Work Text:
Eterna Forest lived up to every warning.
Beneath the midmorning light, the ancient trees towered around him, their black-green canopies woven so tightly together that sunlight reached the ground only in thin, trembling rays. If it hadn’t been so dark, he would’ve been taking it all in with awe, but every sound seemed to make him jump.
The path had long since vanished.
One moment Izuku had been following a narrow trail lined with the faint prints of other trainers’ boots, and the next, the ground beneath him shifted into thick moss. No direction looked familiar anymore. Every turn seemed to lead deeper into the same labyrinth of trees.
He tightened his grip on his bag strap. Izuku couldn’t use his Rotomphone to pinpoint his location either as there was no signal– and because he was only a broke, fourteen year-old trainer, he had to rely on his old, worn-out paper map. Oh, and right now that map was also just as useless!
Riolu pressed close to him, small paws gripping the fabric of his pant leg in anxiety.
And Izuku… tried not to cry.
The greenette leaned over slightly, gently running a hand over the Pokemon’s head. “We’re okay,” he reassured, more to himself than anything. He stood back up straight again, trying to project confidence by pumping his fist in the air. “Winning at the next gym means being able to handle this first. And uh, statistically speaking, most trainers get lost at least four times when crossing through Eterna Forest, so we’re not failing, Riolu! We’re just…”
He trailed off, staring off into unfamiliar space for well over the fourth time today.
“We’re just… gaining field experience!” he declared.
Riolu stared up at him like he didn’t believe Izuku one bit, and a little bit like Izuku might be losing it.
They decided to press forward, step by cautious step, the canopy thickening overhead until the sunlight faded out completely. The air of this region naturally held a chill, but in the shade of the forest, it made him shiver through his light jacket. Even the sounds of wild Pokemon seemed to hush the deeper they went.
If he wasn’t lost before, he was absolutely, unequivocally lost now.
“…W-we’re not panicking,” he said, though his voice quivered in a way that completely betrayed him. “We are definitely not panicking.” A harsh breeze tore through the branches, carrying with it the smell of damp wood, and something musty. Izuku swallowed and followed the scent, pushing aside low-hanging branches with trembling hands–
–and then the trees suddenly parted.
Ahead of him, looming out of the darkness, was a mansion.
Its wooden walls were warped like wet parchment left too long in the rain. Shattered glass glittered faintly in empty window frames, every pane blown out by some storm. The roof had sagged inward under its own age, and thick, wounding ivy wrapped around the structure, crawling over it as if the ground was trying to drag it under.
Izuku felt his heartbeat stutter. It couldn’t be, but it was. The Old Chateau…
One of the most notoriously haunted sites in all of the Sinnoh region.
A chill ran down his spine, and Riolu pressed back close to his leg, ears flattening.
“Nope,” Izuku squeaked, already turning on his heel, ready to leave the entire forest behind forever. “Nope nope nope we are absolutely not doing ghost encounters today!”
He took one step, a twig snapping under his foot.
CAW!
A whole flock of Murkrow burst from the treetops, swooping downward toward him, furious at being disturbed.
“Waaaugh!” he choked out, voice pitching so high that even Riolu flinched.
Izuku scooped up his partner with both arms, clutching the small Pokemon to his chest and ran.
Branches whipped across his cheeks, stinging hot lines into his skin. Roots clawed at his boots, threatening to trip him with every frantic step. The Murkrow behind him shrieked and swooped low, talons scraping at the back of his jacket.
“Nonononono!” Izuku squealed, ducking as a particularly bold Murkrow dive-bombed his head.
Riolu paws dug desperately into Izuku’s shirt as they barreled through the underbrush. He darted around a massive pine, heart hammering against his ribs–
And ran straight into something tall and solid.
“Oof!”
The impact knocked Izuku backward and he landed heavily on the mossy ground, Riolu tumbling onto his stomach with a startled yelp. Stars burst behind Izuku’s eyes, and for a moment he could only lie there in a dizzy tangle of limbs and panic.
The Murkrow screeches cut off sharply, scattering at the presence of whatever he had just collided with. Their wingbeats faded into the distance, leaving only the sound of Izuku’s ragged breathing. He blinked hard, vision swimming for a moment before becoming clear. Very slowly, he lifted his gaze toward the figure looming over him.
Tall didn’t begin to cover it.
The man towering over him was broad-shouldered, long-limbed, but very skinny that he almost looked like a ghost Izuku had just been trying to run from. His hair, a bright sunny blonde, was tied back in a loose tail, two wild strands escaping to frame his face.
The stranger blinked down at Izuku with surprised blue eyes.
“Oh! My apologies, young man! I didn’t see you there. Are you injured?”
Izuku opened his mouth to answer, only for his attention to be drawn upward by another looming presence.
Perched silently on a low branch behind the man was a Noctowl, huge and imposing, its feathers a deep bronze and its red eyes glowing faintly in the dim forest light. It wasn’t flapping or hooting or puffing up its feathers in any show of aggression. It was simply staring at him with the kind of intelligence only battle-honed Pokemon had, and it sent shivers up Izuku’s spine.
Riolu immediately hopped off of Izuku and into a defensive stance.
The man followed Riolu and Izuku’s gaze, before chuckling softly. “Ah, don’t worry about him. Noctowl doesn’t attack unless he believes me to be in danger.”
Izuku, still feeling that rush of adrenaline making his head spin, forced himself to stand. His knees shook as he brushed dirt from his palms on them. “S-sorry,” he blurted, bowing his head slightly. “I-I didn’t mean to run into you like that. I was being chased by a flock of Murkrow and I wasn’t really looking where I was going, b-but I’m really glad your Noctowl scared them off! Thank you, sir!”
The man waved his apology off. “No harm done, young man. I’m simply glad you’re not hurt.”
Izuku’s gaze couldn’t help but drift back up to Noctowl, his inner fanboy dying to scan it with his Pokedex. It was actually really rare to see one out during the day, and Izuku was sure he’d never catch one at night. Heat bloomed across his cheeks as he looked back toward the man, hoping he wouldn’t be overstepping.
“Um… if it’s not too much trouble,” he started, fumbling for the right words. He tugged his old Pokedex free with one hand, cradling it against his chest. “Could I register your Noctowl? I’ve never seen one like him up close before.”
He glanced shyly toward the massive owl who narrowed its eyes down at him.
The man’s smile brightened, warm just like when the sunlight would break through the canopy.
“Of course you may,” he replied, stepping aside to give Izuku a clearer view. His expression shifted into a playful smirk as he tilted his head up at the towering Pokemon. “And don’t be put off by his demeanor,” he added, voice tinged with a mischievous lilt. “Noctowl likes being admired.”
The Pokemon looked away, somehow managing to convey both superiority and grudging acknowledgment at the same time.
Izuku couldn’t help but smile at the man’s teasing affection for his partner as he lifted his Pokedex. The screen flickered to life with a soft electronic chirp, scanning the Noctowl and pulling up its data. Usually this was the moment Izuku lived for, reading every measurement, every ability, cataloging it all in the mental encyclopedia he carried everywhere.
But his attention kept drifting back toward the man standing before him.
There was… something about him. He wasn’t dressed like an ordinary trainer. Even the way he stood there, completely relaxed, suggested experience. Izuku also knew Hoothoot evolved early on, but he had a feeling that this particular Noctowl was way past that stage.
Questions bubbled up inside him instantly, threatening to well over. What other Pokemon did he have? How long had he been traveling? Had he ever battled a gym leader, no– had he tried battling the elite four at some point!?
Izuku forced the swarm of questions down, pocketing his Pokedex. He’d already asked too much of the other man. Scanning a stranger’s Pokemon was one thing, pestering them was another. He didn’t want to come across as annoying, as many other kids and adults from his hometown thought of him. If he was going to be a proper trainer, he had to work on that…
Before he could decide what to say next, the man stepped forward, offering a friendly smile and a hand. “I should introduce myself. My name is Yagi Toshinori.”
Izuku snapped out of his internal monologue, and quickly returned the shake. “My name is Midoriya Izuku! It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Yagi!”
“A pleasure, young Midoriya.” Then he glanced around the darkening forest, expression becoming slightly more serious.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what brings you this deep into Eterna Forest alone? It’s quite the dangerous route for someone your age.”
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck. “O-oh um, well, I was told if I can get through the forest on my own, I’d be better prepared for Eterna Gym. And I really want to challenge Kamui Woods soon, so…!”
Yagi’s brows lifted slightly in realisation. “Ahh, so you’re a trainer on a gym challenge?”
Izuku nodded, then inhaled deeply, cheeks flushing with embarrassment and excitement all jumbled together. “W-well, not just the gyms. I want to… I want to defeat All Might and become the Champion one day!”
He braced himself, expecting mocking laughter or maybe a polite, pitying smile, but it never came. The man was quiet for a moment, then Yagi’s lips quirked into a small smirk that he often saw come from fellow trainers itching for a challenge.
“Is that so?” he replied, a hint of amusement weaving into his tone. “Well, I wish you the best of luck on this endeavor!"
Izuku brightened a little, still nervous, but feeling steadier now that Yagi wasn’t laughing at him. “A-ah! I forgot to introduce you, this is Riolu, my partner!” he said, gesturing as Riolu stepped forward proudly, chest puffed out.
“Rilu!”
“And I also have a Magikarp,” Izuku continued, scratching his cheek. “I-I’m trying to train him up, but progress has been slow. It’s just been hard to find safe places to practice because of the League of Villains causing trouble lately, and after stopping them from taking over Valley Windworks–”
Yagi stiffened in alarm, taking a step forward. “You fought The League of Villains?” he asked, or more shouted in shock.
Izuku startled. “Uh y-yes? There was a whole incident just a few days ago where they were holding the operator hostage! They wouldn’t let him go unless I defeated their leader–”
“–You fought one of their leaders!?” Yagi cut in, voice tight with disbelief.
Izuku nodded, sheepish yet proud. “R-right– and we won! Riolu was amazing!”
Riolu beamed beside him as they high-fived.
Yagi was quiet for a long moment, staring at the young trainer with something complicated in his eyes, a mix of surprise, concern, and genuine respect. “…Impressive,” he murmured, almost to himself. Then Yagi cleared his throat. “Very impressive, young Midoriya. To take on that kind of danger at your age, most trainers with twice your experience wouldn’t dare try.”
Izuku ducked his head bashfully. “We just did what we had to. He had a daughter he had to get home to.”
Yagi’s expression softened, only to shift immediately into a stern frown.
“I understand, but the League is dangerous. Much more dangerous than a typical criminal organization. You should avoid them whenever possible, and contact the police or a gym leader. I have a feeling the leader you ran into was of lower rank, not the actual head of the organization. In that way, you were very lucky.”
Izuku swallowed and nodded, chastened. “Yes, sir. I’ll be more careful from now on. Thank you for the heads up, Mr. Yagi.”
Izuku bowed deeply, heat crawling up the back of his neck. Even after all of Yagi’s kindness, a mortifying thought still gnawed at him– he’d crashed into this man, rambled at him, dragged him into his problems, and now he was wasting his time on top of it. Judging by the look of him, he wasn’t in the forest to train, but for some other important reason.
Great! Classic Midoriya first impression!
“Well, I shouldn’t keep you,” the trainer said quickly, straightening but unable to look Yagi in the eye for a moment as he made his way to leave. “You probably have important business to do, and I need to keep moving if I want to reach Eterna City before it gets too dark, so I’ll just–”
“Hold on there, young Midoriya,” Yagi said, outstretching a halting hand. “At least allow me to accompany you until you reach Eterna City,” Yagi said, his tone warm like he was offering something entirely reasonable rather than dropping a boulder of kindness into Izuku’s lap.
Izuku blinked at him, stunned. “Wh-what? O-oh, no, no, no, you don’t have to! I mean, I’d love the company, really! But you must have way better things to do than guide a trainer like me. And, um–” He rubbed the back of his neck, as his gaze once again met the stare of the red-eyed Pokemon. “N-Noctowl is amazing, but I’m afraid he’d scare off all the wild Pokemon, so I wouldn’t even be able to train.”
Riolu tugged gently at his pant leg, trying to settle him down before the rambling could escalate.
“We’re in one of the deepest parts of Eterna Forest, and even if you follow the correct path unfortunately you still won’t make it to the city before nightfall,” Yagi informed, his expression apologetic.
“As for Noctowl scaring away the wildlife,” he added, unhooking a Pokeball from his belt. He pressed the button, and with a familiar flash of red light, Noctowl vanished back into its ball. Clipping the ball back onto his belt, Yagi offered Izuku a reassuring smile. “There. No more worries about disturbing your training opportunities. Now, shall we?”
As they set off together, navigating Eterna Forest felt a little less daunting than before. Just knowing that someone else was walking beside him eased the pressure Izuku had placed on himself.
And it wasn’t just the safety.
Yagi was easy to talk to.
He moved with the quiet confidence of someone who had crossed many routes in his lifetime, but he listened with the humbleness of someone who didn’t mind hearing about a young, inexperienced trainer’s thoughts. Izuku found himself talking more than he expected, about Riolu’s training progress, Magikarp’s… lack of progress, his Pokedex research, and even a few of his sillier theories. Yagi actually laughed at some of his jokes, nodding along with genuine interest.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Izuku started, changing the topic to Toshinori, “What exactly are you doing out here? You seemed to know a lot about the League of Villains when I mentioned them earlier. Are you tracking them?”
“I am tracking them, yes,” Toshinori replied, scratching his jaw thoughtfully as the two walked along the found path. “I was surprised that anyone else knew who they were, but that only means that their presence is becoming that of a nuisance to be affecting young trainers now…,” the man griped.
Izuku halted mid-step, eyes widening. “A-are you with the police?”
Yagi stopped too and turned back toward him, a wry smile on his face. “Not officially. I’m just helping them out. A friend of mine is a detective for the Sinnoh Police Department. He asked me to assist with this matter while he’s tied up handling several others.”
Was Mr. Yagi a Pokemon Ranger then!? Afterall, he knew the forest so well! That would be so cool! Izuku listened intently as Yagi continued, both of them picking up walking again. “I was actually headed toward Floaroma Town because I heard they had captured the powerplant, but after everything you’ve told me…” His expression hardened subtly, shadows emphasizing the lines near his eyes. “It’s wiser if I return to their base of operations in Eterna City.”
Izuku nearly stumbled. “T-their headquarters? In Eterna? I-is it safe for us to go there?”
Yagi chuckled, raising a hand to dispel his concern. “Nothing for you to worry about, young Midoriya. If it ever escalates, Kamui Woods is more than capable of handling it himself.”
Izuku didn’t look convinced. “B-but what about you? Will you have to fight them?”
“If the need arises,” Toshinori replied, exhaling slowly, “then yes. I’ll do what I must.”
They encountered several wild Pokemon along the way. Without Noctowl looming overhead, they were plentiful. A Stunky tried to catch them off guard, but Riolu responded instantly, barking sharply and leaping forward to land a clean Force Palm that sent it scrambling back through the bushes. An angry Budew peeked out from behind a tree soon after.
Izuku quickly extended his arm in a halting motion. “Riolu, careful! Budew can have poison, practice dodging!”
Riolu chirped, and they used the encounter as training for poison-type attacks, weaving around Budew’s poison without landing any truly harmful blows to the other Pokemon.
Izuku’s confidence grew with each battle, and Toshinori seemed quietly impressed, offering small comments and advice that never felt condescending.
A pair of trainers, one with a Kricketune, another with a Buneary, challenged Izuku as soon as they spotted him at some point in their journey. Yagi didn’t battle, but he stepped between them as a mediator.
Izuku’s heart thrummed anxiously during each battle. He had told Yagi that he one day wanted to be the Champion of Sinnoh, and Izuku didn’t want to look like a liar, someone who talked big dreams but couldn’t back any of them up.
So he battled with determination.
Riolu danced around Kricketune’s slashes, countering with well-timed Quick Attacks until the bug collapsed. Riolu got nicked once or twice, so Izuku tried his hardest to guide Riolu and called each counter like he could see the moves before they came.
And somehow, they won every battle.
When Riolu landed the final blow of the match, the opposing Pokemon stumbled back before collapsing onto the grass. Izuku exhaled shakily, trying to hide the shock and pride rushing through him. Riolu turned toward him, eyes bright with excitement, and Izuku ran up to hug him.
“Riolu, you were amazing!”
The small fighting-type perked up immediately at the praise, tail wagging slightly as he hugged Izuku back.
Across the field, Yagi knelt beside the two defeated trainers, offering a few gentle words that Izuku couldn’t quite hear. The teens looked disappointed, but they nodded respectfully as Yagi encouraged them, clearly trying to soften the sting of the loss. After a moment, the pair gathered their Pokemon and headed the opposite direction.
Only once they were gone did Yagi straighten and turn back toward Izuku.
He clapped his large hands together with a proud smile. “Well done, young Midoriya! Your strategy skills are remarkable, and your care for your partner truly shines through during your battles.”
“I– Th-thank you! It really is all Riolu. He did most of the work and I just, well, I was mostly reacting and trying to remember what you said about stamina and–”
He cut himself off abruptly, hands flapping slightly as he realized he was rambling again. Riolu tilted its head up at him with a small chuff of amusement.
Yagi chuckled warmly. “You give yourself far too little credit, young man! A Pokemon can only perform as well as the trust it has in its trainer. And it is quite clear that Riolu trusts you completely.”
Izuku looked down at his partner with adoration.
Riolu looked back up at him just the same.
He crouched down, gently placing a hand on Riolu’s shoulder. “We’re still learning,” he said quietly, a small determined smile forming. “But we’ll keep getting stronger together.”
Riolu bumped its head lightly against his hand in agreement.
From beside them, Yagi's smile was fond.
“Well, this is where we head our separate ways,” Toshinori said once they reached the gates of Eterna City, the lighter blue colors of twilight slowly fading into deep black overhead. The city lights flickered on in the distance, casting a soft glow across the stone streets beyond the entrance. Izuku stopped walking beside him, his hands tightening slightly around Riolu as the words woke him up a little from where he had been trudging exhaustedly.
“I’ll be heading toward the League’s base in the city,” Yagi continued, crossing his arms as he looked down at Izuku. “And you have Kamui Woods to deal with.”
“Are you going to fight them?” The idea of Toshinori facing the League alone still made his stomach twist anxiously.
“We’ll see.” Yagi gave him a reassuring smile, but there was something weary hidden behind it. The evening breeze tugged lightly at his coat as he looked toward the city ahead, towards the taller buildings. “But not to worry. I’ve handled worse.”
That didn’t reassure Izuku nearly as much as Yagi probably intended it to. He hugged Riolu a little closer against his chest. “I hope you’ll be safe,” he admitted quietly, unable to stop his continued concern from showing.
Yagi looked back at him then, his eyes soft. “And I hope the same for you. Eterna Gym will be difficult, but you have the spirit to overcome it. I believe in you.”
Izuku’s breath caught somewhere in his chest as he looked at the man.
I believe in you.
The only person who had ever looked him in the eyes and told him she believed in him without hesitation was his mother.
“We’ll meet again someday, Midoriya,” he said with certainty. “I’m sure of it.”
Something tugged painfully at Izuku’s chest at those words, a feeling somewhere between hope and sadness at departing from someone he would call a new friend. “Yeah, I’m looking forward to it!”
Yagi turned toward the deeper parts of the city with a wave while Izuku remained where he was, watching him disappear gradually into the growing night until he was finally out of sight.
Only then did Izuku take a slow breath and force himself to move. He adjusted Riolu in his arms, squared his shoulders, and started walking toward the Pokemon Center, determination slowly replacing the ache he felt.
“Let’s do our best, Riolu!”
Riolu barked eagerly in agreement, and together they headed into Eterna City.