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

Exploring the forest once again with Rucao, Su Yi discovered traces of many old friends—Anjanath, Tobi-Kadachi, Nargacuga, and Rathian.

Clearly, the brief descent of the Kushala Daora had not disrupted their lives too much, though subtle changes were quietly unfolding.

Entering the dense forest, towering and lush trees blocked out the sky, providing cool resting spots for the creatures. Agile woodland Pteryx glided and played between the trunks.

Su Yi and his team also came here to escape the approaching midday heat.

However, they were not the first visitors.

"What a huge figure, meow! What kind of monster is that, meow?!"

The thick foliage obscured their view, and it wasn't until they got closer that Rucao realized a colossal beast was resting not far from them.

Standing on two legs, with hooved feet and short forelimbs, its body was covered in thick white fur. A pair of antler-like horns, resembling massive shovels, adorned its head.

"It's the The Ferocious Bull Wyvern! Banbaro!" Su Yi whispered.

Despite its name, Banbaro's head actually looked more like a stag's than a bull's.

As an herbivore, Banbaro wouldn't attack hunters unprovoked, but if disturbed, it would charge forward with its massive horns, turning everything in its path into wreckage.

Because Banbaro had a wide distribution and a habit of attacking indiscriminately in a rage—reducing battlefields to rubble—hunters jokingly referred to it as the "New Iceborne Police Officer."

Su Yi was genuinely curious why Banbaro, an ice-adapted creature covered in thick fur, could be found across the New World—even in the molten, geothermal zones of the Elder's Recess.

At the moment, the Banbaro was resting in the shade, drinking from a small pool where cool water trickled down from the upper layers of the Ancient Forest.

Moo-wuuu!

After quenching its thirst, the Banbaro turned around, its massive frame causing the ground to tremble with each step.

"It's looking at us, meow!" Rucao whispered nervously.

"Relax, Rucao. Don't be tense." Su Yi reassured his companion, carefully retrieving a can of Pokémon food from his bag.

Moo-wuuu?

The Banbaro gazed curiously at the tiny creature before it. Since the small beings didn't seem threatening, its guard was slightly lowered.

Su Yi sprinkled the Pokémon food onto the ground and, under the Banbaro's watchful gaze, picked up a few pieces, chewed them loudly, and swallowed.

Moo-wuuu?

The Banbaro seemed to understand. Lowering its head, it stretched out its tongue, picked up a few pieces of food, and cautiously chewed.

This batch of Pokémon food was originally prepared for Chansey and Larvesta—mild in flavor and, most importantly, filling.

After tasting a small portion and finding it acceptable, the Banbaro finished the rest.

Su Yi simply watched, not daring to reach out and touch it. After all, he had no idea how moody this bull wyvern could get—better safe than sorry.

But as Su Yi was feeding the Banbaro, an uninvited guest arrived.

ROAR!

A ferocious roar shook the forest, making the Banbaro snap its head up. Its once-relaxed posture instantly turned tense and wary.

"That annoying roar…" Su Yi quickly pulled Rucao into the bushes.

A dark-furred menace stalked into the forest. The two massive creatures locked eyes and immediately exchanged warning growls.

"Oh boy, Anjanath's fiery temper is about to meet Banbaro's bullheadedness." Su Yi shrank further into the bushes, preparing to enjoy the show.

But things didn't go as he had hoped.

Just as the two creatures were about to clash, another roar echoed from the opposite direction.

Surprisingly, the one most affected wasn't Banbaro—it was Anjanath.

It fixated on the source of the sound. Mixed with the roar was a crackling noise. In the shadows beneath the trees, flashes of light flickered on and off as the newcomer revealed itself.

This beast bore the same physique as Anjanath, but with tiger-like orange-and-black stripes on its head and neck. Its chest and belly, however, displayed the white-and-black pattern of a white tiger. Its fur was white and fluffy, and within it, tiny sparks of electricity crackled.

"Anjanath's subspecies—Fulgur Anjanath! Damn, the forest tyrant and the tundra tyrant are both here!" Su Yi exclaimed, realizing that the Ancient Forest was about to become even more chaotic.

ROAR! ROAR!

The two creatures bellowed furiously at each other. Unlike Banbaro, Anjanath and Fulgur Anjanath were fierce competitors for both territory and food. To them, each other's presence was far more threatening than Banbaro's.

"Fight! Fight!" Su Yi whispered excitedly, egging them on.

"Su Yi, meow, we should leave, meow…" Rucao cautioned, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.

In the forest, the two rivals entered full battle mode. Anjanath and Fulgur Anjanath flared their nasal crests and opened their heat membranes, making themselves appear even more imposing. At the same time, Anjanath's throat glowed with fiery light, flames flickering between its teeth.

Fulgur Anjanath's display was even flashier. Beneath its fur, lightning coursed through its body, illuminating its heat membranes with crackling electric patterns. Its wide-open jaws and erect nasal crest shone with a brilliant, concentrated glow—an electrifying contrast against the shaded forest.

With survival on the line, the two beasts charged at each other.

BOOM!

The thunderous collision sent shockwaves through the air, rattling Su Yi's eardrums and making his heart pound. The creatures locked heads, pressing their foreheads together in a brutal contest of strength. Their massive legs stomped the ground, while their sweeping tails shattered trees into splinters.

Even Banbaro was stunned. Seeing the ferocity of the battle and realizing it was being ignored, the well-fed bull wyvern lost interest in fighting and quickly departed the scene.

As the battle escalated, fire and lightning clashed, with flesh being torn. Roars of pain and fury echoed through the forest.

"It's time to leave." Seeing the destruction unfold, Su Yi decisively chose to retreat.

He and Rucao swiftly made their way out of the ravaged battlefield.

But before they could get far, another terrifying roar erupted from the sky.

"What now?" Su Yi looked up. Through the gaps in the forest canopy, he saw a crimson figure darting past, followed by a green figure. In the distance, a deep blue shape flickered in and out of sight among the trees.

ROAR!

A furious cry echoed across the Ancient Forest.

"The Rathalos pair… fighting an Azure Rathalos?" Su Yi muttered as he ran to the coastal plains at the forest's edge.

Without the trees obstructing his view, Su Yi could now clearly see that the Rathalos couple was working together to take down an Azure Rathalos.

"Now this… this is the real disaster brought by the Elder Dragons."

Looking at the sudden surge of subspecies, Su Yi felt a headache coming on.

If this chaos had unfolded near human settlements, people would've been struggling to survive. This rowdy forest was clearly no longer a safe place for a peaceful exploration.