The Great Switch! Team Bill/Chris

"Ok Chris, I think we're on the right track! I can see the paw prints but, they stop suddenly near this large indentation. I don't know why." Bill looked around and saw a very strange sight.
"Is that a hot air balloon?! And- HEY! THAT'S MY MACHINE! GIVE IT BACK!"
"Year right! There's no way we're giving back to a bunch of twoips like you!" The meowth yelled down from his hot air balloon accompanied by an arbok and a wheezing.
"There was a wheezing too! Shoot! This isn't good. They have the machine and Max is with Xavier, so we can't reach theballoon. Unless. Yeah! That might work! Hey Bill, I'll use rock throw, then you head butt the rock! That might give it enough of a boost to launch it right to that balloon!
"Or prepare to fight!" The wheezing exclaimed with smog coming out of it's mouths.
"Meowth that's ri-Hey what's that coming towards us?"
POP! A direct hit! The rock piervced through the giant hot air balloon, sending the 3 plummeting down, along with the machine. "
"no no no!!!! The machine! It'll break!" Bill screamed in terror.
Luckily, the balloon was caught in a tree branch, which caused the balloon to lose momentum. Unfortunately, the branch was severly weakened and could barely withstand any more force, which caused it to break a few sconds later, sending the trio and machine falling to the ground.
"Oh please be ok! Please be ok!"
Bill looked at the machine and heaved a heavy sigh.

Is the machine broken?! If it is, can Bill fix it?!
But the more pressing issue is, who are these three and why did they take the machine!
Chapter A is coming soon!
And check out Chapter 5B for more on Xavier and Max, also coming soon!