Rotom and the Pokédex

Upon hearing the vendor's words, Yuga walked up to the electronic appliances and observed them carefully.

Although the potentials of these Rotom weren't great, their personalities were lively. As Yuga approached, each one controlling the possessed appliance struck poses, trying to capture his attention.

Pokémon like Rotom weren't commonly seen in the wild, making them difficult to encounter. Moreover, they possessed the typical traits of most Ghost-type Pokémon, excelling at hiding. Capturing them wasn't a simple task.

It was highly likely that these Rotom were bred by the vendor himself. Wild Rotom didn't gather in large numbers, so capturing so many at once would be impossible.

For Yuga, this was his first encounter with someone who bred Rotom.

After observing for a while, Yuga eventually chose five of the Rotom that he liked.

He was buying these Rotom to assist with household chores, so he selected ones with stable personalities, not solely based on their potential.

Even though low-potential Pokémon came at a lower price, Rotom was considered rare, leading to a slight premium. However, this additional cost wasn't significant for Yuga.

After carefully examining the five Rotom and being satisfied with his choices, Yuga frowned and asked the vendor, "Can I buy these Rotom without the appliances?"

Despite Yuga's efforts to select Rotom with stable personalities, Rotom, in general, were known for their mischievous nature. Without special training, you shouldn't expect Pokémon like Rotom to be very stable.

Hearing Yuga's words, the vendor gave him a glance and silently retrieved five Poké Balls, returning the five Rotom back inside the devices and then handed the Poké Balls to Yuga.

It was evident that the vendor had no intention of selling the appliances along with the Rotom from the start.

Yuga accepted the Poké Balls with a somewhat embarrassed expression, feeling a bit awkward.

Just as Yuga was about to leave, he suddenly noticed a small, square-shaped machine on a shelf behind the vendor.

So, he curiously pointed at the machine and asked, "Boss, what is that?"

The vendor turned and glanced at the machine behind him, then answered sparingly, "It's a Pokédex."

Yuga: ...Boss, if you keep this up, you might lose me as a customer.

However, this boss seemed to be quite knowledgeable. He managed to obtain a Pokédex, and judging by its appearance, it didn't seem like one of those cheap knock-offs.

Pokédexes distributed by the Pokémon League had special anti-counterfeit marks, and only Pokémon Professors who is appointed by the League, had the authority to grant new Trainers who has right to obtain Three starter Pokémon with a Pokédex.

Of course, there were many Trainers out there who possessed Pokédexes obtained through unofficial means, but most of them were unofficial copies and might not have complete data.

Yuga was genuinely interested in the Pokédex, so he walked over to the shelf and took a closer look.

But when he saw the price tag underneath the Pokédex, he was shocked and exclaimed, "This... this is too expensive!"

Two and a half million!

This was just a Pokédex. The most expensive unofficial versions on the market could go up to three to five thousand, and even for an official version through less reputable channels, it wouldn't cost more than three to five hundred thousand.

But two and a half million? Was there an extra zero added by mistake?

"Boss, is there any special reason for this price?" Yuga asked, bewildered by the high cost.

The vendor noticed Yuga's interest in the Pokédex and inquired, "Are you interested in buying it?"

This Pokédex was indeed a valuable item, but its high price had kept potential buyers at bay for quite some time. If he could actually sell it, the vendor would be delighted.

Yuga raised an eyebrow and responded, "Well, that depends on whether your item justifies the price."

The vendor nodded and began to explain the origin of this particular Pokédex.

It turned out that this Pokédex was a product of the Pokémon League's Pokédex Research Department, created for researching the new versions of the Pokédex.

They incorporated the Rotom abilities to possessing household appliances, and used the latest bio-mimetic materials to manufacture this unique Pokédex.

At first glance, it didn't differ much from a standard Pokédex, but it allowed Rotom to possess it and granted the Rotom the ability to speak. Once Rotom inhabited the Pokédex, it effectively became an intelligent device.

Yuga listened attentively as the vendor explained the features and capabilities of this special Rotom-possessed Pokédex.

Upon hearing this, Yuga realized that this must be the prototype of what would later become the Rotom Pokédex. As technology advanced, there might be Rotom smartphones, Rotom drones, Rotom bicycles, and more in the future.

The manufacturing process for this device went smoothly. However, as is often the case with researchers, once they embark on creating something new, they can become quite obsessed.

After the creation of the new Pokédex, they had new ideas.

If a Rotom could possess a Pokédex and become highly intelligent, what about a computer?

In fact, the current technology in the Pokémon world can already produce very advanced artificial intelligence, such as the artificial intelligence Phineas on Gillruta's Flying Fortress.

However, technology-based AI was different from biological intelligence.

The research department aimed to transform the new Pokédex into a miniature supercomputer. If successful, this small device would have exceptional processing power, and Rotom could control its operations.

However, things didn't go as smoothly as they had hoped. Even though they equipped the Pokédex with the necessary hardware and software, it still failed to operate as intended. The entire research team spent a long time troubleshooting but couldn't identify the problem.

When research hit a dead end, the project was abandoned, and the Pokédex was considered scrap. This abandoned Pokédex eventually ended up in the hands of the vendor's friend.

The vendor's friend was no ordinary individual; he happened to be a researcher who had participated in the development of man-made Pokémon like Porygon and had specialized knowledge in artificial intelligence.

Sometimes, you find experts in unexpected places.

Through a fortunate stroke of luck and his unique expertise, the vendor's friend managed to successfully modify and resurrect the Pokédex.

In theory, such a specialized Rotom-possessed Pokédex would be worth not just two and a half million but possibly much more. However, since the vendor had acquired it without spending any money, he didn't set an extremely high price.

But to those who didn't understand the story behind it, two and a half million indeed seemed like an exorbitant sum. A Pokédex that could be purchased for tens of thousands made people question why they would spend millions.

As a result, the Pokédex had remained unsold for a long time. Was this an unexpected find?

After listening to the vendor's explanation, Yuga was taken aback and asked, "You mean, it's for sale?"

Seeing Yuga's surprised reaction, the vendor furrowed his brow and inquired, "So, do you want to buy it?"

Yuga hastily replied, "Of course, I want to buy it!"

This Pokédex would be perfect for assisting the Malamar in their researches. And if he could find a suitable Rotom to work with it, it might even replace Malamar as the new star of the laboratory.

Upon hearing that Yuga wanted to purchase the Pokédex, the vendor's slightly furrowed brow relaxed a bit. After explaining everything at length, if Yuga hadn't shown any intention to buy, the vendor might have been quite upset.

Holding the compact Pokédex in his hand, Yuga lowered his head in thought: This excellent Pokédex must have a Rotom of equal standing to go with it.

With that in mind, Yuga asked the vendor, "Do you have any Rotom with above-average potential?"

Ideally, Yuga wanted a Rotom with a green attribute or higher, as he could use an attribute-boosting item to improve a yellow-attribute Rotom later.

Upon hearing Yuga's request, the vendor scrutinized Yuga for a moment. He did indeed have a high potential Rotom, but he hadn't initially intended to sell it. However...

"You want one?" the vendor asked.

Yuga thought: Of course, I do! Why ask if I don't want it?

But he replied politely, "Yes, I'm interested."

The vendor hesitated for a moment before responding, "I'd like some Ghost Gems in exchange."

Ghost Gems were always a valuable commodity, and the vendor was unsure if Yuga had any to trade. So, he was little hesitant.

When Yuga heard this, he suddenly realized that he wanted the ghost gem! It seems that he is still a Ghost-type trainer. There are not many trainers who are good at Ghost-type Pokémon. Hedidn't expect to meet one here today.

In fact, what Yuga didn't know was that the vendor came from the same family as Bridges, who is renowned for generations for breeding Ghost-type Pokémon.

However, after Bridges was arrested, other members of the family were also implicated, and the people of the clan were distraught, and now they are basically gone in name only.

Although the family had begun declining long before Bridges's arrest, they managed to maintain a bit of their reputation thanks to Bridges. However, with Bridges's fall from grace, they have naturally become a lost dog, and everyone wants to step on them.

Fortunately, this vendor was from a distant branch of the family and hadn't received many benefits during the family's heyday, nor did he face much scrutiny when the family fell from grace.

Moreover, he had long stopped being involved in the Pokémon League, unlike Bridges's granddaughter, Kristia. Although she still working within the League, she was discriminated everywhere because of her grandfather's actions.

Yuga responded, "Let me take a look at your Pokémon first, and then I'll decide whether to trade with Ghost Gems."

Yuga had plenty of Ghost Gems, so it depended on whether the Rotom the vendor had to offer met his standards.

Really have?

Hearing Yuga's answer, the vendor's previously stern expression finally showed a glimmer of joy. He nodded and led Yuga to a corner. From his pocket, he took out a Poké Ball.

With a satisfying click, the Poké Ball opened, and a much smaller Rotom than usual floated before Yuga.

...

Rotom

Type: Electric, Ghost

Ability: Levitate

Potential: Blue

Level: 18

Moves: Discharge, Nasty Plot, Thunder Wave, Astonish

...

This was indeed a Rotom with excellent potential, and it appeared quite young, likely newly born.

The vendor asked, "What do you think?"

To be honest, the vendor didn't really want to part with this Rotom. However, due to financial difficulties and an urgent need for Ghost Gems, he reluctantly decided to let go of this high potential Rotom.

Yuga nodded with satisfaction and said, "Good, it's indeed a fine Rotom." Just by looking at it, he could tell that this Rotom had been well cared for.

"How about we meet at the Pokémon Center after this trade fair ends? We can thoroughly examine this Rotom's potential there," Yuga suggested.

Yuga couldn't admit he had already assessed the Rotom's potential, nor could he reveal that he had Ghost Gems with him. Therefore, he suggested further discussions at the Pokémon Center once the trade fair concluded.

The vendor had agreed to meet Yuga at the Pokémon Center after the trade fair ended. After exchanging contact information, Yuga left the booth.

Just then, Roxanne and Lila finished their shopping and joined him.

Seeing Roxanne's joyful expression, Yuga asked with curiosity, "What did you buy that has you so happy?"

Roxanne proudly retrieved a fossil from her bag around her waist and said, "I got lucky and found a Jaw Fossil! They say it can be revived into a Tyrunt!"

As a Rock-type Pokémon trainer, the prospect of reviving a Tyrunt from a fossil had a great appeal to Roxanne, so it was no wonder she was so delighted.

"By the way, what did you buy?" Roxanne asked as an afterthought.

"I just bought a Pokédex," Yuga replied.

Although Roxanne didn't understand why Yuga wanted a Pokédex, she didn't press the matter.

The three of them continued their conversation while exploring the trade fair. Just then, they heard a commotion up ahead and found that Yuichii was arguing heatedly with a vendor.

Curious, they joined the onlookers and learned about the cause of the dispute.

Ita turn out, Yuichii had purchased what the vendor claimed was a Budew Pokémon Egg with a greenish appearance.

Yuichii had bought the egg and hadn't walked far when the egg hatched, but the one who hatch it turn out not a Budew, not even a Grass-type Pokémon. Instead, it was just an ordinary Burmy.

Considering Yuichii's aspiration to become a Grass-type Pokémon trainer after being declined by Mr. Kuni'o, he had dedicated years to raising Grass-type Pokémon. Being deceived with an ordinary Bug-type Pokémon was unacceptable to him.

A common Burmy was nowhere near the value of a Budew.

The vendor hadn't anticipated the egg hatching so quickly, but it was impossible for him to admit it. Otherwise, his reputation would be tarnished, and his business would suffer.

So, he staunchly denied that the Burmy Yuichii brought was hatched from the Pokémon egg he sold, suggesting Yuichii was trying to extort him.

Both of them had their stories, and they were locked in a heated argument. And the onlookers were enjoying the spectacle.

Upon understanding the cause of the matter, Yuga couldn't help but feel astonished. He had thought Yuichii was an academically elite trainer, but he didn't expect that he was a sand sculpture. He couldn't even tell the difference between Burmy and Budew Pokémon egg.

However, Yuga wondered where Principal Amuro was at this moment?

Normally, if Principal Amuro were here, he wouldn't allow Yuichii to bear this injustice. While watching the dispute, Yuga pondered this question.