"Son… are you telling the truth?"
Kaminari's mother asked, her voice tinged with both excitement and skepticism, as if afraid Kaminari was playing some elaborate joke.
"It's true," Kaminari confirmed, nodding. To be honest, he'd been just as stunned as they were when Principal Nezu first proposed the idea during their meeting.
"That's amazing!!"
Kaminari's mother rushed over and hugged him tightly, pride shining in her eyes. "You're really incredible!"
Clap!
"Well done, son!"
Kaminari's father clapped his hands in excitement. He knew exactly what this meant.
The U.A. Sports Festival was no ordinary event. It was a massive spectacle, even more popular than the Olympics in Japan. With the eyes of the entire country and even international viewers focused on it, a performance here would be the ultimate promotion!
"This principal really gave you a huge gift!" Kaminari's father said, grinning. Any lingering resentment he'd held toward U.A. for putting his son in harm's way during the recent villain attack vanished instantly.
"But… why did they choose Kaminari for this?" his mother asked, her brow furrowing slightly. "As far as I remember, there's never been an opening performance for the Sports Festival before."
"Good point… Kaminari, did the principal explain why?"
Both his parents looked at him expectantly. Such an unusual honor surely came with an explanation.
"Uh… he didn't go into detail," Kaminari admitted, scratching his head. "He just said something about supporting our 'student club' band."
He still felt a bit puzzled himself, though Principal Nezu's tone had been surprisingly gentle when he'd made the offer.
"Hmm… maybe it's just part of U.A.'s efforts to make this Sports Festival a bit different," Kaminari's father reasoned with a chuckle.
At that moment, any thoughts Kaminari had about refusing commercial performances were quickly tossed aside. This wasn't just some typical gig, this was the U.A. Sports Festival!
Passing up a chance like this would be beyond foolish.
"So, what song are you going to sing? 'Only My Railgun'? 'Hero'? Or maybe 'Pokémon'?" his mother asked, listing the popular titles Kaminari had already released.
"Well… if we were thinking strictly about promotion, singing 'Pokémon' would be the best choice, but…" his father hesitated, glancing at Kaminari.
"But it doesn't quite fit the theme of the Sports Festival," Kaminari agreed, understanding his father's concern. He was wrestling with the same dilemma. This was a huge opportunity, like performing at the opening of the Olympics in his past life. Whatever song he chose would reach millions of people.
After a long pause, Kaminari murmured, "Maybe… maybe I should write a new song for this."
"A new song?"
His father looked at him in surprise, and then a bit of worry crept into his expression. "Are you sure you have enough time?"
"Yes, and even if you do, what if you spend all your time on this song? Don't you need to prepare for the Sports Festival too?" his mother added, clearly concerned.
Kaminari smiled reassuringly. "Writing a song won't take too much time. And as for the Sports Festival, I've been preparing for years. The next few weeks are just for fine-tuning."
His parents exchanged a look, a mixture of pride and worry on their faces. But in the end, they nodded, trusting in his judgment.
"Alright, then. We'll support whatever decision you make," his mother said softly.
"I know you won't let us down!" his father added with a grin.
At that moment, a familiar theme song began to play on the TV. It was time for the premiere of Pokémon.
"Hey, it's starting!" Kaminari's mother said, eyes lighting up.
"Yeah, I can't wait…" Kaminari murmured, as all three of them quieted down to watch.
On the screen, Denki—the protagonist modeled after Kaminari himself appeared alongside Pikachu, embarking on their journey together. The opening sequence showcased scenes of Denki interacting with various Pokémon, all set to the catchy beat of the OP theme, "Aim to Be a Pokémon Master."
"Whether in fire, water, grass, or forest… Whether in earth, clouds, or under a girl's skirt"
"Pikachu!"
The song, performed by Kaminari and Kyoka, filled the living room, and through countless TVs across Japan, it reached homes nationwide. All the prior hype and marketing efforts finally paid off as fans tuned in to see what Pokémon was all about.
"Mom! Come quick!" Kyoka called excitedly from the living room, waving her mother over from the kitchen.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming!"
Her dad was already sprawled out on the couch, watching with a curious look on his face. After listening to the theme for a bit, he frowned slightly and asked, "Hey, why is that Kaminari kid the only one singing? What about you?"
"Uh…"
Kyoka blushed and scratched her head. "I was only on accompaniment, Dad. I didn't actually sing."
Her dad's frown deepened. "Why not? You sing just as well as he does!"
"I… I never told him I could sing," Kyoka admitted, embarrassed.
"…What an idiot," her dad muttered, shaking his head.
---
Meanwhile, in homes across Japan, the families of Class 1-A students, Tetsutetsu's family, Yaoyorozu's family, even Uraraka's family were all tuned in to watch the show.
The main character, modeled after Kaminari's likeness, was named simply "Denki" in the anime, making it easier for people to remember. So now, while he was Kaminari in real life, he was known as Denki in the Pokémon world.
---
At TV Tokyo's headquarters, Section Chief Akiyoshi, responsible for overseeing animation ratings, was watching the debut with bated breath. Normally, he wouldn't need to oversee something as routine as a ratings check.
But this wasn't just any anime, this was a show backed by the Mitsui and Yaoyorozu families, two of Japan's most powerful financial groups. In Japan, the influence of such groups was no small matter.
After the first half hour, the ratings team sat in stunned silence as they watched the numbers roll in.
"Ten percent viewership… within thirty minutes… This is the power of the two consortiums…" Section Chief Akiyoshi muttered in disbelief. As soon as he processed the numbers, he whipped around and shouted to his team.
"Notify the department head, now!"
---
At Bakugo's house.
"Huh, that's unusual." Bakugo's dad looked over at his son, who was sitting on the sofa with a focused expression.
"Yeah, you usually can't sit still for more than five minutes. But you've been glued to the TV for half an hour!" his mom added, her voice full of surprise.
Just then, the ending theme started to play.
"Who'd want to watch something like this anyway?!" Bakugo grumbled, his face turning red. He jumped up, flustered, and tossed the remote control onto the couch.
"I'm going to bed!"
"Tch, boring…"