HxH : Pokemon Master-Chapter 96: A Choice Without Regret!

With a snap of his fingers, an orange figure suddenly appeared in front of the two.

A surge of immense Aura erupted, creating a powerful wind pressure that blew away countless dead branches and leaves around them.

Gel pupils constricted sharply, and her body stiffened mid-run.

The overwhelming pressure made her feel as if she had fallen into an icy abyss!

However, the target of this Aura was not the two of them, but the three-headed serpent chasing behind.

"ROAARR!"

In a flash, the Dragonite appeared in front of the three-serpent.

"Boom!"

Extreme Speed!

The three-headed serpent was sent flying by the tremendous force of the Extreme Speed, and soon after, it exploded into a mist of blood in mid-air!

Puddles of green, foul-smelling blood splattered onto the grass, sizzling with corrosive sounds.

It was clear that the blood of the three-headed serpent was highly poisonous.

Only after seeing the gruesome state of the three-headed serpent did the two, still shaken, finally relax and quickly thanked Akira.

Without Akira intervention, they would have had a hard time resolving this predicament.

Akira didn't say much about it, as it was just a casual act for him.

Gek glanced at the Dragonite, which had returned to Akira side, and thought in amazement.

'Is this... a dragon? I've never seen such a strong one like this and its strength is incredible!'

Gel had seen dragons in the world before, but those were all subspecies of magical beasts, completely different from Akira Dragonite.

For example, the Zoldyck family raised dragons of that type. But a dragon like this Dragonite, with its endearing, chubby belly, was something she had never seen before.

However, anyone who underestimated this Dragonite based on its appearance would surely pay a heavy price!

The punch that had just obliterated the three-headed serpent was no small feat!

Looking at the Dragonite, Gel recalled another title Akira held besides "the strongest floor master of the Sky Arena."

An Aura User with many extraordinary Nen Beasts!

Indeed, he lived up to his reputation! And this was just one of his many Nen Beasts!

While still in shock, Rika stayed behind to share the gains of the past few days with the two.

Gel, on the other hand, went to examine the blood of the three-headed serpent. She felt that the serpent blood was worth studying, especially because it could largely resist her own potent toxins.

Perhaps it was her love and dedication to toxins that had led her to become a Poison Hunter, and even a member of the Twelve Zodiacs.

Like Pyon, they might not be the strongest in combat, but they were undoubtedly experts and renowned in their respective fields.

By the time she returned, Rika had finished sharing with the two, and it was clear that they had also made some good gains over the past few days.

After thanking Akira once more, the two decided to continue their search for their own goals and parted ways with Akira and his companion. Both teams had their own objectives, and staying together would hinder their efficiency.

It was better for each to pursue their own path.

After parting ways with Gel and Rika, perhaps luck had finally turned in their favor.

After riding Arcanine for half a day, the two finally discovered the Sauce Star Mushroom.

At the base of a large tree, three or four mushrooms with yellow, star-shaped tops lay quietly in the wetland. Upon picking one up and sniffing, a rich, savory aroma wafted through the air. Finally, the target in the wetland area had been secured!

Even so, another day had passed, and the two decided to spend the night in the wetland area. For dinner, they had the diamond meat obtained the previous day, now enhanced with the sauce from the star mushrooms, making it even more delicious.

...

Under the starry night sky, two old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time exchanged greetings.

"How's your health been lately? Are you doing alright?" A somewhat serious voice spoke, lacking the usual carefree tone.

"Not bad..." Linne replied slowly, seemingly unaffected.

However, her cloudy eyes and the dark Aura enveloping her body told a different story—her condition was far from good.

"..."

"I've thought more than once—was our decision to go to the Dark Continent the right one? Was it worth it? After we returned, Zigg met with misfortune, and you've been plagued by illness. Out of the three of us, I'm the only one still doing well."

"If we hadn't gone, perhaps..."

Before the old man could finish, Linne interrupted him.

"Netero! Since when did you become someone who only laments the past? Going to the Dark Continent was a decision we all agreed upon. You don't need to blame yourself for it!"

Linne scolded Chairman Netero, her wrinkled face showing a hint of anger.

The person speaking with Linne was none other than Chairman Netero!

This time, Netero had come to the Gourmet Paradise in his capacity as the Chairman of the Hunter Association to serve as a judge. At the same time, as an old friend of Linne, he had come with the intention of visiting her.

However, the influence of the Dark Continent had taken a heavy toll on Linne body, which was deteriorating day by day, with no hope of recovery in sight. Overcome with sorrow, Chairman Netero had spoken words that were uncharacteristic of him.

Yet, they were his true feelings.

As the leader of their group, it was Netero who had led his companions to the Dark Continent.

Now, some were dead, and others were ill...

"Linne, you're right. This was our own choice!" Netero looked up at the starry sky, his clear eyes seemingly reminiscing about the past.

It was as if he could see the scenes of the three of them adventuring together.

How nostalgic~

A hunter, by definition, is someone who pursues their passions without fear of any hardships or obstacles.

No matter the consequences, it's a choice they make without regret!

....

The next morning, the two of them rode on Arcanine to the final area—the Ice Plains!

There were three targets here, making it the most abundant region.

They were the White Caviar for the appetizer, the White Jade cabbages for the salad, and the Dream Tuna for the soup.

Moving from the wetlands to the Ice Plains, the most noticeable feeling was one word—cold!

The two of them felt as if they were in a world of ice and snow, with everything around them a vast expanse of white. It was quite similar to the desert region at the beginning—both were "barren lands"!

However, the quality of ingredients in the Ice Plains was significantly higher than in the desert. It also had several top-tier ingredients, no less impressive than those from the previous forest and wetland regions.

This was because the Ice Plains boasted the premium marine ingredients from the six continents!

Fortunately, the two of them were riding on Arcanine, whose orange, fluffy fur continuously radiated warmth. From its mouth, occasional sparks flew out, warming the surrounding air.

Even in this icy expanse, the two of them didn't feel too cold.

The Ice Plains were essentially several large icebergs clustered together. Between the cliffs of these icebergs, one could see the ocean below.

The White Jade cabbages usually grew on the edges of the iceberg cliffs, while the Whitening Caviar and Dream Tuna were found in the sea. So, their goal was clear—to find the gaps between the icebergs!

On the barren Ice Plains, it seemed like only the two of them and the dog existed, with no other creatures in sight. Most of the main ingredients in the Ice Plains were in the ocean below, leaving the icebergs themselves almost lifeless.

As for the other competitors, they were still hunting in the earlier regions. Thanks to Dragonite and Arcanine's swift travel, despite spending a lot of time searching for ingredients, they had also gathered many extra ingredients.

Yet, Akira and Menchi remained far ahead as the clear leaders.

After Arcanine relentless running, they finally found a gap between the icebergs. Arcanine stood proudly on the edge of the cliff, the cold wind ruffling its fluffy fur, making it look majestic.

After all, Arcanine was a legendary Pokemon, quite popular among the many Pokemon fans and its appearance was naturally impressive.

On the opposite cliff, there were two crystal-clear cabbages, adorned with drifting snowflakes.

At first glance, they looked like large white jade expertly carved by an artist into the shape of cabbage.

"Crystal-clear in appearance, with a texture like white jade... it's the White Jade Cabbages!" Menchi examined them closely and spoke in a low voice.

As she spoke, puffs of warm breath were visible in the cold air.

"Alright, after picking these White Jade Cabbages, we can head down this cliff."

Akira looked down from the cliff into the pitch-black, unfathomable ocean. It seemed as if danger could emerge from it at any moment.

It was only then that Akira suddenly realized something... He didn't have a Water-type Pokemon!

He had a well-rounded team of Pokemon—some for the air, some for the land.

There were those responsible for frontal battles, and those who specialized in annoying support roles... But what was missing was a marine mount, which made navigating such oceanic terrains quite inconvenient.

It seemed that I would need to visit some famous marine tourist spots later.

Otherwise, lacking a Water-type Pokemon would be quite troublesome.

Among the Pokemon I currently had, if I had to choose, it would be Dragonite.

Dragonite could actually swim in the sea and serve as a marine mount.

After all, Dragonite pre-evolved forms, Dratini and Dragonair, both lived in aquatic environments.

As he pondered this, Arcanine had already leaped to the other side of the cliff, and Menchi had also collected two stalks of white jade cabbage.

Although there were only two stalks, they were quite sizable and would suffice.

If we encountered more later, we could collect them again; such ingredients were never too much.

Next was the underwater task, and Arcanine was clearly not suitable for this, so Akira had it stay on the side.

It would serve as a "heater."

Then, Akira released Dragonite, the one he had just been thinking about.

"Roarrrrr?"

"Menchi, describe the general appearance of the white caviar and the dream tuna to Dragonite."

"It will be responsible for capturing the targets underwater later."

Akira patted Dragonite shoulder, signaling that it could definitely do it.

"Roar!"

Dragonite also patted its chubby belly with its claws, causing ripples to form on its stomach, and its eyes curved into a smile.

It would not let its master down!

"Ah? You're sending Dragonite into the sea?"

"But..."

Menchi hesitated, her beautiful eyes flickering with surprise.

Wasn't Dragonite a flying dragon?

Could it really move freely in the sea?

Or... was Dragonite actually a sea dragon?

Seeing the confident expressions on both Akira and Dragonite, Menchi set aside her doubts.

She began to meticulously describe the appearance of the white caviar and the dream tuna to Dragonite, as well as the general areas where they might be found.

"Roar~" Dragonite nodded, indicating that it understood, its chubby face trembling slightly, making one want to pinch it.

"Alright, go ahead. We'll be waiting here for you."

Akira stroked Dragonite belly, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth as he spoke softly. The texture was really nice.

Dragonite leaped off the cliff, and with a "plop," it disappeared beneath the water surface.

The surroundings immediately fell into complete silence, with no sound at all.

With nothing else to do, the two of them rested by the cliff, quietly awaiting Dragonite good news.

.....

About twenty to thirty minutes later, the previously calm water surface made a sound, and then Dragonite flapped its wings and surged upward.

In each of its hands, it held a dream tuna and a white fish.

"Roar!"

After steadying itself, Dragonite let out a roar and placed the two fish in front of the two of them.

"Dragonite you're amazing!" Akira gave Dragonite a thumbs-up.

As expected of a pseudo-legendary, its efficiency was top-notch. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

"It really did it..."

Menchi muttered in surprise, while checking to see if Dragonite had mistaken the targets.

One fish was pure white, resembling a sturgeon from Earth but even more beautiful.

It was indeed the white fish.

The white caviar Menchi wanted came from this white fish. The other fish was deep blue all over, with a faint rainbow-like film on its surface, making it look extremely beautiful.

It was the dream tuna!

"Gengar, it's your turn to shine!"

Seeing the situation, Menchi quickly called out to Akira shadow.

The White Fish was fine, but the Dream Tuna couldn't wait.

The Dream Tuna must be consumed within an hour after its death. This is not only the best time to enjoy it but also the storage limit. If it exceeds one hour after death, the Dream Tuna will turn into beautiful bubbles and disappear into the air.

The sky full of bubbles gives people a dream-like feeling. This is also the reason behind the name "Dream Tuna."

Gengar obediently stuffed the Dream Tuna into its belly, freezing the time of death at this very second.

Then, Menchi gathered a pure white Aura in her hand, transforming it into a sharp knife, and stabbed it into the belly of the White Beauty Fish. She needed to confirm if there was enough caviar inside the White Beauty Fish.

Fortunately, the amount of caviar far exceeded the average level, definitely enough for the two of them. So Gengar once again opened its Maw and swallowed the White Fish whole.

At this point, the two of them had achieved all their goals in the ingredient area!

"Let's go! To the finish line!"

At the end of the ingredient area, the inside belonged to the ingredient zone, while the outside was the gourmet zone. The outside was no longer as empty as before but was filled with countless standardized kitchen utensils.

It somewhat resembled the tables used by candidates in Menchi segment during the Hunter

However, the variety of utensils here was clearly more extensive than in the Hunter Exam. It covered almost all the tools needed for various gourmet cooking methods.

This was where the contestants would carry out their cooking.

In the front was a large stage where three judges were seated, waiting for the contestants to arrive. They had been waiting here since the second day of the competition.

Although it was said to be a week-long event, some outstanding contestants would finish early. The tables were filled with equipment, but no one was using them yet.

Because it was only the third day of the week-long limit, the contestants were still hunting for ingredients in the ingredient area.

However, this place was about to welcome its first group of contestants!

As if sensing something, Linne who had been keeping her eyes closed, suddenly opened them and stared straight ahead.

Strangely, there was no one there, as if she was just taking a casual glance. Akira actions also caught the attention of the two people beside her.

Among the three, Linne held the highest status. It could be said that without her, the Gourmet Paradise wouldn't exist. Thus, she was seated in the center, with a bald, burly man to her left, who was a two-star Gourmet Hunter.

He also held a significant position in the Gourmet Paradise, equivalent to the second-in-command. To her right was Netero, who had been invited as a special judge.

He no longer carried the demeanor he had the previous night and had returned to his usual self.

Even the seriously ill Linne could sense someone approaching, and naturally, Chairman Netero was aware as well.

In fact, he had noticed it even before Linne did.

Only the bald judge, whose abilities were somewhat lacking, remained unaware of what was happening.

"Hohohoho, as expected of him, first place, huh~" In Netero matter-of-fact tone, an orange figure suddenly appeared in the distance, flying toward them.

It was Akira and Menchi, riding on a Dragonite!

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