Chapter 37: Next in Line

Author's Note: Hey, everyone! No action this chapter and to be honest, it was pretty much just a copy-paste of the original episode, but it was important to the story so I felt like I should still include it. Just a note though, I am not gonna include the dorm competition episode since that one I feel, while not exactly filler, isn't super important to the story outside of a few character moments. However, I'll make it up to you guys with a bonus chapter soon. That one will focus on events that didn't happen in the show but sort of needs to exist for this story.

That's all for now! Enjoy!

Once all was said and done, the positive and negative effects of the whole ordeal between All Might and All for One became clear to those on top. Yes, All Might had finally taken down the true evil behind the League of Villains, but at the same time, society had lost its Symbol of Peace. While for the moment, things were looking up, it was clear the League of Villains wasn't going to be stopping anytime soon.

Tomura Shigaraki, the person whom they had thought to be the leader of the League of Villains, had shown himself to be growing. They had initially pegged him as childish, but it was clear that wasn't the case anymore. He now had a clear vision and was determined to execute it. By all means, the Heroes and police weren't done just yet. They needed to capture Tomura and the League at all costs.

Meanwhile, while All Might had come to terms with the fact that One for All was now gone from within him, he felt his job as the Symbol of Peace and Nana Shimura's successor was not done just yet.

"Tomura Shigaraki… Shimura's grandson, huh?" Torino asked as he and Tsukauchi sat in All Might's hospital room. "That's what All for One said, right?" The detective asked. "I'm still not sure if we can trust him. Neither of you had any connection to Nana Shimura's family…"

"Right. Shimura's husband was killed much earlier than any of us had ever expected. As a result, she put her child into foster care to keep him safe. She told both me and Toshinori to never contact the child."

Tsukauchi looked to the ground and shook his head. "So your promise to her backfired… that's terrible…"

All Might clenched his fist and he began shaking. "The family my master left behind for the sake of being a Hero. I must find Shigaraki… I need to find him!"

"Then what?" Torino asked. "You don't see him as the Villain he is anymore and that's dangerous. No matter who he's related to, that doesn't excuse the things he's done." He let out a sigh and stood up. "Tsukauchi and I will handle the investigation on Shigaraki for now. You stay at UA and do what you need to do. Even if the Symbol of Peace isn't here anymore, All Might is still very much alive, and you still have a job to do."

The day All Might was allowed to leave, he contacted Izuku, telling him to meet him at Dagobah Beach that night. Even with dinner almost ready, Izuku made sure to leave right away. He wanted to see All Might so desperately after what had happened, but he never got the opportunity.

"All Might!" Once he spotted the shriveled man on the beach, he ran toward him, happy to see him alive. The former Hero smiled and began running toward his student. "You're late!" Once he got close though, he yelled "Texas Smash!" And punched the boy right in the face, causing him to fall to the ground.

"You really can't follow simple instructions… what you did back there was too close for comfort. Where the hell did you learn to be like that?!"

Izuku rubbed his cheek as he stood back up, feeling guilty. He knew he shouldn't have been there, and while they technically didn't break any rules, they put the whole operation in danger. It was a miracle their plan worked out in the first place. Had it not been for All Might, Mt. Lady, and Gran Torino, they never would've been able to make it out of there unscathed.

All Might let out a sigh and sent out all of his Pokemon. "Young Midoriya, listen. My Pokemon and I… we've pretty much retired. We can't continue fighting in this state anymore." He smiled as he pet Stoutland on the head. "One for All's embers have gone out in me. I can't even keep up my Muscle Form for more than a few seconds. But even so! You keep rushing into danger no matter how many times I warn you! No matter how many times I tell you, you continue to destroy you and your Pokemon's bodies!"

He stretched his arms out and Izuku got ready for another hit, but instead, All Might knelt down and embraced the boy. "But you managed to save your friend. You risked everything to reach out to someone in need, and that shows me I trained you well." Izuku felt himself begin to tear up as All Might held him closer. "From here on out, I will devote myself to your training. Let's keep doing our best, together."

All of the boy's Pokemon came out of their Pokeballs and nodded. They were ready to give it their all to become All Might's successor. "Eevee, Combusken, Riolu. I'm trusting you to stay by Young Midoriya's side. Please help me raise this young boy." The Pokemon smiled and made sounds of approval.

All Might laughed as Izuku began crying harder. "You really can't just do what you're told, huh?" He began crying himself as he pat the boy on the back to comfort him. "Didn't I tell you to stop being such a crybaby?"

And that was when they knew… the era of All Might had come to an end. No, now it was time for Izuku to take center stage. All Might knew that this young boy was going to lead the next generation of Heroes, and he was ready to dedicate the rest of his life to making sure he did it right.

The next day, some of the teachers headed out to speak to the parents of all the students. There were a few things they needed to discuss, but the priority was getting the parents' consent for the new measure UA was taking to protect the students: the new dorms. Having the students living within the campus ensured that they'd be protected at all times. Villains wouldn't be able to target students at their homes since UA would be their home.

Aizawa and All Might went together first to a few of the 1-A students. Their first stop was the Jiro household. "That's not rockin' at all." Kyotoku Jiro, Kyoka's father, said. "Even if she wasn't seriously injured, you wanna make UA a boarding school after you put my daughter in danger like that?" Meanwhile, Mika Jiro just sat there silently with her hands over her lap.

"We understand what you're saying," Aizawa said. "However, we are trying to look past our pride. Our negligence was what caused all of this to happen, and so we're trying our best to come up with ways to protect the students. It would be an honor if you could leave your daughter in our care for now. We'll make sure to form her into a fine Hero, at any cost."

"Oh, c'mon Mr. Aizawa. You don't have to be so polite." Kyoka said as she and Chimecho came through the door, the Pokemon carrying a tray of tea with its Psychic powers. "We already decided when we got the notice in the mail." She handed the two teachers some tea and smiled. "You shoulda heard my old man when we were watching All Might's fight. He was talking about how his daughter's teacher is rockin' this hard. Even my mom was excited and we don't see that too often."

"Hey, Kyoka! Stop!" Kyotoku yelled. "I was just tryin' to be a strict dad-"

"C'mon old man!"

"Stop, both of you! We have guests." Mika said.

After that, their next stop was the Bakugo household. This was the one they were particularly nervous about since… well… Katsuki was kidnapped and everything. That doesn't exactly put a lot of faith in a school when they let your son get taken by a Villain organization… and meeting the family didn't exactly make them feel much better.

Mitsuki Bakugo slapped her son on the head, forcing him to bow as she smiled at the teachers. "Thanks for taking care of my son!"

"Don't hit me you old hag, I'll-"

"Shut up! This whole damn thing is your fault anyway! You got caught and caused everyone more trouble!"

"G-Guys, please calm down. You're scaring the teachers." Masaru Bakugo said though it did little to calm the two down. "Shut up, old ma-"

"No, you shut up!" Mitsuki shouted back.

All Might and Aizawa sort of just sat there observing the whole thing. They weren't sure if this was family drama they should get into… but they did have a job to do. "So uhm… are you guys really okay with…?" Aizawa tried to gently move the conversation along.

"Oh, you mean the dorms? We'd actually be grateful." Mitsuki said, surprisingly gently. "Katsuki's reckless, but he's a skilled trainer, I think you know that. He's been like that for a long time and people always praised him which really built up his ego. That's why I was happy when I heard what you said at that press conference." She crossed her arms and smiled.

"It made me realize you guys really get what he's all about. Back when all of that happened, we were really worried, but you managed to bring him back safe and sound." She pat the boy on the head, much to his dismay. "I know UA's gonna get bashed a lot over what happened, but take it from us. We trust you to take care of him." She pushed the boy's head down, forcing him to bow as she looked to her husband. "Right?" Masaru smiled and nodded. "Right. We love our son very much, and we know you'll raise him right in our place."

The parents bowed their heads. "He's hopeless, but please make him work hard to become the Hero he aspires to be."

As the two were leaving, Katsuki stopped All Might. "I wanna ask you something." He said. "What is Deku to you?" He asked, shocking the former Hero, though he made sure not to show it. "A student." That was his response. "A future Hero with a bright future, no different than you or your classmates." The boy scoffed and turned around to return indoors. "I see. If you don't wanna tell me, that's fine." As he walked, he whispered a "Thank you" under his breath before heading in.

The next stop was the Midoriya household, but All Might insisted on doing this one alone. He managed to convince Aizawa to eventually just go ahead to the next house without him.

"P-P-P-Please c-come in, All Might!" Inko said nervously as she and Izuku led him inside the house. "A-A-All Might's in our h-house…"

"M-Mom, P-P-Please calm down."

As they walked through the hallway, All Might managed to get a peak of Izuku's room. He couldn't help but smile seeing his three Pokemon sleeping there, along with all of the All Might merchandise scattered throughout the room.

Once they got settled at the table, they got straight to business. "So, I believe we already sent you a notice for the UA dorm system. We'd just like to get your consent and see if it's okay with you."

"Yes, about that…" Inko looked up at the former Hero nervously and shook her head. "I'm not willing to do that."

"Huh?!" Izuku looked at his mom in shock. "M-Mom! But you said yester-"

"I know what I said, but I thought about it and I don't want it!" She turned back to All Might. "Izuku, even when he was afraid of Pokemon… he admired you so much. But ever since he started going to UA, he hasn't stopped getting into danger. The doctors said that he won't even be able to use his arms anymore if he injures them again."

She looked down at the table in shame. She knew what she was saying hurt her son, but it was for the best. "I saw your fight on TV. I'm very grateful to you as a citizen, I hope you can realize that. But as a mother, I was terrified. You're Izuku's idol, and if his future is filled with blood like that, I… I…" She began tearing up as she struggled to get the words out. "To stay away from all of this and admire you from a distance… I can't help but think he would've been happier that way. Happier and safer."

Izuku stood up and stomped his foot on the ground. "No! Mom!" Inko didn't look at him. She only shook her head. "Izuku, I said I'd support you no matter what, but that doesn't mean I won't worry about you. I know you want to stay at UA, but… I'm sorry, Izuku."

As much as those words hurt the boy, he knew he had been neglecting his mother's feelings up until now. It was only natural for a parent to worry about their child like that. It should've been obvious with how much danger he got into, both on his own and with his class. Still…

"I'll say it clearly. As Izuku's mother, I cannot trust UA to take care of him. I don't care how powerful or amazing you are as a Hero, you were attacked by Villains and you couldn't even continue classes. You couldn't even prevent my son and so many other students from getting hospitalized. I don't want my son attending a school like that any longer."

All Might stood up, ready to defend the young boy. "Mrs. Midoriya, I-"

"That's not right, mom!" Izuku shouted. "It's my fault I got these injuries! They told me so many times not to push it, but I-"

"Then don't you think that means they failed as teachers? Shouldn't the school take responsibility for that?" Inko cut him off.

They stood there silent just for a moment before All Might sat back down. "Let's sit back down, young man."

"I might be one of those 'monster parents', but that's fine by me. I don't want to steal Izuku's dream away from him. If he wants to be a Hero so bad, he can go to other schools, right?"

Izuku clenched his fist and was ready to yell, but no words came out. Instead, he ran out of the room and slammed the door shut. All Might felt terrible for both the boy and his mother. For someone like Izuku who had admired him his whole life, going to UA meant so much to him. However, it was also his negligence that led to his mother's decision.

Suddenly, Izuku came back in holding a piece of paper. From behind him, they could also see his three Pokemon. "It's okay, it doesn't have to be UA," Izuku said. "Please, both of you, look at this." He held up the piece of paper and showed it to them. "I got this letter from the boy I saved at the training camp. The boy hated Heroes, but he still gave this to thank me."

He turned the paper back to himself as he silently read through it again. "I know I always make you worry, but for just a moment, this boy made me feel like a real Hero. I was happy!"

All Might looked at the boy and felt himself beginning to tear up. "I see…" He whispered to himself. This… this was the same feeling he had back then. Back when he chose Izuku Midoriya as his successor.

"It doesn't have to be UA, but I will become a Hero!"

All Might entered his Muscle Form as he approached the young boy and his Pokemon. "You… all four of you… You're already more than just a kid who's following in my footsteps. As your teacher and master, I must support you! This path that you've chosen!" He knelt on the ground and bowed his head to them. "I apologize, Mrs. Midoriya. My actions were out of order. I believe that young Izuku is the right person to succeed me. I believe he is the one to become the next Symbol of Peace."

Inko took a step back in shock. The Symbol of Peace, one of, if not the greatest Hero of all time was bowing before them, begging for another chance. "What are you doing?! Please stop! What are you trying to say?!"

"This is my apology as the Symbol of Peace. I was weak to his admiration and negligent as a teacher." All Might said as he transformed back into his weaker self. "This is my wish as a teacher at UA… My path has indeed been a bloody one, but that's why, to keep him from going down that same path, I want to stand beside him! I want to walk with him!"

"All Might…"

"I can't blame you at all for your feelings about UA, but please, we know that we cannot continue like this! We're doing our best to change! I beg you, please give us a second chance! Will you allow me to give my all for young Izuku? I swear to protect and raise him, even if I have to give my life to do so!"

Inko, overwhelmed with emotion, collapsed to her knees. "No… I don't think I can agree to that." She said. "Because… you're Izuku's reason for living. I don't hate UA, I just want my son to be safe and happy. So please, don't give up your life. Keep living, protect him, and raise him. If you can promise me that, I'll allow him to keep going to UA."

Izuku's eyes widened in surprise as he felt the tears start to come in. "Mom…"

All Might smiled and nodded. "I promise you."

She turned back to her son and nodded as well. "Izuku, if you're going to live at UA… well, you know, right?" The boy smiled. "I promise, I won't make you worry."

"Mr. All Might… please, take care of my son."

And with that, they had managed to convince the parents of all the students to allow the students to move into the new dorms. Now, their lives were going to be completely different.

However, All Might wasn't the only one making strides in the development of his student. As All for One sat in his jail in Tartarus, he couldn't help but smile. At the end of All Might's battle, he sought to help his pupil, meaning he missed his chance to leave him. He lost his chance to die.

A master's job is to make sure his pupil can stand on his own, without relying on the one who raised him. When that master disappears, his hatred grows stronger. He begins walking down the path of a true leader.

All for One laughed. "It's fine, Tomura Shigaraki. Experience, hatred, regret. Use them all to grow." He told himself.

"Next, it's your turn."