The Weight Of The World On Your Shoulders (My Hero Academia x Pokemon)

Bumps In The Road

-x- Izuku -x-

Seeing Shoto get stronger daily was amazing. He was getting faster at learning and training various pokemon abilities. They were very random, as he picked and chose from the thousands of moves. He still mostly was best at electricity, but was focusing hard on manipulating emotions and thoughts of pokemon especially. He had a partner to help him out, an alakazam that came over every day and ate some dinner and then they practiced.

Rei thought it was interesting, and still had no idea the situation her two sons were in. With time came skill for Shoto, but he was distant lately. He didn't like opening up about what was happening with Arceus and what all went on down in the underground lake. He was clammed up about it and refused to talk.

It did seem like Touya knew something that Izuku didn't, and he tried not to be upset over it. There was a sense of guilt and pity in both brother's eyes, and Izuku was starting to get a feeling about something he didn't want to be true. If Shoto could erase memories now, like the lake guardians, since he could control emotions in pokemon and low level in passerby humans, had he used some on Izuku? Had he done something to him and now felt guilt every time he saw him?

What would he have erased? Should Izuku be mad at him, or know it was a good reason? It left him conflicted and he couldn't bring himself to ask him. He wanted things to be how they were before. Before the lake, what he learned and told him. What he kept from him. But after the lake, Shoto threw himself in training, along with working to be perfect at his grades.

Izuku wondered how things would have been if they'd both stayed powerless. Would things be very different?

He had asked one day, and regret it immediately. When they were outside, Izuku sitting on the deck and Shoto trying to learn to fly, sweating as the togetic attempted to explain it. "Shoto? If you didn't have this power, would things be different between us?" He interrupted him, and it startled him, making him fall on his stomach with a grunt. "Sorry..."

"It would happen anyways. We just would be victims."

"That's not what I meant. As friends." Shoto's brows furrowed.

"Don't you want to be my friend because I'm interesting?" he asked in confusion. Izuku gasped.

"Shoto, do you think I'm only your friend because of the situation?"

"I mean... once I stopped confiding, you got more distant. There's not really any other explanation." Izuku felt sick with himself if Shoto thought this. For how long did he feel this way? "It's okay. I understand."

"That's not true! I like you as a person, the pokemon stuff is just fun to tag along with!" Izuku said, walking over to him, the bicolored hair kid sitting on the grass, looking at his hand as it picked at it. The togetic was waiting for the lessons to continue. Izuku knelt in front of him. "I just got distant because I thought you were. You've started avoiding me... is it something I did, or you did?" Shoto sighed at Izuku knowing something was up.

Still looking at his hands holding grass, he said, "I told you. What I thought the big event was. Your reaction was... not the best. So I took it away. I don't regret it, it was what was best for you." His voice was firm and sure. He believed in his words, that it was the right move. Izuku nodded, and looked down sadly.

"I'm sorry my reaction was bad and I can't share the burden with you."

Shoto gave a small smile. "I'm glad it's just me. I don't want to burden you with it when there's not really anything you or anyone else can do to stop it," he said with a sigh in his voice. "I'm sorry I did something against your wishes, it's just what I felt was right."