Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon. Pokémon is © Nintendo. Professor Samuel Oak is © Nintendo of America. Thanks go to without who's information; this would have taken me more than three hours to write. This is an example of what I believe a Pokémon Research Paper would be like. The topic addresses Evolution, but does not infringe upon any Religion. These are strictly my ideas concerning the idea of Pokémon Evolution.
The following is written at a 12.0 on the Flesch-Kincaid grade scale level.
Greetings, members of the Pokémon Academia. For centuries, we have been baffled by the extraordinary, miraculous, and spontaneous event known to occur in well over two-hundred species of Pokémon. Yes, this glorious change is Evolution. However, while there is no doubt that when a Pokémon evolves, it changes form, but why? How? How do we classify these Pokémon in regards to this marvelous change? What is the cause? And finally, why isn't this evolution permanent? All questions feed the major issue. Is Pokémon Evolution really Evolution?
Evolution is a gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form. With the exception of Pokémon, it is a change in the genetic composition of a population during successive generations, as a result of natural selection acting on the genetic variation among individuals, and resulting in the development of new species. However, Pokémon Evolution is neither gradual nor successive. There is a particular rhyme and rhythm to it, something not seen in any other life form. Because of that, we shall refer to it hereon in as 'spontaneous re-adaptability'.
Before we touch upon the subject of Evolution, first we should refresh our memories of certain basic details who's relevancy will be made apparent in due time. As written in the academic report filed by Professor Samuel Oak of the Kanto Research Association of Pokémon Genealogy, the 'level' of a Pokémon is measured by the average number of mitochondria by the trillion located within the Pokémon. Therefore, a Pokémon who's 'level' is 'two' has roughly two-trillion mitochondria in its body. Likewise, a Pokémon who's 'level' is 'one-hundred' has approximately one-hundred trillion mitochondria in its body. Once the mark of one-hundred trillion has been reached, the Pokémon ceases to rapidly produce mitochondria; instead, it merely produces at the same rate that it loses mitochondria either through natural means or battle.
The body of a Pokémon employs these mitochondria in fantastic ways, such as breathing fire or summoning rain. However, only through contest and conflict with other Pokémon can a Pokémon increase the amount of mitochondria in its body. Because of this, only Pokémon used by trainers have reached this level as wild Pokémon are normally docile and live in natural harmony with their surroundings. Even so, each and every Pokémon develops its mitochondria at a particular pace, even though this pace varies with each Pokémon. So far, only six individual paces have been discovered. They are, in order of quickest to longest, erratic, fast, normal, moderately slow, slow, and fluctuating, as described by the Serebii Institute of Information. The Erratic pace requires only 600,000 experience points to obtain one-hundred trillion mitochondria, roughly 166666.6…7 mitochondria per thousand experience points. Meanwhile, the Fluctuating pace requires a massive 1,640,000 experience points, clocking in at a poor 60975.6097561 mitochondria per thousand experience points.
With these two basic facts in mind, let's return to the issue of evolution. Pokémon #001, originally named Fushigidane, now known as simply Bulbasaur, is a Pokémon classified as both a plant and an animal. Setting aside its rate of growth as well as its type, Bulbasaur are known to spontaneously readapt at mitochondrion level 16 into Pokémon #002, Fushigisou, and now Ivysaur. This spontaneous adaptation betrays every meaning of the term 'evolution'. We cannot predict when even the most basic of bacteria will evolve, yet we have formulated the exact period when Bulbasaur will undergo its permanent transformation into Ivysaur. It is at mitochondrion level 16 that Bulbasaur will possess enough mitochondria to fuel its evolution.
Spontaneous Re-adaptability differs from evolution as we know it in other, more obvious manners. The first, and most extreme of these differences lies in the simple fact that spontaneous re-adaptability can be halted by both inanimate and active actions. The radiation from the Everstone, carbon-planetide, also known as CPl2, prevents spontaneous re-adaptability from taking place; unusual in relation to evolution because it is radiation that causes mutation, and thus evolution, to take place. Likewise, six other stones that utilize different combinations of Carbon and Mysticis, cause specific spontaneous re-adaptability in order to better suit their terrain. The Fire stone, CMy4, the Water Stone, C2My6, the Thunder Stone, C3My8, the Leaf Stone, C4My10, the Moon Stone, C5My12, and the Sun Stone, C5My14. It is curious that out of those six stones, only the Moon stone and the Sun stone do not occur naturally. The Moon stone is said to be of lunar descent while the Sun stone is supposedly birthed from cosmic dust. Even more curious is that while the so called 'Evolution Pokémon' Eevee is highly responsive towards the Fire, Water, and Thunder stones, it bears no noticeable reaction towards the Leaf stone, and will only evolve into Espeon and Umbreon via the Moon Stone and Sun Stone, respectably, when they are ground into dust. The Gateway to Pokétology staff is currently looking into this matter.
There are even more mysterious phenomena that occur with spontaneous re-adaptability. When 'traded', that is, when certain captured Pokémon are exchanged between trainers, they also undergo a change, four without material items, and six with. The four Pokémon, Golem, Alakazam, Machamp, and Gengar, obtain that form only when traded. It could be that these Pokémon underwent spontaneous re-adaptability in order to strengthen themselves for their former owner. Perhaps they were under the assumption that it was their lack of strength that caused the trainer to trade them away. But this occurs with only those four Pokémon, and always with those four Pokémon. Why? This isn't evolution. It is a genetic change that all Kadabra, Machoke, Haunter, and Graveler possess within their system. Several biologists from the Regional University of Johto are trying to isolate the gene that causes this change to occur.
While we're at least close to discovering the secret behind those four Pokémon, the six that require 'trade items' are far more mysterious. Steelix, the evolved form of Onix, can only be created upon trading an Onix with the Metal Coat attached. The same follows for Scyther's evolution into Scizor. Seadra evolved into Kingdra only with the Dragon's Scale. Porygon is upgraded into Porygon 2 with the Upgrade designed by the scientists at the Silph Company, and is the only way we can study this unique re-adaptation. Slowpoke evolves into the royal Slowking with the King's Rock; an unusual mutation of a Shellder shell taken from deceased Slowbro. Poliwhirl also uses the King's Rock to transform into Politoad. Finally, Clamperl uses two items, the Deep Sea Scale and the Deep Sea Tooth, to evolve into Gorebyss and Huntail, respectively. Silph has gladly taken it upon themselves to discover how this transformation occurs.
There is one more method of spontaneous re-adaptability; 'evolving' due to happiness. A Pokémon becomes so attached to its trainer that it changes to better suit the trainer's needs according to its environment. The two most noticeable cases of this are Eevee's transformation into Espeon or Umbreon, and Golbat's mutation into Crobat. Also noticeable are the tendency for the so-called 'baby' Pokémon, Pichu, Iggybuff, Cleffa, etc., to evolve only when they've become happy. This leads questioning to why there are few sightings of these baby Pokémon in the wild. Why are there Pikachu in the wild, yet no Crobat to be seen? The answer remains to be discovered.
There is one other facet of spontaneous re-adaptation that has not yet been covered, but it is quite a phenomenal occurrence. At certain mitochondrion levels, certain Pokémon; Koffing, Magnemite, and Diglet are the prime examples, fuse together in order to ascend to the next stage. It is curious as to why this happens ONLY at certain stages, but one could attribute it to certain pheromones released at the particular level.
In Magnemite's case, those pheromones would be in the form of special magnetic waves. It is, ergo, not surprisingly that once these Pokémon fuse together, they are unable to separate. Magneton's body is locked together with the same electromagnetic force that bonds the atoms. To separate these Pokémon, one would need an intense counter-electromagnetic pulse. However, in doing so, one risks the chance of erasing the Magneton's electromagnetic signature… effectively killing it. The resulting Magnemite would be inanimate, better used as paper weights inside of Pokémon battles.
Koffing and Diglet use scented pheromones to attract their partners for spontaneous re-adaptability. While Diglet's partners roam the earth and appear as soon as the primary Diglet enters the ground, Koffing's partner is formed from the very pheromones it releases. The resulting partner is diminutive. Once fused, Koffing ceases to admit that pheromone; however, its diminutive partner continues to spread a modified version of that very pheromone. The result is two gases mixed within the same body, increasing the resulting Weezing's toxicity and its tendency to explode. The force of the explosion is also strengthened by the mixture as opposed the Koffing's one.
It is, therefore, obvious that Pokémon Evolution is not true evolution. Rather, it is, as we have been calling it, a series of spontaneous re-adaptations in order to fit whatever situation may be in order. The wonders of Pokémon are great, but as scientists, we will never stop searching for the answers of the endless questions.
