"And make some money along the way," I added with a smile.
We knock on the door.
It opened by itself.
Inside, a man with disheveled hair and a white coat looked at us from behind a pile of cables.
"Trainers, right? Perfect! Come in, come in! I always have time for weird stuff."
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I exchanged a quick glance with Andrew and we crossed the threshold together.
Today would be a quiet day.
Or so I hoped.
He greeted us with his hair disheveled, an open white robe over a Slowpoke T-shirt, and a ridiculous pair of shorts. He wasn't wearing any shoes. He looked like he'd just woken up, or maybe he always looked that way.
"Are you Bill?" Andrew asked, somewhat puzzled.
"The same. Although sometimes I think I'm a Ditto with a grandeur complex," he joked. "Come in, come in, I don't have much free time, but I always spend it well when there are interesting Pokémon involved."
We entered his house, and the first thing I felt was… discomfort. It wasn't just the clutter, which was a lot—open books, tangled wires, beeping screens, a pair of robotic Clefairy running around in circles—but the general atmosphere. Everything seemed to buzz with technology, and Growlithe in my arms began to stir restlessly. I could feel his anxiety in his chest. I hugged him tighter and whispered in his ear.
"Calm down, nothing's wrong..."
I'd barely walked in and I already wanted to leave. But we needed this.
"I'm Andrew," my companion said, trying to sound formal. "And this is Max. We came to show you some Pokémon. We read your application in the Pokemon Center. Also, I wanted to know more about my Deino… and Max has a very special Kirlia."
Bill rubbed his hands together excitedly.
"Excellent! Deino, you said. I've always wanted to see one up close that didn't try to bite my pants. Let's see how yours behaves."
Andrew released Deino, who appeared with a low roar, barely a deep snort. He didn't seem threatening, just curious.
Bill immediately surrounded him with a portable scanner that projected a holographic image of his muscular structure.
"Ah, yes, look at him. Good weight, remarkable muscle proportion, almost perfect bone symmetry. This kid has class! Did you capture him?"
"No, it was a gift from a relative," Andrew replied. "But I was surprised by how well it behaves."
"I imagine so. This specimen has a pedigree, for sure. It could evolve sooner than expected," Bill commented, adjusting the scanner's parameters. "Factors like environment, diet, or even the Pokémon's actual age affect evolution. This Deino… it's already on its way. You'll notice it soon enough."
"Really?" Andrew smiled. "I feed him almost the same food I eat."
Bill laughed approvingly. "Then you're doing it right. Body nourishment and emotional connection: a winning combo."
Deino approached Andrew, rubbing his snout against his leg. The gesture was brief, almost hidden, but very clear.
"Good," Bill said, turning to me. "And you, Max? What have you got there? What's so special about Kirlia?"
I nodded, and released Kirlia from her Poké Ball. She gracefully appeared and stood next to me, keeping an eye on me. Bill gasped.
"Oh, Arceus… a real shiny! I love it! This is biological history, don't fuck with me."
Kirlia didn't seem bothered. She watched him with a mixture of serenity and caution, but without fear. Perhaps there was something about Bill that seemed... authentic, in its own way.
"Do you mind if I scan it?" he asked, more gently this time.
"Go ahead," I replied.
He scanned slowly, projecting lines of psychic energy and intertwined fairies into a floating image.
"Look at this… fascinating. Two distinct energy cores. Although officially she's a Psychic and Fairy type, her affinity clearly leans toward Fairy. Look at this emotional response, this distribution… it's as if her soul leans toward the lighter side."
"Is that common?" I asked.
"Quite a bit. Dual-type Pokémon tend to have a natural predisposition toward one of them. In her case, the Fairy type dominates. It's a matter of resonance: instinct, personality, even life history. This Kirlia... she feels more with her heart than her mind."
I looked at her, and felt a warm pang in my chest. I remembered the nights in the woods, her psychic embrace when I couldn't sleep. The way she protected me without hesitation.
"And can that change?" I asked. "Affinity?"
"In some cases, yes. If the bond with their trainer is very strong and they go through things that reshape their inner energy. But that can't be forced. It's born... or it isn't."
Bill turned off the scanner, still looking at Kirlia with fascination.
"It's very special. And you too, Max. Pokémon like that don't follow just anyone."
Kirlia nodded sweetly. I felt a pang in my throat.
"And that one in your arms…" Bill pointed at Growlithe. "Is he part of your team too?"
"Yes," I replied without thinking. "But it's… in the process of adjusting."
Growlithe stirred again. His ears lowered at the whir of a nearby machine, and I felt him clutch my shirt tightly. His body trembled slightly. Bill's eyes softened.
"You don't need to lower it," he said, calmly raising his hands. "It's already telling me a lot from there."
Kirlia projected a small, almost imperceptible psychic wave that calmed Growlithe even further. There were no words, but there was intent. And that was enough.
Bill looked at him for a moment longer. Then he smiled.
"This place must feel like a cage full of noisy machines to him. But he feels safe with you. That's enough for now."
I didn't respond. I just hugged him tighter, and this time Growlithe didn't resist.
Bill stared at Growlithe for a moment longer, his brow furrowed slightly. He seemed about to say something, but I interrupted him.
"Bill…" I murmured, hesitating for a second. But seeing Growlithe shift in my arms, as if sensing what I was about to say, I knew I had to trust him.
"This Growlithe… I didn't capture it. I rescued it."
Bill raised an eyebrow, curious.
"Rescued from where?"
"From Mt. Moon. There was… there was a Pokémon trafficking operation. From Team Rocket." I took a deep breath. "They had him caged, and from the way he was… I doubt it was just smuggling. I think they experimented on him. He was in shock, barely eating, wouldn't let anyone touch him."
Growlithe flinched a little, as if my words had reached him. But he didn't run away. Not this time.
Bill said nothing for a few seconds. Then he nodded gravely.
"I'm sorry. I wish I could say I'm surprised." He approached slowly. "Can I?"
I nodded and let him approach. Growlithe tensed, but didn't growl. Bill took out a kind of scanner headband and carefully passed it over the Pokémon's back. The screens in the room began to display a three-dimensional image of its internal structure.
"Hmm... yes. There are strange cellular stress patterns here, as if it's been subjected to forced hormonal changes or prolonged sensory deprivation." He pointed to some red areas. "No traces of active chips, thankfully. But... it's very likely they tried to modify it somehow."
"Modify it how?" I asked.
"Conditioning. Reflexes. Evolution inhibitors, sometimes. But they didn't succeed. Your Growlithe is emotionally damaged, not broken."
I closed my eyes. I felt the weight of his words more than I expected. Growlithe looked at me and gently licked my wrist. I stroked him back.
"And physically?" I asked.
"That's interesting too. It's a small specimen for its species, but…" Bill rotated the bone model. "The bone density and latent musculature indicate impressive potential. When it evolves… it'll be big. Very big. Probably a massive Arcanine, if you take good care of it."
"Always," I said without thinking.
Bill smiled.
"I thought so. I'm glad I had them."
He put away the scanners and stretched with an exaggerated sigh.
"Well, it was a pleasure to see such interesting Pokémon. And since I'm not cheap, I owe you a reward."
"Reward?" Andrew and I asked at the same time.
Bill laughed.
"Sure. I'm Bill, the same guy who created the Pokémon storage system. I live comfortably, and when someone brightens my day, I like to pay them back. A couple of kids came over recently, showed me the Kanto starters with very unique natures. I gave them tickets for the SS Anne."
"Red and Blue?" I muttered.
Bill snapped his fingers.
"Those same ones! How perceptive."
"So… can we order something?" Andrew asked, almost in disbelief.
"As long as it's within reason and doesn't involve stealing a fossil from the League, yes."
Andrew thought about it for a moment.
"I want a Dragon Scale. For my Horsea."
Bill nodded, approving the choice.
"Good investment. You'll develop that little one when the time is right."
I remained silent. I looked at Growlithe, who had calmed down, and at Kirlia, who had sat nearby, silently observing everything, with that bright, serene aura that soothed me. Then I remembered the pool at Misty's gym, and the pressure I was starting to feel.
"Could you give me the TM Thunderbolt?" I asked. "For Nidorino. I need it to… have a real chance against Misty."
Bill looked at me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher. Surprise? Pride? Curiosity?
"Thunderbolt for a Nidorino…" he murmured. Then he smiled broadly. "I love that. Creative, ambitious. I like your style, Max."
He stood up and walked over to a small metal chest. He opened it with a security key and took out two items: a silver box with the electrical symbol marked on the lid, and a small blue-green capsule, which he handed to Andrew.
"There you have it. Consider this… a boost in your path."
Bill handed us the items with a satisfied smile. Andrew held his Dragon Scale as if he'd been given a moonstone from another world, and I felt the Thunderbolt TM in my hands as if I could already hear the lightning in the air.
"Thank you so much, Bill," I said, carefully packing the box into my expandable backpack.
"Yes, thank you. It was… amazing," Andrew added, his voice still low in surprise.
Bill nodded, crossing his arms casually. "Take care of those Pokémon. And if you ever want to come back and show me your progress, I'll be here."
Just as we were about to leave, the front door burst open.
"I finally found you, Bill!"
A guy walked in without even knocking. Slicked-back blond hair, a blue jacket with gold trim, and a cocky smile that was meant to be charming but came out as a crooked smirk. He walked like he owned the place.
I recognized him immediately. I'd heard about him from the Pokémon Center before: Jack Jones.
Bill looked at him, incredulous. "Excuse me?"
Jack ignored him completely. His gaze fell on Andrew, and his brow furrowed as if he'd just stepped in something nasty.
"You again," he growled. "Lucky kid. You still owe me a rematch."
Andrew took a step forward. "You ran away before paying me. I don't owe you anything."
"Don't make me laugh! That fight was a robbery. And I don't care if you're with Bill, I want to fight right now!"
Bill, who had been watching silently until then, raised a hand with a firm gesture.
"This is my home, kid. And there's no shouting here. I don't care who you are. I don't like your tone or your manner. So do us a favor and leave."
Jack frowned even deeper, as if no one had ever spoken to him like that in his life. He looked at Bill, then at Andrew… and finally at me. He sized me up as if trying to figure out whether I was his next obstacle or just background decoration.
"This isn't the end of it," he muttered, and turned to leave. But he didn't go far.
When we left a few minutes later, after saying goodbye to Bill, there was Jack. Standing, leaning against a rock as if he'd been waiting for us the whole time.
Andrew sighed and stepped forward, ready to accept the challenge.
But I didn't leave him.
"I'll fight," I said, louder than necessary. I clenched my fists. I don't know if it was the nerve of breaking into Bill's house, or the way he treated Andrew. Or maybe… it was that last name. Jones.
Jack raised an eyebrow, amused.
"And who are you supposed to be?"
"Maxwell Jones," I said firmly. "From the Pewter City Orphanage. The same one where Jonathan Jones grew up."
His expression changed instantly. A slight twitch in his left eyebrow, a tightening of his jaw. For a second—just a second—I saw real irritation on his face.
"Jones…" he repeated softly. His tone was no longer mocking.
I didn't look away.
The storm had begun to brew.
Trainer: Maxwell Jones
Hometown: Pewter City
Sponsorship: None
Money: $71,200 Pokedollars
Badges: 1.- Boulder Badge
Expandable Travel Backpack (Deluxe)
1. 3 potions (1 slot)
2. 3 Rage Candy Bars (1 slot)
3. 10 Pokeballs (2 slots)
4. 1 Escape Rope (1 slot)
5. 1 Red handkerchief with 20 orange berries (1 slot)
6. 3 Antidotes (Poison Cure) (1 slot)
7. Badge case (1 slot)
8. PokéNav (1 slot)
9. Travel Cooking Kit (Includes a folding frying pan, small knife, kettle container, and mini lighter, all in a compact case) – 2 slots
10. Pokémon Food Ration (6-day ration bag) (3 slots)
11. Human food ration (canned and freeze-dried food for 6 days) (2 slots)
12. Basic Camping Kit (Includes Compact Tent, Sleeping Bag, and Collapsible Lantern) – 3 Slots
13. Basic Pokemon care kit (1 slot)
14. Moon Stone (1 slot)
15 TM Rock Slide
16 TM Thunderbolt
Occupied slots: 21/30
Pokémon
Nidorino
Gender: Male
Level: 23
Moves: Read, Peck, Focus Energy, Double Kick, Poison Sting, Rage Attack, Horn Attack Helping Hand
Kirlia✨
Gender: Female
Level: 20
Moves: Disarming Voice, Teleport, Growl, Double Team, Hypnosis, Draining Kiss, Lucky Chant, Psybeam, Charm
Growlithe
Gender: Male
Level: 24 Moves: Read, Ember, Howl, Bite, Flame Wheel, Flamethrower, Odor Sleuth, Fire Fang
EXTRA
Pendulum necklace