The once somber atmosphere suddenly turned into a full-blown battle. Lillie couldn't keep up at all. She just felt like… these two guys were seriously weird!
Looking at the two who were already in position on the stage, Hala chuckled.
"This is what it means to be a Trainer—raising Pokémon, fighting alongside them, and treating one last battle as a farewell performance. I've gotta say, he really thought this through."
"..."
Lillie didn't have a Pokémon of her own, so she didn't fully understand. She just stayed by the side with Hau and Elio, watching this unusual showdown.
Gengar quietly floated behind her, seemingly planning to prank her—but held off for the moment...
Hala continued as the referee. Decidueye and Cyclizar had already taken their positions on stage, and both Trainers were ready to go.
Hoshino wasn't about to treat the old man or his Decidueye like any normal Trainer-Pokémon pair—even if they were both at the end of the road.
After Cyclizar used Miraidon's power and moves last time, Hoshino finally realized something: Cyclizar hadn't forgotten how to fight, he'd just lost his memory.
The moves, the instincts—they were still there, just buried. Like how Lillie still feared Pokémon deep down despite losing her memories. They just needed a way to bring it all back out.
The battle kicked off instantly. The old man didn't even need to give a command. Decidueye flapped his wings and soared upward, claiming the high ground—a move born of pure trust.
"Pretty quick, but…" Hoshino called out sharply, "Jump! Channel that power into your claws—and swing!"
It sounded like a long-winded instruction, but Cyclizar understood perfectly. A burst of violet and crimson energy formed around his claws—Dragon Claw!
He didn't understand what the move was, but he was curious. Even so, he followed through and leapt upward.
But just then, Decidueye suddenly raised a wing like a bow—an arrow already loosed, shooting downward.
Watching from the sidelines, Lillie tilted her head in confusion.
"Shadow Stitching? But that's a Ghost-type move, right? Cyclizar's a Normal-type... It shouldn't work. Did they mess up?"
She didn't get it—but Hoshino sure did.
"Dodge forward!" he yelled.
But it was already too late. The arrow didn't hit Cyclizar directly—it pinned the shadow cast by his tail. Just as Cyclizar tried to dash forward, it felt like something grabbed his tail. His feet slipped, and he stumbled forward.
Decidueye dropped from the air in a flash, delivering a crushing downward kick right to Cyclizar's head, slamming him into the ground. With the momentum, he sprang up again, spread his wings—and let loose three arrows in a flash. A critical hit!
Lillie gasped.
"That's Triple Arrows! That's the ancient Hisuian Decidueye's signature move!"
Hau couldn't even fake a smile. "Man… that's one brutal style of battling…"
Elio nodded. "Yeah… we're nowhere near this level. Watching this kinda makes me wanna jump in myself."
Hala chuckled. "Back in his day, the League hadn't even come up with the Trainer Ranking system yet. By the time that system launched, he was long retired. But by today's standards? No doubt about it—he'd be Champion-level."
"...!"
Champion-level—the highest Trainer classification. You don't just need raw strength; you've gotta fully understand your Pokémon on every level. Lacking either would disqualify you.
The ranking and assessment system was first proposed by the Paldea League, later adopted globally by the Pokémon League Association. But there's a key difference between being "Champion-level" and holding an actual "Champion title."
Regions like Alola didn't have an official League for the longest time. So while there were Champion-tier Trainers—like Professor Kukui—there was no official Champion title.
Back on the stage, the battle raged on. That Decidueye might've been half a step from the grave, but something about this last battle ignited him. His presence kept growing—like he was back in his prime.
"Strong, no doubt… but…"
Hoshino didn't get nervous under pressure. He actually grinned.
"Pinning his tail might trip him up, but Cyclizar's tail is super sensitive. You might've just triggered something."
The moment he said it, the Cyclizar that had taken the hit suddenly vanished—revealing a smooth, severed tail. It was a Substitute—and the real Cyclizar had already raised his Dragon Claws and was charging in!
Cyclizar's natural instinct to break off his tail to escape danger had kicked in—every Cyclizar was born with it. Meanwhile, Gengar had snuck onto Lillie's shoulder without her noticing. She was too focused on the battle to realize, and Gengar was too far away to trigger her swap effect anyway.
At such close range, Decidueye couldn't dodge. But it looked like he didn't intend to. With a flash of his wings, he countered with Leaf Blade!
Dragon Claw and Leaf Blade clashed in midair, sparks flying. They were evenly matched. Cyclizar landed on the ground and casually picked up his severed tail—reattaching it like it was no big deal.
"Cough... Gotta say, that's some skill you've got there."
The old man's voice shook a little with excitement. Two decades without battling, and it was all flooding back. His synergy with Decidueye was still perfect.
"One last all-out battle!"
"Deci!"
Decidueye's fighting spirit erupted. His feathers seemed to glow, pulsing with new life.
He spread his wings and charged in with Brave Bird. He could have kept his distance and worn Cyclizar down with arrows—but that wasn't his style. Close combat was how he fought.
Hoshino frowned. "He's forcing his old body to move like it used to… burning through what little strength he has left. I get it now."
His own emotions flared. "Then let's go all out too! Cross your claws and smash him back!"
Cyclizar roared, crossed his glowing Dragon Claws, and braced against the impact. But Brave Bird hit harder than expected. He couldn't counter in time and got sent flying.
And Decidueye wasn't done yet—he let loose another Triple Arrows, all of them landing clean.
The power gap was clear. Cyclizar wasn't battling with the kind of final resolve Decidueye had. Even the Trainers were on completely different wavelengths.
"One more Brave Bird!"
"No more dodging! Meet him with Dragon Claw!"
Hoshino knew their time was almost up. Strategy didn't matter anymore—it was all about throwing everything they had into this final clash!
Cyclizar swung his Dragon Claws as they collided again. The battle shifted into a brutal close-range slugfest. No defense, no hesitation—just pure offense. And slowly, they started to match each other blow for blow.
The old man could barely stand. His eyes could no longer see—but he still felt it. Felt the battle. Felt Decidueye beside him, like always.
"This is it. Let them see the move we trained for day after day… Fire every last arrow!"
With his words, Decidueye soared into the sky. His wings opened wide, and arrows circled his body like a storm. Then—he let them all rain down!
Even Hau and Elio were stunned. They'd never seen anything like it. Hala's jaw dropped—this was new to him too.
Hoshino looked up, eyes wide. "That's… Shadow Rainfall Arrow? No… just looks similar. Not a Z-Move."
Still, he could feel the power behind it. These weren't Ghost-type arrows—they were Fighting-type. Triple Arrows.
As the downpour fell, Hoshino raised his hand. "Same idea as Dragon Claw! But this time—wrap yourself in Blade intent. Turn it into pure pressure and dive straight in! Sword Dance and Dragon Dive!"
"Zarrr!"
Cyclizar had lost himself in the fight. Violet and crimson energy surged over his body.
Then—he transformed into a long, dragon-shaped blur and charged straight into the storm of arrows. The silhouette was pierced again and again, but at the center, Cyclizar pushed through and met Decidueye head-on once more!
The clash of power exploded skyward—and when it cleared, a familiar smile crossed the old man's face as he fell backward.
Right after, Decidueye collapsed onto the stage too. The battle… was over.
The old man and his lifelong partner had given everything they had in one final battle. Decidueye didn't want to outlive his Trainer and leave him in sorrow, so he poured everything into that fight too.
Even in death, they worried for each other—and chose to go together.
Hala quietly handled their final send-off. The kids stayed frozen in place. After witnessing something like that, no one could bring themselves to speak.
Hoshino gently stroked Cyclizar's head. As for who won that battle… he honestly didn't know. But it didn't matter. There were no regrets.
He turned toward the others and walked over. "Come on. Why the long faces? They left without regrets. That's something to celebrate, isn't it?"
Hau and Elio said nothing. But Lillie suddenly scowled. "Are you made of stone? Do you not have emotions or something?"
"Mm… emotions depend on the person. Besides, haven't you noticed? Gengar's been sitting on your shoulder this whole time."
"Gengar~!"
"Wha—?!"
Lillie jumped in shock. One look at Gengar's grinning face and she completely lost it.
Hoshino just chuckled. He was starting to get used to interacting with people like this. Making friends… maybe it wasn't so hard after all. Maybe.
But just then, his phone screen lit up. He paused, recognizing the familiar reward effect.
You've received Decidueye's Eternal Friendship:
Shadow Arrow Storm
(Unlocked Move: Shadow Stitching — can create a shadow bow and arrows using spiritual energy. Can be paired with Decidueye's exclusive Z-Move. Only usable by Ghost-type Pokémon with hands.)
"Eternal, huh… because Decidueye's already gone. A final gift, I guess. Mission complete—I'll accept it."
He didn't expect a reward like this. If he hadn't acted on instinct back then, maybe he would've missed out on Decidueye's trust entirely.
The move came with heavy restrictions. But for Gengar… it was a perfect fit. Almost like it was made for her.
"Shadow archery… I guess this counts as a tool-type move?"
------
powerstones.