Chapter 29: Maybe I Should Just Try Body Snatching After All?
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
Chapter 29: Maybe I Should Just Try Body Snatching After All?
Today, Ash and his two companions arrived at a beach.
Vermilion City is a port city surrounded by the Ocean.
Although there was still some distance to go, this area could, strictly speaking, be considered the outskirts of Vermilion City.
However, as evening was approaching, Ash's group planned to first seek lodging for the night at the solitary Lighthouse by the Beach Cliff.
"Look, a Pokemon!"
On the Beach, a crab waving large pincers crawled toward the three of them.
It wasn't large, only about the size of two palms, and it scuttled sideways on the sand, waving its large pincers quite arrogantly.
"Pokedex Beep. Mitten Crab, the Crab Pokémon. Its red shell indicates that it is cooked. Delicious."
"Trivia: This is the season when the Crab Roe is at its richest."
The Pokedex automatically reported.
"What are you talking about? That's obviously a Krabby, a Water Type Pokemon! I don't care, I'm going to catch it!"
As a Water Type Trainer, Misty immediately retorted and moved to raise her Poké Ball, but Ash cut her off.
"Wait, Misty! This crab is red, which goes against your Blue Will. You should let me have it!"
He argued with sound logic.
Misty: "?"
She was speechless.
After a flurry of moves from Ash, he managed to catch the Krabby with his bare hands before Pikachu even had a chance to act.
Not counting Red's old-timer Pikachu, he could now be considered a Trainer who officially owned more than six Pokemon.
Like a normal person.
"Let's go, let's go! Let's have a good meal in the Lighthouse tonight to celebrate! I'm one step closer to becoming a Pokémon Master~~!"
With a joyful expression, Ash pushed the other two toward the Lighthouse.
On the huge metal door of the Lighthouse, a large, ancient mural was carved.
Various abstract-style Pokemon patterns were inlaid in square tiles, looking quite ancient at a glance.
"Pika."
Pikachu pointed to one of the Electric Mouse patterns. It was drawn in an extremely abstract and plump style, round and chubby, which secretly boosted its confidence.
It wasn't fat yet.
Slightly chubby at most.
Screech!
Just then, the Lighthouse door suddenly creaked open.
To Ash and the others' surprise, they had originally thought the inside of the Lighthouse would be a simple, dilapidated little house.
They never expected to find red carpets, silk cloths, and quaint, elegant decorative walls, as if it were the castle of some landlord's princely son.
And at the end of the main path was a High Platform with stairs.
At this moment, a huge figure was standing on it.
Its front was a pitch-black belly with several hooked claws.
Its back, however, was an oval, amber-colored shell, making it look like some kind of giant reptile and appear extremely dangerous.
"A Kabuto!?"
Brock was so frightened his eyes narrowed into slits.
As the Gym Trainer of Pewter City, he had some understanding of Fossil Pokemon like Kabuto.
"So this is a Kabuto? It's huge!?"
Seeing this, Ash showed no fear and instead grew excited.
He hadn't expected a Kabuto's physique to be a whole head taller than him.
After all, for a guy, size is what matters most!
He still had a Dome Fossil in his bag; who knew when it might hatch from its shell.
"Can mine get this big too?"
He was full of anticipation.
Suddenly, the giant Kabuto on the High Platform trembled.
From within its dark body, a human voice emerged. It sounded like a young man.
"Um, I'm not a Kabuto. Young man, come up and feel my pecs."
Ash, not suspecting a thing, boldly went up and gave it a tug.
As if he had pulled some kind of trigger, the Kabuto let out a "poof" of White Smoke (Ability), and its shell split in half down the middle and fell away.
Finally, a human figure stepped out from within.
"Sorry about that. Once you get into this thing, it's hard to get out. I thought I was going to be stuck in there for another night..."
A man appeared, rubbing his head.
He was a man who looked to be 17 or 18 years old, with pale skin, fluffy, slightly curly hair, a straightforward tone, and a handsome face.
But his hairline was showing ominous signs of receding.
"Haha, hello everyone. I'm Bill, a Pokemon Researcher."
The three of them hurriedly greeted him in return.
"Oh, you're from Pallet Town! Then you must know Professor Oak. I'm practically half a student of his."
As he said this, a trace of nostalgia appeared on Bill's face.
It seemed he was reminiscing about the good old days when he and Professor Oak discussed academics together.
"That was also the season when the Crab Roe was at its richest. I remember back when we set up a hotpot in Pallet Town..."
He licked his lips, his gaze becoming distant.
Ash and the others: "?"
Something's not right with this logic, is it?!
"By the way, Mr. Bill, why were you wearing a Kabuto costume?"
Ash quickly interjected to change the subject.
Seeing that drooling expression, he was a little afraid this weirdo could smell the Krabby he had just caught, right through its Poké Ball.
Hearing this, Bill's gaze suddenly turned stern, as if he had become a different person.
He gently stroked the Kabuto suit behind him with an emotional expression.
"I'm experiencing the inner thoughts of Pokemon, feeling their true world."
"Have you ever considered that Pokemon and we humans are actually no different? Humans have all sorts of thoughts, so what about Pokemon? It's even possible that humans are just a type of Pokemon, with no difference between the two."
"If you're going to pursue inspiration and seek stimulation, you must see it through to the end."
The trio: "?"
Seeing the baffled looks on their faces, Bill suddenly threw out a question.
"What is the difference between humans and Pokemon?"
Ash looked at Pikachu and answered subconsciously:
"Humans know how to consciously control their weight."
Pikachu: "?"
"Ahem, think about it. Pokemon use all sorts of Moves, while humans aren't so flashy. We've given up on those fancy, varied Moves, but we've actually retained a single one: the Move of 'coordinating with a Pokemon's Move.' When you think about it that way, isn't there some similarity?"
Hearing this, the three of them nodded.
"What you said does seem to make a bit of sense."
Just like some Pokemon, who can only use a single Move.
"That's why I am here, undergoing training to comprehend the hearts of Pokemon, attempting to understand their true world."
Bill abruptly spread his arms as if singing a hymn to science, which made the three of them frown.
Can you really feel a Pokemon's thoughts just by wearing a Pokemon costume? That's... quite an understanding...
Is this what a Pokemon Researcher is like? This is really something...
Truly grand.
"Ash, ask him a question for me."
Suddenly, Red's voice rang out in his mind, his tone carrying a rare urgency.
This piqued Ash's interest, and he couldn't help but ask in return:
"Red, haven't you already ascended?"
Red: "..."
Back to the topic.
It turned out Red had recalled that in the previous video game world, he had also met a man named Bill who was also eager to understand the thoughts of Pokemon.
However, that Bill was clearly far more fanatical than the one before him.
He had even gone so far as to completely merge himself with a Pokemon, pouring his thoughts and soul entirely into a Clefairy, unable to separate from it.
It was only when he happened to pass by that he was able to undo the fusion between Bill and the Clefairy.
But that wasn't the point.
The point was that the person before him possessed the Black Technology to transfer a human soul into a Pokemon's body!
This was what Red currently needed most urgently.
"Red's business is my business!"
Ash slapped his chest and immediately agreed.
"Then... thank you."
Although Red was embarrassed, he still lowered his head slightly and thanked him, his face flushing red.
He had to yield to the circumstances.
He couldn't remember the last time he had said the words "thank you" to someone.
"Aw, what're you thanking me for? Krabby."
Ash replied nonchalantly.
Red: "..."
Maybe I should just try Body Snatching after all...?
In reality, Ash was multitasking. He looked up and asked:
"Um, sorry to interrupt, Mr. Bill, but I have a friend who wants to ask you a question."
The other three looked left and right, wondering where this friend from The Void had come from.
"It's... do you know about any technology that can transfer a human's soul into a Pokemon's body?"
Upon hearing this, Bill's body shuddered and his pupils contracted. He once again became incredibly serious.
For the first time, he even began to study Ash intently.
An unremarkable country youth.
Strange... transferring a human's soul into a Pokemon's body to achieve the highest realm of soul fusion...
This was actually an idea Bill had come up with when he was very young, but he had never told anyone about it.
He hadn't even mentioned it to his eating buddy, Professor Oak!
How did this youth find out?
"This friend you're talking about... it couldn't be you, could it?"
He asked tentatively.
Ash waved his hands frantically.
"It's not me, not me! It's just... that kind of really rare friend, you know? How should I put it..."
"Sort of half-dead?"
The trio: "?"
Red: "?"