Rotom is a dual type Electric and Ghost Pokemon introduced in Generation IV. While it is not known to evolve into or from any other Pokemon, Rotom has the ability to possess the motors of certain appliances and change forms. In Generation VII, it has the ability to possess a special Pokedex and become the Rotom Pokedex. In Generation VIII, Rotom has the ability to possess a smartphone that doubles up as a Pokedex and becomes the Rotom Phone.

Depending on the game, its form can be changed at will in Rotom’s Room in the Team Galactic Eterna Building, Rotom’s Room in Silph Co., the store room in Shopping Mall Nine, on the second floor of Professor Sycamore’s Lab in Lumiose City, in Professor Birch’s Lab in Littleroot Town, in the basement of the Pokemon Research Lab on Alola’s Route 1, or with a Rotom Catalog in Galar. In Generation IV, Rotom changes back to its normal form when taken into the Union Room or Wi-Fi Club, or when deposited in the Day Care. Take a look below for 28 fun and interesting facts about Rotom.

1. Rotom has a body of plasma and is shaped like a lightning rod.

2. There is a whitish blue aura of electricity around it that forms lightning bolt-shaped appendages.

3. It has teeth, and its unique, blue eyes have a dividing line across them.

4. As seen in the anime, Rotom will often pull pranks on unsuspecting people.

5. Also seen in the anime, Rotom has the ability to time travel.

6. Rotom has the ability to enter and control appliances.

7. Starting in Platinum, it also has five extra forms, each based on a household appliance, which can be accessed by possessing specific appliances.

8. The possessed appliances are based on a microwave oven (Heat Rotom), washing machine (Wash Rotom), refrigerator (Frost Rotom), electric fan (Fan Rotom), and a lawnmower (Mow Rotom).

9. When Rotom changes form, its eyes and electric aura change colors and its aura appendages take on different shapes: red with oven mitts as Heat Rotom, blue with clothespins as Wash Rotom, purple with lightning bolts as Frost Rotom, yellow with air curls as Fan Rotom, and green with a ripped strip as Mow Rotom.

10. According to the Rotom Catalog, Rotom in its base form is actually possessing a light bulb.

11. While Rotom typically use their abilities to make mischief, some Rotom have taken to inhabiting electronics with the intent of helping others, as seen in Generations VII and VIII.

12. The Rotom Pokédex, found in Alola, and the Rotom Phones and Rotomi, found in Galar, are some examples.

13. These particular forms allow Rotom to speak human languages.

14. When Rotom is encountered in the Old Chateau in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, the music is the same as Legendary encounters, even though Rotom is not classified as one. Rotom is, to date, the only non-Legendary Pokémon to do this.

15. Rotom’s alternate forms, along with Arceus’s forms, were the only alternate forms of a Pokémon not featured in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. However, despite being introduced a year before the game was released like Rotom, Shaymin, and Giratina’s alternate forms made an appearance in the game.

16. Rotom is tied with Tynamo as the lightest Electric-type Pokémon.

17. Rotom was the first Pokémon mentioned to be genderless in the anime.

18. Rotom is the only Pokémon to have its type changed to a type that was not newly introduced.

19. No other Pokémon has the same type combination as Rotom’s base form, Heat Rotom, or Mow Rotom.

20. Despite becoming part Flying-type, Fan Rotom retains the Ability Levitate, being the only Flying-type Pokémon with this Ability. As its Flying type already makes it immune to Ground-type moves, its Ability is effectively useless under normal conditions.

21. All of Rotom’s appliance forms except Mow Rotom are tied for or have the fewest weaknesses of all Pokémon of their secondary types.

22. All of Rotom’s appliance forms are the lightest Pokémon of their secondary types.

23. Rotom appears to be based on Pulseman, who was designed by Pokémon designer Ken Sugimori, although it may also be inspired by the unexplained phenomenon of ball lightning. Its Pokédex entry brings to mind gremlins. Its possession of other objects may be based on poltergeists or tsukumogami. Rotom may also be an embodiment of electronic “magic smoke”. Additionally, it may be based on electrical energy. Finally, Rotom’s general shape seems to be based on that of a light bulb.

24. Rotom is motor backwards; this may refer to the fact that motors make many appliances function, while Rotom makes them fail.

25. In Pokémon Platinum, an old notebook in Rotom’s Room describes how a person discovered and named the first known Rotom. It appeared out of a lawn mower’s motor, and the person named it Rotom due to this origin.

26. Professor Oak caught a Rotom on Torom Island in To Catch a Rotom!. Rotom is a prankster, often scaring Ash by appearing over the video phone whenever he calls Professor Oak. It also appeared in Professor Oak’s Pokémon Holo Caster in the XY series, helping Professor Oak with his explanation, and often laughing at him when he gets hurt.

27. A Rotom inhabiting Ash’s Alolan Pokédex debuted in Loading the Dex!. As a Pokédex, Rotom has access to data about many different Pokémon species, but it often hurts itself and others by trying to see a Pokémon do a certain action after reading its information. In Thank You, Alola! The Journey Continues!, it remained in Alola to work with the Aether Foundation while Ash returned home.

28. Two Rotom appeared in SS003, where they possessed the smartphones Ash and Go received from Professor Sakuragi, turning each into a Rotom Phone. They have since made further appearances in the new series.