Humming as he strolled along, Gary followed Scyther at an easy pace, his head tilted to one side.
With a Scyther-brand lawn mower leading the way, traveling through the wilderness was a breeze.
He could already hear waves washing against the sand, which meant the Lighthouse he was heading for was close.
"Woof, woof!" Suddenly, barking caught Gary's attention.
"Eevee, are you learning a foreign language?" Gary looked curiously at Eevee on his shoulder.
"Vee..." Eevee blinked her big eyes innocently. It wasn't me...
"Wooof~" This time, Gary heard it clearly. The sound came from the grass.
He curiously parted the grass and was almost blinded by what he saw!
"Whoa! A legendary golden find!" The light of Appraisal flashed wildly, and Gary couldn't help exclaiming.
A Growlithe lay weakly in the grass. Judging by his wounds, he had probably been bitten by a Raticate's Hyper Fang.
It looked as though this newly grown Growlithe had accidentally provoked a group of Raticate.
The fact that he had escaped despite injuries this severe suggested that this pup's fighting ability was nothing to sneeze at.
At the sight of Gary, Growlithe warily shut his mouth. Perhaps because his species was naturally friendly toward humans, the little fellow showed no desire to attack. He simply quieted down and licked his wounds.
"You're a pretty reserved little guy." Gary crouched down and briskly rubbed Growlithe's head.
"Woof... woo~ awoo~ (No! Don't... don't stop...)" Growlithe's expression changed several times before he finally surrendered to instinct.
Eevee puffed out her cheeks beside them. Since he's injured, I'll let him off today. The nerve of him, trying to steal my attention!
After rubbing Growlithe's head for a while, Gary saw that he had relaxed and took out a Potion Spray to treat his wounds. "This might sting a little. Bear with it."
"Woof~" Growlithe nodded, his tail wagging furiously behind him...
Smack... Eevee, who was standing behind Growlithe, was nearly swept away by his tail. She waved her little paws indignantly and unleashed a flurry of Fury Swipes at the air before she felt better.
Eevee: ￣へ￣ He looks so honest and earnest, but he's actually a total suck-up!
Gary sprayed Potion over all of Growlithe's wounds, wrapped the exposed injuries in bandages, and finally tied a bandage bow on his head. Only then did he clap his hands in satisfaction.
"Perfect~" Gary nodded at his handiwork.
"Pfft~ vee~" Eevee covered her mouth and snickered.
Growlithe didn't mind at all. He weakly stuck out his tongue and licked Gary's hand.
Gary's heart instantly melted. Who could resist a big dog who was warm, brave, and knew how to act cute?
"It's too dangerous for you to stay out here in this condition. What do you say? Want to be my pup?" Gary asked, stroking Growlithe's head.
"Woof~ woo!" Growlithe looked up at Gary with sparkling eyes and nodded vigorously.
"All done~" Gary took out a Poké Ball and gently tapped it against Growlithe's head. The little fellow obediently entered the ball, and its indicator light didn't even flash.
"I caught a Growlithe~" Gary happily winked at Eevee. Eevee jumped back onto his shoulder and rubbed against his cheek to stake her claim.
Eevee: (￣▽￣) As long as this queen lives, the rest of you will only ever be consorts~
"All right, let's keep moving. Let's try to reach Bill's research institute before dark."
As it happened, Bill and Gary had a bit of history.
When Gary had gone to the Indigo Plateau to get certified as a scholar, Bill had happened to be there for his doctoral certification.
After reading Gary's paper, Bill had been utterly astounded. He had insisted on giving Gary his doctorate instead.
In the end, Gary had talked him down at length, and the two had sworn brotherhood before the man finally settled down.
After they walked along the last stretch of woodland trail, the view opened up before them. The white beach and deep-blue waves instantly lifted their spirits.
Not far away, a lighthouse had already lit up, casting its beam far out over the sea.
"Woohoo~ Bill really knows how to live. Facing the sea, with spring flowers in bloom. This location is absolutely amazing~" Gary took a deep breath and sighed appreciatively.
"Well, thank you very much. Could you help me out before you start admiring my research institute...?" A familiar voice came from near Gary's feet.
"Holy crap, Bill...?" Gary exclaimed, staring at a Krabby blowing bubbles on the beach.
"Ptooey, ptooey~" After spitting out the last of the bubbles, the Bill-brand crab waved his claws and continued awkwardly, "I accidentally swapped bodies with a Krabby during an experiment... The machine has to be operated from outside, so... hurry up and help me change back!"
"Okay, okay~" Gary nodded, holding back his laughter. "No problem. Should I carry you back to the Lighthouse?"
The Bill-brand crab flew into a rage. "No! I'm plenty fast walking sideways!"
With a drifting turn on the spot, Bill the Krabby's legs scuttled at lightning speed, and he shot away with a whoosh.
"Well, damn~" Gary nodded in surprise. That really was faster than Bill could move in his own body...
At the Lighthouse, Gary expertly entered the door code, pushed the door open, and went inside.
Walking beside Gary's feet, Bill grumbled, "You're as comfortable coming into my research institute as you are going home."
Gary shrugged. "Of course. Good brothers have each other's backs. What's yours is mine, and what's mine is still mine..."
Bill: What? Do you believe I'll spray bubbles all over your face?
Gary replied nonchalantly, "Go ahead, as long as you're not afraid of me chasing you down with a Poké Ball."
A cold sweat broke out over Bill's back. Fine, you win...
If he got stuck in a Krabby's body and then caught by Gary, Bill figured the academic community would laugh about it for a whole year...
They entered Bill's Laboratory, where two enormous Sealed Tanks stood. These were the First-Generation Model of the Poké Ball Transport Device currently used in the Kanto Region and Johto Region.
It was this device that had earned Bill his doctorate and a substantial sum of Pokémon League Prize Money in one fell swoop.
"All right, get in." Gary opened the empty Sealed Chamber on one side and motioned for Bill to enter. In the other Sealed Chamber, the Krabby inhabiting Bill's human body was peering around curiously and pawing at the glass.
Krabby: Hehe, this feels... so strange!
"Uh, the swap button is yellow. Don't press the red one, and whatever you do, don't activate the Transport System..." Bill kept fretting aloud.
"Want to do it yourself?" Gary rolled his eyes, speechless.
"Ahem... all right, I'm going in. Don't mess around, Gary." Bill sighed and crawled into the Sealed Chamber on his crab legs, looking resigned to his fate.
Gary started the system and slapped the yellow button with his right hand. "Come on out! Bill, I choose you!"
Hiss!! A huge rush of steam flooded both Sealed Chambers at once. At the same time, blue light began flowing and flashing between them.
This was Life Energy Transfer, Bill's greatest invention!
Click!! The Sealed Chambers opened again. Back in human form, Bill coughed twice and stepped out. "Uh, don't tell anyone about this, okay?"
Gary raised an eyebrow. "That depends on how you behave."
Bill looked ready to cry. "Just say it. What do you want?"
Before you continue