The return of a legend

The start of trouble

It was incredible to Ash, just how much hearing someone talk tired him out. It was like the start of a sentence drained his energy, and every word zapped more and more. It was something he'd struggled with ever since joining the school, which he'd always found funny. He could trek through mountains and valleys, could travel all over a region and never feel tired, but sitting in a desk made him exhausted.

Although today seemed a special kind of exhausting. Although they were only halfway through the day, with the sun and the heat coming in from outside coupled with Professor Samson's voice, Ash was finding it very hard to keep his eyes open. Even Pikachu was feeling it. He was flat on Ash's desk, dozing softly against the wood. 

"Now that we've gotten through the basic concept of what Evolution is, now we must talk about the deeper concepts. First, we must identify the stages, and then we must identify the different types of bonds a Pokèmon can experience. For instance, there are four stages of Evolution and two types of bonds that we know of. Can anyone tell me what these may be?" Professor Samson explained as he wrote on the board, drawing four lines under the word Evolution and two under the word Bonds.

Mallow raised her hand. "The first three stages of Evolution are the stages of a Pokèmon's form changing, ranging from weakest to strongest. I'm not sure about that fourth one, though."

"Very good, Mallow. But, as with everything in science, we must know all of the available knowledge. Otherwise, we will never progress! Now, can anybody else tell me the fourth stage?"

The classroom went silent, with the sound of rustling papers as several students flipped through their notes. "Nobody? Very well. Ash, give me the fourth stage of Evolution." Samson turned to Ash, who was ever so slowly edging towards sleep.

"Mega Evolution." Ash yawned, stretching in his seat.

Samson filled in the last blank under Evolution, underlining it again. "Very good! Yes, Mega Evolution is indeed the fourth stage. But this is a very special stage of Evolution for a Pokèmon. Why is that?"

"Because the Pokèmon can return back to its previous form after it evolves. It's only a permanent change."

"Absolutely correct! Mega Evolution is quite a sight to see. It is fueled by two stones, a Key stone for the trainer and a specific Mega stone for the Pokèmon. When they have a strong personal bond, it allows them to become stronger as a team. It is more prevalent in some regions than others, mostly due to its elusive nature. Not much is known about how Mega Evolution truly works, but Professor Sycamore in the Kalos region is currently the leading researcher. It is important to know all four stages of Evolution because it allows you to understand where a Pokèmon stands. A Pichu in its first stage of Evolution won't be very strong against a Gyrados who is Mega-Evolved, despite the typing matchup favoring the Pichu. Which of course, leads us into Bonds."

Samson circled the word at the top of the board, moving to the right side of it. "There are many different ways to describe a bond, which means we must identify some of the characteristics of these bonds."

"It has to take place between a Pokèmon and a trainer." Kiawe offered.

"It takes time to develop. Very rarely does a person and Pokèmon immediately develop a bond." Lillie Said. 

"It can look really different between different Pokèmon and trainers!" Sophocles exclaimed. 

"All correct, and all very true! Yes, the bonds we are talking about are very strong things. Now, we have clearly labeled two different types of bonds. Kiawe, can you give me one?"

"A personal bond, like you mentioned earlier. The Pokèmon and the trainer getting closer through experiences together."

Samson nodded, writing Domestic bonds under the Bonds list. "Very good. The proper name for it is a domestic bond, but it is the most common bonds. This is what is normally seen between Pokèmon and people, what allows us to work together in harmony effortlessly. Now, does anyone have a guess on the second type."