Larry couldn’t help but chuckle at the ce. He had only teleported twice all week, and somehow, Menchi had caught him i. “Uh... yeah, I teleport, but it’s actually my Partner’s ability,” Larry admitted, releasing Gardevardevoir appeared gracefully, her aura radiating elegand power. Menchi’s eyes lit up with excitement. Years of experience as a huold her that Gardevoir was no ordinary panion—she was incredibly powerful.

  Without hesitation, Menchi csped Larry’s hands tightly, her green eyes filled with determination. “Please, Larry! You have to team up with me!” she pleaded. “If you agree, I’ll cover all our expenses, and I’ll handle any dangers we enter. 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 scorpiohe time es!”

  Larry couldn’t help but smirk as he watched Menchi’s enthusiasm. Her eager expression reminded him of a passionate recruiter, and for a moment, he imagined her shouting, “With Larry here, I'm unstoppable!”

  After sidering it for a moment, Larry nodded. “Alright, I’ll help you—but I have one dition.”

  Menchi’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. “! As long as it’s within my power, I’ll make it happen!”

  Larry leaned in slightly and grinned. “Take me to Gourmet Paradise someday.”

  Menchi blinked in surprise, her eyebrows arg. Gourmet Paradise was aremely secretive location, known only to a select few gourmet hunters. “How do you know about that...?” she muttered, still processing his request.

  Larry shrugged pyfully. “I have my ways.”

  Menchi crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, eyeing Larry with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. “Alright, fine. I’ll take you there someday—if you keep up,” she said with a fident smirk. “But seriously, why do you wanna go to Gourmet Paradise?”

  Gourmet Paradise was a legendary haven for food lovers, said to have beeed by the renowned Gourmet Hunter, Linne-Horsdoeuvre, alongside other like-minded ary experts. The pce 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 someone who had even jouro the Dark ti alongside Chairmaero and members of the Zoldyck family.

  Larry believed that Gourmet Paradise, the secretive food haven Menchi had created, wasn’t just a ary wondernd—it could also be the perfect pce for breeding Pokémon. Of course, his desire to go wasn’t just for Pokémon... he was also eager to indulge in the fi dishes the world had to offer. “Well, I know it might sound weird to ask, but I have to. It’s my duty to uand people’s iions before taking them there,” Menchi said, her expression serious.

  Larry casually popped another bite of dried scorpio into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully before replying, “Holy? I just want to eat.”

  Menchi took a step back, eyeing Larry and his camel skeptically. One was dev scorpio with greasy hands, while the other—his camel—had a stomach so bloated it looked like it had swallowed a dozen basketballs. “…Haha, no, it’s fine. I tell you’re not lying,” Menchi said with an awkward ugh, more amused than embarrassed.

  As a Gourmet 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 pled, both Menchi and Larry were eager to set off without wasting any more time.

  Menchi 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 pint, making ste effortless. Siheir mission was to track down the elusive Pale Fang Scorpion, they decided to travel on foot for maximum efficy. Larry's three-humped camel, which had been enjoying days of indulgence, was relutly returo the rental shop, forced bato its ordinary life.

  Gordeau Desert stretched endlessly under a bzing sun, with t sand dunes and swirling yellow dust filling the ndscape. The occasional gust of wihin threads of sand spiraling into the sky. In this vast expahree figures—Larry, Menchi, 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. Menchi held a detailed map of Gordeau Desert in one hand and the Gilded t pass iher. Staying on course was crucial—getting lost here could meah. The Pale Fang Scorpions had no fixed habitat and were extremely rare. Finding one was mostly a matter of luck.

  "If we're lucky, we'll spot ohin a day," Menchi said, gng at the pass. "If not... well, we'll be wandering for a while."

  Their path took them from o city to another, ensuring they stayed within safe zones while searg for the scorpions. Despite her experience, Menchi had been ed about how they would catch the scorpion ohey found it. Its escape abilities were unmatched, capable of burrowing hundreds of meters into the sand in seds.

  Using her Nen ability, Circle, to track it ossible, but it was a taxing teique that ed a lot of energy. Unlike emission-type users, materialization-type users like her weren't as skilled at expanding their aura acre areas. Circle allowed her to sense everything within a given range, deteg even the slightest movements, but keeping it active for extended periods wasn’t feasible.

  As night fell, the elusive Pale Fang Scorpion remained unseeher of them was disced, though—it was only the first day, after all. In the vast desert, it was unrealistic to return to the city eaight, so Menchi unpacked a portable tent, a cutting-edge survival tool.

  The tent was ner than a bri its pa, but with a simple press of a button, it quickly unfolded into a fully funal shelter. Sihese tents were expehey were rarely seen in the desert. Larry, meanwhile, stood silently, making no move to unpack a tent of his own. Seeing his hesitation, Menchi assumed he hadn't brought one and reached int to grab her spare. Just as she pulled it out, she witnessed something 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 beh his feet, a purple-bck mist emerged.

  Menchi’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. Menchi blinked. “D-Did that thing just… spit out a tent?” she muttered, staring at the absurd se. She turo Larry, eyes filled with curiosity and fusion.