Geek-God of Speed: Ive completely forgotten who most of these people are
Re: Well, I've got something for that~
brolyk445: Im gonna guess that the neckless is like an engagement ring
Re: More like the "Handkerchief" thing from the Mistborn series. Of which I reference in Giant-Slayer: New World.
minh180621: Wait, if they have that kind of understanding to Many World Theory like that, isn't 2D girl will be very valuable because of her meta awareness?
Re: Shiori and Kuromi in their own world are meta-aware of the media they're being portrayed in, but in purely the context of Nurse Hitomi's Monster Infirmary, there isn't a cause to use that power for personal gain because their world's "Genre" is Slice-of-Life instead of Battle Shounen.
In terms of Another Hero Academia: Out of Time, their meta-awareness has only been "validated" by a credible source very recently, so they're still learning the ins and outs of how the more-hidden aspects of their powers actually work; Shiori for example could only flatten her hands, and only gained her meta-awareness after her Quirk "Awakened". Prior to that moment, there was nothing about her power that could indicate an ability to enter and manipulate Two-Dimensional space.
So at the moment, Shiori and Kuromi are nowhere near as-powerful as someone like Dana Ananga Jagannatha from UQ Holder! who basically has "Infinity Gauntlet levels of power", granting her abilities the least of which is the power to "ignore perspective"; which only makes sense in a visible medium like a Manga, and would be harder to "faithfully portray" in a Written format.
But more than that, Takei values their friendship (and they themselves) for things beyond what their meta-ability is; a stark contrast to Aldera Junior High where Izuku went to school. And exactly the reason why Katsuki "Big Fish in a Small Pond" Bakugou found himself being teased by his peers at Yuuei, where he went from "Big Fish in a Small Pond" to "Big-ish Fish in the Pacific Ocean".
To Nokraz, I actually forgot about Hidden Abilities while writing the previous chapter out, but I like the idea of [Rough Skin] being active when Gible "feels threatened", instead of in his general day-to-day. I mean, it'd have to be pretty hard to snuggle if your Pokémon felt like sandpaper. And while Gible is the "Land Shark Pokémon", that he's Dragon/Ground-type has me thinking, while he's definitely shark-like and certainly hydrophobic, he's "more at home" on land than in water, when compared to Sharpedo (the Brutal Pokémon) who is unashamedly shark-like. As for [Sand Veil], you don't really need a "special ability" to make other people's accuracy drop in a [Sandstorm].
Also, from a purely practical standpoint, Takei wouldn't have Gible kick up a [Sandstorm] unless it's really necessary, because in terms of collateral, whipping up sand all over the place would ruin most-everyone's day. Take it from a guy who's used a sandblaster in an auto shop, those things can scour EVERYTHING, and not the sort of thing "on steroids" you want to whip out in the middle of a city.
To Harleking31... So he is Chitose Kizuki's muse, so what?
Mirko can crush my head between those thighs any time.
Nepotism at its finest.
As I explained, no legit Legendaries have crossed over. Yet~
Takei might be a Pokémon Trainer now, but that doesn't mean he's going to make every problem his problem.
The only other one that made any amount of sense was a "Lure Ball", and that works best while FISHING.
There is always a bigger fish, but on occasion Elma has been fished out of the sea.
To Thefallenjedi66, while someone like Raiden who is OP as hell would be funny as Hell to scale to everyone around him, I think it'd be more fun if a Metal Gear were part of the meta-lore of this world. That or if Sahelanthropus were to show up since that thing's practically a Gundam.
*AHA*
Also, while this chapter is part of a double-release, the chapter after this is just an AN with Character Bios on (including but not limited to) the side-cast which are crossed over from Nurse Hitomi's Monster Infirmary. For whatever reason the franchise doesn't have a dedicated Wiki page, so I've had to comb through the manga and compile a list of my own from scratch, and come up with names for those that don't have any with the help of my Beta, Spaceman.
It's a little thing to be worried about, sure, but since I didn't just flood Takei's class with OCs, or faceless background characters like from Izuku's junior high school class that we never hear from again, I figured I'd do this little something extra for those that've really enjoyed the drama, even if some of it's in the backdrop.
But anyway, onto the show.
*AHA*
Though the palatial suite in the Marina Haven Hotel's sister building was the nicest I'd ever stayed in, in either life, how-weird everyone got at Mero's departure prevented me from really enjoying any of it. Which really sucked because with Zomboina and Kuroko back, and a long night of FaceTime with Manako, Tio, and Doppel, I should've felt the most-elated I had in a long time.
And while it was obvious that Shiori and Kuromi knew something they think I "didn't", and I suspected what the "what" actually was, I didn't have it in me to get confirmation for my suspicions at this point in my life because, as a grown man who got "Isekai'd"...
Thus, I decided to sit on it until I either A) reached the minimum Japanese "Age of Consent" or B) someone finally decided to just come out and say it.
With Golden Week drawing to a close, I decided to just stay inside for my last free day and try to let the dust settle.
Of course, I actually had to get home without incident first…
*AHA*
"What're you so worried about, Take-chan? You've got the coolest pet a boy could ask for!" Zombina grinned as we climbed into one of the Mon Squad's bulletproof vans after breakfast that morning.
Complimentary, of course. Checkout at the latest was at noon, but most everyone had decided to depart on their own time instead of a massive group like how we'd arrived.
"The coolest pet with the most baggage, more like," I hummed as I strapped myself in, Gible letting himself out of his Dive Ball and crawling into my lap, looking up at me with worried eyes. "There there, I'm not blaming you for everything. It's everyone else I have the problem with."
*Giba~*
"There, see, you're a natural~" Kuroko grinned as we pulled away.
" . . . Where's Sorahiko?"
"Chiyo's making him escort her back to Yuuei."
"And what about Elma?"
"Eating the hotel pantry dry, probably," Kuroko shrugged. "Still, not our problem."
"That still feels a little irresponsible."
"Don't worry. Worse they can do is put up a sign with her picture on it at the front desk."
"That sounded way too practiced."
"Does it? I never noticed."
Wacky, eccentric family? Yeah, I've seen a few of those in Isekai…
*AHA*
"Takei-kun… Do you resent us for what we did?" Kuroko asked, the four of us sitting in the parking lot in front of our apartment building.
"I don't. Not really. Maybe you over-corrected a bit, but I get the logic behind it," I replied. "You wouldn't have left if you thought the others couldn't look after me. And I knew that someday you might've been called off on a long-term assignment. Way I see it, this is just practice for when I move out to go to Yuuei."
"We'll try to make more time for you," Kuroko hummed. "Manako and Tio especially miss you."
"Tell them I miss them too."
"Doppel also misses you," Kuroko added as an after-thought.
"She misses having someone to fuck with, sure," I deadpanned.
"If you want, we could make some custom dakimakura for you~" Zombina grinned.
"I… am worried I couldn't say 'no' to that right off the bat…" I felt myself blush.
"That just means your turning into a big boy~" Kuroko grinned as she pinched my cheek.
"Come on, we'll walk you inside," Zombina said a bit more somberly.
*AHA*
"And like that… they're gone…" I hummed a short while later once Kuroko and Zombina left for Naruhata. " . . . It really does feel empty," I said to myself as I looked around, neither Sorahiko nor Elma in attendance. " . . . I wonder if Elma can see me with her [Clairvoyance]…" I hummed aloud, trying to see what Shiori and sometimes Kuromi did. " . . . Nope. Still not meta-aware apart from my limited meta-knowledge."
. . .
"I've really gotta stop talking to myself."
*AHA*
With the place to myself and no desire to go out, I decided to call up my guy-friends.
Their response in turn was fairly swift, though I wasn't sure how to feel about the fact that Gible was just as much of a "draw" to them as I was, if not moreso…
"You know, it's been entirely too long since we've hung out like this."
"But we all went to the beach yesterday," Naruki hummed.
"I meant 'just us guys', but wanted to be classy about it," I said looking Kaori's way. "Not that I think you're 'one of the guys' or anything. Unless that's what you want."
"No, no, you boys have your fun. I'll just listen to some podcasts," Kaori hummed, her brother sticking her with some earbuds and setting their phone to play.
Apart from Naruki and his conjoined sister, Togami, Kageto, Tomu, and Tetsutetsu had also shown up.
"I think this is the first time we've actually been over to your place," Togami said looking around.
"A little lonely, though," Kageto hummed rubbing his neck.
"Maybe a little less lonely," Tomu hummed, his cat ear flicking as Gible wandered about the halls, drinking in all the new sights and smells. I'd been airing the others' rooms out on occasion, so I wasn't sure how much of their original scent still remained, though I suppose if I needed to hide Gible, I could pull an E.T. and hide him among Tio's plush toys.
"I still can't believe real-life Pokémon are real…" Tetsutetsu spoke. "I mean, I see the pictures on Facebook all the time, but…"
"No, no, it's alright. I used to think 'real Pokémon' were all fakes, too."
"Says the guy that wrestled a sentient football," Naruki hummed.
"Hey, you think the little guy could help me with my Quirk?" Tetsutetsu asked. "Little guy's basically a super-pet, right?"
"Maybe. I wanna keep PETA off my ass for a little while before I let him bite or breathe fire on anyone."
"Why would you have a problem with them? People should eat tasty animals."
"Dude, that isn't what PETA actually stands for…" Kageto deadpanned.
"It isn't?"
Yup. Definitely a himbo...
"So, now that we're all here, what do you wanna do?" I inquired.
"The three of us brought our Pokémon games with us," Togami said drawing out his handheld. "Figured we could play and chat a while, maybe do some VR stuff."
"My uncle gave me an AmuSphere for Christmas last year, thought you could give me a tour of GGO while the rest of us watch on the big screen," Kageto hummed gesturing to his tote bag.
"That, and, my parents only agreed to let me hang out with you as long as we didn't go outside," Tomu chuckled.
"A reasonable precaution," I admitted, taking a look at what were probably the newest Pokémon games on the market.
The three were titled All White, Burnt Red, and Striped Stars following the naming convention centered around colors, albeit a bit loosely in the 3rd's case. Then again, you spend two-hundred years naming games after colors and gemstones, and eventually you'll have some overlap even with reboots. Watching the intro sequence for each game, it was obvious that the "Final Boss Trainer" were cameos of All Might, Endeavor, and the American Hero, Stars & Stripes, respectively.
Listening to them talking about their own experiences and their own play styles, something I took notice of was that in this, and probably in previous Pokémon games, Quirks had also become a part of the lore. Some were minor or purely cosmetic, but the ones you could choose for your playable character in the pre-game where you chose name and gender, could either empower a certain Type, increase a certain Stat, change the weather, and so-on when a gauge in the corner of the screen was filled. There was an option to go Quirkless which could unlock some hidden dialogue amongst certain characters in-game, and while most treated it as playing the game "Retro-Style" or like a hidden added difficulty setting, I thought it interesting to consider what the Pokémon world would be like if Quirks were thrown in wholesale.
I mean, sure, I had a real-life Land Shark Pokémon right there in the hall getting used to my apartment, but according to the pamphlet the RDA gave me as soon as they gave me "custody" of Gible, Pokémon making the jump through "Ultra Wormholes" was still a rarity, so it wasn't like there was actually a Pokémon League IRL. Not only was gathering so-many Trainers in one place painting a tempting target for those that wanted to abuse super-powered animals that at the peak of their power could compete with Top 10 Heroes, but people were still a little iffy on the whole "cock fighting" tone that Pokémon battles gave off no matter what the lore said otherwise.
And then of course was the fact that Pokémon Trainers rarely left their countries of origin, and whenever they did, it was all a huge deal since Trainers could naturally deter other Trainers by-proxy.
There was no doubt that Gible in his early stages would become a tempting target for Villains, but by the same metric, if I could train him up, maybe evolve him into a more-intimidating state, he could easily become an on-the-call deterrent, and maybe I could get a moment's peace.
Thoughts for later.
*AHA*
After spending a couple hours making some idle guy-chat about fake Pokémon, my very real Pokémon, and just life in general, I set up my computer and a futon in the living room so Kageto and I could dive into GGO, with Tetsutetsu joining in with one of the spares that the Mon Squad had left behind.
Given Naruhata was a bit of a hotbed of crime at the moment, it made sense that they'd leave their AmuSpheres behind. Criminals attacking VRMMO players in the IRL was rare, but it still happened, hence why as opposed to the light novels where you were a sitting duck, in the IRL you could retain some awareness of the real world and insta-LO on a dime.
For Kageto, I gave him one of the "Dummy Accounts" that the Mon Squad used whenever they let someone guest star on their stream. The Stats on that one were perfectly average, meant for one-time dives with the Squadron. The appearance was also average and unassuming; like an office slave before getting Isekai'd.
For Tetsutetsu, he'd actually seriously considered using GGO as a training tool for a long while now. All of the IRL-based guns were incredibly accurate given the robust physics engine of the game, and most Villains, or at least the really dangerous ones, would supplement their Quirks with illegally imported firearms. Thus, to better prepare himself to face them, he decided that the best way to gird himself for battle was to face them head-on in a no-risk situation like the virtual world.
That the guy's Avatar as he "woke up" in the SBC Glocken's cryostasis ward looked almost exactingly like Arnold Schwarzenegger, only irked me a little bit. And while it wasn't like he could "import" his [Steel] into the VRMMO like he probably could've in a more-dedicated Hero School training sim, he probably intended to deck himself out in armor and do what Bullet_Punch did; just punch everything in the face. Bringing brass knuckles to a gun fight.
Given there were people who based themselves entirely around sword and knife play in GGO, it wasn't surprising.
"You sure that's all you want?" I asked after rifling through the Mon Squad's armory.
"Yeah, I'm good," Tetsutetsu, now known as R3AL-ST33L, replied as he holstered a shotgun on his hip and covered himself in armor plating, the added [Training Weights] making it so he'd only be as-fast and as-strong as his IRL body based on feedback from the AmuSphere.
"Well this is going to be fun…" I deadpanned.
*AHA*
After doing a few Fetch Quests and a little Power Leveling, R3AL-ST33L poured all of his Stat Points into STR and VIT, increasing his carrying capacity as well as the number of Hit Points his Avatar had. The guy had no interest in raising his AGI beyond what he could perform in the real world, nor did he care about his DEX, LUK, or SEN since he intended to go for a "Full Melee Build". By all rights it was a "garbage build" in line with the current Meta, but then again, so was my AGI-build, and I got along just fine.
For Kageto, whose Avatar was named SA17AMA after the prefecture, the guy was more like a tourist, getting himself PKd and EKd left and right; the sort of thing that'd get him starred in a cobbled-together montage of "Epic Fails".
Partway through, Dust_2_Dust caught up with me in time for Kageto to get his head blown off by a sniper because he peeked over cover like a complete n00b.
"What's with the tourists?" Dust_2_Dust asked as he nudged SAI7AMA's body with his boot.
"Friends from school. This himbo over here wants to know what it's like to actually get shot, and that one wanted a sci-fi adventure," I said as Kageto's borrowed Avatar vanished, a message appearing on my HUD telling me he'd LO'd so he could just watch us on the VirtCam.
"Neat," he waved off as R3AL-ST33L clumsily rolled between waist-high cover. "So, you raise your K/D ratio?"
"Does being bait for a sea monster count?"
"Eh, I'll give you an 'Assist'," the man-child shrugged. "What's this I hear about a fish-princess?"
"Mer-folk. And what do you know about it?"
"You popped up a couple times on YouTube and Twitter."
"God damn you, social mediaaaa...!" I growled.
*AHA*
After Dust_2_Dust and I PKd the guys trying to PK us, the three of us went back to the SBC Glocken for some virtual beverages. Tetsutetsu of course spazzed out like a "Virt-gin", and him generally acting like a tourist made me less fond of the idea of babysitting him in my own "Happy Place".
"If I ever get my hands on the guy that took these pics, I'm going to shove a brick up his ass..." I growled as Dust_2_Dust showed me the Twitter posts where I was photographed, without my consent, alongside Gible and my other under-aged friends.
"What if it's a 'her'?"
"Then I'll shove a brick up her ass."
Wrong thing to say, apparently, because as soon as passerby started realizing who I was and that I was online, I started getting pestered about gender equality and that Villainess I beat up.
"Well, this is a complete wash," I grumbled as I hit the Log Out command, my little day trip to GGO sufficiently ruined.
Coincidentally, that was around the time that a surprise visitor unlocked the door to the apartment.
"SWEETIEEEEEEE!"
"T-TIO!" I squawked as the Oni Girl barreled into the room, tears streaming down her face as she scooped me up into her arms, feet dangling off the floor as she spun me around.
*AHA*
For Takei's guy-friends, they'd only ever seen him at school where he was usually stoic, relaxed, or outright pissed. After getting over the physics-defying bounciness of Tio's fun bags, each one bigger than their heads, they got to see a side of their friend they hadn't really been privy to.
"Tio, I… I missed you so much…!" Takei sniffled as his true feelings came to the surface, hugging her around the neck and burying his face in her voluminous hair.
"I missed you too…!" the ogress dropped to her knees as she held him close, sniffling cutely as she stroked circles on his back.
"I feel like we're intruding. Does anybody else feel like we're intruding?" Togami whispered.
"Maybe a little, but I can't pull my eyes away…" Kageto said as he eyed the way Tio's epic bosom spread around Takei's body, almost as if to wrap around him.
"The bras she wears must be made of Kevlar…" Tomu hummed idly to himself, he too unable to stop staring.
"Not that I'm not glad to see you, but what're you doing here?" Takei blinked.
"I decided to play hooky~" Tio winked and stuck out her tongue.
"Well, as long as someone knows…" Takei hummed.
"So… I heard you had some wacky adventures while we were out," she said giving him some space, but refusing to let him out of arm's reach.
"Just a few," Takei chuckled as waddling feet came around the corner. "Tio, this is my new friend, Gible. Say hello, little guy."
*Giba*
"KAWAIIIIII!" Tio squealed with twinkling eyes, picking up the medicine ball-sized land shark and nuzzling him against her bosom, his tiny limbs flailing.
"Looks like it's Super-Effective," Togami hummed before the others gave him a look. "What? Too soon?"
"Gible! Return!" Takei cried whipping out his Dive Ball and retrieving the Land Shark, the red beam shooting out and transforming him into energy before retrieving it, sending an excited thrill through their pubescent bodies at what they just witnessed.
"Mouuu…!" Tio pouted cutely, puffing out her cheeks.
"I don't want him developing some kind of complex," Takei replied as he re-released his Pokémon, which immediately huddled behind his Trainer like a frightened child.
*Sniff*Sniff* "Something smells good," Tio hummed appreciatively.
"It's some curry I whipped up. It should be just about done," Takei hummed as he scooped his Pokémon into his arms. "Since you're here, would you like some?"
"Sweetie's home cooking? Of course I want some!" she beamed with twinkles in her eyes.
"Er, sorry about the detour," he apologized over his shoulder.
"Hey man, it's fine. You'll still see us at school, but the Mon Squad's gonna be out for… who knows how long," Togami said holding up his hands. "Besides, we can still hang out; we'll just have a chaperone."
"But first, let's eat!" Tetsutetsu grinned.
*AHA*
"What… exactly am I looking at?" the [Steel] user asked a few minutes later once I poured what I had concocted beside a steaming pile of rice.
"The Curry of Life," I announced proudly, my guy-friends staring down at the chunk-laden black petrol-like concoction I'd ladled onto their plates.
"I like the... contrast between the black and white..." Tomu admitted awkwardly, cat ears flicking.
"And where did you say this was from?" Kageto inquired.
"A retro manga that Shiori, Kuromi, and I poked at."
Notwithstanding that the Curry of Life was from a filler arc that got adapted into its own manga chapters in this universe… Surprisingly-enough, though, in the intervening centuries, anime-style foods had continued to remain popular and relevant, hence it was easy to find a recipe.
Amazing what you can make when you have all the free time in the world like a child and the attention span of an adult.
"MmmMMM!" Tio hummed with twinkling eyes at her first bite. "So good! I can't stop eating it!"
To both my shock and amazement, Gible hopped into my lap and stole some as well. With a spoon!
"Dude, did you get that?" Togami asked.
"No, I didn't," Tomu replied.
"Damn… That would've exploded on FaceBook…" Kageto hummed as the little guy almost went for a second bite, only to start sweating and belch out a tongue of flame.
"QUICK! PASS THE MILK!"
"I'm on it!" I cried as I tipped the little guy back and gave him some of my beverage, the Land Shark letting out a relieved sigh. "That's it. No more spicy foods for you, little guy."
"Mmmm! So gooooood~! Seconds, please!" Tio beamed as she held out her plate, a little black smudge on the corner of her mouth.
"I love you, Tio," I blurted out without thinking.
"Awww, I love you too, sweetie!" Tio smiled. "Seconds please!"
"Right away!"
" . . . Dammit, I can't not eat it after that kind of standing ovation!" Tetsutetsu cried out in the wake of Tio's 'nurturing aura'. "I'M GOING IN!"
The [Steell] user wolfing it down "like a true man", halfway through his plate he began to turn red in the face, sweat rolling down his temples, but he continued to power through. By the time he was finished, the guy was drenched in sweat and quivering in place, his hand reaching out for the sweet release of liquid dairy before he punched himself in the face and used his Quirk, a victorious howl leaving his lips as he powered through by sheer force of will.
"S... Seconds... please..."
"I've heard of having an iron stomach, but this is ridiculous~" Naruki chuckled.
"Thirds, please!" Tio beamed, her nurturing aura threatening to smother everyone there.
*AHA*
"And you're sure you aren't releasing some kind of pheromone?"
"Yes I'm sure," I deadpanned to Togami's question.
"Still, though, you can cook, and clean, and fight Villains, and you're a Pokémon Trainer to boot. Soon as you become a Hero, you'll have girls swarming all over you…" Tomu hummed.
"Trust me, girls in my life are something I have in surplus. I don't want any more," I sighed in contemplation. Already I could feel the swirl of hormones inside of my body, and it'd only be a matter of time until a certain… eventuality, comes to pass.
I pray to Kami that Doppel isn't around to see it…
"Still though, you coming to school with the little guy will have the Pokémon fans alone clamoring to meet ya," Tetsutetsu hummed as Tio played with Gible off to the side, trying to teach him how to speak with the offer of treats.
"Treats" in this case being dried fish jerky. Pokémon could eat most-anything if they had to, but the rule of thumb from the RDA and the STMO was that Trainers try to stick to a diet similar to what the "normal animals" they were based upon ate. The paperwork had been a pain in the ass, but thankfully Kuroko had been there to help, so at the very least my "Can I keep him?" moment wouldn't hurt the Mon Squad's Engel's Coefficient.
I'd had pets back before I reincarnated, but apart from the one time I had an iguana, usually they were nothing bigger than a gerbil, or a Fancy Rat that could use the backs of chairs like a fireman's pole. I'd never had any kind of fish, and one that walked only muddied the waters further, but hopefully I could train him up, have a kickass Garchomp someday, and then… I'd teach him how to fly.
Huh. Guess that'd be two flying dragons I knew. Assuming I don't meet any of Elma's other friends before then. I wonder what Elma would make of this-No, wait, focus. Survive to the end of the year and maybe plan that far ahead.
"Still, do you think we'll actually get to see other Pokémon?" Kaori inquired, her having a bit of a fondness for my Curry of Life while her brother was more of a lightweight.
Which idly had me wondering if she and Naruki were sharing a stomach, or if she was growing one of her own as his body continued to divy itself up for an eventual "Binary Fission".
Because make no mistake, that definitely seemed to be the way his Quirk would play out. It was small, but the widening of his shoulders was minutely perceptible compared to when Kaori first came into my in-group. Really, it was quite fascinating, and that cases like this had happened before (rarely, but it still happened before) meant doctors had some idea that the process wouldn't kill one or both of them barring any major complications.
"I'm more worried about what sort of trouble the one will bring," Naruki hummed idly, unaware of my deeper contemplation.
"If any shady characters show up, Itsuka and I will send 'em packing!" Tetsutetsu said making a 'Rosie the Riveter' pose.
Given how-easily people forgot their own history, I doubt anyone in this century knew who she was apart from history professors…
" . . . Hey guys."
"Yeah?"
"Wanna see the little guy in action?"
*AHA*
"Are you sure it's safe to do this up here?" Kaori asked.
"Don't worry, the roof is extra-reinforced, so as long as no-one intentionally tries to bring it down, we'll be all good," Tio nodded as we all stood on the top of the building, far enough away from the edges that no-one could actually see us from the ground level.
"Alright, Gible, this is just gonna be a little light rough housing, I don't want you to get too serious about it until we know how-strong Tetsutetsu is compared to you."
*Giba!* Gible chirped as he flexed his tiny arms.
"Dude, I am so fucking pumped right now!" Tetsutetsu whooped turning to [Steel], Gible making 'shocked Gible noises' as the sun reflected off his chrome-colored skin.
"You know what this needs?" Tio asked eagerly. "MUSIC!"
"Okay, but which music? Pokemon is more than two centuries old, there's so much to choose from," Naruki hummed.
"Not to mention all the remixes…" Kaori added.
"I think I have something fun and upbeat…" Togami hummed, fiddling with his phone before plugging it into a speaker he pulled from a lock box.
Cue Pokemon Sword & Shield OST – Marnie Battle Music [TMG Remix]
"Oh, an oldie but a goodie," Naruki hummed, his sister nodding her head to the beat.
"Alright, I know this is every fanboy's dream, but let's try to keep it a little professional…" I hummed as I held a notepad in my hands. "Gible, let's start this off with [Tackle]!"
Gible, normally one for waddling on dry land and looking quite funny while doing it, suddenly shot at Tetsutetsu like an iron ball from a cannon. Not as fast as Pikachu using his iconic [Quick Attack], but fast-enough and strong-enough that Tetsutetsu was forced to skid back with the sound of a small vehicle collision.
"Oof! Little guy's got some kick to him!" Tetsutetsu huffed from behind crossed arms. "My turn! Steel Punch!"
"Gible, roll sideways and then use [Bite]!"
Gible did just that, his round body carrying him away from Tetsutetsu's "named attack" before his teeth clamped down onto Tetsutetsu's extended arm.
"Ah! That smarts!" the [Steel] teen winced as Gible's weight dragged him down. "How about a Karate Chop!"
Tetsutetsu's free hand coming down atop Gible's snout with a *thwack* made the Land Shark Pokémon retreat, the [Steel] user looking down at the teeth-shaped indents in his arm.
"Oh man! Without my Quirk, that might've taken my arm off!" the steel-skinned teen gawped.
"Gible! Use [Slash]!"
Gible leaping up at Tetsutetsu with the ends of his little fingers glowing white, Tetsutetsu crossed his arms in front of himself as he tanked the next attack, some of the air pressure from the attack ripping his shirt where his arms didn't block.
"Ow! Man!" Tetsutetsu winced as his Quirk gave out, Gible looking inquisitively at his opponent.
"Gible! [Tackle], but lightly!"
*Giba!*
*BAM!*
"AAUGH!" Tetsutetsu cried as he was bowled completely over by the draconic medicine ball.
"Whoa, dude! His Quirk wasn't up!" Kageto cried out as the silver-haired teen rolled across the roof.
"Villains aren't going to be polite about it. If he wants to become a real Hero and not just another poser, he needs to be able to fight without his Quirk too."
"Rgh… No, he's right…" Tetsutetsu said holding out a hand, looking down at his arm to see that the teeth marks on his [Steel] hadn't carried over. "But man, this little guy can sure pack a wallop."
"Just wait until he's fully grown!" I grinned, feeling an excitement I'd long forgotten bubbling up inside of me. "Let's try… [Sand Attack]!"
Gible scraping his tiny claws across the concrete roof, inexplicably, a small wave of tan-colored sand shot up, Tetsutetsu letting out a yelp as he was caught in the face.
"Pfah! Pfah! It's in my eyes!"
"Kinda the point, Tetsu," I called back as the teen scrubbed at his face. "Gible, show him your game face! Your [Scary Face], that is!"
Gible blinking up at me confusedly, all of a sudden, an epiphany struck the little guy before he turned to his opponent, squared his stance, and raised his stumpy arms at his sides. Tetsutetsu blinking the last of the sand from his eyes was suddenly greeted by the snarling maw of the Land shark Pokémon, beady eyes glinting menacingly in his direction, fangs looking extra-sharp as he pulled back his lips from his teeth, a frightening "pressure" rolling off of him.
"YEEK!" Tetsutetsu yelped falling onto his butt. " . . . You never saw that!" he said quickly getting to his feet and [Steel]ing up, banging his chrome-colored fists together. "Come on, little guy! I'm not done yet!"
"[Sand Attack], then [Tackle]!"
"That won't work one me twice!" Tetsutetsu said as he got sand blasted in the face without flinching and caught the Land Shark in his hands, feet skidding back only a little.
"Gible! Use [Dragon Breath]~!" Tio whooped excitedly.
"No, don't use [Dragon Breath]!" I cried only for Tetsutetsu to cry out as he was bathed in flames.
*AHA*
Suffice it to say, after that disaster our "Pokémon Battle" came to a swift conclusion.
"Okay, good news; my Quirk makes me fireproof against Dragon-type Moves," Tetsutetsu grinned. "Bad news; I wasn't wearing any fireproof clothing," he said looking down at himself, his shirt completely incinerated while his pants were barely hanging on.
"Gible, only take commands from me, understood?"
*Giba~*
"Sorryyyy… I just got so into it…" Tio moaned dejectedly, but also impossibly cute.
"Still, how-often can a guy say he tanked literal dragon fire?" Kageto blinked with an appreciative hum.
I found that statement in of itself to be quite insulting since real dragons I knew of could basically fire "Island Busters", given the size of the cloud formations that could be displaced; arguably by someone on the higher end of the spectrum. But I kept that tidbit to myself. Dragons from Elma's home world were basically "Saitamas" in this one, and it was only thanks to the general lack of "urgency" that came with being functionally immortal that prevented them from just taking over. Just like how smart people could use that intelligence to more-easily justify the absolutely stupid decisions they made, Immortals could use the "there's always tomorrow" mentality to justify putting something off for dozens if not hundreds of years; at least if UQ Holder! taught me anything.
Hey, speaking of which, was Elma still eating, or had she finally been chased off and was stuffing herself elsewhere on her own yen...?
Eh, she's a big girl. She can take care of herself.
"Not often, though I'll have to tell my mom something," Tetsutetsu hummed. "Eh, I'll just say it was another mishap with some lighter fluid."
"I'm sorry, 'another'…?!"
"Yeah, to see how-fireproof I really am!" Tetsutetsu grinned. "But man, that was loads of fun! I feel like I got a little stronger from that! Gible's such a great training partner!"
"Well, every little bit you know about your Quirk helps, and I'm sure Gible got a little bit out of this too," I hummed, cradling my chin in thought.
Tetsutetsu tanked [Bite] and [Slash], and even when his [Steel] wore off the injuries didn't 'carry over' to his flesh-and-blood body underneath. Based on the fact that sand in his eyes while his Quirk was active didn't blind him, might've also meant that while transformed into solid [Steel], his retinas might have their own form of [Flash Suppressant]; though whether similar protection extended to his semicircular canal while his Quirk was active or he was actually more vulnerable to sound-based attacks, I'd need a sonic attack of sorts to verify. Throw in the fact that he tanked a point-blank flame attack, something Wild Tiger had to do in his Iron Man-style suit instead of Rock Bison when Fire Emblem was the leading suspect in Lunatic's string of murders, and… Tetsutetsu's [Steel] could easily be more-powerful than Antonio Lopez's [Impenetrable Skin].
Sensible, since Quirks had continued blending together for more than a hundred years since the Corporate Age.
"Still, how did he use [Sand Attack] on a concrete roof?" Naruki blinked as he rubbed at the spot Gible first raked his claws against. There were a few scuff marks in the concrete, and way more sand had been left behind in the battle's wake, so…
"Pokémon Moves in general must act like Emitter-type Quirks," Kaori hummed with a nod.
"Makes some sense," I figured. "Others are straight-up Telekinesis, even without a Psychic typing…"
Hell, if you were a strong-enough psychic, you could basically copy any meta-ability that relied on telekinetically manipulating another form of matter. Magneto's own power was just an over-specialized form of general PK, and back before I reincarnated, my Beta on the site I wrote stories for pointed such out to me.
"But man, it's gonna be pretty wild bringing him to school~" Tetsutetsu grinned.
"Wait, you mean you aren't leaving him at home?" Togami blinked.
"That's what the pet-nappers want me to do," I hummed aloud. "And besides, if people are going to find out about him, I might as well do it on my own terms."
"Still, though, what're you going to do about the clothes…?" Tomu inquired.
"I'll give him some of mine. We're about the same size," I shrugged.
*AHA*
And as quickly as it had seemingly begun, Golden Week had come and gone.
There'd been all sorts of wacky stuff that went down. Stuff that most middle-schoolers didn't have to contend with. And while it wasn't all pleasant, I wouldn't trade these moments for anything in the world.
Maybe it was the Reincarnate in me talking, but I was actually quite eager to get back into the routine of school. Hanging with friends, doing homework, school life shenanigans that didn't have anything to do with Villains~
Ugh, but why does my body hurt so bad?
"Sweetieeeeee…~"
Oh.
Turns out that while I was asleep, Tio had abducted me from my bed and was now clutching onto me like a dakimakura in hers.
I suppose it could've been worse. She could've just climbed into my bed, meaning not only would there not be any elbow room, but her muscular weight would've completely ruined my bedframe and turned my mattress into a futon.
"Good boy… sweetie… We love you…~"
I wonder if this is how Superman's mooks feel after the Man of Steel bends an I-Beam around them…
Thoughts for later. Right now-
"Tio. Please let go. I have to go to school soon."
"Mmmmnooo, but I don't wanna go to school today…!"
"Note to self. Teach Gible how to use [Strength]."
*AHA*
SO! I'm finally done with Golden Week, and now I'll start hopping around through the rest of the Japanese calendar instead of a day-by-day thing (reflecting how those on Break would want to squeeze "something" into every day of it). Maybe have a "Monster of the Week" kinda deal unless the plot necessitates a smaller Cooldown.
The next big school events I know of are Mid-Terms at the end of May, a Camp Trip in June (not the crazier stuff that Third-Years do like Hawaii or New York), Field Day on the 20th, Finals at the end of June, the Obon Festival in Mid-August, and then… SUMMER VACATION!
If I have any major errors, please feel free to notify me if I have any Japanese readers or you have a source that says differently.
Anywho, see you next-time-after-next, since the next chapter is Character Bios for those that haven't read Nurse Hitomi's Monster Infirmary and/or Daily Life with a Monster Girl and/or Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid.