Jujutsu Kaisen: I Have A Gardevoir

This was a true feast for the senses.

With idol-worthy faces and two musicians rivaling the best in the industry, plus the simple yet oddly catchy dance moves from another world, the production was impressive, even without post-production effects.

The director, whom Mai Zen'in had pulled strings to bring in, repeatedly asked, "Who are these incredible people? Are they signed? If not, please consider us—we offer only the best terms."

Mai herself was almost ready to punch someone.

Of course, none of this would change the outcome. Did they even know who these people were? If they wanted to enter the entertainment industry, they'd simply buy a company—who'd need a contract?

Even the weakest here, like Mai herself, couldn't care less.

"Hey, Mai, could a contract make lots of money?"

"Mai, could a contract get me close to Sebastian?"

Mai sighed. "Kasumi, Momo…"

Yep, Miwa Kasumi was strapped for cash, and Nishimiya Momo was a hardcore fan…

My teammates.

My sister's teammates.

"Wow, this is awesome."

"I almost didn't recognize you, Maki."

"Maki, you look beautiful. It really suits you."

"Salmon."

Fun fact: no matter what you're filming, makeup is necessary; otherwise, under the lights, you'd look ghostly pale.

Maki, who never wore makeup, was "dragged into it" this time, and the result was… satisfying. It wasn't a "duckling turning into a swan" scenario, but a transformation no one could ignore.

Even Mai, despite being in her sibling rivalry phase, couldn't help but stare.

It felt like she was going to get overshadowed again.

Instinctively, her eyes darted to a certain guy from her grade, only to find he wasn't even looking at Maki.

Well, someone's immune to the charm.

But why was he smiling so widely? Did he really like filming MVs that much? If so, then maybe…

Her lips curved into a sly smile, and her gaze at the director hinted at an idea forming.

Akira, however, remained oblivious to all this, too focused on his feeling of "successfully executing a scheme"—no, "successfully completing a plan." Well, in any case, things were going way better than expected.

The Hailan Home joke? Nailed it. MV? Done. Most importantly—

"What are you grinning about, you creep?"

Finally freed from the spotlight of compliments, Maki found her perfect target.

"Guess," Akira teased, not remotely offended and intentionally playing coy.

He barely managed a second of mystery before Gojo cracked it.

Gojo walked over to a stack of miscellaneous items, moved Gakuganji's electric guitar case aside, and lifted a small, round, blue creature from the corner.

It was a bird with a sky-blue body, short tail, and stubby legs, with two tufts of blue feathers on its head resembling little antennae.

Its wings were its defining feature, fluffy and soft like two big cotton clouds, which ruffled with irritation as Gojo accidentally brushed them.

"Chiru…"

The bird's voice was light and pleasant, drawing everyone's attention.

"What a strange bird."

Gojo's bluntness predictably sparked a chorus of protests.

"What's so strange about it?"

"It's cute, duh."

"You're the weird one, eyepatch freak!"

As Gojo was chastised, the blue bird fluffed its wings and flew up, landing on Utahime's head—the one who'd scolded him most fiercely—and chirped, melting the hearts of every girl watching.

Yuta and Toge couldn't hide their fond smiles either.

This made Panda sigh, "Does… no one like me anymore?"

Gakuganji glanced thoughtfully at his guitar case.

Gojo leaned closer to Akira and whispered, "So, making Utahime sing was…?"

"All for this," Akira confirmed with a nod.

His fourth Pokémon: Swablu.

The Cotton Bird Pokémon.

Named for its sky-blue color and cottony wings.

Quiet by nature, it sings beautifully when in a good mood.

It's also the pre-evolution of Altaria, known as the Humming Pokémon.

Swablu's bond with Utahime went beyond her scolding Gojo; it was because Utahime herself inspired Swablu's mimicry.

Interestingly, the Swablu egg hadn't formed the first time Akira met Utahime. Only when she began singing did his Pokémon system shift from [Meme detected] to [Collecting meme data... Pokémon egg obtained.]

The more she sang, the faster it began to hatch. That's why Akira had to rush to manifest it and find a safe spot to let it hatch to her music.

By the time the MV wrapped, the Swablu had fully hatched, making it Akira's fastest-hatched Pokémon yet.

What excited Akira wasn't just gaining a new Pokémon, but discovering a potential pattern.

It seemed he couldn't just see something to scan it; there had to be some active stimulus.

With Rika, he'd noticed a hint of this.

When he first met Yuta, there was no reaction.

When Rika partially manifested, the system nudged him.

Then, when Rika fully manifested during a fight, triggered by Gardevoir's all-out attack, he received the prompt about obtaining an egg.

At the time, he'd been too preoccupied to consider it. But encountering Utahime and having the system prompt appear again made things click. Hence, he'd given Gojo the "singer and guitarist" idea.

And it worked just as he'd hoped.

Successfully acquiring a song-related Pokémon.

While it wasn't the song-legendary Meloetta or the singing ancestor Jigglypuff, Swablu could definitely hold its own.

First off, Swablu filled a major gap in Akira's roster: a Flying-type Pokémon.

Although it was small now and couldn't carry him in flight, at level 35, it would evolve into Altaria, freeing him from the costly cab fares.

If he could achieve Mega Evolution with it, it would even become the renowned "Dragon Slayer" Fairy/Dragon type.

Beyond that, Swablu's evolution line had a special trait—their wings, fluffier than any pillow.

Falling asleep to its soft wings and gentle song would be one of the best experiences for any Pokémon Trainer.

Meowth, the official Team Rocket mascot, certified this—Giovanni had once used it and praised it highly.

For a Trainer, Pokémon were more than just battle partners or companions; they enriched every part of life.

Being a Pokémon Trainer is truly amazing. Akira thought wholeheartedly.