"Got it," Minoto acknowledged. Seeing that Zhang didn't want to capture the Gore Magala, she leaped into the air and, with all her strength, drove her lance downward.
Schlick! The spear pierced the Gore Magala's head from top to bottom, delivering the final, fatal blow.
It's a shame this Gore Magala was infected with the Frenzy Virus. Otherwise, its meat would have been a great resource, Zhang thought, looking at the corpse with a hint of regret. A monster with the Frenzy Virus, if unable to overcome it, would die within a month at most. He didn't want to risk his Pokémon dying from the virus, and the only way to overcome it was to reach the Mythical tier. The system would only expel the virus during the Pokémonization process; it wouldn't cure an existing Pokémon. Therefore, he had no way to solve the Frenzy Virus problem for now.
"The hunt is finally over," Minoto said, wiping the sweat from her brow as she walked over to him, a smile on her face. "Thank you, Zhang Tian. If it weren't for you, it wouldn't have been so easy."
"Minoto, we're family. Don't be a stranger," Zhang smiled, rubbing her head. "If you got hurt, Hinoa would be sad, and so would I."
"Still, thank you," she said, her face turning red.
"Since you're so grateful, how are you going to thank me? What gift are you preparing?" Zhang teased with a playful grin.
"When we get back, I'll treat you to dinner," she said, her voice so quiet he could barely hear it.
"Deal," he nodded.
"Zhang Tian, could you handle butchering the corpse? We should head back," she said meekly.
"Okay, no problem." His spatial backpack was currently empty; he had stored all the Nargacuga and Garangolm meat in his personal underground cold storage back in Kamura. After he finished carving up the Gore Magala, he and Minoto mounted their rides and left.
"Minoto, before we go back, there's one more thing I want to do," Zhang said, looking at the thick blanket of snow with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"A snowball fight?" she guessed.
"That's right. With my monsters," he grinned, releasing all his Pokémon.
On the white snowfield, a massive snowball fight began.
"This is nice. I haven't felt this relaxed in a long time," Zhang said softly, lying on his back in the snow and looking up at the sky. The path to power was exhausting. He wanted to rest, but he didn't dare. The world-destroying Elder Dragons wouldn't give him a chance to breathe. He didn't want to see Hinoa die, nor Minoto. He liked happy endings, not sad ones. To achieve that, he had to become stronger and stronger. The pressure was immense. But complaining was useless.
"You're tired, Zhang Tian," Minoto said, her voice full of sympathy as she looked down at him. "Chasing strength is tiring. I hope you'll come to me when you're tired in the future. I can sing for you and give you a massage." Hinoa had told her why Zhang was so desperate for power, so she understood the burden he carried.
"I will, Minoto." Zhang reached up and pulled her into his arms. He closed his eyes, savoring the peaceful beauty of the moment.
Back in Kamura Village, Zhang and Minoto went to Yomogi's tea shop.
"Yomogi, eleven orders of Dango, please!" Minoto said with a smile.
Eleven? The corner of Zhang's mouth twitched. He knew she had a big appetite, but this was on another level. He would eat one serving, which meant Minoto was going to eat ten all by herself. She was a true Dango queen.
"Oh, it's the big brother!" Yomogi's eyes lit up, a gossip-fueled flame burning within them. "Big brother, you're amazing! Not only did you win over Sister Hinoa, but you've managed to capture Sister Minoto's heart too!" She gave him a big thumbs-up, her face full of admiration.
"You little brat, get to work. You're always gossiping," Zhang said, ruffling her hair good-naturedly. He remembered that Yomogi was actually a princess whose kingdom had been destroyed by a Lunagaron, forcing her to flee to Kamura.
"Hmph! When Sister Hinoa comes by, I'm definitely going to tell on you!" Yomogi huffed.
"Just hurry up and make the Dango," Zhang said dismissively, then pulled Minoto to a seat by the window. Compared to his thick-skinned nonchalance, Minoto was blushing with embarrassment.
"Ta-da!" Before long, Yomogi returned with a mountain of Dango.
"Delicious!" Minoto immediately dug in, eating at an impressive pace.
"Eat up, Minoto. A big appetite is a blessing," Zhang said with a smile.
"Mmhmm!" she nodded vigorously.
The next morning, Zhang walked out of his room back in the Pokémon world. His adventure in the Monster Hunter world was over for now. It was time to challenge the Water-type gym.
"Zhang Tian, you're finally out!" Bea was waiting at his door, a look of surprise on her face.
"How was the harvest?" Cynthia asked calmly.
"The harvest was good. My strength has improved a lot," he replied.
"Stronger?" Bea's eyes lit up, the desire to battle him evident. "I really want to fight you right now, but let's save it for the rookie competition," she said, suppressing her fighting spirit.
"Alright," Zhang nodded.
"By the way, the Global Junior Pokémon Tournament has been moved up," Cynthia announced. "It will be held in your Daxia region's capital in twenty days."
"Moved up? Why?" Zhang asked curiously.
"My sources tell me it's related to the Ultra Wormholes. The winner will be granted eligibility to travel through them," Cynthia explained.
"What's the official story on the news?" Zhang asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"That it would be too hot two months from now, so they moved it up."
"Lame excuse," Zhang scoffed.
"Lame, but everyone believes it. Moving it up or back doesn't make much of a difference to most people," Cynthia said with a smile.
"There are still twenty days to go. I wonder if you two can break through to the quasi-Elite Four tier by then," Zhang asked.
"Don't worry. We're just a step away. We'll break through in ten days at most," Cynthia said confidently.
"That's right, ten days at most," Bea agreed, equally confident. Both of them came from top-tier, wealthy families and had access to countless precious resources. While their growth wasn't as explosive as Zhang's, it was far faster than that of ordinary trainers.