Chapter 16: Phill Tells His Secret
Sapphire was the first to hear Bill walking through the water towards them, so she opened her eyes and looked towards were she knew that Bill was. "Hey Bill, what's up?" Sapphire asked with a big stupid grin on her face. "I just wanted to thank you both for setting that up, and I think that Phill needed it more than I did." Bill said, sitting beside Sapphire and placing a quick kiss on her cheek. "Why do you think that Bill?"Sarah asked, swimming over to sit beside him. "Well, I know his past, but I promised him that I wouldn't tell you guys. Sorry." Bill explained before turning to Sarah. "Thanks for helping put that together." Bill said before giving Sarah a kiss on the cheek as well, making her blush. "You're welcome Bill." Sarah said, trying to hide her blush.
After about an hour Bill got out and said that he was going to start dinner. "I'll come help you." Phill said as he climbed out of the water. "OK, let's go." Bill said. After a few minutes Phill hopped up onto Bill's shoulder. "Bill, do you think that I should tell the others about what Ash did to me?" Phill asked. Bill thought about this for a moment and said "I think that you should, but not when Kate's there, just so we don't need to explain what rape is to Kate, OK?" Phill nodded, "OK, that makes sense, should I wait until she goes to sleep then?" "Phillip, I would recommend that, yes." Bill said, and as an afterthought said "I think that you should let me start you off. I'll say something like 'Ladies, Phill has something to tell you, but we can't tell Kate yet' how does that sound?" "It sounds perfect." Phill said with a smile on his face. He started nuzzling Bill's face and said "Thanks Bill." Bill started blushing and said "You're welcome Phillip." "Bill, should we tell them that my name is Phillip?" Bill thought for a moment and said "No, not yet. They've all been through a lot." Bill said while scratching his friend's head.
After an hour of scavenging and cooking, Bill and Phill brought the food over to the hot spring. "What did you two make?" Sarah asked, swimming over to the edge. "We tried something that Phill learned from one of Ash's friends." Bill said while setting up a folding table to put the food on. "You'll all have to tell us what you guys think. OK?" Bill asked and all of the ladies simultaneously said "OK!" After handing out food to all of the Pokémon, Bill went and sat beside Phill, who was sitting a little ways away from the others. "What's wrong Phill?" Bill asked, sitting down beside his friend. "Bill, It's nothing." Phill said, but Bill could tell that he was lying. "Phillip, what's the matter?" Bill asked in a flat, stern voice. "Bill, I'm OK." Phill said, about to take another bite from the sandwiches that he helped Bill make, but Bill took it away from Phill and said "Phillip, tell me what's wrong." Phill looked at the ground and said "It's just that, well, I'm lonely." Bill said "Thank you for telling me. Now, is there anything that I can do to help you?" Bill asked, handing back Phill's food. "I don't think so Bill." Phill said, still looking at the ground. "Why not. Remember, I'm always willing to help my friends." Bill said, making the bulbasaur look up at his friend. "Really?" Bill nodded. "I, don't think that you'll want to help me. At least, not what it is that would help me." Phill said, taking his sandwich back. "Phill, I'll do anything that I can to help you, OK?" Phill looked up at his friend and said "Do you really mean that?" Bill nodded and said "No matter what it is that you need to make you feel better, I'll do it." "Thanks Bill. I'm feeling better already." It was then that Phill realized that Bill didn't have any food. "Aren't you going to eat anything?" Phill asked. "I will, but I wanted to make sure that you were OK before I did anything. Now, why don't you go and sit with the others." Bill suggested.
After Kate went to bed Bill told the others "Ladies, Phill has something to tell you, but we can't tell Kate yet" "Ok?" Lucy said, looking at the other females to see that they were about as confused as she was. After everyone was sitting down, with Bill sitting beside Phill, Phill said "Everyone, Bill suggested that I wait until after Kate went to bed before I told you all this. Bill already knows this." He then looked at Bill and proceeded to say "I don't know how to say this, Bill, any suggestions?" Bill then proceeded to whisper something into Phill's ear. "Thanks Bill." Phill then thought for a moment. "We all have a surprisingly similar past. When I was with Ash..." Phill then started to cry. "Do you want me to tell them?" Bill asked, and Phill nodded. Bill brought Phill into a tight embrace before speaking. "Ash would often beat Phill, we discussed this conversation before we started dinner." Bill paused for a moment to decide how to say this next part. "Ash would also often rape Phill. That was what I meant when I said that Phill probably needed the 'treatment' more than me." Bill said, the whole time looking at the ground. After a moment he looked at his companions, who all had tears in their eyes. Bill then whispered something else to Phill, who then nodded a second time. "Also, and please don't think any differently of him for this, his name isn't Phill, it's Phillip." Bill saw that this widened everyone's eyes. "When we first met Phillip and I took him aside, it was because I had a good feeling that his name was Phillip, and I didn't want any of you to think badly of him, so we went with Phill. I hope that none of you think badly of either of us for this lie, and we're both sorry that we didn't tell you the truth." Bill then looked each of the females in the eyes, and all of them nodded.
