Chapter 5: So You Wanna Be A Master?
"You're all at an age where you're going to have to choose what High School you're going to go to." Sakamata-sensei informed the class going through his notes. "Sure, you could be a Pokemon Professor, or a Nurse, or even a Police Officer. But why be those things WHEN YOU COULD BE A PRO HERO LIKE MY HUSBAND?!" Sakamata-sensei then cleared his throat. "But, anyways... For those of you who don't want to be Pro Heroes, please raise your hand and we'll talk more about it after class."
Izumi leaned over to Momo's desk.
"Sakamata-sensei sure has a lot to brag about." Izumi whispered, chuckling. "Not that I blame him. If I had a Pro Hero as a significant other, I'd want to brag about it, as well."
"So, what High School do you plan on going to?" Momo asked Izumi.
"I'm going to try for UA." Izumi replied. "What about you?"
"I'm going to apply for UA, as well." Momo nodded.
"Awesome. Maybe we'll even end up in the same class." Izumi said, returning to a normal volume.
"I hope so." Momo agreed. "It'd be nice to go to a new place with a familiar face."
As the bell rang, the class shuffled out of their seats. A few kids were packing up and heading for the door. Others were still hanging back, waiting for Sakamata-sensei to come over so they could talk about non-hero alternatives.
Meanwhile, Izumi and Momo walked out of the classroom, Izumi making sure Dusky kept a steady pace as she walked beside her. The halls were crowded as usual after classes as kids moved around each other. Some hurried in the direction of extracurricular classes or clubs, while others took their time making their way out of the school building.
"Where are you headed after this?" Izumi asked, having to take a quick detour to go around a large group of kids.
"Mm... Probably just straight home." Momo shrugged. "You?"
"I'm gonna stop by the manga shop." Izumi replied. "The latest volume of That One Time I Was A Vigilante is out, today."
"That's that one with the kid who's a vigilante, right?" Momo asked with a tilt of her head. "...wait, that probably didn't really narrow it down, huh."
"Yeah." Izumi nodded. "I was a bit skeptical at first, but it's actually gotten pretty interesting. He's really pushing the boundaries on what he can do with his Quirk."
"Is it more of a serious story, or a comedy?" Momo inquired, her eyebrow arched.
"Probably closer to serious." Izumi thought about it for a moment. "Although, they do have a bit of a lighthearted moment every couple of chapters or so. It's not usually a major part of the plot, but the main character has a bit of an oddball for a mentor."
The conversation was briefly interrupted as the two had to sidestep the doorframe and go around a pair of girls who hadn't stepped out of the doorway.
"Ah, I guess I'll have to give it a read." Momo stated as they came to a stop. "The main character isn't too overpowered, is he?"
"No, not at all." Izumi confirmed. "In fact, if anything, the other characters are usually the ones saving *him*. It's honestly more of a found family story than anything."
Momo hummed and the two of them made their way towards the edge of the courtyard. "What else has the author done?"
"Ummm..." It took a moment for Izumi to think of anything. "...I think this is basically their first major publication."
Momo looked surprised. "Wow. Well, I guess that explains why I haven't heard of it, then."
"Yeah, I've been following it since the first issue." Izumi said as she stepped through the gates. "I was honestly surprised that it managed to go on for as long as it has. I half-expected it to get canceled or something a couple volumes in."
"Well, it does sound intriguing." Momo paused, turning in the direction of her home. "I'll have to check it out sometime."
"Good luck with that." Izumi joked. "You'll be hard-pressed to find Volume 1 on the shelves. There's a bit of a rabid fan base for the series now."
"Oh. Well I'm sure I'll find a copy..." Momo laughed, before raising a hand to wave. "Well, I should start heading home."
"See you tomorrow!" Izumi waved back as Momo headed down one of the streets branching away from the school.
As she watched Momo walk away, Dusky let out a small sound. Izumi glanced down at her Lycanroc and sighed.
"Yeah, yeah. I know." Izumi chuckled. "We gotta get going, too."
Adjusting the strap of her backpack, Izumi began heading down the road herself, with Dusky trotting along beside her.
Pretty soon, Peaker had woken up from her little sleep on Izumi's shoulder.
"Schools done for the day?" Peaker asked.
"Yep, we're going to the manga shop." Izumi nodded.
"Hooray! New books!" Peaker cheered as she flapped her little wings, a common way for her to show excitement.
"You bet." Izumi chuckled. "We've all been waiting for the new Vigilante issue to go on sale."
The manga shop wasn't too far from the school, so the walk was fairly short. The bell above the door dinged as Izumi pushed open the door, walking in.
The little building was pretty small, but just about all of the walls were covered in shelves. At the center of the room stood a small counter, where an older gentleman was reading the day's newspaper.
As the bell above the door dinged, the shop owner looked up from the newspaper.
"Oh, good afternoon." The older man greeted, placing the paper on the countertop. "What can I do for you today?"
"Do you have the latest volume of That Time I Was A Vigilante?" Izumi asked.
"You mean the one that just got released?" The shop owner inquired, putting down his newspaper. "I think we still got a few copies. Let me go grab it from the back." Without pausing, he disappeared through the doorway behind him.
While he was in the back getting the book, Izumi glanced around the store. Peaker fluttered off of her shoulder and started flitting around some of the lower shelves.
The older gentleman emerged from the back again a few minutes later, a fresh copy of the book in his hands. "Here you go." He said, placing the book on the counter. "That'll be..." He squinted at the price written on the bottom of the back cover. "...800 Pokedollars."
"Here you go." Izumi nodded, taking out her wallet and passing the man a couple bills. After accepting the payment, the store owner placed the book in a little plastic bag and handed it to her.
"Have a nice day." The shop owner bid her farewell, picking up his newspaper again as Izumi took the book and headed for the door.
Peaker, who was still circling around the manga on the low-set shelves, was quick to take notice of them leaving. "You got it?" The little bird inquired, flapping over to rest on her trainer's shoulder again.
"Yep." Izumi nodded, opening the plastic bag to show her the book. "Brand new, just off the shelves."
Peaker let out a little cheer again. "Awesome!"
Izumi chuckled, petting the top of her Spearow's head.
"Alright, come on. Let's get home."
The walk back home was largely uneventful, with only the occasional interruption from a car passing across the sidewalk.
The three soon found themselves walking underneath a bridge, when a nearby manhole cover leading to the sewers started rumbling.
"What the..." Izumi mumbled.
Suddenly, a mass of purple and green sludge, large enough that it blocked the light that came from the putside world, came out of the sewer. Izumi would have thought it was an Alolan Muk if not for the crazed, wide yellow eyes and sinister wide smile on his face filled with razor sharp teeth. This wasn't any kind of Muk or any kind of Pokemon. It was obviously some villain with a slime body quirk.
"My, my... What do we have here?" The villain mused.
Instinctively, Izumi backed up. She could clearly see what the villain wanted, and her hand was already reaching for the Pokewatch on her wrist. Peaker gave out a screech as she hid behind her trainer's shoulder.
"A pretty little girl wandering all by herself? It's my lucky day!" The villain grinned, reaching out a slimey hand.
A second later, he flew straight at Izumi like a bullet train in a big city. She tried to run away, but before she could even take a step, the mass of dark sludge surrounded her.
"Get... Off..." Izumi struggled, futilely flailing against the slimey grip. It was like trying to fight against a swimming pool.
"Hahahahaha!" The villain laughed gleefully. "Don't struggle, kid. After all... you're my ticket to freedom."
"H-help!" Izumi called out. However, her face was soon smothered by a wave of slime, forcing its way in to her mouth. She was unable to cry out or even breathe.
Dusky let out a howl, hoping to get somebody's attention. In the meantime, Izumi reached to the Pokewatch, hoping to transform into something useful.
Izumi found it difficult to grab the device, as the villain was still gripping her too tightly. His slimey form was clinging to her, making it hard to move. It felt like an entire pool of mucus surrounding her.
But eventually, she managed to press the button, pressing down the dial once it popped up.
In a flash of light, Izumi transformed into a Pokemon that resembled a fully-grown lion with a black and blue coat and a spiked mane. Black fur covered most of her body except the backs of her legs, midsection, and some of her face. She had light-blue legs with three yellow rings on the front legs. On her rear is a spiked tuft of fur. Her tail ends in a golden star. She has red scleras and golden irises and pupils. The symbol of the Pokewatch was on her chest.
"Luxray?" Izumi, now a Luxray, questioned herself, suddenly smirking. "How convenient."
The villain let out a shocked yelp as the transformation took place. "Huh?!" He looked down at the Luxray, suddenly unsure of what to do.
However, before the villain could do anything, Izumi charged up an attack, but before she released it, she turned to Dusky and Peaker.
"Dusky, Peaker, run! Get as far away as possible!" Izumi commanded.
The two nodded, and Peaker landed on Dusky's head, Dusky running off a reasonable distance. Once the danger of her Pokemon getting harmed was out of the window, Izumi let out a Discharge attack, electrocuting the Sludge Villain.
"AAAAAAGH!" The villain cried out as the bolt landed. He reeled back, his viscous body shuddering wildly. However, after a moment, he was able to reform again, glaring at the Luxray with anger. "You... you little..."
"You got a problem?" Izumi taunted, channeling another beam of electric energy, this time gathering it in her teeth. "Come and get me, slimey."
However, before either of them could do anything, a familiar, iconic voice shouted out in the distance.
"Go, Netsu!"
Suddenly, an Emboar came charging towards the two.
"What the-" The sludge villain was caught off guard as the Emboar came charging out of nowhere. He raised a hand to meet the new threat, but was still trying to recover from the previous attack.
"Get away!" The Emboar yelled, lunging at the villain with a Flame Charge. The burst of fire caused him to recoil, but it didn't seem to do much lasting damage.
As the two engaged each other, Izumi turned in the direction the new voice had come from, hoping to see who had arrived to help.
"Are you ok?" The Emboar asked Izumi.
"...Yeah." Izumi's voice was a bit shaky, but she was starting to calm down, at least somewhat. "I'll be fine once I get out of this mess."
"Well, you're going to." The Emboar said as he grappled with the villain. "Just hold tight."
With a heaving grunt, the Emboar hurled the villain through the air, right into a nearby wall. Soon, the same familiar voice called out.
"Ahahaha! I've finally caught up to you, Sludge Villain!" The Number One Hero, All Might, exclaimed, charging towards the villain, ready to attack. "Driftveil... SMASH!"
All Might delivered another powerful blow to the villain, causing the sludge's form to split into different parts. The sludge let out a pained groan, struggling to reform himself from the two new sections of viscous matter.
"Huh?" The villain let out a surprised gasp. "All Might?!"
"You think you can get away from me that easily?!" All Might exclaimed. "I'm the Number One Hero for a reason, Sludge Villain!"
"B-but-" The villain tried to protest, still working on reforming himself. However, his efforts were in vain, as All Might picked him up with no effort.
"Game over." All Might proclaimed, crushing what remained of the villain in his hands. The villain let out a pained yelp before going still.
All Might let the sludge fall out of his hands. It fell onto the ground with a wet thud before beginning to melt into a puddle. He let out a satisfied breath, putting his hands on his hips. The Emboar and All Might locked eyes for a moment, their eyes glowing slightly, before All Might nodded.
"Well, then, young Luxray, let's get you to a Pokemon Centre!" All Might exclaimed.
"Yeah." Izumi nodded. "That'd probably be-"
Before she could finish the sentence, however, All Might picked her up, wrapping her in his arms bridal-style.
"....you're kidding me, right?" Izumi raised a disbelieving eyebrow.
"Eh, don't worry, he does this all the time." The Emboar shook his head.
"Right." Izumi sighed, before turning to where Dusky and Peaker were hiding. "Come on, guys, we're going."
Peaker gave a relieved cry as she took off back towards the pair. Dusky quickly followed after her, running on ahead of the group.
"Are you ok?" Peaker asked, rubbing her head against the Luxray's nose.
"I think 'ok' isn't exactly the word I'd use right now." Izumi sighed. "But at the very least, I'm still in one piece."
"Good." Peaker sighed, nuzzling her trainer again before flying over to Dusky.
"Now then, let's be on our way." All Might spoke, shifting the way he was holding Izumi. "The Pokemon Centre isn't too far away from here."
"Alright." Izumi nodded as All Might started making his way down the sidewalk. The rest of the group followed after him.
The group continued walking down the sidewalk. All Might was still carrying Izumi in his arms, which was a little embarrassing, if she was being honest with herself, but she also had to admit it was convenient not having to walk.
Peaker and Dusky were flying and walking, respectively, alongside the group. Both of them kept close, making sure they were within Izumi's line of view.
Eventually, after a few minutes, the five of them were standing in front of a building with the universal mark of a Pokemon Centre. All Might pushed open the door, strolling into the building. The automatic bell above the door rang, catching the attention of the nurse at the front desk, who looked up from her computer.
"Ah, hello there, Nurse Joy." All Might greeted. "This Luxray here was caught up in a villain attack. The villain had a slime quirk."
"Oh my, let me see her." Nurse Joy got up from her seat, heading out from behind the desk and towards the group.
"Here, I'll put it on the table." All Might lifted Izumi up onto the center of the nurse's desk, where Nurse Joy began examining her from different angles.
"How long was she in the villain's slime for?" Nurse Joy inquired without looking up from her inspection.
"It couldn't have been for more than a minute and a half." All Might replied. "I showed up pretty quickly after the attack started."
"Hmm..." Nurse Joy hummed, finishing her inspection. "Well, she's a little bit battered, but nothing too concerning. Looks like she should be alright, after a bit of rest."
"That's a relief to hear." Izumi nodded with a sigh, taking a moment to relax as the tension dissipated.
"It's good that you came when you did." Nurse Joy commented, addressing All Might. "If the villain's slime had infiltrated her internal organs, the situation could've been much more serious."
"Of course." All Might replied with a smile. "There's a reason I became a hero, after all. I wouldn't dare stand idly by, while I could instead lend a helping hand."
Nurse Joy sighed. "I can't count how many times I've heard heroes say those exact same words." She shook her head. "Don't get me wrong, I respect your work, but you don't have to give me some kind of monologue or speech every time you show up here, you know."
All Might chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Ah, sorry, sorry. I guess it's a bit of a habit for me at this point."
"Now then, did this Luxray have a trainer, or is she a wild Pokemon?" Nurse Joy asked.
"I didn't see a trainer, so either it's wild, or its trainer ran off." All Might shrugged.
"Right." Nurse Joy hummed, opening a drawer in the file cabinet and pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. "Well, we'll just have to mark her down as wild for now. We can change that later, if anything changes or if her trainer does show up."
"Oh, great." Izumi mumbled, knowing that neither All Might or the Nurse Joy could understand her in the state she was in.
"Alright then, now that that's settled..." All Might turned, putting his hands on his hips. "I believe I need to get back to business. If there's no other concerns, I'll be on my way."
"No issues here." Nurse Joy said, turning towards the computer to start putting in the new file. "Have a nice day, All Might."
"You, as well." All Might nodded, giving a little salute before making his way to the door, his Emboar following behind.
As the door closed behind him, Peaker and Dusky immediately turned their attention towards Izumi again.
"I think we just wait this out." Izumi planned. "Either we wait for a good time for me to transform back without scaring the shit out of anyone, one of us sneaks out to get Mama or Rara, or we sneak out and continue heading home."
"Couldn't we just... Ask the Nurse if we can leave?" Peaker suggested, looking towards the front desk. Nurse Joy had gone back behind it and wasn't paying attention to the group at the moment.
"I don't think she can understand what Pokemon say, and even if she could, it would probably take a lot of explaining to explain what our deal is." Izumi pointed out.
"That's unfortunate." Peaker sighed, crossing her arms. Dusky just made an agreeing noise.
"Or if there's a Chansey or any other nurse Pokemon around here, I'm sure they could help us out." Izumi presumed.
Peaker shrugged. "There're probably a few around the back. They have to be, with all of the injured Pokemon they treat on a day-to-day basis."
"Yeah, you're probably right." Izumi nodded. "There must either be a few Chansey nurses, or a Blissey in charge, at the bare minimum."
"How should we go about getting their attention, then?" Peaker inquired, flying up onto the table to sit on it.
"Hmm... I'm not really sure..." Izumi hummed, raising a paw to her chin. "They're probably too preoccupied with other injured Pokemon to notice if we just sit around."
"Well, if they don't notice us, we can probably just escape, right?" Peaker figured.
"...I mean, we can probably get away with that, yeah." Izumi said slowly, mulling over the risk. "If we're careful, they might not even notice us leaving."
"Then it's settled." Peaker said. "We'll wait around for a bit, and if no other nurse Pokemon come around, we'll just sneak out."
"Alright." Izumi agreed with a nod. "Sounds like a plan. Hopefully we won't get caught in the process."
"I mean, we'll probably be fine!" Peaker reassured. "All we really gotta do is sneak out without the Nurse Joy's noticing. Shouldn't be that hard, huh?"
"No, I suppose not." Izumi said, starting to feel more confident about the escape plan. "There aren't that many people around right now, and we're already in the corner farthest from the main room of the building."
"Exactly." Peaker nodded. "Besides, this is a Pokemon Centre, right? Everyone's gonna be too distracted by the sick, injured, and dying Pokemon to spare us a second glance."
"That's true." Izumi admitted. "...It's probably a bit callous to think about it like that, but that's to our advantage, isn't it?"
"I mean, yeah, it's kind of callous, but it is the smart thing to do." Peaker agreed. "Besides, they have other stuff to worry about than three perfectly fine Pokemon."
"That's true..." Izumi nodded. "Well, then, let's go. I'm sure Mama and Rara will be wondering where we are."
"Yeah." Peaker nodded. "And they'll be better at explaining our situation, if we do get caught, anyway."
"Let's hope for the best, then." Izumi said, hoping off of the table. "Alright, you guys ready?"
"Yep." Peaker said with a nod. "Dusky?"
"..." Dusky nodded, ready to go.
"Alright, then, let's head out." Izumi stated. Peaker and Dusky both nodded and the three of them slinked off, moving slowly to keep from drawing unwanted attention.
The three of them had made it home safe and sound, without any more casualties. In all honesty, after reverting back to her original form, Izumi was exhausted.
Izumi staggered through the front door, exhausted and still trying to sort through the day's events. It had been a lot to take in. The villain attack, All Might, the surprise visit to the Pokemon Centre. It was almost too much.
As she toed off her shoes and stepped through the foyer, she had to brace herself on the wall for a moment. Her legs felt like they were made of jelly.
"I'm home." Izumi called out. Her voice rang out over the empty halls, filling the air for a few seconds before being replaced by the silence.
After a few seconds, the sound of footsteps echoed through the house. A moment later, Rumi came down the hallway, half-dressed in her hero costume.
"Hey, kid." Rumi greeted, looking Izumi up and down, frowning. "Rough day, I take it?"
"You could say that." Izumi said, straightening to try and hide her fatigue. She probably wasn't fooling Rumi, but she could at least try.
"Looks that way." Rumi said, walking up to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "What happened?"
"It's a long story, but-"
"I've got time." Rumi interrupted, turning Izumi around and ushering her to the living room. "You can tell me while you sit down and relax, yeah?"
"Yeah, alright."
Izumi sighed and relented, allowing herself to be pushed towards the living room. She really couldn't find it in her to protest, after today.
Rumi ushered her into the living room, guiding her to the couch and gently pushing on her shoulders so she sat down.
"Alright, you just sit tight there and rest for a bit." Rumi said, sitting down next to her. "You look like you're about to pass out."
"That's not true- I'm fine, really-"
"You're swaying back and forth, and you can barely hold yourself upright." Rumi pointed out flatly. "I know you're trying to act tough, but don't try to convince me that you're not wiped out."
Izumi let out another sigh, her half-hearted protest dying on her lips. Rumi was right, as much as she didn't want to admit it.
"I guess I am a little tired..." she mumbled, leaning back into the couch and slouching against the cushions.
"Ha, knew it." Rumi smirked, gently nudging Izumi's shoulder. "I've seen you tired before, I know what it looks like. So, you gonna tell me what happened, or do I have to start making assumptions?"
"I mean, it's not a complicated story, really." Izumi said, rubbing one eye. "I was on the way home, and got caught up in a villain attack..."
"You got caught up in a villain attack?!" Rumi exclaimed, her eyes widening. She suddenly went from teasing to concerned in an instant. "Are you ok? Did you get hurt at all?"
"I- Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine." Izumi said hastily, raising a hand to soothe Rumi's worry. "All Might showed up before anything permanent happened. Worst I got was a bit of a beating."
Rumi's expression shifted from shock to relief to skepticism, as she took all of this in. "And you're sure you're alright? You're not just saying that so I don't worry?"
"No, I'm being serious, I promise." Izumi nodded, trying to push herself into a sitting position. "All I got was a bit of bruising. All Might stopped the guy before he could do serious damage."
Rumi scrutinised Izumi's face for a moment. It seemed like she was still unconvinced, but she let the topic drop. "Alright. Did the guy even have a motive? Or was he just a random wackjob?"
"Just a random wackjob, like all the others." Izumi nodded. "Before All Might came, I turned into Luxray and hit him with a Discharge. Though, All Might carried me to the Pokemon Centre and it took a little bit before we could escape, and here we are."
"All Might carried you, huh?" Rumi raised an eyebrow. "I can imagine how that must have gone down."
"Yeah, he must've guessed that I was a normal Luxray." Izumi nodded. "I didn't transform back, in case of damage that would've gotten worse."
"I see. Are you alright, though?" Rumi asked.
"Just a bit tired." Izumi said, rubbing her temples. "My muscles ache a bit, and my head feels like my brain fell asleep."
"You definitely need some rest." Rumi said, leaning back and crossing her arms. "And some food. I don't suppose you're hungry at all?"
"Not really." Izumi shook her head. "No offense, but the thought of food actually kind of makes me nauseous right now."
"Yeah, I kinda figured. Getting attacked by a villain'll do that to ya." Rumi nodded. "You want anything? Just a little bit of water, or maybe something sweet to get your blood sugar up."
"Water's fine." Izumi replied, closing her eyes for a moment and relishing the cool feeling of the couch's fabric. "...Actually, maybe an ice pack, if you have one. That might be nice."
"Alright, stay here. I'll go get some stuff." Rumi said, pushing herself up off the couch. "You just stay right there."
Izumi merely gave a weary-sounding "Mhmm" in reply, her energy completely spent. She slumped against the couch cushions, all but melting into the fabric.
Rumi sighed as she left the room. This was the third time that Izumi had been caught in a villain attack, and it seemed to be taking its toll on her.
She headed into the kitchen and poured a glass of cold water. She quickly snagged a few ice cubes from the freezer, dropping them into the glass. Then, she headed over to the first-aid kit and grabbed an ice pack.
Once she had what she needed, Rumi returned to the living room. As she returned, she stopped in the doorway and watched Izumi for a moment.
The girl clearly looked exhausted. She was half-slumped over, her head resting against the back cushions of the couch. Her eyes were shut, but Rumi noticed her eyelids twitching slightly. It looked like she wasn't asleep, just close to it. Every so often, she would shift around, as if trying to find a more comfortable position.
Rumi sighed again as she entered the room, moving over to sit next to Izumi. "Hey, kid." She said softly, reaching out to gently shake her shoulder. "I got the water and the ice pack."
"H-huh?" Izumi mumbled, her eyes fluttering open. She sat up a little bit, just enough to look semi-awake. She was clearly struggling to stay conscious despite her fatigue.
"There you go. Sit up a little." Rumi gently guided her into a sitting position, pressing the cool surface of the ice pack to her shoulder. "There. Doesn't that feel better?"
"Mhm..." Izumi nodded slowly, pressing the ice pack against her shoulder with the palm of her other hand. The chill of the cold compress had an almost soothing effect on her sore muscles.
"Here we are, UA High." Momo announced, she and Izumi standing in front of the big building.
"Look how big it is!" Izumi exclaimed. "It almost doesn't feel real!"
"We're lucky we trained a lot in the last 10 months." Momo pointed out.
"Yeah, the 10 months that the author decided to skip, since they didn't feel like writing it." Izumi nodded, the two walking into the school.
The halls of UA were quite spacious, with multiple people walking in. Some people had their Pokemon on them, either out of their balls or inside, while other people just walked by themselves.
When Izumi and Momo had arrived in the written exam room, there had already been one boy sitting at a desk waiting. He had rectangular glasses and neat blue hair, honestly looking kind of like the Turbo Hero: Ingenium. Izumi wasn't able to tell what his quirk was, but there would be other opportunities for that, depending on how things went for both of them.
More students had trickled in after them. Some looked normal, but others had obvious mutations. Izumi's head was running a million miles a minute trying to figure out everyone's quirks when Present Mic strode into the room, carrying the test packets.
"All right, settle down listeners." Present Mic said, even though the room was already dead quiet. "The test will begin in fifteen minutes. Here's how things will go. I'll pass out an exam to everyone. Please, fill out your information on the first page, but do not open the test packet until I say so. Just a reminder, no phones allowed, and no getting answers from your neighbour."
After enough time for Izumi to check her information multiple times over, Present Mic announced the start of the exam. Izumi flipped open her packet eagerly, yet nervously as well.
The exam wasn't hard. Honestly, even if the questions had been difficult, most of them were multiple choice, and Izumi was really good at multiple choice questions. They already gave the answer. It was just a matter of finding it with logic. That meant she had plenty of time to devote to the essay section. There were two shorter general knowledge essay questions, as well as a personal one. At the end was an optional quirk analysis question. It was about taking down a B-Rank Villain with a Water Manipulation quirk.
By the end of the two hour exam, Izumi's hand was cramping from how much writing she had done. She massaged her hand as Ectoplasm collected her paper.
They were directed to locker rooms to change for the physical portion of the exam after that. Izumi got changed into a green tank top, and black track pants quickly and made her way to the waiting area, allowing Dsky to be looked after by Midnight. As they finished changing, others joined her and Momo, waiting awkwardly for the next phase to begin.
While waiting, Izumi considered her options. If the exam was centered on fighting, Armarouge or Toxicroak would be viable contenders, depending on the need for close combat, or ranged combat. Or if the exam was some sort of race or obstacle course, Fearow, Hawlucha, Volcarona, or Frosmoth would be useful, due to their ability to fly, or Sceptile or Smeargle, if flying was out of the question.
After around 20 minutes of waiting, Present Mic took the stage again. "Alright, listeners, if I might have your attention. We're just about ready to start the practical section of this year's recommendation exam, which will be an obstacle course. You'll be running it in groups of ten, so some of you may have to wait a while before it's your turn. Make sure to stretch and stay warmed up while you wait." He then began to read out the names of the examinees in each group.
As luck would have it, Izumi's name was called for the first group. She moved to the indicated area, and watched the other students she would be competing against while she stretched.
The students stood at the ready position, their eyes fixed on the course before them. It sprawled across UA's massive grounds, with obstacles and tests of skill that looked like they'd require more than the usual amount of training.
Present Mic's voice crackled over the loudspeaker, a little warped by the sound system. "This obstacle course is three kilometers, although most of that is the run at the end. If at any point you need to tap out, for any reason, just call one of us supervisors over and we'll get you out. Just do your best. Coming last doesn't mean you fail the exam. This is only one portion, so don't sweat it. Also, please note, this is NOT a competition and we will all not treat it as such."
Pretty soon, the examinees got their first glimpse of the course they would be running. Up first came a large pool with the option to parkour over it, then a deep pit covered by a net, then a climbing wall. After that, the finish line came after a long stretch of open ground.
After the group lined up, Snipe fired the starting signal.
"Alright, everyone, GO, GO, GO!" Present Mic exclaimed as everyone started to run.
The moment the exam began, Izumi wasted no time, activating the Pokewatch and transforming into Fearow mid-run, using Agility to increase her speed. The transformation left the same light covering of dust as usual, and she quickly took off into the air behind her competition, flapping her wings with powerful beats.
The other examinees had spread out after the starting signal, the top of the pack a bit ahead of Izumi. She was able to catch up quickly using her enhanced speed, however, and kept the pack in her sight as the first obstacle came into view.
The first obstacle was clearly going to take a bit of finagling to get past, and the other examinees were having trouble with it. Some had decided to try and climb over the wall, while other chose to try and clamber under the net.
Izumi, however, had the advantage of flight. After flapping her wings once more and taking to the air, she was able to fly over the obstacle and continue on.
As the next obstacle came into sight, it became clear that having a flying type transformation had been a good choice so far, with plenty of other students still struggling with the first obstacle.
Luckily, it was the pit, which Izumi just continued to fly over. Even better, she could see the third obstacle coming into view not too far past the pit. It looked like a rather intimidating climbing wall. It didn't intimidate Izumi, however. Especially since, much like with the pool, and the pit, she could just fly over the wall. That was the best thing about flying. You could go wherever you wanted without having to worry about things on the ground getting in the way.
The climbing wall was definitely intimidating for those without aerial capabilities, but they were managing. There were certainly no other students in the air, however. After the flying start, she was now in the lead, with the other students having been split up by the first two tests.
Continuing past the climbing wall, a fourth and final obstacle came into view, a long stretch of open ground to the finish line.
All things considered, the long stretch of open ground was pretty much a big piece of cake after the first few obstacles. And even though the other students were closing the gap from their previous slower progress, none of them were able to catch up to her in this last portion.
When Izumi had started nearing the finish line, she reverted back to her human form, not wanting to be mistaken for an actual Fearow.
Crossing the finish line, she immediately noticed that some of the other students were close behind her. A glance behind her showed her that some of the other students were approaching the finish at breakneck speeds, not even close to being tired out yet, as she slumped onto the ground, panting.
After getting Dusky back from Midnight, doing her interview with Nezu, afterwards, Izumi sat outside of the gates to UA, allowing Peaker and Ashika out of their Pokeballs.
"Hold on, guys. I'm going to quickly text Momo." Izumi informed her team, getting her phone out of her pocket.
Usako
Hey, @Madoshi
I've finished my exam
Would you like me to wait for you?
Madoshi
I'd like that.
Though, I likely won't be out for a bit, since I'm in the sixth group.
Usako
Alright, I'll wait for you.
Maybe I'll go browse the manga shop
Text me when you've finished.
Madoshi
K
The walk to the manga shop from UA wasn't long, and soon enough, Izumi stood in front of the bright storefront, staring at the selection of books. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped in awe as she saw the sheer number of mangas on the shelves.
"Afternoon, Midoriya-Usagiyama." The shop owner greeted Izumi.
"Afternoon, Furui-san." Izumi smiled back at him.
"Looking for any manga in particular?" The older man asked. "We've got some new inventory just in the other day."
"I just finished an important exam, and I'm waiting for my friend to finish, so I'm just browsing." Izumi explained.
"Ah, an important exam, huh? Something for your job?" Furui asked from where he was standing, rearranging a section of the bookshelf.
"Oh, no." Izumi shook her head. "It's actually for getting into UA."
"UA, eh? Knowing you, you'll definitely pass." Furui chuckled.
"Ahahaha, thanks for the vote of confidence." She rubbed the back of her neck with one hand. "I think I did pretty well, but you never know, right?"
"Don't sweat it, kid. You're a smart girl with some powerful Pokemon." Furui chuckled. "If UA is your goal, you're as good as in."
"Thanks." Izumi smiled, glancing back to the bookshelf in front of her, perusing the spines. "I'm hoping you're right."
"Of course I'm right." Furui scoffed teasingly, before resuming his task of reorganising the shelf. "I've known you for three years, kid. You're one of the brightest kids I've ever met. If you want to get into UA, you will."
"I really appreciate the vote of confidence." Izumi said, turning back to the section of manga books. "I mean, I'm confident, but I'm also realistic. It takes a lot. There's honestly a lot on my mind at the moment."
"Hmmm? What's on your mind?" Furui asked curiously. "It's not often that I see you stressed."
"Oh, it's nothing serious." Izumi said nonchalantly. "Just school, exams, the normal things. I guess I'm just feeling a bit anxious about the future. Like, what would I do if I didn't pass the exam?"
"You, not pass the exam? Hah!" Furui let out a hearty laugh. "You'd have more of a chance of the stars going out than you getting rejected by UA, kid."
"I think you have a bit too much faith in me, Furui-san." She replied with a nervous chuckle. "I mean, I'll admit that I think I did well, but there's no guarantee I'll get in."
"Please." He scoffed, rolling his eyes playfully. "You and I both know that if anyone from this neighbourhood has a shot, it's you. You've got the skills, the grades, the determination. UA would be lucky to have you. In fact, it'd be a huge mistake if you didn't get in."
"Well, we'll see." Izumi said, a small, hesitant smile playing on her lips as she resumed perusing the books. "I'm trying not to get too ahead of myself. There's still a long wait before the letters come in. I wouldn't want to get my hopes too high in case I get rejected."
"Rejected?" Furui's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline, a look of disbelief on his face. "Please, kid, I've seen you grow up, and you're probably one of the best kids around. You think someone will turn you down? Why, I'd-"
He shook his head in disbelief. "I'm not telling you to be cocky, kid. What I'm saying is, you're the most gifted kid I've met in all my years."
He walked over, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I don't know what's got you so worried about this, other than your usual lack of confidence." He chuckled fondly. "But you're better than you give yourself credit for. I know that you're bound to pass, no matter what you're thinking."
"I'm trying to stay optimistic, trust me." Izumi replied, the smile on her face becoming a little less strained. "It's just hard. I've wanted this for so long, and the thought of failing... I don't know."
She let out a weary sigh, placing a hand on top of his where it sat on her shoulder.
"I guess I'm afraid that I'll let people down."
"Let people down?" The shopkeeper looked at her incredulously, then shook his head, letting out a light-hearted scoff. "Let's see, you've got, what, four people in your life? Not that many to worry about. Your parents? They'd be proud of you even if you failed. They're proud of you no matter what happens. The rest of your family? The same goes for them. They've always been proud of you, and that'd still be the case, even if you failed."
"Yeah, but-" She began to protest.
"No 'buts', kid." He interrupted forcefully. "You shouldn't even be thinking like that. You've been a good kid. You've done well. You've worked your ass off for this. All you need to do now is try to relax and have some faith in yourself."
"You really have a lot of faith in me, huh?" She said with a light chuckle. "Sorry, I shouldn't doubt myself- or at least not as much as I am right now. I just... this is such a big moment for me. I've been dreaming of this for as long as I can remember. And now that it's finally here, I can't help questioning if I have what it takes."
"Well, if you don't get into UA, I swear in the name of Arceus, I'll eat my oldest pair of shoes." Furui shook his head, slightly jokingly.
"Please don't, they must be pretty dry and gross at this point." Izumi let out a slight chuckle. "Plus, there's no way you'll have to eat your shoes. I'm definitely passing. One hundred percent. Guaranteed. That's the story I'm going with."
"See, now you're at the right attitude." He nodded with a wide smile. "No more doubts. No more of this stressing out nonsense. You've got this, you know you've got this. So there's no reason to worry."
Izumi gave Furui a small smile.
"Thanks, Furui-san, I don't know what I'd do without-..." Izumi suddenly felt a vibration coming from her pocket. She took out her phone and stared at it for a moment. "My friend finished the exam. I'll see you later, Furui."
Izumi soon exited the manga shop, the bell chiming as she walked out the door.
Halfway back to UA, a man with a body made of mud ran out of an alleyway, running past Izumi, who he soon came face to face with.
"My, my... What do we have here?" The villain mused. "A pretty little girl wandering all by herself? It's my lucky day!"
Instinctively, Izumi glared at the villain, her eyes turning a slight shade of red. This had caused the villain to go from an intimidating sight to a quivering coward in just a few milliseconds.
"Not today." She growled.
"B-But!" The villain pleaded.
"I SAID... NOT TODAY." Izumi repeated.
That caused the villain to retreat back into the alley, as Izumi continued on her way.
"If you think about it, there may be six people who took the recommendation exam getting accepted, since there were six groups for the physical exam, exactly 60 examinees, and..."
"I think you're overthinking it just a little bit, Izumi. Besides, I don't think we'll have to wait much longer, since I heard that the acceptance letters will be coming out sometime this week, maybe even today, if we're lucky."
Right on cue, there was a sudden bang on the door, followed by a loud, deep squawk, causing Izumi to cover her ears.
"That must be the mailbird." Izumi presumed, going to open the door.
Just as Izumi thought, a Pelipper with a mail carrying bag was sitting on the railings.
"Pelipper mail! Pelipper mail!" The Pelipper squawked.
"And hello to you too, Bakayaro." Izumi greeted, deadpanning slightly. "What have you got for me, today?"
"UA mail! UA mail! In the mouth! In the mouth!" Bakayaro exclaimed.
"You just love delivering mail in your mouth, don't you?" Izumi asked, not expecting an answer.
"Indeed! Indeed!" Bakayaro squawked.
Bakayaro spat out a letter unceremoniously in front of her. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the letter was emblazoned with UA's logo, and the return address was clearly that of the school.
"Hey, Momo, come have a look at this!" Izumi called out.
"Hmm? What is it?" Momo came over and looked at the letter in Izumi's hand.
"New lady! New lady!" Bakayaro squawked, causing Izumi to blush.
"What did he say?" Momo asked, trying to hold back her laughter.
"I don't think he's met you before, so he said, and I quote, 'New lady. New lady.'" Izumi translated, before turning back to Bakayaro. "Bakayaro, this is Momo."
Suddenly, Bakayaro perked up.
"Yaoyorozu! Yaoyorozu! UA Mail! UA Mail!"
Izumi reached into Bakayaro's mouth and pulled out a similar letter to the one she get, only it had Momo's name on it, instead of Izumi's.
"Huh. Looks like you got a letter too, Momo." Izumi handed Momo her acceptance letter.
"What are we waiting for?" Momo immediately moved to start opening hers.
"Anything else, Bakayaro?" Izumi asked the Pelipper.
"Don't think so! Don't think so!" Bakayaro squawked. "Good day! Good day!"
"Thanks for the delivery, Bakayaro." Izumi said, waving to the Pelipper.
"Pleasure! Pleasure!" Bakayaro took off back down the street, calling out to the various other tenants with mail. "Mail delivery! Mail delivery!"
As they walked into the kitchen and shut the door, Izumi and Momo stood in silence, clutching their letters nervously. They glanced at each other, the anticipation building between them.
"Should we open them now?" Izumi hesitantly asked.
Momo nodded. "Yeah, I can't wait any longer."
They both took deep breaths, and slowly tore open the envelopes with trembling hands. They each pulled out a neatly folded letter, their palms sweating with suspense.
"You go first?" Momo offered.
"Oh, uh, sure, I'll go first." Izumi nodded, cautiously opening up the envelope, revealing a letter and a small, round disk with the word, "Holoprojector" on it.
"Huh? What's that?" Momo asked, peering over Izumi's shoulder.
"Looks like some kind of projector, I think?" Izumi replied, picking up the little disc, turning it over in her hands for a second before pushing the largest button on its face.
A hologram of what both Momo and Izumi recognised as UA's principal, Nezu, appeared.
"Izumi Midoriya-Usagiyama. I am Nezu, the principal of UA." Nezu smiled.
The girls exchanged a glance. They'd never met Principal Nezu before, but his appearance and manner was so distinctive that they both felt as though they had.
"Now, as for your exam results..." Nezu began, a grim smile on his face. "You..."
Izumi felt her heart thump in her chest as she and Momo both leaned in towards the hologram. Nezu certainly had his dramatic pauses down.
"Unfortunately failed."
"Failed?!" Both girls' heads snapped up in response to Nezu's announcement, staring at the hologram in disbelief.
"But... How? I don't understand..." Izumi said, her voice tinged with confusion. Momo simply watched the hologram, her expression solemn, though the surprise was evident on her face as well.
After a few more moments of silence, Nezu's hologram spoke up, once more.
"Aah! I got you good!" Nezu exclaimed. "You should've seen the look on your face!"
Both girls' shocked expressions quickly morphed into a mix of annoyance and incredulity as they realised that the principal was messing with them.
"Principal Nezu..." Izumi said, deadpanned in a mix of aggravation and embarrassment, while Momo let out an exasperated sigh.
"Congratulations, Izumi! You're going to UA for the next three years!" Nezu congratulated. "I'm sure Eraserhead will be estatic to see you in Class A."
Both girls were stunned. They'd almost forgotten that getting accepted was an option, they'd been so focused on the prospect of failing. Then Nezu's last words hit them.
"Class A..." Izumi repeated, her voice carrying a slight tremor of excitement.
"I guess it's my turn now." Momo held up her envelope, looking at it with a slight tinge of fear in her eyes.
"Come on, only one way to find out."
With those words of encouragement, Momo followed suit and opened her envelope, pulling out a letter and a hologram projector virtually identical to the one Nezu had used to communicate with the two of them.
Momo pushed the button, and once again, Principal Nezu's hologram appeared.
"Momo Yaoyorozu. I am Nezu, the principal of UA." Nezu smiled.
Despite already having a pretty good idea of what the principal was like, both girls still leaned in slightly, interested to see what the video message had to say.
"Now, as for your exam results..." And here Nezu allowed himself a short pause, watching the expressions of the girls keenly.
When it was clear that they were holding their breaths in anticipation, he smiled and proceeded with, "I'm happy to say that you passed. Congratulations!"
"Ah..." Momo exhaled, the relief she felt at hearing those words washing over her in waves. And then the implications of that message sunk in.
"I... I actually passed..." She whispered, her eyes widening.
"I can't believe it." Izumi smiled. "Both of us passed."
"This... this is real, right?" Momo asked, taking a moment to process everything that had just happened. "Neither of us are dreaming?"
"I'm pretty sure this is real." Izumi pinched her cheek for emphasis. "And it hurts, so it can't be a dream."
They both broke into wide grins at that, before pulling each other into a tight hug.
This was it. They were actually going to UA.