"Don't run off, we'll be down soon."
"Cycli!"
Larger Pokémon are prohibited from entering the hospital, so Hoshino told Cyclizar to play with the wild Pokémon in the park, while he took Gengar and went in with Lillie.
The hospital was as usual, bustling with people every day, but finding someone was still easy. Decidueye had already informed them of its Trainer's room location.
A moment later, the two arrived in front of the room. As it was an ICU, they couldn't enter and could only observe the situation inside through the transparent glass window.
"Gengar?"
Gengar pressed against the window, curiously peering inside, but Hoshino quickly pulled Gengar back.
"Don't phase through the wall and go in there. This is an ICU. If something goes wrong, selling both of us wouldn't be enough to compensate."
"Gengar…"
Inside the room, there were various instruments and equipment Hoshino didn't understand, and several beds. On the only occupied bed lay an old man—this was Decidueye's Trainer, Mairin.
He had been recuperating in a regular ward, but a few days ago, for some unknown reason, he didn't wake up. However, he was eventually resuscitated, but it was clear he didn't have much time left, probably only a few more days.
Looking through the glass, Lillie's expression was a mix of sadness and confusion: "Decidueye is right here, but why would he rather leave like this than cherish the last moments of his life?"
Hoshino watched silently, sighing softly, and replied, "Because after witnessing the death of loved ones, those who remain alive suffer the most. The old man knows this, which is why he wants to leave quietly by himself. Decidueye, to him, is no longer just a Pokémon, but his closest family."
Lillie was slightly stunned, not expecting him to say such words. He was quite reliable when he was serious and focused… But now she understood; this was the answer Decidueye wanted to know.
So, was the request completed now? She wasn't sure. After a moment of thought, she asked, "By the way, does this old man not have any other family?"
Hoshino shook his head and replied, "The old man has children, and when he was young, he traveled as a Trainer and earned a lot of money. He was one of the earliest Trainers to leave Alola to travel. Returning to his hometown in the end was probably his way of wanting to return to his roots."
"The earliest… that must have been sixty or seventy years ago, right? The Alola Region only officially opened up to free exchange with the outside world around that time. The Trainer profession and Poké Balls originated from Sinnoh—which is the Hisui Region—a hundred years ago. The Alola Region was one of the last to come into contact with these things."
Hearing her suddenly say so much, it was Hoshino's turn to be surprised: "You really know a lot! I have to search encyclopedias for this world's history, and I might not even find the correct information."
Lillie pursed her lips and replied, "It's alright… I just read a lot of books usually. If you don't understand anything, you can ask me, especially about Pokémon."
"Oh no, it's a true Pokémon scholar…"
"…By the way, how do you know so much about the old man?"
"Hmm?"
Hoshino came back to his senses, then took out his phone and said, "Decidueye told me. I translate and record what I hear to avoid mistakes, which makes it easy for proofreading and subsequent learning and understanding."
Looking at the notes on the screen, Lillie struggled to contain her excitement, but she couldn't, and a strong desire for knowledge burst forth.
"Can you teach me this?!"
"We'll talk about it when you become a full-time employee."
Hoshino waved his hand, holding Gengar, and turned to leave. Seeing this, Lillie asked, puzzled, "Leaving already? What about the request…?"
"Decidueye already knows what it wanted to investigate. Just go out and tell it."
"That's it… That's too perfunctory! Although it does seem like that might be the answer, but…"
"The request was just to investigate. Just tell it the answer. Resolving its emotional knot is more important. The old man doesn't have much time left, and Decidueye is in a similar situation now. At least there shouldn't be any regrets."
"…"
Lillie fell silent again. What he said made a lot of sense. If it were her, even if she guessed the answer, she would stubbornly continue investigating until she confirmed it, but then it would be too late.
"I didn't consider that much, so the request is over, and my interview test…"
She suddenly became nervous because she felt like she hadn't done anything, just made a trip.
"We'll talk about it after we tell Decidueye the investigation results," Hoshino replied casually, then instinctively looked back into the room, sighing softly: "As a Trainer, to end one's life alone on a hospital bed, this really is…"
As he spoke, he carried Gengar and returned the way they came. Lillie followed behind, feeling nervous and somewhat uneasy, and the two did not converse.
But just then, two middle-aged people, a man and a woman, like a couple, walked towards them.
The man was wearing a suit, with a receding hairline, looking like a small business owner. The woman was dressed richly and elegantly, holding a Glameow, a Pokémon unique to the Sinnoh Region, and constantly stroking it gently.
As they passed Hoshino and Lillie, the middle-aged woman suddenly complained, "It's so annoying! Wouldn't it be better for the old man to live in Sinnoh? He has a house in Sunyshore City, but he insisted on coming to this wretched Alola for retirement, and he's been here for over ten years."
Hearing this, the man in the suit whispered, "Don't talk like that. He's our father, after all. Big brother and second brother's family arrived yesterday. The old man probably only has a day or two left. Let him hold on in the ICU until he gets his will sorted out, then it'll be fine."
"You're right, but it needs to be quick. It's so uncomfortable staying in this backwater. I still need to go back and watch our precious daughter participate in the Contest Spectacular."
"Don't worry, the bulk of the inheritance will definitely be ours. If they don't give it to me, the most beloved youngest son, will they give it to a Decidueye? Hahaha."
"Indeed, I heard that fierce old bird hasn't been seen lately. Could it be gone too…?"
Their voices gradually faded away. Hoshino and Lillie remained in place; they had heard all of the conversation.
But suddenly, Lillie turned around with an angry expression, about to move, but Hoshino grabbed her shoulder and stopped her: "Don't be impulsive, calm down."
"How can I calm down? These people are too much! Don't they have any sense of responsibility as children? The old man is like this, and they actually…"
"Gengar!"
Not just Lillie, even Gengar was angrily waving its fists. Hoshino, however, remained as calm as ever, saying, "It's quite realistic. And what can you do by going over there? Condemn them?"
"I… uh…"
"So don't be too naive. Children who haven't experienced society are like this. Your current level isn't enough to be my assistant yet."
Hearing this, Lillie knew she had no chance and couldn't help but feel disappointed. However, the middle part of his sentence immediately made her snap back and retort, "What child? You're probably the same age as me! Maybe I'm even a few months older than you!"
"Hmm? What made you think you're not small?"
"Where am I small…?" Lillie was about to retort but suddenly realized something, immediately covered her chest, took a step back, her cheeks flushed, and she muttered, "Lewd…"
Hoshino didn't continue to pay attention to her. Instead, he looked at the displeased Gengar in his arms and whispered, "Later, find a place with no one and no surveillance, then wait for those two to come out. I'll make the first move…"
"Gengar!"
"Wait! That's a crime! Don't teach Gengar bad things!"
Just as Hoshino, holding Gengar, and Lillie were leaving, one after the other, the middle-aged couple also arrived in front of the room and stopped.
But just then, whether it was hearing Hoshino's previous words, or the conversation between his son and daughter-in-law, or perhaps a final burst of vitality before death.
The old man, who had been lying lifelessly on the hospital bed, suddenly opened his eyes, erupting with a terrifying aura. He ripped off all the tubes on his body and sat up from the bed.
…
Much later, still in that park, Hoshino waited for Decidueye to appear and told it about the old man.
"That's how it is. He didn't want you to be too sad, which is why he didn't interact with you. This way, even if you separate, it won't be too difficult."
"Goo…"
Decidueye lowered its head and quieted down, clearly having fully understood its Trainer's intention.
Hoshino didn't disturb it, letting it have its moment of peace. Lillie, not far away, was feeling sad and a little down.
But just then, a sudden siren broke the calm. They both looked towards the sound; it was coming from the hospital. Something had happened!
Decidueye immediately flew over, much faster than before. Hoshino and Lillie also ran towards the hospital, wanting to see what had occurred.
Upon arriving, they happened to see Jenny maintaining order at the scene. Then, she suddenly caught sight of someone joining the crowd, and said with some surprise, "What a coincidence, aren't you that person…? What are you doing here?"
"…"
Hoshino was stunned. How did she know him again? But despite his confusion, he asked curiously, "What happened at the hospital? Such a big commotion."
Regarding this question, Jenny seemed to think of something, showing a very strange expression, and then replied, "You won't believe it, an old man from the ICU suddenly punched through the protective glass and escaped! He even knocked out a couple at the scene, and then left the hospital and disappeared."
"What Super Alolan?!"
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