Twelve-year-old Gon wants to become a Hunter. In order to do so, he fulfills a promise to his foster mother Mito and departs to take the Hunter Exam. On his journey he meets Leorio and Kurapika, who also wish to become Hunters.

Gon, Leorio and Kurapika have arrived in the town where the Hunter Exam is being held. Heeding the advice of the ship's captain, they take a shortcut to the exam site, but an old woman stops them on their way. If the three cannot answer her question, they will be immediately disqualified from the Exam.

Escorted by the Kiriko, the trio finally arrives at the exam site and finds it already full of participants like Tonpa, an exam veteran; Hisoka, who is surrounded in an ominous aura; Hanzo, the talkative ninja; and Killua, the young skateboarder.

The exam for the First Phase consists of following Satotz, the proctor, to the site of the Second Phase. The never-ending path sees many participants dropping out. Leorio is losing energy too, but his Hunter pride prevents him from giving up. After running for 80 kilometers, they come to a stairway where Satotz increases his pace,,,

Misty wetlands await the participants as they emerge from the long tunnel. Visibility is poor and various monsters lie in wait. Gon and Killua run straight ahead, but Leorio and Kurapika run towards the back and come across Hisoka surrounded by the other participants.

After the confrontation with Hisoka, Gon and the others reach the site for the Second Phase safely. The proctors for the Second Phase are Menchi and Buhara. Their test consists of preparing a dish that will satisfy the palate of Gourmet Hunters. Will the struggling participants be able to produce a winning dish?