As the I-Island music dinner finally came to an end, the Pikachu Band and every song they performed sent the world into a frenzy!
Many things—both big and small—happened during this trip to I-Island, but the final reward Kaminari received far exceeded anything he had imagined.
The moment he stepped off I-Island, a massive halo seemed to surround him. This halo elevated him to worldwide fame and ensured he would draw attention wherever he went from now on.
"Man... looks like I can't take the Shinkansen to school anymore." Back home in Saitama, Kaminari was lounging on the sofa, speaking with a wry smile.
They had returned to Japan at 1 p.m. that afternoon, but as soon as they exited the plane and stepped through immigration, they were greeted by a huge crowd.
Girls in the front row were holding up signs that read things like "Kaminari Denki," "Pikachu Band," and "Movie."
And the moment Kaminari appeared, the airport exploded with screams.
That scene was no less intense than the kind of wild fan reaction idol groups got in his past life. It was then that Kaminari finally realized just how famous he had become.
"There are still a bunch of reporters and fans gathered outside our neighborhood. If Officer Hirado and the security department Heroes hadn't helped out, they might've forced their way in!" his mother said, sighing as she changed into more casual clothes.
"I'm honestly worried. Not only is it going to be inconvenient for you to get to school, Kaminari, but even I might get swarmed just going out to buy groceries..."
Although it was truly something to be proud of, that her precious son had become successful and famous, it was still a bit of a headache if it disrupted their normal life.
"It's fine. That kind of attention won't last long. Once the buzz from the I-Island dinner fades, it'll calm down a lot," Dad said with a broad smile. He'd been in an excellent mood lately, especially since the company's growth prospects were looking brighter than ever.
Waving his hand generously, he added, "As for Kaminari getting to school, no problem. I'll have the secretary buy another car and hire a driver. No need for the Shinkansen anymore!"
He then turned to his beloved wife and said, "Same goes for you. Get yourself a car too, and either hire a female pro Hero as a chauffeur or get a helper to do the shopping."
"Whoa, isn't that a bit much?" Mom and Kaminari said in unison, surprised.
They had lived modestly before comfortably, but not extravagantly. To suddenly become a wealthy family felt a bit unnatural.
"It's not extravagant. Our status has changed." Dad's smiling expression turned more serious.
"Kaminari is no longer just an ordinary Hero Course student, and I'm no longer just a small business owner. We're going to become more and more well-known and wealthy. That's a good thing but it also brings great risk. We need this kind of setup."
As he spoke, he took out three red-and-white Poké Balls from his waistband, each with a golden lightning pattern on the center button.
"That's why I spent a fortune getting these made!"
Kaminari and his mother looked at the three Poké Balls on the coffee table. The names were 'Zapdos,' 'Raijin,' and 'Leib.'
Except for 'Leib,' the other two were equipped with power dangerous enough to kill. According to doctors on I-Island, their combat strength was equivalent to that of two mid-tier Pro Heroes!
Mom picked up the Poké Ball labeled 'Leib,' pressed the button, and tossed it into the air. With a flash of white light, it transformed into a golden creature.
"Whoa… the sound effects, the special effects…" Kaminari muttered in his head. These top scientists really went full chuuni with this.
"Kaminari, let's bring out Pikachu too," Mom said with a happy smile as she held Leib.
"Sure."
Kaminari nodded and looked at the golden ring on his right wrist.
It was a gift from the scientists on I-Island to him, Kyoka, and Momo. Using what they called nanotechnology, they upgraded their combat suits to be deployable from accessories like wristbands, basically turning them into wearable gear.
To put it simply, they could now suit up like they were putting on a watch, super convenient.
As for why only the three of them received this gift? Because they were the main cast of Pokémon!
Of course, everyone else also got gifts from I-Island. In addition to being granted lifelong access to the island, each of them received a pet Pokémon, intelligent and tangible, but non-combat.
As a beam of light shone from the golden ring, the familiar little 'Pikachu' appeared in Kaminari's arms. He gently set it down on the floor.
"Go get to know 'Leib'. He's going to be part of our family from now on!"
"Pikachu!"
'Pikachu' squeaked adorably at Kaminari, then excitedly bounced over to 'Leib,' who had just been released by Mom.
Kaminari's dad watched the two Pokémon playing in the living room with a gentle expression. Even though he knew they were technically artificial intelligence, he still saw them as real family pets.
"Alright then, it's time to choose. Once we pick, we'll need to spend some time getting familiar with their functions. Which one do you want?"
"Hmm…" Mom glanced back and forth between the remaining two Poké Balls, hesitating.
"They have the same functions?" Kaminari asked, puzzled.
"The doctors said their AI is about the same.
Their maximum electric output is said to be in the tens of millions of volts, and they're enhanced to resist impacts, extreme heat, and extreme cold.
The difference is that 'Raijin' is faster, while 'Zapdos' can fly," Dad nodded.
"T-T-Tens of millions of volts?!" Kaminari's face twisted bitterly when he heard that. I haven't even reached that level yet!
At that moment, his mother reached for the Poké Ball on the right and smiled. "Since I already have an animal-type 'Leib,' I'll take the bird-type 'Zapdos.'"
"Alright, then I'll take 'Raijin'!" Dad said with visible excitement in his eyes. It was clear he preferred the more powerful one.
From now on, when he was working in the office, the mighty 'Raijin' would be lounging nearby—basically like raising a thunder tiger.
"By the way, Kaminari, what kind of car do you want?" Dad asked while picking up the Poké Ball marked 'Raijin' and glancing at his son.
"A car?" Kaminari thought for a moment as a bunch of luxury models popped into his mind. "How about… a sports car?"
"Sports car, huh?" Dad and Mom looked at each other and chuckled. Yup, definitely a teenage boy.
"Sure!" Dad slapped his thigh and said, "I'll have someone get you a sports car. As for the color, you like black and gold, right?"
"Yeah, totally!" Kaminari nodded excitedly. He never imagined that one day he'd own a sports car.
But then his dad scratched his head awkwardly and added, "Just don't expect anything too famous. I can only get you something around ten million yen for now. I don't have that much cash on hand. Once I make more money, I'll get you a better one."
"Money?" Kaminari blinked, then remembered something and asked, "Speaking of money, I should've earned a ton from those songs, right?"
"Oh yeah, I didn't really check on that. I had a new bank card made for you, everything related to that income's been deposited into it," Dad said a little awkwardly as he pulled out a Mitsui Bank card from his wallet.
"Let's check the balance," Kaminari said.
"Uh..." When his dad checked the balance on his phone, his expression froze.
"F-F-Forty Million… seven hundred twenty-four thousand!!"
(To be continued.)
***
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