章 91: Chapter 90: Bakugo's Perfect Fit
With Present Mic's announcement, the audience began to leave the stadium in a lively, excited commotion. Ordinary spectators exited through the guest entrances, talking animatedly about the thrilling events they'd just witnessed. Outside, the food stalls bustled with activity as vendors scrambled to serve the wave of hungry attendees.
Inside, the participants headed through a separate entrance, making their way to the U.A. cafeteria for lunch. To encourage student participation in the Sports Festival, U.A. had promised free meals for all contestants on the day of the event.
"Man, I'm starving..." Tetsutetsu clutched his stomach as he walked along with the crowd. "I was so focused on the competition that I didn't notice, but now I feel like I've burned through everything I ate this morning."
Kaminari laughed and clapped Tetsutetsu on the shoulder. "You really did work hard today. Not only did you run a few kilometers in the first event, but you also carried me all over the place!"
After a moment of thought, Kaminari made a generous gesture to Tetsutetsu, Kyoka, and Momo. "Tell you what, lunch is on me today! Order whatever you like. Don't hold back!"
"Really? That's awesome!" Tetsutetsu cheered, clearly thrilled. "This is the first time you're treating me!"
"That's not true," Kaminari retorted with a grin. "Didn't I treat you to pork cutlet rice once before?"
Soon, Kaminari and his fellow Class 1-A students gathered in one area of the cafeteria, food trays in hand, and started chatting away. They had a lot to talk about after everything that had happened.
At that moment, Momo, who had just taken a bite of bread, looked at Kaminari and asked him a rather unexpected question. "Kaminari, have you decided on my 'band mascot' yet?"
Kaminari, in the middle of scooping up a piece of tofu, paused in surprise. He quickly regained his composure and chuckled, "Wow, you're really invested in this, huh?"
"Of course," Momo replied earnestly. She glanced at Kyoka, then continued, "Since I'm part of the 'Pikachu Band' now, I can't be the only one without a mascot. You and Kyoka already have yours, so why shouldn't I get one too?"
"So… have you figured it out?" She fixed him with an expectant look. "And don't try to dodge the question. If you don't have an answer, I might just stop teaching you about electromagnetism!"
Kaminari burst into laughter. Seeing Momo, usually so composed, act so eager was both amusing and refreshing. He finally put down his spoon and raised his right hand in front of him.
"I've already thought of something for you, actually. And I think it fits your vibe perfectly."
"Zap! Zap!"
In the next moment, a soft glow of golden electricity sparked in Kaminari's palm. The current was delicate and controlled, not chaotic at all. Gradually, the electric light formed into the shape of a small, elegant creature, shimmering with a warm, golden glow.
"So pretty…" Mina, Ochaco, Tsuyu, and the other girls looked at it in awe.
"Whoa, Kaminari, can you really do that?" Midoriya was equally astonished. "If you can create three-dimensional shapes with electricity, does that mean you could also form maps or layouts? That could be super useful during hero missions!"
Leave it to Midoriya to immediately start analyzing the potential applications, Kaminari thought with a smile. They really did think alike sometimes.
"Kaminari, what's her name?" Momo asked, her eyes fixed on the glowing creature.
Kyoka was also curious. Although she liked her own mascot, she couldn't help but notice that Momo's looked… classier. She couldn't shake the slight pang of jealousy.
"This one's called Ninetales," Kaminari explained, gesturing to the elegantly shaped creature in his hand. "It's the evolved form of Vulpix and is a Fire-type Pokémon. It has these ruby-like eyes that can cast a strange light to control minds, and its flames are incredibly powerful. It can use moves like Flamethrower, Explosion, and Overheat."
He then raised his left hand, forming a smaller, cuter version of the creature—a Vulpix.
"This is Vulpix, its earlier form," he added.
As Momo listened to his explanation, her eyes sparkled with excitement. The more she looked at Ninetales, the more she adored it. There was a graceful, noble air about the creature that resonated with her deeply.
"If I were to turn into a Pokémon… maybe this is what I'd look like," Momo thought with a soft smile.
Meanwhile, Kyoka couldn't resist asking, "Why is it a Fire-type, though? That doesn't really match Momo's Quirk."
"Well…" Kaminari shrugged with a sheepish grin. "There aren't any Pokémon with a 'creation' ability like Momo's. So I had to pick one that matched her personality instead."
"It's perfect. I love it!" Momo beamed. "When will the merchandise be out? I want to fill my room with it!"
Kaminari chuckled, "Well, normally it'd be a while before Ninetales shows up in the show… but we can always have some special merchandise made just for you!"
Momo's smile grew wider. Kaminari's thoughtfulness was clearly appreciated.
Seeing this, Mina spoke up, "Hey! Does that mean we'll get Pokémon mascots too? Remember, we signed the character rights contract!"
Kaminari looked around at the hopeful faces and laughed. "You'll definitely show up in future episodes, but I haven't decided on exclusive mascots for everyone yet. Momo's is just for the band."
As he said this, Kaminari's gaze drifted toward Bakugo, who was eating Mapo tofu a few seats away, obviously listening in despite pretending not to care.
Kaminari grinned mischievously. "Actually, I've got a couple of Pokémon in mind that are a perfect match for Bakugo."
Midoriya's eyes lit up with interest. "Wait, really? There are Pokémon with Bakugo's… temperament?"
"What did you say, Deku?!" Bakugo's head snapped up, glaring at Midoriya. "You got a problem with my personality?! Say it again, I dare you!"
Kirishima and the others exchanged knowing looks, clearly amused by Bakugo's outburst. But they, too, were curious to see which Pokémon Kaminari had picked.
Kaminari formed the two creatures in his hands, and immediately everyone's eyes were drawn to their fiery, fierce appearances. These Pokémon looked intense, just like Bakugo.
"These are…?" Kyoka asked, eyeing the glowing forms with a mix of fascination and unease.
Kaminari grinned. "Infernape and Magmar."
***
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章 92: Chapter 91: Self-Esteem and Goals.
The lunch break wasn't long, just about an hour, enough time for everyone to grab a bite and chat a bit. During this time, Kaminari took the opportunity to slip away to the bathroom and call his parents outside the venue.
His parents sounded overjoyed on the phone, clearly ecstatic about his performance that morning. Kaminari couldn't blame them; today had been a big win. He could already imagine how lively his fan page on MTV Japan must be, with his follower count probably shooting up.
Meanwhile, Minoru Mineta had earned a new nickname among the class: "The Incarnation of Lust." He'd just told Momo and the other girls, with an absurdly serious expression, that there was a "message from a substitute teacher" instructing them to dress like cheerleaders and compete in a cheerleading event.
Of course, Kaminari immediately knew it was nonsense. With Aizawa-sensei's personality, if there had really been an official notice from the school, he would've mentioned it directly or even come in person. He'd never rely on a student to pass on such a message.
But… Kaminari chose not to expose Mineta's lie. It was rare to see the girls all dressed up in cheerleading uniforms, after all. So why not enjoy the sight?
Before long, all the contestants gathered back in the stadium, and the audience filled up the stands once more.
"Alright! Lunch break is over, and it's time to announce the final event!" Present Mic, the commentator, sounded even more enthusiastic than in the morning, probably because he'd had a good meal and some rest.
"But before that, I have good news for everyone who didn't make it to the finals!" he continued with a big grin. "Since this is a sports festival, the school has prepared some fun activities that everyone can join! And we've even invited a professional cheerleading team from the United States to get everyone hyped! Isn't that exciting?"
However, as soon as he said this, both Mic and Aizawa-sensei noticed something odd about Class A's girls.
"Huh? What's going on with Class A? Is this some kind of… fan service?" Mic's words echoed across the stadium as the camera zoomed in on Momo, Kyoka, and the other girls from Class A, who were now wearing cute, youthful cheerleading outfits but looked less than thrilled.
Well… needless to say, they managed to attract more attention than the professional cheerleaders.
"Not bad at all. Looks good," Kaminari said with a grin, openly admiring the girls' outfits. Meanwhile, most of the other boys in Class A looked away awkwardly, too embarrassed to stare.
"Yes!!" Mineta, the "mastermind" behind the scene, looked completely smug. "Ahh, I am a genius!!"
"Mineta-kun! You totally lied to us, didn't you?!" Momo glared at him, her face flushed with embarrassment. Kyoka, equally red-faced, threw down her pom-poms in frustration. Little did she know that her outfit had already captured the attention of some far-off fans who were planning to record it for their own memories.
"I've got to get the video footage of this later and make it my desktop background!" a fan muttered from the audience.
At this point, Mic decided it was time to move on. Due to the limited time, he quickly resumed his role as emcee, and the four giant screens switched to display a pyramid-shaped tournament bracket.
"After the entertainment events, we'll start the one-on-one elimination round, with the twenty students who advanced in the previous events!"
Mic continued, "Since we have an odd number of competitors, two people will have to compete in an extra round to keep the brackets even. They'll have an extra match before moving to the next round."
"Isn't that unfair to those two?" Uraraka asked with a frown.
Midnight-sensei, who was overseeing the event, addressed the question through her mic. "It may seem unfair, yes, but as aspiring heroes, we want to teach you all an important lesson. In life, unexpected challenges and unfair situations are bound to happen. Facing these calmly is an essential quality for any pro hero."
In other words, there wasn't really a fairer way to handle it, so they had to deal with it as best they could. U.A. rules.
"Alright, let's start with the Kaminari group, who placed first, to draw lots and decide the match-ups," Midnight announced, smiling warmly at the students. But just as the first group prepared to draw, Ojiro and Koda from Class A both raised their hands.
"Sorry to interrupt!" they said in unison, glancing at each other with surprise.
"I want to withdraw," Ojiro said firmly.
There was a collective gasp from the students. Midnight herself looked stunned, clearly not expecting this.
"Why, Ojiro?" Midoriya called out in disbelief. "You worked so hard to make it this far!"
"Yeah, you know how rare this opportunity is, don't you?" Toru Hagakure added, her invisible hands waving in distress.
Ojiro clenched his fists. "It's because I don't remember anything from the Cavalry Battle. I think that guy's Quirk must have affected me somehow."
He glanced briefly at Hitoshi Shinso, who looked straight ahead, unfazed. "I know how valuable this opportunity is, and I know it might seem foolish to give it up… but I can't, in good conscience, take a spot in the finals when I didn't earn it through my own efforts."
Hearing this, Kaminari felt a newfound respect for Ojiro.
While the girls around tried to comfort Ojiro, he covered his face, his voice trembling with emotion. "No… this is about my pride. I just… can't accept it."
Koda stepped forward, scratching his head in embarrassment. "As for me… I don't think I'm suited for one-on-one battles in this kind of setting. My Quirk… it's called 'Anivoice.' I can control animals, but…"
He glanced around the noisy stadium. "There are no animals here. Even pigeons and birds stay away from such a loud environment."
Midnight gave him a sympathetic smile. "Alright, Koda, I understand."
Then, one of the Class B students, Shoda, also stepped forward. "I'd like to withdraw as well. My reasons are the same as Ojiro's from Class A. Letting someone who hasn't done anything meaningful advance… just doesn't sit right with me."
The crowd grew quiet, watching the three of them. Their decision might've seemed unusual, but in a way, it showcased a heroic spirit that was admirable. Professional heroes who valued integrity and character would surely take notice of their actions.
Kaminari, observing from his spot, thought to himself, "These guys… they've definitely got the right kind of resolve."
Midnight glanced at them with a look of approval. "Alright! I respect your decisions." With a flick of her whip, she granted their requests to withdraw, then added with a hint of mischief, "This means we have three open spots. So we'll take the next three students with the highest total scores from the first two events to fill them."
As she spoke, the names appeared on the screen: Bone Crusher, Shiozaki, and Tsuburaba from Class B.
With the roster set, Midnight continued, "And now, let's reveal the match-ups for the first round!"
The large screen displayed the pairings, and the first match-up was set.
"First match: Ochaco Uraraka vs. Hitoshi Shinso!"
Midnight's announcement marked the start of the entertainment events. While those who didn't advance eagerly joined in, the finalists had the option to rest, strategize, or simply prepare for their matches.
Everyone had their own thoughts and goals, and before they knew it, it was time for the final round to begin.
"The rules are simple," Mic explained, his voice carrying across the stadium. "If you knock your opponent out of bounds, render them unable to fight, or make them give up, you win!"
"Don't worry about injuries; Recovery Girl is standing by as always. However," he added with a note of caution, "if your moves are deemed excessively dangerous, you'll be disqualified on the spot."
Kaminari raised an eyebrow at this. "Hmm… that means I'll have to think twice about using that move. It might be too risky for a school event."
As he mulled over his options, Uraraka stepped onto the concrete arena, her face showing traces of nervousness. Across from her, Shinso stood with his usual, calm expression.
With her father's encouragement fresh in her mind, Uraraka's determination hardened. "Dad, I'll show you… I'm going to become a pro hero and help you make a better life."
Her fear faded as her goal came into focus. Facing Shinso, her gaze turned resolute.
"Begin!"
***
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