After thinking more about it, Kay started to piece things together. His memories from his previous world were stored in this body's brain, which meant that if Rotom had somehow become embedded in his mind, it could access those memories too.
That explained how it knew about his past. But that still didn't answer the most important question for Kay and that was how could Rotom help him.
Furrowing his brows, Kay focused his thoughts and asked, 'You said that you decided to help me, but how can you do that if you're sealed inside my brain?'
For a few moments, there was only silence. Then, a faint chuckle echoed in his mind, followed by Rotom's voice. 'It seems you're underestimating me, kid.' Kay frowned.
There was something almost smug about the way Rotom spoke, like it was enjoying this conversation far more than he was.
'You should know first that I am very strong. But when you met me before, I hid my strength so that you wouldn't run away like a scared Rattata.'
Rotom continued, its voice filled with amusement. 'I was so bored inside that room in the labyrinth. That's why I didn't want the few visitors who came my way to escape.'
Kay's confusion deepened. If Rotom was so strong, why couldn't it escape from that room. If it was trapped there for so long, then it either wasn't as powerful as it claimed, or something was keeping it there.
Before he could even ask, Rotom's voice returned, answering his thoughts before he could voice them.
'I didn't lie to you. I was among the strongest Ghost-type Pokémons in this world. But, I was sealed inside that room by a legendary Ghost-Dragon type Pokémon.'
Kay's eyes widened. A legendary Ghost-Dragon Pokémon? His mind immediately raced to the only Pokémon he knew that fit that description. There was only one.
But before he could think further, his frustration boiled over. "Could you please stop reading my mind?!" Kay shouted aloud.
Rotom's response was immediate and unapologetic. 'No, I can't. I'm literally embedded in your brain.'
Kay sighed, rubbing his temples. This was going to be a headache. 'Fine. But could you at least pretend you didn't hear my inner thoughts and only answer when I actually ask you something?'
There was a short pause before Rotom answered. 'Okay, that's possible. But I don't get why you want that. It doesn't change anything.'
"Just do as I said. You wouldn't understand," Kay grumbled. He wouldn't feel safe and comfortable if an all-knowing voice in his head were answering all his thoughts without even asking.
Trying to shift the conversation back on track, he asked, 'You said you're among the strongest Pokémons in this world. But are you stronger than the Gengar in this labyrinth? I heard that Gengar is the strongest Pokémon here.'
For the first time, Rotom laughed. A deep, ghostly chuckle that sent a chill down Kay's spine. 'The moment I was sealed, that Gengar you're talking about was still a Gastly.'
Kay's heart skipped a beat. His eyes widened in disbelief. Ghost-type Pokémons were known for growing stronger with age; the older the Ghost-type Pokémon, the stronger it normally would be.
Unlike normal Pokémons, which depended on training and evolution, Ghost Pokémons became more powerful the longer they existed.
His mind racing, he quickly asked, 'How much time has passed since you were sealed?' Rotom's answer was almost too casual.
'Frankly, I lost count after 5000 years.' Kay froze. His jaw dropped. His body stiffened, and he almost fell forward onto the floor from sheer shock.
Five thousand years?! That meant Rotom had been sealed long before even ancient civilizations in this world had risen and fallen.
The Gengar that now ruled the labyrinth was once nothing more than a newborn Gastly, while Rotom had been a powerful Pokémon even back then.
Kay gulped, then thought.
'Just what kind of monster is living inside my brain?'
Kay was now sure that Rotom was powerful, but something about the entire situation didn't add up. If Rotom was as strong as it claimed, how was it able to exist inside his brain without harming him.
Shouldn't his body have suffered some kind of damage from having such a powerful, electric, ghostly being inside it.
He couldn't ignore this question, so he finally asked, 'How is my body able to hold you inside my brain without any effects on it?'
Rotom didn't hesitate to answer. 'You should know that your body is different from the bodies of people in this world. It seems like you're protected by some external force. I can't describe it precisely, but that's what I felt when I first entered your body.'
Kay narrowed his eyes at the response. He had many questions; Protected by an external force? Was it because he was from another world? That would explain why he didn't feel any damage from Rotom's presence.
Rotom continued, 'If I entered another body, it wouldn't resist me. The brain would be destroyed, and the host would die instantly. Also, you should know that I minimized my electricity to the lowest level so your body could hold me without suffering any effects.'
Kay exhaled slowly, letting the information sink in. This confirmed something important; he wasn't like the other humans in this world.
His transmigration had given him advantages that he wouldn't have noticed on his own. If it weren't for Rotom, he might never have realized this hidden trait of his body, and maybe there were other traits that he hadn't discovered yet.
Satisfied with that explanation for now, Kay moved on to a more important question. 'So, how exactly can you help me?' He needed something concrete, something that would give him a real advantage in this brutal world.
Rotom's response was quick. 'I can help you in many ways, but as I see now, the most useful ability I can provide is analyzing Pokémon stats. Thanks to my long life, I have gathered an immense amount of experience in evaluating Pokémon strengths and weaknesses.'
Kay's heartbeat quickened. This was interesting. If Rotom could analyze Pokémons in detail, it could use that information to make smarter decisions in battles.
But that wasn't all. Rotom added, 'I also have the ability to read the energy of a Pokémon's Power Stone. That allows me to detect many hidden details about a Pokémon.'
Kay's eyes widened. If Rotom could analyze Power Stones, it would give Kay an advantage no one else had, especially that it would enable Kay to see some details that even the Pokedex couldn't show.
As Kay listened to Rotom's abilities, a thought suddenly struck him. His mind flashed back to the main characters of novels he used to read in his old world.
In those stories, transmigrated protagonists always had some kind of system that helped them grow stronger, whether by analyzing enemies, granting special powers, or showing detailed stats.
If Rotom could function as a system, it would be like he had his own personal cheat ability in this world.
Excitement surged in his veins as he formulated his plan. 'I want you to take the form of a system that shows Pokémon stats,'
Kay declared, 'You can check my memories from my old world. Look at the way systems worked in isekai novels, especially the ones with stat windows and analysis functions.'
For the first time since their conversation started, Rotom fell completely silent. Kay could feel it searching through his memories, analyzing the concept of a system.
Then, after what felt like minutes, Rotom's voice returned. 'Okay, I get what you want. Now, I need you to imagine the exact format of the system so I can generate it.'
See you in the next chapter...
If you liked the story, leave a review...