Toshinori conceded with a sigh. “Nedzu is forcing me to an extent, I won’t lie to you, young man.” He looked up at the ceiling for a moment before continuing. “I am… very jaded, if I can be honest. I didn’t accomplish everything my master and I had wanted for our region. Friends I’ve known since childhood have abused my trust and tried to influence me to the point where it has put every interaction we’ve had into question.”
His gaze locked with Izuku's, causing the young man to flinch at the intensity in it. “I thought Nedzu was doing the same by sending you to me. I have heard so many explanations for why someone thinks I should train them, why they should be allowed a Riolu, that I grew spiteful and ignored your honest cry for help, and I am truly sorry for that.”
He quietly bowed his head to Izuku, “So yes, part of this is to fulfill a promise I made to one of the only true friends that I have, who aren’t my Pokémon, mind you. The other is because of Riolu herself.”
“Because she's the child of your Lucario?” Izuku asked. “And this bloodline of Riolu and Lucario is special because they only ever bond with humans with high… Aura, you said?” he inquired, receiving a nod from Lucario.
“Well, well! I see Lucario already told you. Quite proactive of you, my friend.” Lucario merely nodded in response to his Trainer's praise. “You are partially correct, young man. However, it’s not specifically the amount of Aura that the Riolu is looking for. It’s entirely dependent on the individual Riolu.” Toshinori nodded to his Lucario. “My Aura is incredibly potent, but tied more to the physical side of things, which is why I’m so strong.” He squinted at Izuku, and his blue eyes seemed to glow as he did so, “Your Aura is obviously stronger than a normal person's, but not remarkably so, which makes me think that there was something else that Riolu was looking for with you.”
“Balance. She was looking for balance,” Lucario stated, looking at his Trainer. “If there’s one regretful thing about you, Toshi, it’s that your Aura Sight is quite basic.”
“You’ve had many years to accept that it wasn’t one of my strong suits, Lucario,” Toshinori quipped back. “So, the balance is what she was after… Lucario will need to assist with our Aura-specific training, but I can help teach you everything else. Training your body, practical battle experience… and the knowledge of the basics on what to expect when raising a Riolu. As I understand, it’s a very undocumented field of knowledge.”
“You don’t know the half of it… I think you’re still the only recorded Trainer in the region to have trained a Lucario in the last… Well, it’s been a while…” Izuku pointed out.
Toshinori’s face took on an amused grin. “You calling me an old man, kid? I’ll have you know I’m only in my fifties.”
Izuku scrambled to defend himself. “N-no, I wasn’t saying that at all! I was just–” The blonde let out a hearty laugh at the boy, who frowned. “Why are you laughing?”
“I was kidding with you, young man. I know I’m old; people just don’t like to say it,” he said, letting his laughter die off. “And besides, you’re a lot less tense than when we first started this conversation, you know? Even less than our last one, too.”
Izuku blinked. He hadn’t even noticed…
Toshinori sighed, rubbing a hand against the back of his head. “Look, I know we really started off on the wrong foot… But if you can forgive me, I swear on my Master’s name that I will not fail you a second time. Not today, not tomorrow, nor ever.” He held his hand out and asked a single question of Izuku:
“Will you allow me to help you become a proper Pokémon Trainer?”
Izuku looked from the hand offered to him up at the blonde’s face, trying to catch any sign of a trick. But he didn’t see anything. So, when presented with such a genuine offer for help from his hero, and after receiving an explanation and apology for his previous behavior, there was really only one thing Izuku could do.
He took hold of Toshinori’s hand as best he could and shook it. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
Toshinori grinned, a fire burning in his eyes that wasn’t there before. “Then let’s turn you into the greatest Trainer the Musutafu region has ever seen.”
And with that handshake, the agreement for Izuku's month-long crash course in training Pokémon was set in stone.
“Why couldn't we do any training today? I want us to get strong!” Riolu whined in Izuku's arms, pouting as she bumped his hands with her paws.
Izuku sighed, but a smile could still be found on his lips. “It's really late, you know, and a lot happened to me today. Plus, even if you think you're okay, I'd still feel better if we got you a check-up at the Pokémon Center,” he told her as he looked at the orange sky. “My mom's gonna be so upset I got home this late though…”
“You'll be fine!” Riolu chirped. However, as they approached the Pokémon Center, she tapped her Trainer's hand. “Down, please.”
“Huh? Okay, but… Is something wrong, Riolu?” Izuku asked as he gently placed her back onto the ground.
“No, nothing's wrong, but… They can't just see you carry me in there! Think of my reputation!” Riolu complained, causing Izuku to chuckle. “It's not funny, Izuku…”
Izuku disagreed, but he didn’t voice that thought; instead, he patted his new companion on the head and started making his way to the Pokémon Center. Aldera was a small town, and even though it housed both the regions' Professor and Joy Clans, the population never grew past a couple of thousand.
This was evident in the current state of the Pokémon Center, which was largely empty. He had heard from his extended family members how chaotic the Centers of major cities got during the League Season.
He felt sorry for his cousin Yumi, who was stuck in the Victory Road Center during the League Season and constantly swamped with patients during the tournament.
He made his way into the Pokémon Center, a familiar jingle hitting his ears as he waved to the Joy on duty, a young woman by the name of Aiko. She was one of his many “cousins,” though not all of them were blood related; thus was the way of a Clan. Aiko blinked at him as he approached, blinking again when Riolu hopped up on the counter.
“Izuku, where were you? Inko and Granny Chiyo were worried sick!” She exclaimed before returning her attention to Riolu, “And who’s this little cutey?!” she asked, scratching Riolu under the chin, causing the baby Pokémon to let out a contented chuff.
Izuku fidgeted on the spot, remembering what happened just this morning. “This is, um… My Riolu. She just hatched from her Egg earlier this afternoon.”
He waited for the negative reaction from Aiko, one he felt wouldn't have been unjustified after what happened at the Choosing Ceremony. Instead, he flinched as she squealed and practically leaped over the counter to hug him. “Oh, ‘Zuku, that’s wonderful!”
Izuku squirmed in her grasp, confusion the only thing on his mind. “Why are you not…” He shook his head. If she wasn't upset enough to mention it, then it didn't matter. “Never mind…”
“Not what, ‘Zuku?” she asked, pausing in her relentless hug assault.
However, in his distracted state, he hadn't noticed Riolu whining and covering her ears. “Did you really need to scream like that? My poor ears!”
Aiko froze, staring at Riolu with wide eyes. Izuku could have sworn they were practically sparkling with how excited she looked. “She talks! I didn't know Riolu could do that!” she exclaimed as she practically tackled the baby Pokémon with a hug.
As Riolu was smothered in affection, Aiko turned back to Izuku. “So, I assume you need to get her registered?”
“Yeah. She needs a check-up as well,” Izuku said, reaching out to pat Riolu, who was still stuck in Aiko's grasp. “She was a year overdue, refusing to hatch until she met me. I think her Egg was examined by some of the Joys a while back?”
Aiko blinked, realization dawning upon her. “Oh my gosh, little Riolu here is from that Egg!?” She practically shoved the baby Pokémon into Izuku's arms. “You take her to the examination room, I'm grabbing the file!”
Izuku didn't even blink as she rushed off to her computer, instead shifting his hold on Riolu as he carried her through the Center.
Riolu, on the other hand, had a much stronger reaction. “What the heck was that!? Is she crazy?”
“Well, Nurse Joys always get pretty excited when they see a baby Pokémon, and they always take examining Pokémon very seriously. Combine that with all of them being really excited for me to start my journey, and… Well, you get… that…”
Izuku opened the door to the examination room, and Riolu wiggled free from his grasp to hop onto the table used for smaller Pokémon. “I think she's a little too excited for this.”
He chuckled as he moved to stand next to the table, scratching Riolu behind the ear. “She's just never gotten to examine a Riolu before, so she's understandably excited.”
Izuku watched as a wave of pride washed through Riolu at the explanation, felt through the new bond they shared from their Aura. But before either of them could reply, Aiko came into the room, a tablet and a gift box in hand.
“Okay, Izuku. I have the file on Riolu's Egg right here. I've updated it to confirm that she has finally hatched, and that she's now in your care, rather than at Mister Yagi's nursery,” she explained, tapping away on the tablet screen. “We're going to do a quick physical examination, followed by a finalization of Riolu's registry to your name and Trainer ID Number.”
Izuku nodded along, reassuring Riolu as she talked. He knew most of this already thanks to his mom, so he wasn’t too worried.
“All right, let’s stop stalling and get this show on the road, Riolu!” Aiko chirped. The nurse moved with practiced ease, poking and prodding at the baby Pokémon as she examined every aspect of her.
Izuku focused more on Riolu than he did the tests, having seen all of them performed before. He was instead making sure she behaved by staring her down when she started to fidget.
Not that he blamed her. A baby Pokémon, and a Fighting-Type at that? She had boundless energy they'd need to burn before she'd be able to sleep tonight. Not to mention the fact that she felt the tests were unnecessary.
She was very vocal about that point.
Deep down, he was fairly confident Riolu was perfectly healthy. Better than that, even. But fairly certain isn't one-hundred percent certain, and he trusted his Clan to make sure she was in top form.
Aiko finished her poking and prodding, a smile on her face. “You were very well behaved, Riolu! Now, I just need to do a scan in our machine here… Izuku, can you return Riolu to her Poké Ball?”
Izuku blinked, and both Trainer and Pokémon looked at each other. “I… I may have forgotten a step here…”
Izuku's face flushed as Aiko giggled at his admission. “It's not that funny…” he muttered.
“Oh, but it is, Izuku! But it also works out anyway.” She reached out for the gift box she had left on the counter, handing it to Izuku. “This is for you!”
The gift box was white, with a green ribbon sealing it shut. “You really got me a gift?” Izuku asked, smiling at Aiko's nod in response. With a gentle tug, the ribbon came loose and the box was opened, revealing a set Poké Ball with dark green tops, and a Premier Ball with a latch that matched in color. “Is this…?”
“Yep! Most places don't sell the other color options for Poké Balls, so we had to pitch in and order a set, but it was worth it!” Aiko chirped, grasping Izuku's shoulder. “You're the first person from the Joy Clan who's actually going to go on a proper journey since…”
She had trailed off, but Izuku understood the meaning of what she was trying to say. The box was set to the side as he hugged her. “Thank you.”
Aiko giggled, petting Izuku's curly hair. “That's what it means to be in a Clan, ‘Zuku! We support each other.”
Izuku brushed her hand aside, grinning as he looked inside the box again, grabbing the Premier Ball that sat at the very top. His mind had flashed to Charmander briefly, guilt rising up in his chest, but he pushed it down.
That ship had sailed already. He was sure of it.
He held up the Premier Ball to Riolu, the button facing her. “What do you say we make this official, Riolu?”
With a giggle, Riolu hopped from the examination table and slapped the button, shrinking down in a flash of red and disappearing inside. With a couple of small shakes, the Premier Ball clicked, signaling a successful catch.
“This is so exciting! I got to watch your first catch!” Aiko cheered, clapping her hands together with a broad smile on her face, causing Izuku to grin back shyly. “Now, if you could just hand me the Premier Ball, I can scan her for a more in-depth look at her health.”
Izuku nodded, about to hand it over, when he immediately felt a spike of fear. His heart stuttered, and the ball popped open in an instant. Riolu appeared in a flash of light and swiftly kicked the Premier Ball away, jumping off the table into Izuku’s arms.
Izuku blinked in surprise before looking down at his Riolu in concern. “Are you okay?” Izuku asked.
“Cramped! It's too cramped!” she yelped, hugging herself tightly against her partner. “Don't make me go back in there!”
Izuku gently shushed Riolu, hugging her tightly. “It's okay… I won't make you go back in there if you don't want to… I do need to keep it with me, though.”
“... Do you really have to?” she whined, looking up at her partner with teary eyes. He nodded, and she slumped. “Okay…”
“Here.” Izuku glanced up to see Aiko holding out the Premier Ball for him with a conflicted look on her face. He took it back, double-tapping the ‘nose’ of the ball to shrink it before slipping it into his pocket.
“Poor thing seems to be claustrophobic… I'll need to double-check to make sure we have a full-body scanner. Otherwise, we'll have to do without the in-depth scan,” Aiko said, a frown on her face.
Izuku hummed in thought, trying to think of a solution… Before the object shifting in his pocket caught his attention. He reached in and pulled out his Rotom Phone, complete with a Pokédex app.
“Hey, Aiko, could you potentially use this?” he asked, holding the phone out for her. “I scanned her earlier with the Pokédex app, I don’t know how in-depth it is though.”
Aiko blinked before taking it and smiling at him, “‘Zuku, you genius! I completely forgot about that app.” She started scrolling through it to find Riolu’s entry. “When Professor Nedzu was developing the app with his team, he asked for input from us, for anything he'd want us to include. So, we made sure that it had the capability to do a check-up scan on Pokémon in case a Trainer needed help with one they couldn’t immediately get to a center, like a wild Pokémon they couldn’t catch.”
She stopped on Riolu's entry, pulling up the page. As the image loaded, she blinked and then showed Izuku the screen. “Izuku, do you know why your Riolu looks different from the one on-screen?”
“Oh, All- I mean, Mister Yagi's Lucario mentioned that her mother had a bit of a green tint to her fur, and he didn't seem that concerned about it,” Izuku said, waving off her question.
“Wow… It just goes to show how rare their species is! We barely know a thing about them!” Aiko remarked as she continued fiddling with the app. Finally, she found the scanning function. “Here we go! So, I just need to point this at Riolu and press the- whoa!”
Izuku’s Rotom Phone escaped Aiko's hands and began to float in the air, moving closer to Riolu with its scanner activated. While it did its thing, Izuku blinked at Aiko.
“I mean, if we barely know anything about them, won’t this scan be pointless?”
Aiko, however, shook her head. “When I said that, I meant we didn’t know general things about the Lucario/Riolu species, like general temperament, or overall preferred diet.”
She nodded to Riolu, who was watching the Rotom Phone with keen interest. “Granny worked on Mister Yagi’s Lucario for as long as he’s been around, but the Lucario he mated with was wild, so we never got to interact with her or any others; just Yagi’s Lucario, and now yours. So, what a Lucario eats in the wild, for example, is not something we know all that well. Though we can make some reasonable guesses.”
“Bzzt– Scan complete!” the Rotom Phone chimed, floating back over to Izuku and Aiko to show them the results.
Aiko quickly looked over the scan’s results, eyebrows raising in surprise. “Well, she’s definitely healthy, though we’ll have to call in Granny to confirm some of this.” She put a hand to her chin in thought. “It looks like this little lady knows a few decent moves, too!”
Izuku nodded, his hand on his chin as well, his index finger absentmindedly tapping away near his mouth as he muttered out, “Quick Attack, Bite and Vacuum Wave…Quick Attack is always nice to have; it hits first most of the time. Bite is a good coverage move, and Vacuum Wave is a solid fighting-type move. I’d like to get her another special move, though, but…” He flinched as Aiko slapped him on the back of the head.
Blinking, he was about to ask his cousin why she did that when he noticed Riolu staring at him in wide-eyed confusion. He rubbed the back of his head, partially out of nervousness but also out of embarrassment. “Sorry about that, Riolu. I tend to get really into the theory crafting portion of battling…”
Riolu’s confusion quickly gave way to a bright smile as she let out a happy bark. “ That’s okay! That just means my partner is super smart!”
“Of course he is! He’s my little cousin, after all,” she said, giggling as she ruffled his curls. “Now, I’m going to type out a quick list of nutritional recommendations for you. It’ll be pretty similar to Mister Yagi’s, so he can recommend places to order from, all right?”
Before Izuku could reply, the door to the room opened up. “Aiko, sweetie, your shift is just about over. Finish up what you’re doing, and I’ll relieve you.” Inko Midoriya, in full work uniform, came into the examining room, absentmindedly looking at a clipboard, her Chansey trailing behind with a smile.
“Okay, Auntie Inko! I was just finishing up with Izuku’s Riolu, then I’ll be done,” Aiko replied with a grin.
Inko started walking away, waving at Aiko absentmindedly, “Okay, you do that…” she trailed off before stopping with a start.
The green-haired woman suddenly looked up from her clipboard, whipping around to see her son shyly wave at her, and a small Pokémon looking at her curiously. “Izuku!” The boy suddenly found himself wrapped in a tight hug, gasping for air. “Nedzu told me what happened! I didn’t think you’d be back so soon!”
“Ah, yeah…” Izuku muttered, laughing nervously as his mother released him from the hug. “It was a pretty eventful day, and I wanted to have Riolu get a check-up.”
Inko’s attention shifted to the baby Pokémon. “Oh, it’s so cute!” In an instant, she was petting Riolu and scratching under her chin. Riolu herself was melting under the attention. “Where’d you get this little one?”
“He got her from Mister Yagi!” Aiko chimed in, “You remember that one Pokémon Egg that wasn’t hatching at all, even after a year had passed?”
Inko blinked and looked back at Aiko in surprise. “This is that Riolu?”
Izuku rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, she is… It’s kind of a long story, Mom.”
Inko giggled, shaking her head fondly. “Well, if you don’t mind sitting around the Center while you eat dinner, I’d love to hear about your day! It certainly seems like you’ve had quite the adventure!”
Both Izuku and Riolu glanced at each other, nodding as they made their decision. “Sounds great, Mom!”
“Perfect! You two get yourself situated out there while I finish things up with Aiko and get some food ready for you,” Inko ordered, shooing the two away.
The duo began walking back to the Pokémon Center lobby. It wasn’t long before Izuku chuckled to himself. Riolu, feeling his amusement through the bond, glanced up at her partner. “What’s so funny?”
“I just realized Aiko didn’t give us that nutritional guide before we left. I think Mom showing up caused her to forget,” Izuku explained. The fact caused Riolu to bark out a laugh. “See? You thought it was funny, too.”
“Maybe I did,” Riolu conceded.
The duo was silent the rest of the walk, save for Izuku humming along to the Pokémon Center jingle as it came into earshot. It was only after they were seated that Riolu spoke up once again. “Your family is really nice.”
“Yeah… They really are,” Izuku replied, a smile on his face. “It feels good to have them supporting me wholeheartedly.”
Riolu sighed, resting her paws on the table. Several seconds passed before she spoke again, much quieter this time. “Hey… I need to ask you something.”
Izuku frowned a bit, a brief wave of concern flowing through their bond. “Something wrong?”
“No, nothing’s wrong! Just…” She tapped the table nervously, an unexpected behaviour from the otherwise energetic Pokémon. “Earlier, it seemed like you were expecting Aiko to be upset with you… And this Nedzu person had messaged your Mom, telling her what happened.’”
“Ah, yeah… That…” Izuku muttered lamely, scratching the back of his head.
“Yeah, whatever that is! It was bad enough that you felt guilty earlier when you were catching me, though I don't really understand why…” she trailed off uncertainly.
Izuku sighed before steeling himself. His eyes grew a touch firmer. “We have this ceremony called the Choosing, where Trainer and Pokémon meet for the first time. The Pokémon chooses the Trainer, and the two set off on their journey.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I was chosen today, but I rejected the Pokémon, and I'm sure he hates me for it.”
Riolu huffed, waving her paw at her Trainer. “I’m sure he’s not upset! You just need to explain to him why you ran!” She frowned as she processed her own argument. “Why did you reject him?”
Izuku was silent for several moments as he thought about how best to word his admission. “I’m uncomfortable around Fire-Type Pokémon… Being physically near them makes me panic, like… Kind of like how you felt in your Premier Ball.”
“So, pretty bad then… I’m sorry, Izuku,” Riolu said, reaching over to pat his hand.
“It’s okay, Riolu. It’s not your fault…” He could see his Pokémon about to speak up again, but he cut her off. “I don’t want to get into the ‘why’ of my fear right now, okay? It’s just… A bit of a heavy story, and it’s been an eventful day. I’ll tell you soon, though. I promise.”
“Okay! I’ll hold you to that,” Riolu remarked, smiling at Izuku.
As their conversation died off, Inko’s voice slowly gained volume from around the corner, “Sorry for the delay, you two! But I have your food!”
A plate of curry rice was placed in front of Izuku, and a bowl of sliced berries was placed in front of Riolu. The boy smiled widely at his mom as he said, “Thanks, Mom! This looks great!” His partner barked out a thanks of her own as the two began to dig in.
“You two just tell me if you need anything else, okay? I’ll be behind the counter!” she told them before leaving, letting the duo return to their dinner.
A comfortable silence settled over the two, enjoying the other’s company as they ate. Both were content to enjoy the quiet before their training began in earnest tomorrow, eager to make the most of it.
But while things were outwardly happy, Izuku was dealing with his own troubled thoughts, which he was actively hiding from Riolu. A problem to which he had no answer, but one he would need to solve sooner rather than later:
‘What am I going to do about Charmander…?’
Katsuki knew something was up as soon as he walked into the Pokémon Center that morning, and it wasn’t from the stupid jingle they constantly played.
The chatter around the building was far too excited, far too happy after their Clan’s resident fuck-up made a fool of himself in front of most of the town yesterday. No, something else had to have happened after Deku ran off, and the blonde wouldn’t be leaving until he got his answers.
He approached the Joy working the counter, rolling his eyes at the overly polite smile on her face. The girl started their usual greeting, “Hello, and welcome to the Pokémon Center! What can I help you with today, Katsuki?”
Katsuki scoffed, placing a Luxury Ball and a Poké Ball onto the counter that contained his Litten and Magikarp, respectively. “These two need a check-up before we head out for more training today. I don’t need any surprises popping up while we’re battling,” he remarked, tapping the counter's surface impatiently.
Ever the master of customer service, Nurse Joy was able to hold back from openly reacting to Katsuki’s rough personality. “Of course! I assume you’re heading into the forest today?” Katsuki nodded in response, barely able to hold back an eyeroll. “I’ll double-check for any signs of poison as well. I’ve heard a couple of rumors about a Beedrill swarm making part of the forest around Aldera their home this year.”
“You do that,” the blonde muttered, suppressing a groan. Every year, overly protective mothers swear up and down that they’ve seen a swarm of Beedrill in the forest, and every single time, they’re just loud and wrong. “What a load of shit,” he growled as the Joy walked away to do her job.
His ears perked up when he heard Joy, who had just taken his Pokémon, talking to someone. A quick “Chansey!” confirmed that it was her Chansey, which wasn’t that strange, until he heard Deku’s name get mentioned.
“Did you get to see that little cutey Izuku brought in last night?” the Joy asked, only to get a negative response from her Chansey.
‘Cutey?’ Katsuki scowled. ‘Did Frog Face and Deku finally decide to stop pussyfooting around each other? Because if so, gross.’
“Darn, Aiko is so lucky!” the Joy moaned as she pressed a few buttons on the scanner. “It’s not every day you get to examine a freshly hatched Riolu!”
That caused Katsuki’s thoughts of making fun of Izuku for his choice in women to come crashing to a screeching halt.
The useless freak had caught a Riolu?
How? Where?!
“Yeah! With Riolu and that Charmander, he’ll be one tough Trainer!”
He still got to keep the fucking Charmander? After he abandoned it on the stage?!
“Oh, that fucking does it…” the blonde growled. A nearby Poochyena backed away from him, leaning into its Trainer for comfort.
Katsuki stomped over to the counter, anger washing over him like a tidal wave as he slammed his hands on it in frustration, causing the Joy behind it to jump. “The hell do you mean he caught a Riolu and he gets to keep the damn Charmander?!”
“Izuku brought in a Riolu last night! He said he hatched it!” the Joy managed to squeak out, wincing away from Katsuki's glare.
“Where is he now?” he growled out, causing Chansey to whimper.
This question, however, immediately replaced the Nurse’s fear with protective irritation. She straightened her back and glared at Katsuki, causing the boy to blink. “Why? So you can torment him some more?”
He slammed his hands on the counter. “Just tell me where the hell he went, dammit!”
The ding of the healing machine interrupted them, and the Joy was quick to collect the blonde's Pokémon, practically throwing the two Poké Balls into his hands. “Thank you for patiently waiting! Please come again if your Pokémon need healing,” the annoyed, overly friendly customer service voice came out so forced that Katsuki swore he could hear her teeth grinding.
‘And only then’ was left unsaid.
Katsuki turned on his heel, stomping his way back to the door as he called over his shoulder, “Fucking fine! I'll find him on my own!”
The blonde stormed off from the Center, not caring about any passerbys who stepped widely out of his way in discomfort. He gripped Litten's Luxury Ball tightly. “Might as well go check if those rumors of a hoard of Beedrill are true. Either I get some decent training today, or I get to tell some old hags how wrong they are.”
And with that, he stalked off in the direction of the forest, letting his frustration fuel his every step. He could feel his Pokémon's anticipation for the battles to come, his Magikarp especially antsy.
But all those plans for him to fight some hypothetical Beedrill flew out of the window as he caught sight of someone. There was only one person who had that combination of stupid face and green, curly hair, and there was only one person in town who had a damn Riolu.
“DEKU!”
Today should have been a really easy day.
Izuku was relieved of his typical weekend morning shifts at the Pokémon Center, with everyone agreeing that his training was more important. Things were only a bit busier on the weekend, especially with how safe Aldera Town tended to be.
Emergencies where the Nurse Joys were working overtime to keep things afloat were few and far between here, a fact that caused envy from their city-based relatives, especially those who worked at Yuuei Plateau during the League Conference.
So, with nothing but encouragement behind him, Izuku and Riolu began their walk to Mister Yagi's property.
The boy and his partner had been stopped by a few people, with friendly greetings being passed around and an insistence on meeting his new Pokémon, which neither of the two minded. But maybe if they had chosen to move past the well-wishers quickly, they would have avoided Izuku's long-time bully as they neared the edge of the forest.
“DEKU!”
The shout startled the duo so severely that Riolu hid behind her Trainer for safety before she peeked at the one who just verbally assaulted their eardrums.
Dressed in track pants and a tank top featuring a cartoon explosion on it, and stomping towards them was Katsuki. The blonde was visibly livid and gripping his Litten's Luxury Ball hard.
He stopped in front of Izuku, sneering at his target. “Where the hell do you get off pulling this shit, Deku?!”
An exasperated sigh escaped Izuku as his shoulders slumped. “What are you even talking about, Kacchan? I didn't do anything!”
Katsuki's hands shot forward, grabbing Izuku by the collar. “You,” he spat, jabbing a finger into Izuku's chest, “abandoned that Charmander in front of everybody! But not only do you apparently get to keep the fucking thing, you get this?!”
Without giving Izuku a chance to process his words, Katsuki's finger moved from his chest to Riolu, who had moved out from behind Izuku's leg. She stood in front of him in a battle stance, ready to defend her Trainer. “Where the fuck did you get a Riolu, Deku? Who the hell did you pay off to find one of the rarest Pokémon in the entire region?!”
On any other day, Izuku would have probably cowered and caved, telling Katsuki something that sounded believable. Something to placate the blonde's temper.
But seeing his Riolu so defiant in the face of danger gave him the courage he needed. “That's none of your business, Kacchan.”
For a moment, Katsuki didn’t say anything, glaring with hateful eyes. But in an instant, Izuku was shoved, falling on his rear on the rough dirt path. Riolu barked in concern at his fall.
“You don’t get to decide what is and isn't my business, Deku,” Katsuki growled. He took several steps back, holding up his Luxury Ball towards Izuku. “We're going to settle this, here and now. And when I win, you're gonna tell me everything I want to know.”
As Izuku got up from the ground, watching as Riolu took a battle stance in front of him, he realized there wasn't any way to get out of this. He had to stand his ground, here and now.
The two Trainers’ eyes met, and the battle was ready to begin.
In a flash of light, Katsuki's Litten and Magikarp were released from their Poké Balls, the Fish Pokémon flopping off to the sidelines to watch the battle. Across from one another, Riolu and her opponent stood, a deadlock of one waiting for the other to make the first move.
It was broken swiftly, as Katsuki was never one to be patient.
“Rush forward with Fury Swipes, now!” Crying his own name, Litten rushed forward, claws glowing with Normal-Type energy as he pounced towards his opponent.
It was an attack that played to Litten's strengths, catching opponents by surprise and pouncing on every opportunity that arose. However, there was a simple fact that would make those tactics more difficult than Katsuki expected:
Izuku had been Litten's training target too many times to count, and he knew what to expect.
“Riolu, dodge to the right, and use Vacuum Wave where he lands!”
Contrary to what Katsuki believed, Izuku was proficient in battle theory; he had won just as many mock battles as Katsuki had, after all, so he shouldn’t have been surprised by Izuku’s order, or Riolu’s immediate, unwavering obedience.
But he was.
Riolu did as she was told. With a faint flash in her eye, she dodged past Litten, who had to dig his claws into the dirt to stop, before pulling her paw back, air visibly being sucked in around it. “Ri… olu!” she shouted, launching the air wave forward.
The projectile slammed into the fire cat’s side hard enough to send it flying and crying out, “Litten!” in pain as it hit the ground.
Izuku's own surprise wasn't hidden at all, his eyes wide in awe. “Holy shit,” he whispered. He knew Riolu would be strong. She was the daughter of a champion after all. But knowing and witnessing were two very different things.
He could do this!
He could win!
“Don't let up! Use Quick Attack!”
Katsuki smirked. “Let it get in close, Lord Explosion Murder!”
As Riolu coated herself in Normal-Type energy, Litten stood, readying himself as it matched his Trainer’s grin, discreetly charging energy of its own.
Riolu dashed forward, her movements a blur to the two rookie Trainers, but the fire cat was able to track her perfectly.
Right as Riolu reared back her paw for a swift punch, Litten's own paws lit up, and a Fake Out was launched her way. The attack made her flinch, and the momentum sent her sliding across the dirt path.
“Lit, litten!” Litten taunted, snickering at Riolu as she shook the dirt from her fur.
“Ri, ri!” she barked back indignantly, growling at Litten.
Izuku clenched his fist, feeling Riolu's frustration through their bond, and decided to use that to fuel their next move. “Use Quick Attack to rush Litten, then use Bite!”
Katsuki scoffed. “Oh no, you don't! Bite her first!”
The two Pokémon clashed once again, Dark-Type energy forming in their mouths before biting down, Riolu on Litten's ear, and Litten on Riolu's arm. Muffled cries of pain escaped the two Pokémon, but both held on for several seconds before, eventually, Riolu grew tired of the stalemate and launched a close-range Vacuum Wave to dislodge Litten, sending her opponent flying away.
Izuku blinked, his mouth open mid-order to tell Riolu to use Vacuum Wave to get Litten off her. ‘ Did she just read my intentions?’ he asked himself. His moment of distraction, however, was just enough for Katsuki to shout out a new order.
“Fire Fang the bitch!”
Izuku flinched at the command but held his ground; the move wasn’t aimed at him. He’d command Riolu to dodge, or Vacuum Wave the Litten away from her again, something, anything to keep that attack from connecting.
He opened his mouth to do just that, but Litten was too fast, and his anxiety had slowed down his command time significantly.
The move connected with Riolu’s arm.
Someone screamed.
At first, Izuku thought it was Riolu, but his brave little Pokémon had thrown off Litten the moment the attack had made contact. No, the scream was coming from him as he clutched his arm.
It burned.
Why did it burn?
Katsuki was about to order a new attack when someone clearing their throat caught his attention. He turned, only to see an older man staring at them from behind a pair of sunglasses. The man had a beard and gray hair, denoting his age. However, he was remarkably fit for someone of his age. “Excuse me, young man, but it seems your battle has gone a bit too far. Why don’t we just cool off and relax a bit, hmm?”
Katsuki glanced at Deku and his weird spazz-out before scoffing, “Whatever, freak.” He recalled his Pokémon and stalked off. It didn’t matter if the loser had a Riolu; he was still a loser and was obviously bringing the rare Pokémon down with him.
The second Katsuki turned his back, Riolu bolted from the impromptu battlefield and into her Trainer's arms, hugging him tight even as a burn afflicted her.
The older man waited until Katsuki was out of sight before turning to Izuku, who was fussing over Riolu's burned arm. “Are you all right, young man?”
Izuku looked up at the man, still holding his arm in pain, as a rush of recognition hit him. “... Mister Yagi, is that you?”
The man seemed to jolt in surprise before collecting himself just as quickly. “I believe you're mistaken, young man. My name is Blaine, and I'm a Fire-Type specialist hired by Mister Yagi to assist you.”
Izuku narrowed his eyes at him, which caused Riolu to giggle despite the pain she felt. “Oh, really? That's why you're wearing a wig? And a fake beard?”
The man chuckled. “Well, I tried,” he remarked before taking off his disguise. “I should have known that a fanboy as passionate as you would've seen through such a simple disguise.” His smile fell, expression turning serious as he helped Izuku stand, “Let's get you two back to my house, have Chansey look you over.”
Izuku shifted his hold on Riolu as he processed Toshinori’s words. “You have a Chansey? Since when?” He didn’t see the Egg Pokémon when he was over the other day, not even in the nursery.
“I got her on loan from your Clan. I’m good friends with your great-grandmother, and she understands why I refuse to go into town for my checkups.” He chuckled as he recalled one of their past interactions. “You’re going to have to talk to her, by the way. Nedzu had to convince her to allow you to train with me.”
Izuku flinched at the thought. His great-grandmother was a fierce woman and the head of the Joy Clan. She adored him; he didn’t doubt that, but that adoration more often than not came through in tough love and stern words, instead of cookies and cheek pinches like others probably experienced.
He wasn’t looking forward to that conversation.
“Well, setting that aside… I can safely say that that boy did not fail to meet expectations, or lack thereof, set by the rumors I had heard about him.” Toshinori motioned for Izuku to follow him up to his home, and the boy obliged, flinching slightly as he felt the burn continue to affect Riolu. “However, if you don't mind me asking… Can you tell me what led to that confrontation in the first place?”
Thinking about Katsuki caused Izuku to feel a rush of frustration that showed in his voice: “He was angry, as usual.” He thought back to the interaction, sorting through Katsuki's words. “He yelled out at me when he saw me, and was angry about me having Riolu and…”
He trailed off, playing through the words again in his head. “‘Not only do you get to keep it…’ What did he mean by that? I… I didn't think Charmander was still going to be my Pokémon… Not after…”
The three fell silent before Toshinori coughed into his hand. “I don't know anything about that, sadly.” He gestured for Izuku and Riolu to follow him. “That seems like something you'd need to talk to Nedzu about, but in the meantime, let's get you looked at and ready for training!”
Izuku nodded, and their conversation trailed off once more until they reached Toshinori's cabin. Chansey was already waiting by the door, her face scrunched with worry as she ushered them inside.
Izuku blinked in surprise at her immediate presence, but Toshinori just chuckled, “I used my Aura to warn her that we were coming. It's something I intend to teach you over the next month.” He gestured to a nearby chair, motioning Izuku to sit. “Let Chansey look the two of you over. And while she does that, I have a request to make of you… Though you probably won't enjoy what I have to ask.”
Izuku sat down and placed Riolu down on the coffee table, allowing Chansey to fuss at both of them as she applied potions to Riolu’s cuts, burns, and bruises. When the Egg Pokémon got to Izuku, she seemed surprised to find no burn on the arm. Toshinori had probably warned her that he was injured.
With no wounds to heal, Chansey simply patted Izuku on the head and waved goodbye before she made her way out of the living room.
It wasn't until she left the room that Toshinori continued. “I know you have a fear of fire-type Pokémon, and that the story must be something painful for you to relive.”
Izuku felt a protest on his tongue, but Toshinori held up a hand to stop him. “I understand your pain, but I need to know exactly what caused this phobia if I am to help you overcome it. Fire-types are some of the most sought-after battling Pokémon; if you freeze up every time a Trainer calls out a fire attack, you won't be able to be a true competitor in the League.”
Izuku sat in silence, eyebrows furrowed as he processed those words. Concerned, Riolu hopped onto her Trainer's lap, patting his arm. He absentmindedly scratched her head as he thought back to the incident that could be considered the start of his torment by Katsuki.
Toshinori was right on two counts; he didn't want to talk about it. He had already done so with family therapists, with his great-grandmother, Nedzu, and his mom for years at this point, and nothing worked. But talking about it with the former world champion could give some new insight. Toshinori may see something the others hadn't.
He had no shot of becoming a worthwhile Trainer if he couldn't handle this.
So, with his resolve strengthened, Izuku opened his mouth to once again recount the incident that ruined his life.
“It happened seven years ago…”
Notes:
Izuku's Team:
Badges Earned: 0
Approximate Team Strength: 0-BadgeRiolu (Fighting-Type, Female)
Abilities: Prankster
Held Item: N/A
Moves: Quick Attack, Bite, Vacuum Wave
Katsuki's Team:
Badges Earned: 0
Approximate Team Strength: 1-BadgeLitten "Lord Explosion Murder" (Fire-Type, Male)
Abilities: Blaze, Intimidate
Held Item: Charcoal
Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Fury Swipes, Fake Out, Bite, Fire FangMagikarp (Water-Type, Male)
Abilities: Swift Swim, Rattled
Held Item: N/A
Moves: Splash, Tackle, Flail
AN: 1:For future reference on this list, knowing a move is not the same as it being actively training for battle. Pokémon don't forget moves necessarily, just push them to the back of their mind to focus on new prospects. And 2: Pokémon are able to develop their other abilities through training. Most commonly, they are born with one, but sometimes can end up with two, or even no ability.
Chapter 4
Notes:
Jk1013: This is the last of the prewritten stuff for now. We're hoping to get chapter five done by next week, but from here on out, it's going to be a schedule of a week from the last update, or whenever we finish it if we pass one week. Regardless, I really hope you enjoy Izuku's backstory.
Professor Donger: Like Joe said, it took a lot of revisions to get some stuff right, but I think we did well with this chapter.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“... And this room is where our team analyzes data collected from our various research projects,” Hisashi explained to his two young guests, gesturing to the advanced technology atop the desks.
Izuku stood with pumped fists, still as starstruck as he had been at the start of the lab tour. This was the first time his father had allowed him inside more of the lab than just the lobby, and he was taking full advantage of that.
Katsuki, on the other hand…
“Mister Midoriya, when are we going to see some Pokémon? You said we would!”
“In time, Katsuki. Patience is a skill you'll need to learn if you want to make a good Pokémon Trainer!” he remarked with a grin.
The blonde grumbled, his teeth clenched, and his foot tapping, showcasing his obvious impatience.
“Where was I… Oh, yes! Our most recent project involves the Eevee family of Pokémon, exploring different ways they can evolve. We’ve been testing how environmental factors affect evolution, a Trainer's bond with their Eevee, and even used the energy from some of the less common Evolution Stones on volunteer subjects. Our research has led us to discover that Leafeon and Glaceon are both able to evolve using a Leaf and an Ice Stone, respectively!”
“Wow! Isn’t that so cool, Kacchan?!” Izuku asked, shaking his friend in his excitement.
Katsuki tore his arm from Izuku’s grip, rolling his eyes. “It really took a team of eggheads to figure that out? Seems pretty obvious to me,” he remarked, crossing his arms smugly.
“Maybe it does seem obvious,” Hisashi admitted, his tone understanding, “But it’s unfortunately very common for people to get caught up in their assumptions. Initial trial and error showed only one way to evolve Eevee into those two Pokémon through exposure to the Moss and Ice Rocks. Leaf Stones were a highly sought-after export from our region, with our lack of Pokémon that evolve using them, and Ice Stones were only a recent discovery, given their difficulty to mine.
“In fact, our region houses every known Pokémon that evolves using an Ice Stone, yet only one, now two, of the known list that evolve using a Leaf Stone! And while most aren’t aware, we actually have both variants of Vulpix and Sandshrew, with the Ice-Types residing on the mountains and mountain caves. In contrast, the other variants reside in their typical environments of the forest and desert.”
Hisashi paused as he noticed only his son was interested in the explanation, with Katsuki seemingly staring off at a pile of books instead of listening. “Well, I suppose I'll get back on track… Researchers make mistakes, and one of the most common ones is getting caught in the idea that there’s only one way something can occur; that there is only one possible explanation or cause for something, never to be replicated using a different method. And we continue to get proven right or wrong in those assumptions through continued research!”
Katsuki huffed, but spoke up again after a moment. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” he admitted.
“Good!” Hisashi said, clapping his hands as he prepared to move on. “Now… Next on the agenda, I wanted to show you–”
A muffled jingle cut him off, emanating from Hisashi's pocket. A sigh escaped the man, a weary look making itself present on his face. “Please excuse me for a moment, I need to get this.”
From his pocket, Hisashi pulled out a sleek, dark green Pokégear, complete with an insignia signaling his status as the Pokémon Professor. “This is Hisashi.”
The voice on the other end was unheard to the two boys, but it was clear it was a very urgent matter. That much was obvious, based on the increasing focus present on Hisashi's face. “I'll be on my way.”
The Professor turned on his heel, looking down at the two children in front of him. His lips turned upwards in a forced smile. “My co-workers need my help. I shouldn't be more than… let's say, half an hour at most. Can I trust you both to stay put?”
Katsuki opened his mouth to reply, but Izuku beat him to the punch. “Yep! We'll stay right here, Dad!”
“I knew I could count on you, ‘Zuku!” Izuku giggled as his father ruffled his hair. The man turned to the blonde, who was pouting at the interruption. “And Katsuki, after I'm done, I promise I'll take you both to see some Pokémon, okay?”
Katsuki grumbled out, “Fine…” under his breath.
“Thank you for being understanding! I'll be back before you know it!” With that farewell, the man all but sprinted out the door and towards the lab room where his colleagues were.
The very instant the footsteps were out of earshot, Katsuki grinned. “Let's go see those Pokémon, Deku.”
Izuku stood frozen with shock, staring at his friend with wide eyes like he had grown a second head. “W-what?! But my Dad said to stay–”
“Your Dad's gonna be so long though! We don't have forever to be on this tour, you know,” the blonde pointed out.
Izuku tapped his fingers together, brows furrowed as conflict brewed within him. “But… I promised Dad–”
“And…” Katsuki interjected, cutting off the other boy's weak protest, “Imagine how impressed your Dad's gonna be when we know all about the different Pokémon here before he even explains them.”
That was the argument that broke Izuku's resistance. “Oh, fine… But we need to be back here before my Dad!”
“Yeah, yeah… Let's go, Deku!”
Katsuki grabbed Izuku's wrist, pulling him along on their quest to find the Pokémon that resided inside the facility. The two children ran through winding halls for what felt like forever before they finally found a sign.
“‘Charmander Daycare…’ Wow, your Dad breeds Charmander here?” Katsuki asked, looking genuinely intrigued for once during his time here.
“Yeah, he told me about it!” Izuku revealed. A proud grin made its way onto his face. “His Charizard from his journey is retired from battling now, but she helps with his duties as the Pokémon Professor by giving up one of her Eggs for a Trainer each year!”
“So, do you think there's any Charmander in there right now?” Katsuki asked, and Izuku nodded in response. The blonde grinned at that answer. “Perfect! Let's go check them out then!”
Katsuki marched onward, pulling open the door to the Daycare without a second thought. After several seconds of hesitation, Izuku followed in after him, both boys unaware of the silent alert they had just sent out to the Pokémon Professor.
The inside of the Daycare resembled a savannah, perfectly replicating the natural environment for the Charmander evolution line with its rock formations, dry grass patches, watering holes, and, of course, a nice and dry heat settling over the ground.
Most of the Charmanders were resting atop the rocks, eyeing the two boys with a curious glint in their expressions. However, in the grass, there stood one lone Charmander. It spun around in a circle, trying to catch its own tail, completely unaware of the humans approaching.
A little too unaware, to be honest.
Izuku cleared his throat, causing the Charmander to pause mid-step. “H-hey there, Charmander… Is it okay if we hang out with you for a bit?”
The Charmander looked him in the eyes and practically lit up. “Char, char!”
The Lizard Pokémon started waddling over to Izuku, reaching for him with his little clawed hands, and Izuku held his arms out, inviting the baby Pokémon in for a hug.
It was a happy moment that was broken all too soon by Katsuki snatching up Charmander.
“Gotcha!” the blonde shouted, the Pokémon flailing from the shock in his grasp. His grin looked all too menacing in that moment, and Charmander went from surprise to fear as it began to cry out its name.
“Kacchan, what are you doing?! Put him down!” Izuku hissed, gripping his friend's shoulder. The attempt at freeing Charmander only resulted in an elbow to the nose that sent the boy tumbling to the floor.
“Can it, Deku! This is my chance to finally become a strong Trainer, and I'm not gonna let you st–”
An earsplitting roar rang out from the rock formations, leaving the two boys reeling. Izuku's vision watered and blurred as the sound left the young boy disoriented. It was only as he shook off his dizziness that he realized what had happened.
His father's Charizard heard her baby crying, and saw two unknown intruders messing with them.
With a hateful glare, she stomped forward, eyes locked onto Katsuki, who still refused to let go of Charmander. “Zard… CHARIZARD!”
Izuku winced as the roar hit his ears again. However, the sound paled in comparison to the wave of rage that had fallen upon them before, and only seconds had passed before he recovered, finally able to stand. “K-Kacchan! You need to let go of her baby and run away with me!”
Katsuki scowled at the thought, sneering at Izuku. “D-dammit, Deku, I'm not doing that! This is my c-chance!” he shouted, his anger betrayed by the chattering of his teeth and the shaking in his body.
No longer willing to wait, Charizard acted. Her claws elongated, empowered by Normal-Type Energy as she prepared to use Slash. “Kacchan, watch out!”
Izuku rushed forward and shoved Katsuki out of the way, their momentum was just enough to avoid getting sliced open by Charizard’s attack narrowly. But the rough nature of Izuku’s save caused the blonde to lose his grip on the Charmander. Right before it fell on its head, the young boy managed his second save in a few seconds, grabbing it by the tail.
But as Izuku reoriented the Charmander upright, Charizard growled, her glare now locked solely onto a new target. “H-hey, Charizard! It’s okay, I caught your baby, so he didn’t–”
Charizard roared loudly once again, causing Izuku to drop Charmander, leaving the Lizard Pokémon scrambling away from the two humans and to its mother.
“K-Kacchan, we need to get out of here!” Izuku shouted, turning to where his friend had been to see if he had recovered yet. But he wasn’t there. Looking a bit further behind him, he could see why.
The blonde had bolted to the door, leaving Izuku alone. “K-Kacchan…?”
A red-hot glow began building up in the back of Charizard’s throat, her intentions very clear as she stared down at Izuku. The boy tried to run, but found that he couldn’t. His blood ran cold, and his feet as heavy as iron as he was frozen in fear at the sight of a charging up Flamethrower.
“Char… ri… ZARD!” With a final shout, the Flame Pokémon sent the attack barreling towards Izuku, a wave of heat and pain that promised to devour the boy. In his fearful state, he was just barely able to stumble back, his arms a weak shield to his face as he avoided the flames that licked the air near him threateningly. He wasn’t so lucky to avoid the heat, and his arms were burned badly.
It was only as Izuku finished falling to the ground that the pain finally registered. The boiling heat that felt like it was sizzling and frying up his skin was too much for the boy to handle.
He screamed.
He screamed and cried in pain, crying out for his Mom and Dad. And it was only as Izuku cried out in much the same way only a child could that Charizard snapped out of her anger, her gaze towards Izuku being one that was filled with maternal instincts and immediate regret as the haze lifted and she recognized her Trainer’s child.
She moved to help the boy in some way, maybe fly him back to his father, when he backed away from her in fear. That caused her to let out a heartbroken little growl of sadness that made the boy flinch.
He kept backing away until he bumped into something firm. Izuku looked up and saw his father, his eyes worried, disappointed, and stern as he bent over and picked up his son. He looked over at his Charizard, his eyes conveying that he knew this wasn’t her fault as he ordered, “Go back to your den and take your Charmander with you. I don’t think Izuku is comfortable with you right now, Charla.”
Charizard lowered her head and let out another sad croon, guiding her confused Charmander back to their home. All the while, Hisashi hoisted his son into his arms and whispered to his son that it would be okay, that they had burn heals specifically because of this, that a bit of fire would never keep a Midoriya down for long.
Izuku wasn’t really listening, though; his eyes as he looked over his father’s shoulder were firmly planted on the two flames that moved further and further from the two of them as they walked back towards the lab.
It wasn’t until they were out of sight that he would finally let himself relax and black out from the pain of his burn.
“... I didn't see what happened after I blacked out, but I heard from my family that my dad was furious at Kacchan. I even heard a rumor that he got banned from receiving a sponsorship from the Pokémon Professor Lab, but I was never able to get my dad to confirm that before he…”
Izuku frowned briefly, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. “Anyway, for a long time after that, I was afraid of all Pokémon, but my friends and family were able to help me through it. I had gotten to the point where I was really only kinda afraid of Fire-Types, but…”
“Being so close to a Charmander again caused you to regress,” Toshinori concluded.
Izuku nodded, a sigh escaping him as he did so. “It's just… frustrating. Fire in general doesn’t bother me as much anymore, I can sit near a campfire or light a match no problem; it’s just Fire-Type Pokemon, especially Charizard’s evolution line, that mess with my head...”
Riolu whined, patting her Trainer's arm in an attempt to comfort him. Izuku scratched behind her ear absentmindedly. “Thanks, Riolu.”
Toshinori slumped in his seat, a hand to his chin. “It seems a bigger part of our training this month will need to be dedicated to helping you heal than I thought…”
Sitting up straight, the man locked eyes with Izuku. “I'll adjust the plan accordingly. In the meantime…” He cleared his throat, trying to get his thoughts together. “We've discussed what led up to the fight, but I must ask… How was your first battle with Riolu? I can assume a little from catching the tail end of it, but I'd like to hear it from you.”
“It was… exhilarating,” he admitted. A chuckle escaped him as a wave of pride flowed from Riolu. “It felt like we were in-sync from the very beginning of the battle. Too in-sync, even. She dodged Litten rushing forward with ease, and landed a move of her own in return!”
As Izuku gave the play-by-play of the fight, Toshinori sat and listened with a contemplative expression on his face. It wasn't until the boy finished that the blonde spoke up once more. “Can you have your Rotom Phone scan Riolu for me?”
“Huh? What for?” Izuku questioned.
Toshinori shrugged. “Call it a hunch.”
“Huh… Yeah, I can. Rotom, if you could?” he asked, and his phone obliged. The device floated out of his pocket, hovering over to Riolu to scan her once more.
With the process being much less thorough than the check-up, it was done much faster. “Bzzt– Scan complete!”
“Now, go to Riolu’s move list,” Toshinori instructed. The screen shifted, cycling through tabs of information until the requested information was shown. “Ah, I was right. Young man, it seems Riolu has learned a new move.”
“She did?!” Izuku practically snatched the Rotom Phone out of the air, turning the screen to see what was new. “Detect… That's how she was able to dodge that first move!”
“I suspect that she was on the cusp of learning the move already, but being in her first battle must have given her the push she needed to use it.” His tone took on an almost lecturing tone as he continued, “Remember that, young man, sometimes a Pokémon can practice a move during training and hit a wall; Only to break past that wall when it truly needs the ability it's trying to learn.”
The former champion stood, motioning for Izuku to follow him. “Let's head out back. We'll have ourselves a little battle.”
Izuku and Riolu both blinked at him in astonishment, and he laughed. Izuku finally managed to find his voice and spoke. “A battle?”
Toshinori nodded, “I need to see where you stand as a Trainer, young man, with my own eyes.” He nodded to Riolu, “That battle with Katsuki was enlightening, but that was against someone within your skill range and not for training, but a true battle.” He pulled out a Poké Ball and smiled, “I'm obviously far above you in terms of skill, so you will have to use everything you know even to hope to beat me. That will tell me more about how you truly battle than any notes from Nedzu or schoolyard rivalry.”
He turned on his heel and walked out the door, leaving Izuku and Riolu blinking in surprise for a moment before scrambling outside after him.
Without his nerves to distract him, Izuku could truly take in the sight of Toshinori’s backyard for the first time. There was the battlefield he saw before, which was to League regulation standards, as far as he could tell. At the edge of where the yard ended and the forest began once more, there was a small pond with berry trees surrounding it, and what looked to be a few Poliwag splashing around in the water.
To his left, there was a shed with the door open, revealing a plethora of maintenance equipment alongside what looked to be an older version of a League Battle scoreboard. To his right, there was a fenced-off area connected to what looked to be a Daycare for baby Pokémon to play in the sun while staying safe. It was surprisingly humble for a man with as much money as Toshinori surely had.
Then again, that could be the point—comfort over extravagance.
“Huh…” Izuku mumbled, nodding to himself. “That’ll be good to remember…” He nodded, jotting it down in his notebook.
“Where do you get those?” He heard Riolu mumble, but he elected to ignore her.
Toshinori, however, was pleased as he took his position at the opposite end of the field. “I am glad you’re taking notes, young man, but notes will only get you so far.” He threw his Poké Ball into the air and started spinning it on his index finger. “Come, show me what you’ve got!”
Izuku nodded and moved to the Challenger’s position, Riolu standing next to him. They both blinked as Lucario made his way to the referee’s position.
His voice echoed clearly in everyone’s mind. “This is a one-on-one Pokémon battle between Toshinori Yagi and Izuku Midoriya! Standard Regulation rules are in place, the challenger will send out his Pokémon first!”
“You aren’t fighting with Lucario, Mister Yagi?” Izuku questioned
Toshinori let out a snorted laugh, “No, my boy! That would be overkill and not conducive to you actually learning anything.” He shook his head. “The Pokémon in this ball is a rookie, just like your Riolu; However, Pokémon are born and bred for battle.”
He frowned at Izuku, “I’m not testing your Riolu; she is new, and only knows what her instincts tell her. I’m testing you as a Trainer. I want to see your strategies firsthand, how you handle adversity, and how you command your Pokémon. Only then can I get an idea of how to go about training you for the next month.”
Izuku nods and, after gathering himself up, shouts out, “Riolu, I choose you!”
Riolu immediately leapt from his side onto the field, shifting into a battle stance to be ready for whatever Toshinori sent out.
Toshinori nodded, though he knew his young protege wouldn’t have any other Pokémon to send out. Wordlessly, he threw his Poké Ball, releasing the Growlithe that had been eagerly waiting inside. It let out an excited bark that caused Izuku to freeze.
“I thought about sending out a Charmander, but I thought that would be cruel.” Toshinori began with a frown, “Don’t mistake me, though; while you're here learning from me, you will be battling pretty much every species of Fire-Type I can think of.”
Izuku swallowed down his worry and stuttered out a quick, “Why?” though he already knew the answer.
Toshinori indulged him anyway. “You need to get over your fear of them, Young Midoriya. Charmander is your Chosen Pokémon, and the Charizard breed is proud, but loyal to those they pick.” He shook his head. “He will wait for you until he dies, and you’d do him a disservice by not conquering this fear, so grit those teeth!”
Toshinori – no, All Might’s Aura flooded the battlefield, and Izuku felt himself take an involuntary step back.
“Don’t think about the Growlithe, or the Charmander, or the fire, or any of that!” The pressure kept building, and Izuku felt himself fall to one knee. “I am the peak that you have to overcome, Young Midoriya,” All Might continued, “I am going to be the embodiment of that fear you hold within your heart, and together we will overcome it!” He thumped his chest with a fist, “For you, for your Charmander! Show me what you’ve got, my boy!”
Izuku was having trouble standing, he was shaking, and he felt like he was going to vomit…
Was this what Aura could do?
He looked up and saw that Riolu had positioned herself closer in front of him, as if to protect him from the overwhelming power that was All Might.
Such loyalty… She only knew him for a day, and yet she already trusted him and wanted to protect him…
Was Charmander the same? Izuku did as All Might instructed and grit his teeth.
He’d have to ask the Fire Starter when he got the chance. He moved onto his feet and glared back at All Might. He didn’t notice it, but his own Aura pushed back against All Might’s, causing the man to raise a pleased eyebrow.
“I won’t back down!” he growled over the pulsing in his ears.
“That’s what I like to hear!” All Might nodded to his Lucario, who raised both paws before bringing them down.
“Begin!”
Tsuyu was worried, though outwardly most people probably couldn’t tell. She was currently standing out in her family's meadow, instructing her Bulbasaur and Mudkip in some basic training routines, though her mind wasn’t really committed to it.
Her father was busy talking at her, explaining some hidden breeding technique for the Squirtle line that he had picked up over the years. She wasn’t really listening to him; Hell, she was barely paying attention to her Pokémon, though she at least was mentally checked in enough to make sure they didn’t hurt themselves in their training, which had devolved into play fighting at this point.
No, she was worried about Izuku. She hadn’t seen him since the Ceremony, and she didn’t have the time or freedom to check on him like she wanted to.
“Are you done playing at being a Trainer for the day? Can we finally get some work done?” her father asked, causing her eyebrow to twitch, the only outward sign that his words had any effect on her at all.
Her father didn’t notice this and kept looking at her. She could see it out of her peripheral vision, and she sighed. He never noticed when she was upset; Most of her family didn’t.
Izuku did, though. She looked over at her two partners and smiled softly at them. They had stopped playing the moment her father had spoken up, Bulbasaur looking at her in worry while Mudkip glared balefully at her dad.
She loved both of them, but this was her battle. So she waved them off. “Go on and play, I’ll be back in a bit to get you both for lunch.”
Her two partners reluctantly turned away from their Trainer, heading outside to play with the other Pokémon. It was only once Tsuyu was sure they had listened to her that she turned to face her father.
“You can't just ignore me, Tsuyu. I don't know what thoughts the Joy Clan boy put into that head of yours, but I'd suggest you lose them,” her father remarked. His arms were crossed as he shook his head in disappointment.
“He's not ‘the Joy Clan boy’. His name is Izuku, and he didn't put any ideas in my head,” Tsuyu said, failing to avoid letting irritation leak into her voice.
“Don't take that tone with me, young lady,” her father said, his tone shifting to one of authority. “Like it or not, I am still your father.”
“Don’t talk down to my friend then,” Tsuyu deadpanned.
Her father exhaled sharply. “You know my feelings about you even talking with that boy in the first place. He's trouble, Tsuyu. A boy who has incompatible dreams and fears. You saw it yesterday, didn't you?”
“He has a legitimate reason to be afraid of Fire-Types!” Tsuyu shouted as the last remnant of her composure cracked.
“Oh yes, because he and his friend caused an incident at the Professor's lab back in the day. And yet, he only continues to cause issues and disturbances!” her father argued, clenching his fists. “He and that friend of his both antagonize each other, and scorch parts of town with that blonde's damn Litten.”
“Why won’t you believe me when I tell you that he and Katsuki aren’t friends?”
“As if that’s true! The two are seen together all the time! The boy helps with Katsuki’s Pokémon and their moves. Heck, the Joy Clan boy still even calls Katsuki by a nickname. Doesn't get much more friendly than that.”
Tsuyu had to hold back the frustrated growl that was rising in her chest. “It's a habit he picked up when he was a kid! Of course he's still gonna call him that!”
“Yes, because they've been friends since they were kids! Mark my words, Tsuyu! He’s just dragging you away from home so you can become another no-name trainer!”
“You–!” Tsuyu closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath before turning away from her father. She quickly raised two fingers to her lips and let out a sharp whistle.
“What do you think you're doing?” her father asked with a frown. Tsuyu ignored him; instead, she waited. After a moment, her two Pokémon had returned from where they had been playing, looking up at her with worried frowns on their faces.
She quickly gestured with her head towards the gate, and the two immediately started making their way to it. She turned back to her father and frowned at him. “I’m going to check on that Joy Clan Boy like I should have done yesterday.”
Her father's protests fell on deaf ears as she made her way off her family's property, towards the Pokémon Center. He lived near the building, and he worked there on weekends. So even if he took the day off after yesterday, it was her best bet.
She'd find Izuku and apologize for leaving him on his own yesterday. That much she was sure of.
Toshinori stared at his new student from across the battlefield…
Student… That was something he still couldn’t wrap his head around, though he was finding that he didn’t mind the idea as much as he had yesterday.
He had taken a cue from his Master with this little test match. She always told him that the best way to gauge someone’s skill in battle, or anything really, was to throw them into the deep end and see if they sink or swim.
So as he flooded the field with his Aura, he fully expected the young man before him to buckle, bend a little, and put on a mediocre show. Show some of the impurities in his skill and mindset that he’d need to remove in the crucible of his training regimen.
Izuku surprised him by following his instructions and swinging back with his own Aura.
It was crude, unpracticed, unrefined, and instinctual. He didn’t overwhelm Toshinori’s Aura; there wasn’t a person alive that could, but he pushed back against it, hardened his resolve, and stood.
And didn’t that just fire Toshinori up more?
His train of thought was broken when Izuku suddenly went on the offensive, catching the former champion off guard.
“Bite!” Izuku called fiercely.
Toshinori grinned and immediately responded, “Match it!”
Both Pokémon rushed forward, the Dark-Type Energy of the move building in their mouths. Both moved to strike the other, but Growlithe landed first, a benefit of his build. The Puppy Pokémon latched onto Riolu's leg and didn't let go, causing her to cry out in pain.
Toshinori noticed Izuku grit his teeth and wince. ‘It happened again?’ Toshinori thought with a raised eyebrow. He had confirmed that Izuku felt the burn that Riolu had received earlier; it was pretty obvious, but for this to happen twice in one day…
Well, besides proper battle strategy, Toshinori now knew what he had to focus on with regard to Aura.
Izuku called out a new order, “Use Vacuum Wave to break yourself free!”
It was a good order, and if Toshinori was a newbie, he might’ve been caught off guard. But he wasn't. “Growlithe, let go and get behind her with Flame Wheel!”
Toshinori could see the relief on Izuku's face as Growlithe let go, but the relief was short-lived and replaced by panic as his mind caught up with what Toshinori had said. “Adjust your aim, Riolu!”
Riolu shook off the pain from Bite, narrowing her eyes to focus on her opponent’s movements. Growlithe covered itself in fire, beginning to spin on the spot before rushing to its left.
Riolu was ready to react in an instant, launching a Vacuum Wave directly into Growlithe's path. The attack seemed to land, and Toshinori saw his opponents grin.
Their confidence was wiped off their faces as Growlithe let go of the Flame Wheel, revealing a small scuff where the Vacuum Wave grazed him. “Huh?!”
“You didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?” Toshinori asked rhetorically, before ordering his next move, “Ember, and then Howl!”
Growlithe took in a deep breath before launching a trail of embers towards Riolu, hitting her directly on her face. Izuku flinched away, leaving him unable to properly call for a counterattack before the Puppy Pokémon used its set-up move, raising its attack power.
He opened his mouth to call for Riolu to do something, anything, when Toshinori let out another command. “Bite!”
Panicking, Izuku called out to his partner, “Punch it!”
Toshinori mentally shook his head. The boy was panicking; the match was over. “Grab her with Bite! And then throw her with a Flame Wheel!”
Growlithe barked, leaping towards Riolu and chomping down on her arm. She pushed at his face, trying to break free, but was helplessly swung around by his strong jaws as the Puppy Pokemon began shaking her like a chew toy.
An excited glint in his eye and his tail wagging were the only warning Riolu got before Growlithe activated his Flame Wheel, spinning her wildly in place before chucking her away from him at high speed, directly toward Izuku.
Toshinori’s face went pale at the sight. “Oh shit!”
Izuku’s eyes had widened, but to the boy's credit, he stood his ground, arms ready to catch his partner. Though Toshinori didn’t understand why he didn’t just recall her into her ball…
Luckily, the boy didn’t get hit by his flying Pokémon; instead, faster than Izuku probably could see, Lucario had appeared in front of him and caught his wayward daughter effortlessly.
After dusting her off and making sure she was only knocked out, the Aura Pokemon let out a huff. He handed Riolu back to her trainer before looking at Toshinori with a disappointed raised eyebrow.
Toshinori shivered at the look; it was the same look his Master gave him when he fucked up.
He had to save face.
“Go on and play, Growlithe,” he ordered before making his way to Izuku, “Let's go get Riolu patched up, and we can go over everything you’ve learned from this bout, hmm?”
Izuku nodded wordlessly, staring down at Riolu in his arms. The group all went inside as Growlithe ran off to the forest's edge, no doubt in order to terrorize some wild Pokémon.
It wasn't long before Chansey found them and frantically began efforts to revive Riolu from her unconscious state. “Chansey, chans!” she shouted, waving her flipper arm at Toshinori in what could only be interpreted as a threat.
“It was an accident, I swear!” Toshinori yelped, holding his hands up in surrender.
Chansey narrowed her eyes at the blonde and, in an angry tone, yelled out, “Chan-sey!”
Immediately, Izuku burst out laughing, and Lucario snorted in response, leaving Toshinori very confused but vaguely offended.
He did, at least, get the last laugh when Chansey turned her glare towards them and they both froze.
Eventually, the anger deflated from Chansey as she got to work healing up Riolu, using the various medicines from her travel medical kit to heal the lingering burns and injuries. It was only after she finished spraying and wrapping up Riolu's wounds that she was satisfied, cracking open a Revive to finish the job.
Riolu absorbed the energy inside the capsule, and her eyes fluttered open as she let out a small gasp. “Ugh… What happened…?”
“Growlithe threw you around like a ragdoll,” Izuku deadpanned, his mood soured as he reminded himself that he had messed up.
“Now, now, you shouldn't beat yourself up. How about we actually go over what happened during the battle? You didn’t make as many mistakes as you think.”
Izuku's jaw clenched; he was no doubt frustrated with himself, but he still didn't fight Toshinori’s suggestion. It wasn't long before the four were once again seated in the opposing couches, some fresh tea served to them courtesy of Chansey.
“So, the battle. You started the battle quite well. You didn’t hesitate to call out attacks for your Pokémon and gave clear, concise orders to her when you could.”
Toshinori nodded as Izuku halfheartedly took out his notebook, “The Vacuum Wave to force Riolu free was a clever play, and only failed because it was something I could think of and knew how to react to, but a trainer at your level would have floundered to respond to that order. Heck, with a faster-forming projectile, you might have made it work regardless, but that’s a problem of experience, something easily fixed with time.”
The former champion sighed, “The cracks started showing after I had Growlithe start using Fire-Type attacks. You had flinched previously when Bite landed, but your composure completely fell apart after he landed an Ember on Riolu.
“When you and Riolu battle, you tap into the Bond you share, and that allows her to understand your directions and intent perfectly,” Toshinori explained. “However, that Bond goes both ways, and is more than just emotions. You can feel her pain, and vice versa. She gets hit with a Fire-Type attack, and you feel burned and scared. You feel burned and scared…”
“And she can't focus on the battle in front of her…” Izuku finished, and Toshinori couldn't help but feel bad at how ashamed he sounded.
He was glad he didn’t have to smack some sense into him, as Riolu immediately did it for him.
Toshinori quickly moved over to his student and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Kid, fear is normal,” he started with a frown. “There was something my old master taught me that stuck with me, back when I first started training with her. I was a scrawny little zygote of a kid; I had never prepared to be a Pokémon trainer. My mother wanted me to take over her flower shop.” He smiled as Izuku snorted at the idea of All Might selling flowers.
“I wasn’t always this huge, you know,” he remarked, immediately continuing his point, “I could have sold flowers like the best of them! But that wasn’t my calling…”
Izuku looked as though he was going to gush about that, evidently wanting to learn more as a fanboy, but he waved the boy off and continued. “I met my Master at random, a turn of fate of being in the right place at the right time. Similar to yourself, I would say. And of everything she told me during my time as her pupil, there was one thing that stuck out to me the most:
“‘Toshinori, fear is the mind killer. It kills all strategy, all thought or action you could have taken.’ That stuck with me, and my years of experience have proven that she was very much correct."
He nodded to Riolu. "Pokémon, at the end of the day, are creatures primarily of instinct, even ones that can speak like Nedzu, Riolu, or others like Psychic-Types. They will almost always, first and foremost, obey their instincts." He thought for a moment before moving over towards his shoe rack.
Izuku and Riolu looked at him in confusion, only to flinch as Toshinori picked up a shoe and suddenly threw it at Riolu. Without hesitation, she immediately batted the shoe away, sending it clattering to the ground.
"You or I would have wasted time thinking of a few ways to avoid that shoe: deflect, duck, dodge, dive. Pokémon, however, react on instinct, and tend to react in noticeable patterns, patterns that we as trainers are supposed to help them overcome. She would dodge if you told her to, though her instincts tell her to hit whatever is coming towards her away."
“We’re going to work through your fear together, Young Midoriya, so that you can be the best trainer for her you can be.” He smiled at Izuku and gave him a thumbs-up. “So don’t be so hard on yourself! Just stand up when you stumble, and keep moving forward.”
He could see Izuku beginning to tear up, but he held strong. “Thank you, Mister Yagi!”
“Right! Now, what else did we need to cover…” The blonde thought to himself for a moment, trying to recall before snapping his fingers. “Right! When Riolu was… ahem, rapidly approaching you, why didn't you return her to her Poké Ball?”
“Oh, right… Riolu finds her Poké Ball extremely claustrophobic. To the point she nearly had a panic attack last night,” Izuku said, both trainer and partner shrinking in one themselves in embarrassment.
Toshinori turned to look at his own partner and sighed, “Lucario, I do believe we have our work cut out for us,” he replied, and the Aura Pokémon could only nod in response.
Notes:
Izuku's Team:
Badges Earned: 0
Approximate Team Strength: 0-BadgeRiolu (Fighting-Type, Female)
Abilities: Prankster
Held Item: N/A
Moves: Quick Attack, Bite, Vacuum Wave, Detect
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ProfessorDonger on Chapter 1 Wed 20 Aug 2025 01:16PM UTC
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aceboy (BlueAceOSpades) on Chapter 1 Thu 28 Aug 2025 04:43PM UTC
Last Edited Thu 28 Aug 2025 04:43PM UTC
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