Su Yi, The Pokemon(?) Master (Pokemon X Monster Hunter Fanfic)

The Rathian had long since flown away, and only then did the small, cautious creatures dare to poke their heads out, hesitantly returning to the clearing. The herbivorous monsters sulkily resumed grazing on the grass.

Stepping out from the bushes, Su Yi sighed in admiration, "So that was a Rathian? Truly a breathtaking and awe-inspiring creature."

He had to admit, watching the Rathian's swift and ferocious hunt had made him hold his breath and tense his nerves, fearing he might catch its attention.

At the same time, a desire was born in his heart—when would he be able to tame such a magnificent beast as his own companion?

Just the thought of it filled him with excitement!

But everything had to be done step by step.

Su Yi turned his gaze to the herbivorous monsters that had resumed their leisurely meal. He opened his golden finger ability, the book he had named The Hunting Handbook, navigated to the Follower Beasts section, and lightly tapped. A Poké Ball appeared in his palm.

"I'll need you to back me up! Chansey!" Su Yi tossed the red-and-white sphere, and a round, pink Pokémon emerged before him.

"Chansey!" Chansey cheerfully appeared and curiously looked around.

This was what Su Yi wanted to verify—and the results confirmed it. The capture balls from The Hunting Handbook functioned exactly like Poké Balls. They could capture both Pokémon and monsters. However, whether Poké Balls from the Pokémon world could capture monsters was still untested.

Additionally, captured Pokémon could be stored in the Follower Beasts section and carried around. The system allowed multiple Pokémon and monsters to be stored, but only six could be set as the active team at any given time. It functioned much like the Pokémon Box system in Sword & Shield, allowing party members to be swapped in and out at will.

In other words, while only six could be deployed at once, those six could be switched with any others from Follower Beasts at any time.

"Rucao, I'll be counting on you too," Su Yi nodded at the Felyne.

"Leave it to me, meow!" Rucao responded energetically, pulling out a bone dagger.

A smile appeared on Su Yi's face as he pointed at the nearest herbivore and shouted, "Rucao! Use Cat Slash!"

"Time to try my new power, meow!" Rucao excitedly swung the dagger. Instantly, a white glow enveloped the weapon, extending its reach slightly. What had been an ordinary slash now carried an imposing force.

Slash!

The sharp blade cut through, blood splattering as it carved a long, narrow wound into the herbivore's body.

Bellow! The herbivore let out a pained cry, stumbling backward before breaking into a run. Its distress call triggered a chain reaction, causing the surrounding herbivores to panic and flee.

But their speed left much to be desired.

Herbivores like these had virtually no offensive capabilities—unlike the Gastodons of the Wildspire Wastes, which would at least charge at their enemies when provoked.

The battle that followed had no suspense. The chosen herbivore was mercilessly pursued by Rucao, slashed repeatedly until it was on the verge of collapse, letting out one pitiful wail after another.

Though the enemy put up no resistance, and though it was a simple one-sided battle, this was Su Yi's first time commanding a fight. It confirmed, without a doubt, that Rucao had indeed become a Pokémon.

"Alright! My first real capture!" Su Yi excitedly took out a capture ball.

But just then—

A sudden change!

ROAARR!

From the nearby bushes, a massive yellow-green lizard burst forth, baring its fangs as it charged toward Su Yi.

"Chansey?!" Startled by the monstrous intruder, Chansey let out a frightened yelp.

"Rucao! Chansey! Fall back!" Su Yi shouted urgently, immediately retreating from the creature.

ROAARR!

The large green lizard, its back adorned with two thick, dreadlock-like manes, slammed its claws onto the injured herbivore, claiming the prey like a true bully.

"That's a Great Jagras, meow!" Rucao cried out.

"Yes, and it's stolen our target," Su Yi said grimly.

This lizard-like beast was the first large monster that players encountered in the game—the first major hunt they were assigned.

The Great Jagras was a mid-tier predator in the Ancient Forest, but because of its incredibly powerful digestion—so strong that it could even damage its own stomach lining—it had to feed constantly. As a result, its frequent hunting trips often brought it into conflict with other monsters and hunters.

ROAARR!

The Great Jagras, seeing Su Yi's party retreat, wasted no time. It bit down on the herbivore, crushed it with a sickening crunch, and swallowed it whole. Its elastic, expandable stomach immediately bulged outward.

Huff! The monster exhaled, as if letting out a satisfied belch, then roared triumphantly.

From behind it, the bushes rustled, and five or six smaller, scrawnier Jagras emerged. They yapped and howled, surrounding their leader like a gang of thugs backing up their boss.

"Stay calm. Back away slowly," Su Yi whispered. Rucao and Chansey followed his lead, retreating cautiously while keeping their eyes on the monsters.

Fortunately, the Great Jagras was more interested in digesting its meal than fighting. With its bloated belly dragging on the ground, it began lumbering toward the trees, its pack of lackeys following close behind, barking and snarling as if mocking the retreating group.

"Whew…" Su Yi let out a breath of relief.

In the game, monsters like this were nothing more than punching bags for players, easily hunted and dispatched. But here, in the real world, they posed a serious threat.

He glanced around. Thanks to that gang of bullies, the once-busy clearing had fallen silent. The herbivores had all vanished into the forest.

"What rotten luck."

Thinking back, Su Yi quickly realized what had happened. The Rathian's hunting activity must have startled the Great Jagras, which had been out searching for food. Then, upon arriving at the clearing, it spotted an easy meal—the heavily injured herbivore—leading to the scene they had just witnessed.

That Great Jagras had perfect timing—arriving right as Su Yi was about to throw his capture ball. Truly unlucky.

"You just wait, Middle-Part Boss (a nickname players gave the Great Jagras)!" Su Yi muttered darkly.

If this were the game, any monster that dared interrupt his hunt would get chased down and slashed to pieces.

If it tried to run home? Too bad—he'd be right behind it, planting a Big Barrel Bomb G at its doorstep!

But unfortunately, this wasn't the game.

—

In a hidden section of the coastal forest, on a high elevation, Su Yi pushed aside some branches, revealing an abandoned campsite. The tents were crooked, the firepit was in disarray, the stone stove was covered in soot, and a pile of scrap lay beside a broken wooden crate.

"Wow, it's really here."

Su Yi had searched for this place based on the game—where the Hunter and the Handler discovered an unused campsite after arriving on the New World via Zorah Magdaros' back. To his surprise, the real world had the same location.

"The spot is well-hidden. Though it's been neglected, the materials are still intact. With some cleaning up, it'll make a great camp."

Without hesitation, he got to work. It wasn't complicated—fixing the tent, clearing debris, tidying up the surroundings.

Half an hour later, the camp was good as new.

At that moment, The Hunting Handbook at his waist emitted a soft hum, and the azure star on the cover glowed faintly.

Curious, Su Yi flipped through it. The Map section had automatically marked this spot with a camp symbol. A notification popped up, confirming that next time, he could choose to spawn here instead of at his last departure point. Overall, the Next Time He Comes to the Monster Hunter World, He Will Be Much Safer

"Let's stay here for the night. Rucao, you go take care of your business first. This place isn't too far from Astera," Su Yi said as he gazed through the trees. Due to his high vantage point—similar to a coastal cliffside forest—he could faintly see Astera in the distance, a base constructed from massive ships.

"Su Yi, are you sure you don't want to come with me and check out Astera?" Rucao tilted her head and asked.

Su Yi shook his head. "It's not the right time yet."

Unlike the Pokémon world, where he could simply claim to be a traveler from another continent and use his unfamiliar Pokémon (Companion Beasts) as proof of his origins, his identity could at least be somewhat credible.

However, in the New World, aside from the Ancient Wyverians, there were no native humans. The only humans present were the Astera research commission, whose members were all registered. Every person in the base could be accounted for, so the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar human like Su Yi would immediately raise suspicion. This was not the time for him to appear before the commission.

Su Yi's plan was to wait until he had captured a sufficient number of strong Companion Beasts or Pokémon. Then, he would introduce himself as a "Trainer" from another continent. That way, even if the research commission didn't believe him, they wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

"Alright then, I'm off, meow!" Rucao waved at Su Yi and Chansey before dropping to all fours and dashing away.

"Rucao leaving so suddenly… it's a bit hard to get used to," Su Yi said with a wry smile. Unknowingly, this trustworthy Felyne had gradually become a source of comfort, easing his loneliness in this unfamiliar world.

"Chansey!" Noticing Su Yi's slight melancholy and unease, Chansey reached into her pouch and pulled out an egg, offering it to him.

"For me?" Su Yi asked, surprised.

"Chansey!" Chansey nodded with a smile.

Su Yi accepted the smooth egg and smiled in gratitude. "Thank you, Chansey, for coming to this strange world with me and helping me out."

Although Chansey was technically "captured," in reality, Su Yi had sought out her help. Besides testing whether Pokémon could be brought into the Monster Hunter world, he had wanted a reliable healer to increase their survival chances.

"Good things should be shared. I'll handle dinner tonight," Su Yi said with a grin, pulling out a large bundle of fragrant mushrooms from behind him.

He had found these special mushrooms while cleaning up the campsite, guided by scoutflies to a nearby area. In the game, they were items used to earn research points, but in reality, they were incredibly fragrant ingredients. Though he hadn't found the rarest Moonlight Mushrooms or Luminous Mushrooms, these were still a delicacy.

Using a firestarter he found in the camp, he lit the cleaned stone stove and placed the mushrooms on top. As the mushrooms lost some of their moisture, their aroma became even more concentrated.

There were no seasonings available, so he simply blew on them to cool them down before taking a bite. The pure, natural umami of the mushrooms spread through his mouth. It wasn't as satisfying as a big chunk of grilled meat, but it had a delicate flavor that was deeply enjoyable.

"Chansey!" Chansey chewed the roasted mushrooms slowly, savoring them. Having been accustomed to eating berries, this was her first time tasting such an exotic, rich flavor.

"Tomorrow, I'll have to find more for Rucao to try. And when I have more time to explore, I definitely want to experience all the 'Flavors of the New World,'" Su Yi murmured, looking forward to what this continent had to offer.

After savoring Chansey's nutritious egg for dessert, Su Yi finished his meal and went into his tent to rest.

"Su Yi! I'm back, meow!"

Early the next morning, while returning from gathering more special mushrooms, Su Yi spotted Rucao waving excitedly at him from the campsite.

"Did everything go well?" Su Yi asked, putting down the mushrooms.

"All done, meow! And I brought back a little gift for you, meow!" Rucao proudly reached into her small backpack and pulled out two items.

One was a telescope, which Su Yi immediately recognized. With this, his field of vision would be much broader.

And the other…

"This is…" Su Yi looked at the slightly heavy metal object in his hand with surprise.

"It's a Sword and Shield, meow! I noticed Su Yi didn't have a hunter's weapon. Even though you might not need one, I still hope you can protect yourself," Rucao said, scratching her head.

It was a very basic iron Sword and Shield set. Following his knowledge from the hunter's guide, Su Yi strapped it on piece by piece. The lightweight sword was easy to draw and sheath, and the small round shield allowed for quick defensive maneuvers.

For a complete beginner with no hunting experience, this weapon was the easiest to master. Even though Su Yi probably wouldn't be fighting monsters directly, at least he now had a way to defend himself if necessary.

He hadn't expected his first hunter's weapon to be a gift from a Felyne.

"This must have cost quite a bit," Su Yi said, noting that Rucao didn't seem particularly wealthy.

"Not too much, meow. Besides, I think it's something you might really need," Rucao replied.

Su Yi paused, then scooped up the small cat and gently pressed his forehead against Rucao's, rubbing affectionately. Seeing Rucao's puzzled expression, he laughed. "Then, let's head out, Rucao!"

"Meow!"

Back at the familiar coastal clearing, the grazing Aptonoths had reappeared, as if they were caught in an endless cycle—grazing, being hunted, fleeing, and then returning to graze once again.

"This time, let's go after the Kulu-Ya-Ku instead. Aptonoths are just too passive. Their biggest use might just be as pack animals for carrying goods," Su Yi muttered.

From their position, they moved through a patch of dense grass. The terrain began to slope downward, transitioning into sandy ground where waves constantly lapped at the shore. Nearby, a group of Kulu-Ya-Ku—two males and three females—rested lazily. The males had thick, dome-like skulls reminiscent of Pachycephalosaurs, with protective bony frills extending down their necks, while the females had much smaller versions of these features.

"At least they have some combat capability," Su Yi thought as he carefully approached.

But just as he was about to make a move, a familiar roar echoed through the air.

"Damn it! You again?!" Su Yi immediately ducked back into the grass and looked toward the source of the sound.

A Great Jagras burst out of the treeline at the top of the slope, its muscular limbs propelling it forward as it charged toward the Kulu-Ya-Ku.

The Kulu-Ya-Ku raised their heads in alarm, stomping the ground with their bony skulls in an attempt to intimidate the predator. But it was useless—Great Jagras opened its jaws wide, ready to bite down.

And then—

A new predator entered the scene.

With a loud crash, the ocean exploded as a massive, sleek figure surged from the water. It let out a piercing roar, rising high under the sunlight, its very presence enough to make the Great Jagras freeze in terror.

"Oh crap! A Lagiacrus?!" Su Yi exclaimed in shock.