Bill


 * This article is about the Pokémon Researcher. For the English voice actors, see Bill Rogers, Billy Regan or Billy Beach.

Bill (Japanese: ソネザキマサキ Masaki Sonezaki) is a Researcher, widely regarded as an expert in many fields. He has made many appearances in the games. Bill is most commonly found in his Sea Cottage, which is north of Cerulean City at the end of. He is most notable for his first appearance in the Generation I games and for his Pokémon Storage System that has been pertinent in the entire main series.

In the games
Bill is a talented and famous inventor, who invented the original Pokémon Storage System and Time Capsule. People, including himself, call him a PokéManiac because of his large collection of both common and rare Pokémon. The first one he caught was an ; however, his favorite Pokémon are and its evolutions. Bill also gives a free Eevee to, , or in Generation II and its remakes, and another one to Bebe in Generation IV, which is later given to /.

Bill also has several friends that share his interests in computer technology. One of them is Celio, his old friend from in the Sevii Islands. He is also close with Lanette and Bebe, the storage system developers of Hoenn and Sinnoh, respectively. He is stated to have requested Cassius control the Storage System of Kalos in Generation VI.

Bill also has some fans, like Brent of Generation II who calls the player with information about him. Most of his calls are trivia about Bill himself and his family, such as the fact that Bill's mother used to be a Kimono Girl and that Bill's younger sister can't wink. He also mentions that Bill might have a crush on the flower girl in Goldenrod City. Brent also revealed the fact that Bill is lactose-intolerant, which was also stated by Celio in Generation III.

Bill has been shown to have a large family. His adult sister and grandfather live in Fuchsia City. In Generation II, his grandfather watches over Bill's cottage on Route 25 while he is visiting the rest of his family in Goldenrod City.

In the Japanese versions of the games, Bill speaks in dialect, like most Goldenrod City residents.

Generation I
In, Bill can be found at the Sea Cottage on the Cerulean Cape, initially performing an experiment on Pokémon teleportation. However, Bill accidentally becomes combined with the body of a and requires the player's help to fix the problem. In Pokémon Yellow, will be confused by the whole ordeal, and shocked upon seeing Bill return to his original form. After things are back in order, he speaks about his Pokémon Storage System and what was formerly on the PC menu as "Someone's PC" will change to "Bill's PC." He will also give away an S.S. Ticket so that the player can board the S.S. Anne. He gives the player the ticket as a gift for changing him back into a human, and also claims that the rich crowd of the S.S. Anne isn't his type. If the player exits Bill's house and goes back in, they can check his computer for information on and its three stone evolutions, his favorite Pokémon.

Generation II
In, Bill is visiting his family in Goldenrod City. After he gets the Time Capsule up and running in Ecruteak City, players can visit him at his parents' house in Goldenrod and receive an. His sister will give the player Bill's number so they can check the storage system. In, his father is introduced as the Move Tutor, a deadbeat former Pokémaniac who spends his time gambling.

Hoenn
While visiting Lanette in, , , players can check one of her computers to find an E-mail from Bill. The English translation of the e-mail in Generation III makes it seem as if Bill is crediting Lanette for upgrading his system, whereas the Japanese text and the English text in Generation VI clearly establishes that he and Lanette are co-developers of the original system.

Kanto
In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions, Bill is in the same area as in the original games. However, he also appears on Cinnabar Island asking for help in the Sevii Islands shortly after Blaine is defeated. While on One Island, he introduces the player to Celio.

Fame Checker
This is a list of the Fame Checker's information on Bill in.
 * Cerulean City —
 * What does this person do?
 * "After all, Bill's world-famous as a Pokémaniac. He invented the Pokémon Storage System on PC, too."


 * Cerulean City &mdash; Little Boy
 * Favorite kind of Pokémon?
 * "Bill has lots of Pokémon! He collects rare ones, too!"


 * Fuchsia City &mdash; Bill's grandfather
 * What is this person like?
 * "He's my grandson! He always liked collecting things, even as a child!"


 * &mdash; Celio
 * Favorite kind of Pokémon?
 * ""Bill is a Pokémaniac</sc>, so he likes every kind. Apparently, the first one he caught was an Abra</sc>."


 * One Island &mdash; Celio
 * Family and friends?
 * "Bill</sc>'s hometown is Goldenrod City</sc>, where his folks still live. I've heard it's quite the festive, bustling city."


 * One Island &mdash; Celio
 * There's a rumor…
 * "Apparently, Bill</sc> can't stomach milk at all."


 * Message from Bill</sc>
 * From: Bill</sc>
 * To: undefined
 * "Hey, there! Celio</sc> had nothing but praise for you. Hearing that makes me happy. When you catch some rare Pokémon</sc>, come show me, okay? Promise!"

Sinnoh
In, Bebe mentions that Bill invented the original PC storage system, and that she tinkered with it to make it easier to use. Upon giving the player an, Bebe refers to Bill as a friend from Johto to whom the Eevee previously belonged.

Johto and Kanto
Bill appears in in the same capacity as he did in Generation II. He will give the player an if he is visited at his parents' house in Goldenrod.

Alola
Although Bill has no physical appearance in, Lillie goes to him during the post-game to treat her mother. Wicke also makes a reference to when he was combined with a Pokémon.

Kanto
In Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Bill appears in the same capacity as he does in the original games. Bill's PC is not used in this game, as the player has access to Pokémon Storage at any time from the Bag. After helping Bill, the player can check his PC again to read his reports on the locations of the legendary birds.


 * "Hiya! I'm a Pok</sc>émon</sc>... ...No I'm not! Call me Bill</sc>! I'm a true blue Pok</sc>émaniac</sc>! Hey! What's with that skeptical look? I'm not joshing you, I screwed up an experiment and got combined with a Pok</sc>émon</sc>! So, how about it? Help me out there!"
 * " When I'm in the <sc>Teleporter</sc>, go to my PC and run the Cell Separation System!"


 * After helping him
 * " That cruise ship, <sc>S.S.Anne</sc>, is in <sc>Vermilion City</sc>. Its passengers are all trainers! They invited me to their party, but I can't stand fancy do's. Why don't you go instead of me?"


 * After returning to his house
 * "Look, bud, just check out some of my rare <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> on my PC!"


 * Ecruteak City
 * "Hi, I'm <sc>Bill</sc>. And who are you? Hmm., huh? You've come at the right time. I just finished adjustments on my <sc>Time Capsule</sc>. You know that <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> can be traded, right? My <sc>Time Capsule</sc> was developed to enable trades with the past. But you can't send anything that didn't exist in the past. If you did, the PC in the past would have a breakdown. So you have to remove anything that wasn't around in the past. Put simply, no sending new moves or new <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> in the <sc>Time Capsule</sc>. Don't you worry. I'm done with the adjustments. Tomorrow, <sc>Time Capsules</sc> will be running at all <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon Centers</sc>. I have to hurry on back to <sc>Goldenrod</sc> and see my folks. Buh-bye!"


 * Goldenrod City
 * After talking to him at the Ecruteak City Pokémon Center
 * ''"Hi, ! Do us a favor and take this <sc>Eevee</sc>. It came over when I was adjusting the <sc>Time Capsule</sc>. Someone has to take care of it, but I don't like being outside. Can I count on you to play with it, ?
 * Yes: ''"I knew it! Way to go, hero! You're the real deal, dude! OK, I'm counting on you. Take good care of it.
 * No: ''"Oh... Now what to do?


 * If the player is carrying six Pokémon
 * ''"Whoa, wait. you can't carry any more <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc>.


 * After receiving Eevee
 * "<sc>Prof. Elm</sc> claims <sc>Eevee</sc> may evolve in new and unknown ways"


 * Subsequent visits
 * "I used to experiment with a <sc>Teleporter</sc>. I ought to do a follow-up."
 * "My pop, he won't work. All he does is goof off all day long. He's getting to be a real headache..."


 * Pokégear
 * When called
 * "// This is the <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon Storage System Administration Service</sc>. Who's calling?, is it? Hang on a sec... ...... ...... Thanks for waiting!"
 * If box has less than 15 Pokémon
 * ", your <sc>Box</sc> has room for more <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc>. Get out there and fill it up!"
 * If box has at least 15 Pokémon
 * ", your <sc>Box</sc> has room for only more <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc>. Maybe you should switch your <sc>Box</sc>"
 * If box is full
 * ", your <sc>Box</sc> is full! You'll have to switch <sc>Boxes</sc> if you want to catch more <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc>."


 * When player fills up a Box (automatic call)
 * "Hi, ? It's me, <sc>Bill</sc>! Thanks for using my <sc>Storage System</sc>. That last <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> you sent filled your <sc>Box</sc> up. You'll have to switch <sc>Boxes</sc> if you want to catch more <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc>. Bye now!"


 * Sea Cottage
 * "Hiya! I'm a <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc>... ...No I'm not! Call me <sc>Bill</sc>! I'm a true-blue <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>maniac</sc>! Hey! What's with that skeptical look? I'm not joshing you, /. I screwed up an experiment and got combined with a <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc>! So, how about it? Help me out there!"
 * " Wait till I get inside the <sc>Teleporter</sc>. When I do, go to my PC and run the Cell Separation System."


 * After helping him
 * " That cruise ship <sc>S.S.Anne</sc> is in <sc>Vermilion City</sc>. I hear there are lots of <sc>Trainers</sc> on board, too. They invited me to their party, but I can't stand fancy do's. Why don't you go instead of me? Go and have a good time."


 * After returning to his house
 * "Feel like checking out some of my rare <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon</sc> on my PC? Go on, check out my PC."


 * Cinnabar Island
 * After defeating Blaine
 * ''"Huh? Hey, if it isn't ! Look, it's me, <sc>Bill</sc>. Long time no see! I hope you're still using my PC system. Well, listen, since we met up here, how about spending time with me? There's this little island in the far south called <sc>One Island</sc>. A friend invited me, so I'm on my way out there. How about it? Do you feel like coming with me?
 * No: "What, are you too busy? Well, all right. The boat hasn't arrived yet anyway. I'll be waiting at the <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon Center</sc> over there. Come see me when you're done with your business here."
 * Yes: "All right, then. Let's go!"
 * "Looks like my pal's boat arrived, too. He sent it specially here to <sc>Cinnabar</sc> to pick me up."


 * In the Pokémon Center, if the player declined the offer
 * ''"Hey, you kept me waiting! Ready to set sail to <sc>One Island</sc>?
 * No: "Oh, you're still not done yet?"
 * Yes: "Well, that's it. Let's go!"
 * "Looks like my pal's boat arrived, too. He sent it specially here to <sc>Cinnabar</sc> to pick me up."


 * After returning from One Island
 * "Hey, wasn't that a long cruise? My buddy <sc>Celio</sc> seemed to enjoy your company. I'm sure he'd welcome you if you were to visit him again. If you have a <sc>Tri-Pass</sc>, you can always take a ferry there from <sc>Vermilion Port</sc>. All right, thanks for your company!"


 * "Here we are! This is <sc>One Island</sc>. There are several islands around here, and this is one of them. My friend <sc>Celio</sc> sent the boat to fetch me here. He's in charge of the island's PC network by his lonesome. ...Why am I telling you this now? Let's just go see <sc>Celio</sc>!"
 * "Here we are! This is <sc>One Island</sc>. There are several islands around here, and this is one of them. My friend <sc>Celio</sc> sent the boat to fetch me here. He's in charge of the island's PC network by his lonesome. ...Why am I telling you this now? Let's just go see <sc>Celio</sc>!"


 * Pokémon Network Center
 * Upon the player's arrival
 * "Hey, there! <sc>Celio</sc>!"
 * "Well, absolutely! How's your research coming along? ...Oh, wait a sec. <Player>, this is my buddy <sc>Celio</sc>. He's one dedicated PC <sc>Maniac</sc>! <sc>Celio</sc>, this is, a rising contender as the <sc>Pok</sc>é<sc>mon Champ</sc>!"
 * "So, bring me up to speed. How's your machine running?"
 * "Oh, yeah? Okay, let me take a look-see. ...Hand on here... I think we can make it work. Let me help you, okay? <Player>, can I get you to wait for me just a bit? ...Actually, can I get you to do me a favor? The island next to this one's called <sc>Two Island</sc>. There's a guy there that runs a <sc>Game Corner</sc>. He has this thing for rare rocks and gems. We keep in touch, being fellow maniacs. So, can I get you to deliver this <sc>Meteorite</sc> to him?"
 * "I'll catch you later! Say hi to the guy for me!"


 * If talked to before visiting Three Island
 * "Hmm... How about we try this like this..."


 * After visiting Three Island, before rescuing Lostelle
 * "Oh, hey, ! Did you see? We got the PC working! I've got a few things to show <sc>Celio</sc> here. Can you go out on a stroll or something for a little more?"


 * After rescuing Lostelle
 * "Oh, hey! <Player!>"
 * "What kept you so long? Been out having a good time? We got it done. The PCs are up and running!"
 * "No, no! There was almost nothing left for me to do. <sc>Celio</sc>, I have to hand it to you. You've learned a lot."
 * "Well, there you have it. I'm finished with the job. We should head back to <sc>Kanto</sc>. <sc>Celio</sc>, I'll be seeing you again."

In the anime
Bill's only anime appearance was in Mystery at the Lighthouse where, , and met him at his lighthouse.

Bill had previously been trapped in a costume for what he claims to have been hours (in the dub only; the original didn't state how long he had been in the costume) until Ash finally comes to press the release button for him. Afterwards, Bill fulfills a request made by Professor Oak to give Ash and his friends a lesson on the basics of Pokémon, during which Bill shares the idea that there may be many more than just 150 species of Pokémon. The remainder of his appearance is spent focused on explaining to Ash and company his recent project, involving a whose cry can be heard across the sea.

In the TCG
This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Bill or his services in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

In the manga
Bill makes appearances in several manga, including How I Became a Pokémon Card, Pokémon Adventures, Pokémon Zensho, and The Electric Tale of Pikachu.

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga
Bill appears in the third chapter of The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Clefairy Tale. He works with Professor Oak researching a colony of at Mt. Moon. He was the one to discover the colony of Clefairy and has befriended many of them. Together with Professor Oak and, he assists the Clefairy with an evolution ceremony.

In the same chapter, Bill also reveals parts of his past to Ash. In the beginning, Bill only became a Pokémon Trainer because he didn't like school and wanted to take a leave of absence, but as time went on, he discovered that he deeply cared for his Pokémon. He decided to become a Pokémon researcher after witnessing his evolving into.

Bill reappears with in Side Story: Ash vs. Gary at a Pokémon research center.

In the How I Became a Pokémon Card manga
In the first chapter of How I Became a Pokémon Card, a younger Bill rescues a lost from an angry crowd and it lives with him for a couple of days, until its father, an angry, begins to go on a rampage. Dratini returns home, promising to always be friends with Bill.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga
Bill appears as a supporting character in Pokémon Adventures.

In the Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga
In Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys, Bill appears in the chapter Gold and Black VS. Team Rocket. He tells 🇬🇼 and Whitney all the folklore of Ecruteak City, including the legends of, the legendary beasts, and the story of the Bell Tower and the Brass Tower. Later, when Bill, Gold, and the Gym Leaders are held hostage by 🇬🇼 and the other Rockets, he loans his and  to Gold and 🇬🇼.

Pokémon
This listing is for Bill's Pokémon in the Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga.

In the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga
Bill and his wife were transformed into a leopard and respectively from an unsuccessful experiment, which his wife noted, when they combined themselves with a cat when they wanted to combine a human and an animal together. After doing so, Bill's wife went out to search for a Moon Stone in order to get changed back to humans. She managed to find the Moon Stone that and  were searching for. They went after Mew and arrived in an abandoned water mill. Red and Green's entrance caused Bill to appear and introduce himself to them. He then explained that he was the one who created the unknown Pokémon in the house and is experimenting on creating the most powerful Pokémon. However, the Pokémon Bill created turned out to be just plush dolls instead of real Pokémon. Seeing, Bill decided to use him for one of his experiments but was stopped by his wife before he was able to do so. His wife explained the story about their transformations to the group and why she took the Moon Stone from them. After the story, Green decided to try and catch her, thinking that she was a real Mew but was stopped from doing so by Bill. When Clefairy battled Green's Charizard, Bill went to one of the machines to shrink Charizard but it ended up shrinking both Clefairy and Charizard since the former did not leave the machine on time. After Green gave up on catching Bill's wife in the form of Mew, the group watched as Bill and his wife used the Moon Stone and the machine that transformed them in the first place, to change back into humans. As soon as that happened, both Red and Green ran away after noticing Bill's hideous appearance in human form. Bill made a reappearance in Bring Down the Strongest Pokémon!! with his wife. kidnapped him and his wife in order to finish creating since Giovanni only created the first half. Giovanni tied up his wife, as well as Green and his Charmander, thus blackmailing Bill into working on creating the Mewtwo. Clefairy tried to stop the creation of Mewtwo from getting finished but Giovanni's prevented him from getting closer. With Mewtwo completed, Bill's wife was released, and she and Bill went up to Mew to see if it was okay. When Clefairy battled Mewtwo, he threw it in the DNA switching machine and Clefairy went in the other one. Clefairy told Bill to give Mewtwo his DNA and Bill activates the DNA switching machine which transformed Clefairy into Mewtwo. Clefairy goes in the machine again but Bill could not do it since it did not have any power. used his electricity to charge it up and Clefairy's DNA went to Giovanni's other Pokémon.

Bill made his third appearance in Find the Legendary Pokémon!! His appearance is closer to his game artwork in this chapter. A Kimono Girl takes Red and his Pokémon to him after they were playing around in the Brass Tower. Bill shows them his Time Capsule machine and demonstrates it on a guy about to get hit by a car, Tyrogue runs to the car and gets hit instead. Bill then ponders about his past which made Clefairy interested and wants the group to try it out. They go in the time machine and he sends them back in time.

In the Pokémon Zensho manga
Bill appeared in Vermilion City. He had gotten fused with his by accident and was briefly  by  while checking his mail. However, upon finding out what had happened, Satoshi helped separate Bill from his Pokémon. As a sign of gratitude, Bill let Satoshi add the family's data from his computer to his Pokédex, as well as giving him a ticket to the S.S. Anne.

Trivia

 * Bill being mixed with a Pokémon during a teleportation experiment may be a reference to the movie , where a scientist experimenting with teleportation pods ends up combined with a fly.
 * In FireRed and LeafGreen, if a player declines to go to the Sevii Islands after defeating Blaine, Bill will wait in Cinnabar Island's Pokémon Center. During this period, he can be found both at his home on and on Cinnabar Island at the same time.
 * In Generation II and, a fan of Bill's named Brent will reveal trivia about Bill via the Pokégear. The information shared include the fact that Bill's younger sister can't wink, Bill's first Pokémon caught was , his mother used to be a Kimono Girl, Bill is lactose intolerant (also claimed by Celio in ), he isn't very good at Pokémon battles, and that Bill is attracted to the Goldenrod Flower Shop owner's daughter.
 * In the English dub of the anime, his is portrayed as a, while in the Pokémon Adventures manga, this becomes a southern American accent.
 * Bill's anime design was later recycled for an unnamed lookalike from Hoenn Alone! and a character of the day named Dominick from the Hoenn region.
 * The Pokémon Bill is mixed with is different in each canon: in Generation I he is mixed with an unknown Pokémon, in Generation III he is mixed with a, in the Pokémon Adventures manga he is mixed with a , in the Pokémon Zensho manga he is mixed with a , and in the anime he is trapped in a costume.
 * According to a Pokémon Daisuki Club site describing the Pokémon world, Bill studied at Celadon University.
 * Bill is one of only two Storage System developers to have appeared in the.
 * In the Chuang Yi translation of Pokémon Pocket Monsters his Japanese name, Masaki, is used.

Names
Bill Bill Léo Bill マサキ 正辉