On the morning of the sixth day at sea, the Paldea region's southern coastline comes into view. The rim of the crater that lay at the region's core is the first landmark to make itself known, quickly followed by the sheer cliffs that compose the region's coastlines. For Izuku Midoriya, the sight is more a source of relief than excitement, considering the amount of meals he'd hurled overboard the last few days. That and the league tryout deadline quickly approaching and all associated feelings of dread, anticipation, and excitement.
Still, once his final destination comes into view after a long week at sea, he can't help but feel giddy with anticipation at the same time. They're finally here, they've finally made it! His dreams are so close to coming to fruition, just a few more miles of ocean left until they turn from mere aspirations in the footnotes of his trainer notebooks into his reality. Izuku smiles, unsure how to feel as his best friend and partner comes up to the bow of the ship to watch the slowly approaching land mass alongside him.
"We're a long way away from Pallet Town, right buddy?" Izuku chuckles, shielding his face from the ocean spray kicked up by the boat breaking through a wave. Riolu just grabs his hand and squeezes in affirmation.
It's another hour before the boat finally docks at a small two-boat pier right off of the beach on the southernmost point of the region. Nearby, a recreational Pokemon battle arena sits unused, the once vibrant blue shade of the field sunbleached to a pale, baby-blue hue after years of exposure. The field is marked by its storied history, proudly sporting a half-dozen scorch marks and chipped concrete.
Just a bit up the hill sits a white building of an architecture style unlike anything back home in Kanto. Large structural columns frame tall lancet windows that liken the building to a small rustic mansion, rather than the port authority that it really is. As Izuku and Riolu unload box after box onto the dock, he can't help but notice how different the weather is too. Where the beach back home was rocky, temperate, and rarely conducive to relaxing in the water under the summer sun, the sand here is soft and comfortingly warm beneath his feet.
"Izuku!" Izuku turns as he drops a box onto the pile accumulating on the dock, finding his mother hurrying down the gangplank, face contorted in concern. "You need to go! The captain told me Mesagoza is at least a few days' travel from here, and that's for someone familiar with the area! You're going to miss your tryout if you don't get on the road!"
"I was going to help you at least get the boxes moved in. I'm already going to be gone for all of the unpacking, I figured it was the least I could do to at least help with some heavy lifting," Izuku replies. Beside him, Riolu stacks three small boxes on top of each other and tries to pick them up. The stack is taller than the pokemon, who quickly loses his balance and sends the box atop the stack tumbling onto the dock. A quick look over Riolu's shoulder confirms that everyone saw his blunder.
Inko stifles a laugh at the Pokemon, trying her best to plaster on a serious expression for her son. "The moving company will do that. I know the house is just up the road, but we pay them for a reason! Let the Machoke handle it and get on the road! If you miss that deadline and waste all this effort we put in to get you here, so help me Arceus…"
It doesn't take a genius to pick up on the authenticity of her threat. Izuku decides that he can go without another strongly worded lecture and decides to follow his mother's advice. "Fine," he says. "But call me if you need any help? You can leave a message for me at the - "
"The Los Platos Pokemon Center. Yes I know. I'll call you if anything goes wrong," Inko replies, her tone conveying in no uncertain terms that she will not be doing so. "Now, shoo!"
At that, Izuku and Riolu start up the hill, taking their first steps towards their goal.
Within the first hour, Izuku is thankful for All Might's physical training regimen. The path from the docks up to and including Poco Path - the trail that connects to the lighthouse that marks the entrance to the Southern Province - is entirely uphill. Izuku doesn't want to imagine how winded he'd be if he hadn't spent the last few years exercising every single day.
Riolu doesn't seem to be having any issues whatsoever. The Pokemon constantly runs ahead, sticking his head in bushes to look for wild Pokemon and coming away with more than a couple String Shots to the face for his efforts. Izuku is content to continue to play an ever-repeating game of catch-up with his best friend and partner.
"Doing fine?" Izuku asks Riolu as they come up to the fork in the road. To his right is the Poco Path trailhead, the path they'll be taking. Riolu vigorously nods and gives a thumbs up. The pokemon is antsy and bouncing from foot to foot, awaiting direction from Izuku to take their first steps onto Poco Path. He laughs to himself when Riolu bolts ahead again, brimming with childlike enthusiasm.
Before following, Izuku takes a long look in the other direction. If they were to continue up the hill, they'd eventually come across his and his mother's new home, where they're moving from Kanto. The cost of sending Izuku to Paldea for the Trials had originally been too great, and his mother would not have been able to afford losing Izuku's assistance back home with work. However, after seeing her son's grit and determination to follow his dreams, she uprooted their entire family business from Pallet Town and found a job in Paldea so that Izuku could attend this year's Trials. Izuku smiles, grateful for everything that his mother sacrificed for him and determined to follow through on the opportunity she'd given him. Determined, Izuku turns away from that path, takes a deep breath, and steps past the sign, beginning his journey and tackling his first route traveling as a trainer.
Not a trainer yet, he reminds himself. We need to pass the tryouts first to get that title.
Poco Path is significantly less maintained than the well-worn road that led up to this point. The trail is only wide enough for Izuku and Riolu to walk single-file, flanked on both sides by tall grass reaching up to Izuku's hips. A few feet off the path in each direction are small clusters of trees, where Izuku can see various bug and flying type Pokemon watching him and Riolu suspiciously. Izuku thinks that he recognizes at least a few as Fletchling and Tarountula.
Without a Pokedex, information on Pokemon not native to one's local region is hard to come by. For most people, the wild Pokémon that roam within a few miles of their home are all they ever encounter or need to know about, so there's little practical use in studying the hundreds of species from distant regions. Professional trainers already have that information at their fingertips through their Pokedex and have no reason to share it online. All of this makes finding information frustratingly difficult. Still, that never stopped Izuku from trying his best to compile as much knowledge about Pokémon around the world as possible.
Izuku's train of thought derails when he catches movement in his peripheral vision. It's a soft rustling in the grass to his right at first, but as the path curves, inevitably bringing Izuku and Riolu closer, the rustling zips closer and a small figure breaks out onto the trail. A pokemon crouches on the path ahead, blocking their path. Izuku and Riolu skid to a stop, eyeing the threat. In front of them, a small, round pig-like Pokemon hunches forward defensively, ready to attack should they take another step. Izuku tries to wrangle up the knowledge, as the Pokemon certainly seems familiar, but he can't put his finger on the name off of the top of his head.
"Rio!" Riolu barks a warning, bringing Izuku back to reality as the Pokemon digs its feet in, holding its position.
"Sorry, buddy! Got a bit distracted," Izuku says, rolling his shoulders. "Alright, first battle, let's do this! We'll wait for it to make its move." Riolu nods silently, eyes fixed on the threat ahead. The Pokemon circles Riolu, testing the waters. Riolu holds his ground, though, not flinching under the wild Pokemon's glare.
Izuku sees the twitch in the pig's legs just before it makes its move. "Now! Force Palm!"
Riolu reacts instantly, trusting his partner's judgment. Riolu's right paw flashes white, then yellow, drawn back and ready to strike. True to Izuku's prediction, the Pokemon makes a quick pounce forward, trying for a Tackle. Riolu side-steps the attack and jabs out with a quick strike, catching the wild Pokemon just under the chin. The energy discharges with crackle and a small shock wave passes through the tall grass behind the Pokemon as it's knocked a few feet up the path.
After skidding to a halt, the Pokemon makes to follow up that attack with another one of its own, but flinches when it takes its first step. Yellow static electricity arcs across its body, emanating from the impact of Riolu's attack.
Paralysis, Izuku thinks, recognizing the phenomenon, It'll have trouble moving.
To Izuku's surprise, the Pokemon doesn't attack again. It instead turns and scurries off back into the tall grass from whence it came, reduced to a patch of rustling grass after just a few seconds.
"Wait, come back!" Izuku shouts after it. "Our battle isn't finished! That was just one attack!"
Riolu shouts after the Pokemon too, taking after his trainer in his frustration. Izuku smiles at him, knowing the Pokemon is also looking for some practice. Izuku stares after the gap the Pokemon disappeared into for a few more moments before sighing in defeat.
Izuku and Riolu encounter two more wild pokemon on Poco Path. The first is another of the pig pokemon, which Izuku finally recognizes as a Lechonk. The other is a Scatterbug, a bug type Pokemon native to Kalos. While watching the bug type flee following a Force Palm that didn't even connect, Izuku clenches his fist in frustration, nails digging into the palms of his hand.
"We're never going to get enough practice at this rate," Izuku laments. "I know the trailhead notice said the Pokemon here are generally young and inexperienced, but I was expecting a little more than this."
Riolu grunts out a frustrated remark as well, crossing his arms and stomping up the path further. Izuku knows most people would be envious of such uneventful travel. Getting to their destination safely and quickly is often the priority. Unfortunately, Izuku and Riolu are both painfully aware of their shared lack of battle experience, so the idea had been to get as much practice as possible on the path to Mesagoza.
And that plan is going swimmingly…Izuku thinks bitterly. We have to pass the tryouts. If I don't make it into this year's Trials, everything Mom sacrificed for us would have been a waste.
The Trials, a yearly event held by the Pokemon league, is the definitive path any aspiring trainer must take to acquire a trainer's license. The Trials are held every year in a different region, and only those of the ages eighteen to twenty-one qualify to try out. Trying out requires traveling to the selected region for the year and doing an audition with a panel of professional trainers, where only the best are selected to participate. The audition changes every year, with different professional trainers overseeing the event as well.
All Might had aced the Trials during his year, completing all gyms without a single Pokemon knocked out on his team, and only two substitutions throughout the entire gym challenge. He and his Palafin had proceeded to sweep the regions, dismantling underground criminal organizations and fostering an era of peace where civilians didn't have to worry about their Pokemon being stolen or the power of legendary Pokemon being siphoned for personal gain. Team Rocket in Kanto, Team Magma and Team Aqua in Hoenn, Team Galactic in Sinnoh, and Team Plasma in Unova are just a few examples of the evil he'd expunged during his prime, truly becoming the greatest trainer to ever live and the world's symbol of peace.
Then, he'd disappeared. A little bit over a year ago, All Might dropped off of the face of the planet. Nobody knows where he went. Sure, there are plenty of theories, including but not limited to secret operations to unearth a massive government conspiracy, a sudden death while on a mission, and alien abduction. Some are certainly more plausible than others, to say the least. Either way, All Might had disappeared, and that meant that the pressure his presence exerted on the evil-doers of the world had let up, and crimes such as Pokemon theft and trafficking are on the rise again.
I'm going to follow in his footsteps. Izuku clenches his first in determination. I'm going to become the champion of champions. I'm going to become the world's number one trainer.
Of course, that means step one is to pass his tryouts and be accepted into the Trials, which means that step zero is to get more practice, and these wild Pokemon becoming frightened and fleeing after one interaction is neither helping Riolu grow stronger or helping Izuku put his hours of study on battle techniques into real practice.
Around when the sun reaches its peak, the tall grass begins to thin, eventually fading as the path becomes more defined and well trodden. Ahead, the lighthouse that marks the junction between Paldea's southern coast and the Southern Province comes into view. At this point, Izuku and Riolu have been hiking uphill for a few hours, so both are looking forward immensely to some rest and refreshment before they continue on towards Mesagoza.
The lighthouse itself is rather unremarkable. Composed of only a hollowed-out white brick tower with a ladder on the inside and a small, locked room at the base, the lighthouse is sorely lacking in benches, seats, or any other sort of furniture to rest on. Izuku lets out a grunt as he lowers himself to the ground, taking up residency on the grass in the shade cast by the building. He wipes sweat off of his forehead and absently flicks it off the cliff behind him. Riolu follows suit shortly thereafter, joining Izuku on the ground to give his legs some much needed rest.
Izuku pulls two bottles of water out of his backpack, tosses one to Riolu, and takes a long drink as he slouches against the wooden guardrail. From this high up, he can only faintly hear the crashing of waves on the beach, though the ocean's saline scent still fills his nose. After both he and Riolu finish rehydrating, Izuku returns the bottles to his bag and sucks in a deep breath, waiting for his harsh breathing and heart rate to come back under control.
After a few moments of respite, Riolu is the first to get up, walking over to the tower. Riolu steps inside and points up the hole, tilting his head.
"You want to go up there?" Izuku sighs, pulling himself up from his seat to follow. Riolu bounces up and down, nodding vigorously as Izuku follows, smiling at his partner's enthusiasm. Riolu scrambles up the ladder first, moving at more than twice the speed that Izuku has the energy for given the brevity of their rest. Izuku eventually makes it all the way up the ladder himself - well after his partner - and feels the breeze coming off of the ocean and the midday sun beating down on his skin.
He finds the enthusiastic Pokemon up against the ledge, standing up at the tips of his toes to try to see over the guardrail, but just barely short enough to be unable to peek over the edge. Izuku walks over and picks up Riolu under his arms, putting the Pokemon onto his shoulders so that he can take in the absolutely breathtaking view.
To the north, rolling plains stretch across the Southern Province, their grasses shimmering in hues of silver and green beneath the sunlight and wind. Patches of trees dot the plains, and in the distance, a river winds lazily, tracing a shining path. To the west, the land begins a steady ascent through layered plateaus topped with scattered trees adorned with flying type Pokemon nests that rise like ancient steps toward a towering mountain that stretches towards the sky. Emanating from a lake at its peak, a great waterfall spills over the edge of a sheer cliff, its waters glistening as they tumble, breaking into mists at its base, shrouding the lower slopes.
To the east, the plains give way to weathered red rock, canyonlands etched by years of erosion by wind and rain. Towering stone spires and arches rise from the land, their shapes crafted by storms. The rocks are deep, rusty red, streaked in sedimentary layers, deposited over the south, endless ocean crashes against Paldea's jagged cliffs, sending sprays of salt and foam high into the air, its thunderous waves ringing through the air. Squinting, Izuku thinks he can see the ripples on the surface of water type Pokemon passing by just beneath the surface.
Ahead, towering above the hills and canyonlands, Izuku's destination looms: Mesagoza, a monolith of a city that dwarfed even Viridian back home. Rising from the hill behind the city, the League headquarters commands attention, its towing structure standing high above the sprawling city below and casting its gaze across the entire region. Some say it was built that way to be symbolic as an overseer, to say that the league watched over the region, keeping a protective eye on all beneath it, but Izuku saw it as something else entirely. The way the structure was visible from anywhere in the southern and even parts of the eastern and western provinces makes it a beacon—a steadfast symbol, visible from any direction. To him, it is a symbol of support, of a league meant to be a guiding icon for those in need.
Izuku and Riolu are too busy admiring the view from the top of the lighthouse to notice two specs soaring through the air, coming from the east. They do notice, though, when a stray blast of pure electric energy from the firefight blows off the top pylon of the lighthouse, ejecting a cloud of brick dust and debris that rains down on the duo. Izuku coughs, looking towards the direction the blast came from, finally spotting the figures flying tearing through the sky, getting closer very very quickly.
"Riolu, down the ladder!" Izuku shouts, scrambling towards the opening in the tower. Riolu jumps off of Izuku's shoulders, running beside him and jumping onto the ladder just after Izuku does. Neither bothers taking it one step at a time. They slide down, using the ladder only for balance as they let gravity take over. Just as the ground is about to meet them, Izuku and Riolu both tighten their grip on the side bars, slowing their descent, though not without rubbing the skin on the inside of Izuku's palms raw.
Izuku ignores the pain, bolting out of the lighthouse hatch as soon as his feet hit the ground, Riolu right on his heels. Izuku looks up just in time to see two unfamiliar Pokemon, come barreling in, firing attacks at one another. One is a sleek violet with a long yellow and light blue underbelly, while the other is a scarlet lizard with white feathers jutting out from the sides of its head. Both have what looks like wheels on their underbelly, much like what a Cyclizar might have, but neither looks anything like any Cyclizar Izuku has ever seen online. Just before they cross in front of the lighthouse, the red Pokemon in the front suddenly flares its wing-ears out, coming to an abrupt halt. The violet Pokemon is unable to stop itself in mid-air and crashes into the other, both falling out of the sky in a tangle of limbs and tails.
Together, the Pokemon crash into the top platform of the lighthouse, completely obliterating it on impact and sending debris raining down on the entire surrounding area. Izuku and Riolu don't have time to move out of the way before the tangled Pokemon ricochet off of the tower and impact the earth a few feet away from them. The ground shudders under the weight and force of impact. The ground gives way beneath Izuku and Riolu as part of the cliffside crumbles.
"Rio!" Izuku's partner screams, reaching out for Izuku mid-air, but unable to reach him as gravity takes hold, pulling them both towards the beach below. In a panic, Izuku flails, trying to get ahold of his partner, to do anything to shield him from the impact, but the Pokemon is just out of reach.
The world seems to slow around Izuku, the tumbling rubble around him slowing to a crawl rather than the breakneck trajectory towards the ground it had been on moments earlier. In a last moment decision, Izuku whips his hand to his belt where he unlatches and enlarges Riolu's Pokeball, pointing the sphere at his partner, where a red line jet out of the center, recalling Riolu into the safety of the Pokeball. The world around him resumes at full speed, the wind intensifying to a roaring in Izuku's ear.
Izuku dares a glance over his shoulder. Seeing the ground coming up to meet him, he lets out a sigh of relief that at least his best friend wouldn't be hurt.
When he hits the ground, everything goes black.
Izuku wakes up sore. He stares up at the sky, blinking as the midday sun peeks through a gap in the clouds and for a disorienting moment, he's not sure where he is. A groan escapes him as he pushes himself upright, wincing at a jolt of pain that arcs up his spine. Sand falls between his fingers as he looks over his arms, waving them around and gently rolling his shoulders. A few aches, but no breaks or sprains from what he can tell. His eyes drift to the cliff face, rising until he has to crane his neck to spy the break in the cliffside above him, nearly twenty... maybe thirty feet up?
That can't be right, he thinks. A fall from that height should've hurt him a lot more. The sand must have broken my fall?
Taking care to not strain himself, Izuku gets to his feet and looks around. Pieces of the broken cliff litter the beach around him, half-submerged in sand. He counts himself lucky once again that none of the jagged rocks landed on him. Given the size of some of the debris, he could have easily been crushed.
Near death experience aside, Izuku finds himself in a small cove. Towering cliffs of at least the height he'd fallen from surround him on all sides with no visible paths back up. A few palm trees take up residence in the sand. Inland, there's the gaping mouth of a cave, which seems to be the only feasible way out of this predicament.
Turning his gaze to the ocean, Izuku spots the two Cyclizar-looking Pokemon laying amidst piles of rubble and a mountain of sand created by each's crash. Cautious that the Pokemon may be aggressive, Izuku tentatively comes closer. As he approaches, he sees that both Pokemon are unconscious.
Danger sense abandoned in the face of two potentially injured Pokemon, Izuku's instincts take over and he closes the gap quickly. He first checks for a pulse and breathing on both red Pokemon's scaly skin is rough and warm to the touch, while the purple Pokemon is hard like metal and vibrates with a low thrum, as if there's power coursing throughout its entire body. Thankfully, both Pokemon are breathing and Izuku can't locate any major injuries on either. Each has a few scrapes and cuts from either the fall or their battle, but nothing immediately life threatening from what he can tell.
Then again, Izuku is no Pokemon health expert, and there could certainly be some underlying issue that he can't diagnose at a glance. Izuku unhooks Riolu's Pokeball from his belt, tossing it and watching his partner take form. Of course, Riolu is very clearly upset, forming with his arms crossed, foot tapping on the ground, and sporting a piercing glare fixed on Izuku.
"Sorry, buddy," Izuku grumbles. "I know you hate your ball but…"
"Lu!" Riolu shouts back, turning his face away in indignance with an overly-dramatized huff.
"I said I'm sorry!" Izuku begs. "You could've been hurt!"
Riolu fixes Izuku with a sidelong glance.
"I know, I know. I'm a hypocrite. I just want to point out that unlike you, I don't have the safety of a Pokeball to return to, and I'd rather one of us get hurt than both of us." Izuku can see in Riolu's eyes that he's been forgiven, but the little Pokemon is nothing if not stubborn, so he maintains his facade of anger.
"Besides, I'm fine. See?" To accentuate his point, Izuku waves his arms around, showing his full range of motion. His assurances are sabotaged by an involuntary wince from a bad twist of his back that sends a twinge of pain down his spine. Riolu raises an eyebrow. "Well, mostly okay. That's besides the point, though! These guys could be hurt. They're out cold right now but we need to find a way up and go find some help."
Noticing the dragons for the first time, Riolu relaxes his defensive stance and moves over, checking on each Pokémon in the same careful way Izuku had. The small pokemon runs a paw over the scarlet Pokemon's rough scales first. He presses his paw into the Pokemon's neck, closing his eyes before pulling away, satisfied. He checks over the violet Pokemon next, placing his pay against the metal on its body to confirm the pokemon's health. Finally, he turns to Izuku and nods, then gestures up the beach to the cave.
"I saw that earlier," Izuku says. "I figure it's our best shot out of here to get these guys some help, but let's be careful. We have no idea what kind of pokemon are in there."
The pair take off towards the cave, moving at about as quick as Izuku can manage given his minor injuries. Behind them, from between the leaves of a nearby palm tree where it had been hiding, a small green Pokemon emerges, flitting after the duo.
The cave is brighter on the inside than Izuku had anticipated from the outside. Expecting pitch darkness, the small glowing crystals embedded in the walls that shine with soft hues of various colors are a pleasant surprise. They give off just enough light to see by, but not enough to illuminate the entirety of the cave. As they walk, Izuku constantly hears the rustling of wild Pokemon moving around and he just hopes that if any of them decide to get defensive, that they could be scared off as easily as the Pokemon on Poco Path.
Yungoos and Digglet pass by occasionally, but none seem to be aggressive or territorial, at least, none yet. The cave follows a winding path upwards, circling around in a spiral motion, so Izuku is confident that they'd eventually find the exit to the cave, as it can only go up so far.
As they walk, Izuku feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, feeling as if something is watching them from the shadows that line the cave. For just a moment, Izuku wonders if this cave is finally an opportunity to get some valuable battling practice in. Under normal circumstances, Izuku might have even gone looking for a fight, especially considering his impatience and frustration at the lack of practice on Poco Path.
But not now, he thinks. I can't afford to waste any time if those Pokemon are hurt and need help as soon as possible.
Furthermore, Izuku knows he has no idea how strong the Pokemon in this cave are. He'd felt safe engaging on Poco Path due to the trailhead notice of the wild Pokemon's youth, but this cave could have significantly more powerful Pokemon lurking in it, Pokemon that are significantly more experienced than Izuku or Riolu at battling.
Eventually, the cave opens up into a large atrium. At the other end, from around the bend at the end of the hallway on the other side of the room, he can see strands of sunlight.
That was quicker than I expected. Izuku isn't exactly complaining, the faster he and Riolu could find help, the better.
Exit located, Izuku redoubles his pace, making straight for the exit right up until he hears a warning growl from a few feet ahead and off to the side. He stops in his tracks, putting a hand out to grab Riolu's shoulder to bring him to a halt as well. A few steps ahead, a Houndour emerges from the shadows that cling to the walls of the cave, its teeth bared and snarling.
"Hey buddy," Izuku tries in his best soothing voice. "We're not looking for trouble, we just want to get out of here." Beside him, Riolu says something to the pokemon as well, trying his best to mimic his trainer's friendly voice and demeanor.
In response, the Houndour barks, body language screaming that it's moments away from pouncing. The fur on the back of Riolu's neck bristles, and Izuku just grips his partner's shoulder tighter, giving the Pokemon a silent message to not attack unless they need to.
Izuku tries to circle around the Houndour using the ample space in the atrium, but every time he and Riolu try to move further away from the angry Pokemon, it inches forward, maintaining the distance between them and continuing to block the path to the exit. Does the little Pokemon consider itself the guardian of the cave exit?
The song and dance between them continues until Izuku accidentally kicks a pebble. The projectile skids towards the Hondour, startling the pup. In retaliation, the Pokemon flicks its attention away from Riolu and onto Izuku, launching itself off the ground towards him, fangs bared.
Izuku flinches away, and just before the Pokemon's attack connects, Riolu throws himself between the Houndour and his trainer, taking the Bite attack on the arm. Riolu winces and tries to shake the Pokemon off, but its jaws remain locked around Riolu's forearm. It takes seeing the fangs dig into his partner's skin and draw blood for Izuku to snap back to reality.
"Counter!" Izuku commands. Riolu follows the instruction, a soft orange aura emanating from his skin that coalesces around the fighting type's arm. The energy erupts, sending a shockwave into the Houndour, who barks out a surprised yelp as the damage Riolu had sustained from its attack is blown back. The Houndour is not one to be deterred, though. As soon as it regains its footing, it opens its mouth wide and a violent orange ball of flame collects between its jaws. The moment before it unleashes the attack, Izuku calls out to Riolu, "Copycat!"
Riolu's eyes flash orange and he holds up his paws in front of his chest. Between his palms, an exact copy of the fireball in the Houndour's mouth erupts to life. The two ember attacks collide in mid-air, dissipating on impact but also creating a wave of heat and a cloud of smoke between the two Pokemon.
"Foresight, then go through the cloud and use Force Palm!" Izuku yells. Riolu scans the area, Foresight taking effect as he locates the Houndour through the smoke cloud and dives in, using the smokescreen as a cover to hide his movements. Izuku hears the all-too-familiar sound of Force Palm's energy release and smiles, knowing that the super-effective attack connected with the dark type.
Then, there's an explosion of fire energy from the center of the smoke cloud and a blue and black blur whizzes straight past Izuku, slamming into the wall of the atrium behind him with an echoing thud.
Huh? Izuku stands in stunned silence, the divide between expectation and reality short circuiting his brain. Eventually, he looks back to watch Riolu slump to the ground against the wall. Izuku legs unsteadily rush him over to his partner before he even fully realizes what he's looking at, gasping out a shocked whine as Riolu hunches over. The impact with the wall left a splintering crack in the stone and Riolu struggles to push himself to his feet. He sports a new angry burn mark on his chest, a gift of whatever powerful attack he'd taken.
Izuku looks over as the smoke cloud dissipates. Within the cloud, he sees not the young Houndour that he'd been battling, but instead a fully grown Houndoom. The small Houndour cowers behind the Houndoom's legs. On the Houndoom's left flank, the residual energy of Force Palm's static effect lingers, crackling and sparking but otherwise not affecting the fire type.
Seems like somebody got a little in over their head playing guard dog duty, and mama had to come save the day, Izuku glares daggers at the Pokemon. The Houndoom is clearly much more powerful than Riolu is ready to deal with, even if his partner had the strength left to battle. Scenarios immediately start running through Izuku's brain as he attempts to find any path through the battle that could get them out of the cave as uninjured as possible.
The Houndoom barks and it's an angry, vicious sound. It isn't just being defensive like the Houndour had been. No, this Pokemon is pissed, and it will not settle for Izuku and Riolu leaving quietly. The Pokemon pads forward, so Izuku does the only thing he can think of. He takes a defensive stance, raising his fists in front of him. If nothing else, he can at least protect Riolu.
A small pat on Izuku's side tears his eyes from the approaching Pokemon. Riolu is back on his feet and limping forward, putting himself between his trainer and the threat, mirroring Izuku's fighting stance.
"Riolu!" Izuku shouts, voice cracking. "You're hurt!"
Riolu doesn't respond to his trainer. He simply crouches lower, eyes locked on the approaching Pokemon. His partner's posture says only one thing, and Izuku is well versed in the language of his partner.
Let me fight.
Swallowing thickly, Izuku nods, more to himself than anything else. "Alright, let's do this!" Izuku grits his teeth and clenches his fists. His partner is putting his faith in Izuku to guide them through the battle safely. He can't exactly let him down, now can he?
When the Houndoom lunges, Izuku is ready. "Dive under it!" Right as the Houndoom's jaws snap shut where Riolu had been just a moment earlier, the fighting type slides between the Pokemon's front legs, coming out behind it. "Force Palm on the ground, then get away!"
Riolu's attack strikes the ground right as the Houndoom wheels around. The Fire Blast it was readying in its maw unleashes into a cloud of rubble rather than Riolu himself, obliterating the stone chunks and throwing up a cloud of dust.
"Use Foresight, then track it through the cloud! Avoid it!"
After shouting his command, Izuku starts making his way around the atrium. The Houndoom is clearly much stronger than Riolu, so the key to winning this fight is not knocking the Houndoom out, it's to create diversions and escape the cave. They'll never win head-on, so Izuku makes it his goal to clear a path and escape instead.
Izuku's plan of using the dust cloud as cover to circle towards the exit of the atrium is disrupted when the Houndoom lets out a deafening Roar that echoes throughout the entire cave. Dust falls from the ceiling while the intimidating move sends a shiver down Izuku's spine and he unwillingly freezes on the spot for just a moment. A moment is all the Houndoom needs to unleash a powerful Fire Spin centered around itself. The infernal tornado sucks the remaining dust cloud into its cyclone, and when it releases the attack, small glass beads from where the dust particles had been turned to glass drop to the floor and shatter.
With his cover gone, the Houndoom locks its eyes on Riolu on the other side of the atrium. Just as Izuku is about to call for Riolu to run, the Houndoom whips around and makes a beeline straight for Izuku himself. The residual effect of the Roar making him slow to move, Izuku can only watch as sharp fangs lunge for his face.
He's saved by Riolu slamming a Force Palm into the side of the Houndoom's head, redirecting the attacking Pokemon just enough for its maw to slam into the wall directly next to Izuku's head. Breaking out of his trance, Izuku dives to the side just as the Houndoom turns and snaps at him again. Riolu is there a second time, smacking the top of the Houndoom's head with yet another Force Palm.
Riolu's blows hardly do any damage, but they're enough to disorient the other Pokemon and Riolu's comparative agility thanks to his smaller size gives him the unique advantage of being able to maneuver around the Pokemon and make himself harder to hit.
The dance between himself, Riolu, and Houndoom continues, and Izuku feels himself being pulled into a trance. It begins with a narrow dodge and Riolu acting on Izuku's readied command, moments before Izuku even voices it. Izuku watches as Riolu moves around the Houndoom like a snake, sliding under, jumping over, or redirecting attacks as they come, always making the right move to avoid a devastating blow.
It continues when Izuku begins to feel the impacts of each attack himself. With every force palm, he can feel the energy collecting in his fists, and with each strike, he feels the discharge. Perhaps it is a trick of the low light of the crystals in the atrium, but Izuku swears he can see each of Houndoom's attacks moments before they happen, as if he himself had used Foresight.
As the battle rages on and Izuku puts distance between himself and the Houndoom thanks to Riolu, the odd phenomenon only intensifies. He can feel his muscles twitching with each movement Riolu makes, as if they want to move in tandem with the pokemon. The static effect of Force Palm begins to take its toll on Houndoom, slowing it and arcing yellow energy across its body. Yet, at the same time, Izuku thinks that he sees arcs of green energy, too, sparking off of the floor around Riolu when he moves or in a spray of sparks let out by each attack that connects.
Their opportunity finally comes when the Houndoom lunges with Crunch and Riolu dodges towards its flank. At that moment, the Houndoom freezes from paralysis for just a heartbeat. Seeing the opening, Izuku and his partner both scream in unison as Riolu puts all of his remaining energy into a final Force Palm. Green lightning crackles around the attack and an explosion of sparks erupts from the impact, blowing the Houndoom back a few yards with a grunt.
"Riolu, let's go!" Izuku wastes no time and takes off at a sprint for the exit to the cave. His partner disengages immediately, catching up within moments. Behind, the Houndoom shakes off the last attack and takes off at a sprint, trying to catch up to the fleeting duo. Unfortunately, neither Izuku nor Riolu are fast enough to break out of the atrium in time, and the Houndoom jumps straight over them, once again putting itself between Izuku and Riolu and the cave exit.
Izuku and Riolu skid to a stop, which is a mistake as exhaustion very suddenly sets in the instant they stop moving. Izuku feels himself sag as the adrenaline from their first bout crashes, and Riolu seems even worse for wear, the injury from the first Fire Blast taking its toll. The Houndoom ahead snarls and Riolu limps forward, putting himself between his trainer and the threat one more time, prepared for battle. A single look at his Pokemon tells Izuku all he needs to know.
Sorry, buddy. You're at your limit here, and I can't have you getting even more hurt, Izuku thinks.
Knowing his partner is too stubborn to give in, Izuku reaches down to his belt and clicks Riolu's Pokeball off of its holster. He clenches it in his fist and just before he holds it out to recall his partner, a threatening roar echoes throughout the cave, quickly followed by another. Unlike the Houndoom's Roar attack earlier, these are simply the bellows of immensely powerful Pokemon, the type that could stop someone with just a glare. Izuku dares a look over his shoulder, where he sees the two Pokemon from the beach filing into the atrium.
Except, they're different. The feathers along the red Pokemon's spine are raised threateningly and the tire in its chest is inflated, puffed up and menacing. It walks on its hind legs and its beady yellow and red glare is leveled towards the Houndoom. The other Pokemon is floating, the tire in its chest also puffed up and expanded. It has an unnatural angle to it that gives off the impression of something artificial trying to pass as natural. To top it all off, it has electricity sparking off of its body and the engines on its rear end rev as it moves.
The two enter the atrium and roar again. The Houndoom, to its credit, takes the warning for what it is and immediately picks her pup up by the scruff of its neck and flees into the darkness. The two menacing Pokemon watch it go, then simply continue through the cave, barely giving Izuku and Riolu more than a side-eyed glance. Izuku and Riolu watch them leave the cave, only feeling safe enough to follow after they are certain the Pokemon are gone.
Before he and Riolu even think about leaving, they both collapse onto the ground, the exhaustion and gravity of the situation setting in.
What in Arceus's name was that? Izuku thinks. Not just the Pokemon, but that entire phenomenon with the sparks and feeling Riolu's attacks himself. Was that real?
The sun is making an accelerated drive for the horizon by the time Izuku and Riolu emerge from the cave exit. From the opening, they can see the cave spat them out just a bit up the hill from the lighthouse, whose ruins lay strewn across the ground. Just beneath the tower, Izuku sees the two Cyclizar-like Pokémon, both apparently reverted to their smaller forms from the beach. A boy stands in front of the lighthouse, just staring at the carnage.
As Izuku and Riolu approach, they hear the trail end of a conversation between the boy and the two Pokemon.
"- and what do I find? You two have destroyed an entire lighthouse! What if someone was hurt? What if you damaged the lab?"
The boy seems to be around Izuku's age, with long, curly light-blonde hair streaked with dark brown. He wears a bright yellow vest over a long sleeve button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and hiking pants. To his credit, his lecture towards the two Pokemon seems to be effective, as both are looking thoroughly regretful and scolded. Which is impressive, considering how intimidating both had been in what Izuku could only describe as their battle form. The boy sees Izuku approaching and quickly recalls both Pokemon.
So he's their trainer, Izuku thinks. Interesting.
"Hello!" Izuku waves as he gets closer. "Those two are your Pokemon?"
The man hunches, shoulders rolling forward dramatically. "Unfortunately," he says. "Were you here to see…this?" He gestures to the lighthouse carnage.
"Very nearly got taken out by their fight myself," Izuku confirms. He then proceeds to generally recount the events, from the lighthouse's destruction to being saved from Houndoom in the cave. He doesn't dive into details about the fight, as it's not relevant, especially considering he's not certain what he saw was completely real.
"Sorry," the blonde says with a sigh. "They don't really get along super well. We're working on it, but there was a dispute over lunch and well, you saw the rest." Rather than hooking the Pokeballs onto the holster on his belt, the boy reaches around and places the Pokeballs in his backpack.
"What kind of Pokemon are they, if you don't mind me asking? I've never seen anything like them before."
The boy freezes, then grinds out a very stilted, clearly rehearsed response. "They're Cyclizar."
His terrible lying aside, Izuku knows what Cyclizar look like, given that they are one of the most well known Pokemon from Paldea and frequently used for transportation in many regions. "Are you sure? They certainly don't look like - "
"Are you and your Riolu okay? That's quite the fall," he interrupts.
After a disorienting moment brought on by the sudden change in topic and extremely obvious deflection, Izuku nods and Riolu gives a short, exhausted hop and a big thumbs up. "Yeah, we're all good. Probably going to try to make it to the Los Platos Pokemon Center tonight, though. Ran into some trouble in the cave and my buddy here is a big roughed up."
Riolu huffs at that remark, trying to put on a tough facade despite the discomfort Izuku knows he is in, especially with that nasty burn on his chest.
The boy frowns at that. "Los Platos is easily a full day's trip away, you wouldn't make it by nightfall."
"Oh," Izuku says. "Well in that case, you don't happen to have a spare potion or burn heal, would you? I wouldn't want Riolu to have to wait until tomorrow for some relief."
The boy slings his overstuffed backpack off of his shoulder, nodding. "I've got a couple but…why don't you just put him in his ball until you can get him to the Pokemon Center?" He hands Izuku a purple spray bottle, which Izuku takes with a grateful nod. He then starts the arduous task of thoroughly checking Riolu for any damage and spraying affected areas. The fighting type takes it without complaint, though Izuku knows the potions can tend to sting at first.
"Yeah, that'll never happen. He hates his ball. If I made him stay there for a whole day, I'm not sure I would have a partner Pokemon the next time he came out." Izuku laughs. He's exaggerating, but only a little.
"Ah, I see. Well, glad I can help, then!" The boy gestures to the burn on Riolu's chest. "That thing definitely needs more than a potion and a burn heal, though."
Izuku nods, spraying down another cut on Riolu. "He'll make it though. Riolu's a tough one. Anyways, I didn't realize Los Platos was so far away from here. Based on the map, it seemed pretty close."
The blonde sweeps a strand of hair out of his face as he rummages further through his backpack. "Yeah, Those maps can be deceiving, especially if you're not familiar with the area. Do you have a sleeping bag or a tent or anything like that?"
Izuku shakes his head, then flushes. He probably seems woefully unprepared to this clearly seasoned traveler. The boy just sighs and runs his hand through his hair.
"Tell you what," he says, reaching deep into one of the pockets of his bag. "Where's your final destination?"
"Mesagoza, headed there to try out for the Trials."
The blonde seems surprised for a moment, but quickly gets himself under control. He reaches into his bag and pulls out a few pouches before handing them to Izuku. "Great, that's where I'm headed too. I'll meet you in the Mesagoza Pokemon Center in four days, so bring these back to me then."
He tosses Izuku two small packages, one a folded up tent with some stakes, and the other a sleeping bag. Surprised by his kindness, Izuku numbly accepts the gifts and stuffs them into his own, much emptier backpack. "Are you sure? Won't you need them too?"
The man shakes his head with a smile. "No, I've got spares. I always travel with some just in case something goes wrong. Also, make sure you get at least a tent and sleeping bag of your own when you get to Mesagoza. If you're going to participate in the Trials, you're going to have to get used to sleeping in the wilderness."
"Well, thank you then. I'll make sure to return them in perfect condition." Izuku pauses, making a connection. "Wait, if you're headed to Mesagoza as well, why don't we just travel together?"
The man points to the building at the bottom of the lighthouse's broken tower. "I'm actually here for something in that building, and I'll be here for another day or two. I planned on using one of the…Cyclizar to make the trip back quicker. I wouldn't want to hold you back, so I'll just meet you there in a few days."
There it is again, Izuku thinks. The hesitance and avoidance to call those two Pokemon Cyclizar. Izuku once again decides to drop it and not pry. In the end, it's none of his business.
Izuku finishes putting the tent and sleeping bag into his pack and hefts it onto his back with a huff, wincing at the motion and realizing just how tired his muscles are. "Well, if it's really as long a trip as you say, Riolu and I should probably get going. We're going to be cutting it close to the tryout deadline as-is, even without this delay we've had. I'll see you at Mesagoza, then?"
Izuku looks towards the road that eventually leads into the Southern Province. "Ah, wait!" the boy calls, and Izuku turns around again. "I never got your name."
Izuku flushes, realizing he never properly introduced himself, and admonishing himself for the rudeness. He sticks out his hand and grasp's the man's hand in a handshake.
"My name's Arven. I'm from here in Paldea."
Izuku smiles. "I'm Izuku Midoriya. I'm from Pallet Town in Kanto, and this is my partner Riolu. With his help, I'm going to become the champion of champions and become the number one trainer."
A/N: First, as far as I can tell, no long-form fics of Izuku Midoriya going on a Pokemon Adventure through a Pokemon Region really exist, so I decided to do it myself. I put a lot of work into the worldbuilding and plotting here, including a full 50 page outline, so I hope it turns out.
Second, this is the first fanfic I'm posting in approximately 3 years, but not the first writing in that time. I've been working on original works, trying to make a novel, and I believe my writing has improved substantially since I left writing fic.
For clarity, the world here is intended to be a mix of the Pokemon Adventures Manga and My Hero Acadmia's worlds. The adventures manga is more realistic and less "kid"-y than the anime and games, and MHA pushes that another step towards realism.
Also, I have the first 12 chapters (80k words) written already, a significant backlog. Chapters will post once a week, every sunday, until I catch up to my backlog, at which point the post rate may dip, but I intend to complete this nonetheless.
As always, comments are not only welcome but encouraged. They are my fuel and a large portion of what makes me excited to post. Please, any thoughts you have, anything at all, post it in a comment!
New chapters every Sunday!