Although Midnight was visibly surprised by Kaminari's request, she eventually agreed to let him use the training hall. Her curiosity about the match was enough to win her over.
After Kaminari left with a satisfied grin, murmurs began to spread through the office.
Cementoss: "Snatch… isn't he Endeavor's former assistant?"
Ectoplasm: "Not anymore. He started his own agency a while back."
Cementoss: "Really? Shows how out of touch I've been. I haven't been keeping up with agency news."
As a long-time Hero, Cementoss tended to stay informed about top-tier Heroes but had lost track of the up-and-comers in the professional sphere.
"But still," he continued, "Snatch isn't weak. Why would Kaminari want to spar with someone like him?"
Vlad King, the Class 1-B homeroom teacher, joined the conversation. "Good question. What's he trying to accomplish? I mean, Snatch is no pushover." His gaze drifted toward Aizawa, the Class 1-A homeroom teacher.
Aizawa leaned back in his chair, speaking in his usual calm tone. "Snatch is Kaminari's father's personal bodyguard now. Kaminari might just want to see how capable this bodyguard really is."
He paused briefly before letting out a quiet sigh. "Still, I wouldn't want to be in Snatch's shoes right now."
The room fell silent. The teachers collectively recalled Kaminari's incredible performance during the U.A. Sports Festival.
Midnight nodded thoughtfully. "If Snatch loses, it could really damage his reputation."
As professional Heroes themselves, most of the teachers in the office understood the importance of reputation in their line of work. A Hero's credibility was everything. Losing to a student—no matter how skilled—would undoubtedly create doubts about Snatch's abilities.
"What I don't get is why Snatch agreed to this," Vlad King said, frowning. "Even if he wins, what's in it for him?"
Aizawa shrugged, his tone indifferent. "Maybe he never considered the possibility of losing. He's only been running his own agency for a couple of years. He might not fully understand the stakes yet."
It was true. Though Snatch had separated from Endeavor on good terms and had been successful in his independent endeavors, his career had been relatively smooth. The agency received steady support from Endeavor, and Snatch's reputation as Endeavor's former chief assistant attracted clients.
But Aizawa knew how brutal the competition among Hero agencies could be. In Japan's saturated Hero market, maintaining an agency's standing required constant effort. Winning over clients often felt like a battle in itself.
---
Meanwhile, Kaminari and Tetsutetsu had just stepped out of the school building. They were chatting casually when Kaminari's phone began to ring, breaking into the opening lines of Kyoka's version of "Only My Railgun."
Tetsutetsu smirked. "Didn't your ringtone used to be the male version? When did you switch it?"
Kaminari grinned but ignored the question as he answered the call. "Hello?"
A familiar steady voice came through the line. "It's me, Tenma."
"Dr. Tenma! What's up?" Kaminari exchanged a confused glance with Tetsutetsu before returning his attention to the call.
"Your combat suit has been updated. If you're free, you can come pick it up."
"So soon?" Kaminari was taken aback by the news.
"It didn't take long," Dr. Tenma replied simply. "We weren't making an entirely new suit, just upgrading the existing one."
"Got it. I'll head over right away!" Kaminari ended the call and turned to Tetsutetsu with an excited smile. "Hey, want to come with me to check it out?"
Tetsutetsu scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I'd love to, but I can't today. There's an internal competition at my judo hall, and I can't skip it."
"Ah, too bad," Kaminari replied, a little disappointed but understanding. "By the way, why don't you ever use your judo moves when we spar?"
Tetsutetsu chuckled as they walked. "For one, you're way too fast for me to grab. And second, trying to grapple you when you're covered in lightning? No thanks."
"Fair enough," Kaminari said with a laugh.
After saying their goodbyes at the subway station, Tetsutetsu headed home while Kaminari transferred to the line that would take him to Shimizu District.
---
About half an hour later, Kaminari arrived at the Mitsui Research Institute, where Dr. Tenma was already waiting for him.
"Doctor, you seem to be in a good mood," Kaminari said, noticing the subtle spark of joy in Tenma's otherwise stoic expression.
Dr. Tenma nodded, his gaze drifting toward the display case in the room's center. "I'm quite satisfied with how your new battle suit turned out."
Kaminari followed his gaze and froze. Inside the glass dome stood… Pikachu.
A life-like, vividly detailed Pikachu sat inside, its small paws pressed against the glass. Its bright lightning bolt-shaped tail wagged playfully as it let out a cheerful "Pika, Pika, Pikachu!"
"Whoa…" Kaminari's breath hitched. Even though the Pikachu design had been his idea, seeing it brought to life left him stunned.
"Wow," he whispered, stepping closer to the dome. "It's like seeing the real thing. I feel like I just caught my first Pokémon."
Tenma chuckled, his voice carrying a rare hint of amusement. "In that case, should I call myself Professor Oak?"
Kaminari laughed, shaking his head. "Do you actually watch Pokémon?"
"Of course," Tenma replied, his tone light. "I watch it with my son every weekend. Speaking of which…" He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Tobio's birthday is coming up on June 14th. Would you mind bringing Pikachu to our house for the celebration? I think it'd make him very happy."
Kaminari didn't hesitate. "No problem at all!"
****
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Kaminari didn't hesitate to accept Dr. Tenma's invitation. Refusing wasn't even a consideration.
Not only was Tobio's birthday after the midterm exams, but even if it had been before, Kaminari would have agreed without a second thought.
Dr. Tenma had done so much for him, how could he say no?
How many long hours had Dr. Tenma poured into perfecting Kaminari's battle suit? Sure, it all started with Kaminari saving Mitsui Buntais, the patriarch of the Mitsui family, but that didn't negate the doctor's contributions.
Without Dr. Tenma's genius, Kaminari's ideas and Mitsui's materials wouldn't have been enough to create something as extraordinary as his current combat uniform.
"Thank you, Kaminari," Dr. Tenma said with a faint but genuine smile. "I've been so focused on my research over the years that I've neglected Tobio. I want to make this birthday special for him, something he'll always remember."
Kaminari nodded in understanding. He could feel the sincerity in the doctor's words, and for a moment, the lab was quiet. But soon, Dr. Tenma regained his composure and motioned toward the display case where the Pikachu battle suit was stored.
"Alright, let's test the new features!"
Turning to the small Pikachu perched on the floor inside the dome, Dr. Tenma instructed, "Activate the electromagnetic assist function for the Poké Balls."
"Pika?" The Pikachu tilted its head, then turned its gaze toward Kaminari, ignoring the doctor's command entirely.
"Huh?" Kaminari blinked in surprise, looking down at the small yellow creature. The atmosphere felt oddly tense for a moment.
"Oh, I forgot!" Dr. Tenma smacked his forehead, shaking his head with a chuckle. "Last night, we reset the system's authority levels. You're now the highest priority. It only listens to you."
"Got it." Kaminari nodded in realization, then looked at Pikachu with a small smile. "Alright, Pikachu, activate the electromagnetic assist function for the Poké Balls."
"Pika!" The Pikachu nodded enthusiastically, letting out a cheerful cry.
"Zzzzz!"
Small golden sparks crackled from the red circles on Pikachu's cheeks. The six golden Poké Balls stored within the dome began to hover, floating smoothly in midair before drifting toward Kaminari.
"Each Poké Ball contains a hundred kilograms of nano gold sand," Dr. Tenma explained as Kaminari inspected the hovering orbs. "To make them easier for you to carry, the majority of their weight is counterbalanced by electromagnetic assistance."
Kaminari reached out and touched the surface of one of the Poké Balls. It felt cool and metallic under his fingers. When he held it in his hand, he was surprised by how light it was—roughly the weight of an apple.
"That's incredible," Kaminari murmured, marveling at the technology. He then looked up at the doctor. "So these Poké Balls are controlled by Pikachu, right? What about in combat? Can they perform the automatic defense function we discussed?"
Dr. Tenma's lips curled into a confident smirk. "Exactly. During testing, the automatic defense system worked flawlessly."
"That's amazing. Can I try it out myself?" Kaminari asked eagerly.
"Of course," Dr. Tenma said. "Here's something else to note—this belt is designed to hold the Poké Balls. Don't worry, as long as Pikachu is within a fifty-meter radius, the electromagnetic assist function will remain active."
He handed Kaminari a sleek golden belt adorned with dark gold lightning patterns. It had six small compartments for holding the Poké Balls.
"This is awesome," Kaminari said, grinning as he strapped the belt on. The remaining five Poké Balls floated over and slid neatly into their compartments.
"Well done, Pikachu!" Kaminari praised.
"Pika, pika!" Pikachu chirped happily, wagging its tail.
This feels unreal… like I've stepped into another world, Kaminari thought, the surrealness of the situation hitting him.
"Sadako, open the testing ground," Dr. Tenma commanded.
With a quiet hum, the opaque glass wall to their left slowly slid open, revealing a pristine white testing area.
"Here we go again," Kaminari muttered with a grin, recognizing the space from his first combat uniform test. Back then, he had fought three military-grade robots here.
"Step inside," Dr. Tenma said. "Once you're ready, throw a Poké Ball and say, 'Poké Ball, go!'"
Kaminari froze. "Wait… really?"
"Yes," Dr. Tenma confirmed without a hint of irony.
Kaminari tried to stifle a laugh but couldn't stop a grin from spreading across his face. This is so over the top… but I love it.
"Alright then. Let's do this."
Walking into the testing area, Kaminari held up one of the Poké Balls. "Poké Ball, go!" he shouted, throwing it forward with dramatic flair.
"Boom!"
The ball exploded mid-air, releasing a dazzling burst of golden sand. Kaminari's jaw dropped as he watched the golden particles expand and swirl around him.
"Whoa!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with awe. The visual effect was stunning, almost mesmerizing.
"Kaminari, throw the rest of the Poké Balls," Dr. Tenma instructed through the intercom.
Nodding, Kaminari threw the remaining five Poké Balls one by one, shouting, "Poké Ball, go!" each time. By the end, 600 kilograms of golden sand surrounded him, orbiting like a protective barrier. Pikachu stood by his feet, watching the display with a proud expression.
"Alright, let the test begin," Dr. Tenma said.
Suddenly, eight gun barrels emerged from the ceiling, each aiming directly at Kaminari.
"Don't worry, they're loaded with rubber bullets," Dr. Tenma reassured him. "The impact will sting, but it won't cause serious harm."
"Da-da-da-da!"
The guns opened fire, unleashing a hailstorm of rubber bullets.
Before Kaminari could even react, the golden sand surrounding him condensed into a thick, impenetrable wall, shielding him from all directions. The bullets ricocheted harmlessly off the golden barrier.
"Hahaha! Is this what Gaara feels like?" Kaminari laughed, looking around at the protective sand. He couldn't help but feel triumphant.
This is unreal, he thought. I used to envy scenes like this on TV, and now I'm living it.
"When you're attacked, the Poké Balls will automatically release the golden sand for defense," Dr. Tenma explained. "Of course, this depends on Pikachu detecting the attack in time."
"Got it," Kaminari replied, still grinning. "What about offensive capabilities? Can the sand be used to attack?"
"You'll have to try it yourself," Dr. Tenma said.
A panel on the far wall rose, revealing a military-grade robot armed with a glowing red sensor. Its mechanical voice declared, "Target acquired. Eliminate."
Kaminari's grin widened. "Let's see what this golden sand can really do."
***
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