Chapter 48: Rematch
Author's Note: Hey, everyone! Here's one of my favorite battles in MHA, Midoriya vs Bakugo Round 2. I don't really have much to say, but I want to mention that I've revised the final teams for a few of the students to incorporate the new Hisuian Pokemon, so I hope you can look forward to that. Thank you and please enjoy!
Earlier in the same day, the students set out to take their test, All Might decided to pay a visit to All for One. The man was locked up in the high-security prison, Tartarus. "Ah, so your second semester has already started? I thought you were the type to focus on your teaching duties, but you're here visiting me!"
All Might clenched his fist and looked right at the man through his cell. "I just wanna set the record straight."
All for One simply smiled as he leaned closer to the window. "This place is quite stifling, you know? For example, if I slip and my hand touches that window, those alarms go off and a platoon of guards will rush to my cell. My… special condition makes it so that these guards don't treat me as a normal prisoner."
All Might simply nodded. "That's right. You're not getting out any time soon." He said, much to All for One's amusement. "Sure, sure. I'll let you think that for now. Anyway, what are you after? What about Gran Torino and the others? Are you acting alone now? And what's with that costume? Looks like you still can't move on."
All Might did still wear his hero outfit, but it was more because people still saw him as the Symbol of Peace. Even if he couldn't actively work as Hero, he still felt a duty to serve the people. That being said, he didn't want to dignify All for One's taunts with an answer.
"You sure do talk a lot, huh?"
All for One laughed at the response. "Oh, be considerate. It's the first time we've spoken in a good while."
Once again, All Might didn't directly respond to what All for One said. "Shigaraki." All Might was getting right to the point. "Where is he now?" The Villain simply shrugged and smiled. "I don't know. Unlike your student, mine has already left the nest."
All Might let out a sigh before looking up right at One for All's eyes. "What is your purpose? What did you seek out to do? Keeping yourself alive for this long… devoting yourself to taking control… what are you even trying to do?"
One for All turned and looked down in boredom. "I don't think that's a very productive topic, All Might. It's not like you'll find the answers you're looking for if I answer the question, anyway. There's always gonna be people who don't understand each other, and you and I will never see eye to eye."
They remained in silence for a few moments before One for All just decided to give him some kind of answer. "You and I are the same. Like you, I was inspired by justice. The difference was that I was also inspired to become an evil mastermind. Simply, isn't it?" He smiled and turned back to his former nemesis. "I had a,d I had the power to achieve it. If I could snap my fingers and attain all my goals, then I wouldn't even spare the effort to make it happen."
All Might leaned back in his chair and began thinking to himself. This was… getting messy. "So why choose a successor?"
"Really, you're asking me that? Of all people?" All for One laughed. "Because you took everything from me! I can't even see my Pokemon or my equipment any more. After you appeared, my seemingly endless power became… restricted. When someone sees the end is in sight, they pass the torch to someone else. This applies to everything in society. Everything developed is passed from one person to the next. I was just doing what was natural for us as humans."
"Three more minutes, All Might." The voice from the speaker said.
"Aw, that's not fair! I wanted to talk more with you." One for All taunted, though it did little to actually provoke All Might. "I wanted to hear more about… let's see… ah! The world must have been pretty shaken up by your retirement. How is it?"
"We're isolating him from outside information. Do not answer that question, All Might." The voice said. "You heard him." One for All simply shrugged in response. "Oh well, that's a shame. Let me give you my theory then. Right now, the media is spreading unease with you gone. People are pretty worried about Endeavor being the new leader, too. Right now, I can only assume that they're all pushing for the unity of Hero Society, more than ever." He said.
"On the other hand, sensing the air of growing stability, those who slither in the dark are starting to act, thinking that maybe they can change society as well. They're banding together and organizing like never before. If you want my input, I think Tomura and the others in the League will lay low for now. Just long enough to determine who is best to work with. More clashes with Villains will inevitably occur. If my hypothesis is true then your retirement and fake self are the true cause of this chaos. You'll only have yourself to blame."
All Might clenched his fist in anger. He was happy now that the guards had temporarily taken his Pokeballs. If he lost control of his emotions, he could do something he'd deeply regret in the future. One for All smiled seeing that he was getting into All Might's head. "Not only will you not be able to save anyone, but you'll be left to watch society collapse on itself because of your own actions."
His smile grew even wider as he let the implications of All Might's actions sink in. "So tell me, 'Symbol of Peace', how does it feel?" All Might stood up, feeling a wave of unexplainable emotions, but he stopped himself at the last moment. "All Might, stay away. We're warning you."
One for All simply laughed. "Ah, seems like I was right. People really do get angry when you can pinpoint exactly what's going on in their hearts. Well, too bad, right? You can't fight me in here."
All Might took a deep breath before replying. "Don't think that you know everything on your own. I know exactly what you're thinking. To make Shigaraki, the nephew of the master I looked up to dearly, kill me along with the young one. That's the end goal, right?"
"What else you got for me?"
All Might clenched his fist and looked at One for All with rage. "I won't die. I won't fall to your plan. The future you have planned will never see the light of day."
One for All smiled, unfazed by All Might's words. "'To clear things up', aye? Guess that's what you wanted to say."
"All Might, time's up. Please proceed out the door." The door behind All Might opened up and he turned to walk about, but just before leaving, he turned back to All for One to leave a final message. "I will crush your future, as many times as it takes. In the end, you'll be the one living the rest of your life here watching, helpless."
The Villain simply laughed as the doors closed behind the former top Hero. "All my life, huh?"
Back at the dorms, the class was celebrating together. Most of them had passed and both Katsuki and Shoto didn't seem to mind the celebration. They had both secluded themselves though and while the others did feel bad for them, they also didn't want to have to sacrifice celebrating the rest of their classmates' achievements.
While Izuku was talking with one of his classmates though, Katsuki interrupted them. "Hey, you! Meet me outside later." He walked past them, but as he walked past, he whispered something to Izuku. "It's about that 'bowered power' of yours. Bring Riolu with you."
Later that night, when everyone else had gone to bed, Izuku and Katsuki met outside with both Riolu and Typhlosion out of their Pokeballs. They walked along the road of UA which was covered in a dim light thanks to the street lamps. "I-I don't think it's a good idea to be walking out here in the middle of the night," Izuku said, but the boy just ignored him.
Riolu could see the nervousness and concern in his trainer's face and tried barking to catch either Katsuki or Typhlosion's attention, but it was useless.
Eventually, the two reached one of the training areas and Katsuki led them to one of the buildings. It was one that Izuku and Riolu absolutely recognized. "Ground Beta?"
Katsuki nodded and Typhlosion stood up on its hind legs, looking at the building with a sense of anger. "The place where we had our first battle… the same place where we lost." Riolu could feel something was off. He entered a state of caution and stepped in front of his trainer, ready to defend him should this take a turn for the worst.
Typhlosion noticed this and stepped in front of his trainer, but Katsuki simply pat him on the back, telling him to let his guard down. He knew Riolu wouldn't do anything unless he or Izuku were provoked, so they were safe for now.
"I always found it weird, y'know? You of all people, scared to even come near Pokemon, somehow got into UA, somehow became stronger than nearly everyone here. With that ego of yours, you climbed higher and higher. Ever since the guy with the Muk… no, ever since All Might came to the city… you've just kept improving, and now you passed the Provisional License Exam… and I failed."
Izuku took a step back, completely taken aback by the words that came out of his childhood "friend"'s mouth. "Listen, that has nothing to do with-"
"Shut up! I wasn't done yet. I've found the whole damn situation weird and it really pissed me off. I was beating myself up trying to find an answer until the Kamino incident. All Might gave you that power, didn't he?"
Riolu was completely shocked that Katsuki had managed to figure it out, but Izuku didn't seem as surprised. He did nearly give it away after their first battle, and he knew Katsuki had figured it out after what he said back at the first phase of the exam. "The big boss from back then. He had a Mewtwo, which would imply the existence of Mew."
He turned back to Izuku and looked at him right in the eyes. "Since you've met All Might, you've changed. Then, somehow and some way, he lost his power while you've gotten stronger. Given all of that, plus the fact that All Might and that Villain seemed to know each other, I'm sure you can see the logic in assuming that he must have received some kind of power from Mew then passed it on to you."
Izuku now was completely stunned. Yes, it was incredibly likely that Katsuki would have figured out how he got his power by now, but he didn't realize it was to this extent. He didn't realize that he had completely figured out everything down to the little details. He couldn't say anything. He wanted to deny it, but he knew Katsuki would see right through him. On the contrary, he just couldn't bring himself to confirm Katsuki's "accusation."
"You're not denying it, so I guess I can assume it's true." He slammed his fist on the wall, causing all of them, even Typhlosion, to flinch slightly. "Fuck…"
"What are you gonna do if I answer?" Izuku asked, but Katsuki didn't respond directly. "You and I both admired All Might. You know that. Yet… someone who I thought wasn't anything more than a pebble ended up getting the recognition from the person I looked up to the most… under my nose. That's why… Typhlosion."
Typhlosion got down on all fours and flared up his quills, letting out a growl. "Fight me!" Riolu stepped forward and got ready to defend Izuku, but his trainer didn't seem as keen to fight. "W-Wait! It doesn't have to be like this! L-Listen, the fact that we're out here this late is already bad enough! We'll get into trouble."
Izuku tried to warn his classmate, but the boy didn't listen. He simply looked at him with angry eyes, waiting for him to give a proper response. "Listen, we can fight, but not here and not now. Why don't we do it during free practice-"
"They'll stop us," Katsuki said. "We can't have a serious battle in front of the others." He looked at the green-haired boy and clenched his teeth. "What is it that All Might saw in you? Why did he go so far… just for you? I need to see it for myself. I need to know what I'm doing wrong."
"K-Kacchan…" Izuku couldn't speak. He honestly did not know what to say. How do you even respond to something like that? Izuku didn't want to fight, but Katsuki wasn't letting him and Riolu go without a satisfying answer.
"Typhlosion, ready up," Katsuki said. His Pokemon began stretching his back and warming up flames in his mouth. Riolu looked up at his trainer, waiting for any orders of sorts, but he was shocked to see that his trainer still wasn't willing to fight. "So, I've seen how you switched up your fighting style from pure power to speed."
"W-Wait! Kacchan!"
"Flame Wheel!" Typhlosion suddenly covered itself in flames and began rolling towards Riolu. Izuku recognized that speed and power. It's the same types of attacks Katsuki's Typhlosion used in their original fight. He and Riolu caught on quickly, but Katsuki saw this almost immediately and changed up his style.
"Watch your back, Riolu! It's a fake!" Izuku shouted. Riolu quickly turned back and got ready to block an attack, but much to their surprise, Typhlosion fully followed through with the attack, hitting Riolu and sending him flying back. "You always read too deep into things," Katsuki said before instructing Typhlosion to continue his attacks.
Several Lava Plumes and Thunder Punches were thrown out, but Riolu managed to dodge thanks to the speed boost from One for All. Still, Riolu looked back several times at his trainer desperately waiting for some orders, but they never came. Izuku still didn't wanna battle.
After several missed attacks, Typhlosion took a second to regain his bearings, allowing Izuku to actually speak. "I said wait! Do we really have to fight?! Nobody said you were doing anything wrong!" Katsuki didn't respond though and simply instructed Typhlosion to go for another Lava Plume. Riolu managed to dodge it, but he was getting increasingly desperate for some kind of instruction.
"Come on! Give some damn orders to Riolu!" Katsuki shouted, instructing Typhlosion to go for another Flame Wheel. "Riolu! Catch him!" The Pokemon stepped to the side and grabbed onto Typhlosion, but the Fire-type simply looked right at Riolu and hit the Pokemon with a Thunder Punch, causing Riolu to be sent back.
"Come on! Fucking do something! Please!"
Typhlosion went for another Thunder Punch, but Izuku wasn't gonna let his Pokemon get hit. "Use Vacuum Wave to deflect the attack!" Riolu spun his arm and created a gust of wind that pushed Typhlosion's arm away, causing him to barely miss the attack.
"Damnit! Why won't you fight- ack!" The gust of wind somehow hit Katsuki, and while the attack wasn't too strong, it did cause him to stumble backward and fall down. Izuku saw this and held up his hand, prompting both Typhlosion and Riolu to stop. He ran up to Katsuki and held out his hand. "Are you okay?!" However, the boy wasn't having any of it. He quickly swat away Izuku's hand in anger.
"Why the hell are you worried about me?! Come on! Give your Pokemon some orders and actually fight! What is it with you?!" By this point, even Typhlosion had grown concerned about Katsuki. In truth, Typhlosion always knew that Izuku's sudden growth had really bothered his trainer, but even he knew that this was taking it a tad bit too far. Little did he know, there was more going on underneath the surface that even he didn't pick up on.
"Why did I have to end up following behind someone who was always weaker than me?! Why did a small-fry… a coward like you get so strong, while I… why did I…" The boy struggled to finish his sentence, but he took a deep breath and finished his thought. "Why did I have to be the one who ended All Might?!"
Izuku, Riolu, and even Typhlosion looked at Katsuki in shock. Was that the real reason? Was that really why he felt so determined to fight right now? "If I had just been a better trainer… if I trained my Pokemon better… if I hadn't gotten kidnapped by Villains… none of this would've happened!" He wiped the tears from his eyes and clenched his fist. "All Might tried to keep it all a secret. I couldn't tell this to anyone, but even if I tried so hard not to think about it, I can't help but know that I was the one that caused him to lose his power. I… I don't know what to do!"
That was the true burden Katsuki had been carrying since that day. Even more than Izuku, Katsuki had become so racked with guilt over All Might's retirement that it had consumed him. That's when Izuku knew… that's when he knew that while this fight's result might not matter, this fight had more weight to it than anything he had ever done before. He walked back to Riolu and looked at him before the two surged One for All in their bodies once more.
Izuku and Katsuki looked at each other, signaling that the fight was continuing. "Typhlosion, Lava Plume!"
"Riolu, use Force Palm!" The two Pokemon launched their attacks at the same time, but Riolu managed to easily evade the attacks from the tired Pokemon and land a powerful Force Palm, causing Katsuki to smile. "Sorry for that, Riolu. I won't let you be a sandbag anymore."
Katsuki didn't say a word, but it was clear from his eyes. He was completely consumed by his emotions right now and just needed a way to release them. Izuku completely understood and was more than willing to go for it, and if Riolu's smile was anything to go by, he was more than happy for a rematch.
The boy pointed up and smirked. "Flame Wheel." Typhlosion looked back at his trainer and smiled before turning back to Riolu and covering himself with flames. He charged right at the Emanation Pokemon but just before he landed the attack, he quickly bounced up and began diving right for Riolu.
"Use Vacuum Wave to dodge!"
Riolu whirled his arms and created a gust of wind that pushed him back, allowing him to narrowly avoid the attack, however, Typhlosion and Katsuki weren't done. "Keep going!" The boy shouted. While Riolu was still mid-air from his Vacuum Wave, Typhlosion began charging at him with an extra powerful Flame Wheel.
"Counter the attack!" Riolu braced itself, ready to use Counter, but Katsuki wasn't having any of it. "Jump!" He shouted. Typhlosion bounced up and went behind Riolu, shocking both him and Izuku before landing a devastating Thunder Punch, launching him into the nearby railing.
"Riolu! Use Force Palm!" Riolu was initially taken aback by the command, but when he saw Typhlosion heading right for him, he quickly used the attack right into Typhlosion's face, but the Fire-type wasn't done just yet. It endured the attack and grabbed onto Riolu, launching him towards Izuku with a Lava Plume.
Izuku caught Riolu, but the Pokemon seemed pretty beaten up. Still conscious and capable of fighting, but it was clear he didn't have too much energy left. Typhlosion's movements were too fast. Katsuki and Typhlosion were completely in sync and they didn't give them any time to think. Izuku and Riolu didn't have the time and weren't in the right mindset to get into the groove of things, so they were at a disadvantage.
Still, they were learning. Riolu looked up at his trainer and smiled. Riolu had picked up on some of his trainer's habits. He was adapting to the moves Typhlosion threw out. Both of their reaction times were getting better. Riolu jumped out of his trainer's hands and struck a pose, causing Izuku to smile. "It's only natural that we've gotten stronger." He said, making Katsuki angry.
He pointed his finger to Riolu. "The hell are you talking about." He then instructed Typhlosion to go for another Flame Wheel, catching the two off-guard, but Riolu managed to evade the attack and get back on his feet quickly. "I thought you said you wouldn't be a sandbag!"
"We won't! Bullet Punch!" Riolu charged right for Typhlosion, but the Pokemon took the attack and let out a Thunder Punch. "I know you're scheming something! That's what pisses me off most! Lava Plume!" Typhlosion created another explosion, launching Riolu into the air.
"Damnit! Riolu, hang in there!" Riolu looked badly beaten up by now. He couldn't hold for much longer. They needed something. They needed to come up with a plan soon.
"I can never tell what you're thinking, but no matter how many times I beat you up you keep sticking to me! Someone like you who had nothing… what gives you the right to look down on me?! Thinking you were actually gonna surpass me… it's the worst!"
Both Izuku and Riolu's eyes widened in shock as the Emanation Pokemon landed back on his feet. That was… certainly a shocking revelation. All this time… that's what he was thinking. Riolu now was more hesitant to fight, understanding the emotional baggage that Katsuki had been carrying all this time.
"That's… ah. That's how you saw things…" Izuku said, completely shocked. "Normally, when someone makes fun of you and bullies you like that, you wouldn't want to do anything with that person. But… it was because I had nothing that I was able to see all the great things about you!" He clenched his fist and looked at Riolu.
Riolu looked back at his trainer and smiled. He could feel the energy coming off of Izuku. The determination and the willpower to fight. That's the push he needed to really get his feet off the ground.
"You had so many things I didn't have… All Might may have been the one I looked up to, but you were the Hero actually in my life!" Izuku stretched his hand forward and Riolu began running towards Typhlosion at extreme speeds, jumping up and preparing to land a powerful Force Palm.
Before this point, Riolu and Izuku were too emotional, but now they were able to think straight. All this time, they had been focusing only 5% of One for All into their bodies. This was necessary at the time they developed Full Cowling, but they didn't take into account how much stronger their bodies had become. They didn't wanna overdo it, but 8%… yeah, that sounded like it'd be enough. Riolu and Izuku focused hard, surging their power and boosting their strength.
"Typhlosion, guard!" Even Katsuki realized that there wasn't a way to avoid the attack. Typhlosion got up on his legs and prepared to take the attack, shielding his head with his arms. Riolu launched the attack, blowing Typhlosion back further than any of them expected.
Izuku and Katsuki looked at each other with determination before turning back to their Pokemon.
"Force Palm!"
"Flame Wheel!"
The two Pokemon charged at each other with blinding speeds, crashing into each other with their attacks. Katsuki and Izuku were on the ready, giving out orders to their Pokemon while processing battle information with amazing reaction times.
Typhlosion tried to go for a Thunder Punch, but Riolu managed to hit him with a powerful Bullet Punch first, causing him to stumble backward. Using the time given to them, Izuku instructed Riolu to go for another Force Palm, but Typhlosion managed to react in time to just narrowly avoid it.
Seeing this as their opportunity to counter, Katsuki shouted for Typhlosion to use Lava Plume. The Pokemon did as told and launched the attack, sending Riolu flying, but the attack wasn't a direct hit. Typhlosion had only managed to create an explosion from Lava Plume that repelled Riolu, so the Pokemon was able to quickly get back on his feet and charge for Typhlosion with another attack, moving even faster than before.
"Come on! Is that all you got?!" Izuku shouted, instructing Riolu to jump up and use Force Palm, while Typhlosion jumped up and tried to land a Thunder Punch. Izuku knew them though. In truth, Katsuki and his Pokemon were still the embodiment of victory to him. He wanted to beat him with his own strategy.
"Riolu, move!" Understanding the strategy, Riolu quickly moved his head to the side, evading the Thunder Punch but also missing the window for the Force Palm, much to Katsuki's surprise. He had instructed Typhlosion to brace himself for the Force Palm, that he wasn't expecting it when Riolu lifted his left arm and slammed it right into Typhlosion.
"I. WON'T. LOSE!" Katsuki raised his arm and screamed. "FOCUS BLAST!" Typhlosion quickly grabbed onto Riolu and released a point-blank Focus Blast, launching Riolu into one of the buildings. Izuku ran up to Riolu and caught him before he hit the ground, and when he saw Riolu, he saw that the Pokemon had been knocked out.
Typhlosion landed back on the ground, stumbling around from exhaustion before Katsuki pat him on the head, signaling that it was now fine to relax. "Thank you." He said before pulling out Typhlosion's Pokeball and returning him.
Izuku frowned as he looked at the knocked-out Riolu in his arms. "Sorry, buddy. Thanks for giving it your all. Get some rest." He said before returning him to his own Pokeball.
Katsuki walked up to Izuku and clenched his fist. "I win." He said. "Even with All Might's power… even if you made it your own… you still lost to me… why? Why did you still lose?"
"That's enough! Both of you!" The two flinched at the sound of the voice. "Shit…" Katsuki murmured to himself. They had just been caught and they knew that the consequences weren't gonna be light… that was until they saw who had seen them.
All Might himself walked up to them. "I'm sorry, but I heard your entire conversation." He said. "I'm sorry I didn't notice anything earlier." He said, but Katsuki just scoffed. "Doesn't matter. It's all over now."
The two looked away from All Might in embarrassment, but Katsuki still wanted to finish what he started. "Why, Deku? Why him? It was after the guy with the Muk, right?"
"He was powerless." All Might replied. "He didn't have a single Pokemon with him, and he was more of a Hero than anyone else there. You were already a strong trainer with strong Pokemon, so I chose him. It was all to give him the chance to stand toe to toe with the rest of you."
Katsuki fought the tears that were forming in his eyes. He sniffled before replying. "I… I'm weak too, y'know? I've always wanted to be as strong as you, but because I'm weak… I… I ended up making you like… like that!"
All Might walked up to Katsuki and embraced him. "This is not your fault. I was almost at my limit anyway. I was going to end up like this sooner or later." He pat the boy on the head and smiled. "You are strong, Bakugo. However, my mistake was only looking at your strength. So much so that I made you bear this burden by yourself. Sometimes, it's easy to forget that you're all just kids."
Katsuki simply swatted All Might's arms off of him and turned away from both him and Izuku in shame. All Might didn't respond and simply smiled. "What I learned as a Hero is that wanting victory like Young Bakugo or wanting to save others like Young Midoriya… if either of those feelings are missing, you can't be a true Hero. Now that you've made your feelings clear, I'm sure you both can understand."
He placed a hand over both of their heads. "If you two can acknowledge and understand each other, you'll be fine Heroes. You can help someone by winning, and by winning you help those in need."
Katsuki let out a long sigh before sitting down on the ground. "That's… not what I wanted to hear." He turned to Izuku and scowled. "You… You had the strongest guy around lay the groundwork for you. C'mon, man. Don't lose."
Izuku nodded in understanding. "I'll get stronger. Next time, I won't lose to you."
Katsuki let out another sigh, waiting a moment before asking a question. "How many people know about you and Deku?" He asked. "Out of all the students, you're the only one."
"Since you've been keeping it a secret and all, I won't tell anyone. I won't go just sayin' shit like Deku here. I'll keep it between us."
All Might nodded. "Keeping it a secret… I should be bowing down and begging you not to expose it. Thank you, truly, Young Bakugo. Thank you for being so considerate."
"I'm not being considerate!" Katsuki said as he stood back up.
"I owe you an explanation, Young Bakugo. You put the pieces together, but I want to give you a satisfying answer to everything."
All Might explained everything to Bakugo, from the creation of One for All to the fall of All for One. As Katsuki, Izuku, and All Might walked back to the dorms, the old man couldn't help but smile. He could see it in their eyes. They had been rivals before, but this time was different. Now, a true rivalry formed between Izuku and Katsuki. Now, they're proper rivals.
