These youngsters are Riders,
continuing their quest to find blackened Kinship Ores
and stop the Black Blight, spreading across the world.
Lute, wanting to take a closer look at himself,
undergoes a trial at the Tower of Illusion
and sets out on his Rider's path, his spirits renewed.
Meanwhile, Cheval tosses aside his constant companion Rathi
and forsakes Mille and Hyoro as well.
Just when Cheval, now more alone than ever,
seemed to have joined forces with Dr. Manelger...
Sorry to keep you waiting, Cheval, my boy!
My Mecha Kinship Stone is ready at last!
...he suddenly vanished without a trace.
"Monster Hunter Stories RIDE ON"
"Episode 43: Forest of Confusion"
Hey, uh, Navirou...
Is this really where we're supposed to be meeting Lilia?
Navirou's navigation skills never miss the mark.
Never hit the mark, you mean.
Huh?
Hmm? What's up?
What are you doing?
I have this feeling that someone's watching me.
They're probably watching Navirou.
Such is the fate of one so popular!
Huh?!
So that new Kinship Ore isn't at Mt. Rhyz after all?
That's right--sorry.
In fact, it lies in the direction of Mt. Rhyz's shadow.
Where its shadow points?
Which means...
Which means?
We won't know till we go!
What? What's wrong?
It's just... all day I've felt like I'm being watched.
Oh? By whom?
They're watching Navirou.
Honestly. It's not easy being Mr. Popular.
It's not... Cheval, is it?
Ah, he's off following his own path.
Right.
Mmm-mmm! So tasty!
Big-city donuts are just that little bit different!
Whoa!
Someone's after these donuts!
Right?! See, someone's definitely watching us!
These donuts are for Navirou only!
Navirou's and Navirou's alone!
Are you sure?
Over there!
Hi-yah!
Hyoro?!
Mille?!
How long's it been since you two last ate?
Two days.
And that's the last you saw of Cheval?
Yeah.
Whatever. It's his life.
I mean, he even got rid of Rathi...
I just don't understand him anymore.
I wonder if he's with Dr. Manelger.
No...
Isn't he just out there fighting the Black Blight on his own?
Oh...
What's next for you two?
I don't know.
What should we do?
Why not stop by Hakum Village first?
You've been gone a while, right?
Yeah! Everyone'd be thrilled!
I wonder.
Disgusted, more like.
After what we did to my brother and the rest...
Demolition Dash!
Pretty weak Kinship with your Monoblos there!
But I see through your every move!
Rock Smash!
And you, too, Lute--
We were awful to you.
Nah, it's fine! Don't worry about it.
It's great to be together again, eating donuts like this--right, Lute?
Right!
C'mon, Navirou--give Hyoro some more.
Here!
'S chocolate.
Thanks.
We're sorry for everything.
But why were you trying to steal Navirou's donuts?
We weren't.
You came to see us because you had something to tell us, right?
Uh-huh.
We figured Lute's the only one who can stop Cheval now.
It's just...
We don't think Cheval's wrong, wanting to protect people
from Blighted monsters...
But he's going about it the wrong way.
I wonder what's so different between him and me?
You're both confronting the Black Blight, after all.
Isn't it the difference between wanting to protect and wanting to destroy?
That's brilliant, Navi!
Heh!
Keep the praise comin'! More, more!
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!
The two of us... We didn't know what to do.
Mille, Hyoro--
the Scriveners have a lead on the location of a new Kinship Ore.
Care to join us?
Huh?
They've spotted Blighted monsters beside the forest there,
so Cheval might show up, too.
That's right!
And if the Black Blight has taken over this Kinship Ore,
it'll need to be purified.
Yeah!
Well?
I'll come.
Me, too.
In that case, we must...
...go buy us some donuts!
How do you still have room?
Aaand we're off to the Kinship Ore!
First we've got to find the Forest of Confusion and the Ruins of Redan.
The Forest of Confusion?
Hey! Listen to Navirou!
The Guild has declared the Forest of Confusion
to be off limits, like the Ruins of Redan.
So we don't really know too much about it.
No sweat! Navirou's directions will get us there!
Lilia's map will, you mean.
He-ey!
Hold up, hold up, hold up!
Oh! It's Tub--
--li!
I'm not "Tub" anythiiing!
And he's gone.
Did you seriously forget about me?!
Completely. Didn't we?
Yep.
Hey!
What are you doing here, anyway?
Hah! I'm here to face the Black Blight with you, o' course!
As new Rider Debli, that is!
"New Rider"? What's that?
It's not a real Rider...
But in some ways, it's even more than a Rider!
Just smells fishy to me.
Got that right.
But hey, why are you guys with them?
We're adventuring together again.
Aha! That makes you my friends, too, then.
So you were our friend, were you?
Higher-ranked than you, though!
So, what happened to Cheval?
We don't know.
Division among the ranks, eh?
Still...
Us Riders...
We're all friends.
Ah. Well.
With ol' Debli along, you'll have nothing to fear!
Count me in on your adventure!
All Navirou's sensing is worry.
You do want to come, though--right, Debli?
Heck, I'm gonna drag the rest of you along with me!
Now that I've mastered monster-riding and all.
Giddy-up, Great Poogie!
Ow! Hey!
Hey! Yo! Where do you think you're going?!
He hasn't mastered riding at all.
He just thinks he's riding that thing.
This'll be one fun trip.
Yeah!
I'm glad we can go adventuring like this again--together!
Well, you haven't changed.
Still saying embarrassing stuff like that with a straight face.
Cheval... I just know one day we'll--
A Nerscylla!
It's Blighted...
"The Blighted Nerscylla"
Ride On!
Rathalos!
For a Blighted monster to show up so close to town...
It feels like we're seeing them more and more often lately.
We've spotted them all over.
So that's how much of the world's been stricken by the Black Blight.
If the Nerscylla here has been Blighted...
...then the Kinship Ore the Scriveners found here...
We'll stop it.
I got this!
Ride On!
Great Poogie!
Hey! Wait! Wrong way!
Turn back, Great Poogieee!
What's he trying to do, anyway?
Ride On!
Rathalos!
Okay, Ratha: time to show Lilia and Mille and Hyoro
how all our Kinship can be our strength!
Ratha! Use your breath!
Sky-High Extreme!
You like that?
That there is Lute and Ratha's new Kinship Attack!
Wow...
Yeah...
Hey, Lute,
that Kinship Attack was amazing!
I hope I can pull off one like that someday!
How'd you come by a Kinship Attack like that?
It's all thanks to Navirou's steadfast support!
Lute might've put in a little effort, too.
Whaddya mean, "a little"?
It'll take Cheval by surprise, that's for sure.
If both Lute and Cheval were with us,
we could stand up to any challenge...
I wonder where Cheval could be?
So you are worried.
You both seem kind of down.
We're friends--no matter what!
I'm sure that, somewhere deep inside, Cheval feels the same way!
I hope so.
Yeah.
He-ey!
Hold up, hold up, hold up!
Why do you guys always leave me behind?! Sheesh!
You're the one randomly running off somewhere!
That's because this one won't do what I say!
Careful, Debli!
You don't want to accidentally wind up in the Forest of Confusion!
Why? What'd happen to me?
You might never come out!
Eek!
Whoa, Great Poogie!
Whoa!
Ow...
What the heck is he doing?
Playing with a Great Poogie.
You need training, kid--training!
Kind of a... strange place, huh?
It's not like any other forest I've ever seen.
Lilia, aren't we in the Forest of Confusion yet?
According to the map, it should be right around here...
But we've been walking in circles all this time!
Huh?
See the mark on that tree there?
That's where Great Poogie smashed into it!
No way... I thought we were walking straight ahead!
We're lost!
More like we keep coming back to the same place.
At some point, we wound up lost in the Forest of Confusion!
And even with Navirou's navigation skills,
he doesn't have a clue how to get to the Kinship Ore!
But the Kinship Ore is somewhere in this forest, right?
It should be.
Whoa! Look at that!
A sign of the Blight.
Which means the Kinship Ore within this forest
has probably been hit by the Black Blight, too.
Then we'd better hurry up and find it.
But we don't know which way to go.
--That way! --That way!
Which means...
...it's probably not that way!
Right.
Yeah.
Well, that black smudgy stuff stretches off thataway.
Eh? Hang on. If that's true...
...it's either moving to that direction,
or spreading from that direction.
Which is it?
Which way'd we come from again?
Um...
We don't even know that much anymore!
A monster!
Hyoro!
Big brother!
Stone!
Mille!
And Lute and Lilia, too!
And Navirou!
And me!
Oh, yeah: this is our friend Tub...
...li.
Debli! Say it right!
Hyoro.
What on earth are you doing here?
I could ask you the same thing.
We heard there was a Blighted monster in these parts.
Why are you with Lute and his team?
Well...
Aren't you on Cheval's side now?
We're sorry, Genie.
We had it all wrong.
We decided to go with Cheval, but... turns out, we couldn't.
So where is Cheval now?
We don't know.
Genie... I'm sorry.
I don't know what happened,
but I allowed your choice because it was the path you chose.
Yet a disgrace who can't even see that choice through
is no Rider--and no brother of mine.
Genie...
That's going too far, Genie.
Genie!
Hyoro is a Rider--and he's also your little brother!
He and Mille thought long and hard before they came looking for us!
Come on.
We're only doing what we need to do--
as Riders.
Hey, now!
Genie, wait up!
The Nerscylla!
It's back!
Lilia!
Tub...
...li!
Say it right!
Forget that--save us!
What happened?
A Nerscylla, eh?
Ride On!
Monoblos!
Genie! Watch out for its webbing!
If it catches you...
I don't need advice from you!
What the--
Calm down, Monoblos!
Genie!
Ride On!
Monoblos!
Hyoro...
Genie!
Don't worry about me. Go help Lilia and Debli!
Come on!
I will stop you... just watch!
You sure you don't need to join in?
Hyoro and Genie?
They'll be just fine.
See that, Genie?
That's the face of a Rider.
Looks a lot like you.
He's not your little brother anymore.
Recognize that.
Demolition Dash!
I did it...
Hyoro!
Big brother...
It's true, you're not who you used to be.
You're a full-fledged Rider.
Genie!
Yep, there's nothing like a brother!
You and Cheval are like brothers, right?
You always said you were family.
Lute... please:
Come with us to bring Cheval back.
I don't want to be all broken up like this.
Sure... of course I will!
Count on it!
"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!
"Monstie:"
Our Monstie this time is Great Poogie!
"Great Poogie"
"Type: Power"
That scar over its eye and that purple scarf are its trademarks!
"Species: ???"
"Overall Length: 163.7 cm"
"Overall Height: 101.7 cm (incl. scarf)"
There's this courageous air around it that other Poogies lack.
"Leg Size: 8.4 cm (rear)"
Sure cuts a powerful figure, even when taking Debli for a wild ride!
What Monstie will hatch for us next time?
"Next Episode Preview"
We run across a phantom monster in the Forest of Confusion!
Next time: "A Mystical Meeting with Kirin"!
"A Mystical Meeting with Kirin"
Ride On!