Chapter 47: Exam Ending
Author's Note: With this chapter, we've finally finished the Provisional License Exam arc! I'm not gonna lie, this one was quite the drag to write, mainly because it's just not one of my favorite arcs from the series in general. I tried different ways to improve it, but I was somewhat limited by the constraints of the arc itself. I also wasn't having too much fun writing this arc because I was and still am so looking forward to writing the next! I have a few ideas that I wanna implement in the Overhaul arc.
I will say, I'm unsure how much longer I can keep up the daily updates. For the past few days, by the time I updated this story, I'd already have the next chapter and parts of the one after that written. As I'm writing this, I am still working on Chapter 48, primarily because I was distracted with the Nintendo Direct today and the fact that Xenoblade Chronicles 3 occupied my mind for most of the day. That being said, I'll still continue to try my best and update this story regularly. I hope you enjoy!
Mera looked over the students and watched as they scrambled to figure out what to do next. Even he had to admit that this was extremely demanding for the students, but in light of everything that had just gone down with All Might, they needed the best of the best. They needed to make sure that they were giving licenses to only the top students of the next generation.
He looked at his computer screen and looked at the points of each student. The scoring system for this phase was quite simple. Every student started out with 100 points, and they'd remove points based on what the actors on the field said, however, they'd also be graded by employees of the Public Safety Commission. Any student whose score falls below 50 automatically fails and you cannot gain points once you've lost them.
He leaned over and watched the students with excitement. "Good luck, students. Do your best, please. It's all you can do." He said to himself.
Izuku and Golisopod stood their ground as they watched the fake Villains run towards the evacuation site, but Shindo ran past them. "Keep everyone safe! Get them to a safer area!" He shouted. "I'll hold them off for as long as I can!"
He stopped in front of the group of Villains and stretched his arm forward. "Rhyperior, use Earthquake!" The Pokemon slammed its hands into the ground and created a massive shockwave, stopping most of the grunts, but it wasn't able to stop everyone.
"Not good enough!" Gang Orca shouted as his Feraligatr ran past the crowd and delivered a point-blank Hydro Pump right into Rhyperior.
"Gang Orca isn't fighting seriously, is he?!" Joke watched in horror as her student's new Pokemon fell to the ground. Izuku's Golisopod quickly ran in and pulled the Rhyperior away from the battlefield as best as it could while Izuku himself helped a completely stunned Shindo.
"You know who I am yet you send a single novice to face me?" Orca said as Feraligatr growled. "You must really underestimate me. Feraligatr, let's move." The two slowly made their way towards the first-aid area when the Pokemon suddenly whipped its head to the side, releasing a Hydro Pump that clashed with two incoming missile Dreepy.
Izuku turned and saw Shoto standing there alongside Dragapult, a determined look on both of their faces. "Midoriya! We'll help you move the victims!" From the other side, Izuku saw Mashirao, Mina, Fumikage, as well as their Pokemon rushing to their side.
Mashirao's Breloom jumped ahead and picked up a few of the civilians while Fumikage's Houndoom began using Dark Pulse to clear away another path. Mina's Dustox flew off and began using Sleep Powder on the grunts and their Pokemon, buying everyone a little more time.
"Where's everyone?!" Izuku asked. "We were near the river!" Mashirao answered. "Everyone else headed to the city so we tried to help where nobody else was. That's when we saw the Villains attacking and came to help! There are still people back there, so don't worry about all of that."
Dragapult launched countless more missiles at Feraligatr, but several Hydro Pumps and Aqua Tails were more than enough to parry and destroy them. "As expected of the number 10. Let's be careful, Dragapult." Shoto said as Dragapult took a moment to rest.
"Alright! Now's my time to shine!" Inasa came in riding atop his Pidgeot. "We'll blow you all away! Pidgeot, go for Hurricane!" The Pokemon began flapping its wings furiously, creating a powerful gust of wind that managed to sweep up several of the grunts' Pokemon.
Inasa and Shoto both saw each other and stared at one another with shock. They both didn't wanna be near each other, but they also both wanted to prove that they were strong enough to fight Gang Orca.
"They're buying us time. Let's get everyone to safety!" Fumikage said, running along the path Houndoom had created while carrying a civilian on his back. "Right!" Everyone shouted as they continued forward.
Mera smiled as he saw the students rushing away with all the civilians. "Prioritizing the evacuation and first-aid zone. That's a clever move. Having Todoroki and Yorashi hold back the Villains is perfect as the top students here."
Inasa looked down at Shoto from above his Pidgeot and scoffed. "Same time as you?" Shoto didn't even look at the boy when he replied. "Why don't you go help with the first-aid zone? Your Pidgeot should be good at helping them."
Inasa didn't reply. He simply extended his arms and called out his next move.
"Use Hurricane!"
"Dragon Darts!"
Both Pokemon unleashed their attacks at the same time, but it went horribly. Pidgeot's Hurricane caused Dragapult's Darts to completely go off course and crash into each other while the resulting explosion ruined the drafts of the wind.
"Shit! Those explosions are messing up our Hurricane! The hell are you doing?!" Inasa shouted, much to Shoto's annoyance. "Those Dragon Darts were already holding him back! Are you doing this on purpose?! Those Darts couldn't hit him because your wind was pushing them around!"
Inasa flew down on Pidgeot and looked at Shoto right in the eyes. "You did this on purpose! All you wanna do is take all the credit for yourself!"
"Why the hell would I do that?!"
"Because you're Endeavor's son!"
Shoto didn't respond right away. Instead, he clenched his fist and had to hold himself back from straight-up punching Inasa right now. "What is your problem?" He said angrily. "My father has nothing to do with-"
Suddenly, Dragapult was hit with a powerful Dark Pulse from a Liepard, knocking her to the ground. "Damnit! Dragapult!" Shoto ran up to her and angrily looked up at the grunt that had hit her. They had been distracted so long that they left themselves completely vulnerable.
"This is outrageous," Orca said. "You two are arguing at a time like this?" Dragapult quickly got up and launched a Shadow Ball, countering an incoming Air Slash.
"Nothing to do with him…?" Inasa shouted as he and Pidgeot expertly avoided the incoming projectile attacks. "You're just like him! The main thing to me that makes a Hero is passion. It's their passionate hearts that inspire others. All I could see from your father's eyes was nothing but anger and a cold heart."
Pidgeot quickly flew into the sky before unleashing an Air Cutter, sending out several projectiles that protected them from another barrage of attacks. "Back at the UA entrance exam, I saw you there and knew who you were in an instant. That's when I saw you had the same eyes as him!"
"The same eyes…?!" Shoto slammed his fist to the ground and commanded Dragapult to shoot out two more Dragon Darts, taking out a Golbat and a Pangoro. "You're arguing with me about eyes?! I'm not my father!"
Shoto knew it was in his best interest to not let this kid get in his head. He's nothing more than a glorified Endeavor hater and he was taking his anger out on Endeavor's son. Right now, they needed to focus on the exam! He's already gotten over his father's influence… right? Right?!
"No…" He whispered to himself. The hate within him was still alive. Dragapult looked at her trainer with sadness as she saw him battling with himself, struggling to keep his cool. "Focus! Focus!" The boy said to himself.
"Are you serious right now? What are you doing…?" Orca was simply watching them in awe. It was astounding that they could do this in such an important test.
Pidgeot created a blast of hot air with Heat Wave that temporarily stunned some of the grunts, but it did little to actually hurt Feraligatr. "I'll never accept you and your father as Heroes! Finish this with Hurricane!"
"I. AM. NOT. MY. FATHER!" Shoto shouted as he stretched out his hand, signaling Dragapult to go for several Dragon Darts. Naturally, the same thing happened as last time with the strong wind causing the Darts to go out of control and their subsequent explosions messing up the gusts of the Hurricane.
"Are you serious right now?! You're trying to- huh?!" Inasa stopped speaking and pointed towards where one of the Dragon Darts was heading for. Apparently, one of them got away and was heading straight for Shindo and Rhyperior. Shoto and Inasa couldn't do anything, however, Izuku's Golisopod managed to get in the way and counter the Dart with a well-timed Liquidation.
Izuku ran up to Shindo and checked on him, but that didn't stop him from looking at the two so-called "Heroes" with a look of complete disbelief and anger. "What the hell are you two doing?!"
That brief moment where Shoto suddenly snapped back to his senses. That's when he remembered who Inasa was. Back at their exam, Inasa's Staraptor had just barely beaten his Ninetales in a race for the rank number one. Inasa tried to congratulate Shoto for a good match, but he pushed him aside… just like his father would.
That's when Shoto clenched his fist and looked at Dragapult. "I… I can't-"
"Well, let's take care of you first," Orca said. Shoto turned and saw Feraligatr's gaping maw about to unleash a powerful Ice Fang right into Dragapult, but the Pokemon quickly whipped its head and released a Hydro Pump right into Pidgeot, knocking the Pokemon to the ground and unable to move from exhaustion.
"Shit! Dragapult, go help-"
"You reap what you sow!" Feraligatr quickly slammed its teeth right into Dragapult with an Ice Fang, causing the Dragon to scream in pain. It froze a part of her body before slamming her into the ground, rendering her unable to move.
The grunts began moving ahead while Feraligatr and Gang Orca stayed behind to finish the job. "While the boss is dealing with them, let's book it to the first-aid zone!"
Both Shoto and Inasa were filled with immense shame, guilt, and embarrassment. Izuku was right. What the hell were they doing?! Inasa let his anger and rage consume him, becoming the very thing he hated, while Shoto's own actions are what caused this situation in the first place.
"They're getting closer!" Mina shouted, but Izuku stood his ground. "Golisopod, we're the last line of defense!" He said. Golisopod nodded before forming four swords of water with Liquidation, holding one in each hand.
"Move!" Shindo pushed Izuku and Golisopod out of the way, allowing Rhyperior to run forward and create another Earthquake that caused the ground to break, stopping the grunts and causing them to scatter. "Shindo! Your Rhyperior can still move?! It just took a really strong Hydro Pump from Feraligatr!"
Rhyperior looked at them and smiled, though it was clear that he was exhausted. "He's up, but he can't do much. Hydro Pump was strong, that's true, but we've trained for things like this. We pretended to be down as long as we were to prepare for a surprise attack, but those two fucking first years!"
Izuku was shocked at how fast Shindo's personality seemed to have shifted. "I've stopped them! Now separate the grunts and take them out in smaller groups!" The boy nodded and looked up at Golisopod. The Pokemon reformed his water swords before dashing forward into the group of grunts.
"Come on, Dragapult! Please, get up!" Shoto begged his Dragapult to move, but she could barely even make a sound. "That's good enough," Orca said as he and Feraligatr turned to finish the job with Pidgeot. Shoto held his head close to Dragapult and nearly cried from the shame.
They can't begin to give hope to others like this… that's when Dragapult made a single noise. Shoto's eyes widened in shock as she moved her tail and head slightly. She couldn't move too much, but she still had a little bit left in her. "D-Dragapult… can you still fight?" She let out a meek sound. It wasn't loud, but it was more than enough for Shoto to understand what she was trying to say.
He looked up and saw both Pidgeot and Inasa looking back at them. Pidgeot was beaten up too, but it still had more fight to give. The two trainers nodded at each other before standing up straight and turning to Feraligatr and Orca.
"Dragon Darts!"
"Hurricane!"
Rather than working on their own and causing problems, the two Pokemon worked together. Dragapult unleashed a barrage of Dragon Darts while Pidgeot created a Hurricane that allowed them to circle Feraligatr and Orca.
"We'll trap you!" They both screamed as a barrier of explosives projectiles formed around the Pro and his Pokemon. Orca smiled at the sight. "Finally. Even without moving, you two have proven to be strong trainers. Not bad at all." He said to himself. However, it won't be enough to save you, sadly…"
The grunts all looked back in shock. "The boss is trapped? Should we go- wait, Furret!" They turned back and saw Izuku's Golisopod going from Pokemon to Pokemon, slashing at them with incredible power and precision. Whatever training this Pokemon went through, it was clear that this Pokemon had insane control over its power.
"Nice work, Golisopod! Go for a Leech Life!" The Pokemon's claws began glowing in a bright green light before he slammed it into a Shiftry, knocking the Pokemon out in an instant. Izuku knew that with Leech Life, Golisopod could sustain itself long enough to help the evacuees get to safety.
Eventually, Mashirao's Breloom joined them as well, stretching its arms out and using the smaller Pokemon as strong projectiles against the bigger 'mons. "The evacuation is almost done! Reinforcements will be here soon!" The trainer shouted.
Mera smiled as he saw everything unfold. "Only three more left to save before the operation is complete. It's the last push, kids. Give it everything you've got." He said to himself.
Eventually, the rest of 1-A and several other students joined them, fighting off the large horde of grunts and taking them out in mass numbers. Izuku turned to Shoto and Inasa as they continued strengthening their barrier around Orca.
"Not bad, kids. I gotta give you props for that one. Any normal Villain would have given up by now. However, that isn't always the case!" The barrier suddenly dissipated in an explosion, as if Feraligatr had triggered all of the Darts to go off. This naturally caused Pidgeot's wind to dissipate as well, and they were all stunned to see what they saw.
Feraligatr had gotten on its back and begun spinning while unleashing Hydro Pump, creating a counter shield that completely countered the barrier the two had created. Orca grew a demonic smile on his face as he laughed. "What will you do next?!"
By this point, Dragapult and Pidgeot were completely drained, so they could do nothing when Feraligatr prepared a Hydro Pump to finish the job. That's when they suddenly heard a voice coming from the distance. "Please stay away from those two, sir!" Izuku shouted.
Suddenly, Golisopod came running forward, slamming all four of his Liquidation blades into Feraligatr, though the latter managed to block the attacks with his arm. "Midoriya!" Orca shouted.
Golisopod moved back and began getting ready to launch another attack when the buzzer suddenly went off. "All disaster victims have been rescued from the danger zone. At this moment, the Provisional License Exam has been completed. After we tally the scores, we will announce the results. Please stand by until then."
Orca sat down on some of the rubble and tended to his Feraligatr. "Those kids really are something, huh? That Dragon Dart Vortex was something else, not to mention Midoriya's Golisopod. If the test went any longer, who knows…"
Eventually, the students were all gathered by a podium with a massive screen where Mera and several of the employees stood. He stood by a microphone and cleared his throat before speaking.
"Okay, just a few things. First of all, I'm sure many of you are wondering what to do next with the Pokemon we gave you for the second phase of the test. We've cleared this with the school and your instructors, so you are free to keep them." Everyone looked at him in shock. They certainly weren't expecting to add another team member to their party today.
Izuku was shocked as well, but he was happy. Golisopod had put in the work in that last portion of the test and he couldn't be happier with him. Izuku looked down at his Pokeball and smiled. He was also going to be able to share One for All with his new friend, and this Pokemon was a well-needed addition to the team.
"They were raised in a facility after being rescued, and it would do little for them to keep them with us. They are much better in the hands of people like you." Mera picked up his clipboard and began flicking through the pages until landing on one.
"Okay, now for what you kids have been waiting for. I will now announce the results, but I want you to take note of something. Those of us at the Public Commission of Safety, along with the trained actors you saved have applied a two-fold minus point system to evaluate you. Therefore, we really are scrutinizing the few mistakes you made in a theoretical emergency setting."
Those words sent chills up the students' spines. They all made glaring mistakes, and they were afraid that they maybe made one too many. "Anyway, here are the names of those who passed." Mera held his hand up and the screen turned on, showing a list of names in alphabetical order.
Izuku searched for the list nervously. "Mi… Mi… Mi…! Yes!" He couldn't be happier at what he saw. Right there was the name "Midoriya Izuku" written very clearly. He had just passed! He was gonna make sure to thank Blaziken and Golisopod later, but for now, he wanted to know what happened with the rest of his class.
One by one, the students of 1-A celebrated as they spotted their names. Ochako, Tenya, Momo, even Minoru. All of their names appeared on screen and they began celebrating as a class. However, it wasn't all sunshine for the examinees.
"N-Nothing…?! It's not there?!" Katsuki shouted.
"Please Please Please. Yora- oh…" Inasa pulled his hat down over his head in shame. "Just as I thought…"
Shoto looked up at the screen and didn't say a word. He knew this was coming. His name… wasn't there. He… he had just failed the Provisional License Exam.
Shoto looked down in embarrassment. He was regarded as one of the most skilled trainers in the top Hero academy, yet he somehow failed to get the license that would allow him to do Hero Work. Inasa walked up to him and bowed down, practically slamming his head into the ground. "Todoroki, I'm sorry! It's my fault that you couldn't pass the test!" He proclaimed.
Inasa only reminded Shoto of what he had been thinking about during the test. No matter how far he strayed, Endeavor would always be a part of him. He would always be his father's son. That is the burden he had to carry as a Hero. He looked at the boy and held his hand up. "I was the one who caused all of this in the first place. Please don't apologize."
"But-"
"There are things I realized because of the way you came at me like that."
Izuku and Momo were the ones who were most concerned about Shoto. They were the ones who looked up to him. As his friends, it pained them to see him so ashamed of himself.
"We'll now hand out a printout of your results. It includes a detailed breakdown of your mistakes and where points were deducted. It would do you well to take note of where you can improve. Take note that the cutoff score to pass was 50."
Izuku received his paper and saw his score: a 71. His actions themselves were on point, but his hesitation and words in those first few minutes did a number on his score. However, Izuku did find it quite brutal that this was a test with absolutely no chance for redemption. Once you dropped below 50, you were essentially fighting for a lost cause. So… why didn't they just eject the students who failed the moment they dropped below 50?
"Anyway, naturally, for those of you who passed, you will be able to use your license to use your Pokemon in emergency situations. However, do take note that this means you carry a greater burden of responsibility. As all of you know, All Might has used up all his energy and can no longer be a Hero. His existence played a big role in suppressing crime. Without him, more criminals and Villains will surely appear. Society will shift for the worst in a major way, but you, the young generation, will eventually become the core of our society. Next, it is your turn to show the world that you are exemplary Heroes and trainers. For now, you might only have a Provisional License but think of yourselves as beginners. You are all destined for greater things, so I implore you all to strive for further improvement."
Mera flipped to another page before addressing another group of students. "As for those of you who failed, there is no time to feel down. With the rising fear among citizens, we cannot afford to wait another year for you to pass. There is still a chance waiting for you." He said, shocking Katsuki and Shoto. "After attending a special course for three months, you will be given the chance to take a special test. Pass that test and you will receive your own license. In order to deal with the future I just mentioned, we need to have as many of you on the field as possible. That first phase was all about elimination, but we want to cultivate and help the 100 we have here grow as much as possible. That is why we didn't eliminate you the moment your score hit 50. We saw that it wasn't that you didn't have the potential, rather you just needed to be pushed in the right direction."
"This is great, Todoroki!" Izuku said, running up to his friend. Momo placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "We'll be waiting for you." Shoto smiled and looked at them. "I'll catch up. I promise."
And with that, the Provisional License Exam came to an end. Izuku was ecstatic to receive his license. The first thing he did was take a picture of it before sending it to All Might. Everyone else was taking pictures with their license as well as the two Pokemon they used to get them. They were all celebrating, save for the ones that didn't pass, of course.
"Deku!" Ochako ran up to Izuku alongside her Meowstic and Altaria. "Congrats! We really got our licenses!" She said.
The boy smiled and nodded. "Yeah! I was helped by so many and I caused so many problems for others… I'm just happy to have actual proof that I've grown!" Ochako nodded in agreement. "Yeah!"
As they were all heading back to the bus, Izuku spotted one of the other students from Shiketsu. It was Nagamasa! "Excuse me!" Izuku shouted, catching his attention. "P-Please teach me about that technique you learned that helps you mask your presence! I'd like to know the training needed to do stuff like that!" He said, referring to the way Camie was able to mask her own presence against him.
