My Hero Academia: Thunder God

Just like the previous night, around 7:30 PM, with the bright moon already hanging above the treetops, Kaminari returned home, feeling mentally drained.

As soon as he opened the door, the familiar smell of food filled his nostrils, and the warm, comforting atmosphere immediately enveloped him. This was what home felt like. It was precisely this feeling that made him willing to take an extra hour-long train ride every day to get back here.

"My son is home!"

His mother was the first to notice Kaminari stepping through the door. Perhaps it was the sensitivity unique to women or simply a mother's instinct.

"Yeah, I'm back, Mom. Hi, Dad," Kaminari greeted while slipping into his bright yellow Pikachu slippers. He then handed his school bag to his mother's waiting hand. This was one of the little ways she showed she cared, so he never refused.

"Son, you won't believe it! About that 'Pokémon'..." His father, clearly excited, was just about to launch into something when his mother cut in, slightly displeased.

"Talk business later. Our son hasn't even eaten yet."

"Oh, right, right... of course! Hahaha." Kaminari's dad awkwardly rubbed his nose, realizing he had been a bit too eager.

Seeing his loving parents, Kaminari smiled warmly. He changed out of his school uniform into casual clothes, quickly freshened up, and then eagerly dove into the home-cooked dinner his mom had left out for him.

In fact, Yaoyorozu had invited him to stay and have dinner at her place, but Kaminari politely declined. He knew that had he stayed, he would've been treated to a lavish meal, the kind he'd likely never experienced before.

But... he still preferred his mom's home-cooked meals.

"Someday, I'll treat my parents to a fancy meal too," he thought to himself as he enjoyed the food.

After dinner, his mom gathered the dishes with a gentle expression, while Kaminari settled onto the living room sofa to chat with his dad.

"Dad, what was it you wanted to tell me about 'Pokémon'?" Kaminari asked, his curiosity finally piqued.

"Ah, right!" His father perked up, looking relieved to finally share the news. "Our company hit a stroke of luck! You know the Mitsui Corporation, right? Somehow, they found out we were planning to produce a 'Pokémon' comic series, and get this—a rep from Mitsui's animation production branch actually came by!"

"Mitsui... them again?" Kaminari's expression darkened with suspicion. He recalled how Mitsui had unexpectedly taken over the production of Hero costumes, and now this?

"But I don't remember knowing anyone at Mitsui..." he muttered to himself.

Unaware of his son's unease, his father continued, beaming as he occasionally took sips from his coffee. "They offered to partner with us on producing 'Pokémon,' saying they could animate it and handle broadcasting on major TV networks!"

Kaminari remained calm and asked, "And what do they want in return?"

His dad, eyes gleaming, said, "That's the thing! There are no real conditions. They only ask that we cover the animation costs, and they're offering a 20% discount! Can you believe it? It's practically a gift! Animation pricing is usually calculated by the second, and on top of that, Mitsui's covering the broadcasting! It's unbelievable!"

Kaminari leaned back, thinking carefully. "But, Dad, have you considered why Mitsui is offering something so generous?"

His father nodded, looking serious for a moment. "I have. I've been in business for years, of course I thought about it. I even had a lawyer review the contract, and there's nothing shady in it. So, I figured, why not take advantage of their offer?"

Kaminari nodded slowly. If that were the case, then there really wasn't any reason to refuse.

"Alright, Dad. I trust you. With your experience, I'm sure you'll handle it without falling into any traps."

His father laughed heartily, clearly pleased. What father wouldn't love to hear his son express confidence and admiration for him?

At that moment, Kaminari cleared his throat. "Actually, I have something I wanted to talk to you about too."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Well, I've decided to form a band with two of my female classmates. We've even come up with a name—'The Pikachu Band,'" Kaminari said, grinning.

"Wait, female classmates?!" His mom, who had just finished tidying the kitchen and walked into the living room, immediately perked up. She rushed to sit beside him, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"Tell me, what kind of girls are they? Do you have any photos?"

Well... this wasn't surprising. In Japan, families are often more relaxed. As long as their children are in high school, dating isn't frowned upon. In some more open-minded families, particularly those with sons, parents might even encourage their kids to find a girlfriend.

Kaminari chuckled at his mom's enthusiasm, shaking his head with a helpless smile. "Mom, it's not what you think. We're just classmates who like my music, so we decided to form a little band."

"Oh, honey, you don't understand!" His mom's usually gentle expression was suddenly filled with pride. "My son is so talented and handsome! There's no way these girls don't have other thoughts about you after spending time together."

Her tone was filled with certainty.

"Okay, okay," Kaminari's dad chimed in, pulling his wife gently back toward him. "Let the boy finish."

Kaminari smiled and continued. "Anyway, I wrote a song for our band. I want it to be our debut track, and it's themed around Pokémon."

His father immediately caught on. "Ah, I see! You want to use that song as the theme for our Pokémon animation, don't you?"

Kaminari nodded, and his dad, already thinking it over, said, "That could work. We'd need to discuss it with Mitsui, of course, but if your song fits well, I'm sure we could make it happen."

His dad seemed determined. Even though Mitsui was the partner, he was clearly ready to fight for his son's opportunity. As long as Kaminari's song wasn't terrible, he was confident he could persuade Mitsui to go with it, even if they had a theme of their own in mind.

Was this a shady tactic? Perhaps. But Kaminari's dad knew that in this world, things weren't always fair.

***

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