Recaps

Kaya won a ring fight, encountered Hisoka, and joined Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika at the Hunter Exam venue. As the exam applicants gathered, Tonpa introduced himself and warned them about Hisoka, while secretly plotting against Kaya.

• Kaya defeated reigning champion Yuri in the ring, collected his winnings, and refused the organizers’ offer to remain champion.
• Hisoka stopped Kaya in an alley, asked whether he was taking the Hunter Exam, and became excited by Kaya’s potential.
• Kaya reunited with Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika, then arrived late at the exam venue and received badge number 406.
• Tonpa introduced himself as a thirty-five-time exam veteran, and Kaya recognized him as the man Pokkle had mentioned.
• Hisoka attacked a cloaked applicant, and Tonpa warned Kaya and his companions that Hisoka was dangerous.
• Tonpa smiled through Kaya’s teasing but privately vowed to make Kaya suffer during the exam.

Satotz began the Hunter Exam’s first phase, leading the candidates through a tunnel as their pace gradually increased. As Gon and Kaya befriended Killua during the run, Killua made a pinky-swear promise with Gon, touched by their new bond.

• Tonpa offered Killua more juice, and Killua revealed he was immune to poison.
• Satotz announced the start of the Hunter Exam and explained that candidates had to follow him to the second phase.
• As Satotz increased the pace, Kaya, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio struggled to keep moving together while Tonpa waited for a chance to undermine them.
• Killua skated alongside Kaya and Gon, and Leorio objected before Gon pointed out that skating did not break the rules.
• Gon and Kaya introduced themselves to Killua, who agreed to exchange his skateboard for Gon's fishing rod.
• Gon explained a pinky swear and took Killua's hand, and Killua smiled as he made the promise.

Kaya and his companions finished the first phase of the Hunter Exam and reunited with Pokkle before entering the Numere Wetlands. When a wounded man claimed Satotz was an impostor, Kaya and Kurapika saw through the deception and warned the others.

• Kaya encouraged the exhausted Leorio, and the group caught up with Gon and Killua as they approached the tunnel exit.
• Kaya reunited with Pokkle, who said he had met Tonpa, the candidate Kaya had warned him about.
• Satotz explained that the candidates had to cross the Numere Wetlands to reach the next exam site.
• A bloodied man claimed to be the real examiner and presented a Man-Faced Ape that resembled Satotz.
• Kaya pointed out that a licensed Hunter would not be helpless against the creature, and Kurapika noticed the ape was still alive; they concluded the man and ape were working together.
• Kaya introduced Pokkle to the others, while Killua greeted him coldly.

Kaya helped Satotz expose and deal with the fake examiner, then captured the Man-Faced Ape and forced it to guide his group through the Wetlands. As the applicants followed Satotz toward the second exam site, Kaya's companions joked and shared snacks along the way.

• Hisoka attacked Satotz and the fake examiner with playing cards, and Satotz caught the cards while the fake examiner died.
• Kaya intercepted Hisoka's next card with his whip and captured the fleeing Man-Faced Ape.
• Kaya threatened the Man-Faced Ape into leading his group safely through the Wetlands, and Kurapika explained his plan to the others.
• Satotz led the applicants into the Wetlands, while Hisoka glanced back at Kaya before disappearing into the forest.
• Kaya handed the Man-Faced Ape's leash to Gon, shared chocolate balls with Killua, and joked with his companions as they ran.

As the mist in the Wetlands separated the candidates, Hisoka slaughtered a group and pursued Kaya, Kurapika, and Leorio. Kaya fled with the others, but his excitement at facing Hisoka overcame his fear, and he turned back to attack.

• Killua sensed Hisoka's bloodlust, so Kaya split the group and sent Pokkle ahead with Gon and Killua while he stayed with Kurapika and Leorio.
• Kaya's group lost their way in the thick mist and came upon Hisoka blocking a group of candidates.
• Hisoka killed more than a dozen candidates with a single card and then advanced on Kaya, Kurapika, and Leorio.
• Kurapika signaled for the three of them to flee in separate directions, and Hisoka gave them ten seconds to run.
• Kaya turned back toward Hisoka and whipped at him as Hisoka counted down.

Kaya fought Hisoka but was decisively defeated, and Leorio and Gon intervened to protect him. Hisoka tested Gon and Kaya, declared that both had passed, and left carrying the unconscious Leorio, who had passed as well.

• Hisoka outmaneuvered Kaya and knocked him unconscious with a heavy punch.
• Leorio arrived to rescue Kaya, challenged Hisoka, and was quickly choked and captured.
• Gon struck Hisoka with his fishing rod, drawing his attention and fighting to protect Leorio.
• Kaya joined Gon, and the two attacked Hisoka together, but he caught them by the throat and lifted them off the ground.
• Hisoka released Kaya and Gon, told them they had passed, and said Leorio had passed too.
• Hisoka carried the unconscious Leorio away, leaving Kaya and Gon to find the exam site.

Kaya, Gon, and Kurapika regrouped after Hisoka took Leorio, and they followed Gon’s nose to reach the exam’s finish before time ran out. The first round ended with 149 candidates passing, and Kaya told Killua and Pokkle about surviving Hisoka’s attack.

• Kurapika found Kaya and Gon, learned that Hisoka had taken Leorio, and followed Gon’s scent through the mist.
• Killua and Pokkle reached the destination and released the Man-Faced Ape; Killua later saw Kaya, Gon, and Kurapika arrive in time.
• Gon and the others found Leorio unconscious beneath a tree, woke him, and Kaya gave him medicine for his swollen cheek.
• Mr. Satotz announced that 149 candidates had passed the first round and that the second round would begin.
• Gon explained that a sudden feeling had led him to search for Kaya, and Kaya recounted his fight with Hisoka to Killua and Pokkle.

Kaya and the other examinees began the second phase of the Hunter Exam, a cooking test set by Gourmet Hunters Menchi and Buhara. While his friends hunted a Great Stamp pig, Kaya searched for seasonings and discovered a bright chamber beyond a cave wall.

• Menchi and Buhara announced that examinees had to cook dishes they requested and earn both examiners’ approval before they were full.
• Buhara set the first task as preparing a whole roast pig, and the examinees rushed into Biscane Forest to hunt Great Stamps.
• Kaya asked his companions to get a pig while he searched for plants to use as seasonings, and they agreed to help him.
• Kaya explored the forest’s boundary with the Wetlands, fell into a cave opening, and followed the sound of flowing water.
• Kaya punched through an earthen wall blocking the cave and revealed a brightly lit space beyond it.

Kaya explored a cave, found and collected sweet blue berries, then returned to the Hunter Exam and watched applicants pass Buhara’s roast-pig test. Menchi began the sushi test, and Kaya secretly told Gon how to make it before the others tried to stop them.

• Kaya explored a glowing underground cave, recorded Silverglow Green Moss, and gathered blue fruits after sharing some with a timid guinea pig.
• Kaya returned to find Gon roasting pigs, while applicants fed whole roasted pigs to Buhara until Menchi announced that seventy had passed.
• Menchi introduced sushi as the next test and gave the applicants cooked rice, utensils, and hints about hand-shaped nigiri.
• Kaya whispered sushi-making advice to Gon, then tried to leave with him as Leorio, Pokkle, and Killua gave chase.

Kaya explained how to make sushi and helped his group prepare, while Menchi rejected the applicants’ dishes with increasingly strict standards. After Hanzo revealed the basic sushi method, Menchi raised the bar and continued sending applicants back to try again.

• Leorio revealed that the applicants needed to catch fish, prompting them to rush toward the rivers, and Kaya scolded Gon and the others before punching Leorio for trying to sneak away.
• Buhara questioned Menchi’s choice of freshwater fish for sushi, but she said she wanted applicants to experiment with new combinations.
• Kaya taught Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika how to prepare sushi and shared blue fruits he thought could mask the fish’s smell.
• Menchi rejected the first applicants’ sushi, then sent Hanzo back after tasting his dish and disliking it.
• Hanzo angrily explained the basics of sushi, prompting other applicants to resume cooking, while Menchi rejected Leorio’s dish without tasting it.
• Buhara urged Menchi to be less strict, but she insisted on her own standards, which had risen after Hanzo revealed the sushi method.

Kaya used a persuasive speech and inventive jam nigiri to win Menchi’s approval during the sushi test. After he explained why the rare fruit grew only for one season, Menchi passed him and resolved to watch over his growth as a Botanical Hunter.

• Menchi rejected Gon’s sushi and continued sending examinees back to start over, while Kaya prepared to present his own dish.
• Kaya argued that the examinees were not professional chefs, then revealed he still expected Menchi to judge everyone else strictly.
• Menchi tasted Kaya’s jam nigiri sushi, enjoyed it, and asked how he had found the fruit.
• Menchi tested Kaya’s knowledge of the fruit’s seasonal growth, and Kaya explained that hybrid plants could inherit strong traits while losing much of their ability to reproduce.
• Menchi passed Kaya after hearing his explanation and considered helping him develop as a Botanical Hunter.

Menchi’s refusal to accept the candidates’ sushi brought the second phase to a standstill until Chairman Netero arrived and arranged a retest. The candidates boarded his airship for a hard-boiled egg task, while Kaya and Gon eagerly explored the ship.

• Toby lost his temper when Menchi rejected his sushi, and Buhara knocked him out after he tried to attack her.
• Satotz tried to reason with Menchi, but she insisted the candidates had not shown enough adaptability.
• Netero arrived by airship and suggested replacing the stalled task with a contest suitable for everyone.
• Menchi chose hard-boiled eggs and arranged to take the candidates to a mountain; Netero said Kaya had to join the retest for fairness.
• The candidates boarded Netero’s airship, where Kaya and Gon excitedly explored the passenger areas.

The examinees retrieved Grape Spider Vulture Eggs from a cliff and boiled them for Menchi’s practical exam. After helping Gon save Toby and quietly giving Toby an egg, Kaya passed the cooking test with his friends, then slipped away before they boarded the airship.

• Menchi led the examinees to a cliff, explained how to retrieve the eggs, and demonstrated the descent while Netero described the danger.
• Kaya, Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, Pokkle, and the other examinees jumped into the ravine to collect eggs.
• When Toby lost his grip and fell, Gon caught him, and Kaya used his whip to swing them to safety; Kaya later gave Toby an egg in secret.
• The examinees boiled the eggs and, with Buhara’s hint, scooped them out at the right moment before Menchi approved their results.
• Kaya and the others ate the eggs and passed the exam, but Kaya disappeared before returning to the airship and refused to tell Gon where he had gone.

Netero accompanied the Hunter Exam candidates aboard the airship, where Kaya saw through Tonpa’s attempt to keep them awake and later arranged to send rare eggs and a letter to his family. After sharing his detailed plant journal with the examiners, Kaya learned rumors of a mysterious Botanical Hunter who may have rivaled Netero, then annoyed Menchi by demanding payment for a copy.

• Netero introduced himself to the forty-three candidates who passed the Second Phase and announced their arrival time for the next destination.
• Kaya exposed Tonpa’s claim that a surprise airship test might occur, and Killua reassured the others that he would wake them if necessary.
• Kaya visited Menchi in the Examiner Lounge and asked her to mail two Grape Spider Vulture Eggs and a letter to his family.
• Kaya showed Menchi and Satotz his five years of detailed plant records, and Satotz described rumors of a mysterious Botanical Hunter who had been close to Netero in age and strength.
• Menchi praised Kaya’s journal and asked to copy it, but she slapped him flying when he joked that she would have to pay.

After talking with Gon and Kaya about his assassin family, Killua grew closer to them because they accepted him without judgment. Netero approached the three on the airship and proposed a game, leaving them curious about what he had in mind.

• Toby thanked Kaya for helping him, and Kaya discouraged him from making a scene that might get him disqualified.
• Kaya found Pokkle chatting happily with a girl in the dining room and avoided joining them.
• Kaya, Gon, and Killua admired the night view and discussed Killua’s assassin family, his escape from home, and his plans to become a Hunter.
• Gon and Kaya accepted Killua’s past without fear or prejudice, making Killua more willing to grow close to them.
• Netero appeared beside the three boys on the airship and invited them to play a game to pass the time.

Netero challenged Kaya, Gon, and Killua to steal a ball from him, offering Hunter Licenses to anyone who succeeded. Killua and Gon both failed to get the ball, leaving Netero still undefeated after their attempts.

• Netero brought Kaya, Gon, and Killua to an empty sports court and offered them Hunter Licenses if they could take the ball from him.
• Killua agreed to try and twice failed to steal the ball, first missing with a fast grab and then hurting his shin on Netero’s leg.
• Killua used Rhythm Echo to create afterimages, but Netero dodged him and pressed him to the floor.
• Gon charged Netero, changed direction in midair, and slammed into the ceiling while trying to attack from above.
• Gon spent the next forty minutes trying to reach Netero but eventually grew exhausted without stealing the ball.

Kaya used clever tricks against Netero but eventually gave up, then left with Killua to find food. When two examinees harassed them in the corridor, Killua threatened them, and Kaya made them kowtow as an apology.

• Kaya used a diversion and a kick to force Netero to use his left foot and right hand, but failed to take the ball.
• After an hour of chasing Netero, Kaya quit, and Killua also stopped because his bloodlust was rising; Gon continued alone.
• Kaya showed Killua his 500,000 Jenny, and the two headed out to buy food while joking together.
• Two examinees deliberately bumped Kaya and then grabbed his shoulder, despite Kaya urging Killua to ignore them.
• Killua subdued the examinees and demanded an apology to Kaya, who told them to kowtow, and they complied.

Kaya took Killua to the airship’s rear platform for a spar, where they traded blows and Killua used Rhythm Echo. Kaya adapted to the noisy surroundings and countered, but their fight ended in a stalemate before they turned on Leorio when he teased them.

• Killua complained that Kaya had stopped him from killing two applicants, and Kaya invited him to the rear platform to blow off steam.
• Killua and Kaya fought without their weapons, and Killua forced Kaya back with a rapid assault.
• Kaya asked Killua to use Rhythm Echo, then closed his eyes and learned to sense Killua through the wind and vibrations.
• Kaya dodged Killua’s attack and kicked him, but Killua pinned Kaya to the floor, and they locked each other in a stalemate.
• Kurapika and Leorio came upon the boys, and Killua and Kaya charged at Leorio after he teased them.

The applicants began the Third Phase of the Hunter Exam at Trick Tower, where they had to reach the ground within seventy-two hours. Kaya found a one-use trapdoor and fell through alone, while Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio landed together and worried about what Kaya would do.

• Beans announced that the applicants had to reach the ground from Trick Tower within seventy-two hours, starting the Third Phase of the 287th Hunter Exam.
• Applicant number 86 tried to climb down the tower and was swallowed by a Human-Faced Monster Bird.
• Kaya discovered a hollow tile and fell through a trapdoor before his friends could reach him.
• Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio each jumped through nearby trapdoors and landed together at the same place.
• Gon wondered what Kaya would do as the group realized he was still alone.

Kaya and Hisoka teamed up in Trick Tower, clearing early obstacles before reaching a laser corridor that required one of them to give up so the other could pass. With neither willing to vote the other through yet, Kaya kept Hisoka occupied with a card game while he considered a way forward.

• Kaya reluctantly partnered with Hisoka, who said he would spare him for now and asked about his relationship with Killua.
• Kaya and Hisoka cleared the early obstacles easily, with Hisoka leading and Kaya following.
• Lippo announced that the examinees had entered Trick Tower and explained that different routes held different challenges.
• Kaya and Hisoka found themselves trapped before a laser corridor that allowed only one person through and required unanimous wristband votes.
• Hisoka sat down to build a house of cards, and Kaya suggested they play cards while he thought of a loophole.

Kurapika struggled with the hatred triggered by a fake Spider tattoo, while Kaya and Hisoka crossed a trap passage and encountered a scarred man seeking revenge on Hisoka. The scarred man began attacking Hisoka with his Infinite Four-Blade Style as Kaya watched and studied the technique.

• Kurapika admitted that seeing a spider made him lose his reason, and Leorio tried to comfort him.
• Kaya beat Hisoka at Fight the Landlord, then persuaded him to carry Kaya across a passage whose tiles detected footsteps rather than weight.
• Kaya and Hisoka entered another room, where a scarred man confronted Hisoka over the injuries he had suffered the previous year.
• The scarred man threw pairs of crescent blades at Hisoka, who dodged them easily and dismissed his attack.
• The scarred man announced his Infinite Four-Blade Style, while Kaya observed the technique and considered how he might defend against it.

Kaya fought the scarred man and awakened a huge amount of aura when he faced death. Hisoka sealed Kaya’s Aura Nodes, killed the scarred man, and left with Kaya, while Lippo reported Kaya’s power to the Hunter Association.

• Hisoka challenged the scarred man to defeat Kaya before he would fight, and the man turned his throwing knives on Kaya.
• Kaya dodged the knives and attacked, but the scarred man’s Nen weakened his strikes and forced him to keep evading.
• After half an hour, the scarred man grabbed Kaya as the knives closed in, and Kaya’s despair triggered an immense eruption of aura that deflected the knives and hurled the man into a wall.
• Kaya lost consciousness as his aura continued to pour out, so Hisoka used Gyo to break through the aura around him and seal his Aura Nodes.
• Hisoka killed the scarred man with a card, picked up Kaya, and left the room.
• Lippo copied the surveillance footage and reported Kaya’s aura to the Hunter Association.

Kaya passed the Third Phase after Hisoka carried him through the final door, then remained unconscious in the hall for a day before waking. As other candidates arrived, Hisoka and Lippo watched Kaya’s rapid recovery while Pokkle stayed by his side.

• Hisoka carried Kaya through the final door, earning Kaya second place, and warned Illumi not to touch his chosen prey.
• Hanzo arrived fourth, while Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika worried about Kaya in the fifty-hour break room and Kurapika reassured them that Hisoka would protect him.
• Pokkle and Goz arrived together, and Pokkle brought food to the unconscious Kaya before staying beside him.
• Pokkle fell asleep beside Kaya, then woke when Kaya used foul-smelling Choking Grass to rouse him.
• Kaya said he remembered passing through the laser chamber with Hisoka but did not know why he had been unconscious or how he had gotten out.
• Hisoka and Lippo observed Kaya after he regained his energy, noting his remarkable recovery and immense aura.

Netero struggled to decide how the Hunter Association should handle Kaya, then left the question to someone else. At Trick Tower, Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio emerged just before time ran out, and Lippo began the Fourth Phase preparations.

• Netero learned that Kite had asked the Hunter Association to give Kaya proper guidance and debated whether to guide or eliminate him.
• Beans reminded Netero that someone knowledgeable about plants might help, and Netero decided to leave Kaya's case to him.
• Kaya waited anxiously as the final countdown began, then welcomed Gon, Killua, and Kurapika when they emerged from the tower with Leorio.
• Kaya learned how Gon and the others had cleared their challenges and punched Tonpa for wasting time.
• Lippo announced that twenty-six candidates had passed and instructed them to draw cards in the order they had left the tower.

The candidates learned that the Fourth Phase required them to hunt assigned targets for badges on Despair Island. As the group shared their targets and prepared for the exam, Gon decided to face Hisoka on his own.

• Lippo explained that candidates needed six points from badges to pass the Fourth Phase, then sent them toward Despair Island.
• Gon revealed that his target was Hisoka, number 44, and admitted he feared losing but thought he could steal Hisoka's badge.
• The group agreed to share their targets: Kurapika drew Tonpa, Killua drew an unknown candidate numbered 199, Leorio drew Ponzu, and Kaya drew an unknown candidate numbered 80.
• Kaya warned Leorio about Ponzu's poisonous bees and gave him herbs to counter the toxins.
• Kaya offered to help Gon steal Hisoka's badge, but Gon insisted on doing it himself, and Kaya and Killua urged him not to get eliminated or die.