[Pokémon]: Fearow[
Type]: Normal + Flying
[Rank]: Senior Elite
[Potential]: Elite…
[Pokémon]: Gengar
[Type]: Ghost + Poison
[Rank]: Mid Elite
[Potential]: Elite…
"Fearow, prepare Hyper Beam!"
"Gengar, disrupt them!" the two Team Rocket elites barked in quick succession.
Fearow opened its beak wide, a ball of golden energy rapidly forming inside.
At its current level, channeling a Hyper Beam was still somewhat taxing, but once unleashed, the destructive force would be tremendous.
Meanwhile, Gengar darted forward with its trademark sinister grin, body flickering in and out like a phantom. One moment visible, the next vanishing, it weaved around Charmander and Psyduck, harassing them while shielding Fearow's charge.
"Hmph! Psyduck, use Psychic—lock down the field! Grab Gengar and throw it with all your strength!" Yozora commanded, voice sharp and decisive.
"Psy—duck!"
Psyduck let out a long cry as its eyes flared crimson.
In that instant, Gengar felt itself bound as though by steel chains. Sweat poured off its spectral body. No matter how it struggled, it couldn't escape Psyduck's Psychic hold.
Boom!
The next moment, Gengar felt like it had been hit by a truck. With a shriek, it was hurled across the battlefield, slamming into the ground with a heavy thud before collapsing unconscious.
That was Gengar in a nutshell.
Among Pokémon of the same rank, it boasted terrifying special attack and blistering speed—yet its body was fragile. One solid blow, and it went down.
Against Psyduck's overwhelming Psychic, it hadn't even been able to make use of its speed.
But—
Thanks to Gengar's interference, Fearow had completed its charge. The golden beam of destruction was finally ready.
"Excellent! Fearow, fire Hyper Beam!" the Team Rocket elite snarled.
"Charmander, Flamethrower! Psyduck, Hydro Pump! Combine your attacks—go all out!" Yozora roared back.
BOOM!
Scarlet flames erupted from Charmander's mouth. At the same time, Psyduck unleashed a torrent of brilliant blue water. Together, their attacks collided head-on with Fearow's golden Hyper Beam.
The three energies slammed together, detonating in a deafening explosion. Smoke and dust surged skyward.
It was a long moment before the haze began to clear.
Yozora narrowed his eyes at the field—only to find it empty. The two Team Rocket elites, along with Gengar and Fearow, had vanished without a trace.
From high above, the faint roar of jet engines drifted down. They had escaped with rocket-propelled packs.
A cruel voice echoed on the wind:"Kid, you've ruined Team Rocket's plans! One day, you'll pay dearly for this!"
Yozora only sneered in disdain.
A man upright and fearless had no reason to quake before the threats of petty villains.
Besides—so long as he had Beedrill as his trump card, only a true Elite Four member from Team Rocket would pose any real danger.
"Thank you, young man. You saved my life."
The words made Yozora freeze.
He turned toward Clefairy—except the pink little Pokémon was… speaking human words.
"Young man?"
Wait a second. You're a Clefairy. You don't even look that old. Was that really necessary?
Noticing Yozora's expression, Clefairy's eyes flashed with an oddly human smile. "Young man, the truth is, I'm not actually a Clefairy. Nor am I a Pokémon at all. Like you, I'm human!"
"What?!" Yozora's eyes widened in shock.
"My name's Bill," Clefairy continued. "I'm a Pokémon researcher."
Bill?!
Yozora blinked in disbelief.
In Kanto, that name was legendary. Though not as old as Professor Oak, Bill was known everywhere as the brilliant inventor of the Pokémon Storage System.
For many aspiring researchers, he was an idol.
Unlike Oak—the eccentric, scruffy old man—Bill was still young, talented, and considered a genius of his generation.
"Oh? Judging by your expression, you've heard of me?" Clefairy—no, Bill—smiled.
"…A little. But Bill, how did you end up like this?" Yozora asked.
"Ah, that's a long story."
Bill glanced around, then plopped himself down on a tree stump. "From what I've learned, Team Rocket is secretly working on a mysterious project. To that end, they've abducted several well-known researchers. I foresaw the danger and used one of my inventions—the Pokémon Transformation Device—to disguise myself as a Clefairy. I hoped to slip by unnoticed… but in the end, I was still discovered."
He sighed deeply. "If not for you, young man, I may not have survived today."
"Secret project…?"
Yozora's mind raced. Could it be… the creation of Mewtwo?
But then he froze again.
A Pokémon Transformation Device?
What in the world?!
The tech tree of this world was completely crooked!
This was an age without even mobile phones—yet someone had invented a machine that could turn humans into Pokémon?
Catching sight of Yozora's stunned expression, Bill puffed up with pride, chuckling. "Haha! Amazing, isn't it? Look at me—I'm indistinguishable from a real Clefairy! If I hadn't spoken, those two fools never would've seen through my disguise!"
Yozora: "…"
He was speechless.
So… you exposed yourself by talking, and you're still calling them fools?
And you're proud of this?
Yozora's lips twitched. He couldn't help but think this researcher seemed more than a little unreliable.
Then again—so was Professor Oak. Perhaps that was simply the nature of geniuses.
"Still, young man," Bill said warmly, "your strength is remarkable. At such a young age, you've already defeated Team Rocket elites. Your future is limitless!"
"Bill, you flatter me," Yozora replied humbly.
Bill nodded, then scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. "There's one more thing. To return to my human form, I'll need a bit of help. Would you come back with me to my home on the coast nearby?"
Yozora thought for a moment, then nodded. "All right."
And so—
Yozora followed Clefairy—no, Bill—toward his seaside residence.
…
(End of Chapter)