My Name Is Porkchop, Meow

After his encounter with the terrifying human craftsman, the Felyne decided he should find someone friendlier to ask for directions.

Looking around, he finally settled his gaze on the small, skinny old Wyverian.

Compared with the towering humans, this old man, barely taller than himself and so wrinkled that his eyes were almost hidden, looked much more approachable.

"E-excuse me, sir, meow. Is this Kokoto Village, meow?" Still shaken by his recent experience, the Felyne's voice trembled.

"Hmm? What do you think?" The village chief, who seemed to be going senile, tilted his head.

"..."

Faced with the old man's kindly smile, the Felyne felt ready to cry.

Father, meow! Do I really have to train here, meow?! Humans are so scary, meow! Wyverians are so strange, meow!!

In the end, a kindhearted woman passing by came to the bewildered Felyne's rescue.

When she heard he had come specifically to find "a hunter named Gordon," she took him to the training grounds.

Upon arriving, the Felyne bowed deeply in thanks to the kind woman as she turned to leave. His impression of humans immediately improved considerably.

Hearing that someone had come specifically to see him, Gordon paused his training and walked over, wiping his sweat with a towel.

Clearly, he had not expected his visitor to be a Palico, and his expression turned surprised.

"Uh, hello. I'm Gordon. And you are?"

"H-hello, Master Gordon, meow! My name is Porkchop, meow. My father sent me to Kokoto Village to find you, hoping you would let me train alongside you, meow!"

The Felyne named Porkchop did his best to puff out his chest, hoping to look bigger and stronger.

His faintly trembling whiskers and rigid tail betrayed his nerves. Getting all those words out in one breath had been quite a challenge for the timid little fellow.

The excessively formal speech, the slightly odd form of address, and the distinctive name "Porkchop" immediately brought Gordon's thoughts back to two weeks earlier.

"Is your father Beefsteak?" Though he was already fairly certain, Gordon thought it best to confirm.

"Yes, meow! I am Beefsteak's eldest son, meow!"

Porkchop waved his little paws for emphasis, his round eyes full of admiration. "Father said Master Gordon was a brave and powerful hunter, meow!"

"Uh, just call me Gordon. I'm nobody special, and I'm nowhere near powerful. You don't need to be so formal." Gordon scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed.

"But Father said humans care a great deal about manners, meow?"

"That's true, but I'm not really your elder, either, so you can just talk to me as an equal," Gordon explained.

"All right, Gordon."

Porkchop's ears twitched. "But that feels very strange, meow! Please let me call you Master Gordon, meow!"

"We can talk about that later."

Rubbing his temple, Gordon realized changing Porkchop's speech habits would not be so easy, and shifted the conversation to something more important.

Beefsteak had saved his life, and he ought to repay that favor. Now that Beefsteak's son had come to him, he certainly would not turn down anything he could help with.

"What did your father mean by having you train with me?"

"He meant for me to sign a contract with Master Gordon and become your hunting Palico, meow!"

Gordon froze for a moment.

Hunting Palicoes were Palicoes who partnered with hunters, accompanying them into the hunting grounds to hunt monsters and provide all kinds of support.

A hunter and a hunting Palico were not simply superior and subordinate, but comrades in battle who could trust each other with their backs.

On the hunting grounds, hunting Palicoes could support their hunters in many ways, depending on their individual specialties.

For example, Felynes skilled in close combat would fight alongside their hunters on the front lines. Those skilled with hunting tools would set traps and bombs when monsters least expected it, creating openings for their hunters. Others were skilled musicians, playing unusual flute melodies that stirred their hunters' fighting spirit and drew out their potential.

Beyond their specialties, hunting Palicoes' personalities also had a considerable influence on their behavior.

Reckless ones would often attack monsters without a second thought, while peace-loving gatherers might wander off mid-battle to pick mushrooms.

Ultimately, though, what truly determined a hunting Palico's abilities was experience and coordination with their hunter partner.

If their bond was close enough, a hunting Palico might even bravely sound a horn when their hunter was being pursued by a monster, drawing its attention and risking their own life to cover the hunter's retreat.

Whatever their methods, hunting Palicoes were certain to be a help to their hunters.

Taking Beefsteak's son as my hunting Palico counts as repaying a favor? This is practically a gift package!

Gordon crouched down to meet Porkchop's eyes. "Setting your father's opinion aside, what do you want, Porkchop?

"To be honest, I'm only a rookie who just became a one-star hunter. Wouldn't finding an experienced hunter in Schrade City be a better choice?"

Porkchop reached up to scratch his pointed ear, his voice full of admiration. "Master Gordon is a very powerful hunter! I saw it with my own eyes, meow!"

"With your own eyes?"

"Yes, meow! I was gathering in the forest that day when I heard fighting. I crept closer and saw Master Gordon beat the Bullfango King to death with its own tusk, meow!

"One day, Master Gordon will definitely become a legendary hunter, meow! Training under you isn't just Father's suggestion. It's my own wish too, meow!"

Gordon was speechless.

With Porkchop putting it that way, refusing again would be less a matter of courtesy than needless fussiness.

Smiling, he reached out and shook Porkchop's tiny paw. "Then let's get stronger together. I'll be counting on you, Porkchop."

"Meow!"

Seeing that Gordon had agreed, Porkchop carefully took a neatly tied roll of parchment from his pack.

This was the Palico contract.

Without hesitation, Gordon took the contract, gave it a quick read, then bit his thumb and left a bloody thumbprint on it as a symbol of his promise.

Porkchop did the same, pricking his paw pad with the tip of his cat pickaxe and leaving a tiny paw print on the contract.

From that moment on, they were partners who would entrust their lives to each other.

"Come on, Porkchop. Let's head home and celebrate with a feast!"

Gordon grabbed Porkchop's bundle and slung it over his shoulder, then gave Porkchop's furry little head a hearty rub with his other hand as he spoke with a smile.

After carefully putting away the contract, Porkchop hesitated shyly, then finally hopped up and clambered onto Gordon's back.

This was one of the ways Felynes expressed affection and trust.

"Urgh! How much do you weigh, Porkchop?" Gordon let out a pretend groan, teasing him mischievously.

The fur on Porkchop's back bristled. "I'm not heavy, meow! I only weigh twenty kilograms. That's a perfectly normal weight, meow! I may eat a lot, but I've always kept up with my exercise, meow!!"

"Ha! Then you'd better eat plenty tonight. Tomorrow's training won't be easy."

"No problem, meow!"

"How about fried pork chops for dinner? I've got some nice Great Bullfango meat at home."

"...That sounds a little strange, but I'm really looking forward to it, meow!"