"Pidgeotto, let's go." Dressed in his new gear, Zhang Tian walked out with Pidgeotto on his shoulder. His other monsters, like the Tobi-Kadachi, were resting in their Poké Balls.
"Hinoa, I'd like to take on a quest. Are there any for hunting a Tetranadon?" he asked, taking a seat in front of her quest counter.
He wanted to hunt a Tetranadon because, among the elite-tier monsters, it yielded the most meat. A Tetranadon stood 4.7 meters tall, was about 9 meters long, and had a width of around 5 meters. While not as long as wyverns like the Tobi-Kadachi, it was far wider a true "fat dragon." Zhang Tian estimated that one Tetranadon would provide two to three times as much meat as a Great Wroggi, perhaps even more.
"A Tetranadon?" Hinoa hummed. "Let me see." She began to flip through the Guild's quest log and quickly found a listing. "You're in luck. Here's a Tetranadon hunting quest." She handed the quest sheet to him.
Zhang Tian took it and read.
Hunt Target: Tetranadon
Reward: 5040z
Time Limit: 10 Days
Quest Description: The Tetranadon population in the Shrine Ruins has grown too large. A hunter is needed to perform reasonable population control.
"I'll take it," he said after reading the description.
"Alright," Hinoa nodded and processed the quest for him.
"Although the Shrine Ruins don't have as many powerful monsters as other areas, Magnamalo does appear there sometimes, so please be careful," she added with a concerned tone.
"Don't worry, Hinoa. I have a way to protect myself. Even if I run into an Elder Dragon, I can escape easily," Zhang Tian said with a confident smile. His ability to traverse at any time was his ultimate trump card.
"By the way, have you not found a Palamute and a Palico yet?" Hinoa asked, noticing he was still without the usual hunter companions.
"Master Utsushi said that good Palamutes and Palicoes are not so easy to find," Zhang Tian explained with a shrug. "He's keeping an eye out for me and will let me know as soon as he finds an excellent one of each."
"I see," Hinoa nodded in understanding.
"Zhang Tian, do you still have that game console you gave to Minoto?" she then asked, a little embarrassed.
"A game console?" Zhang Tian's eyes glinted, and he smiled. "Hinoa, I didn't expect you to enjoy games too. How about this: when I get back from my hunt, I'll get one for you as well."
The day before yesterday, he had given his handheld game console to Minoto. The reason, of course, was to win the girl's favor. Hinoa and Minoto were both very beautiful; it would be wonderful if he could win one of them over as a girlfriend.
"Well... is there anything you like? I'd like to get you a gift in return," Hinoa said, her face slightly flushed. It was the first time she had ever asked a boy for a gift, and even with her cheerful, outgoing personality, she couldn't help but blush.
"Hmm, when I get back, treat me to dinner," Zhang Tian said after a moment of thought. As the saying goes, the first step to winning a girl's heart is to share a meal.
"Okay! When you return, I will treat you to the best food in Kamura Village," Hinoa agreed.
"Then I'll see you later," Zhang Tian said with a wave, getting up to leave.
After leaving the village, he released his Tobi-Kadachi. It was his fastest mount, and the best choice for getting to his destination quickly.
In the Shrine Ruins, Zhang Tian rode the Tobi-Kadachi to a riverbank.
"According to the village's intelligence, Tetranadon are often found here. I'll use the drone to scout the area," he said, taking out the device.
In truth, sending Pidgeotto to scout would have been more effective. But he was worried it might run into danger, like another Rathian. A drone, on the other hand, was expendable.
Whirrr...
The drone took to the air and began exploring the surroundings under his control.
"Found one. Nice," he said a few minutes later. A Tetranadon was feeding on the other side of the river.
"Tobi-Kadachi, Great Izuchi, use Agility," Zhang Tian commanded, releasing his other monster. He had them both stack Agility three times.
"Let's go." He jumped onto the Great Izuchi's back, and with a wave of his hand, they charged toward the Tetranadon's location, the Tobi-Kadachi running alongside them. He didn't bother releasing the Arzuros; its short legs made it too slow. In his mind, the Arzuros's role was for fighting other Pokémon in the future.
Soon, they spotted the Tetranadon.
"Hiss!" Without waiting for an order, the Tobi-Kadachi activated its Charged State and shot toward the Tetranadon with Quick Attack.
This was why Zhang Tian rode the Great Izuchi. If he were on the Tobi-Kadachi, it wouldn't dare use its Charged State. When charged, its fur stood on end like electrified iron needles. Sitting on it then would be suicide.
Fwish!
The Tobi-Kadachi appeared in front of the Tetranadon in an instant, like a phantom. Its base Speed was 160, faster than most Pokémon. In its Charged State, all of its skills became Electric-type. This meant that when it used Quick Attack, its ability "Flying Thunder" activated, doubling its speed. In the game, Quick Attack was a priority move. In the real world, its effect was to double the user's speed. Combined with the four-times multiplier from three Agility uses, the Tobi-Kadachi's speed was now a terrifying sixteen times its normal rate.
This was the fearsome power of Pokémonized monsters: their skills and abilities made them far stronger than their base stats would suggest.
SLASH!
A claw wreathed in lightning flashed out, gashing the Tetranadon. Before the creature could even register the pain, the Tobi-Kadachi launched its second attack. It leaped up, positioning itself directly above the Tetranadon's head.
"Flying Tail Slam!"
Its massive, mace-like tail came crashing down, smashing into the Tetranadon's skull with a thunderous crack. The force of the blow slammed the kappa-like monster to the ground. Only then did it finally realize it was under attack. The Tobi-Kadachi was so fast that it had landed two devastating hits before its opponent could even react. This was its terrifying power an assassin with explosive speed.
"ROAR!" The fallen Tetranadon instinctively tried to stand, but the Tobi-Kadachi gave it no such opportunity.
"Claw Swipe!"
The Tobi-Kadachi's claws tore open the Tetranadon's belly, ripping out a large mass of organs.
"Gurgle!" The Tetranadon spat a ball of water at its attacker. It couldn't see its foe, but it could sense the direction of the attack.
Swoosh! The Tobi-Kadachi easily dodged the water projectile and slashed again. Its electrified claws plunged through the open wound, driving upward and piercing the Tetranadon's heart.
RIP!
The Tobi-Kadachi tore out the shredded organ.
Thump.
The Tetranadon collapsed, lifeless.