Chapter 18: The Sports Festival Finale

Author's Note: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everybody! By the time I'm posting this, it'll be December 26. I hope you all had a nice holiday!

This chapter was really fun to write! The Sports Festival arc is still one of my favorite in MHA to this day, so being able to write all of this has been great. Right now, I'm in the middle of writing the Stain arc so we're catching up. I just wanted to let you all know that once we reach around Chapter 20 or so, I'll be slowing down posting to maybe once or twice a week. I hope you all understand! Anyway, enjoy the finale for this arc!

Shoto was instructed to head back to his waiting room while they healed Ninetales. They had to take her right away because, depending on how long the next three matches took, he could be back on the battlefield very quickly. As he made his way through the hallways, he found Endeavor waiting for him.

"You finally got over your childish ways and saw reason." The man said, smiling. "Soon enough, you'll be even more powerful than me. Come to my agency once you graduate. I'll show you what it is like to walk down the path of the mighty."

"I'm not doing this for your sake." Shoto responded, surprising Endeavor. " I can't forget the things you've done to me that easily… it's just for that one moment… I completely forgot about you. Whether that's a good thing or not… I'll need time to think about it."

As for Izuku and Riolu, they both had to be rushed to the emergency room. After seeing him, Recovery Girl knew that they had both gone too far. For Riolu, even Pokemon Center technology wouldn't be able to heal his bones. With Izuku, the stress of One for All was too much for his body to take and the muscle fibers had completely been destroyed in his fingers.

"It won't go back to the way it was before." She said to All Might. "I'll have to perform surgery on both of them before we can even start the healing process." She finished with a sigh. She turned to the Pro Hero and frowned. "Don't congratulate him for what he did today. It'll only encourage him to destroy his body even more."

All Might bowed his head and apologized. "I'm sor-"

"Midoriya!" All Might was cut off by Tenya, Ochako, Tsuyu, and Minoru slamming the door to the infirmary open. He began panicking, knowing that he was still in his "deflated" form, though they didn't seem to recognize him.

"E-Everyone… aren't… the matches going on right now?" Izuku asked. Ochako smiled and shook her head. "Your battle with Todoroki pretty much destroyed the stage. They're fixing it up right now."

"Okay, everyone! I know you're worried for him, but I need to perform surgery now!"

"Surgery?!"

As Recovery Girl ushered the students out, Izuku looked up at All Might. "I'm sorry..." He said. "I couldn't win like you wanted me to… I should've just shut my mouth. If I hadn't said anything, I might've been able to beat him."

All Might smiled. "You may not have won, but you did something bigger. You made Todoroki realize something. What that is though, only you two know." Izuku nodded his head. "It's just that… During his first match, Todoroki looked so sad so I decided to do something about it. But more than that… I was so… frustrated. I got so caught up in the moment that I failed you. I'm sorry." He said, trying to hold back his tears.

All Might crossed his arms and shook his head. "True, this wasn't what we were hoping for. Some might even call you a fool for what you did. But you know what? Stepping into other people's business is what being a Hero means."

The surgery didn't take too long. Recovery Girl didn't need to do too much since she only needed enough to allow Chansey's Heal Pulse to finish the job. However, they weren't able to fix everything. Izuku was only healed enough to walk, but his right hand was severely scarred and damaged after the battle. "Let that hand serve as a reminder not to be so reckless next time." She told him.

All Might and Izuku walked through the halls to get to their seats, but the young boy was having doubts about himself. "You came to UA to find a successor, right?" He asked. All Might nodded, and the boy grew sadder. "While fighting in the tournament, I saw how hard everyone was working. None of them were willing to compromise. I just think I'm-"

"Not worthy of One for All? Is that what you're saying?" All Might cut him off. Izuku simply nodded in response. "You know, it's true that this place is filled with powerful trainers. If I gave that power to someone like Todoroki, combined with his powerful Pokemon and sharp mind, he'd be unstoppable. However, I'm not just looking for a strong trainer. I used to be just like you when I was younger."

Izuku tilted his head and looked at his mentor with a confused expression. "When I was a kid, I was bullied a lot. I was a nobody that no one paid attention to. Still, my master saw something in me and decided to pass that power on to me. I guess the reason why I chose you was because I saw a lot of myself, but you've proven me wrong. You've surpassed all my expectations several times already. I'm very proud to call you my successor."

The rest of the matches were much more boring compared to the grand show of Izuku versus Shoto. First was Tenya versus Ibara. His Skarmory managed to easily take out her Carnivine using several flying type moves.

After that was Fumikage versus Mina. The girl's Nidorina was no match for Zweilous' powerful attacks. She put up a good fight, but was ultimately defeated. The Dark type master would be moving on.

The final match of the round was Katsuki against Eijiro. The red-haired boy had thought using his Dragon Type Druddigon would work well, but he was taken out by Primeape's Ice Punch. Katsuki had prepared ahead of time and taught his Pokemon the needed super effective move.

With that, the final four were announced. Shoto Todoroki, Tenya Iida, Fumikage Tokoyami, and Katsuki Bakugo. The next round was now under way.

"It's the speed demon, Tenya Iida versus the cold killer, Shoto Todoroki!" Present Mic announced. The two sent out their Pokemon, Skarmory and Froslass. Shoto knew that he would likely be the one to move on, so he chose to save Ninetales.

"Start!"

Immediately, Froslass summoned a Blizzard, but Skarmory was able to dodge the attack. The Bird Pokemon began flying around the battlefield, quickly dodging her attacks. After one more Shadow Ball, Skarmory flew up and dove straight down, trying for a Drill Peck.

Froslass managed to narrowly dodge the attack, but Skarmory moved fast and managed to land a Steel Wing. Taking advantage of the situation, Skarmory dragged Froslass across the ground at high speeds.

"It looks like Skarmory's going to take the win!" Present Mic said. Tenya too felt confident in the situation, but just when things were starting to look up, Shoto changed the tides of battle. Froslass had used a point blank Ice Beam to freeze Skarmory right in the air.

Skarmory was able to break out quickly, but it was too late by then. One single Blizzard completely froze the Bird Pokemon over, incapacitating him.

"Skarmory is no longer able to battle! Todoroki and Froslass win!"

Tenya was ultimately disappointed with the situation, but he was still happy to have made it this far. After seeing Izuku's fight, he knew he probably wouldn't win against a trainer like Shoto. Still, he was happy that he had a grand story now to tell to his brother.

Shortly after returning to his seat, Tenya received a call from his mother. Not wanting to miss the next matches, he quickly ran to the stadium interior and answered the call. Little did he know, he wouldn't leave that room the same.

They began the next battle right away. This one didn't last very long. It was Fumikage's Zweilous against Katsuki's Torracat. The former was actually quite smart with his Pokemon choice. Most of Katsuki's Pokemon were Fire types, with the only exception being Primeape. Considering Fumikage also had his Honchkrow, Katuski likely wouldn't want to risk his Fighting type getting hit by Flying moves. Zweilous meanwhile would be able to handle Fire type moves perfectly fine.

Still, Katsuki's Pokemon were just too strong. He wanted to save Typhlosion for the final fight, so he opted to use his Torracat instead. On the occasion Fumikage used Honchkrow, Fire Fang and Flamethrower would be just fine. However, he also had moves prepared in case he used his Dragon type.

Torracat made quick work of Zweilous using a combination of Leech Life and Double Kick, two moves that Katsuki had taught him prior to the battle. He knew that he would be at a type disadvantage otherwise, so he adapted.

After a short break, the final battle was upon them. Shoto Todoroki against Katsuki Bakugo. This fight was the most likely one considering that these two were leagues above the rest of the competition. Still, the Pros had a great time watching the rest of the tournament. Many of the first years had proven themselves to be incredible trainers.

Shoto simply stared at Ninetales in the living room. Izuku had managed to get him to set aside his feelings about his father for that battle, but he was still conflicted. He didn't want to hold Ninetales back anymore. He had realized how selfish he was to do that all this time. Still, he wasn't sure how to feel… his memories wouldn't go that easily, after all.

Suddenly, Katsuki kicked the door open. "Hey, the hell are you doing here?!" He asked Shoto. "This is- wait, is this room two? Shit!" Shoto didn't respond, making the boy even angrier.

"What's with that attitude, huh? Where do you think you're looking?!" Katsuki slammed his fist on the table, startling Shoto. "That's what Midoriya said to me. He got me to get over my feelings for my father." He replied, confusing Katsuki. "He's your childhood friend, right? Has he always been like that? Always putting others first..."

Katsuki was taken back by that comment. That wasn't the Deku he knew at all. Deku was arrogant. He always looked down on others even when they were better than him. The moment he got to UA, he pulled the rug right under Katsuki's feet and stole the spotlight from him. Deku was selfish.

He clenched his fist and kicked the table down. "Who cares about that damn nerd! I don't care what he did. I also don't care about your fucking problems with your family or your feelings. Just use Fire against me! I want people to know I beat you at your full power." Katsuki said before leaving the room. The heated boy was determined to prove his strength. Beating Shoto at his best meant that he wasn't just stronger than him, but that he was better than Izuku too.

To many, it might have seemed strange that Katsuki was demanding Shoto use Fire-type moves. After all, Katsuki was a Fire-type specialist. Wouldn't wanting your opponent to use moves that weren't very effective make you look weaker? Many would think that, but that wasn't the case here. Endeavor's Fire-type attacks could destroy any Pokemon that even resisted it. Grass, Water, or Fire. It didn't matter what type you were. To have a Pokemon bred from that kind of power, it wasn't just a strong move, it was a statement.

"Welcome to the Grand Finale of the 1st year division of the UA Sports Festival!" Present Mic announced, getting a loud cheer from the audience. "We've got an amazing battle for you all tonight! We have Shoto Todoroki versus Katsuki Bakugo! These two have proven their strength in battle time and time again! Contestants, please send out your Pokemon!"

Without hesitation, the two sent out their aces. Ninetales and Typhlosion took the stage, getting another cheer from the audience. "Alright, get ready! The battle will now… begin!"

As soon as he heard the announcement, Shoto shouted for Ninetales to summon a Blizzard. She did as she was told and directed a powerful attack right at Typhlosion. Despite it being resisted, Ninetales was so powerful that surely a few Blizzards would be able to take Katsuki's Pokemon out.

"Ninetales goes for a powerful Blizzard! It looks like they're trying to keep Typhlosion away. Smart move from Todoroki!"

Just as everyone expected though, Katsuki wasn't going down that easy. "Use Flamethrower!" He shouted. Right before the Blizzard could hit, Typhlosion countered the attack with flames.

Of course, Shoto wasn't expecting Katsuki to go down that easily. Typhlosion went in for a Flame Wheel, but Ninetales was able to dodge to the right. However, her movements weren't fast enough. "Hit them with Rock Tomb!"

Typhlosion summoned a boulder and threw it right at Ninetales, sending her flying back. "Typhlosion hits back with a four times super effective move! That one must have hurt!"

Ninetales quickly got back up before another attack could hit. Typhlosion tried to hit her from a distance with a Flamethrower, but they were much more prepared this time. Shoto instructed Ninetales to run in and dodge the attack. Before Typhlosion could react, water began covering Ninetales' tails.

"Aqua Tail!" Shoto shouted, Ninetails slamming her tails right onto Typhlosion, dealing a super-effective hit. Similar to Katsuki, he too had prepared a special move to fight him. He knew Katsuki was going with Typhlosion, so he needed a move that could hit up close. Zen Headbutt wouldn't have been a bad option, but Aqua Tail was simply better for this scenario.

While Typhlosion was still recovering from the attack, both Shoto and Ninetails knew this was the perfect time for a Fire Blast. Yes, they knew Fire wouldn't be effective on Typhlosion, but Fire Blast wasn't just an average Fire-type move. It was incredibly powerful, but a point-blank Fire Blast like this wouldn't just deal massive damage, it could knock out any Pokemon. It was an incredibly difficult thing to pull off successfully. Fire Blast created an incredible amount of fire. Using one at this range could potentially hurt Ninetales more than her opponent. Still, this was their chance to take it all…!

Then, he remembered his father. Ninetales looked back and saw her distressed trainer's face. Knowing what this meant, she opted to slam another Aqua Tail into Typhlosion instead, pushing him back. "Ninetales… I'm sorry." Shoto apologized, but Ninetales shook her head. She understood why her trainer didn't want to use the same moves his father had taught him. After all, she had been with him through all of that.

"Stop screwing around!" Katsuki shouted out. "Even I know you could've ended it right there. Am I not good enough for that?"

Aizawa squinted his eyes and watched Typhlosion's movements. "Typhlosion definitely could have dodged that Aqua Tail. The way he approached when he didn't need to… he was doing this all on purpose." He said to himself. "As for Ninetales, she's moving slower after the fight with Riolu. It looks like the Pokemon Center wasn't enough. Still, a Fire Blast would have done it..."

"Stop making me look bad, motherfucker!" Katsuki shouted. "I can't say that I've won if you hold yourself back! If I can't even beat Deku, then why am I even here? If you're not here to win, then stay out of my way!"

Shoto watched as Typhlosion charged up a Flame Wheel. Those words were just like Izuku's… even if he was a little more aggressive. He looked at Ninetales and began having more doubts. He wasn't sure on what to do anymore.

"Todoroki!" Izuku called out. "Don't lose! You got this!"

Shoto's eyes widened in shock. He… he had to win! "Ninetales, let's go for it!" He shouted out. Ninetales smiled and began charging up a powerful Fire Blast, making Katsuki smile. "Yes! This is how it should end! It's time for our ultimate move, Typhlosion! "

Typhlosion grinned and charged right for Ninetales with a Flame Wheel. Sparks of electricity then began flying off of the attack before his attack began growing bigger and bigger, becoming a bright yellow. "This is it! Thunderous Flame Wheel!"

Ninetales was ready to fire, just waiting for Shoto's command… and then nothing came. She looked back at her trainer and saw his eyes… he was… sad. "Do it..." He meekly commanded, yet she could tell he didn't mean it. He was still conflicted, and that was obvious. She wanted to do as she was told, but knowing how he truly felt, she just couldn't.

Ninetails slowly let the flames in her mouth burn out and she smiled at her trainer. Shoto looked at her in shock before he slowly smiled back. They weren't going to win, but they understood each other better now.

Before Shoto could say anything though, Typhlosion hit Ninetales, sending her flying above her trainer's head and crashing into the wall. "Typhlosion mixed Flame Wheel with Wild Charge to create an extra powerful hit! Can Ninetales still fight after an attack like that?"

The smoke cleared, revealing the knocked out Ninetales. "W-What the hell..." Katsuki clenched his fist and ran up to Shoto. He grabbed the boy by his collar and began aggressively shaking him. "Stop screwing around! I told you it wouldn't matter if you didn't use Fire! Not like this! Please, I can't win like this!"

Midnight walked up to the two and separated them. "That's enough." She said. "We have a winner." Izuku sadly watched as Shoto walked up to his Ninetails and returned her to the Pokeball, only giving a single "Thank you."

Midnight raised her hand and Present Mic nodded. "The winner of your UA Sports Festival 1st Year Division is Katsuki Bakugo from Class A!" The boy didn't reply. He had won one of the most prestigious events in the world, yet here he was, silent. He wasn't speechless because he had won. He was mad because he lost.

After a quick intermission, they quickly moved on to the awards ceremony. A podium was lifted up from the ground, revealing the Top Three and their Pokemon. "In third place, it's a tie between two contestants. One of them, Tenya Iida, couldn't be here due to family emergencies .However, we still have Fumikage Tokoyami here to receive his award."

The rest of the class frowned. "Iida was looking forward to this too…" Tsuyu said. Izuku and Ochako nervously nodded. Just before the final battle, right before Tenya disappeared, he had informed the two of them what his mother said. Tensei Iida, Tenya's own brother, had been attacked by a Villain. "I don't know how bad his injuries are so I'm going to check on him now." They knew how much the boy looked up to his brother. He was his idol, the man he aspired to be like. For Tenya's sake, they could only hope Ingenium was still alive.

"The awards will be presented by none other than the man himself!" Midnight announced. Suddenly, the number one Hero appeared at the top of the stadium. He quickly jumped up and landed right in front of the podium.

"I am he-"

"All Might!"

Midnight quickly brought her hands together and apologized for accidentally cutting All Might off so suddenly. Regardless, they still continued with the show. "In Third Place, we have Fumikage Tokoyami and his Honchkrow, Zweilous, and Absol!"

All Might walked up to the black-haired boy and placed a medal around his head. "You're a strong trainer, Tokoyami." He said. Fumikage shook his head. "No, I don't deserve such praise." All Might smiled and embraced the boy. "You'll do great things. Keep training hard, and you'll make it." He moved on to the next contestant, but Fumikage simply held the medal in his hand and smiled. "I will."

"In Second Place, we have Shoto Todoroki and his Ninetales and Froslass!" All Might placed the silver medal around his head and smiled. "Congratulations, Todoroki. Is there a reason you and Ninetales didn't use Fire in that final battle?" Shoto simply nodded. "I did during the fight with Midoriya and Riolu, but I wasn't sure how to feel after that. Ninetales saw that and she didn't want to use her Fire knowing how I felt. But I think I understand why you like Midoriya so much." He looked at the Pro. "I want to be a Hero just like you, but I don't think it's right to just leave these problems behind me so fast. There are still things I need to take care of."

All Might nodded confidently. "You're a much different person than you were at the start of the day." He said before embracing his student. "I won't ask any more questions, but I know you'll be able to get through this."

"Finally, we have your winner, Katsuki Bakugo with his Torracat, Primeape, and Typhlosion!" All Might smiled and gave the boy a thumbs up. "You lived up to your promise, Bakugo. Nice work out there."

"All Might..." Katsuki said softly. "This win means nothing! Even if they say I won, I can't accept this!" He shouted. All Might nodded and laughed. "You know, young Bakugo. In a world of strong trainers like you, not everyone can hold themselves to such a high standard." He said, though Katsuki didn't respond. He placed the gold medal around the boy's neck. "If it means anything to you, consider this medal a scar."

All Might stretched his arms and faced the rest of the students. "These are the winners for this year, but believe me young students. Any of you had the strength and ability to stand here as well! Pushing each other to become stronger, this next generation of Heroes is looking bright!" He said, pointing his finger to the sky. "Now, for our closing words! Everyone, repeat after me! Ready?!"

Everyone held their fists to the sky and shouted. "Plus Ultra!"

"Good job!"

Everyone remained silent for a moment before booing the Hero. "All Might! That was so lame!" The Pro simply rubbed the back of his neck and laughed. "Ah, well everyone did do a good job so..."

With the Sports Festival now over, a few of the students had to attend to their… family issues. Shoto knew that if he was going to ever get over his trauma, he should visit a certain someone that played a role in his life. He arrived at the mental facility and requested a visit. Once it was approved, he slowly navigated the halls, looking for one specific room. Eventually, he found it and opened the door. He saw a woman with white hair, staring longingly out the window. "Mom..."

Tenya rushed to the hospital and slammed the doors open. He rushed to his brother's side, the latter of whom was in critical condition. "Tenya… I'm sorry… I couldn't… be the Hero you thought I was… I think Ingenium… is done for..." Tenya's eyes began tearing up. "No! Tensei!"