Bill
- This article is about the Pokémon Researcher. For the English voice actors, see Bill Rogers, Billy Regan or Billy Beach. For the Trainer/Supporter card in the Pokémon Trading Card Game, see Bill (Base Set 91).
| Bill ソネザキマサキ Masaki Sonezaki | |
| File:Bill.png Art from FireRed and LeafGreen | |
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Birthday | December 31st |
| Eye color | Brown* Black* |
| Hair color | Brown* Green* |
| Hometown | Goldenrod City |
| Region | Johto |
| Relatives | Mother, Sister, Grandpa |
| Trainer class | Poké Maniac, Storage system developer |
| Generation | I, II, III, IV |
| Games | Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, FireRed, LeafGreen, HeartGold, SoulSilver |
| Anime debut | Mystery at the Lighthouse |
| English voice actor | Maddie Blaustein |
| Japanese voice actor | Masaya Onosaka |
Bill (Japanese: ソネザキマサキ Masaki Sonezaki) is a Pokémon 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 Route 25. He is most notable for his first appearance in the Generation I games Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow versions and for his Pokémon storage system that has been pertinent in the entire main series.
In the games
Bill is the talented and famous inventor. He 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 Abra; however, his favorite Pokémon are Eevee and its evolutions. Bill also gives a free Eevee to Ethan/Kris/Lyra in Generation II and its remakes and another one to Bebe in Generation IV, which is later given to Lucas/Dawn.
Bill also has several friends that share his interests in computer technology. One of them is Celio, his old friend from One Island in the Sevii Islands. He is also close with Lanette and Bebe, the storage system developers of Hoenn and Sinnoh, respectively.
Bill also has some fans, like PokéManiac 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. 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. In Fuchsia City live his adult sister and grandpa, who in Generation II 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 Kansai Dialect like most Goldenrod City natives.
Generation I
In Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, Bill can be found at the Cerulean Cape, initially performing an experiment on Pokémon teleportation. However, Bill accidentally becomes combined with the body of a Clefairy and requires the player's help to fix the problem. 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. If the player exits Bill's house and goes back in, they can check his computer for information on Eevee and its three stone evolutions, his favorite Pokémon.
Generation II
In Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, 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 Eevee. His sister will give the player Bill's number so they can check the storage system.
Generation III
Hoenn
While visiting Lanette in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, players can check one of her computers to find an E-mail from Bill. The English translation of the E-mail makes it seem as if Bill is crediting Lanette for upgrading his system, whereas the Japanese text clearly establishes that he and Lanette are co-developers of the original system.
English Letter:
- "... ... ... ... ... ... ...
- Your storage system
- offers more convenience than mine.
- It has a lot of user friendly features that
- make it fun and useful too. It makes me
- proud that I played a part in its development.
- Here's hoping that you'll continue
- research in Storage Systems.
- From Bill
- ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..."
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 Knot Island, he introduces the player to Celio.
Fame Checker
This is a list of the Fame Checker's information on Bill in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen.
- 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 — Little Boy
- Favorite kind of Pokémon?
- "Bill has lots of Pokémon! He collects rare ones, too!"
- Fuchsia City — Bill's grandfather
- What is this person like?
- "He's my grandson! He always liked collecting things, even as a child!"
- One Island — Celio
- Favorite kind of Pokémon?
- ""Bill is a Pokémaniac, so he likes every kind. Apparently, the first one he caught was an Abra."
- One Island — Celio
- Family and friends?
- "Bill's hometown is Goldenrod City, where his folks still live. I've heard it's quite the festive, bustling city."
- One Island — Celio
- There's a rumor…
- "Apparently, Bill can't stomach milk at all."
- Message from Bill
- From: Bill
- To: player
- "Hey, there! Celio had nothing but praise for you. Hearing that makes me happy. When you catch some rare Pokémon, come show me, okay? Promise!"
Generation IV
Sinnoh
In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, 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 Eevee, Bebe refers to Bill as a friend from Johto to whom the Eevee previously belonged.
Johto and Kanto
Bill appears in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver in the same capacity as he did in Generation II. He will give the player an Eevee if he is visited at his parents' house in Goldenrod.
In the anime
Ash, Misty, and Brock met Bill at his lighthouse in Mystery at the Lighthouse.
Bill had previously been trapped in a Kabuto 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 mysterious Pokémon whose cry can be heard across the sea.
Pokémon
Studied
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| As Bill was reminiscing, the same sound from his memory was heard and a large figure appeared, rising from the ocean. As it came closer, it was revealed to be the outline of a Dragonite. As it came closer to the lighthouse, Team Rocket was shown scaling the cliff, and upon seeing the giant Dragonite, they began launching a barrage of missiles at it. This angered Dragonite, and it smashed the top of the lighthouse and began to walk away. Bill called out at it to stay, but to no avail.
In the morning, Bill seemed to be at peace with the fact that he didn't get to learn more about the Pokémon and was simply grateful he got to see it at all. With another life lesson from Bill, the heroes said goodbye and continued on their journey. | ||
| Debut | Mystery at the Lighthouse | |
|---|---|---|
Voice actors
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In the TCG
This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Bill or his Pokémon in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
| Name | Type | Level | Rarity | Set | Set no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill | T/Su | – |  |
Base Set | 91/102 |
| Base Set 2 | 118/130 | ||||
| Legendary Collection | 108/110 | ||||
| -- | "P" Promotional cards (no English release) | 009/P | |||
 |
HeartGold Collection | 069/070 | |||
| Bill's Teleporter | T | – | |
Neo Genesis | 91/111 |
| Mail from Bill | T | – | |
Neo Destiny | 105/105 |
| Bill's Maintenance | T | – | |
Expedition Base Set | 137/165 |
| EX FireRed & LeafGreen | 87/112 | ||||
| EX Crystal Guardians | 71/100 | ||||
| POP Series 5 | 6/17 | ||||
| Bill's PC | T | -- | -- | Vending Machine cards | S3 |
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 manga, Clefairy Tale. He works with Professor Oak researching a colony of Clefairy at Mt. Moon. He was the one to discover the colony of Clefairy and has befriended many of them. Together with Professor Oak and Ash, 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 hated school and wanted to take a leave of abscence, but as time went on, he discovered that he deeply cared for his Pokémon. He decided to become a Pokémon researcher after witnessing his Ivysaur evolving into Venusaur.
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 Dratini from an angry crowd and it lives with him for a couple of days, until its father, an angry Dragonite, begins to go on a rampage. Dratini returns home, promising to always be friends with Bill.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
- Main article: Bill (Adventures)
Bill has been dragged into all sorts of misadventures in almost every chapter ever since the Red, Green & Blue arc when he is turned into a mutated Rattata by his experiments and snatched up by a Fearow in ...But Fearow Itself!. In this same chapter, Bill offers to help Red with his Pokémon's storage problems, making allusion to his Pokémon storage system. His other exploits including helping Red find and capture an Eevee that had escaped from Team Rocket, facing Lorelei in combat with Yellow, fighting alongside Lt. Surge against Bruno on Cerise Island, and being attacked by a group of playful Staryu after meeting Crystal.
In the Yellow arc, after Yellow's battle with Lorelei, Green visited him and requested to use his storage system. When he refuses, she ties him up and says it was to see Red's Pokémon, and that without Pika, Red would have an extra slot on his team which he would want to fill. After letting her check, they realize that Red did take out a Pokémon: Vee. Before they can learn where though, Bruno's Hitmonlee burst through the lab and destroyed the transporter. Green then took Bill along with her, saying that he knew too much and would must likely be the Elite Four's next target.
Bill not only designed the Pokémon storage system, he also maintains it from his home. He is the one who repairs it after the Masked Man's Team Rocket sabotaged it, allowing Trainers from all over to send their Pokémon to aid Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver and Crystal in their battle against Ho-Oh and Lugia. He also creates a portable Pokémon Transfer system using a Pokégear and a Pokédex, allowing Crystal to send Professor Oak the Pokémon she captured while the system is down. During the FireRed and LeafGreen arc, he plays an integral role in stopping Team Rocket.
At the end of Volume 15, he is showed working with Daisy Oak, and they seem to be getting along well, hinting at a possible relationship between the two, although there is never any solid evidence provided.
His Pokémon include Vulpix (which he keeps as a guard "fox"), Magikarp, Exeggcute (which evolved into Exeggutor during the chapters taking place in the Sevii Islands) and Farfetch'd. In the Japanese version, Bill speaks with an Osaka accent. However, an Osaka accent is impossible to render in English; he instead speaks with a very thick Southern or Texan accent, which is commonly used when translating manga and anime due to the similarity in perception of the two accents in the two cultures. His accent was actually so thick as to be unintelligible to some characters within the manga, which provided a source of humor at times. When Bill reappears during the FireRed and LeafGreen arc, his accent is less noticeable.
He is said to be the creator of the Vs. Seeker.
Pokémon
The following is a list of his known Pokémon in the Pokémon Adventures manga:
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| Vulpix acts as the "watch fox" of Bill's Sea Cottage, where he keeps all the data of the Pokémon Transfer System. It was first sent out when Green broke into his place in order to get data on the then missing Red. Later, on Cerise Island, Bill used it to fight against Bruno. It also helped him fix the Pokémon Transporter when it had broken down during the Masked Man incident.
Vulpix's only known move is Flamethrower. | ||
| Debut | Hitmonlee, Baby! (One More Time) | |
|---|---|---|
| Bill's Magikarp | ||
| Magikarp was called out by Bill when he was falling into a pond full of Victreebel slobber, which is made of acid. It saved its owner's life by using Splash. | ||
| Debut | Make Way For Magikarp | |
|---|---|---|
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| Exeggcute was first seen when it was called out to attack Bruno and his Machamp alongside Lt. Surge's Electrode. It used Egg Bomb and Barrage for Electrode to detonate them for an explosion. Years later, it appeared in the Sevii Islands in the evolved form of Exeggutor. There, it mistaken as a wild Pokémon by Red and Blue until they were corrected by Bill. | ||
| Debut | Electrode's Big Shock! | |
|---|---|---|
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| Farfetch'd seems to be used the most of all of Bill's Pokémon. It provides the man with aerial transportation and also acts as a messenger on occasion. However, it isn't used in battle and, as such, no attacking moves are known. | ||
| Debut | VS. Flaaffy | |
|---|---|---|
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 Gold and Whitney all the folklore of Ecruteak City, including the legends of Ho-Oh, 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 Grey and the other Rockets, he loans his Espeon and Umbreon to Gold and Black.
Pokémon
This listing is for Bill's Pokémon in the Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga.
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| Espeon was one of the Pokémon that was immune to the radio waves caused by Team Rocket. It was given to Gold in order for the time being to stop them. | ||
| Debut | Gold and Black VS Team Rocket | |
|---|---|---|
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| When Team Rocket were controlling Pokémon using the radio waves, Bill had an Umbreon that was immune to the effect. In order for Black to defeat Team Rocket, he was given Umbreon temporarily. | ||
| Debut | Gold and Black VS Team Rocket | |
|---|---|---|
Trivia
- Bill is the only male character in charge of a PC storage system, running that of the players of Kanto and Johto games. The characters in charge of the storage systems in the other four regions are all female.
- Bill being mixed with a Pokémon during a teleportation experiment seems to be a direct reference to the movie The Fly, where a scientist experimenting with teleportation pods ends up combined with a fly.
- In the anime, Mewtwo is shown on his lighthouse, which may indicate he knows of its creation.
- 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 is both back at his home on Route 25 and on Cinnabar Island at the same time.
- In the anime, Bill has green hair, and appears to be wearing formal clothing.
- Many rumors sprouted up during the time of Generation I where if the player could travel to the gap which appeared at the back of Bill's House, they would encounter Mew. This proved to be false and to stop further rumors, the gap was removed in the Generation III remakes.
- In Generation II and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, a fan of Bill's named Brent will reveal trivia about Bill via the Pokégear. The information shared includes the fact that Bill's younger sister can't wink, his mother used to be a Kimono Girl, that Bill is lactose intolerant (also claimed by Celio in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen), he isn't very good at Pokémon battles, and that Bill is attracted to the Goldenrod Flower Shop owner's daughter.
- According to Pokémon Adventures, Bill's birthday is December 31st and his blood type is O.
- In the anime, Bill is portrayed as having a British accent, while in the Pokémon Adventures manga, he is portrayed as having a southern American accent.
- The Pokémon Bill is mixed with is different in each canon: in the games, he is mixed with a Clefairy, in the Pokémon Adventures manga he is mixed with a Rattata, and in the anime he is trapped in a Kabuto costume.
Name origin
Bill's name may come from Bill Gates, former head of Microsoft, and developer of the Microsoft Windows operating system for PCs. His Japanese name, Masaki, means Japanese Spindle. It is also similar to みさき misaki, meaning cape, where he lives.
Names
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ソネザキマサキ Masaki Sonezaki | See above. |
| English, German | Bill | See above. |
| French | Léo | |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 正輝/正辉 Zhènghuī | From the name 正輝 Masaki. 輝/辉 also means radiance, possibly referencing his lighthouse. |
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This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games. |