My Pokemon Academia: Johto Adventures

by The 3rd dragneel

In a world of Heroes, there are creatures who only exist in a series of islands, away from Hero Society. However, Izuku Midoriya and his friends now have the chance to learn of these 'Pokemon.' Will they have what it takes to save the people of Johto from Team Rocket AND face the Pokemon League? Time to go Plus Ultra! Up to Gen 8. Cover image by ExcadrillComics.

6. Chapter 6: Sprout Tower

Well… I bet y'all were shocked to see another new chapter so soon, huh?

Well, given how close we are to the end of Ash's journey, my love for Pokemon came back in fold, so I'm now updating my Pokemon stories even faster. That may seem unfair to my other stories, but I can't help it.

So enough about that. TO THE REVIEWS!

Stephanieeiche714: I do wanna get it one day. Hopefully when I have the cash lol.

BookWorm1540: Well, I want to have the characters keep their powers while also being given the responsibility of training Pokemon. Plus, imagine Bakugo and Incineroar tag teaming. As for the Mega Evolutions and Z-Moves… you'll see~

Fangs of death: Thank you.

BanRedfox: Believe me, the stranger is gonna be a big surprise for MHA fans. We will see more bonding captures for some of the characters, so look forward to that.

To recap: The three groups of U.A. students continued their journey through the Johto region, with Shoto battling an angered Fletchling before catching it. Tsuyu was then attacked by a Tympole, though she and Froakie were able to catch it as well. Meanwhile, team Bakugo encountered an eccentric man, who told them of Apricons and how they were used to make Pokeballs. As for Izuku's group, as they made their way towards Mr. Pokemon's house, he and Ochaco both caught a Rufflet and Buneary respectively without battling. As they arrived at Mr. Pokemon's house, they were shocked to meet Professor Oak, who gave a thorough evaluation on their Pokemon. Soon, Mr. Pokemon gave Izuku the egg, believing he would be able to raise the Pokemon well.

Who will arrive at Violet City first? And what new Pokemon will we see now? Let's find out…

'Team Bakugo, Route 31, Night'

"Okay! Eat up, guys!" Mina said with a big smile as she presented four bowls of Pokemon food.

"(Thanks/Thank you!/Thanks Mina)!" Litten, Chespin, Mudkip and Weedle all exclaimed respectively as they began to eat their food to their heart's content. It had been a decent trek through the forest ever since Bakugo's group left the Apricot man's house. They had encountered some wild Pokemon here and there, gaining more experience along the way. However, due to how late it was, the group decided to make camp for the night.

"How much longer until we get to the next city?" Kirishima asked while taking a bite of his sandwich. Bakugo took out his Pokegear while munching on a protein bar he was saving, checking the map function of the device.

"Violet City. Says we're close to it." Bakugo answered before a grin appeared on his face. "And the gym's there too." It was obvious from the tone in his voice that Bakugo wanted to be the first to challenge the gym leader. After all, his Litten had gotten a lot stronger, which would make his battle with Izuku and Shoto even easier.

"Good thing we set up camp, then. No way am I walking in the dark." Mina spoke as she drank her water bottle. However, a thought came up and she looked at the Pokemon eating. "Hey, guys? Are you ever gonna catch another Pokemon?"

"Catch another… Pokemon…" Slowly, Kirishima's eyes widened in realization.

He and Bakugo STILL only have their Starter Pokemon with them! And Mina had Mudkip and Weedle!

From what he recalled about gym leaders, the first one would always have at least two Pokemon for the challenger to face, three in some cases. And while he and Bakugo had faith that Chespin and Litten could win, having another Pokemon with them could give them a fighting chance.

"She's right!" Kirishima shouted as he stood up, surprising Mina while getting a raised brow from Bakugo. "Before we go to Violet City, we gotta catch some Pokemon! You with me, Chespin?"

"(Yeah)!" Chespin exclaimed with a mouth full of food.

"(Chew first. Yell later)." Litten bluntly told Chespin so he wouldn't choke.

"(I wouldn't mind having another friend. What about you, Weedle)?" Mudkip asked her fellow Pokemon, who nodded eagerly.

"(Oh, I would love another friend! You and Mina are really nice, unlike the other Weedle I know)." Weedle confessed, remembering her time with her colony.

"Haven't seen another strong Pokemon that I like." Bakugo said with a shrug. Considering they were two routes away from New Bark, the Pokemon in the area were rather weak and uninteresting.

Still, even he could see where Kirishima was coming from. If he was gonna be the Champion, he'd need to expand his team roster soon.

Soon, the group finished their dinner and began setting up their tents for the night (Professor Elm was kind enough to provide the students with Galar Insta-tents he had in storage).

"First thing tomorrow, I'm gonna go look for a strong Rock-type!" Kirishima declared proudly.

"Good luck with that." Mina chuckled in amusement before she opened her tent and looked at her Pokemon. "Come on, you two. You're sleeping with me tonight!"

"(Yay! Sleepover)!" Happy to hear the news, Mudkip quickly went inside the tent, with Weedle following soon after.

"Not a bad idea." Kirishima admitted before he grinned at Chespin. "Wanna come in, Chespin?"

"(You bet! It beats sleeping in a Pokeball)." Chespin cheered before he went inside Kirishima's tent. Bakugo watched his companion's tents for a moment before entering his own, only to see Litten lying on the foot of his sleeping bag.

"Who said you can sleep there?!" Bakugo questioned, though Litten didn't answer as he rolled around a bit, too comfortable to care. Seeing his Pokemon's expression, Bakugo's glare softened a bit before he sighed. "Fine. But next time, you're sleeping in your Pokeball." Changing into his pajamas, Bakugo then opened his sleeping bag and slipped inside, careful not to disturb Litten too much. Before he zipped up his sleeping bag, Bakugo looked down at Litten before a very small smirk appeared on his face. 'I guess it's not that bad. But there's no way in hell Deku or anyone else is fighting the gym leader before us.'

With that, Katsuki Bakugo closed his sleeping bag and went to sleep. Kirishima and Mina soon followed, though unlike their classmate, they allowed their Pokemon to snuggle up in their sleeping bags, much to their joy.

However, as the group went to bed, they failed to hear the sound of a nearby bush shaking as a small shadow leapt out of it. The shadow noticed Kirishima's tent was partly open before they proceeded to stealthily sneak inside.

For their first night camping outside in Johto, it wasn't a bad experience.

'Outside of Cherrygrove City, the next morning'

The Johto sun began to rise, with a flock of Wingull and Taillow flying on the horizon indicating the start of a new day. Shoto's group exits the Pokemon Center, having been fortunate enough to have reached the city just as the sun went down.

"I admit, seeing a Pokemon Center in person was rather impressive." Momo admitted with a smile.

"No kidding. And all those Pokemon we saw inside were really cute." Tsu agreed with her friend before she took out her Pokegear, checking the map function. "Okay, it says here that if we go through Route 30, we should reach Violet City, which is where the first gym is."

Shoto nodded in acknowledgement as he saw the sign for Route 30 nearby. "Then we should probably get moving. Midoriya and Bakugo's groups are probably ahead of us. And with our Pokemon fully healed, we should be able to make good progress." His two companions nodded in agreement before they made their way towards the path to Route 30.

"AWWWW MAN! I'M SO LATE!" Before the trio could even step foot on Route 30, they heard a loud voice from behind. Turning their heads, they saw a familiar figure running towards them, a comically large dust cloud following them. "HOW THE HECK DID I OVERSLEEP?! STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!"

The person in question was none other than Jimmy Gold.

"Gold?" Tsuyu asked out loud as the group quickly jumped out of the way, allowing Jimmy to run past them.

However, halfway through his run, Jimmy stopped and turned around, only for his eyes to widen as he jogged back to them.

"Oh man! It's you guys!" Jimmy exclaimed in surprise before he began scratching the side of his head. "Ummmm… What were your names again?"

"Shoto Todoroki."

"Momo Yaoyorozu."

"Tsuyu Asui, but you can call me Tsu." The three introduced themselves once again, making Jimmy snap his fingers with a smile.

"Got it! Shoto, Momo and Tsuyu." Jimmy repeated confidently.

"Tsu." Tsuyu repeated, making Jimmy chuckle.

"Right. Tsu. I'll remember that." Jimmy told her before putting his hands on his hips. "So, how's it going? I thought you guys would still be in New Bark Town."

"We were. But professor Elm had a proposal for us." Momo said before she began to explain everything that had happened since Jimmy and Lyra's departure. From professor Elm giving the U.A. students Pokemon to them splitting up into groups to challenge the gym leaders.

"Huh. That's pretty awesome." Jimmy confessed with a chuckle. "If I only knew. Still, it's great you guys get to be Pokemon trainers. I was actually heading to Violet City right now… when I overslept."

"But how is that possible?" Both you and Lyra left New Bark earlier than us." Shoto questioned with a raised brow.

"R-Right… so here's the thing." Jimmy started with a shaky smile. "Me and Lyra WERE gonna travel together. But… she kinda ditched me."

"Ditched you?" Tsuyu asked with a head tilt.

"She said something about wanting to see her grandparents near Goldenrod, so she just left me. I tried to catch up to her, but I got swarmed by some angry Spearow!" Jimmy told them with his arms crossed, a look of annoyance on his face. "Seriously. That girl's got no time to wait around."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Momo apologized with a small frown before an idea crossed her mind. "If you'd like, you can travel with us."

"Hmmm. You sure? I don't wanna act like a fourth wheel or anything." Jimmy asked, not totally against the idea of traveling with someone. Truth be told, he was just barely scraping by before he found them.

"I don't see an issue with it." Shoto spoke up with a mild shrug.

"And since we're all competing to get badges, it's better to go together." Tsuyu added on, making Jimmy smile before he nodded.

"Well, alright then! I guess we're going together." A thought crossed Jimmy's mind as he smirked at them. "But before we do… we need to have a battle." The trio of U.A. students looked surprised by Jimmy's words. "Since we're all trainers who wanna get stronger, we gotta battle as much as we can. Least that's what my dad always says."

"He has a fair point. And our Pokemon are fully healed…" Shoto took a moment to ponder before nodding. "Very well. I'll battle you."

"Awesome!" Excited by this, Jimmy quickly ran ahead, standing on the far left side of the path while taking out a Pokeball. Shoto calmly made his way towards the right side of the path, also taking out a Pokeball. Momo and Tsuyu made their way to the center, with the former acting as the referee.

"I will act as referee." Momo declared, with no one voicing any objection. "The battle between Todoroki and Gold will now begin! Each side will only use one Pokemon, and the battle is over when either side's Pokemon are unable to battle. Is that understood?" Shoto and Jimmy nodded. "Then call out your Pokemon!"

"Cyndaquil, let's rock!" Jimmy threw his Pokeball, releasing his Starter Pokemon.

"(I'll win this for Jimmy)!" Cyndaquil declared while igniting his back.

"I wonder how much stronger his Cyndaquil is." Tsuyu muttered to herself, looking at Cyndaquil with interest.

'Since Cyndaquil is a Fire-type, Grass Pokemon like Treecko wouldn't be able to last long against them. Which leaves…' "Fletchling, I need your assistance!" Shoto threw his Pokeball in the air, allowing Fletchling to come out and stretch his wings.

"(This early bird's ready to fight)!" Fletchling declared confidently.

"Woah! You caught a wild Fletchling. Nice one, bro." Jimmy complemented Shoto before he grinned. "But that doesn't mean me and Cyndaquil are giving up."

"I wouldn't expect you to." Shoto remarked while narrowing his eyes.

"Ready?" Momo raised her arm in the air before bringing it down. "BEGIN!"

"Cyndaquil, let's start this fight with Ember!" Jimmy quickly ordered as Cyndaquil unleashed a barrage of small embers towards Fletchling.

"Fletchling, up in the air!" Fletchling spread his wings before flying up in the air, allowing Cyndaquil's attack to hit the spot he was just in. "Now, Quick Attack!"

"(Time for some payback)!" Fletchling shouted before he dived towards Cyndaquil.

"Not so fast! Cyndaquil, use Smokescreen!" Jimmy ordered with a smirk. Cyndaquil raised his head before shooting out a large smoke cloud from his mouth. Fletchling was hit in the face by the Smokescreen, his accuracy lowering due to its effects. He believed he saw Cyndaquil and rushed in, only to hit nothing. "Tackle!"

"(Surprise)!" Cyndaquil shouted before he rammed into Fletchling's side, causing the Robin Pokemon to squawk in pain.

"Impressive. He used Smokescreen to lower Fletchling's accuracy so he could land an attack." Momo told herself with a nod, taking mental notes of the battle.

"Fletchling, can you still fight?" Shoto asked his Pokemon, who shook off the pain from Cyndaquil's Tackle before nodding to his partner. "Okay. Peck!" Flying back up in the air, Fletchling dived towards Cyndaquil with a glowing beak.

"Ember!" Cyndaquil launched a barrage of embers towards Fletchling, hoping to shoot him down. However, much to his and Jimmy's surprise, Fletchling dodged left and right before he eventually struck Cyndaquil in the stomach, making the Johto Starter scream in pain. "CYNDAQUIL!"

"Oh my. Now both have taken considerable damage." Momo commented as she saw Cyndaquil skid along the field.

"Cyndaquil, you okay?" Jimmy called out with a concerned frown.

"(Y-Yeah)." Cyndaquil got back on his feet, wobbling slightly before he shook his head. He turned back and gave Jimmy a nod, making him sigh.

'Man. Shoto's really not giving me an easy time. I thought that Smokescreen would've been enough.' Jimmy thought as he saw Fletchling circle the air. As much as he wanted to end the battle, he couldn't deny that he was feeling rather fired up. "Cyndaquil, Smokescreen again!" Like before, Cyndaquil launched a cloud of smoke around himself, obscuring Fletchling and Shoto's vision. "Now use Swift to shoot down Fletchling!"

"(Take this)!" Cyndaquil shouted as he opened his mouth. Only this time, he unleashed a barrage of stars.

"Fletchling, dodge!" Shoto shouted as Fletchling began moving left and right to dodge Cyndaquil's Swift, though due to the Smokescreen, he was having some trouble. Eventually, several of the stars struck Fletchling, making him falter in the air.

"(Owww! That's not fair)!" Fletchling shouted in irritation before he suddenly began to charge towards the smoke.

"It's over! Cyndaquil, get ready to use Tackle!" Jimmy shouted with a confident grin, ready to end this fight. However, much to everyone's surprise, Fletchling became a blurt, rocketing straight through the smokescreen. "What the?!"

*BAM*

Cyndaquil screamed as Fletchling slammed hard into his stomach, sending the Johto Starter flying in the air before he crashed in front of Jimmy. Momo quickly went to inspect Cyndaquil and found him unmoving. "Cyndaquil is unable to battle!" Momo shouted as she pointed towards Shoto. "Fletchling wins, which means the victor is Todoroki!"

"Woah. That was a really fast Quick Attack." Tsuyu admitted out loud as Fletchling flew back to Shoto, landing on his right shoulder.

"That didn't look like Quick Attack…" Shoto took out his Pokedex and scanned Fletchling to check his moves. "Peck, Quick Attack and… Aerial Ace?" He then looked at Fletchling in mild surprise. "You learned a new move. Impressive."

"(Hmm! I am pretty strong)!" Fletchling gloated while puffing his chest. He had to admit it was a close fight, but his determination to win allowed Fletchling to learn a new move. Smiling slightly, Shoto rubbed the top of Fletchling's head, much to his joy.

"You okay, Cyndaquil?" Jimmy asked as he picked up his Pokemon, who weakingly replied. Sighing, Jimmy took out his partner's pokeball and smiled sadly. "That was a good fight. You rest up." He then returned Cyndaquil before making his way to Shoto. "Gotta be honest, Shoto. That was a great attack. It just shows I have a lot to learn."

"While that is true, you were also impressive, Gold." Momo told him with a smile. "That strategy with Smokescreen was genius."

"Hehehe. Thanks. I learned from watching my dad's Typhlosion do the same." Jimmy grinned while scratching the back of his head. He then took out a few Pokedollars before offering it to Shoto. "You beat me, so you get the prize money."

Shoto looked at the money before shaking his head. "I can't take your money. Since we'll be traveling together, I think it's best if we saved our money together. That way, we can buy supplies." Shoto explained, making Jimmy widen his eyes a bit before he chuckled.

"Man. You're just mister calm, cool, and collected, huh?" Jimmy asked rhetorically before he pocketed his money, moving it to wrap an arm around Shoto's shoulders. "But okay. Just to make us even, when we get to the next town, I'll buy you guys lunch. Deal?" Not seeing a problem with that, Shoto nodded in agreement, making Jimmy shake him. "Alright! Then let's get going!"

"You do realize your only Pokemon's knocked out, right?" Tsuyu asked out loud, making Jimmy freeze up before gasping.

"CRAP! That's right!" Letting go of Shoto, Jimmy proceeded to run back to Cherrygrove. "I gotta heal Cyndaquil!"

"(Wow. That human's really fast)." Fletchling commented as the trio went after Jimmy.

'With Katsuki's group'

*Snore*

A snore escaped the open mouth of one Eijiro Kirishima, a small trail of drool running down the right side of his mouth while his limbs were spread out of his sleeping bag. Chespin was also snoring, using Eijiro's right side as a makeshift pillow. The two seemed to be in dream heaven due to the expressions on their faces.

"(Yeah… I got you)..." Chespin muttered as he lazily punched the air, imagining a huge Pokemon standing in front of him.

"I'm… the red hero… Red Riot…" Eijiro snored as he moved his head, a big grin on his face. He could see millions of fans cheering for him, a huge statue of himself in the center of the city, and a lot of kids looking up to him.

*Wag*Wag*

Eijiro groaned as he felt his nose get itchy, prompting him to scratch it before he went back to his dream.

*Wag*Wag*

Again, his nose started to itch and once again, he scratched it.

*Wag*Wag*

"Not this time…" Acting fast, Eijiro grabbed whatever was brushing against his nose, feeling something soft on his palm. "Chespin, when did you grow hair?" Eijiro asked tiredly as he let out a yawn, opening his eyes to see his partner.

However, what he saw wasn't Chespin.

It was a quadrupedal, canine Pokémon. It is primarily light brown with a darker brown muzzle, paws, and ear tips. It has button ears, a short muzzle with a triangular pink nose, and a short tuft of fur on each cheek. Around its neck is a ruff of grayish-white fur stubbed with dark brown pebbles. The dark brown markings on its paws extend to a thin point on each wrist and ankle. It has a grayish-white tail that curls tightly over its back and is covered in fluffy fur.

Slowly, Eijiro's eyes widened as he looked at the strange creature in surprise. "Ummmm… what?"

The small dog-like Pokemon began to stir before opening its eyes, revealing them to be a light blue color. It stretched while letting out a cute yawn, pawing at its eyes.

"(Is it morning already)?" The strange Pokemon asked before feeling something on his tail. Turning his head, he saw the red haired human looking at him with wide eyes. However, instead of looking angry, the Pokemon actually smiled. "(Hello)!"

"Okay… this is weird." Eijiro admitted while letting go of the Pokemon's tail, sitting up to look at him. "You look like a puppy, but I'm guessing you're a wild Pokemon." Cautiously, Eijiro extended his hand towards the Pokemon, who watched curiously. Deciding to take the plunge, Eijiro put his hand on the Pokemon and began to pet him, much to his delight. A smile appeared on the Hardening-Quirk user's face. "You're a cute little guy, aren't you?"

The small Pokemon moved Eijiro's hand off his head before he suddenly lunged towards him.

"WOAHHHHH!"

"Kirishima… can't you stay quiet for a few more minutes?" Mina called out from her tent, only to hear rustling from her friend's tent. with a groan, Mina exited her tent, with an equally sleepy Mudkip and Weedle following suit. "Seriously, what is he doing up so early?"

"(Maybe something happened)." Mudkip suggested while pawing her eyes to stay awake.

"DAMNIT! WILL YOU SHUT UP?!" Katsuki shouted from his tent before coming out of it, an annoyed glare on his face. "Where is he?!" Mina simply pointed to their friend's tent, which continued to rustle.

"H-HEY! STOP! NOT LIKE THAT!" Eijiro screamed from inside, much to Katsuki and Mina's confusion. From the way he yelled, they assumed he was with someone besides Chespin, which signaled some red flags.

Katsuki walked over to the tent before opening it…

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" And found Eijiro on his back, laughing as the strange Pokemon rubbed against his face. "COME ON! STOP IT! THAT TICKLES!"

"(Eijiro? What's going on)?" Chespin asked, finally being awoken by his partner's laughter. Rubbing his eyes, the Kalos Starter was surprised to see the strange Pokemon rubbing against his partner. "(Who are you)?"

"(Huh?)" The strange Pokemon stopped tickling Eijiro (much to his relief) and saw Chespin wide awake, making him smile. "(NEW FRIEND)!" Before Chespin could do anything, the Pokemon tackled Chespin, rubbing his face gleefully.

"OH MY GOD! IS THAT A PUPPY?!" Mina exclaimed with hearts in her eyes.

"I… have no… idea." Eijiro confessed while wiping away the tears in his eyes as Katsuki took out his Pokedex to scan it.

"Rockruff, the Puppy Pokemon. When it rubs the rocks on its neck against you, that's proof of its love for you. However, the rocks are sharp, so the gesture is quite painful!"

"A Rockruff? How the hell'd it get in your tent?" Katsuki couldn't help but ask as Chespin kept laughing from Rockruff's rubbing.

"I have no idea. I think it might have gotten in last night." Eijiro explained as he smiled at the Puppy Pokemon. "When I woke up, this little guy was sleeping on my stomach. I guess he was tired."

"Wait… that means Rockruff's wild!" Mina shouted with a big smile as she got in the tent, bending down to Rockruff's level. "Hey, Rockruff. How are you?" Rockruff stopped rubbing against Chespin and looked at Mina with a curious expression. "You like playing, don't you?"

"(Yes! I love playing)!" Rockruff barked before he leapt towards Mina, who quickly caught him before he started to rub against her.

"Owowow! H-Hey! That tickles and hurts!" Mina laughed as she stumbled out of the tent and fell on her back.

"(Wow. I didn't know there were any Rockruffs around)." Weedle admitted as she saw Mina stand up, Rockruff in her arms.

"Whatever. Catch it or not." Katsuki scoffed a bit as he went back to his tent, only to notice something off. "What the hell?!"

"What's up, man?" Eijiro asked while exiting his tent, only to widen his eyes at what he saw.

There were several open chip bags on the floor, as well as several eaten snacks the trio had brought with them for their journey.

"(Woah. Who ate the food)?" Chespin asked with a surprise tone. He was sure everyone was full from dinner, so to see such a mess was a shock.

*Rustle*

The group stopped what they were doing as they heard a nearby bush rustle, with a bag of chips flying out of it.

"Litten, get out here." Katsuki ordered with narrowed eyes as his partner exited their tent, albeit with a yawn.

"(What)?" Litten asked tiredly before he heard the bush rustle once again. Knowing that something was off, Litten shook off his tiredness and slowly crept towards the bush.

"Scratch!" Katsuki shouted as Litten leapt towards the bush, his claws glowing. He entered the bush, forcing whatever was hiding inside it to jump into the opening.

The strange figure that leapt out of the bush was a Nidoran, which was a small, quadrupedal, mammalian Pokémon. It is pinkish purple with darker patches. It has large, spiny ears with teal insides, oversized front teeth, and red eyes. Its back is covered with three lines of large spines. The center line of spines is taller than the other two and it had a long horn on its forehead.

"(What was that for)?" The Nidoran asked, crumbs spread along his face.

"(What was that for? You were eating our food)." Litten answered with a glare. Katsuki took the chance to scan the wild Pokemon.

"Nidoran, the Poison Pin Pokemon. Its large ears are flopped like wings when it is listening to distant sounds. It extends toxic barbs when angered."

"So, this little bastard wants to steal our food, huh?" Katsuki asked before putting his Pokedex away. "Litten, use Ember!" Litten opened his mouth and unleashed a barrage of embers towards Nidoran. However, much to his and Katsuki's surprise, the Nidoran began to run towards Litten at a fast pace, dodging his Ember attack.

"(Take this, you dumb cat)!" Nidoran roared as his horn began to glow before he rammed it into Litten's side, making him scream as he skidded a few feet away.

"Woah! That little guy's tough." Eijiro commented out loud with a surprised tone.

"(That Peck was fine. But I'm not losing)!" Litten was then commanded to use Scratch. He quickly ran towards Nidoran before he slashed Nidoran's face, who grunted in pain. However, Nidoran quickly recovered as he turned his body, throwing two kicks with his back legs while striking Litten hard on the face.

"(Oh no! Litten)!" Mudkip cried out as Litten crashed on the grass. Nidoran just kept looking at Litten, still ready to fight.

'Hate to say it, but he's good. He can dodge Ember and hit hard.' Katsuki thought as he stared at Nidoran before a smirk grew on his face. 'I'm gonna catch it!' "Litten, get back up!" Despite feeling the pain from Double Kick, Litten got back on his feet and glared at Nidoran. "Growl!" Opening his mouth, Litten let out a loud growl, making Nidoran wince due to his heightened hearing, his attack strength decreasing. "Ember!"

"(Try this)!" Litten unleashed another Ember, this time striking Nidoran hard. Katsuki took the chance to rush to his tent, taking out a Pokeball from his backpack.

"You're mine!" With a battle cry, Katsuki threw the empty Pokeball towards Nidoran, hitting him on the head as the device absorbed him. The Pokeball fell on the grass, shaking to show the struggle inside. Katsuki's smirk grew as he stared at the Pokeball. "Hmmm. That's how you catch a-"

Before he could finish his words, the Pokeball bursted open, releasing a tired, yet angry Nidoran.

"(Try that again)." Nidoran growled in annoyance before he kicked Katsuki's Pokeball back to his hand, making him frown.

"Wow. Some catch, Bakugo." Mina jokingly told him, making him glare at her. Nidoran turned towards Litten before he opened his mouth, firing a barrage of purple needles.

"(Oh no)!" Litten quickly rushed towards the right, dodging Nidoran's Poison Sting attack. This gave Nidoran a chance to rush in and strike Litten with another Peck, sending him crashing into a tree.

"(Ouch. That looked like it hurt)." Rockruff said sadly as he and the others saw Litten struggle to get back up.

"Come on, Litten! You can do it! Show that rabbit you're strong!" Katsuki shouted in his own encouraging way. He would've been more than fine with fighting Nidoran, but this was a battle only Litten could win. Hearing his trainer's words, Litten shook away the pain and got back up with a glare. 'Nidoran's a strong fighter. That Poison Sting was alright, but its attacks with that horn are gonna be a problem. Hang on… the horn!'

"(I'm finishing this)!" Nidoran began to charge at Litten once again with a Peck attack, forcing the Alolan Starter to prepare a dodge.

"Litten, wait!" Katsuki shouted, much to everyone's shock.

"What are you doing?! Tell Litten to move!" Mina yelled at Katsuki, only for him to ignore her. Litten felt like Katsuki was setting him up, so he obeyed and watched as Nidoran got closer and closer.

'Almost…. Almost…' Katsuki's eyes widened as he saw Nidoran was in range. "LITTEN, BITE ITS HORN!"

"(Awww, screw it)!" Finding he had nothing to lose, Litten ran towards Nidoran and bit down on his horn, much to the Poison Point Pokemon's shock.

"(HE GOT IT)?!" Mudkip, Weedle and Chespin shouted in unison while Rockruff gasped in surprise. None of them actually thought Litten would bite on Nidoran's horn. But it goes to show how unpredictable Katsuki Bakugo was.

"(HEY! GET OFF)!" Nidoran tried to throw Litten off, but the Fire Starter was annoyingly persistent, holding onto his horn tight.

"Hang on… I GET IT!" Eijiro suddenly blurted out, getting everyone but Katsuki's attention. "Bakugo knew Nidoran's horn and legs would be a problem, so he made Litten bite it to keep it from fighting!"

"Shut down someone's moves and they're nothing but weaklings." Katsuki told them with a smirk, seeing Nidoran continue to struggle. Growling in anger, Nidoran opened his mouth, ready to launch another Poison Sting. "Litten, finish this with Ember!"

'(I'm… not… LOSING)!' Litten continued to bite harder on Nidoran's horn, his teeth slowly being lit on fire. Before Nidoran could launch his attack, Litten dug his fire-laced teeth into the horn, causing a close range explosion. Nidoran screamed in pain as he was sent flying back, landing with a thud.

"Holy crap! That looked like one of your explosions, man!" Eijiro exclaimed with wide eyes.

"That wasn't Ember. What the hell was that?" Katsuki took out his Pokedex and scanned Litten.

"Litten's known moves are: Growl, Scratch, Ember, and Fire Fang."

"Fire Fang?" Katsuki was surprised to see Litten learn such a strong move, though that didn't stop his smirk from growing. "Nice." Looking back at Nidoran, Katsuki noticed he was struggling to get back up, making him narrow his eyes. "This time, you're mine, rabbit!" Taking his chance, Katsuki threw the Pokeball once again, and once again, it hit Nidoran and absorbed him inside. The Pokeball fell on the grass, shaking a bit. Everyone watched in anticipation, waiting to see whether or not Nidoran would escape the ball again…

*Ding*

However, they didn't have to wait long as the Pokeball let out a ding, signaling Katsuki's capture. "(He did it)!" Mudkip, Chespin and Weedle all cheered while Rockruff wagged his tail in excitement.

"Nice one, man! You caught a Pokemon!" Eijiro congratulated his friend while giving him a pat on the back. Katsuki said nothing as he walked over to the Pokeball, picking it up with a smirk.

"He's an annoying little bastard, but he's strong." Katsuki told himself, his red eyes still looking at Nidoran's Pokeball. 'Let's see Deku and Icy Hot handle this.'

"(Ughhhhh)..." Litten let out a groan before he suddenly toppled over, catching everyone's attention.

"(LITTEN)!" The Pokemon shouted as they and their Trainers quickly rushed to the fallen Pokemon's side.

"Hey! What's wrong?!" Katsuki asked as he picked up his Pokemon, only to see his face was slightly purple. "What is that?"

"Hang on. Let me check the Pokedex." Eijiro offered as he took out his Pokedex, searching for anything that can help. He soon found something, making him gasp. "Oh crap! Litten's been poisoned!"

"Poison? How?!" Mina asked as she tried to recall a time Litten was hit. There was Nidoran's Peck and Double Kick, yet those didn't look fatal. And the Poison Sting attack didn't strike him, so that was out of the question. "Wait… remember when Litten bit Nidoran's horn?"

"Kirishima, check on Nidoran." Katsuki asked his friend with a serious tone, getting a nod from the red-haired teen. Looking up Nidoran, Eijiro looked over the information the Pokedex provided before his eyes widened.

"Poison Point! It's Nidoran's ability." Eijiro explained as he showed them his Pokedex. "It says whenever a Pokemon hits Nidoran with an attack, they can get poisoned."

'Shit.' Katsuki felt angry. Not towards Nidoran, but towards himself for not considering Nidoran's ability. Now it looked like Litten was poisoned and wouldn't be able to move.

Rockruff saw Litten breathe heavily before he adopted a serious expression, jumping out of Mina's arms.

"Rockruff?! Where are you going, little guy?" Mina called out as Rockruff ran through the bushes, much to her disappointment.

"(He doesn't look good)." Chespin muttered sadly, worried about his fellow Starter.

"It says we can give Litten an Antidote or a Pecha Berry, but I don't think we have any." Eijiro said with a deep frown.

"The next city's not too far. If we run, we can make it to a Pokemon Center." Katsuki stood up, looking down at Litten in his arms.

"I don't think that's a good idea, man. The Pokedex says running with a poisoned Pokemon will make it worse." Eijiro quickly told him, making Katsuki growl in anger. "But, maybe we can find a Pecha Berry or some-"

"(OVER HERE)!" Much to their surprise, Rockruff ran out of the bushes, a pink heart-shaped berry in his mouth.

"(Hey. Is that a berry)?" Mudkip asked with wide eyes as the Puppy Pokemon ran over to Katsuki, looking at him with a serious look in his eyes.

"Wait… Bakugo, that's a Pecha Berry!" Eijiro shouted with a big smile on his face. "That can get rid of the poison!" Katsuki took the berry out of Rockruff's mouth and offered it to Litten, who weakingly opened his eyes.

"Eat it." Katsuki ordered, to which Litten compiled by biting the berry, chewing it slowly. Everyone watched as Litten continued to eat the Pecha Berry, his purple face slowly disappearing. Once the berry was eaten, Litten's breathing went back to normal as he fell asleep, much to their relief.

"That was close." Mina admitted while wiping away her sweat. Even though Litten wasn't her Pokemon, she didn't want to see him suffer. Katsuki took the chance to return Litten back to his Pokeball to give him some much deserved rest.

"Great work, Rockruff. You're a little hero, you know that?" Eijiro told Rockruff while kneeling down and petting his head, making him bark happily.

"... Thanks." Katsuki muttered to Rockruff as he began to walk back to the camp, getting a smirk from Mina and a smile from Eijiro.

"Awww. You are getting soft~" Mina teasingly remarked, getting a glare from Katsuki. She turned away from him and smiled down at Rockruff. "So, Rockruff? Since you're still wild and you helped us, do you wanna come with me? I promise I'll give you belly rubs."

Rockruff took a moment to contemplate Mina's request before he shook his head towards her, much to her shock and disappointment. He then turned towards Eijiro and began wagging his tail happily, something Eijiro noticed.

"Ahhh. You like me, don't you?" Eijiro asked before he took out a Pokeball. "Well, you can come with me and Chespin!"

"(YAY! NEW FRIENDS)!" Excited, Rockruff pounced Eijiro, who caught him before he began rubbing against his face. Laughing in amusement, Eijiro decided to use his Quirk to harden his face, causing both his and Rockruff's skin to rub roughly against each other.

"(Wait… did he use Harden)?!" Weedle asked with a gasp as the other Pokemon looked at Eijiro in shock. Rockruff noticed the difference and smiled happily.

"(This human can use Harden! I like him)!" Rockruff then continued rubbing against Eijiro even harder, making him laugh happily. Even though she was sad that she couldn't catch a cutie like Rockruff, Mina was at least happy he was able to catch a Pokemon.

Plus, since Rockruff was now part of the group, she could cuddle with him anytime she wanted. It was a win-win!

'With Izuku's group'

"Thank you so much for allowing us to stay the night, Mr. Pokemon." Tenya told the older man while he, Izuku and Ochaco gave him a bow of respect. The trio were now standing in front of Mr. Pokemon's house, having spent the night there and enjoying a rather splendid breakfast with him.

Speaking of Mr. Pokemon, he simply chuckled at the thanks the youngsters in front of him were expressing. "Think nothing of it. I'm happy to help aspiring heroes and Pokemon Trainers in any way I can." Mr. Pokemon told them honestly while waving his hand. "Still, I wish all of you the best of luck with Violet City."

"If you don't mind me asking, do you know about the gym leader there?" Ochaco asked curiously.

"Hmmm, why yes I do." Mr. Pokemon told her while rubbing his chin in thought. "If I recall, his name is Falkner and he's a Flying-Type specialist. Despite that, he's a rather stoic and kind young man who tries to bring the best out of his opponents." He looked at the group with a smile. "He may prove a challenge, but I have faith your bonds with your Pokemon will help you succeed."

This got a smile from the trio, happy to hear such confident words from Mr. Pokemon. Even though he had just met them last night, he already had faith in their skills, especially with Professor Oak's deduction of the bonds with Rowlet, Popplio and Torchic.

*Slurp*Slurp*

The moment was cut short when the four heard a strange slurping sound. "Did you hear that?" Izuku asked in confusion.

"Yes. It sounds like… slurping." Tenya added with narrowed eyes as he and his friends looked around to find the source of the noise.

"Oh dear. It seems he's back." Mr. Pokemon spoke up with a sigh, getting the trio's attention. "Follow me." With that, he walked past the trio and made his way towards the trees. Confused, the trio followed the older man, the slurping sound growing louder and louder. Moving through some bushes, Mr. Pokemon shook his head before he looked at the trio. "I found the culprit."

Izuku, Ochaco and Tenya all looked at what Mr. Pokemon was talking about, only to widen their eyes.

Attached to a large tree was a bipedal, coleopteran insectoid Pokémon covered in a blue exoskeleton. There is a long, pronged horn on its forehead that ends in a cross. On either side of the horn is a short antenna with a spherical tip. It seemed to have oval, yellow eyes. Its forearms have a pair of spikes near the wrists, while its thighs have a single spike each. It has two claws on its hands, and a single long claw on each foot.

"(Mmmmmm… so good)~" The Pokemon muttered as it continued to suck on the tree, tasting the sweet nectar inside.

"Is that… a big beetle?" Ochaco couldn't help but ask rather nervously. She knew that Bug Pokemon existed, but to see such a large creature was still unnerving. Tenya took this chance to take out his Pokedex and scan the creature.

"Heracross, the Single Horn Pokemon. Heracross loves sweet sap and will go looking through forests for it. The Pokémon uses its two antennae to pick up scents as it searches."

"That Heracross has come around here a lot recently." Mr. Pokemon explained to the group as he continued to look at Heracross. "It seems to like eating nectar, though sometimes… it causes issues for the other Pokemon here. Namely Pinsir."

"Hmmm… if I recall, Heracross and Pinsir are known for being rivals." Tenya confessed as he remembered reading about that little fact during their flight to Johto. He then looked over to Heracross with a frown. "That doesn't excuse what it's doing."

"Maybe Heracross just likes the nectar." Ochaco tried to reason, though it didn't seem like a strong argument.

"Have you considered catching Heracross, Mr. Pokemon?" Izuku asked the older man, who shook his head.

"As much as I would like to, I'm afraid this Heracross is surprisingly resilient." Mr. Pokemon told them while putting his hands behind his back. "I may not have any personal grudge against Heracross, but the fact remains that if it continues eating all the nectar from the trees, it may cause more issues down the line."

The trio all frowned as they watched Heracross continue to suck on the nectar. Maybe Heracross didn't realize what it was doing, but someone needed to step up and convince it to share the nectar with all the Pokemon in the forest.

Much to Ochaco and Tenya's surprise, Izuku began to walk towards Heracross.

"Midoriya, what are you doing?" Tenya asked in a low tone.

"I'm going to see if I can talk to Heracross. If not… I can try catching it." Izuku told them, not taking his eyes off the Bug/Fighting Pokemon as he continued to make his way towards the tree. Heracross must have heard him coming as he stopped sucking on the tree, looking at Izuku.

"(Huh)?" Heracross watched curiously as Izuku stopped just a few feet in front of the tree.

"Hi, Heracross. Can I talk to you?" Izuku asked in a friendly tone. Heracross jumped off the tree and stared at Izuku with a curious look. Noticing the lack of hostility, Izuku continued to speak. "Look, I know the nectar from the tree must taste good. But you have to know that keeping it all to yourself isn't good. Everyone in this forest deserves to have it, don't you think?"

Heracross couldn't help but frown at Izuku's words. He knew that the trees were for everyone, but he couldn't help himself. The nectar from the trees were just so good! If only he could understand…. wait…

A smile appeared on Heracross' face as he walked over to Izuku, grabbing his hand. "(Come here. Try this nectar)! Heracross told Izuku as he began to pull the hero-in-training, much to everyone's surprise.

"H-Hang on. I don't need any nectar." Izuku tried telling Heracross while attempting to free himself. But he was surprised to feel how strong Heracross' grip was. Heracross and Izuku stopped in front of the tree, where the former was gesturing to the latter.

"(Go ahead. You'll like it, I promise)." Heracross assured him happily. Izuku felt a bit awkward as he could tell what Heracross wanted him to do. He looked back at the others, who just gestured him to go with the floor.

'Well… I guess I should at least try and look happy.' Izuku thought as he climbed up the tree a little, moving towards the spot Heracross drank from recently. He reached out and scooped a bit of the leftover nectar that was leaking out of the hole, looking back at Heracross, who nodded. Gulping, Izuku reluctantly licked the nectar on his fingers, only to widen his eyes in mild surprise.

"How is it?" Ochaco asked from the bushes.

"It's… not bad. A little too sweet, but it's not bad." Izuku confessed as he finished licking the last of the nectar off his hand. He smiled at Heracross. "I can see why you like it."

"(Right?! Finally, someone gets me)!" Heracross exclaimed joyfully before he opened his wings, flying up and latching on the tree once again. The humans sweatdropped mildly at Heracross' actions, though Mr. Pokemon did chuckle a bit.

"Well… I suppose as long as it knows how to share, this shouldn't be a problem." Mr. Pokemon admitted in amusement.

*Rustle*

Another set of bushes began to rustle, catching everyone's attention (except Heracross, who was focused on the tree nectar).

"(ATTACK)!" Bursting out of the bushes were a group of a bipedal, coleopteran insectoid Pokémon with a wide, dull-brown body divided into segments by thin lines. On top of their heads were a large pair of gray, spiky pincers. In their mouths were many long, flat teeth arranged horizontally and they had triangular eyes. Their legs are short and thick, while their arms are long and thin. They had three claws on each hand and foot; two of their toes face forward and one backward.

The new Pokemon all charged towards the tree Heracross was eating from, their large pincers snipping in anticipation.

"MIDORIYA! HERACROSS! LOOK OUT!" Tenya called out as he, Ochaco and Mr. Pokemon all watched in shock.

"HERACROSS!" Quickly running towards the tree, Izuku grabbed Heracross and with a mighty pull, moved him away from the tree. The group of Pokemon all latched onto the tree, sucking the nectar.

"Those Pinsirs almost tried crushing Heracross." Mr. Pokemon frowned deeply as Ochaco took out her Pokedex.

"Pinsir, the Stag Beetle Pokemon. Pinsir has a pair of massive horns. Protruding from the surface of these horns are thorns. These thorns are driven deeply into the foe's body when the pincer closes, making it tough for the foe to escape."

"Heracross, are you okay?" Izuku asked in concern, getting Heracross to look at him.

"(What happened? Did I do something wrong)?" Heracross asked innocently. He was so preoccupied withsucking the nectar that he didn't even realize he was attacked. Looking at the tree, Heracross' eyes widened as he saw the group of Pinsirs sucking all the nectar for themselves. "(Hey! Don't hog it for yourselves)!" Pushing Izuku away, Heracross flew towards the tree. Three Pinsirs noticed this and flew off the tree, striking Heracross with three X-Scissors. "(AAAHHHH)!"

"HERACROSS!" Izuku quickly moved and caught Heracross, though the force of his body caused both of them to fall on their backs.

"How dare they attack Heracross! There's more than enough nectar for everyone!" Tenya shouted with a deep frown.

"I guess it's the Pinsirs that are the problem. Not Heracross." Ochaco admitted, feeling a bit sorry for Heracross.

"Stay back." Izuku told Heracross as he got back on his feet, glaring at the Pinsirs. "You wanna take all that nectar for yourselves, that's fine. But don't attack everyone who wants to have some!" The Pinsirs stopped eating their meals while they growled at Izuku.

"Midoriya, be careful!" Mr. Pokemon called out. "Battling one Pinsir is bad enough. But a group of them are deadly!"

"Even so, I can't stand by and let them hurt Heracross." Izuku reasoned, getting a gasp from the Bug/Fighting Pokemon. He took out his two Pokeballs before throwing them in the air. "Rowlet! Rufflet! I choose you!"

Rowlet and Rufflet came out of their Pokeballs, each glaring at the Pinsirs. "(You tried hurting Izuku! No way are we letting you get away with that)!" Rowlet shouted in anger.

"(And hurting innocent Pokemon is something I'll never accept)!" Rufflet added, ready to battle the group of Bug Pokemon. Angered by their declarations, the Pinsirs all flew away from the tree and charged towards Izuku and his Pokemon.

"Rowlet, use Leafage! Rufflet, Air Cutter!" Izuku ordered with a serious tone. Rowlet opened his wings and launched a barrage of glowing leaves while Rufflet sent several air blades forward. The two attacks struck several of the Pinsirs, with some screaming in pain due to Air Cutter. Some of the Pinsirs in the back were able to avoid the attacks and moved in with their pincers extended via Vice Grip. Rowlet and Rufflet got out of the way while Izuku caught one of the Pinsirs by its pincers.

"SMASH!" Pulling his leg back, Izuku used a bit of his Quirk and kicked the Pinsir in the face, sending it flying away. More Pinsirs came out of the bushes, fully intent on helping their fellow brethren.

"Torchic, Ember! Rookidee, Peck!" Having enough of being a bystander, Tenya threw his Pokeballs forward, releasing Torchic and Rookidee before they began fighting against the Pinsirs as well. Rolling up his pants to expose his engines, Tenya launched himself forward, kicking an unsuspecting Pinsir in the face. "Reciprocal Impact!"

"Popplio, use Bubblebeam! And Buneary, you use Double Hit!" Not wanting to be left out, Ochaco sent out her Popplio and Buneary, who launched a barrage of bubbles and hard hits respectively.

Thanks to the combined efforts of the heroes-in-training and their Pokemon, more and more of the Pinsirs were going down, with the remaining ones losing their will to fight.

'(W-Wow)...' Heracross thought as he watched the battle unfold. He never expected these humans using moves of their own to battle, as well as the coordination with their Pokemon. The Bug-Fighting Pokemon was mostly focused on Izuku, who punched another Pinsir into its fellow Bug-Types. '(For a human, he's really strong. And he's really nice).'

However, Heracross was brought out of his thoughts when he saw two Pinsirs leap off the branch of another tree, flying towards Izuku, fully intent on cutting him in half.

"DEKU, LOOK OUT!" Ochaco shouted in horror as she saw the Pinsirs gunning for Izuku. The successor to All Might, having heard this, turned his head and looked up, seeing the Pinsirs almost reach him.

"SMAS-"

*SMACK*

Izuku was unable to finish his attack as a familiar Pokemon came into view, blocking the attacks with its horn. "Heracross?!" Izuku gasped as it turned out his savior was Heracross, who held his ground, despite holding back two Pinsirs.

"He protected Midoriya…" Mr. Pokemon muttered as he and Ochaco watched in amazement.

Heracross gritted his teeth, feeling the Pinsirs try and push him away. However, he dug his feet deep in the ground, giving them a defiant glare.

"(I… won't… let… you… HURT HIM)!" With a mighty cry, Heracross threw the two Pinsirs away, sending them crashing into the tree. Noticing the three remaining Pinsirs charging at him, Heracross clenched his right hand, coating it into a dark blade-like aura.

"Oh my. That's Night Slash!" Mr. Pokemon gasped in surprise. "I didn't think Heracross knew that move!" Heracross then slashes the last of the Pinsirs hard, easily knocking them out. After a moment, the Pinsirs all woke up and saw the group glaring at them, with Heracross standing in the front.

"(Don't attack anyone for Nectar again)." Heracross warned them. The Pinsirs, fearing another beatdown, nodded before running away.

"(That was really close)." Popplio confessed with a relieved sigh.

"(Ha. Those bugs weren't enough for us)." Rookidee cockily remarked.

"(Say that when you fight them alone)." Torchic shot back with a blank expression, though this didn't affect Rookidee.

"(Good work, Buneary)!" Popplio congratulated Ochaco's newest Pokemon, offering her a flipper. Buneary smiled before using her left ear to give the flipper a high five.

"That was rather impressive, you three." Mr. Pokemon told the group with a smile. "Especially with, Midoriya and Tenya. Using your Quirks like that is something to behold."

"Thank you. Though, I wish I didn't need to use it." Izuku admitted, a bit ashamed to have used his power rather than just rely on his Pokemon.

"True. But you used your Quirk to protect Heracross." Tenya told him while putting a firm hand on his shoulder. "And I also used my Quirk willingly. As long as we both acknowledge this, then it will be fine." Izuku couldn't help but smile at his friend's words.

*Slurp*Slurp*

Everyone heard another slurping sound and assumed it was Heracross.

But much to their shock, it was actually Izuku's Rowlet, who was sucking on the tree nectar from one of the spots the Pinsirs were drinking from. "Rowlet!"

"(Mmmhmmm. That is some good nectar)." Rowlet shamelessly commented as he pulled away from the tree, a look of satisfaction on his face. Everyone but Heracross sweatdropped at this before the U.A. students returned their Pokemon back into their pokeballs.

"Well, we've taken enough time away from you, Mr. Pokemon. We should be off." Tenya told the older man as he, Izuku and Ochaco gave him one last bow, making their way towards Violet City.

"Those kids…" Mr. Pokemon shook his head in amusement before he noticed someone was missing. "I wonder where Heracross wen-"

Mr. Pokemon didn't need to finish as he saw a familiar Pokemon falling closely behind the trio, making him smile.

"We should probably head to the Poke Mart after we heal up our team. It'll be good to resupply with the money we have." Izuku told Tenya, who nodded in agreement.

"Yes. Hopefully, we'll be able to challenge the Gym Leader and catch up with our classmates." Tenya added. Ochaco smiled at the plan as she casually looked back, only to gasp lightly. "Uraraka?"

"Guys, look!" Ochaco stopped walking and turned her body around, something that confused Izuku and Tenya. They focused their attention on what she was referring to, only to widen their eyes as well.

Walking a few feet away from them was Heracross, who had his claws pressed against each other while adopting a nervous expression.

"Heracross. You followed us?" Izuku asked the Pokemon, who nodded. "Do you… want something?"

"(Y-Yeah. I… wanted to say thanks. For helping me)." Heracross told Izuku while tapping his claws together, making the humans recall Koji Koda due to his nervous nature. "(But, also)..." The Bug/Fighting Pokemon then looked over to Izuku with a hopeful expression.

While he couldn't understand what Heracross was saying exactly, Izuku noticed the look in his eyes. It reminded him of the look he gave his mom whenever he wanted a new All Might toy or whenever he wanted to show her videos on YouTube.

"Midoriya." Tenya spoke up, giving his friend a smile. "I believe Heracross wants to come with us. Or rather, you."

Heracross smiled and nodded, confirming Tenya's suspicions. While it did surprise Izuku to hear another Pokemon wanted to come with him, he couldn't hide the smile growing on his face. While Heracross' love for nectar might be a slight issue, that didn't change the fact he was willing to protect Izuku from the Pinsirs. Not to mention Heracross' powerful Horn Attack and Night Slash showed how much of a good fighter he was.

"You really wanna come with me, huh Heracross?" Izuku asked, getting Heracross to joyfully nod his head. "Okay, then!" Taking out a spare Pokeball, Izuku threw it at Heracross, absorbing it into the device. The Pokeball then flew back into Izuku's hand, with a *ding* coming out of it to confirm the capture. Izuku looked down at the Pokeball in his hand before lifting it up in the air. "I got Heracross!"

"Awesome, Deku! I know you and Heracross will make a good team." Ochaco congratulated her crush, much to his joy.

"Agreed. Not only is Heracross a Bug Type, but its Fighting Typing will also prove useful later on." Tenya added wisely while fixing his glasses.

"To be honest, I always wanted to catch a Heracross. Not only are they based on a hercules beetle, but they also have a large variety of moves. Maybe if I sparred with Heracross, I can help improve my Quirk performance. As well as help build up Rowlet and Rufflet's strength and dexterity against a Pokemon like Heracross. Oh, but I should also consider Heracross' addiction to nectar. Maybe if I buy a few jars of honey, I can help control it so if we fought in a forest, he wouldn't be distracted…" Due to the many possibilities that came with capturing Heracross, Izuku once again entered his usual muttering phase, which made Tenya and Ochaco sweatdrop.

Thank Arceus no one else was around to hear this.

'With Shoto's group, afternoon'

"Ahhh. That was a good lunch." Jimmy leaned back on his chair, a satisfied sigh escaping his mouth as he rubbed his belly. He had to admit, it was a surprise to see how good of a cook Momo and Tsuyu were if their sandwiches were any indication. He glanced over to Cyndaquil, who was almost done eating from his bowl. "Hey, Cyndaquil? How's the food?"

"(Really good)!" Cyndaquil cheered, eating the last of his food with a sigh. He looked around and saw Treecko and Fletchling were already done with their food, Froakie and Tympole were taking their time, and Fennekin was munching on another twig Momo found for her.

"Judging by our location, we should be able to reach Violet City before nightfall." Shoto told everyone, having checked the map function on his Pokegear. He saw Tsuyu nodding while drinking her tea, though Momo seemed to be lost in thought. "Yaoyorozu?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry." Momo spoke up with an apologetic tone. "I was just thinking."

"About home?" Tsuyu asked with a head tilt, getting a head shake from Momo.

"No. Well… not really. It's true that I miss my home, but I was thinking about the status of our Pokemon." Momo explained as she looked over at the Pokemon, more specifically Fletchling and Tympole. "From what I've heard, gym leaders have several Pokemon with them, which will make it difficult for someone like me to challenge them, with only having Fennekin with me."

Fennekin perked up when she heard this and quickly went over to Momo, pawing her leg to get her attention. "(Don't worry, Momo. I'll fight hard so we can win)." Fennekin told her with a look of determination. Momo saw this and couldn't help but smile as she pulled her Pokemon up to her lap, stretching her behind the ears.

"I feel ya. So far, the only Pokemon I have is Cyndaquil. And while he is strong, I do wanna catch more Pokemon." Jimmy admitted while scratching the back of his head.

"Well, why don't we help you two find some Pokemon?" Tsuyu suggested, getting their attention. "Since me and Todoroki have two Pokemon already, we can help you find some before we reach the gym."

"Agreed. It wouldn't be fair if only you two have one Pokemon." Shoto added with a nod. Momo and Jimmy both smiled at the kindness of their two friends.

"Awesome!" Now pumped up, Jimmy stood up from his seat and clenched his hands into fists. "Let's do this, Cyndaquil!"

"(YEAH)!" Cyndaquil yelled before he and Jimmy ran off to find a new teammate.

"(... Did he really just leave the cleaning to us)?" Froakie asked bluntly, getting nods from the other Pokemon.

"I'll go help him." Tsuyu stood up before returning Froakie and Tympole into their Pokeballs. Before she left, she looked at her friends. "I can help clean up when we're done, ribbit."

"Don't worry, Tsu." Momo reassured her before the green haired teen ran after Jimmy and Cyndaquil. "We should go and find some wild Pokemon." Shoto gave her a nod before he looked over to Treecko and Fletchling.

"Treecko, Fletchling. Can you two watch our things? We'll be back soon." Shoto asked his Pokemon.

"(Yes sir, Shoto sir)!" Fletchling gave a salute while Treecko gave a mild shrug, not caring about watching everyone's things. With that, Shoto, Momo and Fennekin all went to find Momo a new Pokemon partner.

'With Jimmy and Tsuyu'

Jimmy and Cyndaquil stood in the middle of a small opening, both looking around for any sign of a wild Pokemon.

"Okay. Gotta remember what dad said." Jimmy muttered to himself as he began recalling what his father told him. "Listen… wait… relax…" He took a deep breath before letting out a calm breath. Cyndaquil noticed what he was doing and copied his actions. Tsuyu reached them and was about to call them out when she noticed their calm expressions.

'I guess he isn't as reckless as I thought.' Tsuyu thought as she just watched from a distance, wanting to see how things would pan out.

'Come on… get me a sign…' Jimmy thought, impatience slowly growing in him.

*Rustle*

Jimmy and Cyndaquil perked up when they heard the leaves on a nearby tree rustle, indicating something was there. "Gotcha…" A grin appeared on Jimmy's face as he looked over to Cyndaquil. "Buddy, use Swift on that tree." Cyndaquil nodded before he opened his mouth, unleashing a barrage of stars towards the tree.

"(OWWWW)!" A small figure came out of the tree, flapping in the air while glaring at Cyndaquil and Jimmy. "(Okay, which one of you did that)?!"

The creature that came out of the tree was a small bird Pokémon with dark blue feathers. A red marking with pointed tips stretches from its chest to its forehead, and it has a white underside. It has narrow brown eyes and a short yellow beak. It has elongated wingtips and black feet with yellow talons. Each foot has three toes facing forward and one backward. Two sharply pointed feathers form its tail.

"Nice. A bird Pokemon." Jimmy smiled as he took out his Pokedex to learn about the new Pokemon.

"Taillow, the Tiny Swallow Pokemon. It has a gutsy spirit that makes it bravely take on tough foes. It flies in search of warm climates."

"Taillow, huh? Not a bad first choice." Jimmy put away his Pokedex before pointing a finger at Taillow. "Listen up, Taillow! The name's Jimmy Gold and I'm gonna catch you!"

"(Oh yeah? Try this)!" Taillow suddenly flew towards Jimmy with a white streak behind him via Quick Attack.

"WOAH!" Luckily, Jimmy was able to jump out of the way before Taillow could land the attack. He gave the Tiny Swallow Pokemon a glare. "Wise bird, aren't you?! Cyndaquil, Ember!"

"(Take this)!" Cyndaquil launched several embers towards Taillow, who dodged them with several barrel rolls. Taillow then began to flap his wings at a rapid pace, causing a large amount of wind to shoot towards the Trainer and Pokemon.

"For a little bird Pokemon, it's pretty strong." Tsuyu admitted to herself, feeling the hard winds from where she was standing.

"Cyndaquil, try to hang in there and use Tackle!" Jimmy shouted while covering his face with his arms. He then saw Taillow stop his Hurricane attack and rushed towards Cyndaquil. "Here it comes!"

Unfortunately, Cyndaquil was unable to dodge as Taillow struck him hard in the face. Though he was able to get back on his feet, Cyndaquil was then repeatedly slapped in the face by Taillow via Wing Attack.

"Come on, Jimmy…"Tsuyu was starting to worry about Cyndaquil. At this rate, he and Jimmy would lose to the Taillow and they would need to go all the way back to Cherrygrove City to heal him.

"I know you can do it, Cyndaquil! Blast him back with Smokescreen!" Jimmy ordered. Cyndaquil, despite the pain, quickly unleashed a smokescreen from his mouth, surprising Taillow as he flew back.

"(*Cough*Cough* What was that about?! I thought you wanted to fight me)!" Taillow shouted while trying to clear his lunges from the close range Smokescreen.

"Buddy, are you okay?" Jimmy asked in concern as he saw Cyndaquil struggling to stand. He wanted to catch Taillow as much as the next guy, but not at the cost of his partner's health. "If… if you wanna run, we can."

"(NO)!" Cyndaquil suddenly yelled while looking back at Jimmy, surprising him, Tsuyu and even Taillow. "(I'm not losing to another Flying Type! You wanna get to the Pokemon League, so I'll do everything I can to get you there! Just believe in me, Jimmy)!"

"C-Cyndaquil…" Even though Jimmy couldn't understand a thing Cyndaquil said, he felt his partner's determination in his heart, which made him feel guilty for even suggesting a surrender. He was Jimmy freaking Gold! The next Pokemon Champion in Johto! No way was he gonna let this little Taillow stop him!

*Slap*

Tsuyu and Taillow jumped a bit when they saw Jimmy slap both his cheeks rather hard, leaving red hand marks on them. Despite the pain, Jimmy gave a big smile as he looked at Cyndaquil. "You're right, buddy! We can't give up just yet! Ready to finish this?" This got a nod from the Fire Mouse Pokemon, his back igniting once again.

Tsuyu had a smile grow on her face, seeing the burning determination from Jimmy and Cyndaquil. 'I guess they're a good match.'

Taillow was surprised by Jimmy's words before he scoffed, recomposing himself. "(So you yelled out. Big deal! There's no way you're beating me)!" With that, Taillow began to rush towards Cyndaquil once again with a Quick Attack.

"We're taking him head on! Tackle!" Jimmy shouted with a fist raised in the air. Cyndaquil began to run towards Taillow, his back still lit up.

'(I have to win… for me… for the others… FOR JIMMY)!' Something inside Cyndaquil was burning hot, giving him a new idea.

Suddenly, Cyndaquil dove forward and began to roll. "Cyndaquil!" Jimmy was about to rush and help his partner when he saw Cyndaquil engulfed in flames, creating a fire wheel. "Woah…"

"(Say what)?!" Taillow gasped in shock before he collided with Cyndaquil's fire wheel, making him scream in pain before he crashed on the ground.

"Woah…" Tsuyu had to admit she didn't expect a move like that to be used by Cyndaquil. But it looked like it was strong enough to knock Taillow down a peg. Noticing Jimmy was still shocked by the turn of events, she decided to speak up. "Jimmy! The Pokeball!"

"The what?" Jimmy finally noticed Tsuyu watching him before he realized what she meant. "Oh crap! Right!" Clumsily reaching into his belt, Jimmy took out an empty Pokeball before aiming it at the downed Taillow. "Go, Pokeball!" With a mighty toss, Jimmy threw the ball at Taillow, who was unable to move out of the way as the Pokeball struck him. The device opened up and absorbed the Hoenn Pokemon inside. Everyone watched in anticipation as the Pokeball fell on the ground, shaking several times as Taillow tried to break free.

Jimmy gulped a bit.

Cyndaquil, while still dizzy from using his new move, was ready in case he needed to fight.

And Tsuyu was slowly reaching out to Froakie's Pokeball in case she needed to act.

*Ding*

The Pokeball let out a ding, confirming Jimmy's capture. Jimmy relaxed his shoulders, his eyes slowly widening in realization. "... I did it… I did it… I FREAKING DID IT!" Jimmy shouted with the biggest grin he could muster. He ran over to Cyndaquil and scooped him into his arms. "THAT WAS AWESOME, CYNDAQUIL! YOU'RE THE MON!"

"(WE ACTUALLY WON)!" Cyndaquil cheered as he and Jimmy hugged each other tightly, spinning around just to add flair. Tsuyu couldn't help but giggle at how cute the two were acting, making Jimmy stop.

"I mean… yeah, we did it. No biggie." Jimmy quickly put Cyndaquil down while trying to act cool, though given what he just did a few seconds ago, it was a failure. He went over and picked up Taillow's Pokeball, a smile coming back to his face. "Welcome to the team, Taillow."

"What was that move Cyndaquil used? It looked like a fire wheel or something?" Tsuyu questioned as Jimmy took out his Pokedex, scanning Cyndaquil.

"Cyndaquil's known moves are: Ember, Swift, Smokescreen, and Flame Wheel." The Pokedex informed him, making him widen his eyes.

"Seriously? Well dang!" Putting away his Pokedex, Jimmy grinned down at Cyndaquil before he got down to his level, rubbing the Fire Starter's head. "You're getting even stronger now, buddy. Soon, we'll be able to beat Shoto and Fletchling."

Cyndaquil smiled and ignited his back to show how pumped he was.

'Adorable.' Tsuyu thought, seeing how close Jimmy and Cyndaquil were about their first ever capture. "We should probably head back."

"Right." Returning Cyndaquil back into his Pokeball for some much needed rest, Jimmy and Tsuyu quickly went back to their lunch spot.

'With Shoto and Momo'

The two U.A. students continued searching for any Pokemon that would help fill up Momo's team, though many of them didn't seem interesting.

"It's amazing how many Pidgeys there are in this route." Shoto admitted out loud as he saw yet another on a nearby tree branch, pecking at its wings. "Are you sure you don't want to catch one?"

"Well, they do seem like valuable Pokemon, they just haven't caught my eye." Momo confessed with a frown as the Pidgey flew away. She knew it was idiotic to be picky about Pokemon, but she wanted something that would at least be different.

"(Don't worry, Momo. We'll find someone to catch)." Fennekin reassured her Trainer with a smile before her ears picked up something. "(Huh)?"

"Fennekin, what's wrong?" Momo asked, noticing Fennekin perked up. The Kalos Pokemon then began to run towards the left. "Wait!"

"Maybe she found something." Shoto suggested as he and Momo went to follow Fennekin. They didn't need to go far as Fennekin was crouched in front of a small bush, looking at something.

"Fennekin, why did you run off?" Momo asked with a frown.

"(Over there)." Fennekin told them while pointing her paw forward. Momo and Shoto grew curious and stared at what Fennekin was looking at.

Eating several leaves from another bush was a caterpillar-like Pokémon with a broad, bitten leaf enfolding its head like a hood. Its large, spherical head is an orange-yellow with two small, close-together knobs on its forehead. Its eyes are black and circular, and its mouth has a downward-pointing, crescent-shaped orange snout with a sharp tiny tooth at either end. The underside between the snout and its neck is white. Its green body has three segments with a pair of stubby, spherical orange legs on each segment.

The Pokemon seemed rather happy as it continued to eat the leaves without a care in the world.

"Who's that Pokemon?" Shoto muttered as he took out his Pokedex.

"Sewaddle, the Sewing Pokemon. Since this Pokémon makes its own clothes out of leaves, it is a popular mascot for fashion designers."

"Fashion? That's surprising." Shoto said as he put his Pokedex away, staring at the newly identified Sewaddle. "What do you think, Yaoyorozu?" He got no response, much to his confusion. "Yaoyorozu?"

Shoto turned his head to speak to her… only to find Momo staring at Sewaddle with a sparkle in her eyes, her hands covering her mouth.

'It's… so… CUTE!' Momo squealed in her mind as she continued to watch Sewaddle. Unlike some of the Bug Pokemon she and the others had seen thus far, Sweaddle looked adorable, especially with that leaf hood it had on. And when she heard Shoto's Pokedex mention it being a mascot for fashion designers, it made her heart skip a beat. 'I HAVE to catch Sewaddle!'

"(Momo)?" Fennekin asked worriedly, seeing as her Trainer hadn't said anything. She and Shoto were surprised when Momo stood up with a look of determination.

"Fennekin… we're catching that Sewaddle." Momo told her with a smile, making Fennekin sweatdrop a bit while Shoto raised a curious brow. Neither of them expected Momo to be this determined to catch a Pokemon, much less a Bug Type like Sewaddle.

"(Mmmmm. These leaves are so good)~" Sewaddle moaned as she ate another leaf, satisfied with the taste. Pulling away from the bush, Sewaddle tilted her head as she saw what looked like a berry in the middle of it. "(Ohhh. A berry)." Still feeling hungry, Sewaddle reached out and bit the berry.

Which suddenly let out an angry screech.

Momo, Fennekin and Shoto watched in shock as Sewaddle was thrown back, with a new creature emerging from the bushes.

It was a blue, spherical Pokémon, resembling a Honduran White Bat. It is covered in shaggy fur and has a large, piggish nose with a heart-shaped nostril. Two tufts of shaggy fur hide its eyes, and its mouth has a single fang in the center of its upper jaw. There are two relatively small, black wings on either side of its body.

"(Uh oh)!" Sewaddle gasped in shock as the bat Pokemon growled at her, clearly angered by her bite.

"Who's that Pokemon?" Momo took out her Pokedex to scan the new creature.

"Woobat, the Bat Pokemon. Its habitat is dark forests and caves. It emits ultrasonic waves from its nose to learn about its surroundings."

"It must have been eating from that bush too. And Sewaddle mistakened it for food." Shoto theorized as he saw how angry Woobat was. The Woobat suddenly began flapping its tiny wings, sending out a large amount of wind towards Sewaddle. She tried to hold out, but the Gust attack was too strong as she was sent flying into another bush.

Unfortunately, that bush had another Woobat eating from it and Sewaddle crashing into it caused its meal to be interrupted.

"WOOBAT!" Angered by this, the second Woobat fired a wave of psychic energy, striking Sewaddle as she screamed in pain.

"(That's not fair! It's two against one)!" Fennekin shouted with a growl. Sewaddle fell on the ground with a thud, pain coursing through her body.

"(S-S-String Shot)!" Sewaddle opened her mouth and fired a string of wed fluid towards one of the Woobats, only for it to dodge effortlessly. She watched in horror as that same Woobat launched a series of air blades via Air Cutter. '(Someone… please… HELP ME)!'

Before the attacks could collide, a tall figure jumped in front of Sewaddle.

*BANG*

Sewaddle and the Woobats watched in shock as Momo the Air Cutter with a shield she created with her Quirk. "(W-What)?"

"How dare you?" Momo asked as she lowered her shield, glaring at the Woobats. "Attacking a Pokemon while it's eating. Fennekin!"

"(Right)!" Fennekin rushed out of the bushes, standing proudly in front of Momo while growling at her opponents. Not caring about the new arrivals, the Woobats both launched another series of Air Cutters.

"Fennekin, jump off my shoulders and use Ember!" Momo ordered as she stepped forward to block the attack. Fennekin quickly ran behind her Trainer as Momo blocked the Air Cutters, grunting as the strength of the Air Cutters were increased. Once the attacks were blocked, Fennekin quickly ran up Momo's back, reaching her shoulders before hopping off it. Taking a deep breath, Fennekin unleashed her Ember, striking both Woobats as they screamed. The Woobats then flew away in fear, making Momo and Fennekin sigh in relief.

"Good work, Yaoyorozu." Shoto complimented as he made his way towards his classmate. He would have intervened as well, but it seemed like Momo and Fennekin had it handled.

"Thank you, Todoroki. I just could stand by and allow them to attack a cut-I mean Sewaddle like that." Momo quickly corrected herself, much to Shoto's confusion. A small groan caught their attention as they looked down at Sewaddle, who was still reeling in pain. "Sewaddle!"

"(Those attacks must have hurt a lot)." Fennekin muttered with a sad tone as her Trainer kneeled down, checking Sewaddle's condition.

"We need to bring Sewaddle to a Pokemon Center." Momo told them as she carefully picked up Sewaddle.

"Or we can use this." Shoto pulled out a Potion from his pocket, offering it to Momo. "The professor said these help heal Pokemon."

"O-Oh. My apologies." A blush appeared on Momo's face, embarrassed by how she forgot such a thing. Taking the Potion from Shoto's hand, Momo then aimed it at Sewaddle, who opened her eyes. "This may sting a little, so please bear with it."

"(What'll sting)?" Sewaddle asked before Momo began spraying her with the Potion. The Bug/Grass Type winced as the Potion strung her wounds, but almost immediately, she began to feel relief. Soon, the pain had disappeared and Sewaddle felt like her old self. "(I feel better now)..."

"There." Momo smiled in delight, seeing how Sewaddle relaxed in her arms. Sewaddle looked at her before flashing her own smile.

"(Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU)!" Suddenly, Sewaddle moved up and began rubbing her face against Momo's, making her laugh.

"Hahahaha! That tickles." Momo kept laughing before she embraced Sewaddle, finding her actions especially adorable. She kneeled down and put Sewaddle down, her smile still evident on her face.

"Yaoyorozu, maybe now is the time to battle Sewaddle." Shoto suggested, though Momo shook her head.

"No. I couldn't do that." Momo told him, her smile growing a bit sad. "It was probably scared from the Woobats, so battling it now wouldn't be right." She stood back up and looked down at Sewaddle. "Take care of yourself, Sewaddle." With that, Momo began to walk away, leaving a shocked Fennekin, a curious Shoto, and a sad Sewaddle behind.

"(WAIT)!" Crawling as fast as her tiny legs could, Sewaddle grabbed onto Momo's leg, holding on tight. "(You're so nice! And you saved me! I wanna stay with you)!" Momo looked down in surprise, not expecting Sewaddle to be attached to her.

"It seems Sewaddle wants to go with you, regardless." Shoto pointed out, a small smile on his face.

"(I'd like that. She can be a good friend)." Fennekin added as she gave Momo a pleading look. It didn't take a lot of convincing as Momo smiled brightly, reaching down to pick up Sewaddle.

"AWWW, THANK YOU, SEWADDLE! I'M SO GLAD YOU WANT TO COME WITH ME!" Momo squealed as she hugged Sewaddle tightly, not caring how it looked to anyone. Fennekin giggled while Shoto just watched everything unfold with a hint of amusement on his face. Quickly taking out an empty Pokeball, Momo showed it to Sewaddle. "I'm going to catch you. Is that okay?"

Sewaddle didn't need any convincing as she tapped the Pokeball with her head, causing it to absorb her.

*Ding*

The Pokeball let out a ding, signaling the capture. "It didn't put up a struggle. Curious." Shoto muttered while rubbing his chin in thought. "It's probably because it was fond of you."

"You might be right. But still…" Momo looked at Sewaddle's Pokeball before holding it close to her chest. "I actually caught a Pokemon."

"(Good job, Momo. You deserve it)." Fennekin told her partner with a smile. Momo smiled down at her before picking the Kalos Starter up, giving her a hug.

"We have a new friend, Fennekin. And I'm sure Sewaddle won't be the only one." Momo reminded her Pokemon, who eagerly nodded.

"We should return to the others. Asui and Gold might have already found a Pokemon." Shoto reminded her. Momo looked at him with a big smile before she nodded.

"Of course." The duo then began to make their way towards their camp, with a new friend in tow.

'Violet City, sometime later'

Violet City, the city just past Route 31, was a rather interesting place.

Many of the buildings had a japanese-inspired design, with dark violet tile roofs and several ponds with bamboo shoots in them. Not to mention the roads were covered in stone tiles rather than the usual asphalt that was used now.

Overall, the setting was rather nostalgic for Izuku, Ochaco and Tenya, who all just arrived in Violet City, their eyes filled with wonder.

"Wow… look at this place." Ochaco was the first to speak up, her brown eyes looking at some of the buildings nearby.

"Yes. It's clear Violet City took some inspiration from Edo Japanese culture. I find it rather refreshing." Tenya confessed with a small smile.

"And look at that tower." Izuku pointed out, looking at a rather tall tower north of the city, which for some reason, looked to be tilting ever so slightly.

"You don't think that's where the gym is, do you?" Ochaco asked curiously. Given how none of them knew what gyms looked like in Johto, it was a rather valid question.

"Perhaps, but we should worry about that another time." Tenya told them before fixing his glasses. "For now, we should head to the Pokemon Center and heal our Pokemon. The battles on the way here must have drained them." True to what he said, the trio had to face several more wild Pokemon and Trainers. While some were more annoying than others, it did help with leveling up their Pokemon.

"Right. I think I see it over there." Izuku said, having noticed a familiar looking building not too far away. The trio were about to make their way over when…

"Hmmmm… this is tough…" A familiar voice from the left caught their attention, causing them to stop in their tracks. They all turned their heads and were shocked to see Lyra Crystal, the second new Trainer form New Bark Town, standing in front of what they assumed was an ice cream cart, looking through the menu with a conflicted expression. "They all look so good."

"Lyra?!" Ochaco blurted out with a surprised tone, getting Lyra's attention. She turned around and gasped as she saw Izuku, Ochaco and Tenya making their way towards her.

"Oh my gosh! Ochaco! Izuku! Tenya!" Lyra called out with a smile as they all got close to her. "How are you guys?"

"We're well, Crystal. Though, it is surprising to see you here." Tenya admitted with a friendly tone. "You and Gold left earlier than us. I would have assumed you moved on."

"You have a point. And I was traveling with Jimmy. But… I kinda ditched him." Lyra sheepishly admitted, much to their surprise.

"You… ditched him?" Izuku asked with a sweatdrop. Even from the short time they knew each other, Lyra didn't seem like the type of girl to just leave a friend behind.

"Well, it's more like I outran him a little to try and see my grandparents near Goldenrod city. But I kinda feel bad leaving him." Lyra confessed while scratching the back of her head before adopting a serious expression. "Still, I wanna try to get stronger so when we do see each other, we can battle!"

"While I don't condone leaving your friends behind, I can understand your desire to grow strong, Crystal. You are the ideal Pokemon Trainer!" Tenya complimented her while doing his robotic hand chop, embarrassing his other friends while Lyra giggled.

"Awww, thanks. And you don't have to call me by my last name." Lyra told him before giving a wink. "Just call me Lyra. Kay, Tenya?" Tenya was a bit surprised to hear how casually she said his first name, though he quickly recomposed himself so as to not seem rude.

"Very well… Lyra." Tenya answered with a bit of a stutter, getting Lyra to giggle even more at his nervous demeanor. Izuku and Ochaco looked at each other, wondering why their friend was being a bit nervous about using Lyra's first name. "By the way, have you challenged the gym leader yet?"

"Oh… yeah… I kinda forgot." Lyra confessed while sticking her tongue out playfully, making the trio fall down rather comedically.

"Y-You forgot to challenge the gym?" Ochaco asked with a big sweatdrop on her head.

"This is the first time I've been in Violet City, so I kinda spent yesterday and a bit of today exploring. Hehehe…" Lyra revealed while laughing nervously. She couldn't help but look around. Violet City just gave off that Japanese feeling! "But I do wanna try and take them on today."

"Well, we're planning on taking on the gym too. Maybe we can go together." Izuku suggested with a smile. Lyra was initially surprised by the offer before she smiled and nodded. Maybe being with a group would be more fun than traveling alone.

"But first!" Lyra raised her finger up… before going back to the ice cream menu. "I still need to choose."

This caused the trio to fall over once again.

'Sometime later'

Having reached the Pokemon Center after Lyra FINALLY chose an ice cream flavor, our heroes were now waiting patiently for Nurse Joy to finish healing their Pokemon. Though, given how many trainers were ahead of them, they had to wait in the lounge.

"Woah. So Mr. Pokemon gave you that egg, Izuku?" Lyra asked in shock, momentarily stopping her consumption of her chocolate ice cream as she looked at the egg on the table.

"That's right. He and Professor Oak thought it would be a good idea if a Trainer hatched the egg." Izuku told her as he liked his vanilla ice cream, his green eyes glancing at the egg. "Still, I have to make sure not to break it."

"Don't worry, Deku. I know you'll take great care of it." Ochaco reassured him with a smile, though her upper lip had a bit of her mint chocolate chip ice cream on it.

"Agreed. Though, I'm still curious what will hatch out of it." Tenya chimed in as he kept licking his coffee ice cream. However, his eyes went to Lyra. "Cry-I mean… Lyra?" Said person looked over to him. "If you don't mind me asking, have you caught any Pokemon during your travels? Besides Marill, I mean."

Lyra grew a confident smile as she stood up, taking out one of her Pokeballs. "Why don't you see for yourself? Come on out, Hatenna!" With that, she threw the Pokeball in the air, allowing it to release whatever was inside next to the egg.

Coming out of the Pokeball was a small Pokémon with a round pink body and a pair of small feet. Most of its body is covered by a blue wig-like feature with a pink, hat-like protrusion on top. This protrusion is decorated with a white spot and has a blue bulbous growth on its tip. The flaps on the side of its head appear to be able to function like limbs.

"(H-H-Hello)?" The small Pokemon said nervously, noticing three new people looking at her.

"Oh my gosh! It's so cute!" Ochaco screamed, causing the Pokemon to yelp before she ran over to Lyra, jumping into her lap. "Oops. Did I do something wrong?"

"Sorry. I should've told you. Hatenna's kind of a shy Pokemon." Lyra told her while rubbing the top of Hatenna's head to calm her down. Izuku took out his Pokedex and scanned the new creature.

"Hatenna, the Calm Pokemon. Via the protrusion on its head, it senses other creatures' emotions. If you don't have a calm disposition, it will never warm up to you."

"Ahhh. I see." Tenya rubbed his chin while looking at Hatenna. "Because Uraraka's emotions were strong with affection. Hatenna was frightened."

"Oh no." Ochaco frowned sadly as she looked at Hatenna. "I'm sorry, Hatenna. I didn't mean to scare you."

"How did you catch Hatenna, Crystal?" Izuku asked as he looked at the Psychic Pokemon with a curious expression.

"First, you can call me Lyra too. Okay, Izuku?" Lyra gave him a wink, making Izuku blush a bit. "As for how we met. Well, while I was walking through Route 31, I heard Hatenna whimpering when she was attacked by a group of Spearow." Lyra explained as she looked down at her Pokemon, who seemed to calm down. "I couldn't just stand by and let it get hurt, so I had Chikorita and Marill come and help me out. It was tough and we were getting outnumbered, but Hatenna actually came in and used Disarming Voice." She smiled happily as she lifted Hatenna up a bit. "Since then, we've been good friends. Right, Hatenna?"

"(Y-Yes)." Despite the stutter in her voice, Hatenna gave her Trainer a smile. The others couldn't help but smile at the interaction between Lyra and Hatenna. It seemed that despite being an outgoing girl, Lyra can be calm and caring towards others.

The moment didn't last long as the doors to the Pokemon Center opened up, revealing another trio of U.A. students.

"Man, that was rough." Eijiro confessed with a tired sigh.

"No kidding. I thought we were gonna get lost." Mina added while getting rid of some twigs and dirt in her hair. She then gave Katsuki an annoyed glare. "Why'd you take us through that cave?"

"Oh shut up, Racoon Eyes! I told you you could stay outside while I went in to train! Don't blame me!" Katsuki shot back with his own glare. The intense emotions coming from Katsuki scared Hatenna as she quickly snuggled up to Lyra.

"Come on, you guys. Now's not the time to fight." Eijiro, being the negotiator, got between them in order to prevent any fighting. As he looked through the Pokemon Center, his eyes widened as he caught sight of some familiar faces. "Woah, look! It's Midoriya, Uraraka and Iida!" Mina widened her eyes in surprise while Katsuki just frowned.

"Ochaco!"

"Mina!" The two girls quickly ran towards each other and hugged, happy to see one another.

"I didn't think we'd see you here so early." Ochaco admitted as Mina chuckled.

"Yeah. We had a good head start. But SOMEONE." She glanced over to a glaring Katsuki. "Wanted to try out the Dark Cave nearby to train. But there were a bunch of Zubats and Geodudes who wanted to get in our way."

"Man, I wish I caught one of those little guys. But there were so many, we had to get out of there." Eijiro sighed in disappointment before he perked up. "Still, my Chespin learned Rollout and Rockruff learned Rock Throw." He then glanced over to Izuku and Tenya with a grin. "Good to see you guys. How's it been?"

"We've been rather well, Kirishima! So far, me and Uraraka have caught a wild Pokemon while Midoriya has two!" Tenya informed the Hardening-Quirk user, catching Katsuki's attention.

"Hang on." Katsuki turned his attention to Izuku, marching over to him with a glare. "You caught two Pokemon already?"

"Ummm. Yeah. I caught a Rufflet yesterday and a Heracross today." Izuku told his childhood friend with a sweatdrop. "What about you?" Katsuki continued to stare at Izuku before turning away, going up to Nurse Joy.

"Wow. Someone's moody." Lyra muttered as she returned Hatenna back into her Pokeball.

"I need my Pokemon healed up." Katsuki took out Litten and Nidoran's Pokeballs, placing them on the countertop.

"Of course. Though, you will have to wait a moment." Nurse Joy informed him before her Wigglytuff brought a tray of seven Pokeballs to her. "Thank you, Wifflytuff."

"(No problem)!" Wigglytuff told her before returning to her duties.

"Izuku Midoriya. Ochaco Uraraka. Tenya Iida. Your Pokemon are all healed up." Nurse Joy spoke up loudly, getting the group's attention.

"Thank you for your services, Nurse Joy." Tenya told the older woman as he and his friends gave her a bow, taking back their Pokemon.

"Does anyone else need their Pokemon healed?" Nurse Joy spoke up as she took Katsuki's Pokeballs. Mina and Eijiro quickly rushed over and offered their Pokeballs as well. "Give me a few minutes and I'll have your Pokemon healed up."

"Thank you!" Eijiro and Mina thanked Nurse Joy while Katsuki muttered a 'thanks' under his breath, the trio sitting with Izuku's group.

"So, you guys take on the gym yet?" Eijiro asked curiously.

"Not yet. We were planning on going as soon as our Pokemon were healed." Izuku explained as he glanced over to the egg, something the other two noticed.

"Hold on. I thought you were bringing the egg to the professor's friend." Mina asked him with a raised brow.

"We managed to reach Mr. Pokemon's house the other day, but he believed Midoriya should be the one who take care of it during our travels." Tenya informed them calmly, getting nods from the two while Katsuki just scoffed.

"I know!" Lyra clapped her hands (nearly breaking her ice cream cone in the process), getting their attention. "Since we're all together, why don't we all go to the gym as a group? That way, no one's left out."

"Hell no." Katsuki immediately shot down the idea, making Lyra pout. "I'm taking on the gym first. No way am I waiting for all of you."

"But Bakugo. We don't know where the gym is. Maybe Crystal knows about it." Eijiro tried reasoning.

"Besides, we still gotta wait for OUR Pokemon." Mina added with a knowing grin,, making Katsuki growl in annoyance.

"If Kacchan wants, he can fight Falkner first. Then, the rest of us can take a turn." Izuku said out loud, to which everyone found no problem. Even Katsuki to a degree since that meant he could take on this Falkner guy first and show how strong he and his Pokemon are.

Once Katsuki's group got their Pokeballs back from Nurse Joy, the group of seven all exited the Pokemon Center, with Lyra leading them towards the gym. A perk of arriving in Violet City one day prior.

"Wow. So this is the gym?" Ochaco asked as she looked at a rather large building with a brownish roof and a white Pokeball symbol on top. It had one sided windows, which blocked anyone outside from perring inside the gym, adding to the mystery.

"This will be our first gym battle in Johto." Tenya spoke up like he would when he was back in U.A., a serious expression on his face. "Remember that we are not only representing Professor Elm, but also everyone in U.A. So for that, we must show absolute resp-"

"Ummm. Bakugo's going in the gym already." Mina pointed towards the entrance, which opened up as soon as Katsuki walked towards it, allowing him entry.

"Come on, guys! Let's kick some ass!" Eijiro cheered as he, Mina and Lyra rushed after Katsuki, leaving a deflated Tenya behind.

"But I wasn't done talking…" Tenya muttered in a sad tone, getting back pats of sympathy from Ochaco and Izuku.

"It's okay, Iida. We know what you meant." Ochaco told him as she and Izuku led their friend inside the gym. They saw the rest of their friends standing in the middle of a rather dark room, which had what looked like a wooden elevator near the end. There were two statues in the shape of the Pokemon Kangaskhan, as well as four large red pillars holding the building up.

"Okay. Definitely not what I expected to see." Lyra spoke up, a bit surprised by how the interior looked. Katsuki looked around and noticed someone standing on the wooden elevator.

"Hey there, champs!" The figure was an overweight man wearing a pink shirt, tan pants, matching colored vest, dark shoes and sunglasses, despite the fact there was no light inside the room apart from the lanterns littered around. "I see you all made it through Routes 30 and 31. You must be here to challenge the gym leader, Falkner!"

"That's right, sir. We're all competing in the Johto League." Izuku explained kindly to the man, making him grin before Katsuki stepped forward.

"Where's the gym leader so I can beat him?" Katsuki asked suddenly, making his classmates sweatdrop at his rude behavior.

"Hehehe. Feisty one, aren't ya?" The mysterious man chuckled in amusement. "You're all welcomed to challenge Falkner…" Everyone started to smile in anticipation. "... Almost."

"Eh?" This got everyone to stare in confusion.

"Before you can battle our gym leader, you'll need to head to the Sprout Tower North of the city." The man continued to explain.

"WHAT?!" Of course, this didn't sit well with Katsuki, who was growling at the man in anger. "We spent two freaking days walking through the woods, but we can't fight the gym leader?! Screw that! Bring him out!"

"Bakugo! Control yourself!" Tenya scolded Katsuki while Eijiro held him back so he wouldn't attack the man.

"Yeah, man! Maybe there's more to it than that!" Eijiro tried reasoning.

"Wow… what a temper." Lyra muttered with a frown, not liking how explosive Katsuki Bakugo was. The others just felt embarrassed for how he was acting.

"Woah, woah, my blonde champ. Take it easy." The mysterious man reassured the group. "Since Falkner's a tough challenge, he has Trainers go to the Sprout Tower to train. It's a good way to help you prepare for him while also strengthening the bonds with your Pokemon. Once you finish the training, you can come back and challenge Falkner."

While this little delay did seem rather annoying, it also made sense to everyone. After all, the battles they had with the Bug Catchers, Hikers and occasional Pokemon Fanboy (something Mina WISHED she could ignore), weren't as challenging as they were expecting. If Falkner found it necessary to have Trainers battle in the Sprout Tower, then it must have been for a good reason.

"I guess we're going to the Sprout Tower, huh Deku?" Ochaco asked her crush, who gave a nod.

"Yeah." He looked up in the room, seeing what looked like a platform above before he frowned.

'We have to be ready to take on Falkner.'

Christ… all… freaking… MIGHTY!

I didn't think this chapter would surpass 40+ pages, but with how much I wanted to bring in, it just happened. Not that I think anyone would mind given how much you guys love the story.

As you can see, this chapter was pretty focused on giving more characters Pokemon to use for their next gym battle, which made sense since Falkner uses two Pokemon while the next seven use more. I hope you guys enjoyed seeing these new additions, especially with Izuku catching Heracross and Katsuki with Nidoran. They just seemed to fit them more, and Sewaddle… I just wanted Momo to have a cute Bug Pokemon.

And yes, Jimmy and Lyra will be main characters here as well since I do enjoy their personalities, as well as the possible dynamics they can have. So I hope you look forward to that.

I will confirm that the next chapter WILL be the gym battle, though in regards to who will battle first… it's a mystery~

The first DLC for Scarlet and Violet was released and… I'm surprised Suicune is getting a Paradox form. Looks really cool. And ABOUT TIME ZEBSTRIKA CAME BACK. He's so underrated.

Still, I do need to buy a copy of either of those guys, though which version would you guys recommend? Let me know in the comments and tell me which other Pokemon you wanna see the characters catch.

And I made a mistake in the last chapter for not giving you guys a team update for all our characters. So at the end of each chapter, I will put that info down for you guys.

Izuku Midoriya

Rowlet(Male). Type: Grass/Flying. Ability: Overgrow.

Moves: Peck, Gust, Leafage.

Rufflet(Male). Type: Normal/Flying. Ability: Keen Eye.

Moves: Peck, Hone Claws, Air Cutter.

Heracross(Male). Type: Bug/Fighting. Ability: Guts.

Moves: Horn Attack, Endure, Night Slash.

Ochaco Uraraka

Popplio(Female). Type: Water. Ability: Torrent.

Moves: Pound, Bubblebeam, Round.

Buneary(Female). Type: Normal. Ability: Limber.

Moves: Double Hit, Baby-Doll Eyes, Double Team.

Tenya Iida

Torchic(Male). Type: Fire. Ability: Blaze.

Moves: Ember, Scratch, Quick Attack.

Rookidee(Male). Type: Normal/Flying. Ability: Keen Eye.

Moves: Peck, Power Trip, Hone Claws.

Katsuki Bakugo

Litten(Male). Type: Fire. Ability: Blaze.

Moves: Scratch, Growl, Ember, Fire Fang.

Nidoran(Male). Type: Poison. Ability: Poison Point.

Moves: Peck, Double Kick, Poison Sting.

Mina Ashido

Mudkip(Female). Type: Water. Ability: Torrent.

Moves: Growl, Water Gun, Tackle.

Weedle(Female). Type: Bug/Poison. Ability: Shield Dust.

Moves: Poison Sting, String Shot.

Eijiro Kirishima

Chespin(Male). Type: Grass. Ability: Overgrow.

Moves: Growl, Tackle. Vine Whip, Rollout.

Rockruff(Male). Type: Rock. Ability: Own Tempo.

Moves: Tackle, Growl, Rock Throw.

Shoto Todoroki

Treecko(Male). Type: Grass. Ability: Overgrow.

Moves: Pound, Leer, Leafage, Quick Attack.

Fletchling(Male). Type: Normal/Flying. Ability: Big Pecks.

Moves: Growl, Peck, Quick Attack, Aerial Ace.

Momo Yaoyorozu

Fennekin(Female). Type: Fire. Ability: Blaze.

Moves: Scratch, Ember, Tail Whip, Howl.

Sweaddle(Female). Type: Bug/Grass. Ability: Swarm.

Moves: String Shot, Tackle, Bug Bite.

Tsuyu Asui

Froakie(Male). Type: Water. Ability: Torrent.

Moves: Pound, Growl, Quick Attack, Bubble.

Tympole(Female). Type: Water. Ability: Swift Swim.

Moves: Echoed Voice, Growl, Bubble Beam.

Jimmy Gold

Cyndaquil(Male). Type: Fire. Ability: Blaze.

Moves: Ember, Swift, Smokescreen, Flame Wheel.

Taillow(Male). Type: Normal/Flying. Ability: Guts.

Moves: Quick Attack, Hurricane, Wing Attack.

Lyra Crystal

Chikorita(Female). Type: Grass. Ability: Overgrow.

Moves: Growl, Tackle, Razor Leaf.

Marill(Female). Type: Water/Fairy. Ability: Sap Sipper.

Moves: Defense Curl, Rollout, Water Gun, Bubble Beam.

Hatenna(Female). Type: Psychic. Ability: Magic Bounce.

Moves: Confusion, Play Nice, Life Dew.

Follow, Fav, Review and PM for anything.

Next time: Battle in the sky!

But wait… we aren't done YET.

Looker was having a serious migraine at the moment.

While the cases he had dealt with recently were a decent challenge, what was happening in Johto was pushing him to the limit.

"Sir." A police officer walked up to Looker's desk, catching his attention. "Are you alright? You don't seem to be sleeping well."

"I haven't." Looker gruffly confessed as he drank his coffee for the seventh time, trying to stay awake. "This Rocket case has been keeping me up." He then glanced at the files in the officer's hand. "Please tell me we got something."

"I think we do." The officer handed Looker one of the files, allowing him to open and read the contents. "We've heard rumors of Slowpokes walking through Route 35 with the tips of their tails cut off. With some even turning up dead on the roads."

"Oh my Arceus." Looker glared at the files as it went into detail after how the Slowpokes barely acknowledged the loss of their tails. "What kind of sick bastard would do this?"

"The kind that covers their tracks." The officer handed another file. "We tried checking the security footage around the location of the tailless Slowpokes, but somehow, they each went down before and after it happened. Whoever did it made sure no one was watching. Sound familiar?"

"Yeah…" A groan escaped Looker's lips, recalling a similar tactic used by Team Rocket years ago. It was annoying enough to try and catch them back then, but with Giovanni gone, trying to capture the remnants of the group was proving more difficult. Not to mention the dubbed 'Rocket Killer' was still at large. 'I wish you were still here, Mirai.' The old detective turned his head and looked at a picture frame next to his computer.

It had a picture of a younger Looker, standing proudly next to a tall man, wearing a gray suit and dark green hair. His stern look could be seen through his glasses. Just looking at the picture softened Looker's gaze, his annoyance towards the case subsiding for a moment.

However, looking at the picture gave him an idea.

"Thank you for the report. You're dismissed." Looker quickly told the officer, much to his confusion.

"Sir? What are you going to do now?" The officer couldn't help but as he saw Looker turn his chair, looking towards the setting sun with a smile on his face.

"I'm going to call some heroes."