Chapter 15: The Final Stage

Author's Note: This was a fun chapter to right, though I did run into some issues. You'll see in this chapter a problem I've encountered multiple times now, and that's that some Quirks in the MHA Universe simply don't have Pokemon alternatives. Because of this, I had to come up with another way to allow the story to follow in a similar manner while having them use different strategies. I think I'm happy with how this turned out though! Anyway, please leave a review if you can and enjoy!

"You know, Todoroki. We should hurry up. If we don't get to the cafeteria soon, they won't have any food left." Izuku said nervously. Shoto just stared at him with anger in his eyes. This wasn't like Katsuki's loud hatred. No, this was cold anger. He made you feel uneasy with his presence.

"I got overwhelmed," Shoto said, surprising Izuku. "I got overwhelmed and I broke a promise to myself."

Izuku realized what he had meant. That was the reason he never used Fire-type moves… Ninetales had the reflexes to be able to prevent him from taking a headband. Had Ninetales used a Fire-type move then, Izuku's team likely wouldn't have made it to the finals.

"Iida, Yaoyorozu, Kaminari, Tokoyami, Uraraka, and Hatsume. None of them felt the same. Me, who witnessed All Might's full power in front of my own eyes did." Shoto took out Ninetales' Pokeball and stared at it.

"W-Why are you telling me this?" Izuku asked. Shoto looked back up at his classmate. "I'm telling you that I felt something similar from you."

Shit. The connection between All Might and Izuku! Had he figured it out? "Midoriya… you..." Shoto squinted his eyes. "Are you All Might's secret child?" He said with a serious tone.

Izuku just stared at him. He was worried all this time for nothing… "Is it true?" Shoto asked. The boy just shook his head nervously. "I-It's not true, I swear. Although, I'd probably say the same thing if I was so maybe you don't believe me haha. It isn't like that." He said, trying to form a proper sentence.

"B-But first..." Izuku took a moment to calm down. "I want to know why you'd think that in the first place?"

Shoto crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "By saying that 'it isn't like that' you're confirming that you two have some kind of connection. My dad is Endeavor, but you already know that. I'm the son of the number two Hero. So if you're connected to the number one Hero in any way, I have even more reason to beat you."

Izuku took a step back. "My dad could never surpass All Might with his Pokemon. Instead, he wanted me to become the strongest trainer of our generation."

"What are you talking about, Torodoki?"

"If I grew up training every day of my life, he thought I'd become the best trainer out there. It was about his legacy. That's why he resorted to Pokemon crossbreeding to give me my Ninetales. When the new set of Heroes came in, he wanted me to be on top."

Shoto shook his head and gritted his teeth. "By hurting, my siblings, my mom, and I… he would condition me into satisfying his own desires." Izuku's eyes widened in shock. Hearing Shoto's story and how abusive Endeavor truly was…

"Damn it all. I won't be a tool for that scum to use. I always remembered my mom crying… I remembered how she poured boiling water onto my face." That must have explained where his scar came from, Izuku thought. "She said that I was a monster, just like my father. Let's just say, I want to beat you because I want to prove my father wrong. I want to prove to him I can be the best without using his previous Fire types. I'll kick him out of my life completely."

"I'm not gonna force you to tell me what connection you have with All Might. No matter what it is, I'll beat you in the end. Sorry for wasting your time with that." Shoto said as he began walking away.

"Wait!" Shoto stopped after hearing Izuku call for him. "Ever since I've gotten here, I've always had to rely on others. It was the same in the Cavalry Battle." All Might, his mom, Ochako, Tenya, Aizawa, Tsu and Minoru, Mei and Fumikage, even Katsuki. They all helped him get to where he was now.

"The greatest Hero, All Might. I want to be just like him. But to do that, I have to be strong enough to make it to number one. Compared to you, my motives are pretty childish. But I can't afford to lose either. I need to give back to those who gave me everything. What you said to me before, I'll say it back. I will beat you." Izuku closed his fist and looked at Shoto.

The boy didn't respond. Instead, he just slowly walked away. However, this only fueled the flames of their rivalry even more. Katsuki listened silently from around the corner. Even he couldn't help but feel just a little bad for Shoto, but he felt more frustration and anger rather than pity. All three of them… their aims were the same. Yet somehow, they were all so different.

And with that, the third and final event was about to begin. "Get ready for the final show, ladies and gentlemen! The remaining competitors will compete in a one-on-one single-elimination bracket showdown until one is crowned the winner of the Sports Festival!" This meant that the teams they had formed during the cavalry battle were going to be split. It was every trainer for themselves.

"I get to stand on the same stage I've watched for years!" Eijiro said excitedly. "Was it like this last year too?" Mina asked. Hanta nodded. "Every year, the finals are always one-on-ones. The type of battle is always different, though. Last year, it was Pokemon Tag."

Midnight walked up the stage and held up a small box. "We'll draw lots to determine the matches. Once they're finalized, we'll begin the event. Let's start with the first place team, Todo-"

"Excuse me!" Mashirao raised his hand. "I'd like to withdraw." Everyone was shocked. He had made it to the finals, and he wanted to back out?

"Ojiro? Why?" Izuku asked. "The Pros are all watching! This could determine your future." Tenya reaffirmed.

"I barely have any recollection of the Cavalry Battle. It must have been that guy's Hypno. It hypnotized us and our Pokemon to create some kind of hivemind. I know this is a big opportunity. It would be foolish of me to throw this chance away without good reason. However, this is where everyone fought and gave it their all. It wouldn't be fair to them if I continued on."

Toru approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're worrying about this too much. The important thing is that you made it to the finals!" Mina nodded in agreement. "I wasn't able to help my team out either. It doesn't mean we shouldn't be there."

Mashirao placed a hand over his face and began trembling. "No, this is about my pride. I can't do it. It isn't right." Another boy from Class 1-B stepped forward as well. "I'm Nirengeki Shoda. I was Ojiro's teammate as well and I feel the same as him. It wouldn't be right if I continued on. There are many others who deserve that spot more."

Midnight allowed it, meaning that only Hitoshi and Yuga advanced to the finals for their team. Itsuka Kendo's Team came in fifth, so they were originally going to be the next in line. However, they all declined and gave the opportunity to Tetsutetsu instead. They were stuck in the ice for most of the battle anyway. It was Tetsu's team that was constantly working. They had agreed that Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu and Ibara Shiozaki would be the ones to proceed forward in place of the withdrawals. Once the lots were drawn, the matches were revealed.

The first match would be Tetsu vs Eijiro. After them was Ochako against Katsuki. The next was Fumikage going up against Momo, followed by Mina vs Yuga. The other battles were Hanta vs Shoto, Mei vs Tenya, Denki vs Ibara, and Izuku vs Hitoshi.

Katsuki looked up at the screen. "Who the hell is Uraraka?" Ochako ran up behind him and stomped her foot. "What do you mean?! I'm right here!"

"The boy with the Hypno..." Izuku thought to himself. The tournament was going to be a classic one versus one battle using a single Pokemon. The winner would be the last Pokemon standing between the two. He had to deliberate which one to bring into this battle.

Mashirao and Izuku discussed strategy. The best option would likely be to just charge in and try to take Hypno out as fast as possible without looking at the pendulum, if he even went with his Hypno. Still, they didn't have much of a choice. His Hypnotizing abilities were powerful.

Once the battlefields were ready, Present Mic took the stage once again. "Are you all ready?! This is it! The final battle!"

Izuku stood in one of the hallways, taking deep breaths. All Might, in his weakened form, approached him to give him some words of encouragement. "Hey!" The Pro called out. "I'm a little late, but you seem to be getting a hang of your powers."

"I don't think I'm there yet." Izuku sadly replied. "I managed to do it once with the egg in the microwave imagery, but if I don't focus, it feels like I'm going to explode. As you can see, even if I do use One for All, it sometimes isn't enough."

All Might placed his hand on his chin and nodded. "Yes, that does seem somewhat right. I've analyzed your training fights and come to the conclusion that you can only output a maximum of 5% of One for All's power."

"Only 5%?! Maybe I really am just blessed with luck and good friends… should I just-"

All Might karate chopped Izuku in the head, cutting him off. "This is the part where you say 'I'll try my best!' not mope around feeling sorry for yourself. Does the Hero you aspire to be look this vulnerable? It's times like this when you face your challenges with a smile! Even if it's just an act, stand proud! You've come a very long way. Remember that."

Then, the event was ready to begin. The order of the matches had been randomized, with Izuku's battle against Hitoshi being up first. He remembered his plan and prepared himself.

"Our first competitor is Izuku Midoriya from the Hero Course! Bustling a stellar performance with his Torchic and Riolu, he's definitely a fan favorite." Present Mic shouted. "His opponent is Hitoshi Shino from the General Education Course! While not physically powerful, his Hypno has proven to be a formidable foe."

The rules were simple. First Pokemon to faint loses. It was all or nothing. No redemption matches, no losers bracket. Cementoss and Midnight would be acting as referees to make sure no dirty tactics or underhanded plays were done.

"Are the competitors ready?" Cementoss asked. Hitoshi and Izuku nodded and pulled out their Pokeballs. "Please send out your Pokemon!" Midnight exclaimed.

"Hypno, it's time!"

"Torchic, I'm counting on you!"

The two Pokemon entered the battlefield and got ready. "Begin!" Present Mic declared.

Izuku pointed right at Hypno. "Let's start with an Emb-"

"How stupid must your classmate be." Hitoshi interrupted Izuku, catching Torchic off-guard. "The Sports Festival isn't just a test of your strength, but also your mind. If you have a goal, you can't care about how others see you."

Izuku felt sweat beginning to form on his head as Hitoshi continued. "Monkey Boy was talking about pride or some shit, right? It's pretty stupid to throw away an opportunity like this so easily."

The green-haired boy clenched his fist. "What are you talking about?! Torchic, Flame Charge!" Now angry, Torchic began covering itself with flames before charging forward. Hitoshi smiled and laughed. "Caught you." He said.

Hypno stepped forward and before Torchic could hit him, he suddenly stopped. Izuku and Torchic's recklessness led to them allowing Hypno to hypnotize him. "And Torchic just stopped?! What's happening?!" Present Mic grabbed onto his microphone and watched closely.

Mashirao and All Might seemed especially concerned. If Izuku didn't do anything quickly, this was pretty much game over.

"This is my fight to win," Hitoshi said. "Hypno, use Zen Headbutt." The Yellow Pokemon slowly walked up to the dazed Torchic and brutally slammed its head right on the Pokemon. "A devastating blow!" Mic commented.

"H-Hey! is this even allowed?!" Minoru shouted. Midnight nodded and placed her hand on her hip. "It's Hypno's ability. Of course, it has its limitations. However on a small and weak Pokemon like Torchic? That's an easy win for them."

"What an unexpected turn of events! Will Izuku Midoriya be removed from the competition this early?!"

Aizawa leaned forward and let out a sigh. "This is why I said the entrance exam wasn't reasonable." He said. "The entrance exam favored Pokemon with strong attacks. Hypno itself isn't a very powerful Pokemon. In the right hands though, it can be one of the biggest obstacles any Hero has to overcome. The problem was that you can't hypnotize robots. I'd argue that Shino and his Hypno are more powerful than many of those in the Hero Course."

Hitoshi crossed his arms as Torchic took another Psyshock from Hypno. "Stand still just a little longer."

"Torchic! Please, move!" Izuku desperately cried out for his Pokemon, but it just stood there. Torchic made meek chirping noises in an attempt to cry for help. He was still conscious, but it was as if he had no control over his own body. Every time he was knocked down by one of Hypno's attacks, he would just get back up and stand there. Hit after hit, no matter how much Izuku cried out, nothing happened. "Snap out of it, Torchic! We're so close!"

Then, something strange happened. It was as if Izuku could hear Torchic's cries from his own mind. His vision became blurry, feeling the pain Torchic felt with every hit. It was only a matter of time before the small Pokemon's body gave in. "Damn!" Izuku thought. "Torchic, wake up! Wake up! Ojiro tried to warn me…"

He could feel everyone watching in horror as Torchic took another Shadow Ball. They were reaching their limit. Even with the hypnosis, Torchic's small legs were already beginning to give up. Whenever he got back up, he would nearly collapse back to the ground.

"Torchic…"

Then, they saw a light. Several lights. The feeling of One for All took over both of their bodies. Within the lights, they saw shadows. Shadows of people that seemed strangely familiar. One of them… was that All Might?

"Wake..."

Those lights then began pouring into Izuku and Torchic, filling them with even more power. They felt their bodies beginning to move on their own.

"Up!"

Hypno was about to hit his last Zen Headbutt to finish the match, but something amazing happened. Torchic moved just ever so slightly to avoid the attack, forcing the Hypnosis Pokemon to smash his head right into the ground.

"Woah! And Torchic avoids the attack! Close call!" Present Mic said.

Izuku's vision returned to normal and he began breathing heavily. What was that? Who were those people? Why did that even happen? He didn't get any answers. Instead, he may have gotten something better.

The boy looked up and his eyes widened in awe as a white light enveloped Torchic. He watched him grow larger and change forms. It was happening! Torchic… he was…

"Torchic is Evolving!" Present Mic shouted excitedly. This was the first in the history of the UA Sports Festival. No Pokemon had ever evolved in the middle of a match. The light soon exploded from within the Fire type, revealing his new form.

"Combusken!" Izuku shouted, excited at his Pokemon's new evolution. It also seemed like Combusken was free from Hypno's hypnotism too. "Midoriya! Combusken!" Tenya and Ochako cheered. The whole crowd erupted into cheering. "Such an exciting sight!" Present Mic said.

Aizawa looked at both Izuku and Combusken and was shocked. The way it had happened… this wasn't a coincidence. Did… did Combusken force himself to evolve?!

Combusken looked at Hypno with rage in his eyes. "H-How?! This wasn't supposed to happen! What did you do?!" Hitoshi shouted.

Izuku didn't respond. Instead, he and Combusken were determined not to fall for the same trick. Still, even they weren't entirely sure what had just happened. Those shadows… did they manage to force an evolution? Yes, it must have. Then, Izuku remembered. The former holders of One for All! All Might was among them! They were the ones who helped him!

"What did you do?!" Hitoshi shouted, breaking Izuku's train of thought. Instead of giving him a proper response, both Combusken and Izuku stood their ground. "We're ending this, Shinso!"

Combusken dashed in while Hypno's guard was down and used his newly learned Double Kick to knock his Pendulum away. Now they were sure not to fall into Hitoshi's trap again.

"Damn, we just have to hit him one more time!" The purple-haired boy shouted. Hypno nodded and tried to hit a Shadow Ball, but Combusken was too fast. "Use Flame Charge!" At full speed, Combusken rammed his flaming body right into Hypno's body.

"You… you...!" Hitoshi was getting fired up. "Someone like you who got into the Hero Course! You can't even begin to understand what it's like!"

No, Izuku knew exactly what it was like to be in his position. To feel hopeless and that the world hated you. He was there no less than a year ago.

"You got lucky! Because of your luck, so many of us can't be where you are!"

"I did get lucky!" Izuku shouted. "I got lucky with those around me, but that doesn't mean I didn't work at all! I had to put everything I had into becoming a Hero! I trained everyday for hours on end just to barely come closer to reaching my dream! That's why..."

Combusken ran up to Hypno and landed the first hit of a Double Kick right on top of his head. Hypno tried to launch a Shadow Ball, but Combusken quickly dodged. Left without any more options, Hitoshi called for his Pokemon to go for one last desperate Zen Headbutt.

Surprisingly, the move hit! But Combusken endured. "We're going to win!" Izuku declared as Combusken landed the final hit, finishing off Hypno.

The Hypnosis Pokemon fell to the ground, and Midnight ran up to confirm. Once she was ready, she held up a thumbs up toward Present Mic.

"Hypno is no longer able to battle! The winners are Izuku Midoriya and Combusken!" Present Mic declared. The crowd cheered in celebration of his win, with his class jumping up and down in joy. "Coming in with the win at the last minute! Just as expected from Midoriya!" Tenya said.

Izuku walked up to Hitoshi and lowered his head. "Shino, why do you want to be a Hero?" He asked. The boy simply looked to the sky and turned around. "You can't help what your heart desires." He knew it. He and Hitoshi weren't so different after all.

"You were so cool, Shinso!" One of his classmates called out, catching him off-guard. "You did great!"

"That was awesome!"

"You're the star of our Course!"

"You put up a great fight, Shinso!"

The Heroes in the crowd even began discussing Hitoshi's potential as a Hero. What he lacked in strength, he sure made up for in brains. He had truly left a mark on the audience, despite his loss.

Hitoshi simply looked up at them in disbelief. After a few moments, he closed his eyes and smiled. "I'll get into the Hero Course and get that license." He turned to Izuku. "I'll become a great Hero!" Hitoshi crossed his arms and gave the boy a thumbs up. "You made it past me. Don't lose now, got it?" Izuku nodded confidently and smiled. Combusken too stepped forward and smiled, reassuring the young student that he had put up a good fight.

Back at the break room, Riolu had come out of his Pokeball and congratulated the two. He seemed especially happy that his friend had evolved. All Might eventually joined his student and congratulated him as well.

"Congrats, Midoriya. You did well out there." He said. Izuku smiled and turned to Combusken. "He did most of the work. If it weren't for his strong will, we'd be out of the competition."

All Might took a seat and laughed. "Nonsense! Any Pokemon is only as good as its trainer. Give yourself some credit. It was your strong bond that pulled through in the end."

For some reason, that made Izuku remember what had happened. "By the way, All Might… While Combusken was hypnotized, I saw some shadows. I think Combusken saw them too. There were about eight or nine. I'm not exactly sure. They filled us with some kind of light that woke Combusken up and forced him to evolve. You were one of the shadows there. Were those… the former users of One for All?"

Izuku looked back at All Might, only to see a terrified face. "That's creepy." Was all he said. "I thought you'd know about it!"

"W-Wait, yes. I have seen those things before. Back when I was younger. All it means is that you're getting used to One for All. It may not have been obvious, but the way Combusken attacked a while ago was a clear sign of that. You two were one in mind and body. I don't think the shadows interfered with your body at all."

Izuku placed his hand over his chin and began thinking. "In that case..."

"It wasn't the shadows that woke Combusken up. Those illusions might have caused you to feel something, but it was ultimately you who tapped into One for All and gave your Pokemon the power-up he needed."

Izuku scratched his head and let out a sigh. "That wasn't satisfying at all." He said. All Might waved his hands, trying to change the topic. "Hey, don't you have to check to see who your next opponent is!"

"Y-You're right! Thanks, All Might. I need to get going!"

All Might watched as Izuku returned his Pokemon to their Pokeballs and ran out the door. So the boy had seen the shadows of the former wielders of this power. All Might was among them too, despite being alive. This was a good sign to All Might.

The next competitors were Shoto and Hanta. The former and his Ninetales were heading to the stadium through one of the hallways when they ran into someone. "You're in my way." He said. His father, Endeavor, turned around and looked at his son with disgust.

"You're a disgrace, Shoto." He said. The boy didn't respond and instead continued walking. "If you had just used your Fire moves, you could've dominated both the Obstacle Course and the Cavalry Battle. Stop your childish rebellion already. You have a duty to accomplish." Shoto clenched his teeth as he walked past his father. "Do you understand? Unlike your brothers, you're a true battling genius."

"Is that all I am to you?" Shoto asked though he didn't stop walking. "I'll win without using Fire-type moves. I'll prove to everyone that I don't have anything to do with you."

"Even if you do that now… you can't avoid me forever." Endeavor said. Shoto and Ninetales ignored him and walked into the stadium.