Larry couldn’t help but chuckle at the coincidence. He had only teleported twice all week, and sohow, nchi had caught him in the act. “Uh... yeah, I can teleport, but it’s actually my Partner’s ability,” Larry admitted, releasing Gardevoir. Gardevoir appeared gracefully, her aura radiating elegance and power. nchi’s eyes lit up with excitent. Years of experience as a hunter told her that Gardevoir was no ordinary companion—she was incredibly powerful.
Without hesitation, nchi clasped Larry’s hands tightly, her green eyes filled with determination. “Please, Larry! You have to team up with !” she pleaded. “If you agree, I’ll cover all our expenses, and I’ll handle any dangers we encounter. Plus, I’ll cook the ingredients, and we’ll split them fifty-fifty! All you have to do is use your teleportation ability to catch the scorpion when the ti cos!”
Larry couldn’t help but smirk as he watched nchi’s enthusiasm. Her eager expression reminded him of a passionate recruiter, and for a mont, he imagined her shouting, “With Larry here, I'm unstoppable!”
After considering it for a mont, Larry nodded. “Alright, I’ll help you—but I have one condition.”
nchi’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. “Na it! As long as it’s within my power, I’ll make it happen!”
Larry leaned in slightly and grinned. “Take to Gourt Paradise soday.”
nchi blinked in surprise, her eyebrows arching. Gourt Paradise was an extrely secretive location, known only to a select few gourt hunters. “How do you know about that...?” she muttered, still processing his request.
Larry shrugged playfully. “I have my ways.”
nchi crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, eyeing Larry with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. “Alright, fine. I’ll take you there soday—if you can keep up,” she said with a confident smirk. “But seriously, why do you wanna go to Gourt Paradise?”
Gourt Paradise was a legendary haven for food lovers, said to have been created by the renowned Gourt Hunter, Linne-Horsdoeuvre, alongside other like-minded culinary experts. The place was shrouded in secrecy, known only to Nen users, and was impossible to reach without a specialized navigator.
Linne was a living legend—one of the oldest hunters in the association, and soone who had even journeyed to the Dark Continent alongside Chairman Netero and mbers of the Zoldyck family.
Larry believed that Gourt Paradise, the secretive food haven nchi had created, wasn’t just a culinary wonderland—it could also be the perfect place for breeding Pokémon. Of course, his desire to go wasn’t just for Pokémon... he was also eager to indulge in the finest dishes the world had to offer. “Well, I know it might sound weird to ask, but I have to. It’s my duty to understand people’s intentions before taking them there,” nchi said, her expression serious.
Larry casually popped another bite of dried scorpion at into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully before replying, “Honestly? I just want to eat.”
nchi took a step back, eyeing Larry and his cal skeptically. One was devouring scorpion at with greasy hands, while the other—his cal—had a stomach so bloated it looked like it had swallowed a dozen basketballs. “…Haha, no, it’s fine. I can tell you’re not lying,” nchi said with an awkward laugh, more amused than embarrassed.
As a Gourt Hunter, she respected those who truly appreciated food. People who treated food as an afterthought, or didn't value it at all, were the ones she couldn't stand—one of the reasons she had such a fiery temper during the Hunter Exam. With their plans settled, both nchi and Larry were eager to set off without wasting any more ti.
nchi packed light, carrying only the essentials, while Larry relied on his Pokémon to handle his gear. Gengar, lurking in his shadow, swallowed all of his belongings without complaint, making storage effortless. Since their mission was to track down the elusive Pale Fang Scorpion, they decided to travel on foot for maximum efficiency. Larry's three-humped cal, which had been enjoying days of indulgence, was reluctantly returned to the rental shop, forced back into its ordinary life.
Gordeau Desert stretched endlessly under a blazing sun, with towering sand dunes and swirling yellow dust filling the landscape. The occasional gust of wind sent thin threads of sand spiraling into the sky. In this vast expanse, three figures—Larry, nchi, and Gardevoir—moved swiftly across the terrain.
Their speed was impressive, leaving behind long, straight trails in the sand that even the wind couldn't erase fast enough. nchi held a detailed map of Gordeau Desert in one hand and the Gilded Claw Ant Compass in the other. Staying on course was crucial—getting lost here could an death. The Pale Fang Scorpions had no fixed habitat and were extrely rare. Finding one was mostly a matter of luck.
"If we're lucky, we'll spot one within a day," nchi said, glancing at the compass. "If not... well, we'll be wandering for a while."
Their path took them from one desert city to another, ensuring they stayed within safe zones while searching for the scorpions. Despite her experience, nchi had been concerned about how they would catch the scorpion once they found it. Its escape abilities were unmatched, capable of burrowing hundreds of ters into the sand in seconds.
Using her Nen ability, Circle, to track it was possible, but it was a taxing technique that consud a lot of energy. Unlike emission-type users, materialization-type users like her weren't as skilled at expanding their aura across large areas. Circle allowed her to sense everything within a given range, detecting even the slightest movents, but keeping it active for extended periods wasn’t feasible.
As night fell, the elusive Pale Fang Scorpion remained unseen. Neither of them was discouraged, though—it was only the first day, after all. In the vast desert, it was unrealistic to return to the city each night, so nchi unpacked a portable tent, a cutting-edge survival tool.
The tent was no larger than a brick in its compact form, but with a simple press of a button, it quickly unfolded into a fully functional shelter. Since these tents were expensive, they were rarely seen in the desert. Larry, anwhile, stood silently, making no move to unpack a tent of his own. Seeing his hesitation, nchi assud he hadn't brought one and reached into her bag to grab her spare. Just as she pulled it out, she witnessed sothing that left her speechless.
“Gengar, spit out the tent.” Larry’s voice was casual, as if he were making the most ordinary request in the world. From the shadows beneath his feet, a purple-black mist erged.
nchi’s eyes widened as a figure with glowing red eyes, a sinister grin, and stubby limbs appeared, floating ominously in the darkness. Then, to her utter disbelief, the ghostly figure spat out a luxurious, fully assembled tent right onto the sand. nchi blinked. “D-Did that thing just… spit out a tent?” she muttered, staring at the absurd scene. She turned to Larry, eyes filled with curiosity and confusion.
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