My Hero Pokedamia

by Zayden StormVoid

Izuku realized at a young age that all men are not created equal. They aren't treated equal either. Some people have more power over others. The same can be said for the wondrous, mysterious creatures that inhabited the world before Quirks: Pokemon. This is the story of Izuku Midoriya, in this world of Quirks and Pokemon, and his path to become the Very Best, like No One Ever Was.

23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

THE TREES DENY THEMSELVES NOTHING THAT MAKES THEM GROW! NO RAIN FALL, NO SUNSHINE! NO BLOOD UPON THE SNOW!

...Oops, looks like I sung again in the intro. At least it was song outside Sonic Frontiers playlist. And yeah, awesome song from Bear McCreary, both solemn yet gets me pumped enough to punch something like everyone's favorite Ashen God. Speaking of, congrats Christopher Judge for Best Performer and to the God of War team for all those awards, shame about GOTW but at least you lost to a worthy competitor.

Anyways, Welcome one and all to another chapter of My Hero Pokedamia! I am your talkative, rabbling host, Zayden StormVoid, here to present the first chapter of the new year of 2023. This one was actually worked on later than predicted thanks to holiday celebrations and an eye appointment test that my eyes dilated and unable to write properly. But I'm all good, and ready to write out this anticipated chapter.

Also, struggled with both writer's block and the binge playing Pokemon Violet that I just got for Christmas. Btw, I just got a shiny Glimmet from a mass outbreak and Shiny Mudbray from a Ghost Tera Raid. I also have been refamiliarizing myself with the first, and Only true, Last of Us game for the TV show and the show is awesome! Far above way better, and more faithful and loving to the source material than *Shivers* Velma.

Last time on My Hero Pokedamia, our verdant haired protagonist and his team managed to secure their points from the desperate actions of Team Todoroki and Bakugou, ending the 2nd Event and securing the top 4 teams as the Top 16 left for the final 3rd Event, a one-on-one tournament bracket. But tensions run high as the secret of Shoto Todoroki's aim towards Midoriya and his disdain for his Quirk is revealed, but before Midoriya could pity him, the duo-haired revealed an even uglier side: how his disdain for his Fire side and his father, the Number Two Hero Endeavor, has translated to his own Fire Pokémon, Vulpix, and how Todoroki is engaged in a Quirk Marriage to Momo Yaoyorozu, forcing her to do his bidding, and manipulating his friends to go against him in order to take him down. Midoriya was in a rage and called the hypocrite out and comforted his friend, determined to win the Festival and free Yaoyorozu from this Quirk Marriage.

Meanwhile, the further drama played in the background as Serena and Ojiro have revealed to Midoriya something about Shinsou that has both Midoriya and Serena itching to take him down. All Might had an unsatisfying conversation with Endeavor, Taishi talked and dissuaded Nejire from confronting Midoriya, and Ryukyu and Miruko argue like best friends. After a nose bleeding, fainting sight of the 1-A and 1-B cheerleaders, Ojiro and Shoda had withdrawn, advancing Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki in their places. With the matches now set, the first round is about to begin. Will Izuku get revenge for Serena and Ojiro? Will Shinsou's 'secret' Quirk give him the upper hand? And what other matches will we see? Find out this and more happening now.

And finally, I do Not own My Hero Academia, which belongs to Horikoshi, who I hope gets better and with enough strength to finish the manga, and adapted by Bones Studios, who did an amazing job thus far and hopefully continues to go strong further, and I do Not own Pokémon, as it is owned by Nintendo and Gamefreak, who probably will make DLC of Scarlet and Violet with more Paradox Pokémon and perhaps new Legendaries, maybe even more Regis before I add the Lockstin ones.

Ready? Set? FIGHT!

---

The Sports Festival Part 5: Battle from Within

Third POV

Hosu City...

The wind blew fast and loud above the rooftop over the city, yet to the man on the roof, it was silent to him. The wind didn't matter to him so long as where it blew his target to his web, his kill zone.

The man sat crouched frog-legged on a water tower, overlooking the city like a Talonflame would its prey. He was garbed almost completely in black and grey, his arms bandaged up to his biceps, a katana strapped to his back, while ripped white cloth and a red, ripped scarf flowed back from the wind, revealing his thin face, a mask of white cloth over the upper half of his face, the wind blowing his wild mane of black hair.

The man's ears perked up, hearing the sounds of the police sirens that cut through the roar of the wind, the earpiece he had one ear overhearing the police's radio. A bank robbery, half the criminal gang captured, the rest escaping with half their stolen loot, Heroes in pursuit.

The man bristled with anger at even referring to them by that title. "Heroes." The man growled, his voice gnarled and venomous. "A name undeserved and unearned. A cliche, lost all meaning from its original version. The name these fakes brand themselves like a badge of honor, but I see them as they are. Glorified, government lapdogs. Fame hungry. Fakes."

His earpiece overhead his target was just now coming in pursuit, his sidekicks spreading out to intercept and cut out the criminals' routes of escape. There. That will be where he will strike, lure his prey, and cut off this infested limb of the name of Hero. He had done his research on their agency's tactics and past victories and memorized them all, just as he burned the misdeeds of his agency into his core to fuel his vengeance.

The man craned his head back. "Ready?" The man questioned, looking down towards his partners, covered in the shadow of the water tower while the wind blew hard and loud. But the two listened to his every word and answered his question by the shifting of arms and the sharpening of blades.

The man smiled a sick grin, so wide he showed the whole of his gums. He licked his teeth and lips, while his hand reached out to grasp his katana's handle.

"Then let the Hunt begin."

The wind blew hard again but in that second, there were no man or partners there to hear.

---

The Sports Festival...

"Remember, kiddies, you can fight all out to your heart's content!" Mic's voice boomed out across the stadium.

Izuku had spared a glance as he walked up to the field, noticing the whole of his class watching him from the student section of the stands. Up front, his group of friends watched, cheering him on, from Uraraka and Mina pumping their fists into the air for him, to Serena, Kaminari, and Hagakure yelling out cheers for him. Momo and Asui were silent, the former with a hand over her heart, and obviously worried, but the two of them supportive, nonetheless.

He had spotted the others looking on more silently as well, with of an analytical gaze to them, such as Sero and Tokoyami, likely figuring out how he fought so as to gain a more thorough understanding for the chance of battle between them. Izuku couldn't exactly mind, it was something he would do. Others he simply had too little of a relationship to warrant a cheer from, like Sato, Shoji, Koda, and Aoyama, but the last of whom had a depressed cloud over his ever-smiling face. Izuku figured it was because he was the only one out of the Hero Course to not make it to the 2nd round, but the way his eyes flinched as he looked past him made the verdant-haired fanboy feel it was something else.

Ojiro was staring, cross-armed and serious at him, and Izuku could tell that he was almost trying to warn him again from afar about the danger of Shinsou. And there was Kyoka, who stared at him silently too, but Izuku picked up on how she was analyzing his every move, like a scientist dissecting him. It was a little creepy to be honest, and confusing since she didn't make it to the finals like the others, but Izuku felt that she was just trying to figure out a curiosity that seemed to be plaguing her mind, that curiosity being him. That analytical curiosity, it was so...him, really. He wondered if perhaps he should reach out to the final member of the 1-A girls that he had yet to officially befriend to satisfy her curiosity about him, and his own about her and her Quirk that he had been meaning to ask her about.

Kirishima was also cheering him on, faintly hearing him call him by the moniker of 'Midobro', but it was clear that the teen beside the redhead would be cheering more for his downfall. Katsuki Bakugou stared daggers at him, likely still pissed that he made it this far and bested him in the other rounds, but as much as he hated to admit it, Izuku still knew how Bakugou thought. Bakugou would be cheering him on to the finals, only for the chance to face him then, the only way they will fight in the tournament, the only way Bakugou could beat him. Like Midoriya would ever let that happen again.

The same was said for Todoroki as he coldly analyzed him from afar. Izuku gave a glare back, promising again that he will proceed, and, whether or not Todoroki will make it to the semi-finals, Izuku swore that Todoroki will never win this tournament as he is, no matter what.

The only person not in the stands was Iida, likely in the waiting room, preparing for his own battle next round, but he was likely watching Izuku from the TV screen in the waiting room, and likely cheering him on as well, both in friendship and for the chance to beat him come the quarter finals, if the two of them make it.

Izuku was also aware that All Might was still looking on from behind him, hiding in the corridor he came from, and that his mother was somewhere in the crowd, cheering him on.

But Izuku's most important fans, he felt, were right on the railing of the student section. His Pokémon were cheering him on, jumping and crying out in their own ways. Froakie was more silent and stoic, as he normally was, but Izuku could tell, even with how little time the two had known each other, compared to the others, that he was rooting with all his heart and soul. Combusken was waving at him and cawing out for him to do his best. Izuku chuckled, amusingly wondering if Combusken was more his partner and friend, or a second mother, by how much she seemed to emulate his own mother. A true mother hen.

Pikachu had dug out his Luchador mask once more and wore it as he cheered him, jumping over and over while pumping his small fists. Izuku could tell he was extremely relieved to be out of his Pokeball and was making the most of it, but that didn't make Izuku anymore amused by his antics, or touched by his support, as ever.

Finally, Eevee cheered him on from Momo's lap, the Evolution Pokémon refusing to leave the Yaoyorozu heiress alone without his comfort, and Izuku made sure Momo knew that and she adored Eevee for it, and Izuku proud of his partner for it. And as Eevee cheered him on from Momo's lap, it also reminded Izuku just how more important this tournament had become for him. This was no longer a tournament to win and become the best, this was now a tournament to save Momo, from her parents, from Endeavor, from Todoroki and his Arceus-forsaken Quirk Marriage.

'I will win this whole Festival.' Izuku swore to himself. 'Whatever it takes.'

"Winner is decided either by pushing your opponent out of the ring, knocking them unconscious, or making them say uncle." Present Mic continued spouting the rules of the match, finishing by the time both he and Shinsou had reached and stood at their ends of the field.

Izuku was unaware of more people cheering him on than just Class 1-A. From the 1-B stands, Setsuna Tokage and Tetsutetsu cheered him on, Pony cheering as well, mostly in comradery with Setsuna, and it bristled Monoma's nerves to have members of his class cheer on a member of Class 1-A.

From the General Courses Stands, while most gave their support for Shinsou, Mineta was left conflicted between the two students he called friend that had supported him in his times of need.

Hatsume had just finished coming out of a waiting room before heading off, both to prepare and catch some of her 'Future Husband's' match.

Alongside Inko Midoriya, Mitsuki and Masaru cheered for their nephew in all but blood, while Mr. Mime cheered from the Midoriya household as he watched on TV. Midoriya also received unheard cheers from the Asui family in their household.

Miruko and Ryukyu watched him on with eager anticipation on the verdant-haired teen that had gained their attention, mostly Miruko, and how he would fare in an actual full-on fight. Endeavor analyzed Izuku Midoriya from afar, his newfound interest in the boy that felt so much like his own lifelong rival making the Flame Hero figure Midoriya out, and how much of a danger he would be to Shoto's path to glory. Meanwhile, Nighteye watched on, further incensed by Midoriya continuing to succeed event after event and ruining his expectations. But now, it was combat time, and Nighteye felt a newfound drive to find every single one of Midoriya's flaws and weaknesses to point out.

Even as a teacher, supposed to not root and pick favorites, Taishi watched with Nezu and cast his support for the fellow Chosen, sending a prayer for him to follow his way. Speaking of fellow Chosen, The Big Three cheered for their kouhai from afar, Mirio and Tamaki finding immense interest in the boy, despite the former's mentor's instructions, but their interest paled compared to Nejire's practical infatuation with Midoriya, her Chosen kouhai as well as a U.A. student one, and a cute, handsome one at that. Meanwhile, Midoriya was also analyzed from afar, more positively, by Riley, Lucario, and Riolu, as well as Cynthia and her Garchomp, the two mysterious individuals smirking with excitement and eager anticipation to see what more intriguing developments this Izuku Midoriya would bring.

Izuku Midoriya stared down his opponent from across the white marble square that was their ring. Hitoshi Shinsou stood there, posture slouched, enough for his indigo hair to cast a shadow over part of his face, his expression miserable looking yet determined and incredibly serious.

"You gonna make this easy on the both of us and just quit now?" Shinsou suddenly asked.

Izuku said nothing in reply, simply glaring back.

Shinsou scoffed. "Yeah, right. Stupid question." Shinsou admitted, grinning darkly. "Almost forgot that discount Mankey and sea bitch warned you about me. Should have expected your class of entitled narcissists to have given you an unfair advantage over a weaker opponent."

Izuku's teeth bore out in a snarl, the veins in his forehead starting to throb at the insults already thrown onto his friends and classmates.

Midnight frowned as she stood on her podium, overhearing all thus far, and so too did Aizawa up in the stands. Looking down at the scene, Aizawa recalled how he asked for Midnight to take and activate a hidden, tiny microphone for her to wear during the matches. When asked why, Aizawa simply replied "There are some enigmas among the students to me. Hearing what they say to each other could help me clear those enigmas up."

And now, as he overheard Shinsou's words, Aizawa frowned from behind his bandage wrappings. Aizawa looked at Shinsou's file, as well as description of his Quirk, and quickly piecing together what was going on. 'So that's what Ojiro was talking about.' Aizawa thought about his student's withdrawal. Aizawa began to narrow his stare at Shinsou, already not liking the indigo haired teen for the impact he made on one of his students but won't deny knowing why he did what he did.

"Well, let's not wait any longer, ladies and germs!" Present Mic announced. "The first matchup of the Sports Festival Begins Now!"

"Although, I have to give Mariella some respect for sticking it out." Shinsou continued, frowning once more. "If you know what you want your future to be, you can't worry what other people think. That tailed moron, his whole spiel about pride and whatever, I honestly think he's just an idiot that wasted his chance."

Izuku fists clenched tighter. 'Don't talk to him. Don't let his words get to you.' Izuku thought to himself, remembering Ojiro's and Serena's warning about how Shinsou's Quirk works. However, he couldn't deny that the rage boiling inside of him felt like it was reaching a breaking point. The rage he felt from Todoroki and the revelations of his speech were still active inside him and his own natural desire to defend his class and friends was desperate to lash out.

"Ready?!" Mic asked as Midnight raised her whip up.

Izuku began powering up Full Cowling, the green lightning starting to spark around his form. 'Just rush in and push him out quickly and this will be over.' Izuku thought to himself. 'Simple as that and I can get Serena and Ojiro the payback they deserve.'

Shinsou growled quietly to himself, at how Midoriya wasn't falling for any of his digs at his friends. 'If I don't think of something quick, he might just rush at me. And if he does, I don't think I'll be able to react physically enough to escape. I'll lose, and fast enough that I won't get in the Hero Course.' Shinsou tried to figure out what to say to get Midoriya to slip. Midoriya was definitely angry enough, but his insults towards Ojiro weren't working.

That's when the lightbulb lit in Shinsou's mind, and then the memories of how angry Serena was and how close she seemed to Midoriya clicked. 'That's it.' He thought with clarity.

"Begin!" Mic yelled out, Midnight bringing her whip down to signify the start of the match.

"Then again, maybe Mariella is just desperate for revenge." Shinsou's dark grin returned. "She clearly looked majorly pissed she didn't get to team up with you." Izuku blinked, momentarily taken back by the sudden insult towards Serena. "Isn't anger and revenge not a thing Heroes should have? She looked like she wanted to cut me into pieces when she didn't get what she wanted like some entitled brat. To be frank, she and that Bakugou guy look like they are two peas in a pod. Practically made for each other."

Izuku growled, the insinuation of Shinsou's words coming to light in his head, and coupled with the insults to his best friend, his anger at Shinsou's deed and anger from Todoroki and Izuku felt something snap.

Izuku lunged forwards at high speeds and the words came out before his mind could process what he did. "TAKE BACK WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT HER, YOU BASTARD!" He roared out.

Then Shinsou grinned. "That's it." He replied. "I win."

Just as Izuku reached him, he suddenly stopped, dead in his tracks, cocked fist half-thrown and now hanging limply in the air between Midoriya and Shinsou.

"What the-? Midoriya lunged out at Shinsou but...Midoriya is suddenly frozen in place?!" Mic exclaimed his and the crowd's confusion.

"Wha-Deku?" Uraraka said, worried about why Midoriya just suddenly stopped.

"NO!" Serena exclaimed, standing up and grasping onto the rail, her face pale and worried. "Izu?! What did you do?!"

"Serena?" Hagakure questioned, herself getting more worried at Serena's reaction.

"GAH! That idiot!" Ojiro also stood up in his seat, grasping and ruffling at his head panicky. "I told him not to say anything!"

"Ojiro? Mariella? What is going on?" Momo questioned, holding onto Eevee tighter as the Evolution Pokémon was crying out its name, to them, towards his Trainer.

"It's that jerk's Quirk!" Serena replied, gripping onto the railing harder. "The same one that used on me and Ojiro during the 2nd event. He's gotten Izu with it."

"Izuku!/Boss! Snap Out of It!/Midoriya!/Master Izuku!" Izuku's Pokémon all yelled out over and over again towards their frozen Trainer.

All Might eyes widened in shock. "Midoriya?" He muttered in confusion.

"Izuku?" Inko muttered worried and confused at her son's frozen state. Mitsuki and Masaru beside her were in likewise confusion.

"Wait, why is he just standing there?" Mirio smile dropped to a confused frown, scratching at his head, while Amajiki shrugged.

"Come on, my little Kouhai! Stop standing there and beat him, or something!" Nejire cheered Midoriya to wake up.

"What the-What the Hell?!" Miruko burst out in an outrage, comical puffs of anger shooting out of her. "Why Did He Just Stop Right When He Had Him?! What Bullshit Is This?!"

"Perhaps it involves the other boy's Quirk." Ryukyu said, cupping her chin in thought. "We haven't really seen what it is, at least visually or knowingly."

"Eraser, you have an explanation for what's going on with your student?" Mic asked his mummy-looking co-announcer.

"Now, that we have gone to the individual matches, I can explain some Quirks and students more out in detail." Eraser nodded, lifting both files on Izuku and Shinsou. "Shinsou failed the Practical part of the Entrance Exam to get into the Hero Course, and his appliance to General Studies as a backup also shows he knew he wasn't going to pass. The Entrance Exam's practical course is more tailored to physical metabilities, fighting off against those faux robot villains." Aizawa thought back to the Entrance Exam and the many students that were able to destroy the robots with their Quirks. "However, it leaves those with more passive and less flashy Quirks struggle as a result." Aizawa then recalled watching footage of Hagakure struggling and only managing to gain points by shutting the robots off by the emergency shutdown buttons and Koda using his Quirk to make Pokémon in the area come out and distract the robots for him to do the same.

"And Shinsou's Quirk is the latter." Shinsou did his best to give Mic the file with his bandaged arm. "It's incredibly strong and useful but it only works on people and Pokémon, not robots. That limitation severely undercut Shinsou's ability to pass the Exam."

"Hitoshi Shinsou! Quirk: Brainwashing!" Mic announced to the crowd as he read the file. "When an opponent, human or Pokémon, answers his question or words he can take control of them and make them do whatever he says. He can choose when to brainwash someone, so not everything he says can brainwash you, and Dark and Psychic Type Pokémon are strangely immune to his Quirk, too."

Koda blinked in surprise. "He's like me." Koda said, remembering how his own Quirk, Anivoice, allows him to not only to speak to Pokémon, but also control them, even against their will. His Quirk also shares the same weakness where his Quirk can't affect those Pokémon that are Dark Type, and Bug Types are only slightly resistive towards his voice.

"Oh no, that's really not good!" Mina said, wide eyed and worried sick. "And Midoriya is trapped under his spell or whatever like some Hypno or Malamar!"

"Izuku." Momo muttered, worried.

Bakugou glared down silently, showing no emotion or opinion of what was happening. Todoroki scoffed and closed his eyes, already believing that the match was over and done now.

"Interesting." Ryukyu muttered. "That is a rather powerful and dangerous Quirk. If he were a Hero, he could simply brainwash an entire group of Villains to surrender or even take control of their Pokémon and make them attack their own Trainers. Quick and effective."

"Urgh! Stop making sense and making me agree with you!" Miruko growled out. "Wake the Hell Up, Green Bun, and show me why you pique my interest!"

Back on the field, Shinsou looked at his now frozen opponent, slack jawed, eyes blank, unmoving, all the signs his Quirk was working perfectly. Even Midoriya's green lightning had shut down, his Quirk deactivating.

"Finally, gotcha. Figured that you and Mariella had something between you two, so talking badly about her would get you to finally speak up. How chivalrous of you." Shinsou began talking to Midoriya as the frozen boy listened silently. "For being so blessed with a Quirk like that, you are just like everyone else. Push the right buttons and they are like a bunch of dancing Mankeys in your hand."

"You know, your teachers are right." Shinsou continued, casually speaking to the boy whose fist was inches from his head. "That Exam was biased towards physical and flashy Quirks like yours and your class'." Shinsou frowned, mashing his teeth in anger. "I was never going to be able to pass it, because just like U.A., the whole world looks favorably on flashy, Heroic Quirks like yours, while Quirks like mine are nothing but the perfect Quirk for a Villain."

---

Flashback...

Three Years Ago...

Hitoshi Shinsou sat in his new desk, starting his first year at Nabooh City Middle School. Spring had come and all the trees were covered in rose petals to signify the season. A season of beginnings. The start of something new after the harsh coldness of winter. Shinsou thought perhaps this new school would be a new beginning for him.

After he explained his Quirk, he was proven wrong.

"Wow! Your Quirk is Brainwashing!" Shinsou stared at one of the students he explained his Quirk to, tall, black haired, his name he couldn't remember yet, looking at him in awe, while his Kricketot stood on his shoulder, looking at him tensely. "That's so cool!"

"Seriously! I can't think of anyone with a power like that!" Another student walked up, his hair a light brown, with a big fat grin on his face, a Patrat on his shoulder.

"I'm so jealous Shinsou." A third student came up to him, a girl this time, with large, fluffy pink hair, with a rather pudgy unattractive face, but her voice grated on his ears like nails on a chalkboard. She also had a Smoochum beside her, hiding behind one of its Trainers legs from him.

Shinsou frowned momentarily at the reactions of the Pokémon. They were reactions he was used to, but it was still disheartening to see Pokémon look at him like that, especially the cuter ones. At the very least, these Pokémon weren't his favorites, so he could care less for their reactions towards him. He snuck a gaze down at his Inkay, his partner, floating beside him, looking at him with support. Shinsou's spirits were lifted a bit. As long as he had Inkay, he could handle any stare from any Pokémon. And with the looks these guys were giving him, Shinsou thought perhaps they would be more understanding.

He thought too soon.

"Imagine all the cool stuff you can do controlling people?" The black-haired guy brought up, arms crossed, and an eyebrow raised, looking smugly at him like he knew that Shinsou would do.

"Yeah! You can do whatever crime or bad thing you want!" The grinning one, continued grinning, although the grin, his eyes, and even the hiss of breath shooting out his nose all were greedy in nature. "Rob a supermarket, scam out a house, hell, you can even steal another dude's Pokémon!" At that last part, Patrat scooted further behind his Trainer's head.

"And no one would ever know it was you." The girl with the horrible voice rasped out. "Just promise you won't make us your slaves, okay?"

"Oh yeah, and your partner Inkay evolves into Malamar right?" The black haired one asked again. "Arceus, that Pokémon has a history of being evil and a supervillain Pokémon. It's like a match made in Heaven! Haha!"

Inkay huffed and glared venomously at all of them, just about ready to fire a Psybeam onto all of them in retaliation.

Shinsou's response was a low chuckle, raising his hand to the back of his neck and rubbing it. He smiled tiredly. "Everyone always says that." Shinsou replied, the eyebags under his eyes seemingly growing.

"Of course, I'd probably think anyone with my Quirk would use it for evil, too."

Shinsou didn't have to look to know the looks the other students threw at him. Smug knowing looks, greedy eyes, uneasiness, disgust, wariness, fear.

"Sounds criminal, Shinsou. It's the perfect Quirk for a criminal to have. Quite a Villainous Quirk."

And it wasn't just the students that looked at him like that. Even the Pokémon stared at him like he was already a Villain, a thief about to take them from their Trainers for himself.

"I'm used to people looking at me like I'm the bad guy. Already judging me for things I haven't even done yet."

Shinsou remembered Inkay's worried look. The laughs, hidden mocks, even the beatings, egging him on to use his Quirk and make him the Villain he already was to them.

How his grin dropped to a bitter frown. The peach tree leaves flew off in the wind. How this all happened again. So much for New beginnings.

"But the truth is...I don't wanna be."

Flashback over...

---

Shinsou blinked as he was brought out of his past and towards Midoriya in front of him, waiting for a command from his Quirk, no visible reaction to his sob story. Shinsou flinched, like he was expecting something from Midoriya only to remember his brainwashed targets don't show reaction to anything he says other than fulfilling his commands.

'But why did I still expect it?' Shinsou asked himself, wondering if the people around the stadium were looking at him like everyone else. 'Why do I still think anything would be different.'

Shinsou shook his thoughts off, remembering where he was, what he is doing. He's won. Now, to finish it. "So, here we are." Shinsou started. "Now, go ahead, turn around and walk out of bounds, like a good little Hero."

As he said those words, Midoriya lowered his arms, stood up straight, and turned around, and began walking towards his side of the field, aimlessly working to fulfill Brainwashing's orders.

"Oh boy! Midoriya's obeying Shinsou's orders!" Mic announced.

"Oh no, Deku!" Uraraka stood up as she and the rest watched Midoriya beginning to walk towards them. "Snap out of it!"

"If he walks out of the field, he'll lose the match!" Kirishima rubbed his spiky hair, nervous. "Come on, Midobro! Break free and knock that grin of that unmanly guy's face!"

"My, how intriguing." Nezu commented as he and Taishi watched from their stand. "Quite the useful and powerful Quirk, and one belonging to that of General Studies, no less."

Taishi remained silent, watching the match stoically. He knew he could easily snap Midoriya out of this brainwashing in an instant; however, this match was Midoriya's and, as he observed from Midoriya's reluctance to answer Shinsou's questions, this was the result of his mistakes. The boy gave in to his rage and, if he didn't somehow break out on his own, he will pay the price for it.

Suddenly, in his mind, he could see himself standing over the Trials, between an argument between Riley and...Him, a grin of mad desperation and anger in those red eyes. Taishi shook himself from the memories of the past, refocusing himself on the present, as he shut the past in the corner of his mind, where they deserved to be.

"Izuku." Inko muttered worriedly, while Mitsuki raged on, much like her son, for Izuku to wake up.

"Come on, kid." All Might whispered as he saw Midoriya walking towards him. Sweat dripped down All Might's head, gripping the wall's corner tightly. "Get a grip on yourself. Remember. You have to show the world who you are!"

As he walked slowly towards his side of the field, in Izuku Midoriya's mind, everything was fuzzy and foggy, the world around him looked like a staticky TV set, dull and no command of his made his body stop moving.

'What's going on?' Izuku's voice echoed in his mind. 'Is this what Shinsou's Brainwashing feels like? No matter what I'm thinking, my body won't stop moving on its own.' While Izuku's eyes looked blank and lifeless, he could still spot his friends in the stands, yelling at him with worried faces, but Izuku couldn't hear what they were saying. 'I-I can't hear them. It's all just static noise. Stop moving, body! Just Stop!'

Izuku spotted Serena and Ojiro yelling at him too and if could clench his fists, Izuku would be doing so. 'Even after they warned me, I still fell for it.' Izuku chastised himself. 'I knew not to listen to his insults, but then he said that about Serena...and I just couldn't stop. Idiot! I'm such a fucking idiot!'

Izuku's mind travelled back to the waiting room with Ojiro. His tailed classmate had filled in more of the details of how Shinsou's Quirk worked, how it felt, and how to snap out of it.

"I don't remember anything till the end of the 2nd Round." Ojiro recalled. "I think we had just began sailing back towards the shore when Meditite smacked me in the head." Ojiro remembered being free of his Brainwashing and looking at Meditite, worried over him and relieved that he had snapped out of it. "It was like waking up from a dream. I could think and move clearly."

'I just have to shock myself out of it.' Izuku mind came back to the present, the end of the field starting to get closer and closer. 'Maybe if I use One For All at full power, maybe on my finger, that could work. But it's not working either!'

"I-I-Izu-ku!" A voice managed to cut through the fog and his eyes managed to find Eevee, crying out towards him. "W-W-Wa-ke up!'

'I can hear Eevee.' Izuku registered, and soon the voices and cries of Pikachu, Combusken, and Froakie followed, but all four sounded like garbled radio signals in his head, and no matter how hard he tried, he could mentally communicate back. 'I'm trying but, nothing is working!'

"And while you are doing that, might as well spill the beans on something." Shinsou's voice Izuku managed to hear, loud and as clear as his own. "Since you can't do much of anything now. You know just how worthy I am to be in the Hero Course compared to you and your class?"

'Why can't I only hear him?' Izuku thought, raging in his own head that he had listen to more of his crap without being able to stop. 'Is it so as to continue controlling me for more orders?'

"Not only was I able to get those two idiots to listen to me, but also you, oh Hero of Hope." Shinsou continued, rolling out the name with sarcastic droll. "The best of your class and you come rushing at me like that thoughtless Primeape you call a classmate."

'Shut up!' Izuku's voice trying yelling back. 'That's not true! I'm nothing like him!' Despite his words, Izuku remembered the anger that got him into his mess in the first place, the anger he felt in Todoroki's speech and how he almost punched him, even the rage that he felt in his Battle Training against Bakugou, that desire to hurt Bakugou for all he did, and the satisfaction of beating him and... putting him in his place. 'I'm not.' Izuku couldn't tell now if he was speaking truth or kidding himself.

"I deserve to be in the Hero Course more than your class of idiots." Shinsou continued, frustration leaking out of his voice. "You and your class fought Villains that one day while I was picked on and bullied for years for my Quirk. Labeled a Villain while wanting to be a Hero. I've suffered, far worse than any of you. Being in the Hero Course, being a Hero, it's what I deserve!"

Izuku's retort died in his metaphorical throat. Memories of getting bullied for 11 years by Bakugou and his goons collided back into him, all the beatings, the burns, the taunts and words. His anger began to soar, but not out of pity for Shinsou, but the audacity to claim that his suffering made him entitled to something or claim it was worse than his own living Hell. 'Wake up. Wake up. Wake Up!'

"I deserve it far more than that shining idiot from your class, the one that didn't even make it to the 2nd Round." Shinsou grinned darkly, as remembered how he spoke the words and how Aoyama froze in his tracks. "The one I froze to make sure he got out."

Izuku's eyes widened, both metaphorically and even his real ones, dulled as they were. His eyes managed to spot Aoyama looking miserable upon seeing Shinsou, the revelation of this crashing down on Midoriya.

"And, even if I don't win the rest of the Festival, beating you and having that shining idiot lose so soon, will guarantee that I get into the Hero Course." Shinsou declared triumphantly.

Overhearing, Aizawa narrowed his eyes. 'I see.' He thought, Shinsou's plan and actions now visualizing in his mind, along memoires of the recordings of the final stretch of the 1st Round, and now Aoyama looked like he froze for a second before someone bumped into him and began running again. 'Shinsou must have used his Brainwashing on Aoyama to ensure that at least one member of the Hero Course did poorly enough to lose the 1st Event. Then he used Brainwashed students and their Pokémon to secretly take the flags of the other students while most were busy with those of the higher points. All to make it to Finals, and since the Finals are usually one-on-one tournaments, he could use his Quirk to win one round and get progress, far enough to be seen as worthy of the Hero Course, and ensure one was able to get moved down to make room.'

Aizawa recalled how his own time in General Studies before he progressed far enough in the Sports Festival that he moved up to the Hero Course the next year. 'Overlooked because of a biased exam, use his non-flashy Quirk to progress far, intentions of going into the Hero Course.' Aizawa listed just how similar this Hitoshi Shinsou was to himself. Then his actions came back into his mind and his eyes narrowed further. 'However-'

As Izuku reached closer to the end of the field, anger thundered in Izuku's mind. 'Aoyama.' Aoyama's sad face came into his mind. 'Ojiro.' Ojiro's pained expression as he forfeited came as well. 'Serena.' Serena's angry face morphed into sadness, tears in her eyes, as she saw him. 'All their sadness. All their pain. Because of Him!' Shinsou's smug, grinning face was imagined in front of him. Then Shinsou's face morphed to Todoroki's cold gaze with a smug grin, and Momo's crying face back when they hugged. 'And I Wasn't There to Help Them!'

Izuku's eyes locked onto All Might's form, looking at him and yelling at him to snap out of it. 'Wake up. Wake Up! WAKE UP!' He roared.

And suddenly, it was as if everything froze. He didn't move, his friends and Pokémon were frozen mid-yell, All Might was like a stone statue, unmoving. And then his eyes glowed. Not bright blue like when he becomes All Might or when he's serious, but bright yellow. All Might's eyes were overtaken by a yellow light until that, and his shape, was all Midoriya could identify of All Might. Where All Might stood was now a wispy, yellow-eyed glowing vapor, his flickering, shifting form a facsimile of the Number 1 Hero.

And then the shape was not alone. Quickly, more glowing eyes appeared from the darkness, more wispy vapors took shape, till all eight shades stood in the hall, looking at him. Most he couldn't identify, their eyes glowing differently from each other, blue, red, orange, but three he could make out, but barely. The first was All Might, then one that looked more feminine that the others, her hair, long and wavy, looked almost like his mother's, only longer, whose eyes glowed a violet pink.

Then the one in the middle, shorter, yet long wavy hair, his eyes glowing pure white, flickering with blue flames. The shade outstretched its hand towards him.

"Go...Gr-w...Be-yon-d..."

Color exploded out towards him, enveloping him like a wave, energy flowed throughout him...and into him. 'What...is...that?'

He felt that energy again, from the Lake, from the Ship in the 2nd Event, that Storm, that Energy, Aura. What felt like a hand, one not his own, reached into it, and the Storm exploded, surging throughout his body. Like a jolt of lightning in his mind, the fog cleared, and he was himself.

'WAKE UP!' Izuku gasped and his foot, hovering out of bounds, stepped back.

Shinsou could only blink his widened eyes before-

"RRRAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!" Izuku roared, and lightning and blue flames erupted out of him.

Shinsou and Midnight brought their arms up, covering themselves from the blue light and wind that threatened to push them back. Pikachu and Froakie were sent flying back from the strong shockwave that they collided with Asui and Kaminari, the latter onto into Asui's arms and the former onto Kaminari's face. All Might stood agape and in awe of what he was witnessing.

Where Midoriya stood was now a glowing blue field of Aura, surging like a bonfire, and blinding enough to mask Midoriya's whole form. Green bioelectricity sparked out, and strong winds blew away from where Midoriya stood and sent the whole of the crowd reeling back from the wind and light, the stadium's invisible forcefield all that protected them the bioelectricity that sparked against it.

"WHAT THE-WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Mic bellowed from the intercoms, he and Aizawa staring at the field far below, wide eyed. "MIDORIYA SUDDENLY EXPLODED IN LIGHT!"

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Miruko yelled over the wind that even reached her and Ryukyu, the two gripping onto the rail and an arm against the wind and light. Salamance shifted its head back, making sure to shield Lopunny, who's ears were blowing back from the wind, with one of its wings.

Ryukyu squinted her eyes to see what was happening. "What is this power?" She questioned out loud.

Even Endeavor brough an arm up, the flames around him flowing and sputtering, in comparison.

Nezu and Taishi were left jaw slack, Taishi's eyes wide in disbelief. 'This...this power is...' Taishi couldn't muster the words or thought to express how vast and deep it was.

While Mirio and Tamaki hid behind their arms, Nejire, her hair blowing with the wind, stared at the scene with wide eyes and small, open mouth. 'This Aura...it feels...amazing.' She thought numbly, her senses overtaken by the Aura that felt vast, powerful, yet serene and warm.

From up above, high above the stadium, the invisible creature was blown back, tumbling through the air and crying out in surprise and childlike glee.

From afar, Riley and the two Pokémon stared with wide eyes and jaws. Even from hundreds of miles away, he could sense the Aura from there like a beacon. 'This is...impossible...' Riley thought with sheer disbelief. 'Where is all this Aura coming from?'

Cynthia stared, flabbergasted, at what she was witnessing on screen. "C-Could it really be..." Cynthia muttered; eyes lost in wonder. "That old Sacred power."

"What the ever-loving Arceus is happening?!" Sero yelled over the wind.

"Is this Midoriya?!" Tokoyami yelled out, gritting discomfortingly from the bright, warm light.

"What the Hell?! Greenie?!" Setsuna exclaimed in surprise and worry over her newfound friend that just exploded in light.

Iida, in his waiting room, felt the rumble before he saw the light explode out from Midoriya from the TV screen, staring at the scene with wide eyes. Meanwhile, Mei looked away from her 'babies' when she felt that rumble and that...feeling flowing over her. Blinking confused, she looked at the screen behind her and stared curiously at the blue light.

"Izu!/Izuku!/Deku!/Midori!/Izi!/Zu!/Midoriya!" The girls all exclaimed.

The four Pokémon were about to cry out in horror but ceased when they felt it, Izuku's presence wafting over them, filling every pore of their being like crashing ocean, how this feeling made them feel...exhilarating. The four were left unaware how they all glowed slightly in the same light.

Inko, Mitsuki, and Masaru all braced against the wind and light, yet suddenly Inko felt warm. Inko lifted her gaze away from her arms and stared at the pool of light where her son was at. Inko's words failed her, but this feeling that flowed around her, this presence, there was no mistake that it felt like her son.

Shinsou gritted his eyes and peeked up from his arms in time for the wind and light to die down. He squinted his eyes to see clearer only to widen them at what he saw.

Izuku Midoriya stood hunched over, his feet, right in front of the line, but still in, but that wasn't that what made Shinsou, and almost everyone, shiver in fright. A veil of burning blue Aura surrounded the verdant haired teen, yet showed no discomfort, almost like it was part of him. The blue flames dimmed and lessened till they only hung on Midoriya's form. The green bioelectricity that surged around Midoriya like a malfunctioning generator seemed to freeze only to start violently shaking and buzzing, until they suddenly changed color from green to blue.

Izuku panted and gasped for breath at the rush of energy that exploded out from him. 'What is happening?' Midoriya thought, feeling both One For All and this energy flow through and around him. He stared at his hands, completely intact and now alive with the blue lightning and phantom-like flames all around. 'What...did I just do? How did I break out?'

Midoriya recalled how as he broke free from his brainwashing, he felt an instinctual need to let the energy, overflowing within him, out. And when he roared and all that energy burst free, he could feel the lingering trace of that shade. 'What...what were those-'

"What the-" Izuku's thoughts paused, hearing Shinsou's mutter those words from afar. In that instant, everything came back to Midoriya. The match, Shinsou's Brainwashing, his words. His fists clenched, the blue flames and lightning around him grew brighter.

Izuku Midoriya took two more steps back, almost stumbling, stood straighter, and his head began to crane back. Shinsou almost felt his heart cease in terror at Midoriya's eyes: slightly shadowed by his hair, wide, gone were his emerald eyes, and now they glowed sea blue, burning like twin furious flames. "You!"

Shinsou flinched under Midoriya's gaze but kept his own glare towards the verdant haired teen. "How did you that?" Shinsou demanded, unable to control his fist from shaking. "You were not supposed to have broken out. What did you do?!"

Izuku remained silent, turning back fully to face Shinsou, the blue phantom flames and lightning surging around him.

Shinsou gritted his teeth at Midoriya's unresponsiveness, anger, bitterness, resentment all coming to the surface. "So, is that it?!" Shinsou raged out. "You aren't willing to just give up and toss me a bone for once?!" Even Shinsou didn't know who he was yelling at, Midoriya or the world itself. "Getting into the Hero Course is my only way to show those bastards that they were wrong about me! To prove myself! But you wouldn't get that would you, huh?! You and your blessed Heroic Quirk couldn't possibly relate to me and my Villainous one, huh?!"

"SHUT UP!" Midoriya's voice, amplified, reverberating even, roared out of the teen, his voice exploding and reaching out to the whole of the stadium and its inhabitants.

"No! Not again!" Kaminari face palmed. "He's got himself brainwashed again!"

Shinsou grinned in victory and relief. And then...

"Just Shut the Hell Up!" Izuku continued roaring, glaring at Shinsou, outraged. "A Villainous Quirk? What Kind of Bullshit is That?!"

Shinsou let out a choked gasp, eyes widening further, followed by the surprised and shocked faces of the rest of the stadium's inhabitants. Even Aizawa was taken aback.

'What the...H-He's supposed to be under my Quirk's spell again.' Shinsou thought, his hands quivering. 'But he's not reacting at all! He heard me but...How?!' Shinsou gazed at the blue ghostly flames around Midoriya. 'C-Could that whole lightshow and look he's got be some part of his Quirk that's protecting his mind from m Quirk?'

"Your Quirk isn't Villainous! It's Amazing!" Midoriya roared out, freezing Shinsou to his core. Midoriya's words likewise stole the breath of everyone in the stadium and all those beyond watching and listening to his every word. "It could help a lot of people. You could stop criminals and Villains without so much as lifting a finger! It would be a Great Quirk for a Hero! No Quirk is ever truly evil or villainous! Only the people that use it! And the way you are using it is no different from a Villain!"

Shinsou managed to break free from his stunned stupor upon those last words. Shinsou seethed and shook. "So, I'm still the bad guy here, huh?!" Shinsou roared back, the audience barely able to register his words as he yelled as loud as he possibly could. "I use my Quirk to do whatever I need to do to win, and you can destroy and beat anyone you want and still be a Hero?!"

"Tell Me! What would happen if All Might had become a Villain instead of a Hero?!"

Midoriya froze everyone, stiller than if Todoroki used his Ice. Eyes were raised high at such a ridiculous and insane question, in many of the people's minds through their shocked faces. From afar, on his screen as he watched, a certain thin, glasses wearing man seethed and fumed at the question the boy had the audacity to say. Even All Might, as he watched from his hiding place, was wide eyed and mouth gaped.

Yet no one said a word. No one could speak a word. All they could do was listen.

"The power to change the weather in a single punch, the power to beat any Villain easily. Tell me, how would that Quirk look like if it was used for Evil instead of Good?!" Izuku continued roaring out, taking a thundering step after step. "Endeavor, Miruko, Edgeshot, Myself! Would Our Quirks Still Be Seen As 'Heroic Quirks' if We Were Villains Instead?! Of Course NOT! The Only Ones Who Would Be Villainous would be Us!"

Ryukyu turned to look at Miruko's shocked expression. At first, Ryukyu thought Miruko was going to seethe and rage at Midoriya insinuating that she could ever be a Villain. Instead, Miruko's eyes were inquisitive, darting left and right as she thought of the possibility, and the Rabbit Hero could not deny that under that stupid logic of 'Villainous Quirks' that her, Endeavor, and even All Might's Quirks would have been seen as quite Villainous ones.

Endeavor's arms fell to his sides. While he stood tall and straight, his eyes were downcast and in thought. Endeavor's fists clenched tight.

"Taking advantage of people and Pokémon, using them for granted, using them like tools to further a selfish ambition without caring about them," As Izuku listed off, the sad faces of Aoyama, Ojiro, and Serena came up, the memory of Todoroki looking at Vulpix's Pokeball with anger and talking about him with disgust, Momo's tearing face at her Quirk marriage, the imagined thought of Todoroki's mother under Endeavor's thumb, to Bakugou and his former Aldera classmates making his life Hell on Earth. "Using your gifts to hurt innocent people and Pokémon."

Izuku raised his angry glare at Shinsou. "That is something a Villain would do. Your Quirk may not be Villainous, but you sure as Hell are acting Villainous! Just because you were bullied or mistreated doesn't give you the right to be the Bully Yourself!"

Shinsou scoffed, trying to ignore the pangs and stabs of guilt every word of Midoriya's made him feel. "So, what?! Am I just supposed to deal with it?!" Shinsou raised his arms in exasperation towards the slowly encroaching opponent. "Do I have to just accept it with a smile on my face and do Nothing?! Do I just have to lie down and take it like a whipped mutt and be the Villain?!"

"Of Course Not!" Izuku's pace towards Shinsou quickened, remembering his past, the bullying. "You Could Prove Them Wrong!" All Might, his words, accepting his offer to succeed him. "Take that pain and Grow from It!" His training, his progress, Gran Torino's training. "Work to make a Future You Want!" Saving Uraraka and Hagakure, meeting and bonding with Momo, his meeting with Serena, his Opening Speech. "But not at the Expense of Others!" His talk with Todoroki. "Not by Turning into the very Thing You Hate!" His clash against Bakugou and Bakugou's downright Villainous smiles. "But Be Better!"

"Easy for you to say!" Shinsou took a step of his own, his wide eyes looking almost desperate, his jaw whimpering as years of welled up pain and frustration came rushing out. "You have such a Great Quirk! So Powerful, Useful, and Flashy! You Blessed Bastard!"

Midoriya's form blurred, and, in an instant, he was on Shinsou, arms grasping at the Brainwashing teen's shoulders, his glaring, intimidating eyes inches away from Shinsou. The indigo-haired teen noticed the lightning and phantom flames and worried for a moment he would be burned or electrocuted, but nothing happened to him. Instead, he felt his body being quickly pushed back, back towards his end of field.

'It's true that I have been blessed.' Izuku thought. 'Blessed by so many.' All Might's words to him echoed in his mind, his mother proclaiming her support, Eevee, Pikachu, Combusken, and Froakie by his side, Ochaco, Momo, Tsu, Toru, Mina, Iida, Kaminari, Mei, Tokoyami, Ojiro. Serena. 'And for their sake, I Can't Lose!'

"So What?!" Izuku shouted at Shinsou's face, screaming his heart out to the ears of the world. "Any Quirk Can be Great! Any Quirk Can be Worth Something! Even if isn't something 'Flashy'! Even Those Without Quirks Can Be Worth Something! Anyone Can Be a Hero! Even You!"

As Midoriya shouted those words, many in the stadium, and even around the world, felt tears well in their eyes, their hearts aching as those words struck a chord in them, some even gripped where their hearts would be or cover their whimpering mouths.

Among the crowd, a bald man with star-shape protrusions coming out of his head stared slack jawed at the boy. His mind then clicked, realizing that that boy who was yelling his heart out was the same one he encouraged back during Mt. Lady's debut. He remembered how he teased him for being a fanboy, encouraged him to do his best, and the boy's blinding smile that would make the sun jealous. His mouth closed to a smirk, nodding, his eyes growing wet.

In the student stands, among the shocked, and some tearful faces, a single tear flowed down Serena's eye.

"Are you Kidding?! That Kind of Quirk is Amazing!" Izuku's words echoed in her mind before their meeting on the beach flashed before her. "Your Quirk is so Awesome and plenty useful, even without actual water nearby."

"Izu." More tears flowed from Serena face as she grew to love her cute, adorkable, kind, amazing best friend even more.

As the others watched and cried, Pikachu and Eevee whimpered, their bodies shaking.

"I don't care whatever person would say that you can only have one best friend," Pikachu recalled that day he officially became Izuku's partner and Pokémon. "You were my best friend, too. One of the best friends any boy could ask."

"WIN THIS, BOSS!" Pikachu cried out.

"When I get my Quirk, I will train hard and make it as strong as possible," Eevee instead remembered that day he and Izuku played before they went to the doctor. Izuku's young, bright smile. "We will train together...And We Will Become Heroes, Too!"

"IZUKU! GO BEYOND AND WIN!" Eevee yelled out.

Shinsou tried pushing back but it was like pushing against an unstoppable object. Shinsou look a quick look behind him to see the end of his field rapidly approaching. Shinsou made a sound cross between a growl and a whimper. "So, what am I doing wrong?!" Shinsou roared back in Midoriya's face, his voice quivering, desperately. Shinsou tried pushing his feet down to plant himself and slow Midoriya's pushing, but it didn't work, fueling his frustration. "What makes You so Special?!" Drops of tears flew from Shinsou's eyes, whipping his head back up to look straight at Midoriya. Shinsou cocked his right arm back, fist clenched. "WHAT MAKES YOU A BETTER HERO THAN I?!"

Shinsou's fist rocketed and landed on the side of Midoriya's face. Shinsou immediately cringed, feeling like he just punched a brick wall, his skinny arms quivering. Looking at Midoriya, the glowing, sparking teen just continued to glare at him with further intensity, unfazed at all by Shinsou's punch.

Shinsou only afforded himself a moment of shock before roaring and ducking out of Midoriya's grasp as they reached his end of the field. Shinsou rushed forwards at Midoriya from behind with a roar.

"I use my Quirk to Help People!" Izuku Midoriya turned to face the rushing Hitoshi Shinsou. "I use my Quirk to Save People!" Memories of all those he saved appeared rapidly in Midoriya's mind. Izuku's hand reached out. "I use my Quirk to Stop Villains from Hurting People!" His time at the USJ flashed in his mind, saving Asui and Serena, saving All Might, and even saving Bakugou from the Sludge Villain, without a Quirk. "That's the Kind of Hero I Want To Be!" Izuku grabbed Shinsou's arm. Bakugou blinked, surprised. "One That Saves Everyone!" Izuku twisted his body, shifting his foot against the near edge of the field. "With a Smile On My Face!" Shinsou's jaw dropped, eyes widen as he felt himself be lifted into the air.

Izuku's eyes flashed blue, mixed with rainbow light. "And Bring Those Who Would Hurt Them DOWN!" Izuku judo flipped Shinsou over him and slammed him down, outside the field. Shinsou's impact rang out with an echo, Shinsou's mouth opened wide, the air knocked out of him, feeling like he floated in mid-air.

Everything was silent and still. Slack jawed onlookers, wide eyed Pros and teachers, frozen students and Pokémon. Then Eevee smile and made a noise of pure elation and set everyone else off.

"Hitoshi Shinsou is out of bounds!" Midnight, regaining her senses, declared loudly. "Izuku Midoriya advances to the next match!"

The crowd erupted in cheers of all kinds, from hyped elation to even tearful cries of joy.

Mirio cheered and whooped loudly from the stands, and Tamaki clapped congratulating, but the both of them were outclassed by Nejire's cheers. Nezu cackled splendidly and clapped, snapping Taishi from his stunned stupor. The mysterious teacher smiled warmly and clapped as well, nodding impressed.

Miruko cackled like a madwoman and clapped loudly. "That's the way to do it, kid!" Miruko laughed out. "A good ole' judo flip to knock the wind out of him! Never had a doubt in my mind whatsoever!"

Ryukyu stopped her clapping to deadpan stare at the Rabbit Hero.

Endeavor brought his arms back up, recomposing himself as he looked at the flames that dances around Midoriya's body. 'What manner of power is this?' Endeavor thought, his mind analyzing everything he could pick up. 'The Shinsou boy didn't seem burned from touching Midoriya, so the flames weren't harmful. Or perhaps the Midoriya boy held them back somehow? Could it simply be an aesthetic of the boy's overwhelming power.' Endeavor would continue his multitude of inner questions with no answers, attempting to compare and, more than often, failing to connect the boy's Quirk with what he knew of All Might.

"My Baby Boy!" Inko cried out waterfalls of tears, while Mitsuki came prepared this time with an umbrella, while still patting Inko on the back. Masaru, while happy for Inko, sweatdropped as he wondered if Infinite Tears was a secret hidden Quirk of the Midoriya family.

"Oh my God!" Uraraka breathed out a sigh of relief, slumping down in her seat. Pikachu and Froakie jumping joyously at their Trainer's victory. Combusken cheered and waved her arms for her Trainer. "That was nerve racking!"

Momo sighed in relief, while Eevee cried out cheers, as well. Momo then felt tiny licks on her chin and Momo giggled at Eevee's little kisses and hugged the Evolution Pokémon back, hugging in celebration of Midoriya's win.

"Goddamn." Kaminari panted, likewise slumping in his seat. "I'm happy Midoriya won and all, but if he keeps doing that 'turning the tables at the last-minute thing' I'm gonna get a heart attack!"

"But he does that so well." Asui replied, smiling brightly and croaking joyously.

"He sure does." Mina sighed, relieved and smiled towards Midoriya.

"Whooo! Izi! Izi!" Hagakure continued cheering like a cheerleader for Midoriya, secretly welling up with tears at Midoriya's words throughout the match.

Serena quietly sobbed, hands over her mouth, her body shaking. She felt a tap on her side and looked down to see Combusken looking at her worryingly. She made a cry of concern to Serena, and the strawberry blonde softly smiled back. "I'm fine, Combusken, really." Serena sniffled. "I'm just so happy for Izu." Combusken nodded and cried in happy approval.

"Heh, that's Midobro for ya!" Kirishima chuckled. "Hell, he pulled that judo flip thing on you too, right, Baku-"

"Not. One. More. Word." Bakugou cut Kirishima off with a burning glare, his low voice all the threatening tone he needed.

"G-Got it." Kirishima replied, hands raised in surrender. Kirishima's smile was strained, especially after catching the amount of rage those ruby eyes of Bakugou held. It looked like Bakugou was personally offended by the comparison, or was it the reminder of his own loss to Midoriya in the Battle Exercise?

Todoroki huffed and stood from his seat and walked away.

Ojiro let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "You ok?" Ojiro noticed Jiro looking at him, slightly concerned.

"Yeah." Ojiro replied, practically slumping, contently in his seat. "Just was a bit worried there for a second. But Midoriya pulled through in the end. Like he always does."

"Yeah." Kyoka nodded, looking back down to Midoriya as he stood over Shinsou's body. Jirou didn't even notice her jacks waving back and forth, or her heart skipping a beat, or even her eyes softening. "Always does, huh."

From the 1-B stands, Setsuna cheered and 'whooped', high fiving and celebrating with Pony and Kinoko, while Tetsutetsu was crying his own rivers of tears about how manly Midoriya was. Monoma, however, stared silently, and wide eyed at Midoriya, recalling every word he heard the verdant haired golden boy of Class 1-A said. 'Any Quirk can be great.' Monoma repeated the words. He looked down to his own hands. A sad chuckle escaped his lips. He felt a hand on his shoulder to see Kendo smiling at him, a knowing look in her eyes. Monoma said nothing but only gave a smirk back before huffing and looking away. Itsuka snorted at him, but still smiled, more amused than anything.

Iida smiled at the results of the match from his monitor. "Classic Midoriya maneuver." Iida nodded, approving. "Would expect nothing less."

"And with that expertly timed throw, we have our first winner of finals: IZUKU MIDORIYA!" Mic announced to the roar of the crowd.

As Mic continued to commentate, Aizawa was busy looking at the two boys down below. 'That flip was just like the one he pulled on Bakugou in the Battle Exercise, and whatever that expulsion of energy was it snapped Midoriya out of Shinsou's Brainwashing, and somehow kept Shinsou from Brainwashing him further. The boy is not only fully determined to win, but he's also using everything he has picked up on and using it to his advantage.' Aizawa analyzed Class 1-A's expert analyzer. 'And his words during the fight...An interesting and rational outlook on Quirks and a blatant middle finger on this society's bias views on Quirks and their types and functions on how Heroic it is.' Aizawa nodded in approval and refused to acknowledge that throb in his heart that felt Midoriya's words strike at him in particular.

'And then, there's him.' Aizawa turned his attention mostly towards the still laying Shinsou. 'Midoriya was also right about Shinsou and his actions. While the system would prefer Heroes to each other alive to get ahead of one another, that's not rational. That level of irrationality and competitiveness leads to distrust between Heroes and their sidekicks and fellow Pros and only to continue running this corrupt creation of fame focused Heroes.' Aizawa looked at Shinsou and concluded that if Shinsou were inducted into the Hero Course as he was, he could disrupt and ruin any form of unity, teamwork, and trust among his students. 'Additionally, despite his words, there wasn't no way that Shinsou could have passed the Exam.'

Back on the field, Izuku panted hard and deeply, though Izuku knew that he didn't exhaust himself, at least physically. Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion washed through him and Izuku stumbled slightly, before catching himself. The phantom blue flames around him flickered and vanished and his blue bioelectricity shifted back to green before vanishing too as he turned off Full Cowling.

'I feel...exhausted.' Izuku thought, looking at his left hand and flexing it. 'But...not as much as before.' In truth, despite the exhaustion he currently faced, it wasn't as severe as how he felt after his first Aura Sphere at the USJ or even the buzzing numbness he felt after the one in the 2nd Event. 'Could I be mastering it already? Or was it because of them?' The wispy, smoky figures came up in his mind again, as well as the one that stretched its hand out to him. 'Did that one give me some kind of boost that woke me up? Were...were they part of One For All?' All Might's words about how One For All was cultivated by generations of people came to mind. 'If it was something to do with One For All, did One For All boost that energy inside me?' His change in color of his lightning then came to mind. 'Or was it the other way around?'

Izuku was snapped from his thoughts by the sound of groans. His faced hardened and his posture stood straighter as he stared down at the teen at his feet.

Shinsou had laid on the ground in those moments, eyes shut tight. While his back throbbed slightly from that throw, he tried to shut his eyes from his defeat, tried to shut away the cheers from the crowd, from this disappointing, bitter end to his dream, as he felt.

Reluctantly, gritting his teeth, he forced them open, his purple eyes quivering as he gazed at the blue sky above. His gaze drifted upwards to see Midoriya standing over him, the sun behind his back, shadowing his face but Shinsou could see the cold, hard stare at him.

Midoriya's words came back, and fully cemented in his mind. Shinsou clicked his tongue, gritting his teeth, before finally relaxing. Shinsou sighed. "Dammit." He groaned. "So, that's it then."

Midoriya simply nodded, knowing that wasn't a question, but acceptance.

"I guess all that effort about being an asshole was for nothing, huh?" Shinsou asked.

Midoriya raised an eyebrow. Shinsou sighed and shook his head. With assurance of no Brainwashing, Midoriya's response was simply "Effort?"

A snicker broke out of Shinsou. "Fair." Shinsou closed his eyes again and laid his head back against the cold marble. He flexed his hand and flinched under the flare of pain. "Arceus, I couldn't even faze you with that punch. That Quirk of yours make you harder than a steel wall or something?"

"A bit. Does make me tank hits better." Izuku looked at his hand. "But it wasn't just my Quirk that didn't make me flinch. Your punch was simply too weak."

Shinsou's eye twitched. "Ouch." Shinsou replied, feeling up his skinny arms. "I guess I haven't hit the gym regularly."

"You thought it would be worthless because of how your Quirk works, right?" Izuku asked, but continued, knowing the answer. "You didn't train for the Exam and didn't so much as tried to fight the robots."

"What could someone with a passive Quirk like mine could do against them?" Shinsou questioned in his defense.

Izuku's gaze narrowed at him. "Is that you talking or the bullies?" Izuku replied to Shinsou's surprise. "They all have small emergency shutdown switches on them that you could have hit that would have counted as a kill. Some of my classmates, their Quirks are passive, like yours. They had trained themselves to be fast and strong enough to find and hit the switch to win." Izuku recalled how he had asked Toru how she got Villain points despite her Quirk's limitations and telling him how she simply took her clothes off and invisibly hit the switches. She even told him about how Koda had only used nearby Pokémon he controlled to distract the robots so he could hit the switches himself. "If you had tried instead of giving up, you could have made it into our class, or Class B."

"Well, shit." Shinsou sighed, slumping his head harder onto the marble ground. "I really did act like a lazy Villain, after all. After all this time, trying to prove those assholes and bullies wrong, turns out I was the wrong one, huh?"

"You were right." Izuku's reply opened Shinsou's surprised eyes, looking back up to Midoriya, the verdant teen's gaze drifted away and afar, as if in a memory of his own. "About how this world sees certain Quirks. How it sees those that are different and treat them like trash because of it."

Shinsou's eyes widened a bit, before dulling. "Your speech." Shinsou said. "It was all true, wasn't it?"

Midoriya didn't reply, but the flinch in his eyes was all the answer he needed. Shinsou's sigh this time was both guilty and angry. "Why?" Shinsou didn't specify further, but the two didn't need more.

"Honestly? I don't know." Izuku's shoulders sagged a bit. "I guess the world is just that cruel."

"And despite that cruelty, you still want to be a Hero for it?" Shinsou asked.

"There are still those that are innocent and good. And-" Izuku paused, only of self-reflection and honesty needed before he finished. "And it is the only thing I ever dreamed of."

Shinsou's widened eyes traveled back further. He recalled he and Inkay in an alleyway, just finished getting the crap kicked out of him by pricks baiting him to use his Quirk on them. Shinsou couldn't fully comprehend Inkay's cries and words but understood the question. To why continue being a Hero, if it meant protecting jerks like them? He remembered smiling sadly at his partner and saying the one thing he always responded with: "It's the only thing I long for."

"If it weren't for how I acted to you and your classmates, I'd say that we would have a lot in common." Shinsou chuckled bitterly. "...Sorry.

"I guess." Shinsou saw a shadow over him and looked up, blinking in surprise to see the last thing he expected: a hand outstretched, connecting to Izuku Midoriya, his face still hard and cold, but a certain softness in his eyes. "But it's never too late to try again. To be Better."

Shinsou gazed at Midoriya, confusion all over his face. He looked at the boy offering his hand to him like he was insane. "Even after all said about your friends, all I did to them?" Shinsou didn't understand. His insides twisted up and his teeth mashed together. "How do you know I won't screw up and do that again?"

"I don't." Izuku replied, sincerely. "I can only Hope for what you do now."

Shinsou's agape mouth closed, his lips whimpering. Despite how much it still hurt, his left hand still clenched tight and shook. Slowly, Shinsou's right arm hand lifted, shakily and gasped Midoriya's hand.

After Izuku lifted him up and helped him to the center of the field, the crowd clapping and cheering for the sportsmanship between them, Shinsou heard different praises from the crowd, looking in surprise to find they came from varying Pro Heroes, all saying how it was such a waste that he was passed up with a useful Quirk like his, that it was disgraceful that things such as 'Villainous Quirks' were still a perception that was even tolerated, how, if he had trained and straightened up, he would be great Hero material. Shinsou couldn't stop his body from shaking.

By the end, the two had bowed to each other and walked off towards the tunnels they came from.

"Hey! Shinsou!" Shinsou looked up to see a few of classmates from General Studies by the rail, smiling at him, the whole of them led by Mineta, practically standing on the rail to match their height. "Did you hear all those praises, dude! They think you are incredible!"

"Yeah!" Another guy from his classmate followed up. "You were amazing out there, man! You're the pride of our class!"

"You nearly made a Hero Course Student lose. That's some impressive stuff." A girl from his class said, grinning at him.

Mineta then pointed down at him. "While I'm a little pissed at you, I'm proud of you, nonetheless! I promise you! We're both getting into the Hero Course! I'm sure of it!" Mineta remembered the words that he heard from Midoriya that day in the locker rooms. "Just don't give up and try again!"

Izuku had heard and stopped his path towards his group, smiling seeing Mineta so supportive of his classmate and friend, whilst still being honest with him. Izuku couldn't see Shinsou's expression, but he could have sworn a rose petal had blown over him.

"Hey, Midoriya." Shinsou called back out to him. "He's right. It may not have worked out today, and I'll admit, I have a long way to go before I'm truly ready, but I'm not giving up. I'm not giving up on my dream, of being a Hero. I will get into the Hero Course, but I'll try it a different way. A better way."

Shinsou looked back, giving Izuku a creepy grin that almost reminded him of Aizawa. "As for you, go on and win this whole thing. I want to at least be the guy that got beaten by the Winner of the Sports Festival. You hear?"

Izuku nodded. "Loud and clear." Suddenly, his mind fogged up again and he was Brainwashed again. 'What the-He got me again?! The match is over!'

"Heh, I just wanted to get one last one on you." Shinsou chuckled and Izuku felt released from the Brainwashing. "Just one last Villainous act before I go clean."

Izuku snorted and rolled his eyes, but he smiled nonetheless and nodded. Shinsou turned back and began walking into his tunnel. Izuku sighed out his nose and turned back towards his own tunnel, smiling and waving at his friends, classmates, and Pokémon, all of whom, sans a missing Todoroki and Iida, and a huffing away Bakugou, waving and shouting out congratulations.

Izuku spotted Aoyama and Ojiro, sending the two smiles and nods. The two smiled back at their Class Rep that fought for them and smiled and nodded back, gratefully. Izuku then spotted Serena, hands clasped in front of her like in a prayer, smiling joyously down at him. Izuku smiled wide and bright, trying to ignore the blush and throb his heart made. Serena brought her thumb up and brushed it over the tip of her nose, before raising and slamming it down onto a thumbs up. Izuku chuckled and smiled brighter on how she did his silent congratulations. Izuku copied her and gave that thumbs up back.

"Although that fight was a bit too dramatic and short, and with very little actual fighting, that was quite the first match to start off the finals!" Mic announced, pulling on his shirt collar. "You both did superb, kiddies!"

Aizawa rolled his eyes but agreed with his co-host in some regard. Aizawa couldn't overhear what Midoriya had said to the fallen Shinsou, but whatever it was definitely seemed to have made an impact on the indigo teen, on the positive side. 'As he is, he's still lazy, manipulative, and exploitive of his victimhood, an irrational choice to progress to the Hero Course.' Aizawa thought, but as he spied the boy's sad, tired face, it was like looking into a mirror. 'He's not the only one to have made mistakes based on poor judgement.' Memory of his Quirk Apprehension Test and his, admitted, shameful miscalculation on Izuku Midoriya came up. Looking back down at both boys with amazing potential, he focused on the one that wasn't there yet. 'But, perhaps with the right push.'

Back over towards the two teachers, Nezu took a sip of his tea. "Quite a dramatic, nerve-racking match this first one was." Nezu chuckled. "But it still lasted as long as I said it would." Nezu raised his paw outwardly.

Taishi clicked his tongue, before pulling out a few yen and placing it on the principal's paw. "I swear I'll never win a bet with you again." Taishi sighed.

"For all your wisdom, old friend, you still can't find it unwise to gamble with the World's Smartest Principal." Nezu chuckled, counting his earned money.

"Even the wisest of us make mistakes." Taishi's shoulders sagged. "I would know better than anyone."

Nezu ceased his counting/taunting. "The boy's sudden act." Nezu said, switching subjects.

"A vast expulsion of his Aura, his rage and inner strength exploding out and made manifest around him." Taishi accepted the change of subject to the glorious event he saw. "Those phantom flames around him, his Aura was flowing around and through him and taking shape. But for it to have been so vast and powerful, even among the strongest of Auras, is unheard of."

"And then there was his bioelectricity." Nezu pointed out. "That change in color."

"His Aura must have affected and fused with his Quirk for greater strength and control." Taishi hypothesized.

"Or perhaps it was the Quirk itself that sparked such a show." Nezu stated.

Taishi looked towards U.A.'s Principal, his face unreadable. "You mean to say that the Quirk functioned on its own to save its wielder?"

Nezu smiled. "There is much yet that we do not know about One For All." Nezu said. "Even its secrets were a mystery to Toshinori and his predecessor, and the predecessor before her. But if the Quirk passes down the Aura and life essence and energy of those that came before it, who is to say that essence and energy cannot be sentient?"

Taishi had no answer to refute the creature's logic, quickly coming to find such a possibility not out the realms of such things. 'The boy's Aura is already far greater than a normal novice, but if he were to truly combine his own Aura with that of eight others...Nezu is quite right. How nerve-racking this first match has made me.'

---

The video of the match replayed for a third time on the green monitor, the scene of Izuku Midoriya exploding in blue light paused and played in slower speed. The man in the chair was still covered in shadows, his business suit illuminated by the green light of the monitor, the sounds of medical equipment beeping in the background.

Beside the shadowed man was the equally concealed one, still standing tall and still, his mouth and jawline seemed darker in monitor's green light, till Midoriya's burst of blue light and fire lightened it to its regular lighter brown. Like the man in the chair, or rather unlike in truth, the cloaked man's blood red eyes scanned every frame of the footage, every detail, every rise in light and flicker of those phantom flames he remembered well.

"Did you per chance feel it from here?" The seated man's booming voice asked, laced with cruel humor and expected knowing.

"..." The cloaked man held no response other than silence, the crack of knuckles from a clenched fist. The man in the chair chuckled, though sounded more like a wheeze. He knew his servant sensed it as he did, he had detected the shiver the cloaked man failed to keep down.

"I'm sure you did." The man in the chair said. "The sight alone is a beauty of power, free and unrestrained. But the feeling is...intoxicating." The large pale hand of the chaired man rested on his armrest, flexing and clenching the appendage. The beeping of the medical equipment picked up a bit.

"The Aura, or the Quirk?" The cloaked man finally spoke, his voice younger, yet hardened and bitter.

The chaired man gave an amused chuckle, mentally praising his servant of 6 years for his excellent sense of deduction and analysis that he installed in him. He looked again at the monitor, rewinding and replaying Midoriya's show of power, freezing at just the right frame.

No one who would watch the footage would see it, not Tomura, not even his servant beside him, only he could spy the shape inside the light, right beside Izuku Midoriya's form: the shape of man, hand on the boy's shoulder.

The light of footage illuminated the up to chaired man's mouth, revealing a wide, sinister smile.

---

"Are you quite certain that you have no further injuries?" Recovery Girl asked her current patient as he in front of her, scratching his Eevee behind the ears. The boy's Pikachu and Froakie sat on the hospital bed to his side, and Combusken stood beside her Trainer. Toshinori Yagi leaned on the desk beside her, listening intently.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Izuku said, again. "Other than a bit of tiredness, I feel perfectly fine."

"Well, that is quite good to hear." Recovery Girl nodded, pleased, reaching over to her desk to retrieve a bottle of gummy bears, pulling out a couple. "But at least eat these. You won't just need your stamina up for the next battles but in case of any injury I need to heal, without killing you."

"Thank you." Izuku took the stamina-replenishing gummy bears and ate them up.

"I have to say, Young Midoriya, that when I said for you to show the world who you are, I didn't expect such a show in the match." Toshinori admitted, rubbing his neck. "I'll admit that you even had me sweating."

Izuku flinched, embarrassment and realization fulling coming to his mind. "You heard everything, huh." Izuku stated the obvious.

"Heard it? Boss, you were booming out everything to the whole crowd!" Pikachu exclaimed, waving his arms before rubbing his ears. "I can still hear your awesome speech echoing in my ears."

"Yes." Froakie nodded, for once agreeing with his semi-rival. "Whatever power you unlocked back then allowed your voice to be heard clearly to everyone. I must say you left the crowd speechless at times."

Izuku sighed, a sweatdrop over his head. "Just great."

"I heard some of what that Shinsou guy said to you." All Might continue, crossing his arms. "I can definitely understand where that anger of yours came from."

Izuku quickly lost the embarrassment and gained a determined look. "I know, and I'm not sorry for it." He replied, staring at his idol in the eye. "What he said about Serena, Aoyama, Ojiro, and all that about Quirks being looked at as Villainous, I just couldn't help myself."

Toshinori remained silent but understood what led to his successor's mistake and his yells, and agreed with him about his view on Quirks and how people would look at Heroic ones if they were used villainously. 'I have to admit, in the wrong hands, One For All could be one of the most terrifying and deadliest powers. Even...His Quirk could possibly be quite a useful one, in the hands of a Hero.' That last part made Toshinori almost want to throw up, to ever think of anything of that monster as a good thing.

All Might eventually replied with a nod and smirk. "Good." All Might said. "Words don't mean anything unless you whole heartedly believe in them. Confidence and assuredness are useful attributes for a future Pro."

Izuku smiled in response, his tense shoulders relaxing.

"Be that as it may, I would recommend you speak more softly for a while." Recovery Girl advised. "Voice-enhancing side-effects aside, too much yelling and loud speeches can aggravate your throat. And do drink plenty of water."

"Speaking of which, it's still surprising to hear that you only got a bit tired after that show you put on, kid." Toshinori admitted. "At first, I thought you used One For All to break free when I felt that force and wind, but that lightshow was something else. Was it the same thing you did during the USJ?"

Izuku nodded, gazing at his left hand. "And the 2nd event and by Lake Verity." Izuku confirmed.

Toshinori blinked. "Lake Verity?" Toshinori asked.

"Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to tell you about then." Izuku rubbed his neck, a guilty look on his face.

The next few minutes were spent with Izuku Midoriya detailing to the two about his attempts to harness the same strange energy that allowed him to form an Aura Sphere, as well as his first successful variant he used to distract the Wishiwashi during the Asui family trip. As Recovery Girl was lightly whacking Midoriya upside the head with her cane for attempting it while he was injured the day after the USJ, All Might's thoughts turned to Taishi. 'Midoriya's learning how to use his Aura fast, but if what Taishi told me about the power is true enough, that intense burst of Aura Midoriya pulled off should have left Midoriya bed-ridden with exhaustion.'

"Tell me, Young Midoriya, what happened when you were Brainwashed, just before you broke out of it?" All Might inquired. "I noticed that you broke out a second before you started glowing."

Izuku blinked at the question before gazing down, his inquisitive eyes looking off into space as he searched through his memory of the event. "Well, when I was Brainwashed, it was just like Ojiro and Serena said it was." Izuku began. "Everything was foggy, almost like the whole world was in static like a busted TV. I couldn't hear anything other than Shinsou when he revealed more of what he did. Oh, and I also faintly heard Eevee."

"You did?" Eevee perked up in Midoriya's lap and looked up at his Trainer.

"Yeah." Izuku nodded, smiling softly at his first partner. "I faintly heard your voice calling out to me to wake up, but it was almost drowned out by Shinsou's Quirk."

"Ouch, Boss." Pikachu clenched at his heart with mock despair. "Wait to spill the beans of who's your favorite."

"Oh, quiet you!" Combusken whacked the Electric Mouse Pokémon upside the head, disapproving in her glare. "I'm sure it wasn't something of the sort. And even if it was, Eevee has spent the longest time with Midoriya, so of course whatever had Izuku able to listen to him would happen to him only."

"Well, it wasn't just Eevee, Combusken." Izuku pointed out. "I could faintly hear all of you, it was just Eevee that managed to break free from that static like fog in my head. And you know that I don't pick favorites, Pikachu. All of you are my partners and mean just as much to me as the others."

Pikachu, Combusken, and Froakie all smiled. "Thank you for the kind words, Master." Froakie bowed his head a bit.

"Hmm. Your Pokémon able to reach you must have been from the psychic-like connection between all of you from One For All." All Might concluded. "But they weren't what caused you to break out?"

"No. Ojiro concluded that it had to involve some sort of physical action like a bump on the shoulder or even a hard enough smack." Izuku shook his head. "When I was trying to break free, I tried to use One For All on my fingers, hoping that the shockwave and pain would have been enough to wake me up."

"Reckless and ill-advised, but I understand the desperation of the situation." Recovery Girl frowned but relented.

"And what else?" Toshinori asked further, his foot practically tapping with impatience.

"Then I saw you, All Might. You were yelling something at me, but I couldn't hear you either. But then-" Izuku frowned, recalling the scene as he described it. "Then your eyes glowed."

"My eyes?" All Might blinked, surprised and confused. "Glowed?"

"Not like when you get angry or powered up, but they were glowing yellow, and then your body turned into some kind of vapory form." Izuku frowned, furrowing his brows as he focused on the details of his vision. "Then more started appearing around you, though they looked different, and their eyes glowed differently too. It was like everything was frozen despite them, and one of them even reached out towards me. I think I even heard it say something to me, but I can't remember. But then I felt this rush of energy go through my body, and then I felt it interact with that same feeling I latch onto when I used that energy, and I felt rush around me and I was myself again, roaring and exploding that energy around me." Izuku lifted his hands and grasped onto his heart. "It felt like a hand reached out into me and put something into that feeling, that Storm."

"Storm?" Pikachu raised an eyebrow.

"It's what I see it as, or maybe how I imagine it feels like when I try to use it." Izuku scratched at his head. "Anyways, those vapors, they were like ghosts, eight of them, including the one that looked like yours, All Might. Do-Do you think that, perhaps, they were the past users of One For All?"

Izuku had lifted his head to meet All Might's gaze and found a rather surprising result. "S-S-Spooky! I'm a ghost?!" All Might exclaimed, pale white, shivering, and sweating bullets.

"That's what you got out of this?!" Izuku exclaimed in reply.

"You buffoon!" Recovery Girl chided before launching her arm onto All Might's side, making the Symbol of Peace gape in comical pain. "Your successor is telling you something that is confusing and concerning him and all you can think about is yourself?!"

"I was freaked out, give me a break!" All Might backed up from Recovery Girl's range, massaging his side. "And what kind of doctor inflicts harm on people in their weak spots?!"

"The kind that will knock some sense into you if you don't be a better mentor and stop pressuring and upsetting the poor boy!" Recovery Girl threatened, aiming her cane at him.

"Alright, alright, chill, will ya?!" All Might coughed and recomposed himself. "Actually, I think I actually do know something about what you saw." Izuku and his Pokémon perked up. "In my younger days, when I first got One For All, I saw something similar to what you described, though it was only the one spirit, and only for a moment."

"Just one?" Izuku asked, surprised.

"Yeah, and I couldn't make it out any better than what you did, but the fact that you saw eight of them, including one that looked like me, and with such detail and experience, means that the Quirk is clearly becoming your own and showing far greater power and potential than I ever could." All Might said, pride mixed into his voice.

Izuku smiled, happy of the praise and assurance of his progress from his mentor. Shaking it off to continue, Izuku asked "What do you think they are?"

All Might brought a hand up to his chin. "To be honest, I'm 100% sure, but I think it's like a trace of the previous user's presence or spirit that remains after it is passed on, like a Vestige." All Might explained. "Normally, I would say that it wouldn't affect you or your progress in the future, but what with what you described and how they seemed to cause such a reaction to whatever energy you're harnessing, now I'm not so sure."

Izuku frowned, brows furrowed. He then felt Eevee pressing his head onto his hand. Snapping out of his worry, and realizing that was his clear intention, Izuku smiled, thankfully, at Eevee and rubbed his head, to Eevee pleasure.

All Might likewise noticed and coughed. "I mean, not to say that the effect isn't positive or anything like that." All Might backtracked, waving his hands. "Given how they helped you snap out of that Brainwashing and unlock that transformation, I'm sure that whatever may come that it will be in your interest. Just take this as an acknowledgement that like your friends and Pokémon, your own Quirk is supporting you on."

Izuku smiled. "Right." Izuku nodded.

Recovery Girl smiled, pleased and even impressed with Toshinori. Coughing to make her presence known again, she said "Right, well, if that is all, and you are feeling fine, you can go on ahead back to your friends. I'm sure they must be worried, and I believe you will want to know who it is you will be fighting in the next match."

"Oh yeah, right!" Izuku perked up and almost jumped out of his seat, Eevee luckily sensing and leaping off his lap. "I should get going before Serena heads to the waiting room! Thanks a lot, the both of you!" With a quick bow, Izuku ran up to the door, prepared to open it.

Suddenly, he was stopped by All Might's voice. "Wait, hold on, Young Midoriya."

"Yes?" Izuku looked back at his idol and mentor, the man half ready to run after him, hand outstretched to him.

Composing himself again, All Might coughed. "Ahem. I, uh, I just wanted to ask one last thing." Izuku nodded, patiently waiting. "Those Vestiges. Tell me, did any of them stand out to you?"

Izuku blinked at the weird question, his inquisitive mind lighting up that there was something more to this question, but let it slide for now to answer. "Well, there was the one that reached out to me. His eyes were glowing white, though I thought I spotted blue flames flickering in them." If Izuku hadn't looked off into space, he would have noticed All Might blinking surprise at that last detail.

"Then there was yours...and there was one other." All Might tensed up. "The eyes were glowing violet, and the hair was longer, almost like my Mom's actually. And the Vestige looked more feminine than the others, the only woman of the group."

Izuku looked back to All Might, as tense and frozen as a statue. Izuku couldn't see his eyes, shadowed by his hair and gaunt eye sockets, but he could tell by his lowered frown that it registered something to the Symbol of Peace. "Why? Is that important?"

All Might stayed silent for a few seconds, before answering with "It's nothing. Just curious." He shook his head and nodded towards him. "Well, you can go, and give my regards and support to Young Mariella."

At the reminder of his best friend, Midoriya let that curious detail, and his own curiosity, slide and nod. Hesitantly, Izuku opened the door and walked out, his Pokémon following behind him, in search of the student section of the stands and his friends.

Meanwhile, back inside the Nurse's room, All Might stood there, silent and still as the grave. A shake of the Pokeball in his side was all the warning he had before it opened up and out in a white light sprang out his Jolteon, looking at his Trainer with sad, understanding eyes.

"So, he saw you among them, too." Recovery Girl stated, blatantly.

Eyes still overshadowed; All Might nodded. "That's a good thing." All Might replied. "Means I'll still be with him, even after I'm gone."

"And that last Vestige he mentioned-" Recovery Girl stopped herself, realizing what was obvious was best left unsaid.

She looked to see she was right, seeing All Might's shoulders sag, Jolteon lowering his head and ears, a sad whine from the Pokémon, and a single tear rolling down the Symbol of Peace's gaunt cheek.

---

Izuku rushed down the hall, his Pokémon running behind him as they tried to catch up. 'So, take a left, then straight down that hall and-' Izuku recounted the maze of halls and corridors for the path from the student stands to the waiting room. 'Iida may have already gone to the field, but hopefully-'

Izuku ceased whatever thoughts he had as he spotted her strawberry blonde hair going towards the doors towards the room. "Serena!" He called out, as he slowed down to a jog.

Serena froze and whirled her head towards him, eyes widening. "Izu." Serena breathed out, eyes watering before she rushed at him faster than a Ninjask. "IZU!" Her body barreled into him, almost knocking him over, but steadied himself and hugged the girl back, the two spinning around from the momentum.

"And I thought I was fast when using Full Cowling." Izuku chuckled out the joke.

After they stopped spinning, Serena ceased her hug and stepped back a bit, raising her hands to his cheek and shoulder. "Are you alright?! I was so worried during the fight, and that light and fire all over you, and you screaming and yelling! Are you hurt?! Tired?! What did that jerk say to you?! Are you fine?!"

Izuku stood there as he faced the full-frontal assault of Serena's mumbling-like questions firing at him. Even his Pokémon, freshly caught up with him, had their faces, ears, and hair comically flying backwards from the word stream. 'I guess this is how it feels like.' Izuku figured, comparing this to his own mumbling stream of questions, almost chuckling at how he influenced Serena this way. However, the concern on her face and in her questions made Izuku's heart bleed with guilt for leaving her in that worry, the ramifications of his show during the match finally coming into his mind on how it affected her and the others, and very likely his mother.

"Serena. Serena!" Izuku raised his voice to stop Serena's questions and gain her attention. Izuku raised his hand to squeeze the one she had over his cheek. "I'm fine. No broken bones, no injuries. I'm alright. Really. I'm here in one piece."

Hearing him, Serena's face eased up, sighing with relief, her hand leaving his cheek. "Ah, good. That's great to hear."

Suddenly, Serena's lowered hand gripped onto the collar of his uniform, and that was all the warning he received before Serena's calm face did a complete 180 and turned furious. "THEN WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" Serena roared, eyes comically red while shaking Midoriya around, his own eyes turning into comical swirls. "ME AND OJIRO TOLD YOU NOT TO TALK TO HIM AT ALL AND YOU NEARLY GOT THAT ASSHOLE OUT BUT THEN YOU DECIDED TO YELL AT HIM?! YOU IDIOT! YOU HAD ME WORRIED SICK! ESPECIALLY WITH THAT LIGHTSHOW AND EVERYTHING!"

While Serena continued berating her crush, his Pokémon watched silently, making no movement against their Trainer's situation.

"Are we not to interfere?" Froakie asked, a sweatdrop over his head.

"No, Serena is not a danger to Izuku." Eevee shook his head. "She's just letting out all her worries and stress out. Izuku knows that she doesn't feel anything badly about him."

"Plus, do you want to try to get in between her and the boss?" Pikachu questioned.

"No." Froakie replied, unwilling to stand against the fury of Serena.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Combusken sagely said.

"Yeah, we know." Pikachu scratched at his ear. "We have to deal with you after all."

Without looking, The Young Fowl Pokémon smacked her hand over Pikachu's head.

"Ow! Will you stop that?!" Pikachu cried out, rubbing his head.

"So long as you stop saying being an idiot." Combusken simply replied, smirking, knowing Pikachu enough to know that won't ever be happening.

After ending her tirade, Serena ceased shaking Izuku and sighed. "At least, in the end, you won." Serena said. "And I get the feeling this won't be the last time you nearly give me a heart attack."

After Izuku managed to stop seeing things in threes, he gave Serena a nervous smile. "Knowing my luck, probably." Izuku replied.

"Figures." Serena sighed again. She then took another serious look at Izuku. "Izu, why did you help him up?" Izuku blinked, surprised at the sudden question. "You were so angry at him, for what he did to us, and he called you all those things and acted like a complete jerk. So why?"

Izuku looked down, silently asking himself the very same question. Recalling his sad, whimpering face, and hearing his backstory, was it because he pitied him? Or did Izuku not want to have another Bakugou or Todoroki to deal with and tried to save him from that path? Was it because Shinsou and himself were so similar? Did he do it out of genuine compassion, or from naive optimism?

Izuku raised his eyes to meet Serena. Eyes soft, he only offered a small smile.

Serena smiled back, understanding. She placed her hand before Izuku's heart, the two of them uncaring of the blushes on their faces.

"You always see the good in others, no matter how deep down. You are a kind and forgiving person. It's what you always are, Izu." Serena said, sincerely and lovingly. Her eyes turned hard and serious again, but with concern mixed in. "I just hope you can tell the difference between forgiving and naivety."

'She means Bakugou and Todoroki.' Izuku thought to himself. He recalled their hang outs before U.A., how he told her all about Bakugou, how incensed she was over how he was treated and befuddled how he could ever forgive or excuse the ash blonde's actions.

In truth, ever since that day, the Sludge Villain, All Might, and everything, Izuku truly started to see Bakugou as no longer his friend, but Serena helped him see he wasn't a friend at all, Serena helped him see that forgiveness and compassion have their limits before it becomes blind naivety. And Izuku could see that Serena was simply concerned that Izuku would fall to that naivety again, not just for Shinsou, but for Todoroki, as well.

Izuku owed the confidence and backbone he has now to both Serena and All Might, and worried how he would have turned out if they hadn't been there. But for all Serena helped to teach him, Izuku always worried over, and hoped he had taught her something important, too.

In response, Izuku placed his hand over Serena's, squeezing it tight, yet comforting. He placed his other hand over Serena's shoulder, over her heart, like the respectful person he always was.

Izuku smiled.

---

Izuku stumbled out of the doorway to his 1-A student stands, blushing fully red, his head steaming like a Coalossal hit by a Water Type move. His Pokémon followed behind him, most of them snickering at what had transpired beforehand between their Trainer and Serena.

Uraraka noticed Midoriya's entrance and smiled wide. "Deku!" Uraraka leapt from her seat and towards Midoriya.

Uraraka's yell drew the attention of the others, almost everyone brightening up. Momo got up from her seat as well towards her crush.

"O-Oh, hey Ura-uh I mean Ochaco!" Izuku squeaked out, still trying, and failing, to contain his blush.

"Heh, still hard to call me by my name, huh?" Ochaco chuckled.

"Welcome to my world." Asui muttered, ribbiting.

"Izuku!" Momo quickly wrapped Midoriya in a hug. "Oh, thank goodness, you are alright. After the match, when you didn't come back immediately, we thought you were hurt."

"I-I-I'm fine, Yao-Momo, really." Izuku regained some of his demeanor and patted the girl's back.

Uraraka silently grumbled, jealously, at their hug, but shook out of it seeing Izuku's red face. "Oh, Deku, are you hot?!" She asked.

"Huh?!" Izuku squeaked out, growing brighter red.

"Your face." Uraraka pointed out. "It's really red."

"Oh. I-I see." Izuku blinked, finally recognizing the question and relaxing, almost wondering, and secretly, unknowingly hoping, Uraraka was coming onto him.

"Now, that she mentions it, it does feel rather warm." Momo muttered, pressing her own forehead against Midoriya's, only adding fuel to the flames for Midoriya. "Do you per chance have a fever?"

"Oh, no, no, really I'm fine." Izuku shook his head, taking a step back and un-reddening.

"You could have fooled us, bro." Kaminari spoke up and gained the three's attention. "After that lightshow and you glowing with those blue fires or whatever, we thought you somehow caught on fire."

"And when you got yourself Brainwashed by that discount Aizawa." Mina pouted at Midoriya, Hagakure following her with crossing her invisible arms.

"You had us worried, Zu." Asui said.

"I'm sorry about that, guys. Really, I am." Izuku scratched the back of his neck.

"Hey, don't sweat it, Midobro." Kirishima called out. "I'm sure any one of us could have made that mistake."

"Yeah, I'd imagine Bakugou would have barked at him at the first insult." Sero snickered.

"Can It, Weird Arms!" Bakugou growled out. "I would have exploded that skinny loser with one blast!"

Bakugou turned his glare towards Midoriya. Izuku almost felt that fearful side of him well up to run or appease the blonde, a fear built up for nearly 11 years, but Izuku steeled his nerves and hardened his gaze back at Bakugou, unrelenting. Bakugou's teeth bore out in a snarl before ultimately scoffing and turning away from him.

'And when he can't win or intimidate you, he'll pretend that you don't exist or aren't worth his time.' Izuku predicted. Izuku decide to change subjects and turned to the rest of his class. "So, what's up? How's Iida's match going?" Izuku asked, walking to take his seat beside Uraraka and Momo. "I heard Present Mic announce him and Mei on my way here."

"Um...well..." Uraraka's deadpan look pointed out onto the field.

Izuku looked to the field and couldn't believe what he was watching.

"As you can see, the Auto Balancer is equipped with a custom 32 axis gyro sensor!" Mei's voice projected out as she evaded a charge from Iida, the Chief Class Officer tripping on a wire and almost falling down before spinning like a top and halting just on the edge of the field. "It keeps the user falling unless they want to!"

Izuku and his equally deadpanning Pokémon were having a hard time figuring out, or accepting, what ridiculousness was going on. Mei once again wore her harness, now attached to a pack that seemed connected to those wires Iida tripped on, wires that had boosted Mei out of the way of the Chief Class Officer, even without looking. 'They must be some kind of invention of hers that can detect and launch away while tripping up running opponents.' Izuku analyzed. Mei also seemed to be wearing a new pair of boots, more advanced than the ones she wore during the 1st and 2nd events, and seemed to have a speaker with a mic attached to a headset for her to project her voice out to the crowd.

"I suppose that her inventions are allowed here as well considering she invented them." Combusken reasoned by recalling the pass for Support Course items.

"But then why is Iida wearing that?" Froakie asked, pointing to the spinning top that was Tenya Iida.

As Iida stabilized, Izuku saw how Iida was wearing a harness similar to one Mei wore, only unlike the pink-dreadlock inventor's escape pack, Iida had two metal wing-like protrusions out with what looked like dangling cans can seemed to be shooting off jets of air that made to propel the blue-haired teen around and stabilize.

"Iida said that Hatsume approached him to wear that for the match and convinced Midnight to allow him." Uraraka informed Izuku and the Pokémon, all of them sweatdropping. "After that, Hatsume has just continued announcing her inventions to the crowd."

"I believe I remember she coins them as her 'babies'." Tokoyami spoke up, pinching the bridge between his eyes. "She's turning her match into commercial for her 'babies'."

"Ha Ha Ha! I'm practically flying through the air!" Mei had jumped over another of Iida's charges at her, now practically gliding through the air while gesturing at her shoes, the sides of which hummed and glowed green. "These Electro Shoes use electromagnetic induction on both feet! Based on the same electromagnetism as Emolgas and even my own Magni, they are perfect for quick maneuvers or just keeping things light."

"I suppose this Hatsume is quite passionate about marketing herself for the Support Companies." Momo tried to find a silver lining in all this nonsense.

"I think she may have also used you as an inspiration for those boots, Uraraka." Izuku said. " Maybe they would work well with your Hero Costume?"

Ochaco stared at him blankly, only blinking to show she was stilling responsive. She then shook her head and replied with "U-Uh, y-yeah, I guess you're right, Deku." Uraraka held a rather strained smile on her face. "I-I suppose I should...ask for her for them later."

A comical question mark appeared over Izuku's head. 'What's up with Ochaco?' Izuku questioned to himself.

Across from them, on the other side of the stands, Nejire giggled and cooed at match. "Oooh! Those shoes look really cool! Maybe I could use them for making it easier to fly." Nejire hummed. "Do you think she will invent a pair for me? How long do they last? Will they give out mid-flight? Do you think she can paint them in blue and green?"

As Nejire fired off her own stream of word vomit, Mirio chuckled. "Nejire is still Nejire." Mirio sighed. "At least she is becoming obsessed with Midoriya enough to not pay attention to others."

"I'm more concerned when those two will meet." Tamaki shivered, staring at Mei, imagining her clear...passion and Nejire's enthusiasm joining together, and causing fire and brimstone to rain from the sky. "It be the beginning of Armageddon."

"Aw, no need to worry, Tamaki!" Mirio wrapped an arm around his shivering best friend. "I won't be that bad. Hopefully."

"As soon as she lands, I'll Stop Her!" Iida declared, clearly ticked off by the comical tick marks all over his head, rushing after his with his engines firing off.

As soon as Mei landed, and Iida was right on her, Mei had swiftly turned, pulling out a large musket gun of sorts and fired. From the musket, shot out an expanding web of red, glowing rope. Iida could not slow down or evade in time to dodge the net, wrapping around him and sending him tumbling to the ground.

"What is this?!" Iida yelled as he tried to squirm his way out of the net; however, no matter how far he stretched, wiggled, and push out, the net seemed to shrink back down and wrap around him, appropriately.

"It's a Capture Gun to use against Villains!" Mei declared again, turning to the crowd, and the Support Companies she hoped may be watching. "The nets are loaded into small cartages, will wrap around and ensnare foes like the nets of a Spidops, and are both electricity and fire resistant! You can load up to five before you reload! Not even a Electivire or Magmar can shock or burn out of these babies!"

"This is just embarrassing." Kaminari face palmed.

"You think this is embarrassing" Kyoka gestured to her side. "Just look at them."

To the side of the 1-A students, Iida's Pokémon sat and watched how their Trainer was being humiliated as a test dummy and falling for Hatsume's inventions. Lucario face palmed and sighed loudly, Skarmory tried to hide his eyes in his wings, only peeking out occasionally, Dodou was smacking its heads together rather than watch, and his newest Pokémon, Varoom closed its eyes and let out a comical sigh out of its exhaust pipe.

Other reactions included Miruko laughing her ass off while Ryukyu sighed for the poor, humiliated boy, Aizawa was slamming his head on his desk while Mic sculled on how Hatsume stole his announcer limelight, and Power Loader, Support Course Teacher, hid his masked face in his large gloves. Alexia was also taking numerous photos, knowing some Support company and outlets would like this girl, and Cynthia, watching all of this from her TV, giggled amusedly.

"And all of these babies were made by Yours Truly: Mei Hatsume! Support Course Prodigy!" Mei declared to the world. "To any Support Course companies out there, if you looking for any fresh new hires, the choice is obvious! Now, let me show you all a few more of my super cool babies!"

"There's more?!" Was the obvious question nearly everyone shouted, either out of shock, annoyance, or despair.

---

10 minutes later...

After 10 minutes of 'Baby' showing, humiliation, pity and laughter at Iida's expense, Hatsume finally stepped out of bounds.

"Phew, that was a little exhausting, but I think I've shown off everything I wanted to." Mei sighed, wiping her brow, a satisfied smile on her face.

Midnight having zoned out for a bit, especially after reluctantly ignoring multiple instances of Iida captured and immobilized enough for disqualification, snapped out and declared "Mei Hatsume has stepped out of bounds! Tenya Iida advances to the next round!"

"YOU TRICKED ME!" Iida yelled/sobbed in despair and anguish.

"Sorry about that!" Mei shouted back as she walked away, a satisfied grin on her face. 'I had to impress both those Support Companies and do this long enough for Muscles to show up and see.'

While the crowd and cheered, some of them even starting a chant of 'Nice job' to Iida, only adding fuel to the fire of his embarrassment, Ryukyu sighed. "At least, it's finally over." Ryukyu said.

Hearing the loud, obnoxious snores, she looked back to see Miruko, having gone bored 8 minutes before, laying on Salamance with Lopunny fast asleep. "Wake up! It's over!"

Miruko's ears perked up before Miruko snapped awake. "H-Huh?" Miruko blinked away the sleepiness and got up, stretching her arms out, jutting out her chest out, making the large orbs bounce.

Mineta's ears perked up, his nose bleeding. "I have missed out on something marvelous." Mineta muttered to himself, uncaring of the strange looks of his classmates.

"Wow. Iida was too sincere about her motives, and she took advantage of them." Izuku shivered, both impressed and terrified of the pink inventor and her drive. "She's so driven and forward about her goals, even if its to turn something as big as the Sports Festival into a commercial. It was a bit mean to do that to Iida but at least he advances to the next round, although that means I have to fight him. Hopefully, I can have the fight last long enough for Iida to redeem himself yet not detriment my chances of winning..."

As Izuku kept mumbling and writing down information about Hatsume, including praising her and her drive, he was completely unaware of the looks he was getting from his classmates. Ranging from freaked out discomfort from most of the guys, to the growling annoyance of Bakugou, the facepalms of his Pokémon, and the shadowed over, dark aura of jealousy that hung over most of the girls, with even Jiro's eyes twitching at Midoriya singing Hatsume's praises.

Unfortunately, Izuku was also unaware of Uraraka getting up and walking out of the stands towards the waiting room, her shadowed over face clearing away to see her determined one.

"Well, with that, we are going to roll right onto the third match, and I promise Sports fans, this is going to be quite a treat for ya!" Mic's voice cut Izuku out of his mutterings as he saw the next two fighters walk up to the stage, earning his immediate attention.

"Different though they may be, but both are fighters today got in by Recommendations, so expect these two kiddies to be quite the powerhouses!" Mic announced, leading to the greater cheers of excitement from the crowd. As the two stepped onto the field, Izuku's eyes narrowed.

"On one side, we have the candycane-haired nightmare that has been sweeping all over the competition with his icy powers! Give him a moment and he'll leave you cold as ice! From the 1-A Hero Course, it's Shoto Todoroki!" Mic announced as Shoto stared coldly at his opponent. Beside Izuku, Momo flinched and brought Eevee close up to her again.

"And on the other end, she is the undisputed Master of the Seas, the Mermaid of Pain, the 1-A surfing girl that'll sweep you out to sea! Also from the 1-A Hero Course, its Serena Mariella!" Mic declared, Serena glared back, tying up her hair into her ponytail.

All Might sat back down in his seat in the teacher's stands, leaning closely to see how this fight will go down.

From inside their respective waiting rooms, Serena's and Todoroki's Pokémon watched the fight through the monitors. Piplup and Brionne cheered loudly, the former even somehow gaining and waving pom poms. Buizel cheered on his new Trainer more stoically, while Milotic gave a cry of cheer for her Mistress. Britannian Darmanitan gave a hardy cheer for Shoto, while Drizzile likewise rooted for his Trainer silently. Ninetails watched Shoto step up to the field and wished him the best of luck, but she couldn't help but shift her gaze at times to the one member of their group that was currently still inside their Pokeball.

From up in the stands, Endeavor crossed his arms, waiting expectantly on how his son will win this fight.

"Everybody ready?!" Mic called out, Midnight's hand raised and ready. Shoto and Serena crouched a bit, the both of them waiting and ready.

Shoto gave a cold glare, and Serena fired back with an angry one.

"BEGIN!" Mic roared and Midnight brought her hand down.

SSSHHHKKKK!

---

AAAAAANNNNNNDDDD SCENE! MWUAHAHAHAHA! Another Cliffhanger! Suffer my fans in anticipation while I leave the fruits of this upcoming battle just out of reach of your thirsty grasp! MWUAHAHAHAHA! *Cough Cough* Sorry...got a little too into that...

Any who, that's it for this chapter of My Hero Pokedamia, and I hope I did this first and second match of the finals just right. I know there maybe be some of you who are confused as to what exactly occurred in Izuku's fight so let me explain it simply. Yes, its a little annoying to have Deku fall for Shinsou's taunts and have him get brainwashed, but I have been building Izuku's anger from the previous chapters, from Shoto's talk, Momo's sadness, and the revelation of Shinsou's deeds against Serena and Ojiro to have Izuku just angry enough that one perfectly timed implication of Serena and Bakugou ever sucking face to make Deku jealous and angry enough to snap. And yes, the reason Aoyama didn't make it the 2nd event was because of Shinsou as his plan to make one student do just bad enough that they would be kicked out of the Hero Course to make room for himself. Don't worry though, Aoyama isn't going anywhere.

As for the not-so-little lightshow that Midoriya just performed, I'll have you guys figure that out and may or may not respond but you guys probably already know what kind of energy Midoriya was unleashing and who he saw, and that little temporary powerup shielded Midoriya from Shinsou's Brainwashing enough for Midoriya to satisfyingly yell back his thoughts at Shinsou, and for the whole world to hear his words about Quirks and society's flawed views on them and Heroes and Villains. But who will be the ones to hear them?

And we even had some chatting between You know who, no not Voldemort, and his mysterious servant. And a sneak preview of a certain Hero Killer. Also, Midoriya's speech and helping Shinsou up was inspired by (Spoilers) God of War Ragnarok where after Kratos beats Thor and tells him the 'Must be Better' speech and Squid Game, where Gi-Hun reaches out to lift a defeated Sang-Woo up.

Also, as much as everyone has been expected a Shinsou beatdown, and I kinda did in a verbal sense and a judo flip, why did Izuku still offer a helping hand to Shinsou? Because that's who Midoriya is, kind and forgiving, though now less naive and blind as he only offered that hand After Shinsou said sorry, admitted to being a jerk and that he was doing things the wrong way, and Izuku can read people enough to know when they are telling the truth. Also, at the end of the day, Izuku is the kind of guy that sees anyone capably of being a Hero and capable of change; however, Serena is always there to steer Izuku away from being too trusting to his detriment, and now she hits him with the big question: Do, right now, as they are, what they have done, do Bakugou and Todoroki deserve redemption? And even if they don't, will Izuku still be merciful enough to give it to them? Also, what happened after the cut away between Izuku and Serena?

But that's something for another chapter, right now, its time for a character update list. This chapter's character being: Hitoshi Shinsou.

Hitoshi Shinsou:

-Height: 5'10

-Age: 15

-Birthday: July 1

-Quirk: Brainwashing

Pokémon:

1. Malamar

-Gender: Female

-Type: Dark/Psychic

-Moves: Night Slash, Psycho Cut, Psybeam, Hypnosis, Brutal Swing

-Ability: Infiltratory

2. Hypno

-Gender: Male

-Type: Psychic

-Moves: Hypnosis, Zen Headbutt, Psybeam, Confuse Ray, Hex

-Ability: Insomnia

3. Britannian Slowpoke (Galarian Slowpoke)

-Gender: Male

-Type: Psychic

-Moves: Zen Headbutt, Water Pulse, Confusion, Disable

-Ability: Own Tempo

And finally, hope you guys liked the chapter, comment thoughts and predictions of future Pokémon for the characters, check out my other stories if you like, and keep safe, healthy, and sane in these times.

This has been Zayden StormVoid, and in honor of one of my new favorite gym leaders: VAULTING VELUZA!