"Yes!" Kaminari shouted when he got his acceptance letter. "I knew I did well on the practical exams," he was interrupted by an almost indignant sounding 'hmmph.' "I'm sorry, we did well on the practical exams, but I was so certain I had bombed the written test." Pichu rubbed its head against his knees. "Yeah, yeah, just because I'm an idiot doesn't mean that I don't have what it takes. Especially with you by my side."
Many experts on pocket monster intelligence would say that Pichu didn't understand the majority of what he was saying, and was just looking for context-less comfort. Assuming the 'hmmph' was indignance or that its rubbing his head against his trainer was meant to be comforting was simply Kaminari projecting his own feelings onto his companion. Kaminari didn't understand that. He probably would have argued against it if he had.
As it was, Pichu and him were going to be Heroes. It was going to hurt, just like it always did, but it would hurt because he was trying his best. Really, wasn't that all he could say in the end?
--
Kirishima was pretending not to be worried when he received his answer from UA. He, by his own admission, did not have a particularly impressive pocket monster. Metapod just sat there. He didn't even get the powers he could have learned as a Caterpie before evolving, but he was a man, and a man didn't give up just because of a little setback. What Metapod could do, hardening his shell to absurd degrees, was enough for a truly determined man to accomplish something, or at least he hoped so. He couldn't do what others could.
During the practicals, he had seen a boy with some red and white orb blasting apart Gnomes like there was no tomorrow, and he fell a little envious as he slowly used his own companion as a club. Moreover, he felt that that boy showed true manliness in his behavior, and it was something he was ready to imitate and work with. When his projector informed him that he had gotten in, he cheered a manly cheer. His determination had seen them both through. Unlike the last time it had counted…but that wasn't important right now.
--
Shoji was controlled in his joy. He was happy, of course, and not trying to deny that in any way, but he felt it best to keep himself under control. Stay focused. It had gotten him this far. It did rankle him a bit when All-Might, who gave the announcement, brought up the fact that he was the only Ork to pass and congratulated him on the fact. Like that was something special that needed to be pointed out; like he was an accomplished Ork, not an accomplished person. Like the fact that no other Orks passed didn't represent something about society at large…but no, he was to be a Hero.
Every word, every insult, every terrified glance he had gotten since his goblin features grew in weren't important, not compared to being his best and becoming a Hero others could look up to. Do not give into bitterness; focus on self-improvement. Repeating that mantra to himself as he meditated, he also noted that All-Might hadn't intended anything negative by his statements. This school might actually be different.
--
Shouto Todoroki was in a tolerant mood. That was probably the best he could say for a day that he had to spend some time with his father. It was to be their last private training session before he went off to school. Neither was surprised at his acceptance. Endeavor had simply noted that it was the obvious result of him being him. Shouto was happy enough that, as said before, he was tolerant rather than annoyed with his old man.
A dummy popped up in front of him. "He's summoned a psychic-type pocket monster!" Endeavor shouted.
"Night Shade!" Todoroki ordered, smirking at Endeavor's scowl.
As the ghostly energy destroyed the dummy, neither said anything until another popped up behind the boy.
"Normal-type," Endeavor called out.
"Rock Smash," Todoroki answered, pointing behind him without looking. Sableye knew what to do; he wasn't done destroying it before another "psychic-type" showed up right beside the boy, prompting Shouto to punch it and hopefully daze it for long enough that Sableye could call on another Night Shade.
The dummies came out faster and faster; occasionally a Grass-type showed up, but it was psychic and normal and normal and psychic. Endeavor wasn't even trying to be subtle today. "Normal-Psychic dual type!" Endeavor eventually shouted out.
"Has that ever existed?" Shouto wasted precious seconds asking.
"Who knows what pocket monsters will appear in the future?" Endeavor answered. "And I've heard rumors of some sort of two-headed giraffe that fits the bill. Now fight!"
Knowing full-well what his father was trying to force him to do, he weighed his options. Night Shade would do nothing to it, and Rock Smash would do little with its psychic resilience.
"Confuse Ray," Shouto ordered.
The dummy swayed back and forth.
"Very well, it's confused, but it's not out. It's still attacking, Shouto!"
Houndoom leapt from Endeavor's pocket and struck at Sableye to simulate the dummy "attacking" them. Shouto grit his teeth and said nothing. That was how they trained. He always had to remember he was fighting the dummy, not Houndoom.
"Rock Smash!" It wouldn't do a lot, but it would hurt it. "Again, and again!"
Endeavor was suppressing a growl, while Houndoom let out what its master suppressed. "You could win so much faster, and with so much less risk. Going about this way is giving your opponent an opportunity to turn things around. It's a psychic-type, Shouto, act accordingly!"
"I'm acting in the way I choose to," Shouto Todoroki answered.
"You do too little damage, the villain escapes," Endeavor decided, clearly out of spite.
Fair enough. Spite motivated Todoroki's actions here as well.
--
Tenya Iida was proud as he stared at the gateways of UA Academy. While he didn't doubt that he would have gotten in, actually managing it was still a feat he allowed a bit of self-praise for. His bluster wasn't; he actually had the talent to join such a prestigious institution and follow in his brother's footsteps.
Staring at it in all of its glory, he took a second, not always an Iida trait, and went forward, absorbing the details of the roof and the floor. It took him a second to wonder why the doorways were so large, musing perhaps that it was an extravagant display of wealth, before a Troll walked through and he realized that it must be about inclusivity.
Eventually, he came to room 1-A, where he himself would be studying for the foreseeable future. Entering the room, gazing about to see how his fellow students were comporting themselves on this most auspicious of occasions, he was delighted to see several students even earlier than him…one of which was sticking his feet up onto the desk. This…unsightly behavior simply would not do for a UA student, and Iida felt that it was his duty to inform the boy of this fact.
--
Izuku had spent a solid week moping about the fact that he hadn't scored a single point on the entrance exam. After finally making Outsider's Growth work, after finally seeing just how powerful Gyarados really was…it only disappointed him further, knowing that he had been entrusted with such power and went on to waste it.
He felt, deep in his bones, that he had failed All-Might and Magikarp in equal measure, and had no idea what to do with himself until the disk arrived informing him that he had, in fact, been accepted into UA.
Apparently, UA's staff wasn't merely counting Villain Points; a true Hero didn't just fight bad guys, after all, but helped save others. By risking his life against the City-Spirit to save that girl, even though it didn't benefit him in any way, he showed that he had the heart of a Hero. All-Might himself sent a recording to share that fact, as well as the shocking information that he was apparently hired to serve as a teacher in UA.
Thus, he had a special message to give to Izuku.
"Don't think you cheated, or didn't earn this, or aren't doing enough with your gifts. It was you that got you into UA, no one and nothing else."
Izuku remembered that proclamation as he entered UA's halls. He didn't let the ornate doorways, clearly built to impress with the most extravagant and elite in mind, intimidate him. He didn't let the thought of having to impress teachers, some of whom would be among the greatest Heroes currently operating intimidate him.
He…didn't plan on letting any of his fellow students intimidate him, but then he thought about the fact that Bakugo, with his talents, almost certainly got in, and that one boy who accosted him so aggressively in the exam room also looked impressive. Oh well, maybe they wouldn't be in his class.
He opened the classroom door to see the two boys he had just been thinking about arguing amongst one another. Bakugo, being Bakugo, was sneering and yelling. That other boy, showing much of the same attitude that he had previously, was trying to correct the former, with about as much success as anyone who tried to tell Bakugo what to do.
Apparently, the tall boy had a problem with how Bakugo was sitting, but the argument derailed when Izuku's childhood 'friend' learned that the taller boy had attended a private middle school for the wealthy and elite, prompting Bakugo to assume all criticisms directed toward him came through the prism of a rich kid looking down on a commoner and turn them into opportunities for mockery and 'proving that he was better than everyone.'
The taller boy obviously wanted to continue their argument, but he caught Izuku out of the corner of his eye and left that confrontation for another. Izuku shuddered inward, subconsciously trying to make himself as small as possible, until the tall boy bowed.
"Hello, my name is Tenya Iida, and I owe you an apology."
"Wha-"
"I was unnecessarily harsh in the exam room. I mistook the noise you were making for a lack of sincerity, but your performance in the exam itself shows me that you were ready to put your best foot forward, and even act where I chose to flee. I clearly misjudged you, and, since a harsh rebuke is only justified if back by proper judgment, I have wronged you."
This was a disturbingly confusing experience to Izuku, to have someone admit to their bad behavior and try to atone for it. He had no idea how to respond. A lot about his life could be gleaned from that fact, but fortunately he had no time to ponder it before someone else came to speak to him.
"Hey, you're that boy from the exam! I'm so glad to see that you made it too!" Looking back, Izuku was pleasantly surprised to see the girl he had spoken to and then saved right behind him. "I don't remember if I introduced myself properly, I'm Ochako Ururaka. Wow, this looks incredible. I bet that we'll have so much fun here!"
"If you're here to have fun, I would recommend dropping out now and saving everyone's time," a man with greasy, unkempt hair projected. His voice was even, like he was stating a simple matter of fact, but it spread across the room. Everyone heard him clearly. Even Bakugo dropped his legs off of his desk and sat upright.
"I'm your homeroom teacher, Shoto Aizawa. You may refer to me as Aizawa-sensei. Now that that's out of the way, welcome to your first day at UA. Normally, this would be when we had orientation, making you listen to a bunch of speeches that you don't actually care about and going over school rules and policies that, if you don't understand already, means that you really shouldn't be here. I, for one, think that we should be using our time much more valuably."
Everyone looked uncomfortable, but said nothing. "Our Entrance Exam tests whether you can fight and understand type advantages. The first is a tiny fraction of being a Hero. The other is, once again, something that you should have already familiarized yourself with if you had any hopes of this profession. In short, it's not enough. Every year, I see new students who shouldn't be here, and every year it behooves me to use UA's free-floating curriculum to weed them out. So, without further ado," he gestured for everyone to sit.
Once they had done so, he snapped his fingers and several staff members came in carrying trays. One tray was placed on each student's desk, each containing six flowers.
"You've been called into an emergency situation. While the initial threat has been handled, the local populace is starving, and thanks to the crisis it's going to be a while before emergency services can provide food. Luckily for the populace, there is plenty to eat in the nearby woods. Unluckily, not all of it is safe. As a Hero, it's your job to get them what they need until the government can help. As the one feeding them, you're also liable if they consume any poisons."
He frowned before glaring at them. "Here is how your first day at our illustrious academy is going to work. I'm giving you several scenarios, and you'll gain or lose points based on how you handle them. Anyone who ends the day with a positive amount of points continues on as a UA student with all the privileges that that implies. Anyone who ends with zero points will be on probation. You'll go to class as normal, but you'll have to work to get access to some our bonuses, like the rec rooms and all that nonsense." Students started to chatter amongst one another, one girl in the back noting that it sounded like fun. "If you end the day with negative points, you'll be expelled."
The class was silent. Gritting their teeth, they looked around at one another, then at their teacher, and then nervously hoped that it wouldn't be that difficult to get at least one point, or at least keep out of the negatives.
"Now, getting back to the scenario I laid out, you're going to present the flowers that are safe for the people to eat. If you eliminate all of the dangerous ones, you get twenty points. If you eliminate a safe one, you lose 2 points. If you aren't absolutely certain, you can always seek the advice of an expert. In this case, that just means asking me, and you'll get zero points overall for this one."
Everyone did the math. It didn't seem too bad.
"If you present a dangerous one to be eaten, you deal with the consequences. Now, go ahead. Oh, and since we want you to learn how to use your abilities to their fullest, you are free to use any unnatural talents you think will help, so long as it doesn't involve physically harming another student."
--
Izuku…tried to remember the rhymes they went over in that one camping trip they took during elementary school that helped them separate poisonous plants from safe ones, but he drew a blank. His hands started shaking. If he was already this lost on the first test, then how would be do with the rest? Was he going to let All-Might down this quickly?
--
Mineta almost panicked. He had no knowledge of plant species whatsoever. But then he recalled that his pocket monster was immune to most poisons. Summoning Wurmple, he asked his companion to take a nibble of each plant.
"Let me know if they're safe for humans, okay buddy? Nod for poisonous, shake for none."
He had no idea how many pocket monster researchers would have just been poring over his shoulder to see if the creature properly understood such a complex instruction, he just hoped that it would get him through the test.
--
Momo had her medical drone out, tapping her finger to see if she could rig its blood analysis lab to help here. While she had no doubt that she could with more time and a proper laboratory, here she found herself cursing its rudimentary design. It was just supposed to help keep her or an ally alive until proper help could arrive, after all, but now, with a better chemistry lab…she tried anyways, taking a sample of each plant and pouring it through the device that would have measured blood contaminants, and it did in fact help her with one of them. Noting the definitely poisonous one, according to her machine, she moved it to the side, but the rest were inconclusive. She didn't trust that they were safe. This was disconcerting.
--
Hagakure couldn't see what plants were being dismissed and accepted by her fellow peers, as the desks and trays were arranged to keep them slightly out of sight, but she did notice that one 'Mineta' boy summoning his pocket monster and having the creature sample plants for him, which gave her an idea. Summoning Kecleon, she briefly considered having him nibble the plants and seeing if any of them turned him into a poison-type before instead taking the safer option and having him blend into his surroundings and taking a look at what the others were doing so he could report back.
--
Kaminari was panicking; he didn't have the slightest clue which plant was which, and knew that he'd have to ask for help on this one. Unfortunately, no one else had yet, and he really wanted to look cool in front of the girls. Once someone, anyone, looked to their teacher for support, then he would humbly follow in their wake, hopefully not bringing any attention to himself. Everyone would remember the first guy to break, but hopefully the second or third would be forgotten. So come on already, someone, and let him be second or third!
Pichu sat on his desk, nuzzling his head against Kaminari's jacket in a reassuring manner, but when that didn't affect its master the little mouse grew bored and started to eat one of the plants on his tray.
"No, wait, I don't know if that's poisoned or not!" He shouted, loud enough for the entire room to hear.
Aizawa-sensei looked at him expectantly, and while everyone else was mostly focused on their own tests he noted that most of them had heard his outburst, and so he resigned himself to embarrassment before reluctantly calling for 'expert assistance.'
--
Bakugo, unlike Izuku, remembered the school field trips perfectly, as there were so many competitions where he got to prove himself the best and get praised for leaving the rest of those extras in the dirt. Therefore, he remembered the rhyme without issue and was just as confident in his choice of plants as his chances of becoming the number one Hero.
--
After several minutes, Aizawa called that time was running out, and asked who else needed expert assistance. Izuku and three others, after much reluctance, raised their hands.
After he walked to them one-by-one, he presented himself before the class and asked if they were ready to present their final answers. When no one else denied it, he asked the staff members to come in and collect every plant they labeled as 'dangerous' away, leaving the 'safe' ones on their desk.
"According to you, everything you left on your tray is safe to eat. This is what you plan to present to the people you've been entrusted to save. Their lives are in your hands. Now, obviously a Hero wouldn't make civilians suffer to satisfy their own ego, so show me that you were careful. Eat them."
The students stared at him, only half comprehending.
"Weren't there…poisonous plants here?" Ururaka asked.
"Poisonous plants that you were going to feed to the civilians," he answered. "Surely you're not telling me that you'd make them risk something that you wouldn't risk for yourself?"
"But this is just a simulation!" Someone shouted.
"Which is why there was nothing that would actually kill you, just get you sick," Aizawa answered, "and more importantly, we're here to go Plus Ultra and prepare you for a serious Hero career. Everything should be treated as if it were serious if you want to succeed."
Further protest was interrupted by Bakugo grabbing all of his and stuffing them in his mouth. Another boy, one 'Shouto Todoroki' according the name-plate on his desk, showed only slightly more hesitation before doing so himself. Yaoyorozu didn't hide her nervousness, taking a gulp before she swallowed, but swallow she did.
Following their example, more and more started to force the plants into their mouths, which turned out to be a horrible mistake for several of them; seeing the boy in front of him vomit, Mineta freaked out, screaming that he couldn't do it.
Aizawa informed him that refusing to eat the plant would be counted as if he had eliminated all of the safe ones, which Mineta, after a full minute of hesitation, chose to take when the girl next to him started groaning in pain. Hagakure, who had cheated off of him, took the same offer when she saw him falter.
Once he was assured that they couldn't take it back, he let them both know that they had gotten them all right and would have gotten full marks if they had more confidence in themselves.
He then called for them to start the next test. No, those who poisoned themselves didn't get a break beforehand.
--
Midoriya's relief over not getting sick from the first test was tempered by the fact he had earned negative points, and there was no reason to think he could get any more on the upcoming tests. That concern proved largely accurate.
--
The next test involved repairing faulty wiring before it caused an explosion or electrical damage to its surrounding environment. It wouldn't actually explode, but it would hurt if you did it wrong, enough that more than half the class opted for zero points to get Aizawa's assistance.
Bakugo was not one of them, having Voltorb send controlled sparks through the circuitry to figure out what was wrong, and Kaminari realized that he could do the same thing, more or less.
Ururaka had Baltoy exploit its Ground-typing to absorb the damage as she went in for it, while Yaoyorozu just happened to have the right civilian knowledge to get through it effortlessly.
Kirishima tried to imitate Ururaka, but it turned out that Metapod didn't have the same immunities, and not only did his Pocket Monster end up getting zapped but he, in an atoning display of 'manliness,' chose to follow after it and take the same damage he just demanded of his monster.
Aizawa still gave him negative points for the initial screw-up, but deep down respected the latter decision.
They then went outside to hold a 'race,' with the unique rule that something 'under the contestant's control' crossing the finish line counted for points, though not as much as the contestant crossing the finish line. Still, if a pocket monster or something else that fit the criteria (Aizawa was sure to look at the Atavists and Meta-Humans as he emphasized that), finished before them, they would get a fraction of the points they would have for finishing earlier added onto the points for their actual time.
Yaoyorozu thought that was good enough to send out her one flying drone. Tsuyu, Ojiro, and Sato ignored the special rules, not having any way to exploit them, and just ran as fast as they could. Thanks to their atavist enhancements, that was quite fast indeed. Iida very quickly ended up dominating the pack, as he summoned Ponyta, and, rather than send it on ahead to exploit the special rules, chose to ride it and get an excellent score on both of their times. Mineta had Wurmple use String Shot on a tree overlooking the finish line and pull itself across while he desperately tried to catch up to the rest of the class on his own two feet. Sero, summoning Bellsprout, ordered him to do the same with his vines.
--/
Bakugo, grinning like a madman to avoid acknowledging how scared he was, contemplated rolling Voltorb ahead and running for it with his own not inconsiderable physical prowess, but he also considered the possibility of using a hardened surface and having Voltorb explode beneath him. It would be bold, it would get attention, and, most importantly, it would get him to the front of the line where he belonged.
After all, he was the best, and should be the best…but then he considered the fact that might mean leaving Voltorb behind, which in turn might get his score lowered. Grumbling to himself in frustration, he threw Voltorb as far as he could, satisfied with the spherical creature's rotating landing, and ran for it.
--
Thanks to all of that extensive physical training with All-Might, and the fact that a few other students with no means of swaying the test in their advantage were fighting back the urge to puke out their guts, Izuku actually wasn't last in the race, far from it in fact. Still, he had ended up with zero points on the previous two exams, and was terrified of getting negative points in whatever the next one was, so he really wanted to make a good showing here. Plus, this was UA, the place for the best of the best, and he couldn't help but doubt how deserving he was of being here.
Actually doing something worthwhile with his pocket monster should stifle those doubts, but what? Well, Gyarados getting close to if not first in the race would actually be quite easy for him if unleashed, but could Izuku risk him attacking his fellow students (and himself, for that matter) here? How many points would an uncontrolled pocket monster lose him, if it didn't get him expelled by itself? No, it wasn't worth it, not yet.
--
After that race was, of all things, a golf course. At least, it looked like one; it had hills, sand pits, and a wide lake in the middle, plus several flags that would mark holes. The students looked on with confusion, and Yaoyoruzu with a little nostalgia, as Aizawa explained that they were, in fact, playing golf, just without clubs.
As long as they didn't move from the tee, they could do whatever they wanted to get the ball into one of the holes, with the exception of having their pocket monster run forward and put it in. The pocket monster could choose a place to stand anywhere on the course before the 'swing,' take the 'swing' for the trainer, or transport it any way besides physically carrying it. After one 'swing,' they would get a fair amount of points for getting it into the farthest hole, slightly less for the nearer holes, and just 5 points for getting 'close enough' to one. They would get negative points for landing anywhere too far, including beyond the field. He did not specify exactly how far 'too far' was. Izuku just gulped.
--
Bakugo grinned as he took his turn. Throwing a ball? It was what he specialized in! Tossing the ball into the air, he reached back and tossed Voltorb after it, shouting "DIE!" At the top of his lungs. His pocket monster understood the instructions, setting off an explosion that sent the ball shooting downwards at a straight diagonal angle, shooting for the…inch of green next to the furthest hole.
Bakugo grit his teeth at the failure even as Aizawa noted he was getting a lot of points for that performance. If any one of these extras managed to do better than him…well, he would prove himself later. If he wasn't the best, right now, he'd be the best soon enough. Still, a large part of him shook at the idea that he wasn't the best right now.
His ego was shattered twice right after his own toss. Ururaka had Baltoy use its psychic powers to lift the ball right into the furthest hole after confirming with Aizawa that that wasn't 'carrying it.' Yaoyoruzu loaded the ball into one of her drone's guns and calculated the exact angle of fire needed to shoot it right in. Then, the weird kid with the mismatched hair tossed his golf ball forward to be grabbed and thrown further by his purple diamond-eyed goblin thing, which got just as close to it as his own.
The next several students screwing up their throws in various ways or doing worse than him by essentially copying Half-n-Half's strategy did little to assuage his frustration, even when that short whiny boy with the purple caterpillar managed to screw up in spite of String Shot giving him the perfect means to control exactly where the ball landed (especially since the boy managed to get it into one of the closer holes anyway).
His rage came back when the boy with the Bellsprout used its vines to do what purple boy couldn't, and continued when the Troll managed to convince a squirrel to carry it to the furthest hole (it wasn't a pocket monster, as the goblin sheepishly pointed out). Finally, it was Izuku's turn, and Bakugo suppressed his pride long enough to grin at this. The worthless Magikarp's failure should be amusing enough to watch.
--
Izuku had no way to get the ball anywhere that it could earn points on his own abilities. Magikarp, as far as he could tell, had no way to help him in its current form. After his performance on the other tests, this meant that he had one option; risk summoning Gyarados. There was plenty that that behemoth could accomplish, from launching the ball with its draconic breath to spiking it with its tali, assuming that it had the control, and it would require a rules clarification but the thing might be large enough to simply drop the ball into the hole without leaving the tee, which wasn't 'carrying it,' was it? No point in risking it, he would have to go for the launch.
Praying that Gyarados would listen to him instead of going on a violent rampage this time, Izuku summoned Magikarp, readied the ball, and told his companion, "okay, when I activate Outsider's Mark, use Dragon Rage to send it flying into that hole. We can do this!"
As one hand prepared the throw, the other concentrated on the energy, creating that radio static from earlier, bringing forth that litany of sounds he knew meant 'Gyarados,' and tossed it, readying the transformation, readying for the display of power…
"Disable!" Aizawa shouted as the Magikarp his paperwork informed him wasn't actually a Magikarp started its transformation. No one had noticed the almost man-sized yellow imp appear right next to him, but it obeyed its trainer's commands. Sure enough, the transformation sputtered and stopped, much to the boy's confusion as his ball landed a pitiful distance into the green. That wouldn't count as his throw, not until after Aizawa made himself clear.
--
"It's astounding how much that boy's pocket monster looks like an ordinary Magikarp," Iida noted as he stared at Izuku. "But what is our teacher doing?"
"It is an ordinary Magikarp," Bakugo answered him, both confused and amused. "Still have no idea how the loser got in here."
Iida frowned. "But in the entrance exam, I saw…"
Whatever he was about to say was interrupted by one of his classmates shouting that that pocket monster was the infamous Hypno, which meant that their teacher was the relatively obscure Eraserhead.
--
Izuku starred in shock at his failure. "What…happened?"
"Hypno stopped you from being a danger to yourself and others, that's what happened," Aizawa answered.
"But…"
"You're a liability. I read about the results of your entrance exam; if you can't control that much destructive power then you'll end up doing more damage than the villains. For as dangerous as Hero work is, I can't sit here in good conscious and encourage someone who's only going to make it more dangerous for his comrades."
"But…but…" Izuku tried to argue, but Aizawa continued.
"Can you control that monster's power?"
"Um…"
"Can you control it?"
"Well…".
"If you continue to perform as you have in the past tests, then you'll be expelled on your score. If you bring out that thing, and it hurts you, another student, myself, or causes significantly more damage to school property than any of your classmates, then you'll be expelled regardless of your score. Do you understand?"
Izuku gulped.
"Disable will wear off in a few minutes. You can make your attempt again. Don't disappoint me."
Izuku was freaking out. While that was hardly a new experience for the boy, this time it was interfering with his ability to progress through the school that he and All-Might worked so hard to get him into. What could he do? He had no idea what Magikarp would do when it became Gyarados; he hadn't dared since his last success, and the creature had almost killed him by accident. It was an uncontrollable monstrosity, he knew that better than anyone. But he couldn't not use it. What to do? What to do?
Trying to make Gyarados do anything was asking for disaster…so why make it do anything? Izuku recalled his earlier thoughts, about how it was probably long enough to just drop it. But pocket monsters couldn't carry it…so why carry it?
Once Aizawa confirmed that Disable had worn off, Izuku told Magikarp to ignore his earlier orders. Instead, just stretch out as far in the direction of the holes as it could. He stuck the ball in its mouth.
When Outsider's Growth was activated, the same evolutionary light formed, and Magikarp's own formed warped and grew, becoming the monstrous serpent he knew and feared. Just as he had calculated the creature had its head right over the nearest hole when it was done, its now-enlarged mouth dropping the ball. With such an imprecise method, it barely landed close to the hole it was aiming for, and it wasn't even the furthest hole that so many of his classmates had gotten into or nearby. But it was positive points. It should be enough to keep him on a probationary case, at least.
When a low roar came from Gyarados's throat, Izuku immediately turned it back into Magikarp. "Well, Aizawa-sensei? No-one got hurt."
--
Bakugo was twitching. What. The. Hell. Was. That? He had known Midoriya and Magikarp for practically all of his life. If he had a pocket monster like…whatever that thing was, then Bakugo would have seen it before. Considering how obsessed the boy had been with trying to be a Hero in spite of his worthless pocket monster, how much he had been looked down on and bullied for it, how much in his life he could simply have prevented by exposing such a powerful being, it just didn't make sense.
Why wouldn't he? Bakugo very conveniently ignored how much of that torment that could have prevented was Bakugo's own fault, just remembering the stuff he could somewhat justify as putting a loser in his rightful place. Maybe it was that compartmentalization that lead to his subsequent absurd conclusion. Maybe it was the absurdity of the situation in general, and how it utterly shattered his understanding of the world from mere seconds ago. Maybe it was just lingering frustration from not being the best in the class compounded by worthless Izuku of all people not being the worst that caused him to snap. Regardless, he snapped.
"Have you been mocking me this whole time, you worthless Magikarp?!" Bakugo screamed at the top of his lungs, charging forward.
Voltorb, barely recovered from the earlier Explosion but sensing its master's anger, rolled after him, the telltale electrical signs of a Spark coming up from its sides.
Izuku looked at Bakugo in terror, holding up his hands and desperately trying to deny whatever the hell it was that Bakugo was trying to accuse him of, until Aizawa shouted "Disable!" again and Voltorb's sparks vanished.
"The next student who gives me a reason to use Hypno is expelled. You, Bakugo is it? You've got detention as it is."
--
After the first four, the rest of the tests were shockingly easy. They were just a bunch of exercises and strength tests. They would have been easy, at least, if Aizawa hadn't informed them that their personal records from Middle-School, which he assured them he had copies of, were the bare minimum to get just zero points. Of course, he did remind them that their Middle-School physical scores were based their normal human bodies with no Unnatural talent enhancements, which was of course not the case here, then he let them make their efforts.
--
Izuku did…passably well. Thanks to his training with All-Might, he actually did incredibly well by the standards of a normal physical. Unfortunately, between the Troll channeling strength into itself, the Ork doing the same, the Atavists all actually being able to use their full animal enhancements for once, and those who could using their pocket monsters to enhance their scores in whatever ways Aizawa would allow, the standards of a normal physical meant practically nothing. He was sweating, and not just from physical exertion this time around as the final scores were tallied up.
--
"Well, congratulations, class. You all managed the bare minimum, at least. No one's going home this semester."
Those with the more lackluster performances sighed in relief. Yaoyorozu wondered out loud whether the threat of expulsion had been real in the first place.
Rather than answer her, he listed off the names of those who made probation.
Sato, a Rhino Atavist, cursed, swearing that he would have made it without being sickened by those damn plants. When Mineta's name was called, he thought back on that first test as well, and what might have happened if he'd had more confidence in himself.
Izuku was shocked to learn that he had passed as a full student. That one good use of Gyarados must have impressed his teacher more than he thought.
--
On 1-A students:
Bakugo-Voltorb, Mineta-Wurmple, Hagakure-Kecleon: I feel these are self-explanatory
Asui-Otter Atavist, Ojiro-Monkey Atavist, Sato-Rhino Atavist: Poliwag and Mankey were seriously considered fir the first two, but I felt that their physical forms being altered by their quirks was a big part of them. 'Otter' because Ironclaw, sans Jadeclaw, is only mammals. And the rest seems self-explanatory. Sato is really not big enough of a character for me to have put too much thought into.
Sero-Bellsprout: I wanted something with Vine Whip or String Shot for him, and I chose Bellsprout more-or-less at random.
I may or may not address the others at a later date.