Chapter no.42 Meeting Bill

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The Cerulean Cape stretched out before Austin like something out of a dream. Lush green grass swayed gently in the breeze, dotted with patches of wildflowers that shimmered like tiny gems under the sunlight. To his right, the calm, expansive lake reflected the sky in a perfect mirror, its surface broken only by the occasional ripple of a Magikarp leaping up or the gliding form of a Goldeen. The gondola rocked gently as it moved through the canal, the sound of the oar cutting through the water blending with the distant calls of Water Pokémon.

"This is… peaceful," Austin muttered, leaning back slightly. Pikachu sat by his side, his ears twitching every time a splash echoed across the lake. Rattata peeked out of Austin's bag, her little nose sniffing curiously at the cool breeze, while Vee sat contentedly on Austin's lap, his tail flicking back and forth.

The gondolier, a grizzled man in his forties with a straw hat that had seen better days, gave a low chuckle. "Aye, peaceful now. But where you're headed, kid, things ain't so serene."

Austin glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

The man paused, digging his oar into the water to guide the gondola around a bend in the canal. "The place you're heading to—it's private property. Belongs to some mad scientist up on the cape. People around here call him the 'Madman of Cerulean.' Crazy rumors flying around, too."

"Madman, huh? What kind of rumors?"

The gondolier's face broke into a grin, his teeth a little too white against his tanned skin. "They say Pokémon go in, but they don't come out. Some folks reckon he's doing experiments—turning Pokémon into... I dunno, robots or something."

"Robots? Really? That's what people think?"

The gondolier shrugged, his grin widening. "Hey, I didn't come up with it. I just hear the talk." He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a mock-hushed tone. "But there's worse theories. Like him trying to merge humans and Pokémon—create some kind of freaky hybrids."

Austin laughed, shaking his head.

The gondolier joined in, his deep laugh echoing over the water. "I know, right? But people love their stories."

Austin glanced down at Pikachu, who was listening to the conversation with wide eyes. His little paws gripped Austin's leg tightly, his body visibly tense. Austin grinned mischievously, deciding to have a bit of fun. "Hey, Pikachu, you think he's gonna turn you into a half-human Pikachu? You could wear a little lab coat and start talking like Meowth."

Pikachu's cheeks sparked immediately. "Pika!" he growled, narrowing his eyes at Austin.

"Relax, buddy, I'm kidding."

But Pikachu wasn't having it. With a sharp cry, he zapped Austin with a quick jolt of electricity.

"Ow! Gah!" Austin yelped, his hair standing on end as the gondola rocked slightly from the sudden commotion. "Okay, okay, I deserved that!"

"You two are a riot. Not every day I get passengers like you," the gondolier said, chuckling.

Austin rubbed his arm, the faint sting of the shock lingering. "Yeah, well, keeps things interesting."

The gondola slowed as they approached the edge of the cape, the small building coming into view. It was modest, almost unassuming, surrounded by tall grass and artificial pools that sparkled under the sunlight. A thin fence marked the boundary of the property, though it didn't look particularly secure.

"Here we are," the gondolier announced, planting the oar firmly into the mud to stop the boat. "End of the line, kid."

Austin stepped off, handing over the fare. "Thanks for the ride—and the conspiracy theories," he said with a grin.

The gondolier tipped his hat. "Anytime. Good luck with the mad scientist. Don't let him turn you into a Pikachu-human hybrid, eh?"

"I'll keep that in mind," Austin replied, laughing as he adjusted his bag and called out to his Pokémon.

"All right, guys," he called after them. "Go have fun, but don't wander too far."

Austin turned his attention to the small building in the distance. If Bill's anything like he was in the games or manga, he's either inside that place or stuck in some ridiculous situation. He sighed, already dreading the possibility of this world having more elements of the Pokémon manga. And if he's not here, then he's probably in that lighthouse near Vermilion, like in the anime. Great.

With a resigned shrug, he approached the door and knocked. The sound echoed faintly, but there was no response.

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Suddenly, distant cries of distress shattered the quiet.

A group of Spearow circled above, their sharp cries filling the air as they dove at a wild Rattata cowering against a tree. The poor thing looked terrified, its back pressed to the bark as it tried to dodge the relentless attacks.

Pikachu darted forward, intercepting one of the Spearow mid-dive. He parried the bird's Peck with a well-timed Iron Tail, sending it tumbling back. Austin's Rattata followed up, her movements a blur as she tackled another Spearow, knocking it to the ground.

From a distance, Vee sprang into action, releasing a barrage of Swift stars that struck the remaining Spearow, scattering them with sharp cries of pain. The flock quickly retreated, disappearing into the sky.

The wild Rattata trembled, still pressed against the tree, before a voice rang out.

"Thank you for saving me!"

Austin's Pokémon looked around, confused.

"Down here!" the voice called again.

Pikachu, Vee, and Rattata turned toward the wild Rattata, their expressions ranging from shock to suspicion.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked cautiously, his head tilting. Was this Rattata like Team Rocket's Meowth?

"I need your help! Can you take me to your trainer?"

The trio exchanged glances, silently debating whether this talking rat was a threat. Eventually, they nodded and led the wild Rattata back to where Austin stood, his notebook open as he scribbled something down.

When he saw them approach, his eyes immediately landed on the wild Rattata. He let out a long sigh, crossing out whatever he'd written.

"Hey there, kid, name's Bill," the Rattata said in a surprisingly Southern drawl.

"You're… a talking Rattata? Aren't you supposed to be a scientist?" Austin asked, doing his best to sound casual, though his mind was racing. Bill being a Rattata, just like in the manga? What else is lurking out there? Ecoterrorist Elite Four? The Masked Man? He pushed the thoughts aside, unwilling to dwell on them any longer.

"Well, yeah, I am a scientist," Bill replied, his little whiskers twitching, "but there was an accident. Now I'm stuck in this here body."

"Wait… this isn't a Pokémon body?"

"Nope. This here's a doll, not a Pokémon."

"Okay… so why are you outside instead of, I don't know, trying to fix this?"

"Because I was lookin' for help, but no one comes by. This place is private property, so people think it's off-limits," Bill explained, his tail flicking. Then he paused, narrowing his eyes at Austin. "What're you doin' here, anyway?"

"Oh, you know…" Austin shrugged casually. "I heard rumors about a crazy scientist living out here. Thought I'd swing by and see if he wanted to battle."

"Well, hate to disappoint, but I ain't much of a battler," Bill said with a chuckle. "I'm more of an inventor type."

"Figures," Austin said, pretending to look a little disappointed. Then he crossed his arms. "So, what do you need me to do?"

"Simple!" Bill said, his tiny eyes lighting up. "I need ya to help me get back into my body."

Austin gave him a skeptical look. "Okay… and how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

Bill's tail pointed toward a panel by the door. "There's a keypad over there. Punch in the password: 69420."

Austin froze, staring at him. "...Seriously? That's the password?"

"What?"

"Really interesting numbers, Bill," Austin deadpanned as he walked over to the keypad.

"How'd you even know those numbers were a thing?"

"I don't know. Adults in Pallet Town giggle every time they come up," Austin lied as he typed in the numbers.

Bill sighed. "You'll understand when you're older."

With a beep, the panel clicked open, and Austin pushed the door. His jaw immediately dropped.

The building was in chaos. Papers, wires, ketchup-stained wrappers, and random bits of machinery were scattered everywhere. The air smelled faintly of burnt metal and, somehow, old socks.

"You… live like this?" Austin asked, stunned.

Pikachu sniffed a discarded ketchup packet on the floor and immediately gagged.

"Probably should've warned ya," Bill muttered.

Meanwhile, Vee and Rattata wisely retreated into their Pokéballs, disappearing in flashes of red light. Honestly? Probably for the best.

"So, what now?" Austin asked, turning back to Bill, who was trying (and failing) to climb a pile of junk.

Bill let out a frustrated squeak. "Alright, fine. Maybe I oughta clean up later. But for now, pick me up and take me to the basement."

Austin grabbed him, holding the doll-like Rattata awkwardly in his hand. "You're lucky I'm not charging you for this."

"Don't get all high and mighty on me, kid."

The basement was a complete contrast to the chaotic room above. The sleek, futuristic space looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. A massive control panel with flashing buttons and levers took up one wall, while thick cables snaked across the floor, leading to two large cylindrical pods that hummed softly.

"Alright, now set me down by that console," Bill said, pointing with his tiny paw.

Austin placed him down and crossed his arms. "Okay, now what?"

"Press that green button first, then toggle the yellow lever to the right," Bill instructed.

Austin followed the directions. "And then?"

"Now hit the big red button. That'll activate the machine."

Austin hesitated, glancing at Bill. "Are you sure this won't, like, accidentally turn you into a Pidgey or something?"

Bill glared up at him. "Kid, just press the dang button!"

"Alright, alright," Austin said, pressing the red button.

The machine roared to life, the hum of energy building as lights danced across the console. The pod Bill had climbed into lit up with a blinding white glow, and steam hissed from its vents. Pikachu watched nervously, his ears twitching at every sound, while Austin squinted against the light.

Finally, the pod door swung open with a loud hiss, and out stepped a human Bill. His brown hair was messy, and he wore a light purple shirt that hung loosely on his thin, emaciated frame.

"Well, howdy!" Bill greeted, waving weakly. "Guess it worked after all."

Austin blinked at him. "...You don't look so great."

"Yeah, well, bein' stuck in a Rattata body for who-knows-how-long ain't exactly great for yer health," Bill said with a dry chuckle.

A loud growl echoed through the room, and both of them froze.

"Was that…?" Austin asked.

"Yup. That'd be my stomach," Bill admitted sheepishly.

Austin opened the mini-fridge and grimaced. "Okay, you've got… one slice of bread, some butter, and a sad-looking tomato. That's it."

Bill perked up. "Make me a sandwich, and I'll owe ya one!"

Austin raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't I call an ambulance or something? You look like you're about to pass out."

"Nah, don't worry about it," Bill said, waving him off. "I got a machine that can fix me up in no time. Problem is, it makes food into tasteless mush."

Austin sighed, grabbing the ingredients. "Fine. One sandwich coming up."

As he worked, Bill leaned against the counter, watching intently. "So, you know Professor Oak?"

"Yeah, he's my sponsor," Austin replied, slicing the tomato.

"Really? So which royal starter did he give ya?"

Austin paused. "Royal starter?"

"Y'know, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander. The royal family of Ransei used to pass those down to their heirs, so now they're called the royal starters."

"Oh," Austin said, glancing at Pikachu, who was sitting on the counter. "Well, I got this guy. Couldn't have asked for better."

Pikachu blushed, happily nibbling on a slice of tomato Austin handed him.

Bill chuckled. "You're a good trainer, kid. I can see it."

"Thanks," Austin said, putting the sandwich together and handing it to the man.

Bill paused, staring at the sandwich in his hand as if he were contemplating life itself.

"So… you want me to get the machine now?" Austin asked carefully, glancing toward the futuristic contraption in the corner.

Bill shrugged nonchalantly, and before the boy could stop him, he took a massive bite of the sandwich. His eyes lit up as he let out a groan of satisfaction. "Mmm, now this is a sandwich. Hits the spot."

Austin's jaw practically hit the floor. "Bill!"

The older man waved him off with one hand, his mouth still full. "What? I ain't about to eat that tasteless mush my machine churns out," he said, his accent thick and casual as he savored another bite. "Worth it."

Austin pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're literally about to go into shock from eating that."

Bill swallowed, looking completely unbothered. "Relax, kid. If I keel over, just zap me with the defibrillator machine over there."

"That's just Pikachu."

"Toh-may-toh, toh-mah-toh," Bill drawled with a shrug, completely unfazed. "Ain't the first time this's happened."

"That's not exactly comforting!" Austin exclaimed, gesturing helplessly as Pikachu watched the exchange, munching on his own tomato slice.

Bill just grinned and took another massive bite. "Yup, totally worth it."

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[ Author Note: Okay, if you guys are wondering why Bill is talking like a Southerner, then you have to look at the way he speaks in Japanese, i.e he speaks with an Osaka accent and to translate that into English would mean that Bill would either talk like a Texan or a Southerner.

I hope you like today's chapter.

Because after this chapter, the plot is going to kick into overdrive. ]