Xie Wen could hardly be blamed for thinking that, because the little one summoned this time wore a strangely shaped mask on her head. He could hardly avoid thinking of the Shakalaka.
Besides, in Monster Hunter 3 on the Wii, the player's companion had indeed changed from a Palico to a Shakalaka...
Then, because they ultimately weren't as popular as the adorable Palicoes, they were soon replaced with cats again in Monster Hunter Portable 3rd on the PSP.
"It's a pretty big-sister Palico, meow!"
(=﹃=)
Just then, Sanji Meow, standing beside him, began cheering enthusiastically with shining eyes and made to rush toward the Palico who looked suspiciously like a Shakalaka.
Fortunately, Xie Wen reacted quickly and stopped him.
But it was also thanks to Little Yellow Cat's reminder that Xie Wen noticed that, although she wore a Shakalaka mask, the exposed parts of her body were all furry. Her paws were adorable little mangosteens, and a cat's tail swayed leisurely behind her.
Yep, you really had to hand it to Sanji Meow's "pretty-cat radar"... even with her covered up that thoroughly, he could identify her at once.
With that thought, Xie Wen shifted his attention away from the conspicuous mask and looked elsewhere...
She wore a simple white dress with nothing particularly remarkable about it, but the lance-or rather, polearm-held in her paw was the second most conspicuous thing about her...
Because it was made of gold, and Xie Wen found its design quite familiar.
At the top of its long golden shaft was neither a spearhead nor any of the more common weapon designs, such as a naginata, trident, crescent-bladed halberd, or three-pointed, double-edged blade. Instead, there was a ring, also made of gold, shaped like some kind of bird spreading its wings.
At the sight of that