Kanto Chapter 9 - Bill's Lighthouse
Amber had made her way back to her mothers' hometown Cerulean City. A lot had happened since she'd left Vermillion City with Pichu and set off on her pokémon journey; so the teen decided to take a little downtime with her pokémon and show them around the sights of the beautiful blue lagoon city and visit the famous Cerulean Cape.
Going over the Nugget bridge, Amber proceeded to challenge trainers around the Cerulean Cape. It became clear to Amber very quickly why this was her mother's favourite training spot. There was an abundance of varied wild pokémon, loads of trainers to battle, picturesque views of the ocean, the lighthouse, all against a lovely beach countryside backdrop. What wasn't there to love?
Fresh off winning challenges back to back, Amber walked with her head held high along the winding path leading up the cliff edge where the lighthouse stood. Along for the ride, Pichu was perched proudly on her shoulder, also absorbed in his own confidence. The duo approached the lighthouse to meet with a famous pokémon researcher and inventor, Bill, at her parent's request.
Bill was no stranger to the girl; she had met the inventor several times before with her family when she was younger. Memories of the encounters were fuzzy at best given her young age at the time, so she couldn't really place that she knew him well or even remembered what he looked like.
Bill had had a fair bit to do with her family over the years, mainly with her father Ash, due to his many rare and legendary pokémon encounters across the globe. Bill was the inventor of the pokémon transport system and a highly regarded researcher of rare and undiscovered pokémon.
Feeling rather brazen, the teenager bounded up the small dirt path and rapped on the front door loudly almost with a musical pattern.
…..
Nothing.
"Eh? No answer …" The teenager faltered and her mouse pokémon drooped slightly "piiiiii."
"I'll knock harder!"
Amber knocked again with more force, no answer.
Amber banged. "HELLOOOOOOO." Again, no answer.
Hm guess he isn't home she thought a little glumly. She had been looking forward to meeting with the revered man, especially after the stories her father and mother had told of their past visits.
Looking up Amber could see a window just a little high for her too see into.
"I'm gonna need a boost. Electabuzz I choose you"
"Electa Buzzzzzzzzzzz!" the pokémon formed and did a pose for his new trainer, bending his one knee slightly and raising his arm up at an angle.
Amber could not help but giggle at her playful pokémon's antics and smiled brightly at him. "Electabuzz can ya give us a boost? We need to see through that window"
"Buzz buzz buzz" The pokémon happy to oblige his trainer, nodded with enthusiasm and knelt for her to climb atop his shoulders.
"You're the best!"
Climbing up, they wobbled a little at first as Electabuzz rose to his feet, but they soon levelled and Electabuzz stood his ground firmly with the extra weight. Pichu climbed a top his trainers head.
Pichu rose up and looked through the window shortly followed by Amber's face. Pichu climbed down her shoulder and the pair looked through.
"Wow!"
"Pi Chu!"
The room was a warzone! Papers littered the floor, a small table upturned, chairs knocked around, ornaments fallen from their prospective destinations, like an almighty struggle had taken place here. They continued to view at the devastation that was Bill's front room when their gaze happened upon a big purple pokémon thrashing around. A wild Nidorino!
"Oh no! Bill's being attacked by that wild Nidorino! We got to help him! Right now!" Suddenly Amber started to wobble and mov away from the window … "Wa? Whaaaaaaaaaa"
The duo on top swayed back and forth vigorously, still on the shoulders of their companion pokémon. Electabuzz who had heard everything and was ready for action.
"Wow wait! Electabuzzzzzzzzzz!"
Electabuzz raced round to the entrance doors, carrying his trainer and pokémon companion.
"Arghhh don't charge the door with us still up here! ELECTABUZZ!" Amber wailed.
"Pi Pi Pi Piiiiiiiiii"
"STOP!"
Electabuzz not heeding their warnings at all ran straight at the door using his mega punch. The door shook but stood firm. Electabuzz tried again with his mega kick. Amber and Pichu gripped to stay on.
Electabuzz grunted, frustration clear on his face as he glared at the obstacle in front of him. Not giving up despite the protests above and the doors insistence of not budging, he proceeded with a barrage of attacks, his trainer squealing and clinging on for dear life. The large set doors had taken some damage but were overall still standing strong. Electabuzz ceased his onslaught and move back from the doors. Amber and Pichu sighed with relief as they stopped moving. But just as they thought he had given up, Electabuzz launched forwards running at the doors with tremendous speed.
Amber screamed, Pichu closed his eyes and clung to his trainer tight, Electabuzz made contact with the doors and they relented, giving way and slamming open allowing the trio entrance into the lighthouse. The three barrelled in and immediately headed to find the offending Nidorino.
They soon spotted the intruder and now able to jump down off her bipedal friend, Amber composed herself and jumped into action mode herself. Pointing firmly at Nidorino, she commanded her pokémon with authority. "Ok Electabuzz use Thunderpunch!"
Electabuzz raced forwards, his hand sparking with pent up electricity. The Nidorino thrashed in resistance and ran around the room avoiding in the incoming fist. The already trashed room bearing the brunt of further onslaught.
"DON'T WORRY BILL WE ARE HERE TO SAVE YOU!" Amber shouted out above all commotion.
"BUT I AM BILL!"
"Huh?!"
Amber looked around in every direction. Where did that voice come from?
"Pichu, Pichu Pichu!" Pichu tugged on his trainer's T-shirt and pointed to the Nidorino still dodging the ever impetuous Electabuzz. Looking closely fear was clearly written all over his face.
"Please it is me, it's Bill! Please, call off your pokémon!" The Nidorino's mouth moved.
Did that just come from the Nidorino?!
That Nidorino … is … not attacking … Bill … that Nidorino … IS Bill! Amber's eyes went wide at the realisation.
"Electabuzz stop!" The pokémon halted mid swing and looked at his trainer with confusion. "Electabuzz, it's ok we don't need to battle any more. Return." Amber recalled Electabuzz into his pokéball and walked over to the talking Nidorino. The whole situation was beyond crazy. She knelt to the pokémon and looked him straight in the eyes.
"Bill? Is it really you?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so."
"What in the world happened? How are you a pokémon?!"
"You see that machine through there" The Nidorino nudged his head in the direction of another open room. Two large chambers dominated the space connected by a large tube and multiple wires. "That is a teleportation device. I was doing an experiment and it went terribly wrong. What I need you to do is go over to that computer there, wait for me to enter the chamber and then run the cell separation programme. Will you do that?"
Amber nodded and made her way into the next room and over to the computer. Pichu stood amid it all, dumbfounded from the absolute absurdity of the whole situation they had found themselves in today.
Bill the Nidorino waddled into the near side chamber and called out, the programme was already loaded so Amber ran it. A whirring noise started up and bright flashes filled the room. Amber and Pichu shielded their eyes till all the flashing had stopped, then looked to the reveal chamber.
The door opened, a Nidorino came bounding out. Ambers heart sank. She ran over to him and knelt at his side. "Oh Bill, what happened you're still a pokémon? Did I mess it up? What did I do wrong? Speak to me!"
The nidorino grunted in response.
A cold sinking feeling washed over her. He could not speak anymore; she'd made it worse! Has he gone full pokémon? Can I bring him back? I don't know how. Holding back tears Amber held his head and looked him in the eye "Oh Bill, I'm so sorry, I'll fix this, I'll bring you back I promise." She hugged the pokémon tight who merely grunted in response.
"Ah good to be back to my old self. Thank you so much Amber."
Huh? Ambers eyes widened and she released the pokémon from her hug. That did not come from Nidorino. She turned around. An elderly man of medium build with thick wavy silver hair and a thick moustache appeared. Bill had emerged from the other chamber, back to his former human self.
"Bill! Is that you? You're back!" She looked at the nidorino next to her "But then this is?"
"My Nidorino. 100% pokémon." And with that he recalled his partner. Amber looked on dumbfounded. Her facial expression perfectly matching her Pichu's.
"Bill. What happened here?!"
"I'll explain everything. But first tea?"
Unbeknown to the party inside, outside someone was looking in through the window and had watched the entire scene play out. A familiar unnatural blonde stood on the back of her brunette male counterpart who was positioned on all fours on the floor.
"Shane. You will seriously not believe the shit I've just witnessed."
"Well maybe if we could swap positions occasionally and I could stand on your back whilst you play stepping stool, I would. Miss Equality." Shane replied, his comment dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh, do not even!" Thea growled back, glaring down at her partner. She resumed looking back through the window. "Seriously though, this is some messed up stuff going down in here."
"What's messed up is you standing in heeled boots on my back!" Shane retorted a little red in the face.
"Shut up! I need to find out what's going on … I got an idea."
Inside Amber and Bill straightened up the small living room, still far from perfect but presentable. Bill made tea and they sat at the small table. Bill poured the tea and began the conversation.
Bill sipped his tea and moved onto pleasantries. "It is awfully good of you to come visit me up here Amber. It was a pleasure speaking with your Mother and Father again a few days ago. They informed me of your coming here and of course I am more than happy to oblige your company. It's been such a long time since I've seen you all in person, why you were but a small girl and now look all grown up and out on your own."
Amber smiled warmly. Bill was a genuine gentleman.
He continued "Nice to see you travelling with a Pichu, quite the family lineage to your father. I see you're taking after him a great deal." He nodded to Pichu perched on the table munching on a poképuff.
Amber kept the smile on her face, but internally her mood dropped, and fake smile cracked. There it was again just like your father.
"You have his eyes, even now burning like fire with ambition and determination and that same groundless air of confidence. You are your father's daughter alright."
Bill continued oblivious the change of mood in the room ...
"Now your brother, maybe from a distance he looks like your father with that black bed head hair but he's a Waterflower through and through. Your mother's family traits flow through that boy. Living in Cerulean all these years, I can spot that world-famous star quality anywhere. Amazing isn't it what gets passed down to who and what doesn't? How two spawn from the same DNA can turn out so differently, almost opposites. Oh genetic make-up fascinates me greatly, I could just go on and on!" Bill put his hand to the back of his head and laughed.
Amber placed her teacup onto its saucer. Her eyes were burning like fire alright, but definitely for other reasons …
Keen to change the subject and fast, Amber brought up the elephant in the room. "Bill, when I arrived … you were a pokémon … what happened?"
"Ah well it all has to do with my work in pokémon transportation. You see to transport a pokémon they must be dematerialized at a cellular molecular level in order to travel at speed as a mass of energy over distance and rematerialize at their intended destination. This machine here is my original teleportation device, which I have since been able to make portable and digitalise for convenient mainstream use for all pokémon trainers, the system you know and use. Now my current research is looking at the effects of molecular travel on a pokémon's battling abilities. I'm looking into a link between increased fighting experience leading to a boosted increased on a pokémon's attacking and defensive prowess through the usage of the teleportation system."
Amber nodded trying her best to follow the conversation. Bill continued.
"My thesis is that it must have something to do with the deconstruction and reconstruction of protein strands in the pokémons unique individual DNA structure. When the strands re-line up they cause an abnormality, changing the pokémon internally. As a pokémons' make up is individual, the effects themselves vary dependant on the individual but I'm out to prove it's external factors that change a pokémon's stats. I have been transporting pokémon in my original machine to gather data, this occasion I am embarrassed to admit I was a little careless with the safety protocol and a clumsy accident meant I ended up in the chamber with Nidorino as it teleported. We must have spliced together. Quite the mess! It's a really good job you turned up when you did, I don't think I'd of taken to life well as a Nidorino."
Amber not really grasping the full extent of Bill's words merely offered a toothy grin in response.
"I know! How about I show you my research in action?" Bill suggested placing his empty cup on the saucer.
Amber and Pichu followed Bill into the transporter room. He took out a pokéball and released it.
A little brown fox pokémon emerged "Eeeeeee"
"Eevee!" Amber squealed with delight.
Bill smiled at her reaction. "An eevee fan too? Eevee and their evolutions are my favourite pokémon. Their genetic structure fascinates me no end, and of course they're absolutely delightful. They are always part of my life. This little one was a gift from my family in Johto, recently hatched from an egg."
Bill gave the little pokémon a fuss. "Amber I have the most difficult job for you to partake. Please continue to pet Eevee. She's only baby so I require all our actions to be positively reinforced."
Ambers face lit up and she took over petting the little pokémon. "Veeeeeee." Eevee was loving the attention, Pichu sat by the baby pokémon and conversed with her, adding to the pleasant experience.
"Ah very good, I see you have the natural touch" Bill smiled and carefully placed sensors on the pokémon, whilst Amber continued to fuss her. He ran a computer program and, on the screen, came up all the facts on the pokémon.
Bill turned the monitor so his companions could see and began to explain.
"Here we can see all the details on Eevee. Her gender, nature, even where she hatched and all these stats here. Now we are going to save these stats" Bill pressed a button on the keyboard and removed the sensors off Eevee. "Now please recall Eevee into her pokéball and place it into the transporter, the chamber on the left."
Amber giving Eevee one last little fuss, recalled her into the pokéball and placed it into the machine.
"That chamber on the left acts as the cathode, when I run the programme a tremendous amount of energy will enter the chamber causing a reduction reaction."
Amber couldn't keep up with the jargon, as Bill continued his lesson. I am so lost…
La la la la energy la la la la lala la reaction la la lalalalala flows out of la la la lalalala la la lalal la this means lalalalalalal lala la la la la the right side chamber becomes an anode la la la laa electron doner la la la la la la laaa lalala oxidation reaction lal la la la la la la lalalala la a byproduct of the process la lalal la la la of course all this happens simultaneously, light speed, and there you have teleportation transportation.
Amber and Pichu's eyes were spinning.
"So now you know how the process works let's watch the science in action!" Pichu bounded forward and sat in front of the machine in curiosity. Bill ran the programme and the machine sprung to life. A few flashes of light and a small amount of smoke and sure enough in the right chamber was Eevees pokéball.
"Piiiiichu!" Pichu went over to the newly opened chamber, amazed at what he'd seen.
Amber walked over to Pichu and released Eevee from her ball "Eeeeeeee!" The little pokémon was once again delighted to be in company and rolled over for a belly rub.
Bill put the sensors back on the pokémon and ran the programme bringing up the pokémon stats.
"Just as I suspected" Bill turned the monitor.
Amber looked over the stats "…. But nothing has changed?" surprise in her voice.
"No. See this little Eevee has had no battling experience at all. There is no muscle memory to absorb so nothing has changed. What I need is for Eevee to battle and gain experience to see if and how it will affect her after being transported. Perhaps you and Pichu could help me with that?" Bill looked at his red headed guest and then down to her baby pokémon.
She pondered for a few seconds and her smile beamed through "Alright we accept!" "Pi pi pi chu!"
"KOFFIN!"
The party was interrupted as thick toxic smelling smoke filled the room; the field of vision completely compromised. Amber tried to cover her nose and mouth and followed the sounds of coughing, making her way to stand in front of Bill and Eevee, arms outstretched to protect them. Or at least that's wat she hoped she was doing.
Her eyes were stinging from the smoke, tears pricking the corners. Pichu copied his trainer, fearing no better.
Team Rocket entered the room, fully clad in industrial gas masks and stylish boiler suits to navigate the area easily. Zubat flew next to them partially clearing the smoke from their field of vision, whilst keeping their victims in the smog.
"Prpar fo trufle!"
"Mac ee derbil!"
"Tu pruet ff word frm devsaon"
"Tu unit arr peplos wiff een re nasion"
"Tu denants ther effils ov truff een luff"
"Tu exsend urr retch tu ther stards aboff"
Zubat cleared a small area of smoke revealing two figures
"T" Thea struck a pose, having her back turned to her audience and looking over her shoulder. Gas Mask completely concealing her face.
"Shn" Shane mirrored his partners pose.
"Tim Roqutte blasé uf ah ther seed ov lite"
"Surenduh naw ah prpar tu fite"
...
"Amber what did you just say? I couldn't make it out you're so muffled." Bill covering his eyes and trying not to inhale the smog.
"No, it wasn't me. I'm not sure what it was or where it came from. I can't see anything!" the teen retorted, between coughs.
Team Rocket stood motionless. Realisation dawned in on them, Zubat was still flapping at their side, blowing the smog from their area over to where Amber, Bill and the pokémon stood. Their performance was completely lost on their captive audience … sweat drops ran down their faces.
"EH WUZ USH! TIM ROQUTTE!" Thea shouted through her full-face mask. Undeniably peeved that their seamless delivery of the traditional Team Rocket motto was wasted.
"Who's there?! What do you want?" Bill still covering his eyes, shouted out into the thick smog. "You best not be here to steal my research! I'll never let that happen ever again!"
"Werr nut herr fur u resarch. Werr herr fur thar grill"
"WHAT?"
"See sed WERR HERR FUR THAR GRILL" Shane shouted louder but the mask still muffled him completely.
"My grill? You want my food?! Well you really didn't have to go to all this, if you had just come to my door an asked…"
"Eeeee" Eevee tried to get as close to Bill's leg as possible, her ears dropped in fear.
"Noow nut yu grill, THER GRILL!" Shane shouted back.
IDIOTS! Thea was internally face palming.
"Don't worry Bill! I'll protect you and Eevee!" Amber stood her ground and took a few steps back intending to give the researcher more protection.
"I'm really … really not sure what your goal is here, but to accost me and my guest in my own home and upset my pokémon is unacceptable!" Bill heard footstep approach him "Take this!" Bill started to thrash wildly into the smog. Hoping for some potluck retribution on his unwelcome intruders.
In doing so Bill's wild aimless thrashing caught Amber on the back and sent the teenager stumbling forwards, catching Pichu in her trip, the pair lurched forwards a few paces and righted their balance.
"You cowards! Striking me from behind when I can't even see? That's nothing more than weak!" Amber shouted out into the smog.
Oh! Finally, somethings gone our way! Thea smirked. Her field of vision was clear thanks to her Zubat and their target was now within arm's reach of her - disorientated and directly in front of the open teleportation chamber.
Wasting no time, the Rocket villain shoved Amber as hard as she could, sending the clueless teenager and Pichu flying into the chamber. Thea calmly picked up a nearby broom she had spied and threaded it through the door handle, effectively locking Amber and Pichu in and preventing escape.
Perfect. Now she's contained in this whacky piece of junk we can get the grunts here to retrieve this machine and take it all back to HQ with us getting the full credit. No muss, no fuss, easy!
"Oh Amber are you OK?! I think I got one of them for you! Take that you swine! That's for striking a defenceless young lady! You Thug!" Bill continued to valiantly thrash blindly at the smog.
Amber now thankfully free from the outside smog, could see again. As her formally stinging eyes adjusted, she took in her surroundings she quickly realised herself and Pichu were in the teleportation chamber. Alarm bells rang out as visions of Bill as the Nidorino flashed through her mind and it quickly dawned on her the potential danger they were both in.
If the machine gets booted up I'll get turned into a Pichu! Worse yet what would happen to Pichu?! Would it be my mind in Pichu's body or would little Pichu cease to exist at all? Panicked at the thought, Amber banged hard on the door, but the broom held it fast in place. They were trapped.
Pichu sparked his cheeks up "Picchuuuuuuuu."
"No Pichu! Your power could set off the machine!" Amber cried out in alarm.
Pichu's ears dropped and his ceased his attack.
Thea spied the PC and made her way over to communicate with her HQ for backup.
Shane meanwhile made his way over to the blinded Bill, the smog from Koffin's attack was clearing but the researcher had his eyes shut tightly to stop the offending substance getting to them. Dodging the researchers flailing arms with ease, Shane manoeuvred and managed to catch one of Bills fists, twisting his arm round to his back. Shane then proceeded to pin the old man down to the floor with little effort. Physical strength was not one of Bills strong attributes, the ageing man failed to put up much resistance.
"Unhand me!"
"Haw haw showwy eld mun. Noshin pershunel."
Shane bounded Bill's feet and hands together incapacitating him. He looked up from his handiwork and saw Thea typing frantically at the PC.
Not seeing Amber anywhere, the young Rocket agent scanned the room and quickly happened upon the shaking chamber door held fast by a broom handle. There in the plexiglass window, a familiar mop of red hair was visible. He walked over to Thea, who was still finding her way around Bill's PC.
Files flashed up revealing decades of old pokémon research. Pokémon Teleporting ... Eevee DNA ... Shane's eyes widened at one of the files.
Pokémon Splicing?! If Thea sets off that machine … his mind flashed back to his partner telling him about what had transpired here earlier today, when she was looking through the window. That old man becoming a Nidorino! It was messed up.
That machine turns people into pokémon and she's trapped inside! Shane's face visibly paled as thought of the cute girl trapped in that Arceus awful machine. Images of Amber turning into a big dumb Nidorino flooded is mind. Hideous thoughts of her in pokémon form mindlessly thrashing about and growling, not a fraction of the human she was.
Thea's only got to press the wrong thing …
Shane's stomach churned and his hands physically trembled. He again looked to the chamber window. He could see his crushes face, her brown eyes big and wide with fear. He looked closer; it was a look of pure desperation. He could feel her pleading to be set free from her perilous situation. He could hear her sweet desperate voice in his mind Please Shane! Please save me! Please don't let me be turned into a pokémon!
He turned his face away; he couldn't bear to look any longer. In his new line of sight, a bright yellow and black striped unit caught his attention. Wait is that?
Thea was continuing her own process; she had downloaded the messaging platform and secured the IP address. About to press the return button, sending out the signal for a pick up crew. Wait? Wha what happened?!
Shane tripped the power source, everything went black. All the lights shut off, the pc went down before the message could be sent, and the machine could not be triggered. Phew. Thea, open mouthed at the blank PC screen, continued to hit the return button, each time with more vigour hoping the screen would somehow comeback to life. Failing she lifted the monitor and began to shake it. "Nou nog nough noww NOUGH! DU NUFF DU DISH TU MEA NOUGHW YOUGH £$%* # %$£!"
During his colleague's explicit transfixion on the dead PC, Shane slipped over to the transporter chamber and proceeded to remove the broom handle from the door. His mind returning to his fantasy ...
"Oh Shane! You saved me from being turned into a hideous pokémon! How can I ever thank you?" Amber was looking up at her saviour, her doe brown eyes wide and glistening with admiration.
The Rocket Agent grabbed the Pokémon Trainers hands and clasped them into his own, pulling her towards his chest. "Come with me."
"Yes! Of course I will, Oh Shane, I will go anywhere so long as it's with you."
The pair leaned in, eye closed, lips almost touching...
Unbeknown to Amber inside that she was actually currently being freed, she had backed up to the farthest part and lurched forwards, full pelt at the door using her momentum and full bodyweight to smash against the door in a desperate bid for freedom.
Success! the door gave way and swung open with a tremendous force, SMACK it stopped dead in a sickening thud.
Amber tumbled out and fell to the floor, Pichu hopped out and pointed "pichu pichu pichu!" Amber turned her head on the cold floor, the smog had pretty much cleared up now and she saw Bill in the darkened room also face down on the floor tied up. "Bill! I'm coming!"
No no no no no no NO NO NO NO! How did she get out?! Thea was having a full-on melt down now.
Unbeknown to her, her partner who was responsible for this full chain of events leading to the downfall of her perfect plan, was slumped down behind the chamber door of the transporting machine. Behind his gas mask, he was slack jawed and eyes unfocused. Being knocked out by a metal door was not the reward he was hoping for…
Amber and Pichu dashed over to Bill. Eevee was at his side desperately pulling at the ropes, trying to free her trainer from the bindings. Amber knelt and freed the elderly researcher.
"Bill are you OK?" Amber helped the elderly man to his feet.
Bill rubbed his sore wrists where the ropes had rubbed and burned against his skin. "Yes I think so…" He stumbled slightly, his ankles adjusting to being unbound. "Are you Ok Miss Amber?"
"I'm fine. You take it easy, I'll deal with these clowns."
Amber glared at Thea, who was starting to descend upon them, Zubat flapping at her side. Shane holding his head, still trying to get over his concussion staggered over to join his teammate.
"I don't know who you are, or why you've targeted Bill, but I won't let you get away with this!"
Amber pulled out a pokéball and threw it. Out formed a big round pokémon. "Electrode!"
Shane, still dazed threw out his koffing.
"Electrode! Use Thunderbolt attack!"
"Electrode electrode electrode" Electrode merely rocked back and forth.
Confused Amber gave another command "…. Huh …. Ok erm use your Signal Beam!"
The pokémon merely slowly turned round on the spot.
"… Electrode …" Amber was crestfallen. Her pokémon wasn't following her orders.
Thea and Shane couldn't contain themselves "bwwwhahahahahahahah" there muffled laughs still came through as they pointed and doubled over laughing at pokémon, making a fool of the novice trainer. "Nuice twainin keed."
"Amber it's not listening to you! Try another pokémon!" Bill called out.
Pichu jumped to her aid. Eevee followed Pichu's lead and stood at his side.
"Pichu, Eevee you guys up for this?"
"Pi!" "Ee!"
"OK! Eevee use helping hand! Pichu target Zubat with a Thunder Shock!"
"Suubut dige eh hand uz srich." Zubat merely flapped, confused at his trainer's directions through the thick muffled mask. The Thunder Shock hit the bat square on, toppling him to the floor.
"Noow Suubut!" Thea wailed
Shane retaliated "Cuffon uz pushon gush attach" again Koffin bobbed up and down, also unable to understand his trainers command.
"WHI WUNT CHU LICHTEN TU ME?!"
"This is toooo easy, Pichu use nuzzle, Eevee use tackle! Finish this!" Amber pointed, her battle confidence coming back in full flow.
"Itch dese dun maschs! Tuk um uff, tuk um uff!" Thea and Shane pulled at the straps. Bored of the situation, Electrode rolled into the battlefield, coming head to head with the combined power attacks of Pichu and Eevee. The resulting force caused Electrode to roll over to Team Rocket.
"Elec trode!" It was not happy being hit! The ball pokémon started to glow.
Noticing the strange glow around them the Team Rocket agents stopped pulling at their gas masks and looked down at the giant glowing pokémon and clutched each other with fear. They knew what was coming and it was far too late to stop it….
"Elecccccc TRODE! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
Team Rocket took the brunt of the explosion and went flying off through the wall and into the air with their pokémon. Mask's finally flying off their faces.
"How, how did we lose this one?! We had this!" Thea wailed.
"At least no one got turned into a pokémon…" Shane mumbled.
"Looks like Team Rockets blasting off again!" they cried out in union as they soared into the distance.
Pichu and Eevee bounced up and down, crying with glee, whilst a blackened Electrode rocked gently, it's eyes spinning. Amber recalled her feinted pokémon and whispered to it's ball "Thank you Electrode, I'm sorry this happened to you. I'll become the trainer worthy of you. I promise."
Amber ran over to her pokémon and Eevee. "Guys you were amazing!" She cuddled the little pokémon duo, who lapped up the attention. Bill smiled and walked over to the victorious party.
"Congratulations, all of you on a victory well deserved." He greeted them all warmly.
"Bill! Are you OK? Who were those guys? What did they want here?"
Bill scratched the back of his head and looked at the floor. "Sadly I'm none the wiser than you… I really have no idea ... or at least one that makes sense ... . But the main thing is you and the pokémon saved us and nothing was taken. Thank you." Bill bowed slightly.
Amber looked around the messy and damaged room "eeeerm oh … we kinda made a mess though."
"Oh … oh dear …" Bill surveyed the damage to his lighthouse. "They really did a number on the place, didn't they? Ah well it's nothing that can't be fixed."
"Still … it's not as bad as when I first came here" Amber grinned at the researcher, a cheeky toothy grin adorning her face.
Bill couldn't help but chuckle, "you've got me there!" The party all broke into full laughter.
Amber stood at Bill's front door, Pichu was perched on her head. Outside the sun had begun to set and adorned the sky with beautiful shades of orange and red.
"Well I better get going now." Amber gave a slight bow.
Bill returned the gesture. "The pleasure has been all mine Amber Ketchum."
"Um Bill" Amber looked the floor, a little worried to hear the answer "About the attack, are you going to tell the authorities? Or the Pokémon League? Do you think you could, maybe, leave my name out of it? It's just, well, Mom and Dad they get so protective …"
Bill looked at the girl and placed his hand on his chin. She really did deserve the credit for saving the day, but if she wanted to remain anonymous, well who was he to go against her wishes?
"You have no need to worry. I have to inform the league there was an attack on my lighthouse, but as nothing was taken maybe they do not need to know the full details on this occasion. Besides what am I supposed to tell them? Robbers came looking for my grill?! They will throw me in the looney bin!" Bill put his hand behind his head and laughed.
Amber giggled. For such a clever, renown researcher Bill could be really goofy.
"I do have a favour to ask of you though." Bill continued.
Ambers eyes widened as Bill placed a pokéball in her hand.
"I'd be incredibly grateful if you could battle using Eevee a few more times on your journey? Please if you could record each time she battles and send me the data, then when the time is right transport her back to me?"
"Sure! That would be great!" Amber gladly accepted. She looked at Eevee's pokéball, with a warm smile and put it away.
"Wonderful! Well then, our time is up. Take care Miss Ketchum and don't be a stranger" Bill clasped the girls' hand and shook it.
Waving goodbye, Amber and Pichu set off on their journey once more, learning more and more about pokémon and with a new ally.
Bill watched them leave over the horizon. Another Ketchum saves the day. He thought to himself with a bittersweet smile.