01 ✦ Video

[mightdoriya]

[It could have all been a dream, given the way Izuku wakes up in a bed that isn't his own. It could also very well be the hospital- a fact that wouldn't have been surprising- but the stark lack of a sterile atmosphere leads him to believe otherwise even as he sits up with a start. His heart is hammering in his chest and between his ears with such ferocity that believing this is anything but reality would be difficult...

He isn't afforded much time to collect himself, because someone has noticed he's awake and immediately lept up onto his chest to greet him, his fluffy tail wagging excitedly.

Okay, maybe this is a dream after all.

Everything happens pretty quickly after that. Your usual fair of arrival: Izuku's "mom" comes in the room upon hearing his Eevee chirp at him, ushering him up-and-at'em even as he's stammering questions and trying (and failing) to get her to give him a straight answer. She is in fact not even remotely his mother but she doesn't seem to know that or care, and before he's able to get a word in edgewise he's out the door with a bag over his shoulders. Eevee had taken advantage of the chaos to climb up Izuku's back, sitting pretty on his shoulder as if he belongs there. So what does Izuku do? Well...

He starts to walk, hoping he'll be able to come into a town and maybe someplace more familiar than the route ahead of him. ...only for a Pineco to drop from a tree and attack both him and his Eevee pretty much immediately. It's a pretty sudden and surprising introduction to Pokemon battling before he's even finished reading up on it, leaving him to find a tree to sit down under for a while before anything else can happen. He has the PokeGear, so let's just try to contact someone. Anyone.]

Hello? I don't know if anyone can hear me on this, but it's worth a try...

[He pauses as Eevee pushes his head into the screen's view, hello he's here too.]

My name is Midoriya Izuku. I'm not sure what's happened, but I'm really not where I'm supposed to be right now. My only guess is this all is due to the effects of a Quirk, but I don't remember anything that could have lead to that.

[Unless Shigaraki had some tricks up his sleeve he really wasn't prepared for. Doesn't explain how his injuries have ceased to exist, either.]

I've been reading the guidebook, but it's really just giving me more questions than answers. Not only that, the pet the lady had in her house where I woke up followed me outside and I can't get it to go back home to her. She won't answer the door now so I'm not really sure what to do about that.

Comments

[islandshore]

Ha, yeah. If you did solo it, you'd probably have to push your Pokemon to a really high level. Definitely not the most 'balanced' way to handle it.

[Pausing, he cracks a sheepish smile.]

Leaders don't usually appreciate it, either. Take it from the wiseguy who sent a maxed out fire type in to torch the bug gym. Honestly, I dunno how they handle all the stupid things challengers throw their way.

[mightdoriya]

[Riku...]

I mean...I guess that's technically a strategy. It's not like there's anything in the rules saying you can't use less than six Pokemon...

[Or just. One. Maybe it's more the principle of the thing, bringing just one Pokemon to burn everything to the ground is almost an insult.]

[islandshore]

Ha. I just didn't wanna hold back. Got held up in Violet City off and on for months...

[He heaves a heavy sigh.]

Still didn't need to sic an overpowered dragon on Bugsy's team, but at the time, I didn't care. I wanted to show off how much "better" I was.

[Judging by the grimace, he's definitely not proud of that fact.]

[mightdoriya]

[Riku...

Man, if that ain't familiar as hell to Izuku to hear.]

Well...maybe you could have a rematch, sometime? A more fair one, just to settle the score.

[islandshore]

Heh, maybe. He does have his Elite Team. I just don't know if it's the best idea. Might still be bad blood for all I know.

[He titters, rubbing his neck.]

But I guess you've got a point- it'd be more balanced that way, and he could use his stronger team. That's the thing with the leaders- they can't use their toughest Pokemon in the interest of keeping challenges fair. Their Elite Teams only come out for trainers who've proven themselves.

[mightdoriya]

That's an interesting way of going about it...I can understand why they'd need to, but the battles probably get a little boring for them after a while. If anything he'd probably be glad you'd want to challenge his stronger team because of that.

[It must be pretty demoralizing to be beaten by young trainers over and over...or, maybe it's the opposite, for some. You'd be able to look at it as you furthering someone else's journey, in a sense.]

[islandshore]

Ha. That's part of why I've been dragging my feet with my own Aurora League gym. Just... finding the right way to balance my own skillset with being fair.

[Cue one slow, almost resigned sort of shrug.]

I guess we get the benefit of setting our own rules and standards, since we're outside the traditional league, but sheesh. Finding that sweet spot between giving a fair challenge and actually being beatable seems like a nightmare. Having to potentially pull punches for the sake of giving trainers that catharsis of winning.

[mightdoriya]

I can already think of a few people who would not be very good at that.

[LIKE...he loves you Katsuki but you would try to curbstomp everyone who came to your gym, regardless of their level and prowess as a trainer. No holds barred.]

But I guess that explains why there aren't that many gym leaders to begin with.