Izuku wakes up at the crack of dawn on a ground much too cold, in a sleeping bag far too cramped, with a crick in his neck, and sporting an attitude problem that only comes as a package deal with three restless hours of sleep. He pulls his arms out of the sleeping bag and stretches, rolling his shoulders to work out the stiffness as he waits for lucidity to fully set in. Riolu wiggles from the depths of the sleeping bag, squirming against Izuku and eventually popping his head out of the opening. It takes a moment for the Pokemon's bleary red eyes to adjust to the sunlight peeking through the tent flap.
"Morning," Izuku yawns. As grateful as Izuku is for Arven's generosity in lending him the camping equipment, he wishes he had thought to ask the other boy if he had a second spare sleeping bag for Riolu. He doesn't blame anyone for the oversight; most Pokemon sleep in their Pokeballs, it is just the natural assumption. It isn't Arven's fault Izuku had forgotten to consider a place for his own partner to sleep. It worked out fine in the end, as Riolu just slept in the sleeping bag with Izuku, burrowed inside and curled up at Izuku's feet.
I'm half convinced he didn't say anything because he wanted this to happen, Izuku thinks, narrowing his eyes at the half-asleep Pokemon. He would not put it past his partner to come up with such a scheme just so he could sleep at Izuku's feet rather than in his own sleeping bag.
Izuku pulls himself out of the sleeping bag carefully, taking care to not agitate any of his sore muscles or joints. He is certainly more sore than he'd previously thought, which he attributes to the adrenaline crash. Riolu brightens, ejecting himself from the garment as soon as Izuku is free, eager to join in on the morning workout.
"You're certain you feel up to it? I'm sure that burn is still giving you trouble." Izuku gestures to his partner's chest which, despite his best attempts to remedy with potions, still sports some singed fur and red, inflamed skin under Riolu's coat. Izuku acts less concerned than he really is. In reality, it is taking all of his restraint to not step all over the Pokemon's pride and fret over the injury.
True to character, Riolu scoffs and walks out of the tent first. Izuku sighs, quickly dressing himself and following the Pokemon. Riolu is prideful and stubborn to a fault sometimes. The little Pokemon has a history of toughing through injuries or other issues, insisting he is fine while suffering in silence. Worse yet, the Pokemon will get upset and neglect to communicate his issues in the future if fretted or worried over. So, Izuku and Riolu have settled into a middle ground they both tread. Izuku allows the Pokemon his bouts of pride, giving his partner leeway to push himself when he believes he is capable of doing so. In exchange, Riolu ensures to properly communicate when he is near his limits, seriously injured, or otherwise not in prime condition. It isn't a perfect system, but it works for them, at least most of the time.
Riolu is already stretching when Izuku emerges from the tent, toothbrush in his mouth. "No run today," Izuku mumbles. "We'll get plenty of walking in as-is." Riolu's ears droop, but he does not argue or complain. Which is good, because Izuku knows in his irritable and tired state he'd be all too quick to accidentally start an argument.
Izuku and Riolu begin their morning workout with basic stretching. As Izuku works out tight tendons and massages sore muscles, the crisp morning air drags him out of his groggy stupor. Once they finish stretching, Izuku and Riolu get to work on All Might's Plus Ultra Training Regimen. It consists of one hundred push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, and squats followed by a ten kilometer run every single day. The training method was considered exceedingly unconventional when All Might first began his Trials. In fact, many press sources mocked it publicly before he started to distinguish himself from the crowd.
The All Might's training regimen is less about the actual workout and more about the trainer physically training alongside their Pokemon. He'd argued that it isn't fair to ask your partner to put themselves through battle and hardship if you aren't willing to take those steps alongside them. In addition to building trust amongst one's team, All Might had argued for the benefits for the trainer as well. In the real world, Pokemon battles don't have the protections and regulations that recreational battles do. When it comes to fighting criminal organizations or disaster relief, an unprepared trainer can often become the weakest link if they are unable to keep pace with their partners, which can directly negatively affect those the trainer is trying to help.
Izuku keeps all of these foundational pillars in mind as he works through each exercise. With every push-up, sit-up, crunch and squat, he reminds himself of the goals he and Riolu laid out for themselves. Every time Riolu beats him through a set, he commits to doing better next time. Every bead of sweat, every aching muscle, every gasping lungful of air is well earned and helps to make the next one easier.
By the time Izuku and Riolu finish their planned sets for the day, Izuku is drenched in sweat, panting, and tired, but at the same time he feels much better than when he woke up. Something about the workout just gets him moving every morning. It fills him with energy rather than the exhaustion one might expect after such a vigorous workout. Riolu is in a similar boat, panting heavily and gulping down water like a beached Magikarp, but more alert and ready to get on with the day.
Izuku's eagerness to get to Los Platos is driven by a laundry list of items. First and foremost, he wants to get Riolu into the Pokemon Center as soon as possible. Above all else, getting his partner treated is his top priority.
Secondary to that, though, Izuku can tell from a single day of travel that he's remarkably unprepared for the journey ahead of him. On top of his blunder of not bringing along a tent or sleeping bag, his backpack only carries a few days' worth of food and water. The latter especially is a problem, as he currently has no reasonable way of replenishing his water stores on trips any longer than a day or two. He is also missing a whole host of other outdoor survival equipment. His failure to get a fire started last night due to lacking any sort of firestarter had directly led into the cold night, though a notable lack of blankets didn't help solve that problem either.
True to Arven's word, Izuku and Riolu hadn't made it anywhere close to Los Platos before nightfall cast the path into shadow too dark to safely traverse. Not making camp until the sun was already dipping below the horizon was another mistake he'd made. Fumbling around in the darkness to set up the tent is an experience Izuku isn't eager to repeat.
Growing pains, Izuku thinks brightly. I've never done this sort of thing before, of course I'm going to have missteps.
Izuku and Riolu arrive at Los Platos around mid-afternoon of the second day. A few small houses on the edge of the town are the first signs of civilization Izuku has seen since the lighthouse, and the residents who greet him as he passes are the first people he's happened across other than Arven since beginning his journey. The town is a little smaller than Pallet Town, though with more urban architecture compared to his hometown's ample ranches and farmland. Interestingly, the transition into the town comes rather abruptly. One moment, Izuku and Riolu are on a dirt path, winding between trees and surrounded by wildlife, and the next the dirt path morphs into a paved cobblestone road and homes peek out from between the surrounding forest. It's as if the town is integrated within the forest, rather than placed in a clearing, surrounded on all sides by foliage and comfortably blending in with the landscape.
The people are pleasant, too. Izuku is greeted by plenty of residents as he passes. Some simply wave as he walks by, but many ask after his day or ask to be introduced to Riolu directly. The Pokemon isn't even subtle; he basks in the attention.
"Don't be so vain," Izuku jokingly chides. "It'll go to your head."
Riolu chatters back a sassy response, flicking his head away.
Izuku sighs, face breaking into a smile with a jibe forming in his mind. "I mean, maybe if you can get compliments from anyone outside of old ladies or children, I might actually be impressed. All you've managed so far is the low hanging fruit."
Izuku gets his karmic justice via a Force Palm delivered straight to the side of his leg. Izuku yelps, limb going numb in alongside a discharge of yellow energy that arcs down to his toes. Riolu didn't put any real force behind the attack, but any kind of Pokemon move is going to sting, no matter the power it's delivered with. It's certainly more than enough to reduce Izuku to a limping gait.
"Alright, alright!" Izuku puts his hands up in mock defeat. "I get it, you're the best and deserve all the attention." The numbness in Izuku's leg fades over the next few minutes and his gait returns to normal while Riolu storms ahead, playing along with their little spat. As soon as he's able, Izuku jogs to catch up.
A few wrong turns and a desperate plea for directions from a local later, Izuku and Riolu finally arrive at the Pokemon Center. The red-roofed building is larger than Izuku thought it would be, easily the size of a small hotel. All Pokemon centers are built in a very particular style, intended to be distinct and identifiable anywhere in the world. Of course, there are slight variations based on material availability in the region, but the general structure and branding is consistent across the globe.
I'm pretty sure that it's illegal to use the pink cross in branding or any application but Pokemon Centers. He's not sure, but he's pretty sure he's heard that online at some point.
"Welcome in!" a cheery voice calls when Izuku and Riolu walk in through the automatic glass doors. Straight ahead and behind the counter, Nurse Joy stands beside a Chansey. In the lobby to Izuku's right, a handful of people sit in the waiting area, many conversing with one another. The alluring scent of hot food wafts over from the cafeteria to Izuku's left and in the back corner is a small mart stocked with Pokemon medicine, Pokeballs, snacks, and other essentials. Finally, an escalator against the back right wall disappears into the upper levels of the building, presumably up to the lodging all Pokemon Centers offer.
"Good afternoon," Izuku greets, coming up to the counter. Nurse Joy wears a uniform unlike the ones back in Kanto. Where those back home wear a stereotypical nurse outfit complete with the signature pink cross on the skirt and nurse's cap, this Nurse Joy sports a more casual look. A Pokeball-themed apron covers a simple pink and white blouse and shorts. She also wears a Pokeball-themed baseball cap to top it all off. If it wasn't for the signature light pink curls of every Nurse Joy and all of her cousins, Izuku isn't sure he'd recognize her at a glance.
"What can we do for you today?" Nurse joy asks.
Izuku gestures to Riolu beside him. "Yesterday, my buddy got a bit banged up in a battle with some wild Pokemon, and I was hoping you could do a general health checkup as well as treat his burn."
Nurse Joy smiles and nods, Chansey crooning beside her and gesturing to the countertop. Riolu hops up onto the countertop as Izuku unlatches his Pokeball from his belt and places it beside the pokemon.
"He hates his ball," Izuku warns. "Use it if you need to, but he should cooperate just fine." Izuku shoots his partner a glare that he hopes accentuates his point. Riolu just rolls his eyes and looks away.
"We deal with Pokemon with ball anxiety all the time," Nurse Joy assures. "We'll get him taken care of. We've got a couple Pokemon in the queue right now, so I'd expect he'll be ready for pickup in another few hours, if that's alright?"
Izuku nods. "I've got a few errands to run around town, so that should be fine." Izuku hesitates, opening his mouth to ask a question but closing it as he second guesses himself.
"Not from around here?" Nurse Joy guesses. Beside her, Chansey turns and gestures to Riolu and waddles away. Riolu follows suit after a short parting wave to Izuku.
"Not even close," Izuku laughs. "Any idea where I could find a shop that sells basic survival supplies? Firestarter, blankets, water filter, stuff like that?"
Nurse Joy puts her hand to her chin, head tilting as she hums in contemplation. "There should be a pretty good selection at Deliberd's Presents in Mesagoza, but if you need supplies more urgently than that or aren't headed that direction, you may have some luck at Arnito's on Manzana street." She quickly spouts off some directions that Izuku hopes he can put into practice. "Is there anything else I could help out with?"
"Yeah, I was wondering if you had any messages for Izuku Midoriya?" He'd agreed with his mother to leave a message at Los Platos if there is anything she needed him to turn back for. Based on their last interaction, Izuku doubts there'd be anything, but he wants to check anyway.
"Nothing from what I can see," Nurse Joy confirms. "Anything else?"
If Riolu is going to be another few hours, then we won't be able to get far out of Los Platos anyway, so…
"How much does a room run overnight?" Izuku asks.
Nurse Joy eyes Izuku up and down briefly. "I assume you're asking after the general rate? No trainer license or anything like that?" Izuku nods. "We normally charge a thousand Pokedollars per night."
Izuku winces. He only has about six times that in his wallet, but that full amount is all the pocket change his mother could spare and is intended to cover his food, supplies, and lodging for his entire trip to Mesagoza.
And back, if I don't pass tryouts. Izuku pushes the intrusive thought aside.
Running some of the numbers in his head, Izuku feels that the price is a bit steep, but it also includes meals for the night and following morning. Considering his necessary supply run, Izuku anticipates he'd be out a little over half of his funds if he purchased a room for the night.
Still, the idea of hiking back out into the woods just to spend another night out in the wilderness is just about as far from appetizing as it gets. "I'll take a room for one night, then," Izuku caves.
Nurse Joy flashes him a smile and processes Izuku's payment, handing over a white access keycard for room access and meals. Izuku thanks her and heads towards the escalator at the back of the building, eager to settle in the room before going out for supplies.
Between stocking up on supplies and the Pokemon Center room charge for the night, Izuku is down to less than a third of the funds that he set off from the docks with. As he and Riolu depart the northern limits of Los Platos, Izuku's backpack stocked with every essential item he could think of, he hopes that there aren't any emergencies to drain his remaining funds before he could make it to Mesagoza.
What I've got should cover a room the night when we arrive, at least, he reasons. Not enough if I fail tryouts and have to backtrack, though.
Izuku shoves the looming anxiety of his finances aside and tries to focus on the path ahead. Down the road, Riolu runs down the trail with a spring in his step he'd been certainly lacking on their way into town. Fortunately, Riolu's burn was relatively minor and easy to treat, so the Pokemon was already ready to go by the time Izuku got back from his shopping trip and dinner.
"Stop tormenting the Shroodle!" Izuku shouts after his partner, a solid fifty feet down the path ahead, chasing pokemon he sees lounging in the sun or relaxing at the base of trees. As they put distance between themselves and Los Platos, the trees make themselves sparse and the path cuts through open plains of flowing grass, rather than weaving through a maze of trees like it had upon entering the Southern Province.
The Pokemon in the area are also more formidable, which is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, he feels like he and Riolu are finally getting in some real practice. The Pokemon still flee from battle far sooner than a recreational match would end, but at the very least they put up more of a fight than the pokemon on Poco Path had. They're also not nearly as threatening as Houndoom had been, which Izuku is thankful for as well.
Throughout all of the battles, Izuku never experiences the phenomenon he'd felt in the fight with Houndoom. There's no green, sparking energy or the odd synchronization phenomenon he'd experienced during that fight.
Maybe my brain really was just playing tricks on me, Izuku considers. It certainly felt real, but I've never heard of anything like that before. Was it really just nerves?
The drawback to this entire situation, however, is the frequency. At least a few times an hour, Riolu will stick his head into the wrong bush, or climb the wrong tree, or throw a stick the wrong direction and aggravate some wild Pokemon. They have to be stopping for battles at least twice an hour, and at this rate they might not even make it to Mesagoza in time.
"Here we go again," Izuku breathes out, watching as Riolu stops a few feet down the road and stares up into one of the trees just off of the side of the road. "Stop picking fights!" Izuku yells at his partner.
The only acknowledgement he gets is a quick turn of the head to confirm he heard Izuku before completely disregarding the advice and starting up the tree.
"Fine, deal with this one yourself, then! I'm not helping." Izuku watches out of the corner of his eye as he approaches the tree. Soon, there's some rustling of the branches in the upper limbs and just as Izuku is about to pass by and continue down the road, he hears a clicky, chattering noise from somewhere inside the foliage. The tree shakes violently and then Riolu comes tumbling out, rolling as he hits the ground to break his fall. A green and off-yellow spider Pokemon emerges from inside the tree, hanging upside down from a thread attached somewhere above with its eyes narrowed at Riolu in displeasure.
"Would you look at what you did this time?" Izuku sighs, a hint of genuine irritation in his voice. Riolu at least looks a little bit regretful, sporting a brand new scuff on his forearm for his shenanigans. The Spidops detaches from its string, twisting mid-air and landing gracefully on six legs, the final two held forward aggressively. The arachnid Pokemon inches forward, legs moving in a way just unnatural enough to be spine-chilling.
All the Pokemon we've provoked so far have been unevolved, this one could certainly be a lot stronger. Izuku looks down at his partner, and for a brief moment the anxiety of his fight with Houndoom returns. Izuku's heart rate spikes and the tips of his fingers begin to fingle at the sudden spike in blood flow. Izuku tenses, still-sore muscles tightening. Just two days ago, they'd gotten into a fight they weren't ready for and came uncomfortably close to getting seriously injured. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Riolu nods to Izuku, the same tension reading in the Pokemon's eyes. They glare at the slowly nearing Spidops, venomous anger flooding its eyes and hostility emanating from its carapace.
Izuku and Riolu turn in unison and bolt down the path towards Mesagoza, sprinting as fast as they possibly can. The Spidops is caught off guard for a breath, clearly having expected a fight, but gives chase after recovering its wits.
"This. Is why. You don't. Go picking. Fights!" Izuku huffs, his partner hauling ass just beside him. He glances over his shoulder and sees the Spidops is on their tail but slowly falling behind. They keep sprinting, and it isn't long until Izuku's lungs begin to burn and his legs start to protest at the exertion. It's the backpack, Izuku thinks. I'm not used to exercising with additional weight.
Up ahead, Izuku spots a small fork in the path. Continuing forward would take them down the well-trodden path to continue towards Mesagoza. The path to the side, though, is overgrown and shaded by trees on both sides. Izuku flicks his gaze behind him again, where he watches the Spidops slip out of view for just a moment as they round a bend. "There!" Izuku points. Riolu skids to a halt, pivoting and bolting down the side path. A few feet later, they both dive behind a bush.
Both greedily suck down air as quietly as they can manage and watch from behind cover as their bug-type pursuer slows in front of the fork. It peers down the side path and tilts its head quizzically, but ultimately turns and continues past. Neither Izuku nor Riolu move, both anxiously awaiting to see if the Spidops will double back before they come out of hiding.
Convinced the Pokemon is gone, Izuku turns and flicks Riolu right between the eyes as he stands up.
"Rio!" Riolu barks in surprise, stumbling back and bringing a paw up to his face, a look of betrayal plastered on his expression as he rubs the stinging spot.
"That's for being a nuisance to the wild Pokemon," Izuku says back. "Now, stop picking fights!"
Riolu responds in a frantic ramble while Izuku steps out of the bush and adjusts his backpack on his back and rolls his shoulders. He is genuinely upset at his partner for the situation. He'd spent the entire afternoon trying to get Riolu to cooperate, but the Pokemon was either too eager to practice battling, too pent up with energy after his stay at the Pokemon Center, or both.
"I don't care if you want more practice, it's not going to help anybody if you get yourself hurt and we can't even participate in tryouts." Izuku pushes his way past undergrowth and makes his way back onto the path. Only then does he take a moment to properly take in his surroundings.
The direction they'd entered from traces back to the main path, and surrounding for a few dozen yards in either direction, a dense thicket of trees sprout up from the earth, giving the area a more encapsulated feeling than the open plains around them provide.
It's what lies at the other end of the path that surprises Izuku.
Rather than continuing off to the east like he'd expected, he sees that the path only continues for another few dozen yards and culminates in a small grove. Izuku wanders towards it, Riolu by his side rambling about something or other behind him, probably about how wronged he was by Izuku's completely justified flick.
The surrounding trees open up to a small clearing and at its center lies a small, wooden shrine. The structure is simple, only consisting of a small chamber walled by two ornate wooden doors and topped with slanted boards painted green and blue. The paint is ancient, having faded to pale pastels after what had to be decades of sun bleaching and flaking in many areas. It stands on equally ancient stilts, the wood that comprises them graying and warped. Inside the chamber, a variety of fresh berries, fruits, and nuts sit alongside a note etched into the surface.
It's so old Izuku can barely make out the writing. "Something-bi's Shrine. Take an…offering, those in…need, i think?," Izuku mutters. "Leave an offering, those who can."
Riolu finally catches up to Izuku and pokes around the shrine. As far as Izuku knows, there is no nearby human settlement and the path clearly isn't all that well-traveled. Sure, he'd come across a handful of other travelers since Los Platos, but certainly not enough to create this stockpile, even if every traveler took the detour and left an offering.
The answer to Izuku's lingering question is swiftly answered when a small pack of Pokemon emerge from the fringes of the grove. It's a Kirlia flanked by a swarm of four or five Ralts. Immediately, Izuku feels Riolu tense next to him just as the pack of fairy-types notice him and freeze on the spot. The Ralts waddle backwards and hide behind Kirlia's legs. The older Pokemon narrows her eyes at Izuku and Riolu suspiciously.
Upon closer inspection, the Ralts are tiny, even for their already small species. The Kirlia, too, is thin and spindly, clearly malnourished. Izuku puts his hand on Riolu's shoulder. "It's okay," he says, both to the wild Pokemon and his partner. Slowly, all while maintaining eye contact with Kirlia, Izuku tugs Riolu back, putting a half dozen feet between himself and the shrine. Kirlia narrows her eyes at the aspiring trainer, but her posture slowly relaxes and she nudges the family of Ralts forward. Izuku takes a seat in the grass at the edge of the grove and watches as the family of fairy types approach the shrine. Kirlia reaches in and pulls out a few berries and begins handing them out to the Ralts, who eagerly sit down with their food and start eating.
It's all done by the wild Pokemon, Izuku realizes. The ones that can spare food put it here so those that struggle can have something to fall back on. The scene tugs at Izuku's heartstrings. This is the good in the world that only Pokemon can really encapsulate. Whichever human many, many years ago put together this shrine probably didn't know just how much it would help Pokemon in the area for years to come.
Eager to contribute and do his part, Izuku takes his backpack off of his shoulders and begins rummaging through it. The group of Pokemon look over with more curiosity than anything else as he pulls out Riolu's can of homemade Pokemon food.
"It's made for fighting types, so it might not be to your liking, but it's all I have," Izuku admits, flushing. Kirlia slowly stalks over and plucks one of the blocks from Izuku's hand before retreating backwards quickly, putting distance between itself and Izuku once again. She sniffs at the food suspiciously before raising it to her mouth and tentatively tasting it. Her face contorts, eyes scrunching in disgust as she slowly spits it back out onto the ground, keeping a careful eye the entire time to gauge his reaction.
"It was worth a shot," Izuku says. He tosses a block of the food over to Riolu for a snack, before closing the container and returning it to his bag. The Pokemon happily snatches the food out of the air and swallows it in one gulp. "You could at least taste it, you know."
Ignoring Izuku's remark, Riolu hops to his feet, startling the munching Pokemon. They relax when Riolu turns and jogs away in the opposite direction, taking off into the forest with some intensely important objective in mind. Kirlia keeps a watchful eye on Izuku and the swarm of Ralts at her feet happily chip away at their Oran berries and tree nuts. Riolu soon emerges from the trees with a rustle of leaves, his arms overflowing with fresh Pecha berries. He's carrying so many that one tumbles off of the pile as he passes Izuku.
We did pass a Pecha berry bush while running away from the Spidops, Izuku realizes. I can't believe he remembered that.
The fighting type slowly approaches the group, and when they allow him close enough, he begins to pass out the newly acquired food. After each of the Ralts have gotten a berry as big as their head, the fighting type hands two of them to Kirlia. Only then does Izuku notice something Riolu already had: the entire time, Kirlia hasn't taken any food for herself. She tries to hand the berries to one of the Ralts, but none of the little Pokemon are even done with their first meal, let alone the Pecha berries Riolu brought. Begrudgingly, Kirlia takes a bite of the berry, eyes lighting up gleefully at the flavor and quickly taking another couple of bites. Riolu bounces cheerfully at his gift's acceptance and places the remaining berries in the shrine for anyone else who may need them. The fighting type trots back over to Izuku, a proud and satisfied look on his face as he takes up residence on the ground once again. Izuku pats his partner's head, ruffling his fur affectionately. "That was good of you to do." Riolu turns his head away, clearly hiding his flushed face and pushing Izuku's hand off of his head.
After their meal, the fairy types start to leave, but not without coming over and thanking Riolu and Izuku in their own, timid way. Izuku's heart flutters and he laughs at the sight of five tiny Ralts swarming around his partner's feet, threatening to topple the fighting type over as they hug his legs before tottering back over to Kirlia. The older Pokemon brings Izuku a small Oran berry from the shrine, holding it out to him with a trepidatious look on her face. The berry is small and a bit unripe, but Izuku understands the sincerity and weight of the gesture, so he gratefully takes the offering and pops it into his mouth. The way Kirlia's eyes light up when he flashes her a smile is more than sweet enough to offset the bitterness of the unripe fruit.
Izuku and Riolu depart from the grove soon after, renewed with vigor from the touching encounter. The rest of the day, Riolu doesn't go off seeking any fights. When he runs across a wild Pokemon, he's tender and respects their space rather than being intrusive and hot-headed . Izuku is fairly certain it's not because of the run in with Spidops or Izuku's scolding.
True to Arven's projections, Izuku and Riolu arrive at the gargantuan bronze doors that guard the Mesagoza southern bridge on the afternoon of their fourth day of travel after departing the lighthouse. Tired, ragged, and in desperate need of a shower, Izuku is still ecstatic as he walks up to the guardhouse that controls the door.
"Good afternoon!" the cheery man greets. "What can I do for you today?"
Izuku pulls out his wallet and grabs his ID from the inner sleeve. "Hoping to get into the city." It's all Izuku can manage given that he's been hiking for almost nine hours straight at this point. Despite all that lies inside Mesagoza for him, the only thing on his mind right now is a warm shower, getting to sleep in a warm bed, and having a warm meal for the first time in two days.
"I think I can help with that," the man says. He takes Izuku's ID from him and squints at it for a moment. "Pallet Town, huh? That's in Kanto, right?"
Izuku nods as the man hands Izuku's ID back and moves to the gate controls. He presses a couple buttons and the mechanical hinges that control the door groan and grind as the door begins to move. "We're finally here."
Riolu pumps his fist in the air in excitement as the door swings open towards them. "I figure you're here for the trials, then?" the guard asks.
"Yeah, the tryouts are…" Izuku trails off as the overpowering sight of Mesagoza comes into view between the massive bronze doors. "Tomorrow," he finishes.
Izuku knows the league headquarters is big but…
"Well, good luck then!"
"Thank you," Izuku mutters, eyes locked on the towering league building that stares down at him from the top of the hill, framed on each side by towering buildings along the main street. Izuku feels the massive Pokeball structure bore into him, rooting his feet to the spot, unable to move a muscle. Riolu grabs Izuku's hand and tugs, pulling his trainer from his stupor and forcing him to move through the gate.
Into Mesagoza.
A/N: I had a lot of fun with the shrine scene in this chapter. It felt like I was really able to channel the energy that makes Pokemon's world feel so special.
As always, comments are my lifeblood, if you have any thoughts at all, please send them over!
New chapters every sunday!
P.S. we'll finally get some MHA cast coming in next chapter...