Kaminari ighe fat man's absurd request for a stronger Pokémon and calmly ordered Pikachu to take a. The moment, 300 kilograms of golden sand swirled in the air, transf into waves that crashed toward the vilins from all dires.

  "Retreat!"

  Seeing the golden sand surging toward them, the purple-glowing leader wasted no time. He grabbed the scarred man and the fat man and began to flee.

  "Nokawa, cut a path! Fatty, cover our backs!"

  "Leave it to me," the scarred man replied, still floating mid-air due to the leader's telekinesis. He moved to the front, his bde-like arms ready to carve through the sand.

  "Got it…" the fat man muttered, sounding a little dejected. Even as he followed orders, he couldn't stop thinking about the feeling of holding Pikachu earlier—and the electrifying jolt of 100,000 volts he'd received.

  "I really want to experiehat again…"

  His gaze lingered on Pikachu standing near Kaminari, his eyes being misty. It was clear he genuinely adored Pokémon.

  During his time as a wanted man, hiding from the w, watg Pokémon had been his sole fort. It was the only thing that brought him happiness and relief from his pain and fear.

  Shiiing—g!

  At the front, the scarred man's bde-arm sshed into the golden sand wave, but no matter how much force he exerted, he couldn't move forward an inch.

  "This isn't normal sand!"

  Suddenly, the scarred ma a strig for his arm. As he tried to pull back, he realized the sand had ed around him tightly. Golden grains spread along his arm like an army of crawling ants.

  Panic filled his face as he struggled futilely, his movements growing frantic.

  Behind him, the purple-glowing leader let out a low grunt. The purple light surrounding him surged, shaking off the sand threatening to entahe scarred man.

  At the same time, speared on the leader's forehead, revealing the strain he was under.

  "Oh?"

  From above, Kaminari observed the se with i. His sharp gaze fixed on the purple-glowing man. "I'm curious. Why are you still flying with them?

  "Your Quirk must have a cost. So why not save your strength and focus on breaking through instead of wasting it on floating?"

  His words were direct, pointing out the inefficy of the leader's as.

  Hearing Kaminari's question, the purple-glowing man visibly flinched. Ign the fused looks from his panions, he silently lowered them all to the ground.

  "Pfft!"

  Watg this, Kyoka couldn't hold back her ughter. "What's with that guy?"

  "Pika, pika!" Pikaodded in agreement, shaking its head as if mog the vilins' poor deaking.

  "Well, what they did retty dumb…" Kaminari admitted, smirking as he observed the trio now struggling on the ground to fend off the golden sand's relentless assault.

  Their efforts didn't st long. The golden sand overwhelmed them, binding their bodies tightly. Soon, they were dragged toward Kaminari and Kyoka, pletely subdued.

  Except for their heads, the trio was entirely encased in golden sand, uo move.

  Kaminari turned his attention to the fat man, who was still staring longingly at Pikachu perched on his shoulder.

  "Fat ma me ask you something. Ba the carriage, you said you were a fan of mine. Was that true, or were you just ag?"

  The fat man pursed his lips before softly replying, "It's true."

  "…It's true, huh?"

  Kaminari's expression softened slightly as he realized the fat man's ag had been so ving because he hadn't been ag at all. He'd simply been himself.

  This revetion eased Kaminari's hostility toward him, though it didn't mean he'd let him go.

  "What I said earlier still stands," Kaminari said.

  "Huh?"

  The fat man blinked in fusion before realizing what Kaminari meant. Gratitude filled his face, and he smiled sincerely. "Thank you. As long as I still see Pokémon, I don't care where I am."

  Kaminari nodded, appreciating the fat man's genuine love for the franchise. Out of curiosity, he asked another question.

  "By the way, what's the deal with your 'immunity' Quirk? Are there any limits to it?"

  Ordinarily, asking about someone's Quirk restris was sidered rude, but the fat man didn't seem to mind.

  "If it bothers you—" Kaminari began, but the fat man interrupted him.

  "It's fihe fat man said, smiling wryly. "My Quirk lets me bee immuo all damage, but it burns through my body fat to do so."

  "…" Kaminari paused, processing the expnation.

  "What an enviable ability," Kyoka remarked, sounding genuinely impressed.

  "There's not much to envy," Kaminari replied, shaking his head. "If he wants to stay immune for extended periods, he has to remain ht all the time.

  "It's simir to Momo's Quirk. Have you ever seen her let herself gai just to improve her abilities?"

  Kyoka thought about it and nodded in agreement. "That's true. She wouldn't give up her figure just to get stronger."

  "Exactly. Momo still prioritizes looking good, like most girls do. But if she ever chose to bulk up like this guy, her power would skyrocket," Kaminari cluded.

  The envy Kyoka had felt earlier quickly faded. Between strength ay, she firmly chose the tter.

  With the trio restrained, Kaminari retracted the golden sand from the surrounding area, leaving only the portion binding their bodies. Then he led them off the railway tracks to a nearby roadside.

  Shortly after, the professional Heroes and police arrived in respoo Pikachu's earlier call. Two police cars pulled up as the Heroes began assessing the situation.

  The vilins were handcuffed and searched, but the Heroes found no injuries ohey turo Kaminari and praised him for his skill, especially after learning he was a student at U.A.'s Hero Course.

  Kaminari didn't linger on their pliments. As the fat man was about to be pushed into a police car, Kaminari quickly walked over and handed him the notebook he'd signed earlier.

  Looking the fat man in the eyes, he spoke sincerely.

  "Even though this will probably get fiscated, I want you to have it. And… thank you for being a fan. It's my honor, Kaminari Denki."

  Kaminari's words left everyone—Kyoka, the Heroes, the police, and eveher vilins—silent.

  "Thank you… thank you…"

  The fat man stared at Kaminari, his emotions bubbling to the surface. Finally, he broke down, tears streaming down his face as he choked out apologies between sobs.

  "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Thank you!"

  Two mier, Kaminari, Kyoka, and Pikachu stood silently by the roadside, watg the police cars disappear into the distance.

  "What's his name?" Kyoka asked suddenly. She found herself curious about the fat man's identity.

  Kaminari paused for a moment, then smiled. "I didn't ask. But I'd rather find out when he's out of prison and tells me himself."

  With that, he turo Kyoka.

  "Let's go. Dr. Tenma is still waiting for us."

  "Yeah…"

  The city lights shimmered in the night, f a river of brilliaretg far into the distance. Amid this ever-moving stream of life, the young boy and girl walked forward, their thoughts full of memories, heading toward the story waiting to unfold.