Chapter 191: The Potential for Permanent Mega Evolution
The future Sycamore Pokémon Lab was, for now, just an underground research facility. Although the location wasn't great, the interior environment was clean and spacious, and it wasn't lacking in any research equipment. It seemed she wasn't some shady researcher.
"Welcome, to the future greatest research lab in the Kalos region~" Platane said, bringing over two small stools.
Will and Meowscarada looked at the tiny things and scoffed. They weren't even big enough for their feet, let alone for them to sit on.
"Hehe, sorry about that. I don't usually have visitors, so I didn't prepare any big chairs," Platane said, scratching her head in embarrassment.
"Forget it. Where's your research? And by the way, you don't have a single Pokémon. What exactly are you researching?" Will asked, wandering around the lab. He really couldn't see anything useful and was starting to regret coming. Come to think of it, what kind of valuable research could a teenager produce? The professors in the anime were all ancient.
"Come, come! Let me introduce you to my research content," Platane said, walking to the innermost part of the lab. She pressed a button, turning on a large screen, and then wheeled over several blackboards covered in writing.
A bunch of spiral ladders appeared on the screen. An ordinary Pokémon would have been baffled, but Will at least knew it was DNA. But that was all he could make out. He couldn't understand a single bit of the data written next to it or on the blackboards. Not because he didn't understand the concepts, but because he couldn't read the words.
"My current field of research is whether a Pokémon's genes have an influence on its evolution," Platane said, pointing to the screen and the blackboard, her expression gradually becoming firm. "I suspect... that a Pokémon's evolution... has no end!"
Will's eyebrows shot up. He looked at her in surprise. He couldn't not be surprised. Mega Evolution being used in battle wouldn't happen for another 190 years. As for when it was publicly revealed, there was no specific time. But Will estimated it couldn't have been this early.
"You probably won't believe me. Look at this," Platane said, changing the image on the screen to show a Greninja. "This is a Pokémon from the Kalos region... and the one that made me realize that Pokémon might have a higher stage of evolution... is this!"
She changed the image again. This time, it was a mural... of Ash-Greninja.
!
Will immediately remembered. When Ash and his friends were traveling in the Kalos region, they had visited a place called the "Ninja Village." This mural was from there.
"In my village, there is a legend about a hero, and that hero's Pokémon was this uniquely-formed Greninja!" Platane said excitedly. "The others in the village don't understand, but I know! This must be a fourth stage of evolution, beyond Greninja!"
You actually guessed right, Will thought, his expectations rising. When he had first arrived in Kalos, he had been excited about the possibility of finding a way to Mega Evolve himself. He knew it was almost impossible, but now, by a twist of fate, he had run into this. Platane's genetic research was actually heading down the path of Mega Evolution.
"This discovery excited me so much that I immediately began to investigate. It's only been two years, but I've already made a discovery!" Platane said, switching the screen back to the DNA.
"According to my research, the DNA of many Pokémon in the ancient era was vastly different from their DNA today. In the ancient era, their DNA seemed to be able to promote their development and evolution to a higher level. But now, as their genes have continuously degraded and changed, many Pokémon have lost the ability to evolve to that higher level. So I thought, if I could restore a Pokémon's genes to their ancient form, could I stimulate their latent potential and cause them to evolve?"
Meowscarada was already dozing off from her lecture, but Will's mind was reeling. What she was saying... it actually made a lot of sense.
The official explanation for Mega Evolution is the "temporary release of a Pokémon's hidden power." That meant the power was already inside them. The Mega Stone and Key Stone were just the "keys" to unlock that seal.
But if, according to Platane's theory, you could achieve Mega Evolution by restoring the genes... that would be a completely different concept. The latter was temporary. The former... would most likely be permanent.
"Hehe, so, what do you think? Sceptile, Meowscarada, do you want to research this with me? I'm calling this project... Primal Reversion!"
"...This world is really full of brilliant people," Will said, glancing at her. Primal Reversion. That was the special form of Groudon and Kyogre.
"Meow," Meowscarada crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. She felt this research was dangerous. This Platane would definitely use them as test subjects, mess with their genes, and what if they turned into monsters?
"Don't be so wary of me. I know your concerns. But don't worry, I've only ever used the bodies of Pokémon that died decades ago for my experiments," Platane said, rubbing her hair, which was now a mess. She looked like a mad scientist.
"Please, please? You two are so beautiful, your genes must be perfect. I won't do any internal experiments! We'll just take the genes out and experiment on them externally. There's no risk at all!" Platane pleaded, seeing Meowscarada's attitude.
She wasn't lying. She was a researcher, after all, and would probably become a Professor in a few years. With her knowledge, she could easily see how unique Will and Meowscarada were. Especially Will. His physique was almost identical to the Sceptile data from a thousand years ago.
"Let's try it," Will said, nodding at her.
"Meow!" Meowscarada stared at him, wide-eyed.
"It's fine. It's not an internal experiment. And besides, I'll be the only one doing it. You don't have to," Will said, rubbing her head.
He was looking forward to this experiment, not for the results of the next day or two, but for the future. He knew that even with his sample, she wouldn't be able to find a way to make him permanently Mega Evolve in a short time. But in the future... there was a possibility. He had endless futures. He could wait.
"Thank you so much! I definitely won't let you down, Sceptile!" Platane was ecstatic. She immediately ran to her lab bench, grabbed a bunch of instruments, and came back.
"What do you need?"
"Come, come, Sceptile, lie down on this table. I'm going to take a little of your blood, saliva, a leaf, some skin flakes..."
"Alright, you don't have to list them all. Just do it," Will said, stopping her.
He lay down on the cold experimental table and closed his eyes, preparing to take a nap. He trusted that Meowscarada, with her wariness of Platane, would be watching her like a hawk and wouldn't let her do anything funny.
He closed his eyes... and opened them again. Two hours had passed.
"My goodness~ It's hard to imagine that you're a Sceptile living in this era," Platane said, staring at the data sheet in her hands. "I'm even starting to suspect that you accidentally traveled here from the past."
"The results," Will said, sitting up.
"I don't have an ancient Sceptile DNA sample, so I can't compare your DNA to that. But compared to a modern Sceptile's DNA... the difference in your genetic sequence is 3%. This is... incredible."
"That much?" Will asked, looking down at himself. Other than his vibrant color, sharper leaves, and larger size, he didn't seem that different. 3% sounded small. But... the genetic difference between a human and a chimpanzee is only 1%. So, a 3% difference was enough to classify him as a different species.
"To put it bluntly, if a Sceptile can evolve further, the probability of it happening to you is the highest," Platane said, her eyes shining. "Sigh, it seems I'll have to go to the Hoenn region myself. I need to find an ancient Sceptile fossil. Only then can I know what's different."
"So you're not going to continue the research now?" Will asked. If that was the case, he and Meowscarada were leaving.
"No! Don't leave me! Sceptile! I'm begging you, don't abandon me!"
The moment Will turned, Platane pounced, grabbing his large tail and wailing. The sound echoed through the lab, making Will and Meowscarada's heads spin.
"Are you insane?!" Will swatted her away with his tail.
"Oh~ such a strong and powerful swish... it's so... addictive..." Platane said, rolling on the ground, an unnatural flush on her face.
Will and Meowscarada looked at her with disgust. They now understood why she didn't have any Pokémon of her own.
"Sceptile, Meowscarada, don't go~ Stay with me for a little while longer! I'll cover all your food and living expenses! You can go and play wherever you want. Just give me a few experimental samples every day!" Platane crawled over and grabbed both of their ankles, looking like a zombie that had just seen a human.
"...Meow." Meowscarada's ears twitched. She looked at Will. Hearing that her food and living expenses would be covered, she was a little tempted. She wanted to eat her way through Lumiose City before they left.
"You want to stay? Alright... we really should rest in one place for a while," Will considered, then nodded.
"YAHOO~"
Two months passed in the blink of an eye. Including the time it took to travel, they had been in the Kalos region for four or five months now. The calendar had turned to the 26th year of the League Era.
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