Training Area (Day)

"Tokoyami!" Dominic said to his bird-headed classmate.

"Oh, Xiao-Long. What is it?" the boy asked.

"I wanted to ask you a favor." Dominic said. He tossed a Poke Ball into the air and released Charizard, who landed next to him with a loud thump. "You see, I wanted to have Charizard battle against you and Dark Shadow."

"Seriously? Why do you wanna battle us?" Dark Shadow asked, popping out of Tokoyami's body.

"There's a special move Charizard can learn called Shadow Claw." the blonde explained. "By battling against an opponent with a ghostly physiology, I'm hoping the experience will allow it to learn the move. You up for it?"

"Sure. We've been training hard as well." Tokoyami said, eager.

"Then we'll start off with a bang!" Dominic said, jumping back. "Charizard, use Hurricane!" The Flame Pokemon beat its wings, kicking up a whirlwind that swallowed up Tokoyami. To his credit, the boy didn't falter.

"Now, Dark Shadow!" the feathered boy shouted. His Quirk wrapped around his arms, and he dug his new claws into the ground. Because he was rooted to the dirt, Tokoyami was mostly unaffected by Hurricane, but he still felt the damage from the violent winds.

"Clever. You avoided the worst of Hurricane by keeping yourself stuck to the ground." Dominic praised.

"I got the idea of channeling Dark Shadow into my arms from you." Tokoyami admitted. "Charizard releases an energy similar to my Quirk, so I figured that I could do the same thing."

"Thinking outside the box, just like someone else I know." the Trainer laughed. "If that's your strategy, then we'll respond in kind! Charizard, get in close and use Shadow Claw!" Roaring, Charizard sped toward its opponent and coated its claws in arcane power. The Pokemon slashed at Tokoyami, who defended using his own makeshift claws. The impact sent both combatants back a few feet, momentarily dazed.

"Ugh, now's my chance!" Tokoyami said, rushing towards Charizard. He slashed at its large body, dealing significant damage.

"Can you still go on?" Dominic asked his partner. Charizard looked back at him with a grin and roared. "Then finish this with Blast Burn!" The Pokemon reeled its head back and unleashed a massive burst of flames. Tokoyami tried defending himself by wrapping Dark Shadow around himself, but the light given off by the attack was too much for it and ended up leaving the boy unable to battle any longer.

"Looks like I still have a while to go before I can beat you." Tokoyami said, conceding defeat.

"Don't feel bad about your loss." Dominic said, helping his classmate up from the ground. "Actually, you lasted a lot longer than I thought you would. Back when we started UA, I doubt you would've been able to withstand Hurricane the way you did. And very few people have been able to hit Charizard with an attack like that. You should feel proud."

"Thanks for the kind words." the feathered boy said, a smile on his face. Even though he lost, now he didn't feel as bad about it. "So, did Charizard end up learning Shadow Claw?"

"Let's find out." the trainer said, turning to his partner. "Charizard, use Shadow Claw!" Nodding, Charizard focused and channeled its aura into its claws. A dark shroud appeared around them before the Pokemon finally slashed at a nearby rock, breaking it apart with a single strike. "Woohoo! We did it!"

"Congratulations." Tokoyami said. "I'm glad I could help you out."


Training Camp (Night)

"Okay, we've filled out bellies and cleaned our dishes, so it's time for-" Pixie-Bob began.

"A totally awesome test of courage!" Ashido finished, excited.

"We're gonna ace this!" Sato said, pumped for whatever test was coming up.

"Not so fast." Aizawa said. "As much as it pains me to say this, you five won't be participating in this activity. The remedial class will be working with me instead." Using his scarf, Aizawa grabbed hold of his failing students and dragged them to the remedial classroom.

"Such a shame. I was hoping to crush them." Dominic said, dejected.

"You have some strange priorities, Xiao-Long." Uraraka said, a bit spooked by her classmate's behavior.

"Okay, so Class B will be our scarers." Pixie-Bob explained. "When they're in place, Class A will leave in pairs every three minutes. There are tags with your names on them at the far end of the route. Your objective is to locate them and bring them here."

"Revelry in the dark." Tokoyami said, eager to face this challenge.

"The scarers aren't allowed to make physical contact. You can only use your Quirks to frighten your classmates." Pixie-Bob said.

"The winners are the creative ones who can make Class A piss their pants." Tiger said, grinning.

"Did we need that visual?" Jiro asked, annoyed.

"Well, how else would you describe how terrifying something is?" Dominic asked. "There isn't exactly a scale for it."

"I get it." Iida said. "They're trying to stimulate our imaginations and help us figure out new ways to use our Quirks. I'd expect nothing less from UA."

"All right." Pixie-Bob said, holding out her hand. She was holding several slips of paper. "Everyone draw to see who your partner will be. The numbers correspond to your partner and the order you'll go in."

While Class B entered the forest, Class A drew the paper slips. Dominic was paired up with Jiro. "Looks like we're a team again." the blonde said. Eventually, it was their turn to enter the forest. "For this, I'll bring this one out!" The trainer tossed a Poke Ball into the air, releasing Charizard.

The trio entered the forest, unaware of what awaited them inside.


AN: I just learned that there is a Chinese Pokemon series with a main character named Dominic. This character also has a Charizard that can Mega Evolve. If that's not a coincidence, I don't know what is.