Chapter Two: Monster Hunting? Pokémon? A Fantastical Crossover!

"It's a Swift Wyvern! Damn it! I just escaped from the Forest Brute's pursuit, and now I've run into the Crimson Meteor!" Su Yi gritted his teeth, enduring the agony in his back. Once again, this forest revealed to him the brutal reality of a world overrun by monsters. This was no game—monsters didn't appear tailored to your level. Whatever was meant to exist here could show up, regardless of your strength.

If it were a blockhead like the Forest Brute, a few tricks might be enough to shake it off. But a hunter as swift and cunning as the Swift Wyvern was not so easily deceived.

"We're out of Stink Bombs, meow!" The Palico had clearly run out of options as well.

The Swift Wyvern let out a low snarl, creeping from the shadows, its crimson-lined eyes radiating a cold, predatory intent.

Clang!

The Palico drew a bone short blade from its waist—not even as long as a watermelon knife—and tossed a flat, round potion bottle, stamped with a paw print, to Su Yi.

"Drink this potion and run with all you've got. I'll hold it off, meow!"

In that moment, Dewleaf the Palico, small as he was, seemed impossibly heroic.

"No! I got you into this mess; I won't just run away. Besides, I still have a chance!" Su Yi refused to abandon the cat who had saved his life.

In the game, neither hunters nor Palicoes truly died, but that was just a gameplay mechanic. Dewleaf’s simple leather gear marked him as a novice Palico—such a beginner would almost never escape the Swift Wyvern's pursuit.

"Let's see you go!" Su Yi activated a capture sphere until it was the size of his fist, then hurled it with all his might at the Swift Wyvern.

The wyvern eyed the incoming sphere warily, raising a claw to swat it aside. But the moment it touched the ball, there was a click, and a beam of white light engulfed the creature, drawing it inside.

Of course, Su Yi wasn’t expecting to capture such a beast with a single throw.

"What just happened, meow?" Dewleaf yelped in shock at the wyvern’s sudden disappearance.

"No time to explain, Dewleaf. Will you trust me?" Su Yi produced another capture sphere. For a first companion, who could be more suitable, more reliable, than a Palico?

Thud! The capture sphere holding the Swift Wyvern shook violently.

"Su Yi?" Dewleaf asked, bewildered.

Su Yi gave a wry smile, then looked at Dewleaf with steady resolve. "I'm a terrible excuse for a hunter right now, but I want your help. Will you be my partner?"

"I'll help you!" Dewleaf nodded emphatically, moved by Su Yi's earnest, hopeful gaze.

"Then don't resist—come into the ball! Let's be partners, aibo!" Su Yi held out the capture sphere to Dewleaf.

"Aibo? All right!" The cat slapped his paw onto the sphere's button without hesitation. With a click, Dewleaf was drawn inside.

Bang!

At the same time, the sphere holding the Swift Wyvern burst open with a violent crack. The creature shook its head in fury, fixing its gaze on Su Yi.

[Quest complete. Rewards have been placed in your inventory. Return immediately or continue exploring?]

"If I survive, I swear I’ll capture you!" Su Yi, battered and disheveled, grinned as he clutched the now-still capture sphere.

Roar! The Swift Wyvern, enraged at seeing its prey so defiant, snapped open the blades on its forearms and lunged for Su Yi.

"Return!" Su Yi shouted.

Whoosh!

Just as the blade was about to slice him in two, Su Yi vanished in a flash of light.

The Swift Wyvern recoiled in shock, quickly scanning the area, but not a trace of life remained. It sniffed the air, then darted warily away.

...

"Another forest?!"

The instant Su Yi chose to return, his vision blurred and he found himself once more standing on solid ground. But when he looked up, he was still surrounded by lush forest. The Swift Wyvern was gone, so he must have been transported somewhere else.

He had expected to return to a base or camp—certainly not another stretch of forest.

"Don’t tell me another monster’s about to jump out!" Still raw from his recent ordeal, Su Yi was on high alert.

Suddenly, with a click, the capture sphere in Su Yi’s hand opened, and Dewleaf dropped to the ground, gripping his bone blade, shouting, "Su Yi!"

"I'm here! Don’t worry, we're safe for now." Seeing the anxious Palico, Su Yi hastened to reassure him.

Dewleaf glanced around, confirming there were no monsters, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was amazing, meow! How did you escape, Su Yi?" Dewleaf asked, eyes shining with admiration.

Su Yi scratched his head sheepishly. "Just lucky, I guess. If I’d guessed wrong, we’d be in trouble—and I have no idea where we are now."

As Su Yi said, if "return" hadn’t teleported him away instantly but took a few seconds, the Swift Wyvern would have finished him off. He was gambling on the best outcome, and it seemed this golden finger of his was reliable enough.

"If this is the Ancient Forest, I’ll check our direction, meow." Dewleaf pulled out a compass and looked up for the forest’s towering ancient tree.

But there was nothing—no colossal trees, just shorter woods beneath blue skies and white clouds. The iconic ancient trees were nowhere to be seen.

"Su Yi, where are we, meow?" Dewleaf was at a loss.

"I don’t know..." Su Yi scanned the surroundings for clues, and his eyes landed on a strange creature peeking at him.

"Ah?!" Su Yi exclaimed—not because the creature was bizarre, but because it was all too familiar!

"What’s wrong, meow? A monster?" Dewleaf followed Su Yi's gaze and saw, peeking from behind a tree, a round, pink creature over a meter tall with small, curious eyes.

Dewleaf had never seen such a creature, and its style didn’t resemble anything from his world.

"Chansey?! A Pokémon? What kind of world have I ended up in? No, wait! Am I even still in the Monster Hunter world? Is 'return' actually to the Pokémon world?" Su Yi was bewildered.

"Is this golden finger a Pokémon system in the Monster Hunter world, or a Monster Hunter system in the Pokémon world? Or is it both?"

Su Yi took the book from his belt—on its cover were the blue star of the Monster Hunter world and the crest of the Fifth Fleet. Clearly, it was Monster Hunter. But the capture device was unmistakably a Poké Ball from the Pokémon world.

"Monster Hunter: New World? Pokémon world? Is this a dream crossover?" Excitement flooded Su Yi.

As mentioned before, his passions were Monster Hunter and Pokémon. Now, with this dream crossover, how could he not be thrilled? It meant endless possibilities—an adventure beyond imagination.

"Chansey?" The pink creature stepped from behind the tree, looking at Su Yi with concern.

"Su Yi, you're losing a lot of blood, meow!" Dewleaf turned and saw the pool of blood soaking the ground behind Su Yi—Swift Wyvern’s tail spike had left a long, deep wound. Having been on edge, Su Yi had ignored the pain, but now, with his adrenaline fading, he became aware of his condition.

"Uh... my head’s spinning..." Su Yi’s face turned pale, and he swayed before collapsing.

"Chansey!"

"Su Yi!"