Chapter 251: Class A Friends Gathered Together!

Finally, June 23rd had arrived. It was a Sunday, a perfect day that wouldn't interfere with the elementary students' studies, and also convenient for the members of the Pikachu Band since they were students themselves.

By one o'clock in the afternoon, the weather was bright and sunny, a rare occurrence during the rainy season.

"Mom! Mom! The teacher said we'll get to see Denki in person, and he's bringing Pikachu with him!"

"Alright, alright, I'm looking forward to it too. But sweetie, Pikachu is probably just a doll, so don't get your hopes up too much."

"It's not a doll that doesn't move! The teacher said it's a real Pikachu!"

Outside the gates of Seifu Elementary School, children accompanied by their parents were filing into the school, their faces lit with excitement.

Among the crowd were also young men and women, likely Pokémon enthusiasts, who had come without kids. As they spotted one another heading toward the same destination, conversations began to spring up like old friends meeting for the first time.

The excitement grew even stronger when they caught sight of the Pikachu Band poster hanging above the school gate. For the lucky fans who had won tickets to the event, their joy was palpable.

"I can't believe I'm finally getting to meet Kaminari Denki in person! When I first heard his song The Hero, I played it on repeat for days!"

"Wait, this is your first time seeing him? Didn't you go to the Sports Festival? Kaminari and Jiro sang Brave Heart together there."

"Ah, don't rub it in—I couldn't get a ticket for the Sports Festival…"

"Heh, this will be my third time seeing him. I even caught him walking home in Shizuoka before—oh, and Tetsutetsu too, the first-year Sports Festival champion!"

"Honestly, I still think Kaminari should've been the champion of the Sports Festival. No one could beat him in terms of strength!"

As the fans stepped into the school grounds, their chatter fell silent. Their surroundings had taken their breath away, it felt like they had stepped into the Pokémon world.

Though many had seen glimpses of the school online, experiencing it in person was something else entirely.

"The playground really looks like a Pokémon battle arena!"

"And look at those soccer goals—they're shaped like 'Grimer!'"

"Wait, are those basketball hoops shaped like 'Charizards?!'"

"That's right! They're actual fire-breathing dragon hoops!"

"Forget that—look at the stage over there! It says Pokémon Contest! It's like we're at a real Pokémon Contest!"

"And the chairs, look at the Poké Ball patterns on them! They must've been custom-made!"

Parents of the elementary students had already begun taking their seats near the stage, which was modeled after the Pokémon Contest arenas from the anime. Seifu Elementary School had nearly 400 students, so when parents were included, the school had prepared a thousand chairs.

The lucky fans who won tickets were seated in the front row on the right. To prioritize the safety of the students, only 50 fans were invited to the event.

---

Meanwhile, in the backstage room prepared for the Pikachu Band, Kaminari and the others had just finished speaking with the school principal and several teachers when the door suddenly swung open. Two figures, one red-haired and one silver-haired burst into the room, shouting loudly.

"Surprise!!!"

"Kirishima? Tetsutetsu?!" Kyoka, who was tuning her bass, froze in surprise. "Didn't Kaminari say they weren't coming?"

"Haha, we're here too!" Mineta's familiar voice piped up as he squeezed through the door, grinning mischievously.

"Seriously, Kaminari, you didn't invite us to this? I'm so disappointed!" Mina Ashido pouted, her pink lips forming a playful frown.

"That's right! For something this important, of course, we're going to come cheer for you!" Iida added, his voice as passionate as ever.

"Uh…" Kaminari scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed. His gaze shifted to Momo, who entered last. She smiled knowingly, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Yes, I brought them here," Momo admitted. "I understand that you didn't want to distract everyone from studying for the finals, but this is something worth sharing with your friends. And don't worry—they all came voluntarily!"

"Everyone…" Kaminari looked at his classmates, touched by their support.

At that moment, Bakugo snorted and crossed his arms. "Don't include me in this 'voluntarily' stuff. Kirishima dragged me out of my house!"

"Yup! That's totally true! I dragged Bakugo here myself. You're welcome!" Kirishima said with a grin, giving a thumbs-up.

"Hmph!" Bakugo turned his head away, but his attention was caught by Midoriya's expression. Midoriya was staring at him, eyes filled with unspoken thoughts. Bakugo immediately scowled.

"What are you looking at, you damn nerd?!"

"Eh?!" Midoriya flinched, quickly waving his hands in denial. "I-I wasn't thinking anything, I swear!"

Shoto Todoroki, who had remained quiet as usual, stepped forward and spoke calmly. "I wish you all a successful performance."

"Haha, thanks, Todoroki!" Kaminari replied with a laugh.

At that moment, Kaminari noticed Kazama standing off to the side, looking a little out of place. He quickly pulled Kazama over and introduced him to the group.

"This is Kazama from Shiketsu High School. He's the keyboard player we invited for today!"

"Hello, everyone. Please take care of me," Kazama greeted shyly, bowing slightly.

"Shiketsu High? As in that Shiketsu High?" Sero raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Yes, the Hero Course of Shiketsu High School. It's as prestigious as U.A.'s Hero Course," Momo explained.

The mention of Shiketsu High immediately piqued the interest of Bakugo, Todoroki, and others who hadn't paid much attention earlier. Bakugo, in particular, began sizing Kazama up, wondering if he was strong.

"I'm Tenya Iida, the class representative of U.A.'s Class 1-A," Iida said, stepping forward with a solemn expression. He extended his hand for a handshake.

Caught off guard by Iida's intensity, Kazama awkwardly shook his hand. "Uh, hello…"

"Oh! I remember now!" Uraraka said suddenly. "Jiro showed us a video of him once—wasn't he the guy who turned into a giant mist fist?"

"Yep, that's him," Jiro confirmed with a nod. "Kazama's Quirk is called Flowing Cloud. He can release and control clouds."

"Will anyone else from Shiketsu High be coming?" Shoji asked curiously, wondering what the rest of the students from a rival Hero Course were like.

"No, I didn't tell them about this event," Kazama replied with a small smile.

"Alright, that's enough chatting for now," Kaminari interrupted. "It's almost time. You guys should head out and take your seats, we're about to start!"

***

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