February 12th, Friday, New Year's Eve.
Two days had passed since Rotom joined the team.
As a professional data analyst and training assistant,
Rotom had integrated into the team effortlessly.
Of course...when it came to property damage, Rotom was no slouch either.
Natsume sighed deeply.
Raising Pokémon at home truly was a bittersweet experience.
Under Gengar's senior guidance, Rotom had begun mastering its move "Charge Beam."
Though Natsume found it strange that his phone wouldn't charge properly these past two days.
This morning, after leaving it charging all night, the battery indicator still showed red.
Resigned, Natsume placed the phone back on the nightstand and called out:
"Rotom, hit it with Charge Beam!"
"Roger that, Rotom~!" The Pokémon floated to the phone, extending a data cable from its Pokédex form that easily connected to the charging port.
Natsume blinked in surprise.
Since when did Rotom Pokédex come with built-in cables?
This is even fancier than Alola's Charjabug!
Pale blue electricity crackled across Rotom's form.
The phone vibrated violently as its battery percentage visibly climbed, reaching 100% in seconds.
Retracting its cable, Rotom gave a mechanical salute. "Any other requests, Rotom~!"
Natsume stared blankly at the scene.
His phone had actually survived...
Wait, why did this feel so familiar?
Scratching his chin, a lightbulb went off in his head.
"Little Rotom, play some music?"
"Affirmative! Replaying last night's Gengar recording!"
Rotom swiped its screen, opening a playback app without hesitation.
Natsume's expression changed instantly: "Cancel that! Definitely not that recording!"
Starting the day with Perish Song was too extreme even for an alarm!
Rotom blinked its digital eyes. "Awaiting next command, Rotom~!"
As a Ghost-type, Rotom shared Gengar's mischievous tendencies.
Though Natsume suspected Rotom genuinely didn't understand the issue here...
"Open the windows."
Leaning against the headboard, Natsume smiled. "I'll walk Arcanine while we air out the place."
"On it, Rotom~!"
Electronic curtains drew back as the window slid open, letting in a chilly gust.
"Gengar!" The ghost sneezed, clutching its blanket tighter before scratching its head in confusion.
Natsume froze mid-stretch.
Ghosts could sneeze?
But on second thought, Ice type Cubchoo will get a snot or even a cold.
Considering their intense training regimen, his Pokémon deserved some extra care...
"Let's prepare something special for everyone today!" Natsume decided.
"Sylveon!" A small head emerged from the blankets, azure eyes glaring at Rotom.
The electric ghost immediately understood the hierarchy here.
"Activating indoor heating, Rotom~!"
"Togepi~" Still asleep, Togepi retracted into its shell.
It rolled off the bed onto plush carpeting, eventually bumping into Arcanine's warm mane.
"Arcanine~" The Arcanine paused mid-yawn, glancing backward in alarm.
"Arcanine! o(≧Д≦)っ"
Holy smokes, I laid an egg!!
"Stop howling, that's just Togepi!"
Somehow understanding his Arcanine's thought process, Natsume angrily ruffled its fur before heading to wash up.
In the bathroom...
Natsume and Gengar brushed their teeth in synchronized motions as he pondered:
Could Rotom possess smart toilets or electronic bathtubs...?
Meanwhile in the living room...
"Rotom! Σ(°△°|||)︴"
Rotom hovered mid-air as if experiencing system shock.
Togepi waved a handheld console excitedly.
"Togepi! ヽ(`Д`)" (Get in here!)
"System Overload, Rotom! (⊙x⊙;)" It pretended to crash, floating away.
"Sylveon! (▼皿▼#)" Sylveon blocked its path with a ribbon,
pointing sternly at the hamster wheel in the corner.
"System Overload, Rotom! o(TヘTo)"
...
After waking up early, he took Arcanine for a walk.
Natsume went for a morning jog around the neighborhood—his arm strength and physique were becoming almost superhuman.
By midday, the morning mist had melted away under the warm spring sun.
It was time for Natsume's favorite activity: cooking.
He swiped a can of cola from Gengar.
Gengar had been pouting, but when a steaming cup of ginger cola was placed in front of him, he immediately grinned.
"Gengar!" (I forgive you!)
The Leek plant planted in the soil in the potted plant on the balcony is growing very well.
"Sirfetch'd~" Sirfetch'd drooled.
Taste didn't matter—what mattered was that his battle strength had improved again!
In the yard, the plants Blastoise had been growing finally sprouted.
Only when the sprouts appeared did Natsume realize—
Blastoise's so-called 'plants' were actually the above-ground leaves of an Energy Root!
"Using Life Dew can speed up the Energy Root's growth, Rotom!"
Rotom was trembling as it reported the planting plan to the Blastoise.
"Blastoise… ヾ(■_■)" Blastoise nodded in satisfaction.
If Energy Roots could breed more Energy Roots… wouldn't that mean an endless supply?!
Natsume: "Only you could think of this!"
Rotom: "System Overload! o(TヘTo)"
In just two days, Rotom felt its mechanical life had been severely challenged.
All it could do was keep refining the training plan to ease Natsume's burden.
"Rotom! "
Can't hold everyone back, Rotom!
...
Afternoon.
With New Year's Eve approaching,
Natsume finally remembered—he still had a toy-selling (scratch that)… a Pokémon Company dedicated to bringing joy to children.
"Once the holidays end, the Pokémon Legendary line will officially launch," Oleana reported dutifully. "The Touran branch is closed for the statutory holidays… but the Kanto branch can keep working."
Natsume blinked, then smiled. "Let's call it a day early. Everyone deserves a proper break."
"But the post-holiday release schedule—"
"Relax, I just caught a Rotom. It can sync directly with the company database."
Snap. Something seemed to break.
Natsume paused. "…What was that?"
"Ahem… Nothing."
Oleana picked up the snapped ballpoint pen, forcing herself to stay composed.
Damn that Rotom!
Trying to steal my assistant position? Over my dead body!
Adjusting her glasses, Oleana began competing with Rotom in work efficiency…
Meanwhile,
Natsume seriously considered his plans for the coming year.
He couldn't make it back to Tokyo in time…
After the afternoon cleanup, he'd check in with his parents.
Then ask Cynthia if she was coming back for New Year's dinner.
If possible, next year wouldn't just be about dinner—he'd bring her home to meet them…
"Gengar?" Gengar tilted its head at the grinning Natsume, confused.
"Symptoms match epilepsy!" Rotom panicked. "Recommend electroshock therapy, Rotom!"
Luckily, Natsume snapped out of it and growled, "Rotom, I'll unplug you if you're not careful!"
"Beep! System Overload, Rotom~! (⊙x⊙;)"
"Alright."
Natsume cleared his throat. "Jokes aside, Rotom, help everyone clean up."
"We're having New Year's dinner tonight—it's your welcome party too!"
"Yay, Rotom~! （`▽`)" Rotom waved its tiny fists.
Suddenly, the lights cut out, plunging the house into darkness.
"Power outage or circuit break?" Natsume frowned.
Buzz—
He instinctively pulled out his vibrating phone and opened the property management text:
[Dear Client, as of the 12th, your electricity consumption this month…]
"One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand…"
He counted on his fingers, then whirled around, catching Rotom as it tried to sneak away.
"Rotom! Explain this, or no dinner for you tonight!"
"Beep! Voice input disabled. System Overload, Rotom~! "
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