It was a normal afternoon like any other. Ash, Pikachu, Rotom, and the Cosmogs sat in the living room watching television. Due to Rotom's persistence, they ended up watching an Alolan Detective Laki marathon.

"The death of Mr. Bodie was nothing short of a tragedy. But what it wasn't... was an accident." Detective Laki paced back and forth as he spoke with zest. "The truth runs deeper than that. The truth is darker than that. The man responsible for the death of Bodie is..."

Laki raised his arm and pointed dramatically at a man standing in the corner. The man, who wore a black and white suit, didn't even react as he stood with great poise.

"You!" Laki shouted. "The butler!"

Rotom gasped, flailing its arms. "Oh my god! Laki'z a genius! I didn't see that coming!"

"What are you talking about, Rotom?" Ash looked up at the dex with a raised brow. "The butler was literally covered in blood earlier."

"Pika..." Pikachu mumbled.

"Hey, he zaid it was ketchupz! It waz a legit excuse!"

Ash and Pikachu exchanged looks of disbelief, only to be interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. The Cosmogs began to hop up and down like excited little puppies.

"Huh?" Ash lifted his head. "Was Kukui expecting somebody?"

"I doubt it. He'z still knocked on in his bed."

"I thought as much. Welp, guess that means it's up to me to go get the door!"

Ash sprouted up onto his feet and dashed to the front door. In the corner of his eye, he noticed Pikachu attempting to herd the two Cosmogs away from the door and out of plain sight. Ash made a mental note to thank his partner later.

Once Pikachu managed to get the curious puff balls into another room, Ash opened the door to a face he hasn't seen in what felt like ages. The aspiring Pokémon Professor immediately fell onto her knees and pressed her forehead against the floor, bowing before Ash as if he were a king.

"Professor Kukui! Professor Kukui! I've been following your advice and relaxing and all but I still want to learn more about Pokémon but I don't know if I'm doing a good job! I've tried to study really hard but I barely know what I'm doing and it hurts my pride to admit that but I'm really desperate here!"

Rose suddenly reached forward and grabbed Ash's legs. She raised her head to look up at the professor. Instead, to her surprise, she looked up to see a startled boy gawking at her. Her cheeks glowed a beet red.

"O-oh my god! Y-you're not...! Oh my god!" Rose was back on her feet in an instant, slapping her palms onto her cheeks as she swayed side to side. "This is so embarrassing! So embarrassing! So super embarrassing!"

Ash was at a loss for words as Rotom floated to his side, muttering. "Oh boyz," it said. "It'z that girl that can'tz tell the difference betweenz a Magicarp and a Luvdisc."

"Don't be mean, Rotom," Ash whispered back to the Pokédex before returning his attention to the girl standing before him. "Hey, hey, don't worry about it! It's just an honest mistake, right?"

"A-ah! Right!" Rose met his eyes. Without missing a beat, all of Rose's embarrassment dissipated as she grabbed both of Ash's hands. "You're always so nice, Bash. Thank you!"

"...Um, it's Ash."

"...Oh. That's right. Um, anyway! Ash! Will you please, please, please let me talk to the professor? I need to ask him for a favor!"

"Oh! Uh..." Ash pulled his hands away. "Kukui is sleeping right now."

Rose frowned. "That's too bad... could you wake him?

"Well, he said not to wake him up at all cuz he was up all night dealing with research statistics and stuff."

"The professor sure hatez his statsticz," Rotom added. "For a scientist, he sure hatez math."

"What?" Rose threw a hand over her mouth. "But who could hate math? Math is fun!"

"You think so? You might be in the minority on that one..." Ash rubbed the nape of his neck with a short chuckle. "Was there something you needed from the professor?"

"I... wanted to know if he could help me learn more about Pokémon!" Rose's hands balled into small fists, her glare hardened with determination. "I know I'm not ready to be a professor's assistant, but that doesn't mean I want to stop working towards becoming a professor. Besides, learning about Pokémon is fun! But... trying to do it all by myself is hard."

"If that's how you feel, why not enroll in the Pokémon school?" Ash asked.

"Mom won't let me. She always says 'hun, that'd be like enrolling a fish Pokémon into a track and field training course.' I don't know what that's supposed to mean, but no is no I guess."

"...Ouch," Ash muttered.

"I meanz, her mom haz a point—"

"Rotom!"

Ash swatted at the Pokédex as it quickly zoomed out of the way. Rose watched in silence with a confused look on her face.

"Ignore him," Ash said. "That sucks, but we could still figure out a way to help you out! The professor might not be available right now, but I could—"

"Super sorry, but Azh here is just too busy to assist you." Rotom zoomed right back into the conversation with a tone that sounded almost, or rather, extremely sarcastic. "It'z such a shame, but Azh is just so busy it can't be helped!"

Ash's eyes darted to Rotom with a look that said "cut it out already."

"I'm not busy at all. In fact, I've got an idea of a way I could help you!"

"But Azh! What about the Alolan Detective Laki marathon?!"

"Detective Laki?" Rose's eyes glimmered. "You guys like Detective Laki too!?"

"Oh, yeahz! Yeahz!" Rotom grinned with enthusiasm, acting as if it weren't just trying to give Rose the cold shoulder just seconds before. "We were just watching the episode with Mr. Bodie!"

"Oh my god, that episode was crazy! I really thought it was ketchup!"

"So didz I! Such an unexpected twist!"

"Right? Detective Laki is so cool for figuring it out!"

"Yes! There'z no one else like him!"

"He's such a charmer too! I wanna pet his hair!"

Rotom and Rose only grew giddier as they discussed their love for the show. Their passion and their chatter made Ash's head spin, and he quickly grew antsy to move past the topic. However, there was a bright silver lining Ash did not miss.

"Looks like you two managed to find something in common! Bet now you won't mind tagging along with me to help Rose catch a Pokémon. Right, Rotom?"

Rotom's grin vanished in seconds as it turned to face Ash. "We're doing whatz now?"

"Wait, wait, wait! You're going to help me catch a...do you mean it? Oh my god, oh my god!" Stars sparkled and danced within Rose's eyes as the realization set in. "Yay! My very own Pokémon! That would be a dream come true!"

Rose twirled in circles as she hummed a peppy tune. Her innocent and joyous smile was a refreshing sight, only for Ash to turn to his left and see Rotom scowling at him.

"You're makingzzz a miztake!"

Ash raised his hands defensively. "Hey, hey, quit giving me that look! I did actually think this through sorta! Some people have a hard time learning through books and stuff, right? Maybe Rose just needs some hands-on experience."

"You have a pointz... but I can betz you it won't work! She'z a total lost cause! Look at her!"

"Right now she just looks happy."

"Wellzz yeah but, but, but—"

"Geez, Rotom. I just don't want to make her leave here empty-handed. I figured you help me find her a Pokémon, being a Pokédex and all, but if it's that much of an issue, just stay home."

Ignoring the frustrated Pokédex, Ash turned around and called out to partner.

"Hey, Pikachu! I'm headed out for a bit! Could you watch Nebby and Bebe for me?"

"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu cried back, happily accepting the task.

"Thanks, buddy! I won't be too long!"

Ash stepped out of the house and closed the door behind him. He sprinted down the steps to join Rose.

They both began to walk away as Rotom watched with an inner turmoil wreaking havoc on its circuits.

"Ughz... as a Pokédex, I havez a responsibility. This isn't gonna be much funz though... Azh! Wait upz! I'm coming with youz!"

* * *

"Let me love you!"

Rose shouted at a group of Wingull as they flew away into the Alolan skies. She chased after them while shouting, and the Wingulls responded by paying her no mind.

"Thizzz is painful."

Rotom floated beside Ash, who tried his best to laugh off the awkward feeling in the air.

"She's just excited, Rotom. Give her a break."

It was only a couple of minutes after they left Kukui's beach house. They didn't wander far, instead choosing to look for possible residential Pokémon to catch. Almost instantly, Rose took off and started chasing after any and all Pokémon that entered her field of vision, leaving Ash and Rotom to just stand back and witness.

"I mean, she's got the right spirit! We just need to... reign her in a little bit!"

"Azh, that'z an understatement."

"Maybe, but standing here isn't going to get it done any faster! Rose! Rose!"

Ash dashed forward, and after a short chase, managed to catch up to Rose. He grabbed her by the shoulders, stopping her in her tracks.

"Woah there, woah there! Man, you're faster than you look!" He spoke between gasps of air. "You need to slow down! It's a great effort you're making, but this isn't exactly the way you're supposed to catch Pokémon!"

"I-it's not?" Rose's cheeks burned a bright, bright red before she threw her hands up to cover them. "But I thought you were supposed to grab them and then stuff 'em into a Pokéball!"

"Whatzz?!" Rotom circled the pair, shouting at its max volume. "That'z so wrong! You throwz the Pokéballz at the Pokémon to catch it! These are the basicz, Roze! How could you not know the basicz?!"

Rose rubbed her palms against her cheeks. "Ah! You're right! How could I forget something so simple? It's so simple! So simple! So simple!"

"I mean, you weren't super far off! Relax! It just slipped your mind, right?" Ash kept a firm grip on the girl's shoulders. "All you needed was a quick reminding! Now you're ready to go, right?"

"...R-right! I'm ready to go, Ash!" Rose extended her cupped hand forward. "Pokéball, please!"

"Oh! Uh, one Pokéball coming right up!"

Ash handed Rose an empty Pokéball, which she promptly raised up into the air alongside her fist. She let out a war cry, certainly scaring off any nearby Pokémon.

"I'm gonna catch 'em all! Just you wait, Pokémon of the world!"

Rose dashed forward with a warrior's vigor. For a second time, Ash and Rotom were left behind to witness.

"Azh, I think you forgot to mention that you're supposed to weakenz the Pokémon before throwing the ball."

"Well, not always. I assumed we could go after a Pokémon that was weak enough to catch without battling it. As I said, I am actually thinking things through... sorta." Ash sighed. "But that game plan is getting tricky since I can't keep up with her. She's going after everything."

"Wellz, reign her in!"

"Easier said than done, Rotom!"

After shaking his head with an annoyed grunt, Ash took off after the girl.

* * *

"All those Pokémon were way too fast! Those Pidgeots, especially!"

"Roze, those were Pikipekz!"

After a long, long chase, Rose had finally run out of energy and Ash collapsed onto the ground due to his sheer exhaustion. Rose had been running in circles and chucking the empty Pokéball at any and every Pokémon she came across, but her aim was worse than a Stormtrooper's. She was left empty-handed and frustrated.

But not nearly as frustrated as Rotom.

"Afterz all that, you haven't managed to hit a single Pokémon with the ball?!"

"They were too fast! I'm sorry!" Rose wrapped her arms around herself as she swayed side to side. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!"

"You shouldz be! How could your aim be that bad!?"

"I... well..."

"Thiz has been a waste of timez! You've learned nothing! We've accomplished nothing!"

"...I—"

"Youz are impossible!"

Something inside Rose snapped. Before Ash could stand up and intervene, Rose threw the Pokéball at Rotom's face. It hit Rotom right in the center of its screen.

"I know that!" Rose shouted. "You think I don't know how dumb I am?!"

Rose removed her backpack from her back and zipped it open. She pulled out a Pokémon encyclopedia and chucked it at Rotom. Somehow— perhaps as a direct result of her anger— her aim became impeccable. The book hit Rotom right in the center of its screen.

"I know you hate me! I have ears!" Rose pulled out a hairbrush. "I hope you know that all your comments don't help anybody!"

As the hairbrush struck the Pokédex and Rose pulled a second book out from her bag, Rotom realized it had to get out of the way if it didn't want a cracked screen.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Roze, no needz to—!"

"I know I'm bad at everything, I know! But I'm trying! I'm trying! So shut up! Shut up!"

Rotom fled, zooming through the air for dear life. Rose, fueled by her rage, trailed shortly behind it as she threw countless random objects from her bag.

"I'm trying here! I'm trying so stop making fun of me!"

Listening to Rose's continuous screams, Ash pushed himself up onto his feet. As much as he wanted to lay on the grass for hours and drift off into sleep, he knew Rotom and Rose's battle wouldn't end anytime soon if he didn't jump in to stop it. He took it upon himself to lunge towards Rose and wrap his arms around her from behind. He hoisted her up, lifting her feet off the ground.

"Ash?! What are you doing? Put me down!"

"Sorry, but I can't have you breaking Rotomdex!"

"But it's—!"

"That dex is some of Professor Kukui's greatest work! If you were to break it, Kukui would be really upset! You don't want to upset Kukui, do you?"

Rose didn't answer. She folded her arms, wearing the furrowed brow of an agitated toddler. Ash lowered her back onto the ground and released his grip. Rose didn't move.

"Azh! Azh! You're a lifesaver!" Rotom zipped through the air and right back to Ash's side. "Thank you! Youz saved me from assault—!"

"Say sorry, Rotom."

"H-huhz?"

Ash's cutthroat command caught Rotom off guard. The uncharacteristically serious look on Ash's face made it all the more unexpected and unnerving to the living Pokédex.

"You're a Pokédex! You're supposed to help people learn stuff about Pokémon, right? You should sure be a lot more patient with Rose when is trying her best to learn. If anything, you should appreciate her eagerness to learn! And you should appreciate that she doesn't give up!... Although that seems to be what you want her to do."

Ash placed his hands on his hips, waiting for Rotom to answer. Rotom, however, was speechless. Its eyes stared steadily at the ground as if it were watching grass grow. Rose didn't wait to hear it speak. She turned her back to both Rotom and Ash, her head down as she played with the frills of her dress.

"It's nice of you to try to make it apologize, Ash. But... I know it probably meant what it said. I'm sorry I lost my temper... I should go pick up my stuff."

Rose lifted her foot to take a step, but froze once she realized that a Pokémon was standing right in front of her. She let out a soft shriek and stepped back, stopping herself from stomping on the creature. It looked up at her with its tiny, unfocused pupils. In its mouth was one of Rose's thrown items: a book of difficult math equations and exercises.

It slowly opened its mouth. The book fell from its jaws.

"Slooooooooooooooooow."

"...Oh my god! What a cutie! What a little cutie!" Rose's face lit up with excitement, abandoning all the anger and sadness that plagued her seconds ago. She wrapped her hands around the Slowpoke and lifted it into her arms. "How nice of you to go fetch my book for me! You're such a sweet little Shellder!"

Ash looked to Rotom. "Not a word."

"I wasn'tz going to..." Rotom lowered itself closer to the ground, a frowning emoji popping onto its screen.

Rose twirled with the Slowpoke in her arms, giggling relentlessly. The Slowpoke seemed content, or at the very least, unbothered as it was spun around.

"I wanna catch this one! I wanna catch this one! And I'll name it Jerry!" Rose ceased her spinning and cradled the Slowpoke in her arms. "Can I catch this one? Can I?"

"Of course! We'll just have to find that Pokéball I gave you! Rotom, could you help us find—? Uh, Rotom? Rotom?"

Ash looked to his side to see an empty space where Rotom once was. He spotted Rotom investigating Rose's math book, flipping through the pages with a surprised look on its face.

"Roze. Didz you... solve these?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah! I like to solve math problems when I'm bored." Rose narrowed her eyes at the Pokédex. "What? You don't believe I could do it?"

"Solve one! Solve one right in frontz of me! Right now!" Rotom spoke almost hysterically, ignoring Rose's skepticism. "Show me! Show me! Show me!"

"Okay, okay, okay! I will! I will! Just a moment, Jerry. This won't take me long."

Rose gently set Slowpoke back down onto the grass before storming her way to the book. She opened up a random page, pulled out a pen from her labcoat's pocket, and began to solve one of the equations. Within a minute, an extremely complex problem was reduced to a simple, easy-to-understand answer.

"Three. The answer is three." Rose slipped the pen back into her pocket and took a satisfied sigh. "Ah, working with numbers always manages to calm me down."

"Accordingz to my database that answer is... correct. Most people wouldn't know where to start with that problemz! Andz you did it so quickz! That waz... wowz!"

Without warning, Rotom swept the book from Rose's grip and took it into its own. Between its movements and its expressions, Rotom looked as if it were about to implode with energy.

"Hey wait! That's mine!" Rose shouted.

"Sorry, but I've got to borrow this for a minute! Azh! Roze! Once you're done here, meetz me back at the professor's place!"

"Wait, what? Rotom, wait! You should help us clean up—"

Ash's effort to stop Rotom was fruitless. The Pokédex zipped past the pair and right out of sight. There were few options but to follow its instructions.

* * *

With all her items collected and a newly acquired Jerry, Rose followed Ash back to Professor Kukui's beach house. Jerry sat on her shoulder, staring into the skies with its blank eyes. Its brain was likely equally blank.

When they arrived and walked inside, they saw Kukui inside waiting for them. He sat on the couch, flipping through Rose's math book while Rotom hovered over him. His eyes were wide.

"...Oh!" He looked up to meet the pair's puzzled glances. "Long time no see, Rose. You look well. As does your friend there."

"Slooooooooooow." Jerry slowly blinked.

"T-thank you, Professor Kukui sir!" Rose felt her palms become sweaty. "I was hoping to see you today! I wanted to ask you about... uh..."

"Rotom filled me in. And he also showed me that you have quite the talent." Kukui shut the math book and placed it down on his lap. "You really solved all these equations? You really have a love for math, huh?"

Rose nodded. "Yes, I do, sir! Any type of math, really! Algebra, calculus, statistics, and whatever else I could get my hands on!"

Ash listened silently, his head aching at the very thought of the complex subject.

"My goodness, Rose. You're a prodigy!" Kukui exclaimed.

"I-I am?! I didn't think it was anything that special! Ah! Now I'm feeling all embarrassed!" Rose rubbed her hands on her burning cheeks.

"This is special! And, well, if you're willing, I'd like to put that talent of yours to use. Biology involves much more math than you would think. And well, I hate it."

Kukui laughed at his own self-deprecation. Rose's expression went blank, matching that of Jerry's.

"Put my talent to use? What do you mean?"

"Well, Rotom came to me with this idea. We'll put a deal in place. I want you to help me deal with the numbers in my reports and studies. In exchange, I'll throw you a few bucks, and more importantly, I'll take you on as a special student of mine. I'll teach you all about Pokémon to the best of my ability."

Rose and Ash both had their jaws nearly drop to the ground. Ash looked to Rotom with both shock and approval.

"Woah, Rotom. I didn't expect you to help out Rose like that!" Ash gave a thumbs up. "Good on you!"

"Wellz..." Rotom wouldn't look anyone in the eye, "I'm a Pokédex. I've got to do my bestz to help people learn about Pokémon."

"...Are you being serious? You'll really let me be your student?" Happy tears pricked Rose's eyes. "This isn't a joke, right?"

"Of course not. I wouldn't pull your leg like that."

With a smile, Kukui stood up from the couch. He was immediately pushed back down onto the couch once Rose tackled the man with a hug. She reached forward and grabbed Rotom's arm, pulling it into the embrace.

"I accept! I accept! I accept! Thank you! Thank you! Kukui! Rotom! Thank you!" Rose spoke through hot, joyful tears. She looked back at Ash, though she did not loosen her grasp on the man nor the Pokédex. "Thank you, Ash! Get over here! Let me hug you, too!"

With a little chuckle, Ash dashed forward and essentially leaped into the group hug. The embrace was warm, and Rose felt warm. It felt almost like the first day of the rest of her life.