UA (Day)

"Now that you've finished your first semester at UA and had some time off after finals, it's time for the Summer Training Camp to begin." Aizawa told his class, standing in front of a large bus. "However, this isn't a vacation for any of you. This camp will push you beyond your limits. You're aiming for Plus Ultra, and I expect nothing less."

'I am going to die on this trip, aren't I?' Dominic thought to himself. He had a sinking feeling that something was going to happen during camp.

"Attention Class A!" Iida shouted. "Please enter the bus in an orderly fashion!"

At his command, the other 19 students entered the bus and took their seats. In no time at all, they were on the way to hone their abilities. During the ride, Dominic brought out Charizard's Poke Ball and held it in his hand. Yaoyorozu took notice of this and spoke up.

"Excuse me, Xiao-Long. But I've always wondered about something." the girl said, getting the blonde's attention. "I've seen how close you are with Charizard, and I have to ask. How exactly did you meet it?"

That got everyone to listen to what the Pokemon Trainer had to say, even Aizawa. To say they were curious would be a massive understatement.

"Well, it all started a few years ago." Dominic began. "When someone becomes a Pokemon Trainer, it's customary for them to receive a Starter Pokemon so they can begin their journey. Mine was Charizard."

Professor Sycamore's Lab (Day)

"Okay, then. Go ahead and choose a Pokemon." Professor Sycamore said. Before him were two boys, one with golden blonde hair, and another with black hair ending in blue tips. "You may choose Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle." The professor tossed three Poke Balls into the air, releasing each Pokemon.

The blonde looked over all three choices, trying to figure out which one suited him best. In the end, he made the obvious choice. "I think I'll go with Charmander." he said, picking up the Lizard Pokemon. Charmander seemed to like the contact, and it squealed in delight.

"In that case, I'll choose Squirtle." the other boy said, picking up the Water-Type. "After all, Water beats Fire, right?"

"If you want, you can have a battle so you can see how well you and your Pokemon sync." Professor Sycamore suggested.

"Well?" the blonde asked.

"Sure, it gives me the chance to kick your butt!" the black-haired boy responded. He took a few steps away from the blonde before setting Squirtle down. "Squirtle, let's go!"

"Charmander, time for our first battle!" the blonde said with a smile as he set his Pokemon down. "We'll start with an attacking Move! Use Scratch!" With a high-pitched cry, Charmander ran towards Squirtle.

"Block it with Tail Whip!" Squirtle turned away from its opponent, waited for Charmander to get close, and whacked it with its tail. The Lizard Pokemon shook its head before standing back up.

"They're fast." the blonde said, impressed. "So we'll try a long-distance attack! Use Ember!" Charmander reeled back its head before shooting forth a weak flame at Squirtle. The attack landed, dealing a bit of damage to the Water-Type.

"Just because you managed a lucky hit doesn't mean you'll win!" the black-haired boy taunted. "Squirtle, go ahead and use Water Gun!"

"Uh, block its eyesight with Smokescreen!" the blonde said, panicking. Charmander's HP couldn't take a super-effective hit right now. The small Pokemon exhaled a dust cloud that shrouded the battlefield from its opponent's view.

"Change of plans, Squirtle." the black-haired boy said, thinking of a way to get past Smokescreen. "Use a bunch of Water Guns!" Smiling, Squirtle fired several watery bullets into the Smokescreen. Eventually, one of them managed to strike Charmander and knock it out. "Way to go, Squirtle!" the boy said, hugging his Pokemon.

"Sorry about that, Charmander." the blonde said, feeding the Lizard Pokemon an Oran Berry. "I got too flustered when he called out Water Gun. I should've been able to win despite the disadvantage."

"Don't beat yourself up over it." Professor Sycamore said. "Everyone loses eventually. It's how you learn from your mistakes that determines where your journey takes you."

"Thanks, Professor." the blonde said. "I'll be sure to remember that." The boy looked into Charmander's eyes, seeing a drive to be better. He could understand that mentality. "Don't worry, we'll beat Squirtle someday." he said, rubbing the Pokemon's head.

UA Bus (Day)

"From that day on, Charizard and I have been partners." Dominic said with a smile. "It's been on all my adventures, and has battled countless opponents to reach the pinnacle of its strength. Eventually, we did end up beating Squirtle. Although, it was a Blastoise by the time we finally got a victory. We're still looking for ways to improve ourselves until we finally achieve our goal, and become the strongest in the world!"

"That's such a beautiful and manly story!" Kirishima bawled.

"With a mindset like that, it's no wonder you get along so well." Asui noted.

"Based on what we've seen you do, Xiao-Long, I think you're well on your way to your goal." Iida complimented.

"Thanks, but until there's no force on this planet that can best us, our dream will remain out of reach." Dominic said, staring into the sky outside the window. "For everyone's sake, we need to be the very best. Like no one ever was."

While his classmate spoke, Midoriya grew all the more curious. After the nightmare Darkrai created, he became somewhat suspicious of Dominic. Why was he being so cryptic about his Pokemon? All the greenette knew for certain was that his classmate wasn't telling the whole truth, but the extent of that truth remained to be seen. Especially after I-Island.

How could something as powerful as Dominic's Eternatus stay out of the public eye for so long? It seemed impossible. And what about Leon, Rose, and Marnie? There was also that Dynamax thing that was showcased at the expo. If they could make their Pokemon that huge, then how is it that no one's heard of them until Dominic came to UA?

Who was Dominic Xiao-Long, and what exactly was he hiding? And more importantly, why was he hiding it?

AN: Gonna see a lot more Kalos references in the coming chapters, as well as more scenes with Charizard.