As Kay saw Rotom floating before him, he couldn't help but remember a familiar sight from his previous world; the talking Pokedex that had accompanied Ash on Alola Island.
That Pokedex had been possessed by a Rotom, turning it into a super-advanced device capable of interacting with its trainer.
If he could get this Rotom to enter his Pokedex, he might be able to recreate the same thing.
A Pokedex enhanced by Rotom's abilities could provide real-time battle analysis, deeper Pokémon insights, and even access to advanced technologies unknown to this world. His mind raced, quickly formulating a plan.
The only problem was how to convince Rotom to enter the Pokedex… and how to seal it inside.
Kay's eyes narrowed.
If Rotom resisted, there was only one solution; to battle it. If he could weaken Rotom, he might be able to force it into the Pokedex, hoping that his bond with the device would somehow seal Rotom inside. He took a deep breath and pointed at Rotom.
"Eevee! You're up! Face that Rotom!"
Eevee's ears perked up, and it leaped forward, ready to fight. But Rotom didn't engage. Instead, it let out a mischievous giggle and suddenly darted away, flying straight into the thick web of wires running along the ceiling.
Eevee's paws skidded to a stop, and it looked up, confused. Rotom was nowhere to be seen.
Kay's heart sank. 'No…' This was the last thing he wanted. Rotom, now inside the electrical system, zipped through the tangled cables, its movement so fast that it left behind nothing but faint sparks and the occasional ripple in the wires. It was impossible to follow its exact location. Eevee glanced at Kay, uncertain.
Kay clenched his fist. 'Damn it!' The moment Rotom entered the wires, it became nearly impossible to catch.
Rotom was already tricky to deal with, but a Rotom moving inside electricity itself. That was another level of difficulty.
Kay ran through his options. He considered using Swift as it was Eevee's fastest move. After some moments of considering that, Kay thought that even though Swift always hit the target, it wasn't fast enough to keep up with Rotom's unpredictable movements.
Kay gritted his teeth. 'There had to be a way!'
"Eevee, use Swift! Try to track its movement!"
Eevee launched golden stars into the air, sending them toward the wires. The energy projectiles homed in on Rotom's last known location, but Rotom was too fast.
Before the stars could even reach it, the mischievous Pokémon had already zipped to another section of the ceiling.
Kay clicked his tongue in frustration. They tried again. And again. And again. But no matter how many times they attacked, they just couldn't land a hit.
Rotom was laughing.
After some moments of chasing, Rotom zipped out of the wires, floating freely, but Kay and Eevee were already exhausted from chasing it.
Eevee's breathing was labored, its fur sparking with static energy from Rotom's constant electrical attacks.
The paralysis was slowing it down. Kay knew that if this kept up, Eevee wouldn't be able to move at all.
It was hopeless.
Kay exhaled sharply, feeling frustration build in his chest. He had almost lost all hope of catching Rotom.
And then, in an instant of anger and without thinking, Kay grabbed his Pokedex, and, in a last, desperate attempt, he threw it at Rotom.
The device spun through the air, flying straight toward the floating Pokémon.
Rotom, who had easily dodged dozens of Eevee's attacks, saw it coming. With a casual, playful twirl, it shifted to the side, easily dodging the Pokedex.
The device slammed against the hard wall behind Rotom, bouncing off and crashing onto the floor.
Kay froze.
He hadn't even meant to throw it; he had acted purely on impulse. 'What the hell was I thinking?'
He cursed under his breath. 'That was stupid. The Pokedex wasn't a Pokeball. It wasn't meant to catch Pokémon. Throwing it in frustration wouldn't solve anything.' Kay thought after he saw his Pokedex thrown on the ground.
Kay exhaled sharply, forcing himself to calm down. The good news was that the Pokedex could be repaired.
Dungeon trainers often had accidents where their devices were damaged, and repair services were available. Still, he had to check the damage.
Kay walked over to where the Pokedex had landed. As he approached, his stomach dropped.
The screen was broken. Thin cracks ran across the surface, and small sparks of electricity flickered from the device.
Kay cursed under his breath as he crouched down, reaching for the broken Pokedex. His frustration burned even hotter when he felt a sharp sting in his palm; shattered glass from the cracked screen had cut into his skin.
Blood trickled down his fingers, but he didn't care. Right now, he was more pissed off at himself than worried about a minor wound.
It was just a damn device, yet it felt like everything had gone wrong since stepping into this hidden part of the dungeon.
First, Rotom had mocked him, escaping into the wires faster than he could react. Then, despite his best efforts, Eevee had been unable to keep up, exhausted and paralyzed from chasing after the mischievous ghost.
And now, when he thought he could at least salvage the Pokedex, it was shattered and useless.
Without hesitation, he extended his hand again to grab the Pokedex, determined to salvage whatever was left of it.
But just as his fingers brushed against the cold, broken screen, a sudden flash of orange light zipped past his shoulder.
It was so fast that his eyes barely registered the movement before a sharp crackle filled the air.
ZAP!
An electric spark shot through the air, colliding with the Pokedex at the exact same moment Kay's hand touched it.
His entire body jerked violently as an unfamiliar sensation coursed through him. His fingers curled involuntarily, and a searing heat rushed up his arm, spreading like wildfire through his veins.
His breath hitched, his vision blurred, and for a brief moment, he thought Rotom had launched a surprise attack to finish him off.
The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced; it was sharp and relentless, like thousands of tiny needles stabbing into his nerves.
His heartbeat pounded in his ears, an erratic, frantic rhythm. His muscles tensed, his breath came out in ragged gasps, and his legs trembled beneath him.
Every instinct screamed at him to let go, to break contact, to move away. But he couldn't. His body wouldn't listen.
Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the pain vanished.
The searing heat faded into nothingness, leaving behind a numb, almost hollow feeling. Kay gasped for air, blinking rapidly as his vision started to steady.
His hands were trembling, and his entire body felt strange, like it didn't belong to him anymore.
But before he could even attempt to make sense of what had just happened, a faint crackling sound echoed in his head, like a tiny spark of electricity flickering inside his skull.
His limbs grew heavy, his thoughts sluggish. His eyelids drooped, his consciousness slipping. He barely had time to register what was happening before his entire body gave out.
Then he collapsed.
Neither Kay nor Rotom had realized that when they both touched the broken Pokedex simultaneously, something entirely unexpected had occurred.
Rotom, ever the mischievous and unpredictable trickster, had initially only been interested in feasting on the strange electricity leaking from the shattered device.
The energy it sensed was different, unlike any other current it had encountered before. It wasn't just ordinary electricity; it had a unique pulse, an unusual frequency, something foreign yet tantalizing.
Rotom had been drawn to it instantly, seeing it as a rare delicacy, something it couldn't resist.
Instinct took over, and in the blink of an eye, it lunged forward, intending to absorb the energy. But the moment it made contact, everything changed.
Instead of simply absorbing the energy, Rotom was forcefully pulled into the current, sucked in against its will.
The broken Pokedex, instead of acting as a mere energy source, became an unexpected bridge between the Pokémon and the human who had touched it at the exact same moment.
And because Kay's hand had been cut, leaving an open wound, Rotom was driven inside Kay's body through the bloodstream.
Electricity flooded his veins, traveling through his body like a living current, moving with terrifying speed until it reached Kay's nervous system.
Kay's body twitched uncontrollably, his mind trapped in an endless storm of crackling energy. His thoughts scattered, his consciousness flickered like a lightbulb on the verge of burning out.
See you in the next chapter...
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