As the evening wore on, the entire village gathered happily to feast on the roasted meat.
Over on Ryo's side, seeing this, he also took out some energy cubes and handed them to his own Pokémon.
But then he noticed Weepinbell, sitting in the arms of a nearby child, staring at them with a hungry gleam in its eyes. Smiling, he offered one of the energy cubes to it as well.
Patting Weepinbell on the head, he said, "Go on, eat up."
Weepinbell nodded and began munching contentedly, eyes squinting in bliss. Its joyful expression was so pure it could warm anyone's heart just by looking at it.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the gathering, Akio watched Weepinbell's happiness and clenched his fists tightly.
But Ryo didn't notice that. He simply smiled, watching the Pokémon enjoy its food.
And so, the dinner passed in a cozy, cheerful atmosphere.
Later on, everyone sat together for a little while, chatting casually, before returning to their wooden cabins to rest.
Ryo, too, was assigned a room by the village and settled in for the night.
After making sure his Pokémon were comfortable, he sat quietly, replaying the day's events in his mind.
Everything that had happened today had left a deep impression on him.
Shaking his head softly, he eventually closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.
…
Morning arrived swiftly.
Woken by the lively sounds outside, Ryo opened his eyes and sat up in bed, stretching lazily. "Man, just one night without training, and I already feel completely relaxed."
He got up and woke his Pokémon, then stepped outside.
The village children were already awake, laughing and playing energetically. Weepinbell was also up, joining in their games.
Ryo smiled and shook his head as he walked over to freshen up.
Then it was time for breakfast.
Unlike the feast from the previous night, this meal was much simpler. After finishing breakfast with the village chief, Ryo prepared energy cubes for his Pokémon as usual—and of course, he didn't forget Weepinbell.
Just then, he noticed the village's hunters—the able-bodied young men who had gone out yesterday—gathering again in the center of the village.
Turning to the chief, Ryo asked, "Are they heading out for another hunt?"
The chief nodded. "Yes. They have to go out every day. If they don't, we won't have any food."
Ryo frowned slightly. "You guys don't grow crops?"
The chief let out a long sigh. "Back when Akio didn't have a Pokémon, anything we grew would just be taken by bandits. No one dared plant anything. Now that things are safer, we do plan to grow food—but it's not planting season yet."
Ryo nodded, not asking further. Instead, he offered, "Then let me join today's hunt as well."
After all the kindness they'd shown him last night, helping them hunt a bit more game was the least he could do in return.
"Sure, if you'd like to come, go ahead. Just be careful—there are dangerous beasts in the mountains," the chief warned.
Ryo nodded again, though he couldn't help feeling a little bitter inside.
Did they really think he couldn't even handle a wild beast?
"Alright, everyone! Let's head out!"
Akio's voice rang out as he stepped forward, nodded to the group, and turned to lead the way out of the village.
Ryo quickly followed without another word to the chief.
Seeing Ryo join them, the hunters gave him a few curious looks, but said nothing and continued their preparations.
Akio glanced at him in surprise and greeted him cheerfully. "Boss, you're coming too? Are you leaving the village?"
Ryo shook his head. "No, I'm just coming along to hunt. Hope I'm not a burden."
Akio scratched the back of his head. "How could you be? If anything, we're the ones you'll have to put up with!"
"Huh?"
Ryo blinked at his reply. He understood the sentiment, but it still sounded a little strange.
Akio didn't seem to notice and resumed leading the way with his usual focus.
Soon, the party entered a nearby forest.
Everyone's demeanor grew serious, weapons gripped tightly in hand as they scanned their surroundings with sharp vigilance.
Akio, too, was on high alert. Even Weepinbell was carefully watching the area.
As for Ryo, he silently spread out his spiritual energy, probing the mountain's environment.
What he sensed surprised him.
The mountain wasn't large—about the same size as the forest behind his Pokémon ranch.
But the number of wild beasts living here was staggering. Far more than what he remembered from back home.
It made sense. This region had few, if any, ninja. Not many people came here to hunt or thin out the population of beasts.
No wonder everyone was so cautious. Even Akio and Weepinbell.
With so many creatures around, staying alert was essential. If they got surrounded, even with Weepinbell, it could become life-threatening.
"Hm?"
Just then, Ryo narrowed his eyes and looked toward a certain direction. "They're coming."
Akio, hearing his voice, turned in confusion. "Boss, what's coming?"
"Beasts. Wild ones."
Ryo didn't take his eyes off the forest in the distance.
With his spiritual energy fully spread, he could track every movement in the mountain. The approaching beasts were already within his awareness.
Akio's expression hardened as he raised his voice to the others. "Heads up! Wild beasts incoming! Stay sharp!"
At his warning, the rest of the hunters tensed, gripping their weapons tightly.
Soon, rustling sounds came from the trees ahead.
Everyone grew even more nervous.
Even Akio and Weepinbell stood firm, eyes fixed on the disturbance.
"Roar—!"
A thunderous growl tore through the forest as a massive tiger emerged—far larger than any ordinary tiger. Its gaping maw revealed rows of gleaming fangs as it glared at the group.
"A… a tiger? That big?!"
"Damn it! We actually ran into one of those huge tigers?!"
The hunters' shocked murmurs filled the air, and Akio's face darkened.
Some wild beasts were far harder to deal with than others. Tigers were already dangerous.
And this one was much bigger than any normal tiger.
This wasn't going to be easy.
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