After bidding farewell to Professor Cerise, Johan headed back to the lake to resume his visit to the film crew.
Unlike when he first arrived, Johan now had a new companion floating alongside him—a Rotom, or more specifically, a Rotom Pokédex.
Since Rotom had flatly refused to inhabit Gengar's phone and couldn't even enter Johan's, it had no choice but to reside in the Pokédex for now.
Fortunately, Professor Oak's Pokédex had comprehensive functionality. Though it wasn't the final version, it was compatible with Rotom in all key aspects.
Equipped with features like photography, navigation, internet access, and Pokémon information retrieval, the device became a perfect home for Rotom.
Johan chuckled to himself.
"I bet the Pokédex is feeling the heat now."
In the Pokémon world, Rotom's integration into technology was groundbreaking. From smartphones to Pokédexes, and even hospital systems, Rotom symbolized the peak of automated efficiency.
"The ultimate worker Pokémon—an unstoppable labor machine."
Professor Cerise had mentioned Rotom's only real demand was a steady supply of electricity. While that might not be a big deal for a massive lab like Cerise's, for Johan, it meant a notable increase in household electricity costs.
Not that it mattered much. Johan had Gengar, Dragonair, and Kubfu—all capable of generating power with moves like Thunderbolt, Thunder Punch, or Thunder. He just needed to make sure they didn't accidentally blow up his house.
And, of course, Johan wouldn't be stingy with Rotom. Regardless of whether it fought in battles or acted as a utility Pokémon, it deserved equal treatment when it came to meals.
Energy cubes, which worked as dietary supplements for Electric Pokémon, were part of the deal. Rotom, much like Pikachu, needed them to stay energized.
While Rotom was a welcome addition, Johan's focus remained on his newly evolved Ninetales.
Walking beside Johan, the elegant Ice/Fairy Pokémon noticed his gaze and looked up curiously.
One of Ninetales' nine tails remained tightly wrapped around Johan's arm, a compromise since it could no longer curl up in his arms.
"If only it were big enough to ride."
In theory, he could try riding on Ninetales, but it didn't sit right with him. Despite its increased strength, it still looked delicate.
The Pokémon, oblivious to Johan's thoughts, tilted its head in confusion but didn't press further.
The evolution into Ninetales had significantly boosted its Ice-type abilities. In terms of weather control, it had overpowered even Zapdos and neutralized Tyranitar's Sand Stream during their encounter with the Pokémon hunters.
Moreover, with the Blessing of the North Wind, Ninetales' Ice abilities were already top-notch, requiring little additional training.
However, Johan wanted to focus on developing its newly awakened Fairy-type abilities.
Ninetales had learned Dazzling Gleam from Mew, but moves like Moonblast were still beyond its reach. And now that it had evolved, Johan could finally refine its use of Misty Terrain for better synergy.
Even its Iron Tail move had untapped potential. If other Pokémon could wield Iron Tail with one appendage, surely Ninetales could do better with nine.
"Versatile and unstoppable. My little fox really is something else," Johan thought with a grin.
When they reached the lakeside, Johan's small boat was still docked safely. Relieved, he muttered,
"At least my wallet can take a breather."
Hearing Johan's call, Rotom looked up from its endless attempts to photograph Gengar.
"What do you need, Loto~?"
"Are you starting a Gengar photo blog?"
Aloud, he said, "I need you to check the boat's generator."
Rotom shot out of the Pokédex, immediately diving into the generator. Moments later, the engine roared to life.
Johan provided the film crew's coordinates, and Rotom expertly began piloting the boat.
As the sun set, the lake turned fiery red under the twilight sky.
Ninetales rested on Johan's lap, enjoying a soothing massage as it napped.
Tinkaton and Dragonair sat nearby, reviewing their earlier battle strategies. The two debated how Dragonair could better position Tinkaton for aerial attacks in the future.
Kubfu, ever diligent, stood at the boat's prow, throwing shadow punches in its sleep.
Gengar, meanwhile, was meticulously deleting photos from the Pokédex that it deemed unflattering.
Looking up from its self-appointed photo review, Gengar met Johan's gaze.
"Have you noticed anything strange about my shadow lately?"
Gengar scratched its head.
Johan explained, "If you see any unfamiliar Pokémon trying to sneak into my shadow, let me know immediately."
With Suicune mentioning "passing the trial," it seemed possible that Raikou, Entei, or even Marshadow could appear next.
And considering how Marshadow had influenced Ash's Pokémon to turn on him, Johan wasn't keen on a repeat.
Gengar gave a thumbs-up—or as close as its stubby arm allowed.
"Got it," it seemed to say. "If I see anything weird, I'll nuke it."
"That's not what I meant!"
By the time Johan reached the film crew, night had fallen.
"Johan-sensei!" cried Jessie, James, and Meowth in unison.
Their over-the-top costumes—Jessie as a sugary-sweet starlet, James as a dapper director, and Meowth covered in bandages—made Johan chuckle.
Even Gourgeist, wearing the straw hat Johan had given it, looked ready to set sail as a cheerful mascot.
"You've all done well," Johan praised, his expression serious. "Both I and our mutual 'boss' acknowledge your hard work. You're Team Rocket's elite—keep it up."
The trio's faces lit up.
"Thank you, Johan-sensei!" they saluted, standing at attention.
Watching them, Johan couldn't help but smile.
Despite their shenanigans, these three had an unbreakable bond.
Inside the production tent, Johan had just settled into a chair when Matori handed him a phone.
Johan blinked. "Giovanni? Why is he calling me?"
He accepted the call.
"Giovanni," Johan greeted warmly. "It's been a while."
"Johan," Giovanni's smooth, composed voice replied, "we've identified the buyer behind the Pokémon hunters you captured."
He hadn't mentioned the hunters to Giovanni. How did he already know?
And it had only been half a day.
"Just how deeply is Team Rocket embedded in the League?"
Giovanni continued, "The buyer is a self-proclaimed 'Collector Extraordinaire' named Lawrence III. He seems like a lucrative target. What do you think?"
Lawrence III? The man from Pokémon: The Movie 2000, who tried to capture the legendary birds with his flying fortress?
Of course, someone like him would target Zapdos.
"So, is Rocket finally going after its own kind?"
Johan cleared his throat.
"Ah, Giovanni... will there be shares for everyone?"
For 20 advance Chapters: /michaeltranslates