The Pokémon’s thick, fluffy fur felt like sinking into a huge, heated cushion. It was insanely fortable. He patted Are’s side. "Alright, buddy—let’s go! Head for the opposite hillside! Use Extreme Speed!" With a deep growl, Are crouched low—then burst forward like a fiery missile.

  Larry pressed his body against Are’s back, gripping its thick fur with one hand while stretg the other out, pointing forward. He was going to let Are take him straight there. With Are’s arrival, he finally had a proper mount. Sure, Gardevoir could teleport him anywhere, but teleportation wasn’t always the best solution. A reliable ride saved a lot of aura, and besides, sometimes it was o just sit bad enjoy the sery.

  “Woof! Woof!” Are barked twice, excited by its master’s trust. L its front body slightly and tensing its hind legs, it prepared to unch forward.

  Larry barely had time tister what was happening before he and Are had already arrived at their destination. There wasn’t even a hint of wia was as if they had just appeared there. This wasn’t just speed. This was godspeed. It ractically teleportation at short distances. And ueleportatioreme Speed had a powerful offensive edge. If an oppo had even a moment of hesitation, they’d get blown away before they even realized what hit them. A strong enough impact could even knoeone unscious instantly.

  A short while ter, Larry held a small crystal bottle in his hand, staring at it with twitg eyelids and a helpless expression. Inside was the Red Volic Salt. He had scoured every inch of this hillside—just short of digging down to the bedrod this was all he mao collect. He had only filled half the bottle, leaving plenty of empty spaside.

  With a sigh, he accepted the oute. Maybe there was more salt somewhere in Mount Kira’Zan, hidden in pces he hadn’t searched. But spending any more time here wasn’t worth it. Because up was something far more important—the Hunter Exam. This was the 287th Hunter Exam, the same one Gon and the others took in the inal story.

  Standing o hillside, Larry gazed into the distance. A gentle breeze brushed against his face, bringing a sense of peace. It had been a few months since he arrived in the world of Hunter x Huhough it wasn’t long, the strength he had gained in this short time was something no one could ignore. Right now, he had three A-rank Pokémon and one S-rank. And that was just the beginning. With time, he would obtain even more powerful Pokémon—maybe even a legendary one someday. Larry’s lips curled into a grin. "Now, let's see those so-called protagonists with my own eyes."

  With that thought, he and Are disappeared, leaving the hillside in silence more.

  The Kingdom of Kakin – Saba City Larry stood in front of a t office building, chewing on a local delicacy—a Turtle-tipede Yakitori. "Damn, this is exactly like in the anime." He casually tossed the empty bamboo stito a nearby trash and turned his attention to the rundown fast-food restaurant beside the massive office building.

  pared to the sleek, imposing skyscraper, the fast-food joint looked like a plete joke—like a king standio a beggar. The roof was covered in tangled vines, and the whole pce seemed abandoned. Yet, this tiny, run-down fast-food restaurant… was actually the entrao the Hunter Exam.

  Most people would never guess it. But Larry khe real exam venue was underground. As he stepped ihe restaurant was pletely empty, save for a single middle-aged man in a chef’s uniform standing behind the ter. "Wele." The chef looked ordinary, but Larry knew he was actually a staff member assigned by the Hunter Association.

  The entrao the exam required a special passcode. If a didate gave the correct phrase, the chef would direct them to a hiddeor leading underground. But Larry wasn’t about to bother remembering some secret phrase from an old anime. Instead, he had a much simpler method. The room’s atmosphere ged in an instant. A sinister aura erupted from Larry’s shadow, dark and oppressive.

  The chef froze. Every hair on his body stood on end. His breathing turned shallow. It felt like thousands of invisible needles were pierg into his skin. Gengar. The aura disappeared as quickly as it had arrived. The small room returo normal—except for ohing. The fear in the chef’s eyes. His hands trembled slightly as he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He took a deep breath, forcibly calming himself.

  Then, without another word, he walked over to the hiddeor and bowed slightly. “P-please… just step inside and wait. The elevator will take you to the exam venue.”

  Larry smiled harmlessly, as if nothing had happened, and stepped into the elevator. The chef let out a long breath as the elevator doors closed. "This year’s Hunter Exam is insane. First that guy in the e, and now this one…" A chill ran down his spine as he recalled another didate who had passed through earlier.

  Ding! The elevator stopped. As the doors slid open, dozens of Hunter Exam didates turo look. In this exam, everyone was a petitor. Naturally, people paid close attention to any new arrivals—especially strong ones.

  The crowd expected a rough-looking warrior or a battle-hardened fighter. Instead, they saw a calm, handsome young man step out. Dressed in casual clothing, he didly look prepared for a high-stakes survival test. But despite his rexed posture, there was an effortless fiden the way he carried himself.

  As the didates gathered, most of them were secretly pleased. To them, Larry didn’t seem like mupetition. Some of the female didates, their cheeks slightly flushed, eveertaihe idea of asking for his taformation.

  However, a select few knew better. They could see that there was no aura radiating from Larry—an unmistakable sign that he was usisu. A trained Nen user could suppress their presenpletely, making them appear deceptively ordinary to those who didn't know what to look for. He wasn’t as simple as he looked.

  The moment Larry stepped into the venue, he felt something shift in his mind—a new progress bar appeared. So it’s true! The Hunter Exam is a major event, so it makes sehat it would trigger the birth of a Pokémon. But what kind of Pokémon would it be this time?

  Before, he could usually predict what kind of Pokémon would appear based on the local enviro. But this time, sihe setting was the Hunter Exam, that method wouldn't work. “Here you go. Please take your number badge. Be sure to wear it on your chest and take care not to lose it.” A short staff member with a soft void a rge, pea-shaped head handed Larry his badge.

  This was Beans, the direct secretary of the Hunter Association’s president. Despite his unusual appearance, he was an exceptionally petent administrator, managing the Association’s affairs with precision. Presideero often referred to him affeately by name, a sign of the trust he pced in his loyal secretary.