Takoba Beach, once a clutter of refuse people left behind due to uncaring disdain, is now a freshly clean stretch of sand along the glistening ocean. That said, there are still those who did not get the memo, leaving behind broken appliances every few weeks.
One such appliance, a truly massive walk-in fridge sitting square in the middle of the beach, has become a training dummy for a tiny blue canine. Paw strikes and kicks sound through the relative emptiness as he tries to break apart the already broken machine so he can get it up the stairs. A minute passes after he collapses face-first against the dented exterior, the two appendages on his head dangling limply as he tries to catch his breath.
He hears sand crunching behind him, approaching from a ways away. As it gets closer, it starts to be accompanied by strange clicking and beeping.
An ear twitching, the canine carefully pulls away from the fridge. He turns and looks for the source, certain there must be someone else on the beach.
He sees a girl coming down the beach. She has brown hair and is wearing simple shirts, shorts, and sandals. She seems to be waving a long device with a disk at the end back and forth across the sand while wearing a set of headphones attached to it.
He tilts his little head, staring at the machine, ears twitching with every little noise it gives off. "A metal detector? Oh, that would be helpful finding anything I missed!" He hurries over to try and share his idea with the girl, still focused on the device.
The girl doesn't seem to notice him until his shadow crosses her feet. She looks and actually stands there blinking for a moment as she registers what she's seeing. She pulls back the headphones, letting her hair fall and frame her face as she crouches down and smiles at him. "Hey there, little guy!"
"Rio!" He finally looks up at her face, his red eyes widening in surprise. "A cute girl!" He visibly blushes, arms up by his sides as he tries to bring himself to say something.
She giggles and pets his head, ignoring or ignorant of his embarrassment. "I wonder if you're someone's quirk or something."
He quickly nods and points at her, ducking away from her hand in the same motion. "Lu!"
"Oh? I got it? Alright!" She laughs, pulling her hand back from the apparently shy pup. "Are you looking for things, too?"
He shakes his head and points at the fridge further down the beach. "Lu. Rio lu." He walks over and starts punching it once more.
She follows him, looking at the large object resting on the sand. "Maybe I can get a few parts from this... why are you punching it?"
The little canine looks at her before turning back to the machine, digging his paws beneath it and trying to lift. He only gets it a few inches up before dropping it, face slamming into the side of it. In a daze, Izuku calls on his back, hand covering his nose. "...oh hey, I'm back," he belatedly mutters.
The girl takes a step back, eyes wide at the sudden change. "Wait... a boy?" She then leans down, a hand extended in an awkward attempt to help. "Umm... you okay? You hit that pretty hard."
He sits up, focusing on his face so that he doesn't panic from her proximity. "I don't think anything is broken. I might have a bruise, later…"
The girl quietly nods, accepting what he said since there is no reason to lie about it. "So... you were trying to move that?" She points to the fridge.
"Yes!" He nods, moving closer while taking something out of his pocket. "I worked really hard cleaning up this beach, but people keep leaving stuff here!" Huffing, he eats the pepper. "So I'm trying to break this apart for easier carRio." He turns back into Riolu at the end of his sentence, then tries punching the side of it into pieces once more.
"I must protest!" He stops, turning to find a blue-haired teen with glasses, his jogging outfit rustling from the light breeze. He gestures at the girl with his whole hand, lenses flashing. "Pets must be on leashes at all times, and he is missing his collar! Unless he is chipped, that is the easiest way to lose a beloved family member!"
The girl blinks repeatedly, her thoughts turning inward briefly. "I mean that is good advice... Oh! No no, he's not a pet!" She waves her hands. "He's a boy!"
"I'm sure he is a good boy, but the laws are there for a reason!" He insists, walking down the stairs towards them, eyeing Izuku as he continues attacking the fridge. "I know littering is a terrible thing, but why is your dog attacking it?"
The canine stops to pout up at the taller teen.
"I think he's trying to get it off the beach. Where did you want it?" She directs this last part at the little canine.
Izuku thinks for a bit before moving into the wet sand, using his paws to draw a map. He points at one of the intersections as they get close enough.
The tall boy adjusts his glasses, examining the sketch before them. "That's a local disposal yard. It's about half a mile away. Your dog is incredibly smart, but is he strong enough to take it there?" he inquires.
"Not a dog," the girl says once more before looking at the fridge and lightly slapping a hand on it. The point of contact glows slightly, after which the device starts rising up off the ground.
Blinking, Izuku rushes over and lifts it clear off the beach. He twists it this way and that, testing the lack of weight before hurrying over to the steps.
"Hey, wait, quirk use isn't allowed! And you still need a collar!" He calls after the biped canine, rushing after him. "Come back here! We can't let you run loose like this!"
"He's not a dog!" The girl shouts, also in pursuit.
It's a bit of a chase after that where the two of them end up following him through twists and turns to the junkyard. The workers boggle at the sheer size of the item they brought, and Izuku sets it down on one of the truck beds.
The girl touches her hands together and suddenly the weight all seems to return as the fridge makes the truck sink slightly.
"Rio!" The canine nods and hurries back to her, bowing gratefully.
"You're very welcome!" She beams at him.
The boy with glasses walks over, chopping the air with a hand. "I am grateful you two cleaned that off the beach, but I am still insistent you at least get him a leash!"
It is at this point that Izuku, having used up his transformation on the run over, changes back and frowns a bit. "I'm not a dog, you know."
The other boy takes a step back, stunned by this revelation.
"I tried to keep telling you." the girl says, smiling a bit.
"So you did." He bows at a perfect ninety degree angle to the both of them. "I apologize for my mistake!"
Izuku, flustered, waves his hands and tries to get him to stand up straight. "It's no problem, really! Anyone can make that mistake!"
The girl stands there smiling, waving her own hand. "Don't worry about it!"
He straightens up, nodding once. "Your generosity knows no bounds!" He holds out a hand. "My name is Tenya Iida! May I have the honor of knowing your names?"
She gingerly takes his hand and shakes it. "I'm Ochako Uraraka!"
"I'm Izuku Midoriya," the green-haired teen says, nodding his head at both of them. "It's nice to meet you two."
Noticing the lack of a pause, Iida glances between the two of them. "You two aren't already friends?"
"I just stumbled across him today." Ochako informs him. "I didn't realize he was a boy at first, which is a bit embarrassing in hindsight."
"You didn't do anything embarrassing!" Izuku proclaims without thinking. "I was the one who slammed his face into that fridge!" He pauses, face turning red as his own words register.
She lets out a small laugh before covering her mouth. "You, um, you didn't hurt yourself too bad doing that, right?"
"Not really." He thinks a bit, considering his own nose as he gingerly touches it. "Even if it still stings a bit, I can probably heal myself up with Ralts..."
"I must insist that you don't use your quirk in public!" Iida speaks up,chopping the air in his direction. "Healing might fall under rescue work, which is explicitly only done by licensed heroes!"
"Even if it's yourself?" Uraraka asks.
He opens his mouth to reply, then stops, frowning as he tries to puzzle out that answer.
In the meantime, Izuku looks at Uraraka, smiling nervously. "So... d-do you?" He manages to choke out.
"Do I what?" She tilts her head, not sure what he's referring to.
"Friends!" He blurts out, blushing. "With me?"
Iida looks curious at this exchange. He almost wants to say something, but manages to refrain.
She takes a moment to put it together before laughing. "Oh, sure! I'd be friends with you."
"Great!" He glances at Iida, slightly hesitant. "And you?"
He jolts to attention, surprised. "Me?"
"Why not? You seemed to care." The girl points out.
The taller teen thinks for barely a second before nodding and placing a hand on his chest. "It would honor me to be your friend! Should we exchange contact info?"
"Y-Yes, of course!" Izuku pulls out his phone. He stares at it for a few seconds. "I think my mom called me a few times..."
"Oh, hope everything's okay..." Ochako tilts her head, eyes on the device as she touches her fingers together.
"I'll just let her know I'm okay..." He wanders off to make the call.
While he's distracted, Iida turns to Uraraka. "So that dog was his quirk? I had no idea that they could cause such a drastic change."
"I've seen some pretty crazy ones, but not one quite like his." She nods in agreement.
He nods, adjusting his glasses. "My family's quirk makes engines in our bodies, but this is another level."
Izuku whips his head around, jaw dropping slightly. "Engines? Are you related to Ingenium?"
Surprised that he was paying attention, Iida can only respond. "Yes, he's my brother."
"I knew your last name sounded familiar!" He grins in delight before remembering who all is there and blushing brightly.
"Are you planning to become a hero, too?" Ochako asks the tall boy.
"Of course!" He nods, making the chopping motions once more. "In fact, I was planning on taking UA's entrance exam!"
"Really? So was I!" Izuku says, sounding excited. "It's All Might's alma mater, so I wanted to go there as well!"
"Me too! Wow, what a coincidence!" Ochako beams as a questioning sound comes from the phone.
"This is astounding!" Iida says as the other boy puts the phone back to his ear. "What are the odds?"
"Yes, Mom?" Izuku asks his mother, partially turning away again. "Oh, they're a couple kids I just met at the beach. No, we're at the garbage dump now."
The girl giggles. "Reminds me of when my parents call."
"I'd like to think we're getting along," Izuku says, somehow missing Uraraka's comment. "I'm lucky to have met them." He glances back at the two. "Did you want to speak with them?" After a moment, he smiles and nods. "I promise. Love you. Please tell Toshinori-san to be careful."
"Everything okay?" Ochako asks.
"Huh?" Izuku starts, just now remembering they wouldn't know about that. "Oh! Toshinori-san is injured, and we're trying to make sure he doesn't hurt himself further. It's one of the reasons I want to be a hero!"
"I see!" Iida exclaims. "You want to make sure that no one gets hurt like he did! Truly a worthy ambition!"
Ochako presses her hands together with a smile. "Agreed, that's a great reason! So... were you training with the fridge or something?"
"Oh, no, I cleaned that whole beach. Someone decided to put that fridge there after I was done." He frowns, wondering who, exactly, did that.
"Oh wow, the whole thing?" Her eyebrows raise and her hands lower. "Maybe you didn't need my help after all."
"N-no, I was struggling with that, so I needed the help," he admits. "I think it's made of a really hard metal..."
"If that beach really is dangerous, then it's a good thing Uraraka-san here has the metal detector." Iida gestures to her stiffly. "We can find anything metal left under the sand!"
She looks down as if just remembering she had it on. "Oh, good idea. I was doing that anyway to see if something valuable was buried."
Izuku blinks. "Valuable? Like what?"
"Why were you looking for valuables anyways?" Iida asks.
"Just.. for some extra money." She says slightly evasively.
"Oh." The green-haired teen jerks a thumb over his shoulder at the fridge. "Did you want the cash they're gonna give for that, then?"
"They do that?" She asks, eyes widening.
"This one did, as a way to motivate people to pick up Takoba beach," he tries to explain, raising a finger in the air before curling it around his chin. "Not that it really helped, it was a mess..."
"Oh, well... I wouldn't feel right taking it. You brought it here, and it's something you've been doing anyway." She glances away, though she seems the slightest bit reluctant.
"But I wouldn't have been able to get it here in one piece without you!" He protests.
"Just split it," their new friend says, chopping the air between them as if demonstrating. "If you two can't decide, then do that."
"Hmm, yeah, I guess that sounds fair." Ochako nods, much to Izuku's relief.
It only takes a moment to check, but they get sixty thousand yen each for the sheer size of the scrap.
"Oh wow... that's so much more than I normally can get for stuff I find..." Ochako looks at the bills in awe.
"Even in its dented state, it was still salvageable." Iida gestures to the machine with a knife-hand. "So they could probably still use the parts in it."
"It might be because of a girl who comes here for parts," Izuku suggests, remembering the workers gossiping about her at some point in the past.
"Huh... guess that's supply and demand for you." She laughs, pocketing her half of the money.
He just shrugs in agreement, looking back to the beach and pulling out a jelly bean, figuring he'll have to be fast to be back there soon. He chews on it, though the tart flavor startles him. "Wait, this is dry-"
He changes into Toxel right before he can finish the last word.
"Umm... that's definitely not what you were before." Ochako crouches down. "So you turn into different things?"
He's about to answer when he starts glowing.
Before he can start shifting, Iida shouts, "I protest!" Izuku jumps and the light dies off. "Using your quirk so liberally is not the right thing to do! Not until you are a hero!"
"He wasn't even doing anything yet." Oachaco huffs, disappointed.
"He has a lightning bolt on his forehead and he was glowing," he points out to her.
"I guess... but he doesn't look like he'd do that much." She examines this form more.
The little guy just shakes his head forlornly, tiny tears in his eyes.
"...we should probably take him back to the beach," Iida suggests, feeling a bit awkward. "Maybe he'll turn back to normal by the time we get there."
"Right… would you mind if I carried you?" She asks the little lizard.
The baby Pokémon blushes brightly at the thought. Even so, between his two choices, he thinks she might be the better one, so he gives an embarrassed shake of the head, giving her permission.
She hangs the metal detector on her back and holds him with both hands in front of her stomach like many girls hold stuffed animals. "I just figured you only have little legs like this so it's probably better if I carry you." She explains, trying to soothe him.
The glasses wearing teen stares at her blankly. "Why are you carrying him like that?"
"How else would I carry him?" She replies simply.
"Like a baby! With better support!" He walks over and adjusts the two of them so Izuku is on her hip, Uraraka has an arm around his back and a free hand to do with as she pleases.
"Oh, well it is nice to have a free hand..." She admits, looking at it.
"Right! Let's go!" He gestures forward and they start to walk back.
Ochako looks down to the transformed Izuku, saying casually. "So... how long are you like this?"
The transformed teen can only shrug, not quite able to communicate with them.
"I swear," says a gossipy hen-headed woman to her friend as they pass, "teenage couples are getting too eager these days..."
Ochako blinks before her face turns bright red and she stutters.
Iida spins in place and points at the lady. "Madam, I must object! We are friends, helping a friend!"
Stunned into silence, the lady can only watch as they leave. After she thinks they're out of earshot, she turns back to her friend. "...so they're babysitting?"
Her friend shrugs.
The group of three make it back to the beach, where Iida has Ochako set their friend down on the steps.
"Well... you didn't turn back yet. Can you not control that part?" She asks him.
"Tox really?" He says, changing back in the middle of his sentence. His hands quickly pat all over his body and he sighs in relief. "Back to normal."
"Can you explain what that light was, now?" Iida asks, gesturing to him.
"Evolution," he responds. "That form was about to change to something more useful."
Ochako gives Ida a small side-eye, but looks back at their new friend. "Will it try again next time?"
He bites his lip. "...I don't know. It's only the second time it's happened, and I didn't even know it could be stopped."
"Your quirk seems so complicated..."
The poor kid slumps, knuckles brushing the step below his. "It really is..."
"How many forms do you have?" Iida asks, curious.
"Six." He lists them off on his fingers. "Riolu, Ralts, Lycanroc, Toxel, Scorbunny, and Froakie. The beginnings of a competitive Pokémon team."
"Pokémon... I think I heard my parents mention that at one point. Some kind of game series..." Ochako taps her lip.
The glasses-wearing teen looks confused. "I've never heard of it, but they look rather powerful." He pauses. "Aside from what I'm assuming is Toxel, since it sounds like toddle."
Ochako offers her input. "Well, quirks do get stronger as you use them, so maybe that form will too."
"If I evolved, I would've turned into Toxtricity," he helpfully supplies. "He gets more moves in that form."
"How many does Toxel know?" Iida asks.
"...four," he mutters. "Six if you include status moves."
"So he can still do stuff!" Ochako points out.
"Nuzzle," he recites in a depressed monotone, "Belch, Tearful Look, Growl, Flail, Acid."
The brunette gives him a perplexed stare. "... why do you name all your moves like that? Most heroes do more... heroic sounding names for them."
"I didn't name those. They're the official names," he responds. "And they're all baby-based. I want him to get his new form quickly."
"Yeah... probably best to do that before school starts." She nods.
They turn to look at Iida, who is on his phone. He can feel them looking, but he only says, "What about these breeding moves?"
Izuku blinks blankly. "Breeding moves?"
"Moves Pokémon are born with." He shows him his phone.
"...but I thought they had to be bred in order to learn those?" The green-haired boy said, confused.
Ochako purses her lips. "I'm not a fan of that name, it sounds... ick. Let's just call them...inherited moves."
"Egg moves?" Izuku suggests, "Since Pokémon hatch from eggs?"
Iida's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Even that jackal-looking pup?"
"I mean they are from a game, eggs are simpler I guess." She shrugs.
"Alright, so... what egg moves might Toxel have..." He pulls out his own phone to start searching. "...Endeavor, Metal Sound... Power-Up Punch?"
"Those sound better!" She nods. "Maybe we can try those? The punch sounds easy enough."
Izuku nods, opening his bag and looking at all the similarly-colored jelly beans. Uncertain, he pulls one out and eats it, coughing slightly. "Nope. Sweet." He promptly transforms.
They find themselves staring at a child-like Pokémon with a bowl cut right before it, too, starts glowing.
Ochako looks at Ida and holds up a finger to her lips. He looks mildly offended, but manages to stay quiet. They watch as the single horn on its head splits into two, legs and arms lengthening until they reach a height similar to Riolu. As the light fades, they find they can look into his rose-colored eyes, the fringe having migrated to the sides of his head in what appear to be ponytails. His green legs are separated from the rest of his body by what appears to be a naturally-formed tutu.
"...this is different."
"Well, if it helps, you look very pretty." Ochako quips.
He very maturely pouts at her.
"...are we sure all his forms are male?" Iida quietly questions.
"That's a question for... them?" She looks back to Izuku.
The transformed teen blushes madly. "I'm not exploring my body while in this form! I'm a guy, anyway!"
Ochako frantically waves her hands. "Right right, sorry! That was inappropriate!"
"Absolutely indecent!" Iida interjects, making chopping gestures.
"...weren't you the one who started this subject?" Izuku thinks to them, baffled.
"Right, so, egg moves!" The other boy shouts, standing up ramrod straight. He consults his phone. "Ralts can have Shadow Sneak, Disable, Memento, Life Dew-"
"I thought I learned that naturally?" the one they are talking about interrupts.
"When did you first start using it?" Iida responds, adjusting his glasses.
"When my mom burned herself, about a month after I got my quirk."
"So... we know at least it's possible for you to have them, then." Ochako nods.
"True," their friend says, smiling at the psychic Pokémon. "And that means you can gain the experience needed to level up Toxel."
"Assuming I have Endeavor or Power-Up Punch," Izuku points out.
"Will you not just try to evolve again next time you go into the form, like this one did?" Ochako asks.
He scratches his head. "Honestly, I'm just surprised they're evolving right after I change into them. I had to work a while before Rockruff evolved..."
"Huh... have you used them since the first thing evolved?"
"I've been using this one a lot before then," he replies, shrugging slightly. "But after the first one evolved, I only really used Riolu."
"Which evolves with friendship," Iida provides, looking at the info on his phone.
Ochako hums. "Well... you do have more friends now, so maybe that one will evolve soon too."
"Maybe," he waffles, rubbing where his chin would normally be. "...what do I do while I have this form, right now?"
Glasses flash as the owner looks over the sands. "How about searching the beach for anything extra? We do have a metal detector, like you said earlier."
"Umm... it might be a bit big for them." Ochako says, pulling the detector from behind her back and showing it's taller than even the evolved form.
Iida deflates. "Yes, that's... Quite the problem."
"Maybe we could work together?" Izuku offers. "We search together, and I gather items up?"
"That would work." She nods, putting the headphones back on.
"At least I don't have to worry about her hearing me," the pokemorph muses, following her onto the beach.
Iida watches them, unsure what he can do to help.
Ochako waves the machine back and forth on the beach, giving Ida a wave as she sees him.
He offers a polite smile and waves back, glancing out over the sand. A part of him wonders what the beach looked like before Izuku cleaned it, since this is only his second time seeing it.
After a moment, Ochako stops and points down. "I'm getting a small reading!"
Izuku, not quite used to using psychic powers on items he can't see, decides to dig with his hands. After a few moments he yelps, pulling back a slightly burned hand. "Kir!"
"What happened? Did it cut you?" Ochako crouches down to see.
She finds an iron pail, still smoking slightly from the contact point. "It burned me!" He manages to say, shaking the hand as if it will get rid of the pain.
Iida, having rushed over, scrolls through his phone, brow furrowing. "...Kirlia is part fairy type, which is weak to steel. Does that mean all metal hurts him?"
"That... could be bad given we're in a city." Ochako mutters.
"It might just be iron, like the western fairy tales," he points out, watching him use water to heal the burn completely.
Izuku eyes her metal detector. "...that's made of aluminum, right?"
"I think so." She nods.
He reaches over to poke it, then holds his arm there when nothing happens, brow furrowed. "Might just be items with iron in them." He looks down at the steel of Iida's engines and pokes that, hissing as he pulls his hand away. "Yep. Iron."
"We definitely need to be careful then, if each of your forms have weaknesses." Ochako nods.
His already white face pales somehow. "All Pokémon have weaknesses. There's a lot to keep track of..."
"Well, that's part of learning about yourself, right?" She tries encouraging him.
He quietly nods, then looks at both of them. "...come to think of it, what are your quirks? I forgot to ask." He makes his notebook and pen appear so he can jot everything down.
"Oh, right, well..." She shows him her hand and the small, slightly darker circles on the finger pads. "Anything I touch with these spots on my hand loses gravity, including me, though I get very nauseous from that. I can end it by touching my hands together."
"Like the fridge," he muses. "But that didn't fly off into space due to lack of gravity... is there a minor telekinetic property to it that keeps things from going too far? Does she have such great control that she can make sure things don't go too high? Maybe she affects buoyancy, instead? This seems very helpful for rescue missions... and requires further study..." He writes all of this and more down in his notebook.
Ochako laughs sheepishly at all this attention.
"...does he realize we can hear all those thoughts?" Iida whispers to her, getting a little overwhelmed by the speed and volume of thoughts flooding over them.
"I don't think so." She replies. "Hopefully we don't overhear anything too embarrassing."
"-and she's really cute, but while that would help with popularity, it won't stop villains from attacking her... a good form of martial arts would help in case someone gets too close... Uraraka-san, do you know any self-defense techniques?" He turns his attention to her, finally finishing the two pages he was writing up.
"Um, uh..." Her cheeks are now flushed more than her normal coloring.
He blinks a couple times, tilting his head and making the pigtails sway. "Is that a no?"
"I -well- I haven't really ever looked into something like that yet!" She says, waving her hands frantically.
There's a few moments of silence before his face turns a similar embarrassed shade. "...you heard everything, didn't you?"
"Oh look, another signal!" she quickly says, stepping away and pointing.
He blinks, then turns to Iida as they approach the second signal, pail floating behind them in a telekinetic grip. "So what's your quirk?"
"My quirk is Engine." He pats one of his legs. "Orange juice fuels them."
"Orange juice? What brand? Does the pulpiness of it matter? Does it have to be oranges? Would other citrus work? This needs some tests done..." He devolves again into muttering as he buries himself in his notes to try and forget his awkwardness.
"You know, I heard there's a support course at UA too, I'm surprised you don't lean towards that," Ochako comments, glancing over her shoulder at him.
"I've always wanted to be a hero, like All Might," he responds immediately. "Helping those who need it is a great thing. If that comes as quirk counseling, I can do that as a hero as well."
"I guess nothing says you can't do both." She nods at this.
"Parents might even listen to you more since you are a hero," Iida suggests, nodding once. "Great idea, Midoriya-san!"
"Yeah, it really does sound great!" She beams, pumping her free hand.
The Pokémon smiles bashfully, rubbing the back of his head. "Thank you, but I was only thinking of helping others."
"Exactly!" She points and nods. "That's a good hero!"
"I have to agree," their tall friend points out. "Great heroes help others who need it, dire situations or not."
Ochako looks at Ida. "Does your brother have any tips for UA since he's already a hero?"
He looks thoughtful, trying to recall Tensei's words. "Study hard, go beyond what they ask of you, Plus Ultra. Those were the pieces of advice I remember at the moment."
Izuku is blindly digging around in the sand, trying to find something of which he was not told the location.
She looks thoughtful while she taps the detector above where she heard a faint beep. "Sounds like normal school advice."
He heads over there to dig, sand getting under his nails. He stops, looking at his human hands. "...oh, I'm back."
"Is it such a smooth transformation that you don't notice?" Ochako asks.
"Surprisingly, yes. I need a better way to tell when I change back..." He goes back to his book, scribbling in it and mumbling. "Maybe a watch or some kind of beacon with a noise when it reappears..."
"...oh, so he does that in any form," Iida says, mildly surprised.
"So I guess that's a him thing, not a them thing." She laughs.
The boy shrugs a bit. "He does make a good point, though. I've never actually tried any orange juice besides the one my mom buys..."
"And I never thought about close combat..." She admits.
Izuku suddenly stops writing. "...you know, now that I'm back, I could always..." He nods and quietly hands his notebook to Ochako. Before she can ask what he's doing, he turns into Toxel, then looks at the bucket with narrowed eyes.
"Wait, he can transform without eating anything?" Iida questions.
Ochako rubs her neck. "I guess? We haven't exactly quizzed him like he did to us."
They turn back to see the purple lizard punching at the pail to little success.
"Aren't you supposed to power up a Power-Up Punch?" Iida comments.
Izuku thinks over this for a moment before raising his fist. He punches, a red wave going up his body. Another punch which dents the pail, and another wave forms.
"...oh, so the punch makes him stronger," Iida belatedly realizes.
"So it's not a punch you power up, it's a punch that powers 'you' up. Cool, and he can use it!" She gives a thumbs up.
One last punch makes the pail utterly useless as anything but scrap metal, and drives it into the sand.
"I... think you got it." She says, stunned.
He stares in shock at his handiwork. "Tox."
Their friend just looks confused. "...why isn't he evolving?"
"Maybe it wasn't enough or something?" She guesses.
"Well I'm not fighting a baby," Tenya says, backing away with his hands raised.
"That's not what I said, he hasn't fought anyone and he's doing fine before now." She shakes her head.
"True, But it's how a Pokémon gets the most experience," he points out.
"I mean we're just assuming he works by the same rules, but he's clearly done stuff without fighting." She points out.
"Didn't you find him punching that fridge?" He counters with a raised eyebrow.
She raises a finger before pausing. "Okay, you got me there."
Izuku just looks between the two of them, uncertain. "Toxel?"
"We're talking about what makes you evolve." She lets him know.
He thinks for a bit before lifting up the pail and offering it to them.
Iida's eyebrows raise. "...do you want more stuff to beat up? You don't want to fight us?"
He nods once, agreeing.
"Oh good..." Ochako sighs and takes the bucket.
"But Uraraka-san!" The tallest one there says, "He also said you could use martial arts, and how can you practice without a training partner?" He gestures to Izuku. "If you work together, I'm sure both goals can be achieved!"
"I mean, I might be all for that once I actually have any clue of what I'm doing." She rubs her head. "I wouldn't even know where to start."
Izuku holds up a piece of paper for her. She takes it and looks at it. I have a family friend who might be able to help. Would you like to meet him? It reads. "Oh, umm, sure!" She nods. "Thank you."
He nods, then pats over his body, only to frown softly.
"...your phone doesn't stay on you?" Iida asks, mildly disappointed.
"I mean, his clothes don't either." Ochako points out before blinking, looking to Izuku, then blushing and looking away.
Since this sets off Izuku blushing as well, the blue-haired teen just sighs at the two of them. "Pokémon don't wear clothes in general. We could get him a scarf if it really bothers you that much?"
"No no, it's just... strange thoughts for a moment." She clears her throat. "It's fine."
Izuku crawls over and gently pats her leg, then turns to leave, stumbling as he changes back into himself, falling face first into the sand such that his shirt bunches up around his upper chest.
Iida rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I see. So if you can't control when you change back, then transforming without food causes a significant drop in the time limit."
"Were you timing it?" Ochako asks as she helps the boy up.
He shakes his head. "No, but it was noticeably shorter." He helps brush off Izuku's shirt, offering his towel for his face.
"You okay?" Ochako asks, watching him clean off the sand.
"I'm fine, I just hurt my dignity." He gives her a sheepish smile.
"I must say that your quirk is incredible," Iida says. "I'm sure you'll get into UA with it."
He quietly nods, then looks through his pockets. "Thanks. I'm going to call Toshinori-san and see if he'll help train you guys, too." He walks away, scrolling through his contacts and leaving the two of them alone.
"...he is very well-developed, isn't he?" He muses with Ochako. "From the way you were staring, you must have noticed."
"Huh?" She blinks owlishly at him.
"His muscles," he says, looking at her. "You were looking at his back, so I assumed you noticed too?"
"I mean, he was on his front so his back was all I could see..." She rubs the back of her head, still with her natural slight flush. "Today's been a lot."
"Indeed it has been," he agrees.
"Toshinori-san said yes!" Izuku calls out, heading back over to them. "He'll help get training ideas for all of us!"
"Wow, he must have connections, huh?" Ochako asks.
"He does work with a lot of heroes," he points out, smiling. "And with about a couple weeks until the exam, I'm sure we can get a solid base to build on!" He pauses. "...oh, right, I should probably mention this to her, too," he mumbles, texting one other person.
Iida frowns a bit, a hand on his chin. "...well, I'd be happy to have help, but I think Tensei would be happy to work with me."
He hits send and pauses, feeling a bit awkward. "...oh. Okay, that's fine, then..."
"Everything okay?" She asks, looking between the two.
"I was hoping to introduce him to both of you at the same time?" He admits, rubbing the back of his neck.
"But it would be rude to have to turn down a gift like this, especially if he's right there in front of us," Iida responds, uncertain. "I'd feel bad if I couldn't accept due to prior obligations."
Ochako claps her hands together. "I'm sure we could explain if something happened. Life gets busy sometimes and it doesn't mean we don't appreciate it."
Izuku nods, looking at his phone once more. "Can you guys come here tomorrow? He says he'll have everything we need."
"Well... I'll have to tell my parents, but I'm sure it can be done," Iida says, nodding once.
"Same here," Ochako agrees, "you sure its okay to bother them to come meet us?"
"I'm sure it's okay!" He smiles at her. "Toshinori-san likes helping people!"
"He must be a great guy if you speak so highly of him," Iida comments.
"He's the best person I know!" He pauses, blushing a bit. "Y-you guys are great, too, of course."
"It's not a contest." Ochako laughs.
"Though it is nice of you to consider us so highly despite only meeting us today," the Engine user agrees.
Izuku looks a bit awkward at that. "You are the nicest kids I know, my age... not that I know many..."
"Well hey, quality over quantity, right?" She raises her fist encouragingly.
He smiles a bit and raises his own just like hers. "Yep. Though I certainly wouldn't mind more like you guys."
"There's always the chance to find them at UA," Tenya points out, making his chopping motions.
"That's true," Midoriya mumbles, looking at his book. "I wonder what quirks they'll have..."
"There's no telling, but that's half the fun of finding out." She laughs.
He smiles, nodding in agreement. "That's true. Maybe I can come up with something to help them, too."
With not much else to say, the three of them finish cleaning up the beach together, solidifying the bond of friendship with each piece they remove.
So I'd like to point out that before I put the author notes in, this chapter's word count was four digits, and they all were six. ^^;
Anyways, thank you for your patience, and for over one hundred favorites and even more follows! I'm glad people are enjoying this story, and I hope you will continue to enjoy it as it continues.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a nice day!