NOVEL WEB Chapter 2: Water Divination Test
Vance nodded so quickly it looked painful, and Larry left the casino, satisfied with his winnings. Arriving at the hotel, Larry flopped onto the bed with a content sigh. He had chosen the most luxurious suite, and it did not disappoint. The furnishings were exquisite, and the mattress was so soft it felt like he was sinking into a cloud.
Turning his head, he stared at the two large boxes of cash beside him, still having a hard time believing this was real. Just a short while ago, he had been in his room, rewatching Hunter x Hunter while playing Pokémon games. But now? He was in the world of Hunter x Hunter for real.
At first, it seemed exciting—being in the world of one of his favorite anime. But then reality set in. This wasn't just any fantasy world; it was Hunter x Hunter, a place where danger lurked around every corner. It was a brutal world where only the strong survived. The more Larry thought about it, the more anxious he became. Monsters, dangerous creatures, deadly treasures, mysterious ruins, and terrifying assassins—this world had it all. And if you weren't strong enough, you were just another stepping stone for someone else.
In this world, strength was everything. He knew the stories—groups like the Phantom Troupe had slaughtered countless people without consequence. Morality didn't mean much here. The world was a delicate shade of gray, where the only thing that truly mattered was power.
Take the Zoldyck family, for example. The most feared assassins in the world. No one dared to touch them, simply because they were too powerful. Larry sighed. At first, he was annoyed. He had been playing Pokémon before all this happened—why couldn't he have just ended up in the Pokémon world instead? Life would have been so much easier. But here he was, stuck in a dangerous world where a random stranger could kill him just for looking at them the wrong way. Not to mention the risk of getting infected by some bizarre disease and dropping dead without even knowing why.
At least he didn't end up in Meteor City, Larry thought with a shiver. That place was a death trap, and most self-insert fanfics dumped their protagonists there right off the bat.
Just as he was about to start feeling sorry for himself, a sudden wave of information flooded his mind. Nen Ability: Pokémon Master.
Larry's ability had its fair share of limitations and rules. Breeding Pokémon required time, and the stronger the Pokémon, the longer it took to hatch and develop. Training followed a straightforward process—Pokémon could gain experience through battles, and once their experience bar was full, they would evolve. Defeating stronger opponents granted more experience points, though some Pokémon had unique evolution conditions that required specific circumstances to be met.
If multiple Pokémon participated in a battle, the experience gained would be shared among them. However, there was a key limitation—experience could only be gained once per opponent, preventing repeated battles from being exploited.
In addition to breeding and training, Larry's ability included a Pokédex function, allowing him to analyze any Pokémon or object in this world. The rarer or more mysterious the target, the less information he could obtain, adding an element of challenge.
Furthermore, some Pokémon skills could have different effects compared to their original mechanics, adapting to the unique rules of this world. A crucial limitation to this function was that scanning anything other than Pokémon required Larry to expend his own Aura, making resource management an important aspect of his ability.
This was his golden opportunity—his "cheat" ability in this world. If he traveled around, visiting famous places and diving into the original storyline events, he could build a powerful team of Pokémon. And the best part? He didn't have to go through the usual process of opening his aura nodes. His nen ability had naturally awakened.
Larry turned his head to the side, and the first thing that caught his eye was a figure with emerald green hair and eyes that sparkled like rubies. A red, irregular crystal adorned her chest, while her lower body was elegantly draped in a white and light green gown, resembling a noble lady straight out of a fantasy. It was none other than Gardevoir, the "Super Queen" known for her beauty and power.
***
Species: Gardevoir
Type: [Data Unavailable]
Ability: [Data Unavailable]
Strength Rank: B
Known Moves: Physic (Additional data unavailable)
Description: Data insufficient. Further observation required to unlock full entry.
***
Larry gazed at the minimalistic data on the screen in his mind. The sparse information felt a little underwhelming, leaving him deep in thought. The strength levels displayed in the Pokédex were categorized by letters. Since he had yet to encounter other psychic users, Larry had no real frame of reference for what a 'B' rank meant. But it couldn't be too bad—probably somewhere in the upper mid-tier.
The most intriguing thing, however, was that despite Gardevoir being a construct of his nen ability, she wasn't just an illusion or a mindless puppet. Each Pokémon was an independent entity, capable of fighting on their own without draining Larry's aura. It was as if his body functioned as a massive Poké Ball—serving as a storage space. When Gardevoir battled, she relied entirely on her own aura and strength, not Larry's. Afterward, she could return to his body to recover, just like in the Pokémon games.
That realization sent a wave of relief through him. While others had to fight with their own strength, all Larry had to do was be a good trainer—commanding his Pokémon in battle while staying out of harm's way. The only function that consumed his aura was the Pokédex scanning ability. "Shauna?" Gardevoir's soft voice broke through Larry's thoughts.
Seeing her master staring at her blankly, Gardevoir tilted her head in confusion. This was yet another thing that made Larry feel like these Pokémon weren't mere nen constructs, but real, living beings. Despite being born from his aura, they could talk—though in Pokémon language. Fortunately, Larry could understand them instinctively. "I'm fine..." he reassured her, shaking off his thoughts.
He walked over to the large round table in the room, where a glass of water sat with a green leaf floating on top. Though he had a good guess about his ability by now, he wanted to confirm it with a test. He was about to use the Water Divination Test, a well-known technique to determine which category his nen ability fell under.
Taking a deep breath, Larry placed his hands on either side of the glass, hovering them just above its surface. Slowly, he focused his mental aura, channeling it into his palms. A soft glow of pure white aura enveloped his hands, forming a thin, shimmering layer of aura. His forehead grew damp with sweat from the effort. Seeing this, Gardevoir quickly picked up a handkerchief and gently wiped away the sweat, a look of concern flickering in her ruby eyes. Her tender gesture reassured him, and he pressed on.