Ponzukkle

"I’m scared. If this doesn’t work, it’ll take a whole twenty minutes to get it back up again. But by then, it’ll be too late."

- Pokkle voicing his worries to Ponzu before she comforts him.

Ponzukkle is the het ship between Ponzu and Pokkle from the Hunter x Hunter fandom.

Hunter Exam Arc (1999)
In the 1999 version of Hunter x Hunter, there is an extra arc where the examinees are stranded on an island with only a run-down boat as an escape route. Pokkle and Ponzu are both engineers who volunteer to fix the engines and get the boat running. They end up under more stress when the rest of the examinees find that there’s an inescapable storm arriving.

They both work on the engine while being monitored by the makeshift leader Kurapika using an old form of communication throughout the boat. The rest of the crew has to stall for time as they let Pokkle and Ponzu work on the engine. Once they’re finished, Pokkle is about to start the engine, but not before he voices his worries about having twenty lives in his hands,

Instead of words, Ponzu puts her hands overtop of Pokkle‘s and nods reassuringly at him. He nods back, and they both start the engine together. The engine works and they both excitedly rush to tell Kurapika and the other examiners about it.

Chimera Ant Arc
When Pokkle and his group of magical beast hunters hear about the infamous Chimera ants, Ponzu is coincidentally overhearing while letting her bees pollinate at a nearby flower bed. Once Ponzu realizes the group is going to NGL, she immediately asks to come along. Pokkle insists for her not to as she isn’t a licensed hunter, but she argues back with the fact that NGL won’t allow any technology for communications. Pokkle lets in and agrees, but only if she stays close to him.

As they are riding horseback on their way to the heart of NGL, Pokkle and Ponzu have a conversation that ends with Ponzu leaning her head on Pokkle’s back in an affectionate way. Pokkle gets flustered but does not blush at the action. Later on, as they’re walking through the forest, Ponzu stops to admire a flower. Pokkle stops for her and explains to her the biology of the plant, which Ponzu listens to intently. This is the explanation for the “semi-canon“ listing.

The group finally reaches a clearing where they meet Pike, one of the squadron leader Zazan’s soldiers. Pokkle uses his nen arrows to protect Ponzu, but fails as Pike is able to block his attacks. Pokkle and Ponzu become the only survivors of the attack, though they get split up afterwards.

Their Deaths
Ponzu attempts to run and inform hunters outside of NGL, but is met by another of Zazan’s soldiers. She is shot around nine times and eaten afterwards. Her remains were found by Gon, Killua, and Kite. Gon seems to recognize the remains while the other two do not.

Pokkle was captured but managed to escape by hiding under a pile of bones. But once the Chimera Ant Royal guard Neferpitou (or Pitou for short) is born, they immediately realize Pokkle is under the bones. They use Pokkle for information on nen, then kills him.

Fanon
The ship isn’t as popular as OuMugi, but is one many fans automatically assumes was canon because of their limited but affectionate scenes together. Strangely enough, no general ship name is given to them.

Theories
There is a theory that since chimera ants born from humans retain some memories of their past life, and Pokkle was eaten by the Chimera Ant Queen while she was pregnant with Meruem, Meruem took a liking to Komugi since the Pokkle side of him felt that she was like Ponzu.

A comfort theory is that like the dictator of East Gorteau, the Pokkle and Ponzu that went to NGL were fakes and they’re actually safe and sound. However, it’s only a theory to comfort the people who can’t get over their deaths.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

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