Bill
- This article is about the Pokémon researcher. For the English voice actors, see Bill Rogers, Billy Regan, Billy Beach, or Billy Kametz.
| Bill ソネザキマサキ Masaki Sonezaki | |
 Art from FireRed and LeafGreen by Ken Sugimori[1] | |
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Birthday | December 31st* |
| Eye color | Brown*, Black* |
| Hair color | Brown*, Green* |
| Hometown | Goldenrod City |
| Region | Kanto, Johto |
| Relatives | Unnamed mother, father, two sisters, nephew, grandfather, wife* |
| Generation | I, II, III, IV, VII |
| Games | Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, FireRed, LeafGreen, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Let's Go, Pikachu!, Let's Go, Eevee! |
| Anime debut | Mystery at the Lighthouse |
| English voice actor | Maddie Blaustein[note 1] |
| Japanese voice actor | Masaya Onosaka |
| Manga counterpart(s) | Bill |
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 and for his Pokémon Storage System that has been pertinent in the entire main series.
In the core series games
Character profile
Bill is a talented and famous inventor, who invented the original Pokémon Storage System and Time Capsule. People, including himself, call him a Poké Maniac/Pokémon fanaticPE (Japanese: ポケモンマニア Pokémon Maniac) 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 has given out Eevee to the player in Generation II and its remakes, and another one to Bebe in Generation IV, which is later given to the player in the Sinnoh games.
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. He is stated to have requested Cassius control the Storage System of Kalos in Generation VI.
Bill also has some fans, like Poké Maniac Brent of Johto 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 Kansai dialect, like most Goldenrod City residents.
In the Kanto-based games
In Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, 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 Pokémon and requires the player's help to fix the problem. In Pokémon Yellow, the player's Pikachu 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 Eevee and its three stone evolutions, his favorite Pokémon.
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.
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.
In the Johto-based games
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. In Pokémon Crystal, his father is introduced as the Move Tutor, a deadbeat former Poké Maniac who spends his time gambling.
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.
Other appearances
While visiting Lanette in Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire, 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.
| Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald | Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire |
|---|---|
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"... ... ... ... ... ... ... |
"... |
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. In Pokémon Platinum, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, these interactions were kept.
Although Bill has no physical appearance in Pokémon Sun and Moon, Lillie leaves Alola to see him to help treat her mother at the end of the games. Wicke explains that Lillie had read about Bill, who had once combined with a Pokémon, to see if they could remove the remaining neurotoxins from Lusamine's body after her fusion with Nihilego.
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!"
Pokémon
Gives away
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Status unknown
According to Celio, Bill's first Pokémon was an Abra. However, it has not been seen physically in any game to date.
None of Abra's moves are known.
In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Bill is first seen as this Clefairy. In this form, he asks the player to help him turn back to normal using his Cell Separation System. Once the player runs the program, Bill reverts to human form, though the Clefairy involved in the experiment is not seen exiting the other teleport pod. It is not known if the Clefairy is one of Bill's Pokémon or a wild Pokémon.
In Generation I, this Pokémon is represented by a generic sprite.
None of Clefairy's moves are known.
In Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Bill is first seen as this Nidorino, instead. Once the player runs the Cell Separation System, the Nidorino involved in the experiment is seen running out of the smoke. It is not known if the Nidorino is one of Bill's Pokémon or a wild Pokémon.
None of Nidorino's moves are known.
In the spin-off games
Pokémon Trading Card Game series
The Bill card is available in both Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR!. In the latter game, two new Bill-related cards are added: Bill's Teleporter (a reference to the teleporter found in Bill's home, the Sea Cottage) and Bill's PC (a reference to the Pokémon Storage System invented by Bill).
Pokémon Play It! series
In Pokémon Play It! and Pokémon Play It! Version 2, Julie mentions that Bill is her friend. She also says that Bill is a Trainer and that the Bill card was named after him.[2]
Quotes
- Main article: Bill/Quotes
In the anime
Bill's only anime appearance was in Mystery at the Lighthouse, where Ash, Misty, and Brock met him at his lighthouse on Route 25.
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.
In the English dub, Bill speaks with a posh English accent.
Pokémon
| の | This article is missing information on this character's Japanese voice actor and English voice actor. You can help by adding this information. |
Studied
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.
None of Dragonite's moves are known.
Voice actors
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In the TCG
This listing is of cards mentioning or featuring Bill or his services in the Pokémon Trading Card Game.
TCG artwork
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| Artwork of Bill performing maintenance by Ken Sugimori |
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.
The Electric Tale of Pikachu
Bill appears in 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.
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 Ivysaur evolving into Venusaur.
Bill reappears with Professor Oak in Side Story: Ash vs. Gary at a Pokémon research center.
Pokémon
How I Became a Pokémon Card
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.
Pokémon
Befriended
Pokémon Adventures
- Main article: Bill (Adventures)
Bill appears as a supporting character in Pokémon Adventures.
Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys
Bill appears in Gold and Black VS. Team Rocket, where 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.
He reappears in a flashback in Farewell To Pikachu?!.
Pokémon
This listing is for Bill's Pokémon in the Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys manga.
Espeon was one of the Pokémon that was immune to the radio waves caused by Team Rocket. It was given to Gold for the time being in order to stop Team Rocket.
Espeon's only known move is Quick Attack.
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.
None of Umbreon's moves are known.
Pokémon Pocket Monsters
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Bill and his wife were transformed into a leopard and Mew respectively from an unsuccessful experiment. 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 Red and Green were searching for. They followed her and arrived in an abandoned water mill. Bill introduced himself and explained that he created the unknown Pokémon. However, the Pokémon Bill created turned out to be just plush dolls instead of real Pokémon. Bill wanted to use Red for one of his experiments but was stopped by his wife. His wife explained the story about their transformations to the group and why she took the Moon Stone from them. Green tried to 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. Bill and his wife changed back into humans using the Moon Stone.
In Bring Down the Strongest Pokémon!!, Giovanni kidnapped Bill and his wife in order to finish creating Mewtwo since Giovanni only created the first half. Giovanni blackmailed Bill into working on creating Mewtwo. 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, Clefairy used the DNA switching machine causing Clefairy to transform into Mewtwo. Since the machine ran out of power, Red's Pikachu used his electricity to charge it up and Clefairy's DNA went to Giovanni's other Pokémon.
In Find the Legendary Pokémon!!, a Kimono Girl takes Red and his Pokémon to Bill 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.
Pokémon
Temporary
| Debut | Obtain the Moon Stone! |
|---|
- Main article: Bill's wife
Mew was the wife of Bill. She was searching for a Moon Stone in order to change herself and Bill back to humans.
Pokémon Zensho
Bill appeared in PZ04. He had gotten fused with his Nidoran♂ by accident and was briefly caught by Satoshi 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 Eevee family's data from his computer to his Pokédex, as well as giving him a ticket to the S.S. Anne.
Pokémon
| Debut | Vermilion City |
|---|
Nidoran♂ is Bill's only known Pokémon, which he accidentally got fused with during a test with his machine. Upon seeing it, Satoshi caught Nidoran♂, but later helped Bill separate from it after finding out what had happened.
None of Nidoran♂'s moves are known.
Gallery
Core series artwork
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| From Red and Green by Ken Sugimori[3] |
From Gold and Silver by Ken Sugimori[4] |
Core series game assets
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| Overworld sprite from Generation I |
Transformed sprite from Generation I |
Overworld sprite from Generation II |
Overworld sprite from Generation III |
Transformed sprite from Generation III |
Bill's Fame Checker sprite from Generation III |
Overworld sprite from Generation IV |
Other games' assets
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| Bill (GB1) | Bill (GB2) | Bill's Teleporter | Bill's PC |
Trivia
- Bill being mixed with a Pokémon during a teleportation experiment may be a reference to the movie The Fly, where a scientist experimenting with teleportation pods ends up combined with a fly.
- In the guidebook published by Media Factory titled "Pokémon Card Strategies for Adults" (大人にもわかるポケモンカード戦略), the author was named Masaki Kido (Japanese: 木戸柾紀, 木戸マサキ), sharing the same given name with Bill in Japanese and bearing a strong resemblance to each other as well. Kido's profile described himself as a computer engineer born in Masara Town on November 27, 1967 and had worked with Dr. Okido in Guren Island.
- 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 Route 25 and on Cinnabar Island at the same time.
- 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 include the fact that Bill's younger sister can't wink, Bill's first Pokémon caught was Abra, his mother used to be a Kimono Girl, 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.
- In the English dub of the anime, his Kansai dialect is portrayed as a British English accent, while in the Pokémon Adventures manga, this becomes a southern American dialect.
- 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 Clefairy, in Generation VII he is mixed with a Nidorino, in the Pokémon Adventures manga he is mixed with a Rattata, in the Pokémon Zensho manga he is mixed with a Nidoran♂, and in the anime he is trapped in a Kabuto 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 anime.
- In the iTunes description for Mystery at the Lighthouse Bill is referred to as McKenzie, which is similar to his Japanese name.
Names
Bill's surname in the Japanese version was first mentioned in "Pocket Monsters Zukan", a guidebook published by Aspect. His surname has not been revealed in the games and the anime, but it has appeared in other media such as Pocket Monsters: The Animation and Pokémon Adventures.
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ソネザキマサキ Masaki Sonezaki |
From 柾 masaki (Japanese spindle) and possibly みさき misaki (cape) His surname Sonezaki may refer to the area of Sonezaki (曾根崎) in Osaka, the city that his hometown Goldenrod City is modeled after. |
| English | Bill | Possibly from Bill Gates, former head of Microsoft and developer of the Microsoft Windows operating system for PCs |
| Masaki* | From his Japanese name | |
| German, Spanish, Italian, Indonesian | Bill | Same as his English name |
| French | Léo | Possibly from Link Everything Online |
| Korean | 이수재 Lee Sujae | From 수재 (秀才) sujae (brilliant mind) |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 曾根崎正輝 / 曾根崎正辉 Cénggēnqí Zhènghuī |
From the Japanese name 曾根崎 Sonezaki and 正輝 Masaki |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 正輝 Jingfāi | |
| Brazilian Portuguese | Bill Sonezaki | From his English name and Japanese surname |
| Thai | มาซากิ Masaki | Transcription of his Japanese name |
| Vietnamese | Sonezaki Masaki | Transcription of his Japanese name |
Poké Maniac/Pokémon fanatic
Although Bill's title as Poké Maniac (formatted as Pokémaniac prior to Generation IV) is the same as that of a Trainer class, the two terms are differentiated in Japanese, with the class being named かいじゅうマニア Monster Maniac, while Bill's title is ポケモンマニア Pokémon Maniac, which does not carry the implication of preferring Kaiju-like Pokémon that the class does.
The title has since been changed to Pokémon fanatic in the English version of Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!. However, the Japanese original, as well as most translated versions, continue to use the previous term.
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See also
Notes
References
- ↑ Bill (HeartGold & SoulSilver 89)
- ↑ From the lesson "What's a Trainer card?", found in Play It! and Play It! Version 2.
- ↑ Bill (Base Set 91)
- ↑ Bill (P Promotional cards 9) and Mail from Bill (Neo Destiny 105)
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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. |
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