Pokemon Legends Arceus: Using the Mechanical items to change Rotom's form
Pokemon Legends Arceus is accessible despite how many Pokemon traditions it changes, but in other ways it holds things close to its chest, being deliberately obtuse and constantly giving players mysteries to discover. One such mystery you might've noticed are the Mechanical Items - that's the Mechanical Box, Cabinet, Tub, Pinwheel, and Circular Saw.
You'll likely first come across these items when they're offered to you by Ginter, a shop-owning Ginkgo Guild member who appears near the entrance to the Galaxy Expedition HQ in Jubilife Village. The Ginkgo Guild members here differ from the other other shops in that they sell only one item each in-game day, and it's typically either a bargain bundle of common items or more expensive items that are incredibly rare and in some instances exclusive to this store. That stock includes the five Mechanical Items, all of which are especially expensive:
But what do they do? Well, on this page we'll explain them - and if they're worth you buying...
What the Mechanical Items do in Pokemon Legends Arceus
These items are some of the most expensive in the game, matched only by a few very useful items, such as some of the most powerful crafting recipes. And since Ginter gives you a one-off 'take it or leave it' deal, you're faced with a difficult choice of if you're going to drop 20,000 or 40,000 Pokedollars on a weird, unknown item.
All of the different Mechanical Items all have the same utility. Specifically, each Mechanical Item lets you change the form of Rotom. Each item has a different visual look based on an electrical appliance, and that look is a suggestion of what introducing Rotom to it will do to it. This is useful as it changes Rotom's type, with each giving it a different dual type - which is useful for building a battle plan. You can use our Type Strength & Weakness primer for that.
While we're speaking about the look of the items, though, it's also worth noting that each of these unique items is actually delivered to your home in Jubilife Village, where your bed is. As such, this is one of a few ways to 'decorate' your home - each one has a unique spot and resembles a modern household appliance that doesn't strictly fit in the Hisui region. You interact with it in your house to affect Rotom. These items naturally don't belong in Hisui, but perhaps they fell through the Space-Time Distortions, as Pokemon like Porygon can.
Mechanincal Box (Microwave) - Heat Rotom
The Mechanical Box is pretty clearly a Microwave oven, and the game even acknowledges that fact... while also saying that it won't get used, as Beni does the cooking in Jubilife Village. When Ginter has it for sale, it'll set you back $10,000.
By having Rotom interact with the Microwave, it changes shape and transforms into Heat Rotom, which is an electric and fire-type, thus unlocking fire-type moves like Overheat.
Mechanical Cabinet (Refridgerator) - Frost Rotom
The Mechanical Cabinet manifests in your room in the village as a giant Refridgerator, which also of course doesn't seemingly exist at this point in time. It's the largest of the mechanical items - the Gingko Guild must've used a Pokemon to deliver it. It costs $20,000.
When Rotom interacts with the Mechanical Cabinet it naturally changes form to Frost Rotom, which gains a secondary type of Ice in addition to Rotom's natural electric typing. Rotom will also learn the move Blizzard.
Mechanical Tub (Washing Machine) - Wash Rotom
I thought this one was going to be a bath or shower of some description, but no - the Mechanical Tub is actually a clothes Washing Machine, another far-future electrical appliance by Legends Arceus' standards. When Ginter gets it in stock, it'll be $20,000 for one day only.
Introduce Rotom to your Mechanical Tub and it'll naturally get a new sub-type of Water. A Water and Electric mix isn't very common in this game, so that makes it useful. It also learns Hydro Pump as a result of the change.
Mechanical Pinwheel (Air Fan) - Fan Rotom
The Mechanical Pinwheel has an interesting name, but the Rotom form name is really on-the-nose compared to the other variants... because this item is literally a fan, like a desktop air fan. It gets placed into your room, and gives you a hi-tech cooling solution for those hot Hisui days.
Let Rotom take a look at your Mechanical Pinwheel and it'll became Fan Rotom (see?!), gaining a flying sub-type and access to Air Slash as a signature flying-type move.
Mechanical Circular Saw - Mow Rotom
The most expensive of these items, the Mechanical Circular Saw is sold for a whopping $40,000. It's one of the most expensive items in the game. It takes the form of a lawnmower, which... is not really the household appliance I'd expect. There's no paving in Hisui though, so I guess it's a particularly useful item.
Get Rotom to take in the Mechanical Circular Saw and it'll gain the grass sub-type and the ability to use Leaf Storm as its grass move. Again, Electric & Grass is an uncommon dual-typing in Pokemon Legends Arceus, so it's useful.