11
The tension was palpable in the classroom. The 20 students stared at their homeroom teacher. They remembered the previous day, how their teacher threatened them with expulsion to the person who came in last. Even if he claimed that it was a lie afterwards, most of the students still feared that the next three years would be filled with that type of threat. The others were anxious about what kind of lessons they would have. UA was considered the best hero school in the East of Japan; the only hero school that rivaled it was Shiketsu, and even then, many still thought that UA was better because it was All Might's alma mater.
UA prided itself on being one of the hardest schools, not just in the hero course but in all subjects. The so-called 'common classes' were more akin to pre-college courses. The General Course was filled with two types of students: those that still wish to become heroes and are waiting for their chance to shine and be sent to the Hero Course, and those that want better schooling for their curriculum. Students of UA who graduated had a shoe in their preferred school.
Aizawa entered the classroom. All talk ceased. What would their teacher say? Maybe another surprise test?
"Introduce yourself and some basic things about your quirk."
"Eh?"
Aizawa sighed. He dragged his palm against his face. He was so tired. Unlike his coworkers, most of his hero's work was done at night. Between that and his teaching position, he only got a few hours of sleep during the day. Days like today made him curse his past self for accepting Nezu's offer. Stupid quimera.
"For the next three years, all of you will be classmates. You will be spending hours training and learning together. I'm not saying you have to be best friends, but one day you will surely be allies and coworkers. Pros exchange basic information about their quirks to avoid bad interactions between quirks. It's stupid to not do it sooner. Now, I'm going to take a nap."
With that said, he burrowed inside his sleeping bag.
Nobody spoke. They weren't sure how to proceed.
"Well, I guess we can go to the front and do what Aizawa-sensei said." The black haired girl with the ponytail was the first to break the silence.
"We just walk there like we are in kindergarten?," the girl with the earjacks asked.
"Maybe we can go from the front seat to the back seat," Izumi hesitantly proposed.
"Well, that means I go first, mon amis!" A blond-haired boy spoke. He moved gracefully to the front of the classroom and made a pose.
"Aoyama Yuga! My quirk is Naval Laser! I can shoot a beautiful laser from my belly, but if I hold it too long, I get a tummy ache! I'm also of french ancestry." Somehow he managed to winkle a spark.
"Next! Next! I am Ashido Mina, and my quirk is called Acid. I can produce an acid from my skin that can melt anything, but if I touch it too long, it starts to sting my hands. Also, I love gymnastics."
"My name is Asui Tsuyu; please call me Tsu. My quirk is Frog; I have the abilities of a frog. My whole family has it. I like playing with my siblings. Kero"
"Greetings, my name is Iida Tenya. My quirk name is Engine. I have an engine in each leg that lets me run at incredible speeds. I wish to become a great hero like our senpais before us!"
"Hi, my name is Uraraka Ochako. My quirk is Zero Gravity. I can cancel the gravity on anything I touch, though it kind of gives me nausea if I use it too much. Also, I really like mochi."
"Hello, I am Ojiro Mashirao, and my quirk is called Tail. I have a strong tail that works as an extra limb. I am a black belt in karate."
"Hey! My name is Kaminari Denki. My quirk is Electrification. I can produce enormous amounts of electricity from my body. I like having fun with my friends."
"I am Kirishima Eijiro. My quirk is Hardening. My skin changes into a rock-like structure that is really strong and rough. I want to be a great hero like Crimson Riot; he is so manly!"
The next boy was so shy that he grabbed his notebook and wrote in it:
'H-hi, I'm Koda Koji. My quirk is Anivoice, I can talk to animals. But I don't like bugs!'
"Hello, my name is Sado Rikito. My quirk is called Sugar Rush. The more sugar I eat, the stronger I get. However, it also affects my mental capacity. I enjoy making desserts and cakes."
"Shoji Mezo. My quirk is Dupli-arms; the tentacles in my arms can shape into parts of my body like eyeballs and mouths."
"Jiro Kyouka, my quirk's name is Earphone Jack. I can use it to hear things from long distances and to amplify my heartbeat into sound attacks. I like hearing rock music."
"Oy, I´m Sero Hanta! My quirk is Tape, I can shoot adhesive tape from my elbows that can wrap people up. Also, I can use it to do parkour."
"Tokoyami Fumikage. My quirk is Dark Shadow" "Hey everybody!" "He is a sentient quirk that gets stronger the more darkness there is. Darkness is our ally."
"Todoroki Shoto, my quirk is called Half Cold Half Hot. My right side produces ice, and my left side uses fire. I only use my right side."
"Hii. I am Hagakure Toru! Well, my quirk is Invisibility and it's pretty obvious. I enjoy dokkiri shows''
"I am Bakugou Katsuki, the next Number 1 Hero! My quirk is Explosion! My sweet is like nitroglycerin, and I can activate it to produce great explosions."
"Hi, my name is Midoriya Izumi. My quirk is called Augmented Strength. It allows me to increase my base-body strength. However, I can only use it at 5% for now. I- I like to analyze hero fights''
"My name is Mineta Minoru. My quirk is Pop Off; it produces purple slime blobs on my head that get stuck to anything they touch. What I like is..." Mineta stared lecherously at the girls of the class. A chill crept on their backs.
"Hello, my name is Yaoyoruzu Momo. My quirk is called Creation. As long as I know its molecular components, I can recreate any object with my lipids. I enjoy reading."
A yawn was heard from their teacher. Aizawa-sensei was leaving his cocoon. His sleep-deprived eyes went right at Izumi.
"Well, now that that's done, Midoriya, are you sure you want to do it?" "Yes sensei."
Izumi got up and went to the front of the classroom for a second time. Her classmates stared at her in a mix of confusion and interest.
The aura user inhaled deeply and then exhaled. This wasn't like when she was interrogated by the police or the heroes. Adults could be convinced with hard,cold evidence. They believed in solid proofs. Her Pokemon, the berries and apricorns on her bag, her Pokedex, and other electronics—hell, her own backpack—were proof of the Pokemon world. All of them had elements not found on this Earth.
Convincing her mother and Eri had been much easier. Her mom had been so happy that her only daughter was not only alive but safe and healthy that she didn't give too much thought to the concept of multiple dimensions and god-like creatures capable of trespassing in time and space. Eri was a young child. One that suffered abuse and pain, yes, but also one that wanted to believe in magic and miracles. The fact that Izumi appeared at the right moment at the right time seemed like magic to her.
But her classmates were different. They weren't related to her; they weren't professionals who had seen so many crazy and weird things that anything was possible. They were kids. Like her. And like her bullies.
Izumi feared that they would treat her as if she were crazy, a liar, or an attention seeker. She just wanted to be treated like a normal student. She didn't want to be a pariah. Not again.
Ochako and Iida were looking at her. They looked worried, just like yesterday when they waited until she finished Aizawa-sensei's test for her team. She didn't want to lose their trust. But they deserved to know the truth. At least about her team.
"What I'm going to tell you may seem like something out of a manga, but I swear for everything that I hold dear, that is the truth. It's kind of a long story, so please hold your questions until the end."
She didn't tell them about her childhood. Nor her previous quirkless status or her bullying. She explained how, almost six years ago, she had been in the middle of a villain fight and was shot with an experimental weapon that at first seemed to be able to disintegrate anything it touched. But that wasn't its true power. It was an experimental teleportation device. One capable of sending people to another dimension.
Izumi told them of how the last thing she saw was a bright white light enveloping her entire body and that the next thing she knew, she wasn't on the street; she wasn't even in a city. She was in a valley at the bottom of a mountain.
How she was lucky to find authorities quickly enough and that they believed her story. The members of the International Police had been the ones to realize that Izumi came from another dimension. Instead of treating her like a lab rat or a freak, they helped her settle in and explained how their world worked.
There were no quirks; their countries were called Regions and were more like giant islands than continents, maybe the size of Australia. There weren't many Regions—at least 20, some were more like natural resorts, others were tourist spots, with barely half being considered big countries like Japan, the USA, Great Britain, etc.
But the most important part wasn't that. It was the amazing creatures that lived on that world.
Pokemon.
They lived on the seas, in the forests, in deserts, mountains, and cities. In the wild and with humans. Humans and Pokemon lived together and worked together. They were friends and partners.
Izumi briefly explained that she was a Pokemon Trainer, a person who captured Pokemon and trained them to grow stronger and battle each other. She made sure to explain that no, it wasn't some barbaric sport; most Pokemon liked to fight, and they needed to fight in order to evolve.
She briefly explained that while she lived in that other world, she traveled through the Regions trying to find clues on how to travel back towards her home dimension. Until finally, a group of scientists made a breakthrough. They found a way to open portals to other dimensions. After months of prodding and testing, they had found a possible way home.
So she took it. She went home. And after some misadventures, interviews, testing, and so on, she was declared legally alive and reunited with her family. And that she was allowed to bring her Pokemon to UA to train alongside her in the hero course.
When she finished her story, the entire classroom went silent. She had been right about one thing: her story seemed more like an isekai shonen manga than real life. There were so many questions that the students didn't know where to start.
"What kind of proof do you have?" Asui was the first to break the silence. "If Midoriya is telling us this story, it means that she must have a way to prove it." The frog-like girl showed no emotion on her face; it reminded Izumi of her Toxicroak. It seems like no matter the planet, toads and frogs were stoic by nature.
Before Izumi could answer, another person joined in.
"That would be me!" The cheery voice of Principal Nezu announced. The quimera hero jumped down from a ventilation shaft. He landed on his feet on top of Aizawa-sensei's desk. The underground hero didn't even blink. He just tried to rest as much as he could. He still had lots of paperwork to finish.
"Midoriya-san has provided ample evidence of her claims. She and her team have been tested with both medical methods and quirks. She has given samples of fruits that only grow in those Regions. Their genetic makeup revealed elements not from this planet nor this solar system."
Nezu's word held much power. He was the principal of UA, a well-known and respected hero. One of the smartest beings in this world. Izumi´s classmates had no choice but to believe him.
After that, the rest of the day's classes began. However, despite being taught by real professional heroes, they were no different than their previous normal school classes. For the students in the Hero Course, it was just too normal. Also, they were still curious about Midoriya and her 'Pokemon'. During classes, they were unable to ask her anything; their teacher would quickly scold them and had no problem using their quirks to do it. Jirou's ears still rang from Present Mic's scolding. And she hadn't even been the one being scolded!
During the lunch break, all of Class 1-A sat together. They crowded Izumi and asked all kinds of questions. Mostly about Pokemon. They were still confused about them and about what they really were. Izumi answered the best she could. She may like to read and learn about different and varied topics, but she wasn't exactly Professor Oak.
Ashido, Hagakure, and Aoyama fell practically in love with the idea of Pokemon Contest. Their eyes sparkled when Izumi described what it entailed. How coordinators would create choreographies for their Pokemon showcasing their moves, and that when trainers fought against each other, it was more like a battle dance than a traditional battle. Performers were similar, except that they participated in the choreography and had a number of themes to perform in order to win.
Most of the boys were interested in the battling career. Not surprising. Contests and Performances sounded boring until you saw them for yourself. The first contest that she saw left her awed. She never thought that a Stunky could look so graceful until that moment. His trainer had clearly shown that physical appearance isn't everything, easily beating other trainers that preferred to only use "cute" Pokemon.
Yaoyorozu was more interested in the technology. Pokeballs, potions, backpacks, berries, items. The black-haired girl revealed that her family was the head of the Yaoyorozu Group, a multinational corporation with ties to different enterprises. Izumi remembered that she had a contract with the Yaoyorozus about the berries and apricorns that she had brought. Both had immeasurable value. Yaoyorozu had admitted to attempting to recreate them in order to create them faster while on the field. Unfortunately, several key components were still unknown, and they were unable to identify them.
Not everyone asked her questions. Todoroki was silent and didn't talk with anybody, but by the way his eyes twitched and his expression changed, he was listening to everything she said. Bakugou was next to Kirishima; he didn't say a word to Izumi, but he did talk to the others. Well, more like yelled and screamed. Although she noted that he cursed a little less than when they were children.
When they returned for the afternoon classes, all of them were excited. After all, it was time for their hero class. What none of them expected was the teacher.
"I AAAAAAAMMM…..!" A familiar voice, a world-known voice, came from the hallway. The students of Class 1-A froze. They couldn't believe it. It couldn´t be.
"COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!" All Might entered the classroom running. The number-one hero was dressed in his Silver Age costume. His classic red bodysuit with white symbols, yellow arm bracers, boots and belt, blue trousers and a blue cape.
"No way!" "All Might is going to teach us personally?" "He is using his Silver Age costume, I'm getting goosebumps" the students couldn't contain their excitement at the fact that the Symbol of Peace would be teaching them himself. All Might was the strongest hero of Japan, and most considered him the strongest hero in the world, even stronger than Star and Stripes.
"The Hero Course is designed to prepare you for your Hero career! So, we will start with the most basic lesson! A BATTLE LESSON!"
A rush of adrenaline flew through Izumi's veins. As a Pokemon trainer and a fighting-type specialist, she had a profound love for fights. She didn't suffer from battle lust like Hakamo-o or Bewear, but she wouldn't say no either.
Fighting was like a dance, a language. During a fight, the opponents spoke to each other. Their goals, their dreams, their strengths, and their fears. Respect and dislike were won during a fight.
Izumi heard Bakugou murmuring excitedly beside her. It was no wonder. Even before his quirk awoke, he had liked the more physical part of heroics. While Izumi admired All Might for being able to save everybody, Bakugou admired him for being able to defeat everyone. Both former childhood friends idolized the same hero, but for different reasons.
One of the walls began to shift. A few panels separated and moved to the center of the room. Inside the panels were suitcases, one for each student.
"To start with the battle lesson, you will need these! The battle costumes that each one of you designed! Change into these and meet in Ground Beta!"
The students rushed forward and went to the locker rooms in order to change. Not a word was said. All were too nervous to do it. When they entered Ground Beta, they found All Might grinning and waiting for them.
All Might smiled proudly at his new students. UA encouraged its hero students to design their own costumes according to their quirks. The teachers and the Support Department would recommend additional changes.
A few wore simple body suits or combinations of jackets and trousers with complementary gear, like Kaminari, Jirou, and Yaoyoruzu. Others were more flashy, like Ashido and Yugao. Iida was showing his family pride by wearing a costume similar to the ones that his family used. All Might's grin diminished a little at seeing Young Todoroki. He was sure that the youngest son of Endeavor would have a better suit, but for some reason the boy was wearing common clothes and covering half his body with ice.
Then he saw his successor. At first, he feared that Izumi would emulate him. Stars and Stripes already did that. He spluttered and blushed when his former protegee appeared wearing a hero suit that resembled his.
Toshinori wanted Izumi to be the next Symbol of Peace, yes. But he wanted her to be her own hero. All the previous users of OFA had been unique. They only kept one thing similar, and the rest was their own. If Izumi was going to be the next Number One Hero in Japan, then it would have to be on her own way. Not copying him. Fortunately, it seems he was worried for nothing.
The ninth user of OFA had a green vest covering her torso, steel bracers, black pants with blue and white accents, and steel-plated boots. Around her neck was a breath mask shaped like a smile. The most interesting part was the symbols on her vest. For what he remembered from her stories and anecdotes, the aura symbol was in the middle and circled by the symbols of the types of all her Pokemon. The young girl was honoring her identity as a Pokemon trainer.
"Izumi-chan, that suit looks great!" "Thanks Ochako-chan! Yours to-" Izumi couldn't keep her blush out of her face. Ochako's bodysuit was skintight. Ochako's curves were practically there to be seen. For some reason, Izumi felt her mouth dry and her palms sweaty.
"Ah, yes, the support department made it too tight. Maybe I should have made better drawings?" Ochako had taken her astronaut helmet off and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
Behind them, Mineta and Kaminari fist bumped.
"The hero course is the best." "Yeah," both teens' eyes darted between Ochako and Yaoyorozu. The black-haired girl's costume was more revealing since she needed to show more skin to use her quirk better.
"You are all looking great there!"
"Sensei, will we be doing the same as in the Entrance Exam?" Iida was the first to ask.
"Not this time. In this case, we will conduct team fights. Two on two, to be more clear. One group will be the hero team, and the other will be the villain team. The media mostly shows hero fights that occur outdoors or heroes saving civilians from accidents or natural disasters. However, most criminal activity is actually indoors! With this scenery, you will learn teamwork and how to fight in crowded spaces!"
"How will teams be selected?" "Can I blow everyone up?" "Isn't my cape spectacular?" "Will the losing team be expelled?!"
"One question at the time!" All Might exclaimed.
"Teams will be selected by pulling names! You certainly can't blow anyone up! Your cape is amazing! And no one will be expelled!"
"Is it prudent to use a box to choose teams?" Iida was skeptical of the idea.
"Pros team up by coincidence most of the time. The only difference here would be that we can prepare beforehand." Izumi gave her own opinion.
"I see. My apologies!"
"Anyway. This simulacrum is simple. The villains have a nuclear weapon hidden somewhere in the building and are threatening to launch it. The heroes must stop the villains before the missile is launched. The heroes have to either touch the missile or capture, with these capture tapes, the villains. The villains win by either capturing the heroes with the same tapes or the time expires. Now let's start making the teams."
All Might began to pull names from the box. Quickly, the ten teams were formed.
Team A: Majirao Oshiro & Uraraka Ochako.
Team B: Todoroki Shoto & Shoji Mezo
Team C: Yaoyoruzu Momo & Mineta Minoru
Team D: Bakugou Katsuki & Tenya Iida
Team E: Aoyama Yuga & Ashido Mina
Team F: Sato Rikido & Koda Koji
Team G: Kaminari Denki & Jiro Kyouka
Team H: Tokoyami Fumikage & Asui Tsuyu
Team I: Midoriya Izumi & Hagakure Toru
Team J: Kirishima Eijiro & Sero Hanta
"The first fight will be Team A as the heroes vs Team D as the villains. Second Team B as heroes vs Team I as villains. Third Team H as heroes vs Team J as villains. Fourth Team G as heroes vs Team C as villains. And last, Team E as heroes vs Team F as villains."
Izumi was both relieved and worried. She was relieved that she wouldn't have to fight against Bakugou so soon and worried that Ochako would have to. She had seen her friend in action and knew that the gravity girl was capable of holding her own. But she knew Bakugou. Even if she hadn't seen him for five years, she knew that the blond hadn't slacked off on his training.
Izumi was too tempted to speak to Ochako to give her some advice. But she didn't. If she did it, it would seem like she didn't believe that her friend could beat him on her own. It would seem like she didn't believe in her. And she wasn't going to do that.
"Midoriya-shoujo," All Might called her, "you can use only one Pokemon for your battle trial."
"Wait, doesn't that give her team more advantage?" Jirou pointed out. Murmurs broke out between her classmates.
"Not necessarily," but surprisingly, it was Tokoyami who defended her. The quiet mutant didn't seem perturbed. "Midoriya will have to focus on two fronts: her own and her Pokemon. Depending on how well trained her chosen Pokemon is, it will depend on how much she will have to interfere."
"That's true," her admission shocked them. "My first team, my first six Pokemon, are my strongest simply because we have been together the longest. They know my strategies very well and are capable of fighting without my input. However, there is another important part of being a Pokemon trainer. Obedience and loyalty. If a Pokemon starts fighting on their own, or worse, winning, they lose respect for their trainer. I had to focus hard on strengthening my bond with most of my Pokemon before starting to let them fight on their own."
"So, you will be using one of your original six?" Kirishima rubbed his nape.
"No." "Eh?" "Aizawa-sensei tested them yesterday, so they are resting. Today I will be using another guy. One I raised myself" Izumi grabbed one of her pokeballs, a white one with a red button, and threw it.
Not even Todoroki, with his aloofness, or Bakugou, with his stubbornness, could prevent their jaws from dropping. To be fair, Machoke was certainly an intimidating Pokemon.
"Machoke is the seventh Pokemon that I have ever catched. I raised him from birth, since he was a baby Machop. Don't worry, Shoji, he knows how to hold his punches." She couldn't keep her grin even if she wanted to. Machoke and Shoji exchanged looks. Machoke grinned; he was looking forward to the fight. Shoji didn't react; he just nodded.
"With that out of the way, let's continue. Both teams have five minutes to prepare a strategy. After that, the timer will be set for ten minutes. Team A vs Team D will be the first. And remember each one of you, PLUS ULTRA!"
"PLUS ULTRA!"
Happy Holidays Everybody! So sorry for the delay but these weeks are always crazy. As a heads up, updates are going to be completely random. It will be up to the muse, right now it just want´s to focus in The Pirate Trainer. I hope everybody has a great next year!