Chapter 109: Mecha Rotom
Once inside the complex, Natsume breathed easier, the air feeling much smoother.
"Phew~" he exhaled deeply.
Under the faint glow of the streetlights, trees lined both sides of the path. Warm amber lights outlined the permeable walkways, while camphor tree silhouettes swayed gently.
In the distance, the artificial lake reflected a moon halo. Low-rise buildings emitted amber light from their windows, and the hum of servers mingled with insect chirps in the evening breeze.
"This place is like a completely different world," Natsume murmured.
"This isn't your typical industrial zone," Jenny, who was guiding him, said with a smile.
Natsume nodded. The complex he was in was an Alliance-funded zone for producing high-tech equipment. Chips, instruments, and other advanced devices were all manufactured here.
The industrial cluster here provided a complete production chain, saving transportation costs.
Soon, Natsume was led into a building. At the entrance, a security officer stopped him.
"Sir, please show your researcher ID, at least at the level of a Doctorate."
Natsume handed over the application form issued by Professor Oak.
The officer took it and typed quickly into the computer.
"You are Natsume, Oak's disciple, applying for a laboratory-level AI chip."
"Please follow this way," the staff said, gesturing forward.
Natsume walked ahead, Jenny trailing closely behind.
The procedures here were strict but necessary. Much of the advanced research equipment was under Alliance control. Whoever mastered the technology first would lead the field.
The Alliance's true strength never lay in the Elite Four or Champion Trainers; it was in its near-monopoly over the world's scientific resources. Lab equipment, research data, the number and quality of researchers, even the systems for training researchers—all were top-tier.
Thanks to this, research institutes under the Alliance maintained strong academic standards and a supportive environment, which was one reason Natsume had gone straight to Professor Oak after teaching himself.
This complex in Gringey City specialized in producing high-tech experimental devices. Only researchers with doctorates, or those endorsed by one, could apply to the Alliance for access to equipment.
Because of past incidents involving reselling Alliance equipment, security and verification had become much stricter. Even with Oak's endorsement, Jenny followed Natsume every step of the way.
Eventually, Jenny led Natsume to a pure-white workshop. Outside, machinery rumbled—it was clearly an air-purifying system.
The fresh air inside wasn't just due to extensive greenery; the purification equipment played a major role. Many devices, especially in chip production, required dust-free air. Filtered air was then purified again before entering the production line.
"Please wait here, Mr. Natsume," Jenny said, holding a walkie-talkie and reporting something.
Soon, a staff member in a white lab coat appeared, holding a notebook-sized white box, which he handed to Jenny.
Natsume craned his neck to look, but Jenny simply carried the box away.
"All done, Mr. Natsume. Just fill out the forms," Jenny's voice called from a distance.
By the time Natsume finished the paperwork, dawn had arrived.
"Phew~" he exhaled again outside the complex.
"That was exhausting. Once I become a Doctor, I'll leave this kind of work to Giselle."
He suddenly felt that Professor Oak truly treated him well—always sparing him from such tedious chores!
Even when Natsume volunteered, Professor Oak's expression would turn stern as he firmly refused.
The process had been cumbersome—but worth it.
Natsume lowered his gaze, eyes shining, fixed on the white box cradled in his hands.
He carefully opened the box, revealing a massive chip nestled quietly in foam.
This chip was the key component Natsume intended to use for his Motorcycle Rotom experiment.
Toy Rotom → Motorcycle Rotom → Six-in-One Mecha Rotom.
As a pivotal intermediate step in his plan, Rotom Motorcycle was the most critical component of Natsume's experimental design.
The chip from the toy Rotom had been installed into the Pokéball Rotom. But given the motorcycle-sized body, he needed a much more powerful chip.
Natsume had contacted this facility months before leaving Pallet Town, and today was the day to pick it up.
Since his only requirement was high performance, size didn't matter—it would fit inside the motorcycle regardless.
The request was simple, so production was quick.
Humming softly, Natsume left the complex, feeling elated.
A chip of this level wasn't available on the market; even the black market priced them in the billions, with no upper limit. Applying through the Alliance only required a trivial fee—a benefit exclusive to Alliance research facilities.
Other corporate research teams had to pay high prices. Organizations like Team Rocket, blacklisted, could only source them via the black market or shell companies.
Lost in thought about what kind of motorcycle to experiment with, Natsume returned to Gringey City Pokémon Center.
"Strange… I feel like someone's following me."
Outside the center, he shrugged. Could it be Team Rocket?
Psychic energy quietly spread, and behind a wall, Natsume detected three Pokémon: a Primeape, a Hypno, and a bald Zapdos.
"What are they up to?" Natsume froze.
He vaguely remembered the Primeape—it was the one that tried to steal Ash's hat that day. How had they ended up together?
Suppressing a sigh, Natsume entered the Pokémon Center.
...
*Ape, ape!* The Primeape, hanging from a tree on the wall, angrily punched toward Natsume's back. It wanted revenge, but it wasn't strong enough yet.
*Zappp!*
Zapdos clawed at a gap in the wall, half-hanging there, its bald head peering in, staring longingly at the Pokémon Center.
*Hypno~* Hypno yawned, looking much more relaxed. It instinctively reached into the berry basket but found it empty.
*Hypno?* All the berries are gone.
*Zap~*
*Ape...*
Zapdos and Primeape shrieked and hid.
Hypno got up, confused by their reaction. Turning, it saw Natsume standing atop the wall.
*What are they doing?*
Natsume held a tray full of food, utterly bewildered.
One monkey, one Hypno, one bird—how had they all come together? What kind of new Pokémon social structure was this?
He immediately thought of research topics but shook his head after a moment. It was probably a coincidence, and extreme anomalies didn't warrant a formal study.
"Here, eat." Natsume placed the tray on top of the wall.
*Hypno*, Hypno said in thanks.
"Thank you," the telepathy rang in his mind.
Natsume glanced at it, raising an eyebrow slightly, surprised.
To be honest, Pokémon rarely thanked him.
Natsume turned and left, paying no mind to the unusual trio.
After he left, Hypno looked back, noticing the Primeape and Zapdos staring at it as if it were a traitor.
*Hypno~* Using telekinesis, Hypno grabbed some food and began chewing.
In truth, it thought this human was pretty nice.
Seeing Hypno take the initiative, both Primeape and Zapdos paused in surprise.
*Ape ape!* Primeape gave a thumbs-up.
*Zap zap!* Zapdos nodded in approval.
*Hypno?* Hypno tilted its head, puzzled.
All along, it had felt its two companions were even stranger than that human.
You can read more (around 100+ free chapters) of Natsume's adventure ad-free at [https ://ravenarchives .com/book/pokemon-who-let-him-leave-pallet-town]. Bulk uploads is a mess here, so updates here might be irregular.