The young boy's name is Lute: a rash but passionate fellow
who aims to be the world's top Monster Rider.
In the midst of the Rite of Kinship that would make him a Rider,
a Tigrex appears seemingly out of nowhere.
The Riders are no match for its overwhelming power.
But just then, Lute and Laeus happen to trigger a Kinship Attack
that leads to the Tigrex's successful capture!
All thanks to Navirou's directions!
But it's out of the frying pan and into the fire
as a solitary Hunter arrives at the secret Rider enclave of Hakum Village!
Could there be a storm a-brewing?
Ah, this view sure is easy on the eyes!
"Monster Hunter Stories: RIDE ON"
"Episode 3: Absolute Power"
With all this gentle scenery surrounding me,
I don't much feel like working.
Mew always say that, Reverto.
Mew need to be ready to work rain or shine!
Aw, hush.
Still, mew are the right Hunter for this Tigrex-hunting Quest.
Oh, so first you slam me, then you praise me?
That's an elite Airou for you!
Flattery will get mew nowhere.
Rats.
That signal!
Laeus, Ride On...!
That sound means...
Navirou! There's a Hunter coming to the village!
Hamburger...?
No, not a hamburger! A hunter!
I couldn't eat another bite...
I've always wanted to see a Hunter!
I had no idea there was a village all the way meowt here!
What's that sound?
Seems they're welcoming us.
A Hunter?!
D-Don't do anything suspicious, now!
Just act normal like always! Normal!
You're not acting particularly normal, Gamigami.
Oh!
A Hunter, at a time like this?
Yeah. I doubt it's coincidence.
Hyoro! Close all the windows and doors!
Uh, okay!
Here you go: 200 zenny.
And here's ten Herbs for you. Thank you much!
That's an Airou!
Shh!
By the way, ma'am, has anything of note happened in these purrts lately?
Let's see... Maybe the time that Dos Fango trampled a field?
Aha! What a tranquil village mew have here!
Huh?
Huh?!
Geez... Where'd that Reverto run off to?
Lute! Lute, where are you?
Hey! Just where are mew looking, anyway?
What?! Can't you tell? From up here, clearly!
That's not what Popola meant!
Are mew an Airou?!
Uh, yeah, Captain Obvious.
Navirou is an Airou among Airou!
One of the chosen ones, in fact. What of it?
But Popola's never seen an Airou like mew!
So Airou can be narrow-minded, too.
And now, a poem:
"We are all different, and we are all good.
After all, we're Airou.
-- Navirou"
And that is a Navi-rule.
No way. For one thing, your face is too big.
See? They're practically the same size.
Popola's face is not that wide! You're moving your paws apurrt!
And you've got a big head to match your big face!
Mew really tick Popola off, mew Airou wannabe!
Well, Navirou's off to see the Hunter. Ta-ta!
Eh? The Hunter?!
Wait! Popola's coming with mew!
Chief Omna, what should we do?
He cannot learn we are a Rider village.
We'll have to set this fellow free at once.
Where is that Hunter, anyway?
He was just at our shop, so he should pass by here...
But our rules say no one can know about the Riders' existence.
We can't talk to him!
If we don't talk, he won't find out!
Find out what?
Is that--
All right, come on out.
I'm talking to you.
Hey, mister, are you a Hunter?
Huh? Yeah, well.
I don't think we're particularly thin on the ground.
But you're the first I've ever seen.
Huh? Oh!
Well? What's your impression of your very first Hunter?
You're smaller than I expected.
Smaller?!
Er, not like that... more like, y'know...
You take on monsters with just one weapon--
I figured you'd be real big, monster-sized: like this!
I thought so, too!
Right?
Sorry I don't fit your mental picture.
Mister, that's a long sword, right?
Yep.
So this is what you fight monsters with!
Wow!
That's a Tigrex long sword!
Oh, so you know about Tigrex?
Oh! Um... from books.
I see. Well, this is the only thing I can depend on when I'm on the hunt.
Huh.
I wonder what monsters think of Hunters.
Huh?!
I mean, they don't see you as food...
Are you seriously thinking about the monsters' feelings, son?
Sure--what's so weird about that?
And I'm not your son!
Whoa! Okay, tell me your name.
It's Lute!
Lute, eh? And I'm not "mister"--I'm Reverto.
Reverto...
He-ey!
Lute! Did you find the Hunter?
Yep! He's right here.
What? You mean this shabby dude is a Hunter?!
"Shabby dude"? Wow, low blow.
Besides, you're pretty shabby yourself.
Hey! Reverto!
How could mew leave without Popolo?!
Oh, sorry about that.
What's your deal? You a stalker?
Shut it, Airou wannabe!
Oh? You know each other?
We do not!
I see.
Hey, Dan said Chief Omna was asking for you three.
The chief?
Uh-oh--better hurry. See you later, Mister Reverto!
I told you, drop the "mister"!
Chief!
You wanted to see us?
Mmm. How did you like the Hunter?
Er, well... he was kind of an... interesting guy, I guess.
I see.
Well, you're just in time.
Just in time?
Yes. Take a look at this.
Okay...
Oh, sorry!
But that's the Tigrex!
It's better this way: setting the Tigrex free.
What?!
Tigrex don't usually live in the forests around these parts.
For whatever reason, it's merely lost its way.
All right! It took the bait!
Returning lost monsters like this to their rightful habitats
is part of our work as Riders living alongside monsters.
Say, I've been wondering...
How did the Tigrex wind up in those woods?
That I do not know. But it bears investigation.
The Tigrex has begun moving toward the Darj Region in top form!
I'll guide it along the rest of the way.
We'll come with!
Hmm?
My mom'll make us boxed dinners-- we'll be okay for food.
If you're going far, you'll need Navirou's navigation!
You do always send us in exactly the opposite direction.
No, no, no! A thousand times no!
But you're tagging along anyway.
You're still apprentice Riders-- you haven't even finished the Rite yet!
Oh, why not? I'm in top form, after all!
And the chief said it would be educational!
We won't get in your way.
Never fear: Navirou's here!
I'm more worried than anything...
Wow... From here on out, we've--
--left the village!
The outside world!
Past this is the snow-covered Darj Region, right?
Yes.
Novices like you wouldn't normally be allowed to enter.
Think this could be a Tigrex footpurrint?
Yep. Interesting place, all right.
Ride On!
Liolaeus!
Mmm. Looks like all that walking tuckered it out.
We'll set up camp here for the night.
I'll go see what's going on over there. You go on ahead and rest.
Okay!
You mom's donuts are delicious!
When Mrs. Vlau makes your dinner, you know it's good!
Wow, what a feast!
Hey, it's your favorite, Cheval: Gargwa egg soufflé!
And here's your favorite: spicy stir-fried Mosswine!
Leave it to Mrs. Vlau! She's got us figured out!
You two know everything about each other, don't you?
You think?
Do we?
Yeah, you do!
I guess so!
Can't sleep?
Nuh-uh. Can't quite drift off.
So you two can't sleep either, huh?
I'm kinda wound up myself.
Well, it's our first trip outside the village.
Yeah.
You know, this reminds me how I really want to see the outside world.
Whenever you found a rare insect or plant, you'd always be so into it
that you couldn't even hear people talking to you.
Yeah. You'd even forget to eat!
And this world is just full of even more
insects, plants, and monsters I've never seen before!
I get giddy just thinking about it!
Good for you.
My dream is to be the world's greatest Rider,
but yours is to see the world. Right?
Right!
Whatever your dream, if you want it to come true, you gotta make it happen!
Uh-huh. I think so, too.
Thanks, you two.
Now we're getting into some scenery unique to the Darj Region.
Looks pretty different from the land around Hakum Village, eh?
Oh! Look at that!
A herd of Popo! How adorable!
Navirou wants a sweater even warmer than a Popo.
It is pretty cold.
Really? You with your natural fur coat?
Navirou is delicate!
I've got this!
Huh?
I thought this might happen, so I brought the fixings for a Hot Drink!
Oh...
Some of this, some of that, a little of this over here...
Combine a Hot Pepper and a Bitterbug and you get...
There we go: a Hot Drink!
Go ahead!
Mmm. Bottoms up!
So bitter!
Whoa... It's coursing through me!
Go on, now! Go ahead!
Huh?
B-B-B-Bitter!
Navirou!
Huh? Eh? I'm all warm!
Yeah, I'm feeling hotter!
Now it's living up to its name!
Excellent! It finally kicked in.
But it tastes absolutely terrible!
Hmm?
It tasted quite nice!
Now that we've come this far, the Tigrex should be fine.
So we've cleared our quest?
Mmm. It's cleared!
Hooray!
Yesss!
Won't be needing this anymore.
Now, then, shall we head back?
What the--?!
What was that?
That was no Tigrex...
Uh-oh-- It's coming back down the mountain!
It looks frightened!
Will it wind up somewhere else this time?
Lute!
We've got to get that Tigrex back up the mountain!
That idiot...!
Let's go, Qurupec--
Whaaat?!
H-Hang on a sec, Lute! Navirou's supposed to be on standby at the rear!
Navirou, blow the Field Horn!
All right, we've successfully lured it our way!
And? What do we do now that it's after us?
Ack!
You... You have no plan?!
I didn't think about what came next!
You big dummy!
Stand back!
He-ey!
Over here!
Give 'em what fur!
Is that... Reverto?
This is a Hunter battle!
Tch! Stubborn little...
Amazing...
Uh-oh!
Wait, mister, please!
What are you doing?! Move!
No! It wants to go back to the mountain!
Tch!
Tigrex-hunting Quest complete!
We'll let the Guild handle the rest.
Why?
If I hadn't saved you, you'd've been done for.
But--
That's a Hunter.
Strange things are happening on this snowy peak lately.
Better not get too close.
Strange things?
You mean that cry earlier?
Who knows? It's not my job to investigate that stuff.
But the monsters that live on this mountain keep leaving it,
only to wreak havoc in other habitats.
This Tigrex was one such monster.
Well, see you around.
Hey...
Why do you hunt monsters, mister?
Because I'm a Hunter.
A Hunter...?
Let me ask you this: Why do you value monsters so?
Because I'm a Rider.
I see.
You sure do say some funny things, son.
I'm not your son!
Sorry, sorry! Lute, right?
Well, don't push yourself too hard, now. Later!
What's the difference between a Hunter and a Rider, anyway?
"Monstie Manual"
The Monstie Manual!
"Monstie Manual"
Navirou here will fill you in on some Monsties!
Get your Media Trigger smartphone app ready!
And you've got your egg with you, right?
Okay, time to form Kinship with your Monstie Egg!
And now, the moment of new life: awaken!
Our Monstie this time is Tigrex!
"Monstie:"
"Tigrex"
Its well-developed legs let it run anywhere on land.
"Type: Power"
"Species: Flying Wyvern"
It's also known as the Roaring Wyvern!
"Overall Length: 341.1 cm"
Today's monster faced off against Reverto,
"Overall Height: 113.9 cm"
"Leg Size: 40.8 cm"
but you'll feel super-safe with one as your Monstie!
What Monstie will hatch for us next week?
"Next Episode Preview"
Lute here!
Chief Omna's sent us off in search of the Waterfall of Trials,
but this cave is crawling with dangerous monsters!
Next time: "The Kinship Rite"! Ride On!
"The Kinship Rite"