Midnight's eyes gleamed with mischief, as she watched the dumbfounded students gape at her. It hadn't been more than a few seconds after she announced the point-system, yet the crowd was hushed as she rested her flogger-style whip on her shoulder, entertained in the way the children eyes began gravitating towards the qualifier's first-place winner, Midoriya Izuku, and his newly appointed 10 Million points head instantaneously.

"There'll be more trials for those at the top, you'll hear this many times as long as you attend UA." She spoke heartily, her smile holding a hint of deviousness as she whipped down her whip to point at Midoriya.

"This is Plus Ultra!"

With Midnight's death sentenced verdict placed on top of Midoriya's wild-like hair, you find yourself gazing around at your competitors, fiddling with your sleeves uncertainly as Midoriya looked like he was trying to swallow a hard pill down his throat. Both Arcanine and Pikachu themselves were earlier eyeing around idly, not entirely sure what was happening when they felt the rising tension surrounding the students, causing them to perk up unconsciously. It was becoming apparent that this 10 Million point is going to be quite the predicament.

All of the 42 Participants that had passed the 1st round were staring dead-set at Midoriya, who was frozen in shock. It was like a scene in an animal documentary, where a pack of hungry hyenas began circling on to their snack, this being poor Midoriya.

Midoriya had his fist clenched in nervousness, his wide eyes at the brick of popping out of his skull. He looked rather nauseated, churning from awe to absolute bafflement at the number of points bestowed upon him. If you had to describe the green-haired boy in his current predicament, you'd say he's looking a lot like a sweating broccoli on the verge of toppling over to become a puddle. You were pretty sure Arcanine would've steadied him before he would actually topple over, but that's beside the point.

It was clear to you that it was about to be a blood bath chase in getting the 10 million headband. The green-haired winner was in the worse position for the event, for he'll have to keep his headband on for the entirety of the 2nd event with the fear of anyone swooping in to steal a kill.

'Midoriya...' You glanced at him unconsciously. A part of you feeling sympathetic for the friend you had grown close too, as Pikachu continued to eye around in confusion, it's nose twitching as if it could sniff the malice of eager students.

Wasting no time, Midnight-sensei began explaining the gimmick of the event, pulling your gaze away from Midoriya. She explained that the point of the cavalry battle is that each team has their respective points from the last game. Once you team up with your newly appointed teammates, the 'rider', the person being held up by the others, will have their teams' headband holding the number of points added together. This was a competition to grab as many points as you can from other teams.

'There are no disqualifications too...so even if my team's headband gets stolen, we can just keep stealing others...' You let Pikachu mess with your hair, as you contemplate your thoughts, 'If I don't consider the gap between me and Midoriya's points, my 205 points already enough to get me passed the 3rd event, I probably just keep stocking up points...'

But then your eyes twitched at a sour memory. 'Though I was already planning from doing this from the start, I definitely should put all my effort to get to the 3rd event...'

With Bakugo's last encounter, you were feeling rather prickly at the mere thought of him. You supposed he brings this exasperation out of everyone because the boy is the literal definition of explosive. You remembered eyeing that slouched back of his, the memory arriving in a split, as Bakugo spat lowly in annoyance to the side.

'Letting that shitty nerd win...'

You grumbled lightly, his earlier quiet words still somehow aggravating you. When the thought still lingered in your mind, you unconsciously chewed the inside of your cheek as your brows furrowed.

...Why does this bother you? What if you did let Midoriya win the obstacle race? It's not Bakugo's place to judge you whether you did or not. If you did, you just did.

You weren't lying when you said you'd do your best to Midoriya at the break room, nor when you talked with All Might during class B's rescue class-you're going to give it your all! For just like your peers, you were ecstatic for this event and excited at the prospect that it brings-!

A prospect that doesn't necessarily align with your classmates. It made you feel the small guilt bubble up in your stomach.

...And to think that once you fed that guilt, you wound up finding yourself feeling strangely guiltier.

It surprised you when you felt the telltale signs of small paws lightly patting your head, all while cooing down at you with worried squeaks. You glanced towards the mouse perched on your shoulder curiously, who's trying earnestly to cheer you up, funnily enough mimicking the way you'd do it. You would have probably laughed if the mouse didn't look so worried, as you reached up to pet him.

"Don't worry Pikachu, I'm fine." You sighed. That's right, you should just focus on the main goal. You 100% should. You glanced back at the back of his green-black hair once more.

As Midnight was now explaining the last details about the game, you contemplated on your next choices. You need to decide on a team to enter. A part of you knew that most would consider creating their own teams, and with how much points you got, you could easily gather a number of people to fit into your team.

But for some reason you can't bring yourself to do so at the moment. At least not this time. Your mind was already set, and you can only hope that you can join in without a hassle. You'll let this stupid guilt ride on for the 2nd event, but by the end of it, you'll put all of your focus on your goal.

'Since I decided on a team, I should consider people to rally as a teammate...'

You had a few people in mind already. The important thing in a group situation is to find a solution to fill in each of the group member's flaws, all coming down on how they communicate and strategize together. You suppose if you had to decide, he wouldn't be a bad choice right? You smiled, it would be fun to group up like in middle school.

"Ne, ne, (Name)-chan!"

Someone suddenly whispered, tugging your left arm for attention. You were confused to see the invisible Tooru calling for your attention during Midnight's explanation. She had hooked her arm around your own, bouncing at the balls of her feet.

"It's a Brutal game that allows you to use your quirks!" Midnight continued, all while you eyed Hagakure, puzzlement evident by your uncertain stance.

"Y-Yes Haga-er, Tooru-chan?" You whispered back, watching Midnight if she notices. The invisible girl in question was unperturbed by the fact that both of you could get in trouble, as she got more enthusiastic, whispering a bit louder.

"I was wondering if you wanted to-,"

"Hey, (last)!" Cutting off Tooru, Sato had appeared next to you, giving you a broad raised fist, as if he was showcasing an alliance. You blinked at him, moving away in surprise all while Tooru began looking a bit miffed at the interruption, quickly choosing to voice it.

"Ne Sato-kun! I was talking!"

Sato at least had the decency to look apologetic. "Sorry Hagakure, but I needed to ask (last) something." Sato looked eager, wanting you to get the gist of his rather confusing action as you stood stunned. You could understand Tooru coming on to you in the middle of a teacher's monologue, but Sato was an unexpected revelation.

You were frazzled even more when Pony, the American exchange student from class B, trotted over to you hopefully, clenching both of her hands to her chest curiously, as her dialect was prominently showing. "Ano...Can I talk to you (Last)-san?"

"Um..." You voiced awkwardly, did no one care that they were practically ignoring Midnight? It seems this time Midnight noticed, as she huffed after another speech, looking pretty annoyed as her words were being overshadowed. You were starting to feel a bit hounded, as Uraraka, Iida, and Midoriya, who all were close by, stared bewilderedly at the sight.

"But! It's still a cavalry battle! A red card will be issued to attacks with evil intent." You barely paid attention to what the 18+ Hero was saying, when Mina suddenly grasps your other hand, cheering without care. "Team up with me (Name)-chan!"

You weren't shocked until you saw the eager looks of Tsuyu and Kaminari a few steps away, apparently waiting for an answer of their own.

Your eyes widened comically, as Pikachu got weary at the sudden amount of people near you, fidgeting around anxiously. Arcanine looked equally as confused, but decided not to get involved. You stepped backwards unconsciously, as if your body was already moving on escapade plan you weren't aware of, when you felt a hand placed on your shoulder. You yelped, peering back nervously to see a pained (1) Aoyama, looking like his stomach was going to blow up, as he tried to gaze at you gleamingly.

"Y-You'd...team up with me, won't you~?"

You tugged the collar of your sports uniform nervously. "Uh...You guys-"

"I'M NOT DONE!" You practically jumped six feet above the ground, as you were greeted with a seething Midnight, whipping down her hero-item. All the students squared in a cold sweat, turning to properly pay attention like soldiers. After a small tense silence, the teacher sighed. Kids will be kids, there was nothing Midnight could do before she gazed everyone seriously. "There's one more thing to note about!"

She pointed the Hero item Midoriya's way once more, who practically flinched at the sudden attention he gained again. "Midoriya Izuku. As you placed first place in the Obstacle race, there is one more addition you'll have for your team."

The entirety of UA students seemed to whisper at those words, as Midoriya grew more nervous. More weight for the first place runner? At this point, you believed the teachers were now just purposely teasing Midoriya, as everyone began paying attention earnestly.

Pulling out a bowl with a bunch of tightly closed papers, a rather minimized action compared to the usual excessive UA, she held it out towards the student in question. "Take a paper from the lottery!"

After a small stillness, Midoriya robotically meandered towards the front, climbing up to the stage where Midnight casually handed the bowl, waiting for the student to rummage around the bundle of folded papers. The nervous first-year slowly rummage the papers, before hesitantly plucking out a piece of paper.

Plucking the paper before Midoriya could peep, Midnight pried it open. Her eyes skimmed over the words with interest, her posture exhibiting that exact feeling. It was such a small reaction, you would probably barely notice the subtle difference in expression, an expression you couldn't quite pinpoint from where you stood, as it disappeared too quickly, nursing back into her devious gaze. She cleared her throat, "For the first placed winner of the Obstacle race, Midoriya Izuku, you will have to make a 5-member group."

"Oh? So Midoriya-kun needs to find 4 members for his team?" Mina voiced next to you, her grip slackened on your hand, but still held closely.

"So a group of 5 people in one group..." Shoji murmured close by, as Tokoyami responded with a nod. The bird-headed classmate of yours muttered his comment, "Trials for the elite."

It was obvious the crowd grew more dismissive about Midoriya, probably lowering their willingness to team up with him. It's to be expected that no one wants to be put into the group with the weakest benefit, especially with the additional disadvantage. A 5-member group in a Calvary battle is rather...unheard of, it was always 4 or less.

"But! For the 5th member of the group," Midnight added, pausing for effect. The students grew nervous at the sudden information. "It had been chosen by the lottery Midoriya just did..." The entire crowd didn't even have time to get ready or nerved themselves as Midnight decided to rush things.

"(Last) (Name) will be the 5th member!"

...There really was no need for dramatic answers.

You chuckled, the way Midnight stared at you made you feel small, as everyone's gaze shifted to you this time. Now you understood what Midoriya was feeling, the pressure feeling so darn heavy you were beginning to feel the weights on your shoulder. It made you feel the eyes of those who aim to win, and the presses of Pikachu's small claws you usually ignore on your shoulder.

It wasn't even only the eyes of your peers that made you so uncomfortable, it was the whole stadium, and they were all watching you. You wondered briefly if they were shock by the outcome too, as you unconsciously bit the inside of your cheek at the feeling.

Your eyes glanced around, before they find purchase in Midoriya's wide-eyed stare, looking pretty stunned at the outcome of this odd addition to the games. Rather, he was slowly appearing more nervous, frowning in guilt. The more you stare into his own, you find yourself unconsciously snickering under your breath at the nerve-wracked boy, forgetting about the eyes on you.

Looks like there was no need to ask to join in the first place.

"Woah! Talk about a plot convenience...!" Meowth brazenly pointed out, almost seemingly on the verge of going into a burst of full-blown laughter. His tail swished unconsciously, as the raucous cat hummed, "...or is it plot inconvenience?"

Present Mic leaned back on his chair, before scooting it towards the cat in question, "Plot...? Not sure what you're talking about-but things are getting extra cliffhanging!" The obnoxious teacher was being his loud self as usual, as Meowth seemed to sigh, almost deflatedly.

"Of course you would think so." The cat shrugged his shoulder, obliging to the man with a side-stare. The cat was, however, a bit more invested in the sudden twist. This was just way too convenient. Though the cat may be many things, he was no idiot. He wondered...

Present Mic was about to let out his infamous yell, the one that ruins eardrums, till he began feeling the rather harsh eyes piercing his skin from the center stage. Seeing Midnight's annoyed glare, he clamped up expeditiously. He once again leaned to the cat, who was seemingly thinking, whispering to it nervously, "Uh, hey mouser, w-we should leave the commentating for the event..."

Meowth paused in his internal contemplating, as she slowly turned to look blankly at the teacher.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...What?"

"...Listen Showboat, I don't know how to say this, but you'd be the last person I'd accept that advice from."

"Huh?" Present Mic looked muddled at the response.

"Anyways-!" Midnight interrupted the loudmouthed commentators, fixing her gaze once more towards the awaiting students. The screen abruptly changed to a timer, "Now you have 15 minutes to build your team, start!"

With Midnight's final words, the students have begun their chatter, inching towards their desired teammates. Pikachu nudged you, as you finally remembered about the group surrounding you. "Ah-oh yeah, what were you guys-and their gone," It was amazing how you didn't realize how bare your surroundings became. All of your classmates and earlier willing potential teammates had vanished into thin air, and you were left gaping around in shock.

You scratched the back of your head exasperatedly. Well, this is certainly a turn of event.

You hadn't even noticed when your sole teammate had walked towards you until he began trying to get your attention. "(L-Last)-san...?"

"Oh-Midoriya-kun." You finally acknowledge the boy, finding yourself walking closer to the guilty-looking broccoli head. Midoriya was nervously bouncing from one leg to the other, eyes avoiding looking at your form any longer than seconds as he worked up the words he wanted to say. He opened his mouth widely,

"I-I'M SO SORRY-!"

You dropped both of your hands onto his shoulders, "Midoriya, good timing. I've been thinking about the teammates we should consider gathering. Though we seem to be the last group most people would want to end up with, there's a chance we could convince them to join us too."

Midoriya blinked. He gaped at you, as you sneakily eyed the other contenders, looking for any potential allies. Confused, Midoriya tried to eye the rather nonchalant mouse, who was looking at him back in an animal-like manner, tilting its head to the side wordlessly.

"We should probably act now." You continued, your voice taking a stern stance before they relaxed-your features softening to a resolute smile. "If we're going to win this, at least."

You didn't quite understand what happened next, but water burst out of Midoriya's eyes. You flinched at the unexpected reaction, soaked as you moved away, eyeing the boy who cried tear after tears as if a waterfall just burst out of his eyes socket. It was almost comical how much tears were being sprouted as a now slightly wet Pikachu bounced off to hide behind you, slightly peeved.

"(Last)-san! You're really okay with teaming up with me?" He wiped his tears hastily, as the rambling begun, "I mean, you can't change teams but I'm sure if we talk it out with the teachers we would be able to figure out something. But I suppose that might not happen, but still, we can't judge until we try it. Maybe we can-,"

"Y-Your rambling Midoriya. Calm down." You soothed, hoping the boy would stop his endless murmurs. You were busy brushing back Pikachu's fur, the pouting mouse shaking off the water on its fur. "And-It's fine. Let's just make the best out of it. Besides," You took notice of the others, watching as they began grouping and showing off their quirks. "We really should start gathering a team by now..."

Midoriya fumbled, halting the tears, before giving a firm nod. "R-Right, um...It's pretty much to be expected, people are teaming up with their classmates, so we got to do something about our situation..." He seemed to gain back a bit of his confidence back, before they slightly withered. "-where everyone's avoiding us!"

True to his words, it was like there was an invisible wall blocking off your small team with the rest of the students. You stood next to a muttering Midoriya, with Arcanine still laid down behind both of you. With how much Arcanine was resting, you'd think he was exhausted after running around in the first event if you didn't know for a fact Arcanine would run just as fast if you told him to run around the stadium once more. Pikachu had decided to stick to the grounds for now, seemingly a little perturbed at the situation too.

You, however, find yourself eyeing at the crowd among Bakugo, realizing that most of them were the ones surrounding you earlier. You sweat-dropped, 'It definitely is every man for themselves.'

"Um..." Midoriya unexpectedly moved forward, eyeing a blond-tailed friend. Albeit still nervously, he called out, "Ojiro-kun-?"

Ojiro was startled for a mere second before he side-stepped away awkwardly. "Sorry."

That was a knock-back if you ever saw one, and that only made Midoriya more appalled. He was quaking in shock as he turned to eye you in dread. "As I thought, no one wants to try to keep the points for the whole game, It'd be a better strategy to try to steal the points in the end. And unlike Todoroki-kun or Kaachan, I didn't use my quirk so no one has any confidence in me-!"

"Midoriya-kun, seriously calm down." You once again coaxed, sweat-dropping at the sheer dismay in his expression. "Whether that's true or not, let's not be too hasty. If people don't have confidence in you, then they might have confidence in me! Don't forget I'm in your team too, we're in this together!"

'It'd be a better strategy to try to steal the points in the end, huh?' You hummed, watching as the boy nervously smiled back after you continued to eye him confidently.

"Alright, let me try this time." You surveyed your surroundings quickly. "Hey, Ojiro-!"

If it was possible, Ojiro somehow disappeared even further. That just made your confidence wilt, and the boy in front of you slumped just a bit. Sure you barely ever communicated with the tailed classmate, but it's still upsetting to see how fast he ran after he heard your voice.

"Um...I-It's definitely cause we're worth too much (last)-san...! Not to mention since we're going to have to be a huge group-some might find it a disadvantage." Midoriya stammered ruefully.

"Never mind that!" You quickly added, surveying the students with more haste. There's got to be someone that would be willing to be in your and Midoriya's team-! That's when you spotted the brunette, who was already eyeing you from where she stood. Your (eye color) eyes clashed with her bright brown ones for an instance before you both instantly cheered from afar. You peered to Midoriya excitedly, "That's one Midoriya-kun!"

Midoriya blinked, "W-What do you mean by that?"

"It means I'm your new teammate, Deku-kun!" Uraraka had bounded over as fast as she could, as you both high-fived each other cheerfully before Ochaco did the same with the mouse rushing up to your shoulder. "(Name)-chan already invited me!"

"What, When?" Midoriya head flickered to you and Uraraka in a muddled manner. Then suddenly Midoriya looked intrigued, staring over at you intensely, "(Last)-san, do you perhaps have an extension to your quirk that allows you to telepathic talk to other living beings-!"

"That's not it." You rebuked instantly. Pikachu sighed, shaking its small head.

"We spoke with our eyes!" Uraraka held open her eyes wider with her forefinger and thumb. She slowly released her hold, smiling as she looked towards both her new teammates. "If everyone chases us, let's just run. We'll win that way!"

"Running away is fine, but we should figure out a way to fight back if we're forced into a confrontation." You voiced, "Once we figure that out, we'll stand on top."

Midoriya's eyes welled up again, and you never saw Pikachu run for its life faster than today, as he voiced. "I think you both have too much confidence in me..."

"Of course we do!" Uraraka inputted for you without a second thought, as her eyes gleamed with happiness. "Besides, it's better to team up with a friend!"

It was like a halo appeared on her head, as she smiled earnestly. You chuckled, nothing seems to bother her, does it? You sent a small nod Midoriya's way, hoping that'll be enough explanation on your part about the team-up. You wanted to be in his team, and you hope he knew that.

Midoriya's face immediately scrunched up, as if he was holding his heart tightly. Uraraka commented quickly in surprise, "What's wrong? You look ugly you know!"

"Ochaco-chan..." Your troubled expression told enough.

"Y-Your both just shining bright...T-To be honest, I wanted to team up with both of you too!" You blinked at the words, as you pointed to yourself in confusion. Midoriya nodded earnestly, he has a cute smile you thought as he said. "I-I mean it's better to team up with someone easy to communicate right? When the others started asking you to team-up, I wanted to too. I was planning to invite you to my team from the start (last)-san."

Your heart warmed at the gesture, relaxing at the sincereness emitting from his words. He's too pure! You found yourself relaxing a bit.

Finally saying the words, he wanted to say, though it still didn't hide the obvious redness in his face, he started assertively making a plan. "Thinking about our quirks, we still need to discuss together (last)-san about the Pokémon. But for now, with Uraraka-san's quirk and one more person...I thought up of a strategy."

"You already have someone in mind? We would still need one more person right?" You voiced out, you were scoping out the area for a certain purple-haired friend of yours. "Actually, I have someone in mind too, can I invite him?"

"The more, the better!" Midoriya nodded quickly, his mood lighting up. The team forming doesn't seem as impossible now, as the boy decided quickly. "Okay, we'll separate for now. It'll be easier for us to discuss our plan later."

"Mmh!" Uraraka wordlessly agreed.

With that out of the way, Uraraka and Midoriya bounded over towards the ever serious Iida, who was quick to turn his attention to them. Iida would be a good choice; his quirk would help with speed. You chuckled, before patting Pikachu's attention, who waited for your next plan. "Alright, it's you and me for now. Let's find Shinso." With an eager nod, the mouse eyed the surroundings, straightening his body to full height over the sea of heads. You waved at the yawning dog. "Arcanine, stay."

For some reason, it felt like Shinso is somewhere that you can't pinpoint. You wandered around, passing by Mezo and Mineta seemingly to be discussing tactics, and Koji silently listening in to a cherry Hagakure. You also noted Tetsutetsu teaming up with Ibara, her pretty thorn-covered vines of hair draping her stern face, as they chatted with one of the recommended students in their class.

Yet even with all those people, you still hadn't seen Shinso.

"You see him, Pikachu?" You eyed your shoulder, the mouse still peering around leisurely. After a while, he shrugs confusedly. "Hmm..." You murmured, squinting around. It was when Pikachu suddenly tried climbing up your head did you pay attention to the mouse once again, eyeing the leg dangling in front of your face, unable to find a way to steady itself. You huffed as Pikachu struggled up, before finally finding balance, using the new height to its advantage. "Having fun?"

The mouse ignored you, suddenly mimicking sonar sounds, as he spun clockwise slowly, using his small paws over his big eyes as if they were the periscope he was peering through. You sighed out, "Pikachu, I'm not a submarine..."

"Pika!" The mouse dropped onto his front paws, now on four legs, as he pointed towards the unmistakable purple hair. You blinked, before being greeted with a prideful stare. You chuckled, reaching a hand to his ears tentatively, "Good boy Pikachu!"

With the boy finally in sight, you walked a bit quicker. Back in Nabu Middle School, you and Shinso teamed up often on projects and events. You still found it rather sad how people avoided the tired-looking boy, something you were earlier very confused about until the truth came out. The truth of his quirk, that he tried to hide, was something you empathized with. Your eyes always softened when you thought of that, as you find yourself always steering him away from people mouthing off about it in school-which made you both stick together often. Not to mention you tolerated each other the most once you became friends anyways.

It's pretty much your old classmate's loss though. For Shinso was on the quieter side, he actually worked incredibly well when you grouped together-tactically putting up a plan to get to the top. You would be glad to team up with Shinso, for old-time sake.

You faltered your step when you noticed a full team of 3 people with him, noticing him talking to them. You noticed Ojiro, Aoyama, and a class B student, Nirengeki Shoda was his name you believed, with your middle-school friend, their backs facing your way. It's an odd mix of people and you are sort of stunned by how quick he settled into his group. Nonetheless, you still can't hide the small sigh leaving you. Looks like you were a bit late.

Pikachu must've realized it too, for he grumbled under his breath with a pout, making you laugh slightly. "C'mon now, It's great he got a team. It would be rude to invite him when it looks like he settled already." You spied your friend, as he looked around a bit disinterestedly. Your observant eyes took notice of that, humming in confusion. You sort of expected him to input to his group more if he was with them.

...Well, you suppose he might feel a bit shy? It's still a strange sight nonetheless. You decided to tease a slumped Pikachu to distract you. "And since when were you this close with Hitoshi?" Pikachu huffed, ignoring the question.

"Oi, (Last)-chan!"

You turned to the voice, seeing excitable-pup-Kirishima and a lax-grinning-Sero making their way towards you. You stayed on your spot, as you waited for the duo to bound over, curiously watching them. "(Last), How's teammate searching going for ya?" Sero asked once they got closer, Kirishima still widely grinning. The redhead is somehow unable to hide his excitement upon seeing you.

You welcomed the question with amused resignation. "To be honest, not so great. How about you guys, found a group already?"

"We're in Bakugo's team!" Kirishima answered truthfully, pretty pumped for the following events when Sero interjected without a thought, reaching up to scratch the side of his nose jadedly, "Took us a while to get in though..."

You mirthfully listened, catching sight of the blond way behind the duo, watching in rapt irritation. When your eyes met, you found yourself frowning a bit, a small huff which Bakugo returned, before you talked with the two boys again, hinting with a small tease. "That's too bad, it would be fun to be teammates again."

"Yeah, it would be like the rescue mission we did before," Sero replied, his triangle-grin still holding strong. He did look a bit embarrassed though as he rubbed the back of his head, speaking honestly, "If only the circumstances were different."

"I-It would be fun!" Kirishima instantly added right after, but now with a certain meekness. He now looked sort of guilty for some odd reason, his expression now mimicking a sad puppy, you can practically picture a Rockruff's downhearted face and their watery-puppy eyes, which you had a hard time watching. "I'm really sorry-,"

"It's fine you guys...really! Just teasing!" You quickly added as Pikachu sat patiently listening in. You decided to divert the conversation elsewhere, tugging their arms with each of your own, pulling them closer to you they eyed you in surprise, the mouse jumping onto your head. Sero and Kirishima were obviously not expecting that, as small blushes rushed to their faces as you clutched their arms, eyeing the explosive boy away to whisper. "Besides, I know you have your hands full with Bakugo-san already..."

You were pretty sure you said it pretty quietly, but for some reason, even from afar, Bakugo's eyes narrowed onto your own, his right hand sparking up as he loudly yelled, "HUH?!"

Kirishima and Sero made the same exasperated face. "Yeah..."

You chuckled, patting their backs kindly. "Oh well, take care of the Mankey Pokémon for me..." you paused, contemplating as you eyed the pissed off Bakugo. "I still can't decide if he looks more like a Mankey or a Primeape..."

Bakugo's vein was about to pop from the sound of it, but you didn't bother to pay attention anymore. Kirishima and Sero still had small blushes splashed on their features, your kind hands grasp around their biceps made them heat up, and you were super close making them brighten up in embarrassment. Sero quickly fixed his throat, shaking his head, "Wait, what kind of Pokémon are they?"

"I heard you call Bakugo that before too...Do they look alike?" Kirishima also asked, yet the small blush has yet to reside, he pretended to wipe some sweat off his face to hide it.

"The similarities are uncanny." You simply replied. You should go scout for more team members, hopefully, Uraraka and Midoriya had better luck than you did. You glanced over at Shinso, he was already preparing his team to position, before you turned your attention back to the duo. "Anyways, you both should be fine if you use your quirks, I'll see you in the next round."

Kirishima looked elated at your words, bumping a fist to his chest as he returned your chivalrous words. "Right!"

Before you completely walked away, Sero called out. "Will we ever know what a Mankey Pokémon looks like?"

"All in due time." You replied with a small wave. "All in due time..."

"Now who should we look for?" You voiced out to Pikachu, who replied earnestly adding his intake on the conversation. He seemed to be saying an arranged of people, but you hadn't the slightest clue what he was telling you. You listened anyway, the mouse's squeaks are comforting, especially if you were comparing to it the person coming up to you.

"So the celebrity has graced us with her appearance!" You sighed on instinct upon hearing the familiar condescending tone. Pikachu paused in his chat, eyeing warily to the offending voice belonging to none other than Monoma Neito.

"Hello, Monoma." You simply replied, giving the male your polite smile. Emphasize on the polite, as it isn't a meaning of happiness. The boy had waltz over, his grey irises seemingly piercing you for any weakness or giveaways, as you find yourself wanting to wilt away. You don't necessarily hate the boy, but he does know how to get under one's skin.

Not to mention, he seemed to gain a sudden grudge against you, or in more words, your entire class. Which you could understand to a degree if you looked at Bakugo, who's kind of the instigator to the sudden tension between classes.

You can already tell that this conversation is going to go so well. "To think we'd get a celebrity in this Sports Festival, it shows how much class A depends on the spotlight!" You frowned at his words, watching as Monoma smiled knowingly-purposely trying to rile you up.

You sighed, "What are you even talking about Monoma-san?"

"When the news of the hidden creatures roaming the earth finally came out, I was surprised to find out they made an appearance during the USJ attack. Now it's all becoming clear." He voiced steadily, "They were with you weren't they?"

You didn't reply, simply holding Pikachu who looked irked, electricity sparking out from his pouches. "And now you brought them to the Sports Festival, trying to showcase them in a better light, am I right?" Monoma's mouth never seems to quiet down. "I'm just saying, most of us are trying to become heroes y' know? Is it right to do this when we're all working so hard to gather a bunch of heroes' attention?"

His words stung, and you find your hands coiling up. Your eyes narrowed at him, which he seems to revel at. But no matter how you look at it, he had a point. He hit the nail on the head, right onto where your current guilt lies.

You huff, uncoiling your fists slowly.

Monoma seemed to finally get what he wanted, for he then veered away, speaking smugly. "Don't worry (last)-san, I understand completely. You're just doing what you're doing." You picked your head up to stare at him perplexedly, as he continued quickly on. "Just don't get too cocky cause your class is popular. I can't even find myself caring that your class was mostly on the top for the obstacle race. In the end, our class got the upper hand."

Listening to him is starting to get repetitive, his speech swirling back to class A once more as you rolled your eyes. But some of his words caught your attention, and you were left watching his back curiously. "...Being on the top just for a while isn't all that great. But I suppose you can't help it if your class is filled with knot heads aiming for the bait. Especially with that guy being the best."

You blinked at where he's eyeing to find him staring at Bakugo. You didn't necessarily need to see Monoma's face to know he's probably looking especially sardonic, as he continued, "He's a celebrity before you (last)-chan, his ego's inflated to the bone, all while looking down on everybody. With a guy like that taking the top spot, it's to be expected how all your classmates look down on everyone..."

You finally took in Bakugo's form. You hardly wanted to when you were with Kirishima and Sero earlier, still irked at him, but now that you were actually looking, there's something you noticed as he watched Mina show off her skills. He has this bored, almost unamused look, something you had grown used to seeing on a day to day basis, pretty standard Bakugo. But as you looked closer or at least tried to side those other attributes away, you saw a hunger with a mass of determination in his scarlet eyes.

You were brought back to Monoma as he gave you his version of the polite smile, turning his head towards you with still the tinge of mocking-ness oozing out of him. "Well, no matter. I just wanted to chat a bit to let things out. We'll see each other on the field then...Let's not fight too hard alri-,"

"Monoma-kun." He looked slightly startled at your voice, but nonetheless listen as he made no willingness to move. He waited, as he looked at your contemplated feature. The yellow mouse on your shoulder was still glaring daggers at him, when you finally looked at him unsurely, rubbing your nape. "How do I word this out...I think you lack self-awareness."

"..."

"...Huh?"

There was a small silence that joined you two, as Monoma looked rather owlish. This might be the first time you have seen him so stunned, and you were amused by the reaction.

"You talked about Bakugo having a huge ego, and how he looks down on everyone. Thus continuing that the whole class does too." You started simply, tilting your head in his direction, the action was cuter than Monoma would like to admit. "But aren't you practically the same?"

"Heh? So you're comparing me to that guy?" Monoma was offended by now, but he schooled that expression with an expression of ridicule. "You'd think we're alike? The guy's a walking explosive. There's no way I-."

"Yeah, you do have a point." You seemed to catch off his guard once more, interrupting all of a sudden. You turned to the side, Pikachu now noticing your sudden exasperation as you listed off things a little bitterly. "In fact, I'm still really irritated with him right now. Bakugo's rude, brash, loud, and is a literal ticking bomb. I really think he has some anger issues sometimes."

"O-Oh...okay then." Monoma looked unnerved at your sudden eagerness and agreement, it was putting him off. But that didn't stop him from feeling gladdened that you agree, as his feature seemed to soften, coming down from sarcasm to a sly grin. "So you agree, then-,"

"But your cocky, have no inside voice, and way over your head." You continued as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. You sent Monoma a pointed look. "To be fair, both your personalities aren't exactly top-tier angelic, and I think no one in their right mind would say so."

Monoma was close to gaping, things were moving way to face he's having a hard time keeping up. For one moment you looked to be on his side, then the next thing you were spitting insults at him- and it was a whiplash to his face. Once you noticed that he was having difficulty in finding a reply, your features softened, talking in a more civilized tone.

"Monoma-kun, I'm not looking down on you, and neither are my classmates." Monoma scoffed at that, but you ignored it. "The USJ attack...was not a good thing. It's something I hope will never happen again in our school year, or ever. But I think most of my classmates decided that day to look at the situation as an experience. It's not all about the popularity."

"The fact you're saying that just shows your overconfidence. You're still looking down on us." Monoma replied haughtily, eyes darting away from your form. He seemed firmed with his judgment. "No matter, I'll just show you not to undervalue us in the games."

"Then I just hope you won't look down on Class A either. My classmates are all different in their individual ways, but I think what makes them pretty cool is how tenacious they can be." You shrugged good-naturedly, sauntering closer as the blond sneered.

"That level of persistence leads to pitfalls, I explained already."

You hummed, eyes darting to the sky in scrutiny. "Hmm, then I guess that's the difference between you and Bakugo already," You paused, lingering a little longer to admit softly. "Though I suppose you and I aren't too different."

Monoma was probably getting fed up at this point, but you suddenly held his left shoulder, bringing him to your eye-level in whatever way you can-your eyes now fully focused onto him. You whispered slowly, making sure he heard every word. "You should watch your back Monoma when a wild beast rams for you-it'll be hard to fight back."

With a gentler touch, you patted it kindly, giving him an eye-smile before you released your hold, the boy stumbling back in surprise as you waved at him. "See you in the games, don't treat us to rough alright?" You imitated the words he was going to leave you in the dust with, as this time, you were walking off without a word while Monoma stared at your back incredulously.

He tugged on his collar, easing the sudden heat wrapping there, as you didn't look back to mock or tease. He blinked vigorously, his eyes never leaving your form, as his cheeks lighting up in flames.

He couldn't voice out another word, as the last thing he caught from your direction was your Pikachu childishly raspberry his way.

"T-That was..."

~o~o~

You sighed, tugging your cheek in annoyment. "I can't believe I did that..."

You let yourself get carried away once again, Monoma riling you up to the point you pushed back. This has already happened with Todoroki and Bakugo pushing your buttons earlier, as you grumbled. You're not sure what was up with you that you're letting a bunch of guys words get to you, but you blame it on your lack of thereof breakfast.

You jogged forward to your familiar teammates, already looked pretty downcasted and uneasy, which made the answer obvious to you. "No luck from Iida-kun huh?"

"N-No, Iida-kun wants to compete with Deku-kun...so he's teaming up with Todoroki-kun," Uraraka answered for you, looking a bit nervous at the earlier event. She continued, fiddling with her fingers. "Iida-kun wants to challenge Deku-kun as a rival."

You nodded numbly, you weren't aware Iida had been feeling as such, but if the robotic boy wants to challenge Midoriya, of course in a humble environment, then you have no right to interfere.

"Oh-and Iida-kun said he's challenging you too (Name)-chan."

"Wha-?" You sighed, "It's not because Cementoss-sensei made me give out the homework sheets is it? Because if it's so I really need to talk to him that the only reason I was given the task was for snoozing accidentally."

Midoriya, who was in deep-thought, finally entered your conversation, looking a bit uncertain. Yet you saw an answer to a rival and the determination that wrapped around it, reminding you of Bakugo. "Not exactly...It's because he was impressed by you in the obstacle race, and also in the rescue training."

Well, if that it then it's fine, you felt a bit prouder that you impacted Iida to want to challenge you when Ochaco added with a small glee. "But it also because of the Cementoss situation." Darn it.

"How about you (Last)-san...? Did you get anyone to join us?" Midoriya quickly piped up, though you were pretty sure he knew what the answer was, he still had a glimmer of hope by the way he looked at you. You let out a small sigh.

"Sadly no, the guy I was going for was already in a team when I found him. I wanted to look for others, but I got...distracted along the way." You frowned, as you let Pikachu move from your shoulders to Uraraka arms, who cuddled close to the creature.

"Hmm..." Midoriya didn't look perturbed, but it was obvious things aren't looking so bright for the group. If there was another person to team up with, it was hard to find. Everyone seemed to already be settling into their individual groups. If there were people who haven't grouped up, then you guess they were just really good a mingling in the crowd or hiding in the darkness. Darkness?

"Oh! The Pokémon are on screen!" Ochaco suddenly piped up, her attention divided with Pikachu and the screen, as you followed where her eyes landed to see a video of Tropius still mingling around the booths, with a bunch of children wrapping their arms around the being, who seems unperturbed. It was a nice video, and the children's parents didn't look worried at all. "Aww~ the children look so happy around the Pokémon!"

You gleamed at the words, eyes lighting without a single thought. Midoriya still seemed bothered about the team's current predicament, but he couldn't help but softened at the sight on screen too. His eyes moved to your elated form, and all his worry seemed to wash away for just a moment. He liked seeing you happy.

"I was worried before the festival, but I'm glad everything seems to be alright." You voiced, smiling at another scene on the large screen of a watchful Dragonite eyeing the booths below vigilantly. "It's good that we're getting attention."

"Are they allowed to be out there alone?" Midoriya questioned out of blue, before panicking, "N-Not that there's anything wrong with that! It's just-!"

"It's fine Midoriya, and it's more of a precaution." You slowly ladled to the boy, "Usually in a crowd like this, Pokémon would stray far away. But since I'm bringing out some Pokémon, wild ones might be tempted to pass by. That's why we got the Newly-created Pokemon security team!" You introduce them proudly, as you stated earnestly, "They're one of the safest Pokemon I can trust to be without me."

You had already discussed with both Aizawa and Nezu, trying to figure out ways to protect and expose the Pokémon. It was the principal that suggested this, and you were eager to help out. This will not only help the crowd see them outside of the stadium but help out the security team outside. It's also great exposure!

"Ooh I can understand those two as security, but how about that one?" Uraraka curiously pointed towards the screen once more, in which you were greeted Swirlix interacting with a food vendor who looked a little unsettled, in fact, his hand was stuck onto the Swirlix's sticky cotton fur.

"To be honest, I put him there to appeal there to the crowd. I mean everyone loves cotton candy!" You stated honestly. The duo could only sweat dropped at the answer.

"Ehehehe...Yes, it's great." A voice echoed as if it was talking into a cavern. You blinked, the others also hearing the voice giggling pretty maniacally. "This is a great baby-!"

Hatsume? You and your teammates, including the mouse, that was being lovingly cuddled, perked to the direction of the voice, as you were greeted with a sight that made all of you blanched. Your eyes bulged out at the scene, as the support student, your newly acquainted friend, had put her entire head into a cavern of sharp teeth, belonging to a very confused Arcanine who had his jaw opened out as wide as it goes as Hatsume eagerly poked the canines in fascination.

"AHH-HATSUME-SAN!" You sided them right away, trying to pull the girl out of the jaws of your oversized dog. The girl was persistent though and began prodding the Pokémon's large tongue which made the mutt grumble, the sound vibrating from his chest. "Hatsume-san, stop! Arcanine doesn't like it!"

A lot of things ran into your mind at once, like why was Hatsume prodding your Pokemon as if it was an invention? Why did Arcanine let her? What if a camera just somehow catches sight of this, and the opinion of Pokémon changes? Or worst, what if Arcanine's slowly getting fed up with Hatsume's antic and decided to finish her off right then there? You knew you were beginning to exaggerate as Arcanine would never do that but you were panicking. And why are Midoriya, Uraraka, and your Pikachu watching the scene without so much as lending a hand!?

After much struggle, you were able to pull Hatsume away from Arcanine's mouth, as he snapped his jaw shut in few uneasy yaps as if to test it out. You sighed, about to scold her when she whirled around so fast you were afraid her neck might snap. "So this was the baby you've been hiding from me (Mispronounced last name)-chan?"

She looked ecstatic, her lens-like eyes were probably sparkling in absolute interest behind her goggles. Her feet were floating a few inches above the ground due to her shoes, which were her invention it seems, as she zoomed in real close to your face. "Who knew you had a talent in making a fire-breathing robotic dog? It stands out! Team-up with me!"

"Hold on now!" You interjected just as quickly, "Arcanine's not a robot, he's a Pokémon." You have different priorities it seems as Midoriya and Uraraka jogged closer, eyeing the situation in bafflement.

"W-Who are you!?" Midoriya jumped when Hatsume diverted her attention to him, zooming once again into another's personal space. "So close!"

"Ah-First place, let's team up!" After not getting her answer earlier from you, she moved to the next one. When she finally left you alone, you waltzed to the pair exasperatedly, Uraraka and Pikachu still together, only this time eyeing in confusion.

"Guys, this is Hatsume Mei, she's from the support course." You introduced for her, as Hatsume stood beside you with a wide scientist-like smile. Uraraka mentioned remembering Hatsume as the one who used her gear to get across the fall easily. You didn't notice it earlier, but her support items are everywhere, as she even had antler-like headgear. You continued, "We met one time while I needed to deliver something to the department studio."

"How's the new hero costume treating ya?" Hatsume questioned all of a sudden, as you flinched before begrudgingly replying. "It's pretty good..."

"Oh, so that's how you know each other..." Uraraka commented, looking from Hatsume to you with still more curiosity. A small pang thudded in her heart as Hatsume wrapped an arm around you, saying a 'Yup, that how I met (Mispronounced last name)!' as you corrected her briefly. Uraraka shook her head vigorously, causing Pikachu to stare at her worriedly.

"I don't know you, but I know (Last) here, so let me take advantage of your position and (Last)'s babies." Hatsume had already pulled off her goggles as she spoke to Midoriya without a care, who gawped.

"How frank!"

You gazed at Hatsume exasperatedly once more. "Like I said, there not my babies-er," You paused, suddenly scratching your head, "W-Well actually you're not necessarily wrong..."

In a bit of a similar way with Hatsume, they were your babies.

"If I team up with your team, we'd inevitably receive the most attention, right? Then, inevitably my cute babies will catch the attention of big companies, which means the big companies with inevitably sell my babies-!" Hatsume continued to bother Midoriya's and Ochaco's space, as Pikachu decided right then and there to bury himself in Uraraka's arm. You sigh, patting a heedful Arcanine on his head.

"Wait a minute, Babies and big companies?" Uraraka looked frazzled at the information, Pikachu suspiciously watching Hatsume who in turn, decided to focus all of her attention onto Deku for the time being. 'Ah-she's not interested in me.'

You arrived next to her, Arcanine finally following, as Pikachu hopped off of the brunette's arms, to run along on your arms to land on Arcanine's head, who greeted the smaller Pokémon with a grunt. You watched as Hatsume convinced Izuku about her 'babies' that could be used, as they bonded over a support item jet pack. "They're getting along aren't they?" You voiced, nudging your friend a bit as she nodded, perturbed at the sudden connection, but finding it rather funny.

"Yeah-She's very dedicated to her babies and big companies it seems," Uraraka commented back, nudging you back joyfully, her eyes lighting up whenever they looked at your own while seeing the Pokémon enjoy themselves. Uraraka doesn't know why she feels so at home, but she just does.

"Yeah, it seems so..." You blinked, after sending a warm smile back to your brunette friend. Babies and Big companies...it was weird, but it made a feeling stir inside you. Hatsume was the only support student who made it passed the obstacle race, yet she wasn't doing this to gain recognition from popular heroes. Class A, Class B, and even Shinso was doing this as a show as a hero, but Hatsume and you? "For Babies huh?"

Your murmur caught Uraraka's attention, as she realized you were now eyeing Hatsume. Her heart squeezed painfully once more, as she grew uneasy. Uraraka doesn't know why she's feeling like this.

Without needing any confirmation, Hatsume was added to the party. While Uraraka seemed a little anxious about the newcomer, Deku murmured lowly, "Just one more person...A power that's missing in our cavalry."

You also began eyeing the students around, as most had already gone to discuss tactics to outwit the others. The group needs to be completed before they run out of time to discuss, it would be terrible to go into the battlefield without a single plan in mind. Deku perked though, turning to you for a moment.

"(Last)-chan, I forgot to ask you...but is Pikachu and Arcanine the only Pokémon you brought with you? If I know more about your Pokémon, we might be able to decide on a new teammate." You blinked at his question, before shaking your head candidly.

"N-No, I haven't told anyone yet, but I do have more Pokémon with me...but," You looked a little uneasy at the next part, that made your other teammates a little worried. "It's not that I don't want to tell you about them, but I'm feeling a bit troubled. It's just that I sadly didn't choose Pokemon that were suited for this game."

"What do you mean by that?" Uraraka questioned, Hatsume silently listening for once.

"The rules of the game still aren't quite clear. Pokemon comes in different sizes, like Pikachu and Arcanine." You pointed out, as the trio eyed the mouse and dog, but extremely different in sizes that it was cute to see them seemingly conversing together. Pikachu was even nipping Arcanine's ear playfully, who didn't seem perturbed.

"-Oh! So you're worried about the larger Pokemon?" Midoriya was attentive as always.

"That's right, I don't know how to fit the bigger Pokémon into the cavalry yet."

"Hmm? Why can't you just let the larger be the front horse?" Hatsume inputted, but Uraraka rebuked her with a small shake. "I don't think it's possible, firstly we have to run with Arcanine-chan, and that's not exactly easy with his size."

"That's true..." Midoriya simply said, looking at the ground seriously.

"S-Should we ride it?" Ochaco-chan suggested after, remembering when you came out in the obstacle race.

You gave a nervous glance. "I'm not entirely sure he could hold all our weights...not to mention," The sudden thought of Arcanine running across the field, with your group members huddled in a cheerleading pyramid on top of it. The thought made you discomposed, "We'd be a circus act in a flash..."

"It would be pretty fun though~" As if seeing the image engraved in your mind, Hatsume joyfully chortled.

You shook the image away. "Anyways, I think I'll put away the larger Pokémon for now, unless we can figure out a plan that would work. So from the Pokémon that I could release, most of them are leaning more on the offensive side..."

"Then," Midoriya gave a small nod in confirmation, understanding what your trying to say. "We need a strong defense as our front horse."

Midoriya began scoping the area, looking like a hound searching for a single steak. You smiled unconsciously, he really was a smart guy, you could definitely depend on him when the time needs it.

It was at this moment when something curled around your torso, making you blink down. You simply gave a glance at the being wounded around you, before it's dark head popped close to your head, giving you a chipper grin as it called out ecstatically. "(Name)!"

You and Midoriya seemed to garner the same idea, as your eyes met with elation, "That's it!"

.

.

.

.

.

A few minutes before the time was up, you needed to go to the restroom. You left the group, asking them to keep watch of your two Pokémon before you rushed away. It was only after you finished that you came out to find a face you weren't quite ready to greet.

You bristled once you noticed the half-and-half student, eyeing the boy uneasily. You were confused to see him so close suddenly, it looked as if the boy had been waiting for you. You honestly weren't feeling up to interacting with him and hoped you were jumping to a conclusion about him waiting, which you assumed was true when he didn't say anything, simply eyeing you back.

Silently, you tried to side-stepped away, hoping to move past Todoroki quickly. You were quickly engulfed with his cold hand latched onto your right wrist. "Wait."

'So he wants to talk...' You frowned a bit at the stern tone, before wringing your hand away from him. You listened nonetheless and stayed rooted to your spot as Todoroki slowly faced you, pocketing his hand wordlessly. There was still that cold expression in his face, as your eyes unconsciously eyed his scar before paying attention to him. "What is it, Todoroki-san?"

"...Back there, in the obstacle race." Todoroki started, as you gave him a brow. "You were waiting for me to do that..."

It took you a while to understand his vague words, but you had an inkling what it was about. You perked, a smirk rising in the corner for a moment before you changed it to a small smile. "Ah-you mean in the landmines? You and Bakugo were quick to rush over to Midoriya when he got a lead, it's pretty cool." You started, "I have to thank you, if you didn't leave an ice path, I would've never gotten to be 2nd place."

Todoroki grew aggravated at your words, as his voice suddenly got harsher. "You-,"

"In other words thanks for underestimating me." You cut off, you were pretty sure you're beginning to sound a bit more like Monoma now, as you grinned. "It worked out well for me in the end."

His jaw clenched, there was just so much emotion going through his face. The tension between you two had not even once wavered, and instead it seemed to grew more potent. He forced down his aggravation, "...Listen, why are you pulling strings with the teachers?"

"What?" Your eyes narrowed once more. You were reminded by what he commented back in the waiting room, dampening your mood instantly.

Todoroki wasn't one to back down, as he pressed. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice that the additional disadvantage for Midoriya was purposely designed for you? Is this a ploy to stand-out more? To show off your tricks?"

Your frowned deepened, you never even discussed this with the teachers, and even if the teachers were purposely doing so, you don't think they had that intention in mind. You had no idea that this would happen. His words hurt, and it struck a chord in you. "Who do you think I am? Yes, I am close to the teachers, and I am here to stand out, but I wouldn't go so far as to rig the sports festival."

You eyed him exasperatedly, almost tiredly. Why was he so untrusting towards you? it confused you as you were pretty sure you and he had never confronted each other before, whether to argue or to talk, what changed that today? Todoroki looked uncertain at your words, but he did look a bit humbled. Maybe it was just the way you looked so done, or the way you seemed to grew more upset than angry than he expected. When silence engulfed you longer, he chose to ask quietly.

"...So it's just a coincidence?" He still sounded uncertain, eyeing your forlorn eyes.

You heaved a sigh. "Yes, and I guess there's no way I could prove it, so I'll just leave it to your judgment." You waved an arm at him, already making a move to walk away. You didn't feel like there was anything to discuss anymore now. "Now excuse me, I don't have much time to be chatting at the moment, and neither should you."

Todoroki wasn't happy to have the conversation cut off too soon, he didn't try to reach out this time, but he called out once more, "Wait a sec-!"

"If you want to, we can talk after the games." You paused in step, eyeing him over your shoulders. You also wanted to talk more, hopefully in a calmer light, but the games were going to begin. "Be prepared, or I might just wipe the floor with you."

This was no excitable rivalry comment, nor was it an angry call out, for you simply said it softly, eyeing him with a softer gaze. It made Todoroki close his mouth, as he eyed you in confusion. You waited for a moment, just for the sake of being respectable if Todoroki wanted to input anymore. When you stood and the silence was what greeted you, you walked forward once more.

"I won't make the same mistake again."

You blinked, finding yourself unable to move. If there was one thing you expected Todoroki to say, it wasn't necessarily those words, as the bicolored male gave you his still stoic glare, but this time the coldness you were beginning to get used to was gone, as if the storm had hushed for a moment. You made the mistake of glancing back, your eyes meeting his, seeing a swirl of emotion laid heavily on them.

"I'll beat you this time, so I won't underestimate you again."

The tension was still there, but you felt calmer. You dryly nodded at that, before jogging away to get back to your team. A small snarky part of you wanted to say that if he's only going to use his left side, then he already is underestimating you. But you'd be a hypocrite if you did, and your guilt lied there.

~o~o~

"So, we're actually doing this." You questioned from your spot, holding tightly to your teammate's hands as you maintain position. You nervously added, "Cause I'm beginning to have second thoughts."

"I think it's a great plan! Makes it more eye-catching!" Hatsume commented behind you, she had already ladled on her goggled back to her eyes, as Uraraka, who on the opposite side of Hatsume as a back horse commented once more.

"We did decide it would be a good idea minutes ago!"

"(Last), I thought you were the one to suggest it?" The final member to the group, Tokoyami had asked right next to you, your shoulders brushing with how tightly you all had to stay intact. You supposed this was why a 5-member group was a disadvantage, for being clumped up together so tightly was achingly painful. Your shoulders constantly brushed Tokoyami's own as the bird-headed male had glossed over your expression, before putting his attention back to front-lines, where Tokoyami's Dark shadow was out in front, seemingly excited.

"I did, as a joke..." You murmured, you already tucked Arcanine back into his ball for the time being. All your Pokeball was placed inside your bag snuggly.

"Oh don't worry, it'll be exceptional!" Hatsume commented, but Midoriya had other ideas.

"No, she's got a point, is this really a good idea?" Midoriya cut in, though there was still the embodiment of confidence in his frame sitting as the rider on top of you four, looking like the king, he somehow was still able to nervously point it out.

Uraraka was quick to reprimand him. "It's a great idea, why wouldn't you think so?"

In all of your hushed planning together, you didn't that you'd come to the idea that this was a good idea, for you had jokingly suggested it to lighten the mood. But you had no idea they'd take it seriously, as right on top of Midoriya's bandana-less head, there was a Pikachu right on top of said head, crossing his arms excitedly and readily, confidence oozing out of the small Pokémon with a 10-Million-point bandana wrapped around his head.

"Pikaka-chu, Pika!"

"Pikachu, I don't condone brash language-don't start copying Bakugo!"

~o~o~

(1) Though only 42 participants passed like the original, I decided to swap a random class B student with Aoyama.

~o~o~

Hello everyone! It's been a while, I hope you're doing well. Sorry, it's been so long!

With this chapter, I was really contemplating if I should things around more, I was tempted too. But in the end, I decided to stick to the original groups and actions. It would spice things up if I mixed it around more, but it would also change to many things-so I stuck to the usual. Sorry, there's not much action in this chapter, to be honest, there's just way too much confrontation that if I named my chapters, I might call this one 'To Rile your fellow classmates' cause the reader's doing it left and right.

You're noticing it right? I already planned for this for a while, but I wanted the reader to confront the troublesome character (Monoma, Bakugo, and Todoroki) for a while now! This is all for character development! Hopefully, by the end of the sports festival, our reader will be in better terms with the trio! For now, I hope you enjoy the conflict!

I also wish you all to be safe during these times. With the COVID-19, I hope you all stay healthy at all times. I'm quite late, but make sure to wash your hands, wear masks, and stay at home as much as possible! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter for now, thanks for reading once more and see you in the next chapter!