NOVEL WEB Chapter 42: Arcanine
A few days later. In the northeastern cliffs of Mount Kira'Zan, the terrain was vastly different from the volcanic wastelands nearby. Here, an isolated forest thrived, standing in stark contrast to the harsh, rocky landscape of the volcano. Larry crouched down, his fingers brushing against a fine layer of frosty powder on the ground.
The crystalline substance shimmered faintly—white on the outside, but tinged with red within. After careful examination, a faint smirk played on his lips. This was it. The Red Volcanic Salt—a rare culinary ingredient found only near Mount Kira'Zan.
Unlike ordinary salt, this mineral was special. While the outer layer resembled ordinary salt crystals, the core contained a molten-like red liquid that flowed like magma. When consumed, it first delivered a unique, briny taste— Then, moments later, a surge of warmth spread through the body. Like eating a spicy hotpot, but without the actual spiciness. This peculiar sensation made it highly sought after, especially among wealthy nobles . They craved that intense warmth—a rush of pleasure that had no side effects.
However, there was a catch. If ordinary people consumed too much in a short period, it could cause internal bleeding. Larry's gaze shifted toward the opposite hillside, where an even larger deposit of the salt lay.
The problem? A massive cliff stood between him and the treasure trove. He could have simply asked Gardevoir to teleport him across But where was the fun in that? Instead Larry formed a circle with his fingers and let out a sharp whistle. For a brief moment, the forest fell silent. Then— The ground trembled. The trees rustled. Something was coming.
Then, in a blur of orange and black, a massive figure exploded from the forest depths— Moving like a streak of firelight. A colossal canine—its fur a brilliant shade of orange-red, marked with bold black stripes. Its mane, wild and majestic, flowed with the wind as it bounded forward.
"Woof! Woof!" The enormous beast came to a skidding halt in front of Larry, its tail wagging as its scarlet eyes gleamed with joy. Without hesitation, it rubbed its huge head against Larry, letting out a deep, affectionate growl.
The force nearly knocked him over. A low chuckle escaped Larry's lips as he scratched behind its ears. "Alright, alright—settle down, Arcanine."
Yes, The Pokémon Larry had summoned was none other than the one he had raised at Mount Kira'Zan— Arcanine. This time, thanks to Arcanine's sharp nose, Larry finally found the rare Red Volcanic Salt.
***
Species: Arcanine
Type: Fire
Ability: Intimidate
Strength Rank: B
Extreme Speed, Flamethrower, Flame Charge, Flame Wheel…
Description: Arcanine is a relentless predator on the battlefield, combining sheer speed and raw power to dominate its opponents. Its Nen category leans toward Reinforcement, allowing it to maximize its physical capabilities while reinforcing its fire-based techniques for devastating effect. Arcanine's aura exerts immense pressure, making weaker foes hesitate before even engaging.
***
After being enhanced through a Nen Oath and Restriction, Arcanine had reached the same A-rank strength as Gardevoir. Even though he didn't get a mythical pokemon he had imagined, Larry understood. After all, the Gordeau Desert only produced a pseudo-legendary like Tyranitar. There was no way Kira Volcano would just hand him a full-fledged divine beast. If he really wanted a Pokémon on the level of a god, he'd probably have to head to the Dark Continent. The highest tier any Pokémon could reach on the six human continents was pseudo-legendary at best.
Larry grinned, ruffling Arcanine's thick, warm fur with both hands. When he was a kid, he had always envied Officer Jenny in Pokémon. Almost every Jenny had either a Growlithe or an Arcanine as their trusted partner. People tended to forget, but Arcanine is almost as rare as a legendary Pokémon—not something you just ran into every day. In the Pokémon world, encountering a wild Growlithe was about as rare as finding a wild Gardevoir or Lucario.
Back on Earth, Larry had always loved dogs, but between financial struggles and the exhausting responsibilities of pet ownership, he never had the chance to get one. Now, in the world of Hunter x Hunter, he had somehow fulfilled that childhood dream by accident. And this Red Volcanic Salt—yeah, it was rare as hell. He had searched for days before finally finding it, and it was all thanks to Arcanine's tracking skills.
Honestly, Larry wasn't even disappointed that he didn't get a mythical beast. In fact, he was pretty damn satisfied. Who wouldn't love a giant, rideable fire-breathing dog? If he had found a mythical Pokémon, though… now that would have been wild.
A pseudo-legendary like Tyranitar was already at A-rank from the moment it emerged. That meant an actual legendary Pokémon would be S-rank. And if he used Nen Oaths and Restrictions to enhance one? SS-rank.
In his estimation, S-rank was the absolute limit of the six human continents. Only a handful of beings could reach SS-rank. One of them? The Chimera Ant King. And that was only after devouring his three Royal Guards. There was one other person Larry suspected might be at that level. Don Freecss. Jin and Gon's ancestor.
More than 300 years ago, Don Freecss had ventured alone into the Dark Continent, chronicling his journey in the East Edition of New World Exploration Chronicles. The book had been widely circulated across the six continents, but most people dismissed it as a fantasy novel.
Only a select few knew the truth—everything written in it was real. When the V5 realized what the book contained, they had the East Edition confiscated and classified as top-secret. But if there was an East Edition, that meant there should also be a West Edition, right? And yet, no one had ever seen it.
Jin believed there were only three possibilities: the West Edition was lost, Don Freecss had stopped writing before finishing it, or—perhaps the most unsettling thought—Don Freecss was still writing it. Whatever the case, the mere fact that he had been able to explore the Dark Continent alone—and had the time to document his journey—meant his strength was beyond comprehension. Larry had a gut feeling that Don Freecss was still out there, wandering somewhere in the Dark Continent.
The Freecss bloodline was terrifyingly gifted. Don Freecss: A monster who roamed the Dark Continent solo. Jin Freecss: One of the top five Nen users in the world, soon to embark on his own expedition. Gon Freecss: Still young, but his battle against Neferpitou had proven his potential was sky-high.
If Gon ever grew up properly, he might even surpass his father. But at this rate, nobody was ever going to see that happen. Kurapika had been stuck on that damn ship for years now and still hadn't set foot off it. But now that Larry was here, he had the chance to see everything unfold in real-time. Hell, maybe he'd even add a little chaos to Gon's "Find My Dad" journey.
Like… imagine Gardevoir teleporting Gon directly to Jin while Jin was least expecting it. Just picturing that scenario made Larry chuckle. Shaking his head to clear his ridiculous thoughts, Larry climbed onto Arcanine's back.