[T/N: I am currently translating those 50 chapters, which are available on my Patreon. I will release them here if we manage to get 200 powerstones by tomorrow.]
-----------
"Don't run off. We'll be back soon."
"Cyclizar~"
Larger Pokémon weren't allowed inside the hospital, so Hoshino let Cyclizar play in the park with the local wild Pokémon while he, Gengar, and Lillie headed inside.
The hospital was the same as always—crowded. But finding someone wasn't too hard since Decidueye had already given them the room number.
After a short walk, the two arrived at the ICU. Since it was a critical care unit, they couldn't enter and could only observe from the glass window.
"Gengar?"
Gengar pressed her face against the glass, curiously peering inside, but Hoshino quickly grabbed her and pulled her back.
"Don't even think about phasing through that wall. This is the ICU. If anything goes wrong, selling both of us wouldn't be enough to cover the damages."
"Gengar…"
Inside the room, among all the medical equipment Hoshino didn't understand, several hospital beds were neatly arranged. The only occupied one had an elderly man lying motionless—that was Decidueye's trainer, Makito.
Until recently, he had been in a regular ward, recovering. But just a few days ago, for some unknown reason, he didn't wake up one morning. Though they managed to save him, the doctor's prognosis was clear—he didn't have much time left. Maybe just a few more days.
Lillie's expression turned both sorrowful and confused. "He has Decidueye with him… so why is he choosing to leave just like this? Why not hold on a little longer?"
Hoshino let out a quiet sigh and replied, "Because after witnessing the deaths of loved ones, the ones left behind suffer the most. The old man knows that, which is why he wants to slip away quietly. To him, Decidueye isn't just a Pokémon anymore. It's family."
Lillie was slightly taken aback. She didn't expect such a serious and insightful answer from Hoshino. When he was being serious, he was actually pretty reliable…
With this, she also understood what Decidueye had wanted to know.
So… was the request completed now? She wasn't sure. After a moment of thought, she asked, "Doesn't this old man have any other family?"
Hoshino shook his head. "He has kids. Back in the day, he was a traveling trainer and made a good amount of money. He was actually one of the first Alolans to leave the region for a journey. Eventually, he came back to retire—wanted to return to his roots, I guess."
"The first ones… That must've been sixty or seventy years ago. Alola only started opening up to the outside world back then. The whole concept of trainers and Poké Balls originally came from Sinnoh—well, Hisui, back then. Alola was one of the last regions to adopt all that."
Hoshino blinked, surprised. "Wow, you actually know all that? If I needed that info, I'd have to dig through Poképedia, and even then, I'd probably get the wrong answer."
Lillie pursed her lips and responded, "It's not that impressive… I just read a lot. If you ever have any questions, especially about Pokémon, you can ask me."
"…Damn, you're a real Poké nerd."
"…Also, how do you even know so much about this old man?"
"Hm?"
Hoshino snapped out of his thoughts and took out his phone. "Decidueye told me. I translate what I hear and take notes so I don't forget anything. Makes it easier to check later."
Lillie looked at his phone screen, her curiosity instantly ignited. She barely managed to contain her excitement before blurting out, "Can you teach me how to do that?!"
"When you're officially hired, we'll talk."
Hoshino casually waved his hand and turned to leave with Gengar in his arms. Lillie quickly followed, confused. "We're leaving? What about the request?"
"Decidueye got its answer. We just have to tell it."
"That's it? That's kinda… half-hearted. I mean, sure, it makes sense, but…"
"The request was just to investigate. Finding the answer was the goal. Resolving things is more important—Makito doesn't have much time left, and Decidueye isn't far behind. At the very least, it shouldn't have regrets."
"…"
Lillie fell silent. He was right. If it had been her, she would've kept investigating, unwilling to stop until she had concrete proof. But by then, it might've been too late.
"I… I didn't think about that. So, does this mean my job test is…"
She suddenly felt nervous. It felt like she hadn't actually done anything—just tagged along for the ride.
"Let's tell Decidueye the results first, then we'll talk." Hoshino replied absentmindedly. As he turned back for one last glance at the hospital room, he sighed. "A trainer, yet dying alone in a hospital bed… that's just…"
With that, he adjusted Gengar in his arms and started walking away. Lillie, feeling strangely anxious, followed silently.
Just then, two middle-aged people—a man and a woman—walked past them. They looked like a married couple.
The man was wearing a suit and had a classic "receding hairline businessman" look. The woman was dressed extravagantly, holding a Purugly from Sinnoh in her arms, gently stroking it.
As they passed by, the woman suddenly muttered, "Ugh, such a hassle. Why couldn't the old man just stay in Sinnoh? He owns a house in Sunnyshore City, but no, he had to retire in this backwater region and waste away here for over a decade."
The man sighed and replied in a lower voice, "Don't say that. He's still our father. My brothers and their families arrived yesterday. He only has a few days left—just gotta let him sign the will, and we're good."
"You're right, but let's hurry up. I can't stand staying in this dump. I need to get back in time to watch our precious daughter's contest performance."
"Relax, we'll get the biggest share of the inheritance. Who else would he give it to? A Decidueye? Hah!"
"For real! I heard that bird was pretty aggressive, but it hasn't been seen lately. Maybe it's dead too?"
Their voices faded as they walked away.
Hoshino and Lillie stood frozen, having heard everything.
Suddenly, Lillie clenched her fists and turned around, about to confront them—but before she could take a step, Hoshino grabbed her shoulder. "Calm down."
"How am I supposed to calm down?! This is too much! Do they have no sense of responsibility as his children?! He's on his deathbed, and they—"
"Gengar!"
Even Gengar was furious, shaking her fists. But Hoshino remained as expressionless as ever and simply said, "It's just reality. And what are you gonna do? Scold them?"
"I… I…"
"That's why you need to be less naive. You haven't been out in the real world yet, kid. You're still far from being my assistant."
Hearing this, Lillie instantly realized she had no chance of passing the test. Her shoulders slumped. But then, one particular sentence caught her attention, and she snapped back. "Wait, who are you calling a kid? You're my age! I might even be older than you by a few months!"
"…What gave you that idea? Have you been hypnotized?"
"I'm not a kid!" Lillie retorted—then suddenly realized something. Her face turned red, and she took a step back, covering her chest. "Perv…"
Hoshino ignored her and glanced at Gengar, who still looked pissed. He whispered, "Let's find a quiet spot with no security cameras, and when those two come out, I'll take the first shot—"
"Gengar!"
"Wait! That's a crime! Don't teach Gengar bad habits!"
As Hoshino carried Gengar and walked off with Lillie trailing behind, the middle-aged couple finally reached the hospital room.
And at that moment—whether it was because he overheard their conversation, sensed his time was up, or just had one last burst of energy—the lifeless old man in the bed suddenly snapped his eyes open.
The air shifted.
With terrifying strength, he tore off the medical tubes, sat up, and—
BOOM!
Later, at the park, Hoshino met Decidueye and relayed the news.
"That's the truth. He didn't want you to be sad, so he distanced himself. That way, when he's gone, it wouldn't hurt as much."
"Hoo…"
Decidueye lowered its head, silent. It understood.
Hoshino let it have its moment. Meanwhile, Lillie stood nearby, feeling both sorrowful and dejected.
Then—
WEEOOO WEEOOO—
The sudden blare of police sirens shattered the quiet.
They turned toward the hospital. Something had happened.
Decidueye immediately took off at a speed much faster than before. Hoshino and Lillie ran after it.
Arriving at the scene, they spotted Officer Jenny maintaining order. She glanced at Hoshino and blinked in recognition. "Oh, hey, it's you again. What are you doing here?"
"…Huh?"
Hoshino froze. How did she know him?!
But that wasn't the important part. He asked, "What happened?"
Jenny hesitated, then sighed. "…You won't believe this, but an old man in the ICU just punched through the protective glass, knocked out a couple, and escaped the hospital."
"…Excuse me, what kind of Super Alolan is this?!"
-------------
Check out my patreon for more chapters
$3 for +20 chapters
$5 for all chapters I have translated
patreon.com/phaeron
------------