#0479 · Sinnoh · Generation 4

Rotom

Plasma Pokémon · Electric/Ghost-type

Rotom is a Electric/Ghost-type Pokémon, the Plasma Pokémon, number 479 (#0479) in the National Pokédex. It was introduced in Generation 4 and comes from the Sinnoh region. It is 0.3 m tall and weighs 0.3 kg.

Rotom, the Plasma Pokémon, is a dual Electric and Ghost type whose plasma body slips inside household machines and takes control of them for mischief. Let it into a microwave, a washing machine or a lawn mower and it changes form.

How to pronounce Rotom

Rotom is pronounced ROH-tom. The capital letters show the stressed syllable.

Listen to Rotom said out loud:

In Japanese it is ロトム.

Hear every other name on the Pokémon pronunciation guide.

Lore

Biology

Small and orange, Rotom is 0.3 m tall and 0.3 kg, with a rounded body and a pointed top like a lightning rod. Bolt-shaped sparks of whitish-blue electricity trail from it, and its blue eyes are split by a line across the middle. Bulbapedia says anyone who touches the basic form gets shocked, and the Rotom Catalog says that form lives in a light bulb. The Pokédex says its plasma body can enter machines and take control of them.

Behaviour

Rotom loves pranks. The Pokédex says it takes over machines to make mischief, and a Legends: Arceus entry calls it both smart and mischievous. Bulbapedia adds that some Rotom use their talents to help instead, and that it tends to settle in abandoned buildings.

Habitat

The Pokédex gives no habitat. In Diamond, Pearl and Platinum it hides in a television in Sinnoh's Old Chateau, and in X and Y in the Lost Hotel.

Powers

In its basic form Rotom uses Thunder Shock, Discharge and Hex, and its Ability is Levitate. Each appliance form has its own type and signature move: Heat Rotom (microwave, Overheat), Wash Rotom (washing machine, Hydro Pump), Frost Rotom (refrigerator, Blizzard), Fan Rotom (electric fan, Air Slash) and Mow Rotom (lawn mower, Leaf Storm). Bulbapedia also lists Stereo Rotom, a stereo with the Electric and Normal types, which appears only in Pokémon Pokopia. The appliance forms raise Special Attack to 105 and Defense and Special Defense to 107, at the cost of a little Speed (86 instead of 91).

Name origin

Rotom is 'motor' spelled backwards. The Japanese name is Rotom (ロトム).

Design inspiration

Rotom looks modelled on poltergeists or on tsukumogami, household objects said to be possessed by ghosts, although Bulbapedia notes that tsukumogami traditionally dislike electricity. The Legends: Arceus Pokédex calls it an electric will-o'-the-wisp, and it may also draw on ball lightning or gremlins. These are fan readings.

In the games

In Sun and Moon a Rotom lives inside your Rotom Pokédex, and in the Galar and Paldea games and Legends: Z-A one lives inside the Rotom Phone. It first appeared in Diamond and Pearl, with appliance forms arriving in Platinum. In Scarlet and Violet it appears in Paldea's East and West Provinces and in Tera Raid Battles, and in Legends: Z-A only in the Mega Dimension DLC's Hyperspace Lumiose.

In the anime

Rotom debuted in 'Get Your Rotom Running!', toying with Ash and his friends in the Old Chateau in all of its forms. The Rotom living in Ash's Alolan Pokédex first appeared in 'Loading the Dex!'.

Fun facts

• Rotom is the only Pokémon that uses the Legendary Pokémon battle music in Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, even though it is not a Legendary.
• In Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the form of Lucas's Rotom depends on which starter you chose.
• Along with Arceus's forms, Rotom's forms are the only alternate forms missing from Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky.
• Rotom and its forms already existed in Hisui hundreds of years before Sinnoh's appliances, apparently because machines were sent into the past.
• In the anime episode 'That New Old Gang of Mine!', Ash's Rotom Phone describes the Rotom Pokédex as purely Electric.

Sources: Bulbapedia: Rotom (Pokémon) · Serebii: Rotom (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex)

Base stats

• HP: 50
• Attack: 50
• Defense: 77
• Sp. Atk: 95
• Sp. Def: 77
• Speed: 91

Rotom’s base stat total is 440. Its highest stat is Sp. Atk.

Type matchups

What is Rotom weak to?

Rotom takes extra damage from Ground (2×), Ghost (2×), Dark (2×) moves.

It resists Electric (½×), Poison (½×), Flying (½×), Bug (½×), Steel (½×).

It is immune to Normal, Fighting moves.

Evolution

Rotom does not evolve, and it does not evolve from any other Pokémon.

Forms

• Heat Rotom (Forme): Electric/Fire-type, base stat total 520 (HP 50, Attack 65, Defense 107, Sp. Atk 105, Sp. Def 107, Speed 86). Ability: Levitate.
• Wash Rotom (Forme): Electric/Water-type, base stat total 520 (HP 50, Attack 65, Defense 107, Sp. Atk 105, Sp. Def 107, Speed 86). Ability: Levitate.
• Frost Rotom (Forme): Electric/Ice-type, base stat total 520 (HP 50, Attack 65, Defense 107, Sp. Atk 105, Sp. Def 107, Speed 86). Ability: Levitate.
• Fan Rotom (Forme): Electric/Flying-type, base stat total 520 (HP 50, Attack 65, Defense 107, Sp. Atk 105, Sp. Def 107, Speed 86). Ability: Levitate.
• Mow Rotom (Forme): Electric/Grass-type, base stat total 520 (HP 50, Attack 65, Defense 107, Sp. Atk 105, Sp. Def 107, Speed 86). Ability: Levitate.

Abilities

• Levitate: Evades Ground moves.

Moves

Moves Rotom learns by level up in Scarlet / Violet

TM moves (39)

Rotom can learn 39 moves from TMs in Scarlet / Violet: Protect, Confuse Ray, Thief, Charge Beam, Facade, Hex, Swift, Stored Power, Night Shade, Endure, Volt Switch, Sunny Day, Rain Dance, Foul Play, Sleep Talk, Electro Ball, Reflect, Light Screen, Thunder Wave, Rest, Dark Pulse, Eerie Impulse, Substitute, Will-O-Wisp, Trick, Shadow Ball, Hyper Voice, Thunderbolt, Helping Hand, Electric Terrain, Nasty Plot, Thunder, Tera Blast, Charge, Spite, Uproar, Poltergeist, Pain Split, Electroweb.

Breeding & training

• Gender: genderless.
• Egg groups: Amorphous.
• Egg cycles: 20 (steps to hatch, Scarlet/Violet: 2,560).
• Catch rate: 45 out of 255.
• Base friendship (Gen 8 onward): 50.
• Growth rate: Medium (1,000,000 experience points to reach level 100).
• Defeating it gives 1 Sp. Atk and 1 Speed effort values.
• Base experience yield: 154.

Pokédex entries

This bizarre Pokémon appears to be a will-o'-the-wisp powered by electricity. Be wary, as Rotom is both smart and mischievous. (Legends: Arceus)

With a body made of plasma, it can inhabit all sorts of machines. It loves to surprise others. (Shield)

One boy's invention led to the development of many different machines that take advantage of Rotom's unique capabilities. (Sword)

Its body is composed of plasma. It is known to infiltrate electronic devices and wreak havoc. (Diamond, Pearl, Y, Alpha Sapphire)

Research continues on this Pokémon, which could be the power source of a unique motor. (HeartGold, SoulSilver, X, Omega Ruby)

Its electric-like body can enter some kinds of machines and take control in order to make mischief. (Platinum, Black, White, Black 2, White 2)

Names around the world

Trivia

• Lightest Electric type: 0.3 kg, shared with 1 other.
• Lightest Electric type in Gen 4: 0.3 kg.
• Shortest Electric type in Gen 4: 0.3 m.
• Lightest Ghost type in Gen 4: 0.3 kg.
• Shortest Ghost type in Gen 4: 0.3 m.
• The only Pokémon with the Electric/Ghost typing.
• Taller than 4% of all Pokémon (0.3 m).
• Heavier than 1% of all Pokémon (0.3 kg).
• Base stat total 440, ranked #527 of 1,025.
• One of 1 Pokémon that are both Electric and Ghost.
• One of 97 red Pokémon.
• Number 93 of 107 Pokémon introduced in Generation 4 (Sinnoh).
• Can learn 44 different moves in Scarlet / Violet.
• Catch rate 45: about 5.9% per Poké Ball at full health.
• Has 5 alternate forms.
• Appears in 6 distinct Pokédex entries.

Sources and fact-checking

• Stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions, forms and Pokédex entries: PokéAPI open game data.
• Lore: written by pokee.si in our own words, researched from Bulbapedia: Rotom (Pokémon), Serebii: Rotom (Scarlet/Violet Pokédex).
• Pronunciation (ROH-tom): it follows how the English anime, games or official videos say it.

Last checked: 20 October 2026. Every sentence of the lore was checked against Bulbapedia, Serebii and the game data.

Explore

Electric-type Pokémon · Ghost-type Pokémon · Electric/Ghost weaknesses and matchups · Sinnoh region guide · Levitate ability · Compare Rotom · Full Pokédex · Type chart · All moves

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Gen 4 Electric-type Pokémon · Gen 4 Ghost-type Pokémon · Gen 4 Pokémon list · Red Pokémon list · Amorphous egg group · Pokémon that start with R

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