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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