Dear Professor Oak,
I have a question that involves the phenomenon known as mega evolution. Is it possible for a Pokémon outside of the battle field, adding to that can said Pokémon then mega evolve one their own without their trainer having used a keystone to trigger the phenomenon. The reason I’m asking this is because my Froslass, Demetria, seems to be able to stay in her mega evolved state for long stretches of time and it also appears that she prefers her mega form over her regular form.
To give some background, it’s been like this ever since I discovered a Froslassite in the Frost Cavern found in Dendemille Town during a field trip to the Kalos region organized by the head of the history department of my school. If I remember correctly the field trip happened during my time studying in the Paldea region at Mesagoza Academy. It was a few weeks after the Almeria Battle Conference which I participated in as well. We did pretty well but Demetria definitely wasn’t the strongest on my team and would be knocked out in a few turns, she gave it her all through but it seemed to dishearten her slightly that she couldn’t claim a single win.
With this I decided to take her along on the field trip in hopes of cheering her up and to do some one on one training so she could catch up with the rest of the team. During our training session in Frost Cavern one of her attacks went off course, shattering a nearby stalagmite which revealed the Froslassite hidden within. The moment Demetria laid eyes on the Froslassite she immediately went to it, picking it up and returning with a big grin on her face. Once she was back by my side she began making rapid gestures to the stone then to herself, it was almost as if she knew that the stone would help her get stronger. Of course I did a little research on the stone and was able to confirm that it was Froslassite which made her jump for joy.
I had never seen her like this before but I just caulked it up to her being excited about mega evolving for the first time. Demetria let out a happy trill when I told her that we would try it out in a one on one battle and I couldn’t help but get excited too. It was the perfect opportunity to also use the keystone my cousin from Kanto gifted me for my sixteenth birthday. And I’ve heard a lot about the phenomenon from my Kanto cousin who has a Lucario who can mega evolve as well and they just so happened to be in the area so I was able to challenge him to a mega evolution battle.
Of course, it was a total blast with Demetria going head-to-head with his mega Lucario who was no match for Demetria and her new power boost. But once the battle was over, she didn’t return back to her normal form which surprised me and my cousin. So, this was obviously a concern since this was my first real experience with the mega phenomenon, and I didn’t know if this was normal or not. Even now she seems to prefer to stay in this form, only turning back when she’s either one in her pokeball or two defeated in a battle which is rare now with her new power. Should I be concerned about this at all? I could use a professional opinion on the matter. Although my cousin did recently run into another trainer with a mega evolved Starmie who was walking alongside their trainer. I think his name was Professor Friede or something. My cousin only caught their name in passing. Either way, what's your thoughts on this?
Sincerely Wren
"First of all, Wren, I sincerely apologize it took me so long to answer. With summer vacation rolling around, the lab has been pretty short staffed. I've had my hands tied to my work, but I hope the naswer makes up for it."
"I don't know the exact dates of your visit to Kalos, but maybe you've heard that recently, a lot of Pokémon, both wild and partners of trainers, have experienced surges in their mega evolutions. I heard there was a special team set on investigating the matter, but I have no clue if they ever found what caused the phenomenon. But the fact that this happened has led me to believe that it would indeed be possible for a Pokémon to mega evolve without a trainer's help, and even stay that way for extended periods of time. Is this harmful to the Pokémon? Initial research on Mega Evolution had scientists convinced it to be a big strain on the Pokémon. But your Froslass Demetria seems to be enjoying herself. Just as long as you keep a watchful eye that they aren't exhausting themselves, I don't think there is much harm in it. If you want to be sure, you can try and contact Professor Sycamore's lab in Lumiose City, Kalos. He is the current leading expert on the matter. As for this Professor Friede you mentioned, I don't think I've heard from him since he left Exceed. Give him my regards if you run into him again!"
- Professor Oak
// Thank you for your ask. Feel free to interact again anytime!
