Rebirth in HxH World With Gardevoir

The moment they saw Larry casually chatting with the examiner, the candidates exploded into discussion.

"Wait, hold on—he also know this examiner?!"

"Are you kidding me? That's two in a row! First Satotz, now Menchi?! Who the hell is this guy?!"

"There's gotta be some kind of inside connection! This is too much of a coincidence!"

Some people whispered in shock. Others were more skeptical, muttering accusations of favoritism. No matter what, one thing was certain—Larry's presence was becoming more and more of a mystery.

From his hidden perch in the trees, Satotz had a perfect view of everything below. Even though he couldn't hear what was being said, he could read their lips and observe their body language. His eyes narrowed slightly as he analyzed the interactions. "So, Mr. Larry even knows the Gourmet Hunter Menchi…"Satotz stroked his beard thoughtfully. "As expected… he really is something else."

Noticing that it wasn't the best time for a long conversation, Menchi shot Larry a small, apologetic smile before stepping forward to address the candidates. "Congratulations on passing the first exam!" she called out, her confident voice cutting through the murmurs. "My name is Menchi, and I am the examiner for the second phase!" She stretched slightly, standing tall as she introduced herself.

Right on cue, the massive man behind her rumbled, "I'm Buhara. I'll also be one of your examiners." Just then— Gurgle~ A loud, unmistakable stomach growl echoed through the area. The candidates stared.

Menchi sighed, turning slightly to glance back at her oversized companion. "Buhara, you're hungry already?"

Buhara gave an awkward chuckle, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I'm starving! Feels like my stomach's touching my spine!" he complained.

Menchi let out a short breath before turning back to the candidates. "Well then, that makes it simple." She clapped her hands together and smirked. "The second exam is—cooking!"

The moment she said it, chaos erupted.

"Cooking?!"

"What kind of Hunter Exam is this?!"

A particularly large, yellow-haired wrestler named Bodoro took a step forward, scowling. "Hold on a second! We came here to take the Hunter Exam! Why the hell are we cooking?!" His frustration was understandable. Many candidates—himself included—had no experience with cooking. Why should they be tested on something like this?

Menchi, unfazed, placed a hand on her hip and smirked. "Because we're Gourmet Hunters." Her words were firm, unapologetic. "The exam is based on our specialty—food."

Buhara stepped in next, his voice a little more relaxed. "For this test, your task is simple. Roast a whole pig." He grinned, rubbing his stomach."It just has to be a pig from Visca Forest." 

While his words sounded broad, there was only one type of pig that lived in this forest. And with that—"The second exam officially begins!" Menchi announced.

The moment she finished speaking, the entire venue erupted into motion. Candidates sprinted toward the forest, their minds racing. They knew time was of the essence. Buhara was massive, meaning he could probably eat a lot. But Menchi? She was tiny. And her strict personality suggested she wouldn't eat just anything. That meant there was a high chance that only the first few dishes would even get judged. If they were too slow, they'd be eliminated without even getting a chance to present their food.

With that terrifying thought in mind, the candidates poured into the forest, desperate to catch a pig before anyone else. As the other candidates rushed into the forest, eager to secure their wild boars, Larry remained standing by the table. With the entire venue now empty, his presence became impossible to ignore.

Then, without a word, he casually snapped his fingers. In an instant, Gardevoir appeared beside him like a ghost. The Psychic Pokémon lingered for only a moment before disappearing again. And when it reappeared, a freshly slain wild boar was laid out on the table in front of Larry.

The wild boar was no ordinary creature. This was a Great Stamp, a species infamous across the Six Continents as one of the most ferocious pigs in existence. Its entire body was pink, with an enormous, shoe-shaped snout that looked tough as steel. That wasn't just for show—its nose was so hard that it could shatter rocks with a single charge. 

However, its greatest strength was also its greatest weakness. The reason its snout evolved to be so tough was to protect its fragile forehead. For someone like Larry, who already knew its weak point, taking it down was almost too easy.

As Larry began preparing the boar, Menchi approached, smiling as she observed him at work. "Surprised to see me here as an examiner?" she teased.

Larry, without pausing his work, chuckled. "A little." Of course, the real thing that surprised him wasn't her being an examiner—he already knew that was going to happen. No, what caught him off guard was her change in clothing style. Had he somehow triggered a butterfly effect just by being here?

As he swiftly skinned and cleaned the Great Stamp, Menchi began talking about her own experiences since they last met. Larry played the role of the listener, nodding occasionally as she spoke. Even as she talked, his hands never stopped moving. Within seconds, he had cleaned out the internal organs, prepared the meat, and set the boar onto the roasting rack. Menchi finally finished her story and tilted her head, curiously watching him turn the spit over the fire. "I've talked all about myself. What about you? Where did you go after that? Did you stay in the Samok Desert?"

Larry smirked but didn't answer directly. "You'll find out soon enough," he said mysteriously. Just then— Geng-ngar, Geng-ar! With a mischievous grin, Gengar suddenly popped out of Larry's shadow, making a silly face at Menchi. It was exactly like that night in the desert.

Menchi's eyes lit up instantly. "Hey, Gengar! It's been a while!" Her green eyes softened with amusement. She had always found Gengar adorable, and seeing it again brought back good memories. But what she didn't expect was that the real surprise was still coming. Gengar grinned widely—and suddenly, a small crystal bottle materialized in its hands. It tossed the bottle into the air, and Larry caught it effortlessly. "Guess what this is?" Larry said with a knowing smile.

Menchi's eyes widened in an instant. Larry opened the bottle, carefully sprinkling a pinch of sparkling white crystals onto the roasting wild boar. The moment the crystals touched the heat, something incredible happened. The shell of the boar's skin began to crackle, and droplets of deep red juices seeped out, releasing an intoxicating aroma. Just a single whiff made it feel like one was soaking in a luxurious hot spring. Menchi stared at the bottle in Larry's hand, completely frozen. "Wait… no way. Could this be—Red Volcanic Salt?!"

Larry grinned. "Bingo."

"You actually went to Mount Kira'Zan?!"

"Yeah. That's where I got this." He shook the bottle slightly, the rare salt glistening inside. "This stuff is insanely hard to get," he added casually. "Took me days to find even this tiny amount."