I am alive! Curse you writers block! May you rot in hell!
Hem hem. With that out of the way let me explain why did it take me sooo long to update.
I am moving to another country and this past month has been crazy finishing all the details and I expect that things will be a little hetic for a while. But fear not! I will never leave a story behind.
Unless I die. If that happens its out of my hands.
Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, next update (I hope before November) is for The Pirate Trainer.
Oh, btw, I finally joined discord, same username as here thankfully.
19
"Masaru! Did you find the fricking channel yet?!"
"Almost dear."
"Great! Inko! Get your ass here!" Mitsuki Bakugou yelled from the hallway of her house, her arms busy carrying bags of snacks before placing them on the table.
"I'm here, Mitsu; calm down. The Festival hasn't started yet." Inko laughed at her best friend's impatience, much to Mitsuki's grumbling. "And please keep the swearing down. Little ears." Inko glanced meaningfully at Eri, who was drinking her apple juice all the while listening to Masaru and Iguchi explaining what UA's Festival was and what it entailed.
Mitsuki grimaced at Inko's reprimand, her eyes darting to her youngest niece.
Eri was unfamiliar with her rudeness and swearing, unlike her best friend and her oldest niece. The white-haired girl was the model figure of politeness and sweetness. Even after whatever torments she must have survived through, she still conserved a childish wonder in her eyes, one that grew more and more ever since she started to live with Inko and Izumi.
Mitsuki had to measure her words whenever she was near Eri, well aware that Inko would kill her if the little girl started to swear like a sailor or, worse, got frightened by her brashness.
"Sorry Inko. It slipped." Inko rolled her eyes, amused by the sudden bashfulness Mitsuki showed. The brash woman had never been embarrassed about her behavior in her entire life. Motherhood hadn't changed her one bit. In fact, Katsuki's brashness only intensified Mitsuki's.
"It's okay, Oba-san. Nee-chan told me to never repeat bad words until I am thirty-six years old." Eri's seriousness should be considered a weapon of mass destruction. Only someone who lacked a heart wouldn't be melted by her sweetness.
"Did you pinky swear, Eri-chan?" Masaru asked. Eri nodded, never once losing her seriousness, much to their continued amusement.
"Wish my brat had made that pinky swear." Mitsuki whispered to Inko, earning giggles from her oldest friend.
"I doubt that would have helped much. The apple didn't fall far from the tree." Inko teased.
Mitsuki rolled her eyes but didn't argue back. She was the first to admit that her brat took more after her than after Masaru. That Katsuki was her with a bigger ego and a penis.
Not that it was always a bad thing. Her son was confident and never backed down from a challenge. He was a fighter. He had placed for himself the goal to enter UA and become the Number 1 Hero in Japan, a dream that many kids shared but that they gave up before even trying.
But not her son. Not Katsuki.
Since the first time he saw a video of All Might in action, since he learned what a hero was and that All Might was the strongest, it had been his goal to surpass him.
And while her brat had a fucking ego the size of Mount Lady, he backed it up with effort and work. He didn't just go around claiming he would be the strongest while blindly trusting all he would need was his quirk. No. The brat trained hard every chance he got. Pushed himself to his limits and kept going.
"I'm sure that Katsuki-kun will do great in the Festival." her best friend commented.
"Course he will. That f-brat has been dreaming about today since he was in diapers. Spent the whole month busting his butt training. Heh. He was so tired he barely had any energy to cuss."
Inko giggled, "Izumi did the same. Those two are two peas in a pod." Both mothers shared chuckles at that; wistful smiles rested on their lips.
Izumi and Katsuki had been tied to the hip when they were babies; however, that relationship changed when Katsuki's quirk manifested and Izumi was declared quirkless. Gradually she began to see and hear less from her niece; whenever she asked her brat about the greenete, he would scoff and mutter beneath his breath that they didn't hang out anymore. When she tried to pry closer, he would shut his walls, and what started as a normal conversation turned into a shouting match that led nowhere.
Inko had less luck. Izumi was more quiet and polite than her explosive brat, but too refused to talk about whatever caused their rift.
It wasn't until after Izumi's disappearance that Mitsuki learned the truth.
One month after she had Inko admitted to the hospital, Mitsuki was called alongside Masaru by Aldera's principal. The man was apologetic with fury, claiming that her son had broken another boy's nose.
Mitsuki couldn't recall the trip to the school. Her mind had been filled with rage and disappointment. Her best friend was lying catatonic and nearly suicidal on a hospital bed. Her niece was dead. And her fucking brat was adding to her worries by beating the crap of other kids.
She had been so ready to tear him a new one, drag him to military school, and then tan his ass so hard that he would remain standing the rest of his life, when he burst and exclaimed that they had been mocking Izumi's death and Inko's mental health. The other kids had been joking about Izumi, saying that they didn't get why her mom was so sad for losing such a useless daughter. Saying that the world was better now that the quirkless freak was gone.
At that moment, Mitsuki felt her blood freeze.
The voices of the principal yelling that Katsuki was a liar and troublemaker and of her son yelling back, saying that the teachers were bastards who knew all about Izumi's bullying and never did anything drowned in her mind. Only Masaru's sudden rage brought her back from her trance.
Masaru was the quiet one of the relationship. The level-headed one. But when he raged, he raged.
That day it wasn't Mitsuki who took charge of the conversation, but rather her husband. Masaru's seething rage had the principal frozen in fear, allowing her husband to interrogate their son calmly. Katsuki had quietly and solemnly repeated his early words, revealing to their horror and disgust the truth of Izumi's treatment at Aldera.
Mitsuki had been horrified to learn that the school not only knew that the students, her son included, bullied Izumi—Izumi!—for simply being quirkless, but they encouraged it, they approved it.
Adults approved of belittling and harming a little girl simply because she had no quirk. Because she was born different.
That day Aldera knew the wrath and rage of the Bakugou family.
"She hasn't spoken about him." Inko shared. Mitsuki nodded in agreement. Her brat too had never uttered a word about Izumi, not even after both teens were placed in the same class. The only thing both teens said to their respective parents was that they had an agreement in place, nothing else.
Whatever the agreement was about, only those two knew, and they kept it a complete secret.
"School would have said something if there was shit going on."
"Hmm." The older greenete hummed absentmindedly, lost in thought. At the spiky blonde's questioning look, she bit her lip and sighed.
"To be honest, I am surprised that you and Masaru allowed Katsuki-kun to enroll at UA. You were furious with him after all."
"I was disappointed with the brat. I was furious at myself. At Masaru. At the fucking school. At all those fucking teachers and adults that fed to his head all that quirklish crap and boosted his ego to the size of Mount Yari." Mitsuki hadn't been lenient with Katsuki those days; her son spent almost two whole years punished, going only to school (not Aldera, never that shithole) and back home. He was only allowed to use his computer for homework, and they kept a close watch on his new friends and teachers. Also, much to his grumblings and curses, Katsuki had to talk with a counselor.
"He never complained about his punishment; he cussed and was angry, but took it like a champ. You want to know why we let him enroll at UA after all the shit he did? Two years ago, he came home covered in bruises and blood. Wouldn't explain what the hell happened, no matter what we said. One of his classmates followed him home and told us what happened. My dumb brash brat fought alone against four older students that were harassing a kid simply because his uncle was quirkless." Inko's eyes widened at that. Mitsuki had never told her that. "Yeah, I was surprised too. Once the other kid left, I talked to Katsuki again. You know what he told me, Inko? He said that it was what Izumi would have done."
Inko felt tears filling her eyes; quickly she brushed them aside.
"He is brash, cocky, and arrogant. But he has the heart of a hero. He still wants to be the number one hero. Not for fame or glory; he gives a shit about that. He wants to be so strong that no villain could escape from him. He wants to be the strongest to stop all villains that may cross his path."
Since he had been a toddler, even before obtaining his quirk, her son had claimed that he would become the strongest hero in Japan, the next Number One. For a long time, Mitsuki feared that the reason behind his ambition had been simply greed or fame. Now, she could honestly say that that wasn't the case.
Her son gave a shit about money or fame. He didn't care if people admired him or hated him.
Bakugou Katsuki simply wanted to beat up the bad guys like his personal hero did.
He was truly her son.
'Deep breaths, Ochako. You got this. You passed the Entrance Exam and Aizawa-sensei's Quirk Test. This is just another test, another step towards The Plan. You will win this and get the attention of the pro's agencies, get a job with them, and finally give mom and dad the comfortable life they deserve.' Ochako told herself, recalling why it was so important today. Why she had to make it to the top during the Festival.
She had to become a great hero, one that could sustain her parents and pay them back for everything they had done for her. For all their sacrifices and hard work.
"Midoriya." Ochako opened her eyes when she heard her friend's name being called. Todoroki was in front of her best friend, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, a pokeball on her lap.
"Can I help you with something, Todoroki-kun?" Izumi asked the two-toned boy.
Todoroki didn't answer at first. His eyes flickered to her lap, where her hands played with the pokeball. For some reason, he frowned at it.
"Midoriya, do you plan on relying on someone else's strength for all your battles?" Todoroki asked bluntly, earning a sharp glance from the greenete.
Ochako froze at Izumi's cold look. The last time the greenete had that look was when the press breached the school's defenses, and Eri was nearly harmed by the other students when they panicked.
"What do you mean exactly, Todoroki-kun?" Izumi's cold tone and demeanor brought everyone's attention to their conversation. Ochako noticed that Yaomomo and Tsu-san seemed worried about her friend; not a surprise; both girls had befriended Izumi and herself during the past month.
If Todoroki was fazed by her tone, he didn't show it. The boy was as nonchalant as ever, not a hint of nervousness on his visage.
"Exactly what I said. I have noticed that for most of our hero exercises you have brought and used those Pokemon of yours, and that you brought one with you today for the Festival. I heard you want to be a strong hero to save others. How will you do that if you are relying on someone else's power?"
"Wow Todoroki! What is that with that attitude, bro?"
"That's bullshit, Todoroki! It's like saying that Koda shouldn't ask animals to help him during class!"
Mina and Kirishima argued against Todoroki's accusation, bothered that he would imply that Izumi was somehow cheating during classes.
"Koda's quirk is talking to animals; using animals to assist him is his power. Midoriya, however, has insisted since day one that her Pokemon are not a product of her quirk, that they are her teammates, and it's because of their bond that they obey her. If it's not part of her quirk, then she is asking someone to help her every time." Todoroki turned his cold judgmental eyes on Izumi's emerald eyes. "How do you plan on protecting anyone if you don't rely on your own power?"
Izumi narrowed her eyes at Todoroki. With cat-like grace, she got up from her position and faced the other boy calmly.
"And? I am a Pokemon Trainer, Todoroki-kun. Trainers and Pokemon work and fight together. Their power is mine, and mine is theirs. I never once hid the fact that I want to be a hero alongside my Pokemon. Our senseis know about it and are ok with it." Todoroki's eyes hardened at Izumi's unbothered tone.
Ochako didn't get it. Why did it bother the two-toned boy so much that Izumi wanted to fight alongside her team during their heroic classes or for the school's Festival? Nobody had complained during the past month. They all had seen how hard Izumi's Pokemon worked during class, never complaining about whatever exercise Aizawa-sensei, All Might, or any other teacher told them to do, always pushing themselves to their limits much like themselves.
"Be it as it may, it doesn't change the fact that you're simply relying on someone else when things get rough. On the mock battles, against the villains. Last I remember, the only time you didn't use a Pokemon was on our first day of classes. Did you use them too for the Entrance Exam? Are you our year's representative simply because of your team?"
Angry shouting filled the locker room for his accusations. Iida in particular was incesed. Her stern and serious friend had been in the same group as her and Izumi; he had seen how Izumi bravely faced the Zero Pointer and saved her life by herself.
That Todoroki was trying to dismiss Izumi's abilities and character was awful.
Izumi stared stone cold at Todoroki. Her eyes were sharp, and her fist balled tightly. The greenete didn't take the insult well.
"Come on, man. Is this because she beat you in our first hero class?" Sero asked him, only receiving a derisive scoff in response.
"Machoke defeated me. Not Midoriya. There is a difference." "Wrong." Izumi spoke.
"Machoke and Hagakure defeated you." Ochako smiled at how Izumi reminded the boy that their weakest classmate had been the one to defeat him in their first Hero class. The sudden tightening on Todoroki's jaw made it clear that he hadn't forgotten about it and didn't enjoy the reminder.
"If it makes you feel any better, I was only authorized to use one Pokemon for only one event today. I'm not going to tell who I chose; I'm not that dumb, but I doubt we will have to fight each other in the first round."
"Eh? What do you mean, Midori?" Mina asked her.
"UA's Festival has three events; the first two are random, but it's rare that the first one involves the students fighting against each other." Izumi brought her pokeball up, a smile on her lips. "My buddy will be by my side on the first one. I already confirmed it with Aizawa-sensei. For the other two I will be on my own. But don't make any mistakes, Todoroki-kun." Izumi stared at the other boy, eye to eye. "I don't plan to lose today."
"Neither do I." Todoroki promised coldly.
Ochako stared worriedly at her best friend. Izumi was a kind and cheerful girl. Protective, smart, and confident. Those were some of her best traits. Hell, even when she was serious, she was the confident, warm, serious type instead of the cold-stone-faced serious type.
But now, after Todoroki's accusations and criticisms, Izumi wasn't her usual happy, excited self. Instead, she was cold. Cold and angry.
Ochako didn't like seeing Izumi like that. It felt...wrong.
Whatever the first challenge was, she hoped that Izumi proved Todoroki wrong.
Itsuka exhaled profoundly, fighting the urge to knock chop Monoma's neck in order to shut him up. It wouldn't do well for Class 1B image if their Class President had to drag an unconscious classmate to the stadium.
She would knock him out later.
The teenager could hear Setsuna snickering behind her; obviously her Vice President found it amusing how much Monoma's incessant nagging and complaints about their sister class annoyed her.
Ever since Class 1A had appeared on the news for surviving a villain attack and gained the media's attention, Monoma had ranted against them, calling them glory whores and attention seekers, mocking them behind their backs, fruitlessly trying to rile the rest of the class against their sister class.
Not that it worked. Few listened to his rantings, and less agreed with him. Although she wished that Kuroiro and Setsuna would stop egging him off.
There were so many times she could knock him unconscious before it started to become tedious.
The orangette personally was neutral when it came to Class 1A. She was relieved that none of them had been seriously harmed during the villain attack at the USJ, of course, but she hadn't interacted too much with them, too busy between her own studies, preparing for the Sports Festival and her responsibilities as Class President.
The only members of Class 1A she was relatively familiar with were Midoriya Izumi and Yaoyorozu Momo, and they barely exchanged some words of introduction during the first meeting between allthe first-year Class Presidents and Vice Presidents.
Neither girl struck her as arrogant or self-entitled; if anything, Midoriya had been a little tense when the meeting started, slowly loosening up the more it progressed. But what made Itsuka believe that they weren't the attention-seeking brats that Monoma insisted they were was Midoriya's proposal regarding the training grounds and the school's Sport Festival.
Midoriya had proposed that they make a schedule so that all first-year classes could have access to the training grounds; that way everyone could train and prepare for the upcoming festival.
And when she meant everyone, she meant everyone.
Midoriya wanted all eleven classes to have access to the grounds, not just the Hero students.
The representatives from the Departments of Management and Support had blinked in confusion at her proposal, surprised by her idea. It was better than the reaction from some of the students in the General Course. There was no mistaking the resentment in the eyes of the Class C President, and the Vice President of Class E stated that they weren't charity cases to alleviate the guilt of the Hero Course students over taking their spots.
Yaoyorozu said that first, none of the Hero Course students viewed the General Course students as charity cases, and that second, there was no such thing as a claimed spot. They all had to fight for their right to be accepted into the Hero Course.
Unfortunately, while her words were true, all it did was enrage the Class Vice President, who snidely asked what would know a recommended student, who didn't have to fight killer robots like they did, about.
Setsuna had taken objection to his remarks, saying that unlike the common test, where over forty students were accepted, the recommended exam only accepted less than five, and that they had to not only ace the practical and written tests but also an interview.
It didn't matter if your quirk was the second coming of Star & Stripes, one of the most powerful heroes in the entire world, if your attitude was worse than shit and your grades lower than zero.
Before insults or punches could be thrown around, Itsuka interfered. She agreed with Midoriya's idea, saying that it was a good idea to practice with their quirks in a more controlled environment, especially for those who had to practice at home or in limited spaces.
After that, things ran a little more smoothly. They made a tentative schedule for all first-year groups, which was later modified pending on how many students of each class actually wanted to use them.
Unsurprisingly, none of the three Management classes joined. Those that joined that Department had no interest in showing off in the Sports Festival, their focus was sorely on the more bureaucratic parts of the hero careers. Like their name suggested, they were in charge of "managing" the image, merchandising, and public opinion regarding heroes.
The General Course had been divided about the offer. Despite what many believed, while many of its students had failed the practical exam, a good portion had no interest in pursuing a career in heroics, and instead they had enrolled in the school to better their chances at joining a good college. Even so, of those who wanted to join the Hero Course, some still saw Midoriya's proposal as pity and therefore refused it out of spite. Others, however, chose to accept it.
While she had no plan on losing her spot in Class 1B, she hoped that those who truly wanted to one day become heroes would succeed at it.
"OYYYYYYY! FIRST YEARS! GET READY TO ROOOOOLLLLLL!" Present Mic's voice shouted with his usual exuberance over the speakers.
Itsuka nodded resolutely. She directed her classmates towards the door and towards the tunnel leading to the modified stadium, Present Mic's voice loudly introducing them to their spectators.
"EVERYONE READYYYY! UA'S SPORT FESTIVAL IS HEREEEEE!" A loud cheer came from the stands, the public responded enthusiastically to the loud hero's upbeat mood. "Now! I'm sure that many are interested in these kids in particular. The young stars that gave a hell of a beating to an army of villains! Young aspiring heroes with nerves of steel! From the Hero Department: CLASS 1A!"
A massive cheer came when their sister class was announced, even more when they entered the field.
Itsuka ignored the grumblings from her classmates. She had barely managed to get them calm.
"Following them is their sister Class: 1B! Let's see what kind of tricks Kan kids can pull!" While not as loud as the first, there was loud cheering when they entered.
"Close behind are the General Course kids! Classes C, D, AND E! Don't underestimate them! Rough diamonds pop up from nowhere! I know it; my besties both came from there!"
"Don't drag me into this and do your job, Mic." Eraserhead's tired voice came from the speakers.
"HAHAHAHA! I can do both! NEXT! From the Support Department Classes F, G, and H! And last but not least, the Management Department, with Classes I, J, and K! And as our referee for this great day, the R-rated heroine: MIDNIGHT!" If the shouting and cheering when Class 1A had been loud, then the one that followed Midnight's introduction was explosive.
"Listen well, brats; as the main referee, my final word is law! I will explain clearly the rules for every event before they start, and anyone who breaks them will be immediately disqualified! But first things first! Midoriya Izumi from Class 1A! Your turn!"
Itsuka saw the greenete take a long breath and then exhale before climbing the stairs towards the podium.
Midoriya faced all the students and spoke:
"We all have dreams and goals. We do. And it's those dreams and hopes that brought us here today. Aizawa-sensei said that for the next three years we only have three main opportunities to shine. And today is that opportunity. To shine. To go beyond. To go Plus Ultra. So let's do it! Let's show everyone—no, let's show the world what UA students are made of! Lets go PLUS ULTRA!"
It didn't matter that she was of Class 1A. It didn't matter that up until that moment many students had been bitter and resentful against the Hero Course students. When Midoriya Izumi spoke with such conviction, when her eyes sparkled in anticipation, and she said "let's do it" to the top of her lungs a fire was lit in everyone's chest. A fire that said, let's go Plus Ultra.
And so they screamed: "PLUS ULTRA!"
Midnight smiled proudly at Midoriya's actions. She liked the younger greenete, she had the right makings of a good hero. She reminded her of Shouta a little. They were both selfless idiots who just wanted to save others. Not that Shouta would admit it. He needed to keep his lonewolf image.
"Very well! Let's move on to the first event! The first part of the dreaded preliminaries is... " All eyes turned to the giant screen, waiting to see what their first challenge entailed.
"The Obstacle Race!" Midnight smiled enigmatically; she so loved this one. "Don't think this is a simple run! This beast is four kilometers long, filled with three stages of dangerous obstacles ready to slow you guys down! UA prides itself about freedom on its campus, and here isn't any different! You guys can do anything you want with your quirk as long as it is inside the track! The only rule is no fighting! Hinder or block sure! But no direct fights! There will be time for that later!"
The students poised themselves in front of the gate, waiting for the light to shift green, ready to leapt once it changed.
"STAAAART!" Midnight yelled, officially starting UA's Sport Festival.
From his place on the commentary box, Eraserhead observed and analyzed the students' actions during the race, all the while wishing that Mic would shout quieter.
"Seems like the students just found firsthand the hidden obstacle: THE DOORWAY!" Indeed, just like Present Mic reported, a bottleneck was formed just on the doorway.
The corridor that the students were forced to pass through was so stretched that they ended up jamming against each other, shoveling and pushing to get one foot free before the others could.
"AND LOOK! SOMEONE MADE IT THROUGH!" Todoroki skated effortlessly on a layer of ice formed by his feet. Not only did it make him faster, but it also hindered his opponents by freezing their feet against the floor.
Well, some of his opponents.
Eraserhead didn't outwardly show it, but he was proud to see that most of his class managed to evade Todoroki's ice. And the few that didn't were already working on breaking the ice and keeping running, not wasting time and energy by panicking like headless chickens.
Kan's kids didn't react as fast, not a surprise considering all the facts. Class 1B didn't go through a villain attack; they didn't have to face death so soon or learn to ignore their fear and doubts in the middle of a fight.
Class 1A had an advantage over the other students, one that they hadn't consciously grasped.
"But look! Here it is! The first barrier of the race! A wall of dangerous foes that many of our first years are familiar with! The Zero Pointers! ROBO INFERNO!"
Screams of incredulity and shock rang around the stadium. Many froze in fear by the size and number of the zero pointers.
But not all.
Todoroki was the first one to react, unleashing a wave of ice that froze one of the zero pointers from top to bottom. He continued to run forward, ignoring the cheers behind him and then the curses when the frozen machine began to fall behind his back.
What he didn't ignore was the sudden yell from Midoriya.
"Now, Lucario! Double Aura Sphere!" "Rio!
Cheers of enthusiasm rang across the crowds at their actions. Pokemon and trainer ran side by side, an enormous blueish ball of energy held between Lucario's right palm and Midoriya's left palm. With a yell they threw the sphere against the falling robot, not only destroying it, but also passing through it and hitting a second one.
"WOOHOOOO! Look at these kids go! Hey Eraserhead! What do you feed your students? Share it with Kan, won't ya?!" Mic joked much to the spectators' joy.
"Class B has a good teacher; they just lack the real-world experience that Class A went through. It may seem like nothing important, but those kids not only took a peak at what the real world entails, they managed to overcome it and remain standing. And the results of it are showing."
On the stadium, the spectators saw how the students of Class A led the charge against the Zero Pointers. Interesting, two groups were formed: one that fought the robots and the other that ignored the battle and instead used their quirks to catch up with the leaders.
What Shouta found interesting was that Bakugou was the first one to ignore the fight, using his explosions to leap above the zero pointers and away from their grasp. Following his lead were Sero and Tokoyami, and behind them Tsunotori from Class B.
On the ground, he could see that Hagakure, Honenuki, and Tokage were making their way through the robots. Hagakure's invisibility gave her a huge edge, and Tokage had amazing control over her dismembered pieces. Honenuki aimed his Softness towards the legs of a Zero Pointer, unbalancing it and giving Yaoyorozu a free target for her newly constructed cannon.
The defeated robot fell on top the others, causing a domino effect and opening a breach for the stragglers to leave and catch up to with the others.
While they ran towards the second block, the leaders and their pursuers reached it.
"And our leaders found it! The Second Obstacle! I hope nobody suffers vertigo because this one will test your mettle! THE FALLLLL!"
The Fall, as it was aptly named, consisted of a giant chasm where the only solid ground were rock pillars spread irregularly and connected by hanging ropes. The height was the real monster. One bad move and broken bones would be the least problem.
Not that anything would happen; there were hundreds of robots hidden among the pillars, ready to catch anyone in case of an accident.
Todoroki wasn't fazed by the challenge; he froze the rope and sliced across it, jumping to the pillar and going for the next rope. The boy moved fast, neck to neck with Midoriya and Lucario, who were jumping from pillar to pillar, completely ignoring the ropes.
The strategy those two used was proof of their teamwork. When they first approached the chasm, Lucario speeded to the edge, turned around and knelt, placing his paws over his right knee in an unmistakable position. Midoriya ran straight to him, placed her foot on his paws and was propelled to the next pillar, blue and green lightning coursing through her body. At the same time she flew, Lucario ran at max speed a top the rope, reaching the next pillar and catching his trainer before she fell. The moment her feet touched his paws, he launched her again to the other pillar, and so on and so on.
That level of coordination spoke of years of teamwork; he could honestly confirm that it was at the same level as pros teams like the Pussycats.
Shouta recalled what Midoriya had shared about her pokemon. Lucario was her first partner, her second-in-charge. Infernape and Gallade shared the burden of third in command. Mostly because if it were up to Infernape, her entire team would be a bunch of pranksters.
What he and Nezu found fascinating was that such a level of synchronization was only capable because both Midoriya and Lucario could manipulate their Aura freely, giving them such a strong connection that they could form a telephatic link without having any type of psychic affinity.
When asked how it differed from Gallade's telepathic abilities, she explained that an Aura link wasn't just about talking with their minds. It was about the souls of those involved connecting with each other.
Telepathy could happen between multiple people and Pokemon as long as one of those involved had psychic abilities, but Aura required a connection, a bond, and it could only occur between aura users.
If Midoriya and Lucario didn't have such a strong bond, then they wouldn't be able to link their auras.
Todoroki and Midoriya weren't the only ones crossing quickly over The Fall. Bakugou, Tokage, Tsunotori, and surprisingly, Hatsume Mei from the Support Department were already over half the trek. Bakugou's creativity and control over his quirk were nothing to scoff at. While arrogant and brash, the blonde was clearly talented and didn't hold back.
Tokage and Tsunotori were winning ground more easily; their quirks made the use of the suspended ropes unnecessary. However, what drew most attention was Hatsume's strategy. Instead of using a quirk or walking slowly through the rope, she launched harpoons connected to her waist towards the pillars, sailing through the air and adding impulse with propulsive boots.
Shouta idly read Hatsume's files. Mashima described her as both the smartest, most talented and creative student he had ever taught and the craziest and reckless person he had ever met. The girl didn't care if her creations exploded or failed spectacularly during the building or testing, seeing it as a way to learn from her mistakes and improve. What he found the oddest was that unlike many of her fellow classmates from the Support Department who did the bare minimum during the Festival, Hatsume filed dozens of files of paperwork that authorized her to use her own build support gear, and she was the only one of her Department that took advantage of Midoriya's proposal and used one of the Battle Grounds to practice.
When it came to the Sports Festival, the only students that took it seriously were the ones from the Heroic and General Course, and in the latter it was just the ones that truly wanted to transfer to the first.
The students who joined the Departments of Support and Management didn't care about transfers, making Hatsume's actions puzzling. More so since, according to Mashima's remarks, the girl wanted to open her own Hero Support company once she graduated.
"A good portion are advancing through The Fall, stepping on the heels of our three, four?" Mic looked at him, pointing subtly at Lucario's running form.
"Three, Lucario isn't a student; he is Midoriya's partner."
"Then three! Our three leaders' heels. But wait! They reached it! Just between them and the desired finish line and the first place: a MINEFIELD WORTHY OF RAMBOOOO! The explosives aren't deadly but they leave a nasty sting and some bruises, so be careful and get ready for a true Russian Roulette!"
The moment they reached the Minefield, any aspect of lead was gone. Signs of shifted earth, sounds, smell of explosives. None of it was found on the Minefield. Those with flying quirks would have an advantage, assuming they had the stamina or that there wasn't a time limit involving their quirk.
Based on how Tsunotory was slightly panting, she must have hit her limit. Tokage too was moving slower. Todoroki technically had the better advantage; his ice should be able to freeze the sensors without triggering.
But Shouta knew that the ice user wouldn't use that strategy. Even if it only covered a narrow path, it would grant a great opportunity to those like Asui who could take long jumps.
"Oy, ICE BASTARD!" Bakugou yelled above Todoroki, falling right next to him. "You taunted the wrong rival, bastard!"
Whatever remark or answer Todoroki might have said were forgotten when both boys saw Lucario and Midoriya running past them, both of their eyes closed, and Midoriya's hand laying against Lucario's back.
"Eh? None of the mines triggered? Oy Louder! Did your bombs fail?" Mic was dumbfounded by the lack of explosions by Midoriya and Lucario's dash. By logic, they should have triggered at least one explosive.
"WATCH YOUR MOUTH MIC! MY CREATIONS ARE PERFECT!" Majima objected. The Excavation Hero was on the monitoring room, checking all the cameras and the bots systems.
"THEN WHY AREN'T WE HEARING A SINGLE BOOM!?"
"HOW SHOULD I KNOW?! ASK ERASERHEAD! HE IS HER TEACHER!"
Shouta spoke before Mic could shout his questions again. He didn't want to ask Recovery Girl to heal his eardrum; she was already pissed that he escaped from mandatory bedrest.
"Lucario must have an ability that allows him to detect the mines. Look at Midoriya's hand. She is touching his back, following his lead." What he wasn't saying was that Midoriya wasn't just following Lucario but also augmenting his power.
UA's students might get a leg up during the internships thanks to the Sports Festival, but it also exposed their quirks to the villains and criminals. To disminuish the risks, the teachers never revealed the true scope of the students' quirks during the Sport Festival, only giving small tidbits to quench the curiosity of the masses.
Midoriya taking the lead had Bakugou and Todoroki dashing after her. Todoroki released an ice path in front of him, not caring about leaving an open path for the rest; his only concern was stopping his opponents.
His attack, however, proved fruitless. Pokemon and human reacted immediately, jumping sideways and never losing their footing. Their only goal was the finish line.
Bakugou took caution to the wind and released a powerful explosion, triggering a massive explosion behind his back and launching himself at Midoriya's left side, a hand aimed at her feet.
Lucario and Midoriya jumped before the explosion, passing through the gate and winning first place. Bakugou crossed behind them, cussing and scowling. After them came a frowning Todoroki, who ignored them and clenched his right fist.
Shouta stared at the top three of the first event. All three were powerful and talented, smart and adaptable. Yet, there was a big difference. Both Midoriya and Bakugou put it all during the race, playing to their strengths and taking chances when necessary.
Todoroki too used his ice with great precision. And there lay the problem. He only used his ice.
Again.
Eraserhead narrowed his eyes. Todoroki's actions were reckless. Neglecting part of a quirk like the teen was doing was dangerous and irresponsible. Especially for someone that aimed to become a hero.
While normally he didn't care who won or lost the Sports Festival, preferring to use the event to identify his students weaknesses and prepare a better strategy to overcome them, in this case he knew who shouldn't win.
Too many hotheaded heroes died already in the world.
He couldn't handle it if Todoroki died tomorrow simply because his ego considered that he was strong enough that he didn't need to use his fire.
I like exploring other characters that unfortunately didn't get much (at all) storyline. Expect that the canon classification of the race is not the one on this story.
And as a Halloween gift (And apology for the unexpected delay)
CANON OMAKE!
Hakammo-o scowled. He didn't get why his trainer was wasting time with this foolery instead of training.
He definitely didn't get why he had to participate.
Tyrogue and Bewear? Sure, they loved hanging out with Eri. And the trio of jokers weren't going to miss the opportunity to play a prank, especially on a night when that behavior was not only tolerable but expected.
Machoke, Gallade, Lucario and Mienfoo weren't too keen to participate, choosing to watch the house and make sure it wasn't covered in eggs or toilet paper.
Hawlucha wanted to show off his own personal hero costume, mask, and cape included.
"Hakammo-o! Are you ready?" Izumi asked, combing her hair under her pirate hat. His trainer wore a loose white shirt and brown trousers, leather boots, and for some reason had a hook clasped on her left hand—something to do with pirates.
He didn't know nor care.
Izumi placed a hand on his shoulders, smiling in understanding.
"I know you think this is dumb, but it will be fun, I promise. You need to do something else besides fighting."
Hakammo-o scoffed.
Fighting was the best thing ever.
Izumi smiled amused.
"Just keep an open mind. We are so going to get lots of candy. I can't wait to see Eri's expression after her first trick and treat."
The dragon type rolled his eyes. Izumi and her mother were not pulling any punches for the holidays. Both greenetes made it clear that they planned to make all the upcoming festivities a day of joy and fun for Eri, something she would always cherish and treasure.
Hakammo-o followed his trainer to the living, where the rest of his pack were waiting.
The two monkeys and the rabbit were holding bags with eggs, sprinkles, toilet paper and glitter. Thank Tapu Lele that Izumi had banned the whipped cream and rotten fruit. Neither wore a costume, although Lopunny did have a couple of bracers and knee pads with the symbol of a heroine that the rabbitt liked.
Bewear had a pink apron and a blue scaf wrapped around her head. Something to do with a children's tale. Tyrogue had a pair of boxing gloves and a black wig, simulating a fictional boxer from an old human movie. And Hawlucha wore a red domino mask and a black cape.
Very original costume.
Izumi's mother was dressed like a humanized Mismagius, chatting and laughing with All Might's civilian identity, YagiToshinori. From what Machoke told him that Tyrogue found out from Eri, Inko invited the man to spend Halloween with them as a thank you for helping Izumi and her team with their training.
Not that Inko knew that Yagi and All Might were the same. As far as the world knew, Yagi worked for All Might office and was in charge of monitoring and assisting Izumi with her preparations for the Entrance Exam.
Yagi was wearing a pinstripe suit, the only festive part was the skull motified tie.
Hakammo-o listened aimesly while the humans exchanged words. He was so bored. A punch to his side made him growl in annoyance. He grunted at Hawlucha who had edbowled him, only to see the brawler pointing with his head at Eri's room.
Everyone quited when they saw Eri's costume. Inko cupped her mouth, tears brimmin in her eyes. Izumi was no better. She approached her little sister- for that was what Eri was, blood didn't matter- and knelt in front of her.
Eri fidgeted nerviously, her fingers playing with one of her newly tinted green locks.
"Nee-chan, do, do you like it?" The little girl asked shyly.
Izumi couldn't stop the tears that fell from her eyes, a warm and happy smile plastered on her lips.
"Of course I do. I love it Eri!" Eri brightened out, she didn't smile, but she was happier.
"Mitsuki Oba-san helped me dye it." "She did? It looks great. But you know that your white hair is as beautiful, right?"
Eri nodded, "I know. But I wanted to look like Nee-chan today. Because Nee-chan is my hero, and in Halloween I can dress like my hero!"
Hakammo-o rolled his eyes when his trainer and her mother hugged tightly the little girl who was dressed in a pair of jeans and teacher, a ball cap covering her new green hair, a belt with white and red marbles on her waist and a bag on her back.
He didn't get what the whole deal with Halloween was, but he understand what familial love and bonds were.
Maybe Halloween wasn't such a dumb thing after all.