Rotom Phone

Lei Xiao's arrival still shocked Zhuo Yuan. I'd been so discreet. How did she find me?

But now that Lei Xiao was here, he had no way to sweet-talk Chu Xin. He might as well be honest about what he wanted.

"Kid, I didn't really come here for anything else. I just wanted to invite you to join Jindu Academy. I'm its dean, and our academy needs talented kids like you."

"Join Jindu Academy?"

Chu Xin looked at Zhuo Yuan in surprise. He hadn't expected a dean to start recruiting him already. Had the man spotted his potential?

"Don't rush to agree, Chu Xin. Choosing an academy is a very important decision. Different academies have different resources. As an aside, with your abilities, you could get into academies better than Jindu Academy. It isn't your only option."

"Could you stop trying to drive this old man up the wall? I finally found a talented kid, so why do you have to interfere? What do you gain by making me die of anger?"

Zhuo Yuan could no longer maintain his kindly image in front of Chu Xin and furiously let loose at Lei Xiao.

Lei Xiao picked at her ear with her little finger and looked at Zhuo Yuan with utter indifference.

"But it's the truth. Jindu Academy really isn't an outstanding academy. Chu Xin is strong enough to get into a better one. Given my relationship with this kid, I have to make things clear to him."

By then, Chu Xin had also calmed down, his earlier excitement gradually fading. His choice of academy really would be important. He had researched the country's various academies, and those in Capital City and Magic City were top-tier institutions. However, they only admitted the best talents from each region. He might have to win this tournament to have a chance of getting in.

Of course, Capital City Academy and Magic City Academy also had deep foundations. Their training methods and accumulated knowledge were the finest among all the academies, and the current Elite Four were all Trainers who had graduated from those two schools.

Compared with those two elite academies, Jindu Academy seemed rather unremarkable. Even so, it was still one of the country's first-rate academies. It had produced many Gym Leaders, and some of its Trainers had even become members of the Elite Four. Joining Jindu Academy was a good choice, too.

But since the choice is mine, why not see what benefits Jindu Academy can offer me?

"Auntie Lei Xiao, which academies do you think I could get into with my current results?"

Chu Xin blinked his big, innocent eyes and gave Lei Xiao a guileless look. Paired with his handsome young face, it made him look wonderfully innocent.

"Kid, Jindu Academy is a good choice! The other academies don't know you, but I've specifically looked into your situation. I can provide training methods that suit you."

"Don't listen to him. Those academies offer a higher standard of teaching and can give you a suitable way to train Xiao Wu."

"Lei Xiao!"

Zhuo Yuan was so angry that his hair stood on end, letting Chu Xin see for the first time what it meant to have one's hair bristle with rage.

"What are you glaring at me for? If you want to recruit him, you obviously have to show some sincerity. If all you're going to do is sweet-talk him, he'd be better off at another academy."

After hearing Lei Xiao's words, Zhuo Yuan looked at her dejectedly.

"Fine, you win! Kid, if you join Jindu Academy, I'll find you a rare Monster and provide the resources needed to train it. How does that sound?"

A rare Monster? Does he mean a rare Pokémon?

"What is it?"

"Jindu Academy's newest creation: a special Rotom, one that inhabits a phone."

A Rotom that inhabits a phone! Is that really possible?

Rotom was a Pokémon with a body made of plasma, capable of traveling through cables as electrically charged particles.

Rotom could enter different household appliances and change into different forms. It had five such forms: a microwave oven, a washing machine, a refrigerator, an electric fan, and a lawn mower. This might have something to do with the special motors inside those appliances.

With a special method, it really might be possible to have Rotom inhabit a phone.

In the anime, Rotom also entered all kinds of equipment, creating various special devices that helped the protagonists on their adventures. The Rotom Pokédex, Rotom Phone, Rotom Computer, Rotom Drone, and Rotom Bike were the forms Rotom took after entering a Pokédex, a phone, a computer, a drone, or a bicycle's motor. In addition to their original functions, these devices gained extra special features.

Beside them, Lei Xiao looked at Zhuo Yuan in surprise.

"Your academy is still researching that project? Jindu Academy wouldn't be so short on funds if it weren't for that project. I thought you'd given up on it ages ago."

Zhuo Yuan looked at Lei Xiao proudly.

"How could we? Jindu Academy has been researching Rotom for a long time. This Rotom Phone is our latest result."

As he spoke, Zhuo Yuan pulled a phone from his pocket. The phone then miraculously floated in the air, revealing its face.

"This is the Rotom Phone. As an Electric-type and Ghost-type Monster, Rotom can inhabit all sorts of electrical appliances and gain various special abilities. That trait is precisely what caught Jindu Academy's attention. We've always been committed to developing more useful forms of Rotom, and this Rotom Phone is our latest achievement."

At Zhuo Yuan's direction, the Rotom Phone floated in front of Xiao Wu and shone a beam of blue light over Xiao Wu's body. It soon displayed Xiao Wu's physical data.

"The Rotom Phone's greatest advantage is that it can store vast amounts of information in the phone, then scan Pokémon to analyze their physical condition and determine the most suitable training methods. It greatly eases the difficulties Monster Handlers face in training them."

A Rotom Phone! I want one so badly!

"If I join, can you give me one of these Rotom Phones?"

"Of course. If you join Jindu Academy, we'll certainly give you a Rotom Phone."

"Then what rewards would I get if I won the championship before choosing to join?"

"The championship? That doesn't seem very likely. That kid Bai Le is incredibly strong."

Zhuo Yuan looked at Chu Xin hesitantly. He didn't think Chu Xin could defeat Bai Le.

"What if I do beat him?"

"If you win the championship, I'll not only give you a Rotom Phone, but also grant your Rotom access to all the academy's information. And I'll agree to one condition of yours. How does that sound?"

"All right, then it's a deal. If I join Jindu Academy as the champion, you, as its dean, have to agree to one condition of mine."

"You'll have to beat Bai Le first. That kid isn't an easy opponent."