Summary
While players might get more out of taking selfies with the new addition of the Roto-Stick inPokemon ScarletandViolet’s DLC, for Rotom it’s just more bad news that it’s losing its enigmatic status as a Pokemon and becoming just a useful gimmick. When Rotom was introduced inPokemon DiamondandPearl, it had all the hallmarks normally reserved for Legendary or Mythical Pokemon from its haunting encounter in a possessed television to its so-far exclusive Electric/Ghost typing. Even thelatestPokemonremakesfor Gen 4 retained how Rotom could be found, caught, and later transformed through various house appliances.
But by tapping into Rotom’s lore, Game Freak has since adapted the Pokemon’s ability to possess electrical equipment and gadgets in order to use it as a pseudo-artificial intelligence. FromPokemon SunandMoonto the most recentPokemon ScarletandViolet, Rotom is now ingrained in many differentin-game mechanics such as a Pokedex, a phone, and a map. However, the newest addition of the Roto-Stick alongsideScarletandViolet’s DLC has reasserted its functional role as the player’s camera, meaning that Rotom is at risk of becoming little more than a utility instead of the once special Pokemon used by trainers as it once was.
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Rotom is Losing its Place as a Pokemon
Though it had the potential to be a Mythical Pokemon due to its unique and currently exclusive type combination, its multiple forms, and its limited availability, Rotom has since evolved to be like any other ordinary Pokemon out in the wild. For instance, wildRotom was found withinPokemon Legends: Arceusand each of its forms could be obtained by purchasing mechanical appliances for the player’s home, something which evenPokemon SwordandShieldcould provide with its Isle of Armor DLC. But in spite of losing its special encounter and becoming a standard Pokemon, Rotom has been reduced to Game Freak’s answer to futuristic technology.
While it was a novelty at first to have Rotom possess a Pokedex in Gen 7, Rotom has since been used not only as the player’s Pokedex but also as their bike, a drone, and a computer terminal as seen inSwordandShieldand thePokemonanime. Yet all these items from the bike to Rotomi terminals aren’t considered new Rotom “forms” despite the five official forms it already has and thefan-created forms that fit Rotom’s lorebetter. But even with Gen 10 inPokemon’s near future,ScarletandViolet’s DLC has still emphasized the disparities between Rotom as a Pokemon and a gadget.
The Roto-Stick Undermines Rotom More
After the Rotom Phone was confirmed to be returning forScarletandViolet, its general use hadn’t changed too much between its last appearance inSwordandShield, nor was it different from the Arc Phone inLegends: Arceus. However,ScarletandVioletdid expand Rotom Phonefunctions to include photography which let players take in-game snapshots and even selfies alongside their Pokemon. But the recent Pokemon Presents reveal of the Roto-Stick asScarletandViolet’s parallel to real-world selfie sticks not only reiterated how Rotom had been reduced to a gadget and a brand but also how Game Freak now overlooked Rotom as a Pokemon.
As real-world selfies require that phones be physically held and selfie sticks improved how much the camera could capture, it seems thatScarletandVioletand their DLC were taking direct influence from this. But the Rotom Phone has already been repeatedly shown to fly independently of the trainer, and Raihan’s Rotom Phone took selfies autonomously during his gym battle at its Dynamax stage. So despite the Rotom Phone already proving it can take photos without needing the Roto-Stick,ScarletandViolet’s DLChas overlooked this as Rotom seems to just be a catch-all for whichever mechanics Game Freak needs to implement.
Pokemon ScarletandVioletare available now for Nintendo Switch.
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