Episode 18 (2011)

Big × Time × Interview (タイセツ×ナ×メンセツ, Taisetsu × na × Mensetsu) is the 18th episode of the Hunter × Hunter 2011 series. It aired on February 5, 2012.

Synopsis
Gon and Kurapika run towards the cave where Leorio went and find out he was lying on the ground and has bite marks around his body. Ponzu tells them that Bourbon who is controlling the snakes is dead and he was killed by her.

They also finds out that the snakes will attack if they touch the body of Bourbon or by leaving the cave. Kurapika figures out how Bourbon dies by looking at his wounds. Later Ponzu told that Bourbon was her target and tells all the events happened fom the cave before the three arrived and tells them about her bees.

Since Bourbon is dead the party couldn't go outside the cave, while the snakes are still following the command that Bourbon gave them. Ponzu gives up her desire on passing the exam and waits for the examiners to rescue her through a tracking device attached on their badges to be able to found their exact locations. However due to Leorio's condition the three couldn't afford to wait for the exams to end as poison runs through his body due to the multiple bites he received from the snakes.

Gon suddenly came up an w/ an idea and fearlessly sacrificing himself in order to search for Bourbon to find a medicine. The snakes from Bourbon surrounds him and attack him but successfully finds a medicine.

Due to Gon's courageous act, both him and Leorio are save, Gon recovers quickly and asks Ponzu about her chemical that contains a sleeping gas to be able to escape from the cave by triggering the gas and puts all the snakes to sleep, also requesting for a trade on Bourbon's badge which he got along with the medicine in exchange for her sleeping gas, Ponzu agrees. But it will take 5 minutes for all the snakes to sleep, Ponzu states that it is impossible to hold someone's breath not more than 5 minutes, however Gon brags about his record. After releasing all of them including all the sankes in the cave went to sleep except for Gon who holds his breath in order to stay awake. Gon carries all three of them outside and successfully escapes the cave, Gon give Bourbon's badge to Ponzu but took her own badge for service fee. As Kurapika, Leorio, and Gon each have 6 points on their own, and the Fourth Phase of the exam ends and all the participant who pass are taken from their next destination.

The Chairman along with all the examiners discuss about the Final Phase of the exam, and the Chairman wants them to go through a peculiar fight. But before that the Chairman hold an interview to each every remaining applicants, and asks them on who they want to fight and the one they would not intend to fight, and each of them gives an answer, after the interview chairman reveals the bracket to the examiners and tells them that a single win will make the applicants a hunter, meanwhile Gon and Kurapika had their conversation about what happens during the Fourth Phase of the exam and Gon tells everything to him regarding about his encounter on on Hisoka. Afterwards the two thanks each other for helping one another.