Upgrade Data

Looking back from what Baimu knew of later developments, the outcome seemed obvious.

Rotom, the Plasma Pokémon, had completely displaced the Virtual Pokémon Porygon. It could travel through networks, electrical wires, and fiber-optic cables, and had even become a revolutionary smart voice guide.

After gaining a strange evolution in the fourth generation, Porygon had faded from view.

But Rotom had every right to make its case: I'm an Electric- and Ghost-type. What types are you, Porygon? Can you jump into appliances, enter Super Transformation Form, and do it all without needing to Charge?

No, you can't. You just don't have that ability, get it?

"So the doctor has always wanted to build a smart machine like a Rotom Drone?"

Baimu sipped the coffee Shelly had poured him. It tasted pretty good, though he couldn't tell whether it was instant.

"That's right. He tried to combine an ocean ecosystem protection system with Porygon, but progress has been slow. Getting Porygon to serve as the device's intelligence has been especially difficult..."

Shelly shook her head and sighed, then unexpectedly let slip, "Not long ago, we finally finished a miniature submarine. The seafloor data collection went smoothly too. But when we sent people to retrieve it, the submarine exploded. The recovery crew got caught up in it, and those two thieves stole their clothes."

"It... exploded?"

Baimu's mouth twitched.

Why did this sound so much like Clemont? If he remembered right, the great inventor's bizarre machines always worked brilliantly at first. Then Ash would utter the fateful words, "The power of science is amazing!" and before long, they would blow up.

"Yes. And I have to thank you. If those two had gotten away with it, all the goodwill the New Aqua Gang had worked so hard to build might have gone up