The approval for Lysandre Labs to start the research of Project X and Project Y got through the Government surprisingly fast. When I asked my uncle, all he said was that it is because the Government is as desperate as he is in solving the resource strain problem brought about by our region's overpopulation.

Also, I was given clearance by the Kalos Government and the Kalos League to know about the super secret behind the bioenergy derived from pokemon.

Mega Evolution

Under the help of trainers and certain items, certain species of pokemon are capable of temporarily evolving even further than their final evolutionary form. My uncle had said that Core, my garchomp, belongs to one such species of pokemon known to be capable of undergoing that process. As to how the process is actually invoked is a mystery, but what everyone knows so far is that the trainer needs to use a Key Stone, which is usually embedded in a tool called the Mega Ring or the Mega Bracelet, depending on which you prefer. Your pokemon that is capable of Mega Evolution needs to hold onto a very specific item catered to its species. For Core, that item is a garchompite.

The energy produced during the process of Mega Evolution is the bioenergy that my uncle and his team of scientists had accidentally discovered. They happened to unearth several Key Stones and Mega Stones near Shalour City and when they finally figured how it worked and discovered Mega Evolution all on their own, the energy produced from the process was what they named Infinity Energy.

However, that energy is dangerous.

Malva warned my uncle again and again that the Pokemon World League had imposed a strict five minutes safety guideline for invoking Mega Evolution. Trainers who are let in on this secret and who are trusted enough by their regional League to use this power should not sustain Mega Evolution for more than five minutes. Doing so will have irreversible impacts on their pokemon. Malva had shown me a historical record of a mega evolved scizor melting away from its own heat produced during Mega Evolution, all because the trainer and the scizor sustained the temporary form for more than five minutes.

The Pokemon World League is also very strict on controlling the release of the knowledge and items needed for Mega Evolution. In fact, from what I was let in on, each of the founding Champions that helped found the Pokemon World League more than five hundred years ago unanimously agreed to make Mega Evolution a tightly guarded secret and this ruling still applies today. That's how powerful and dangerous this power is.

This arrangement came about because that period of time was when war in each region had only just subsided. Before that period of peace, the powers of Mega Evolution were often misused, bringing untold devastation to the lands. In the wrong hands, Mega Evolution can easily destroy the hard fought peace the Pokemon World League had been trying to maintain for the past five centuries.

Kalos is the place where Mega Evolution first originated, or at least that was what Malva told me what the PWL suspected. We possess the most number of mega stones and key stones because our region is very likely where these stones first came from. Geographers had claimed that the seven regions used to be one massive landmass before they split up into the seven regions we know today. It was how the mega stones and key stones find their way into the other regions before the great split.

As to how these stones first came about, no one knew.

When my uncle asked me for my help in contributing to Project X and Project Y and told me that Xerneas and Yveltal may be the origin behind the Infinity Energy and indirectly, the origin behind Mega Evolution, I cannot help but wonder if Mega Evolution is the energy source powering the ultimate weapon, and if the Kalos King is the one responsible for creating Mega Evolution. Consider this:

1) In the story, it's said that 'The lives of many pokemon were used to revive the pokemon that was loved by the Kalos King.' Since pokemon were used to power the ultimate weapon, it means that the energy used is a form of bioenergy.

2) Infinity Energy is also a form of bioenergy. That means that the ultimate weapon was most likely powered by this same Infinity Energy, which means the ultimate weapon was likely powered by the energy produced by Mega Evolution, or maybe the reverse is also true, that the ultimate weapon created Mega Evolution

3) Xerneas and Yveltal are suspected to be the origin of Infinity Energy, and hence also the origin behind Mega Evolution

4) The Kalos King is said to be wandering for eternity and Xerneas has the power to bestow eternal life. The Kalos King had most likely come across Xerneas at the very least if the story is to be believed.

Could the Kalos King be the one responsible for the creation of Mega Evolution through his ultimate weapon?

In that case, for me to investigate the history of the truth behind the Story of the Kalos King, I will first need to investigate the true history behind Mega Evolution.

How do I even start going about it?

"Find Professor Sycamore." Was Malva's reply when I asked her about it because she is one of the few who is let known about the existence of Mega Evolution. "He's an expert on the topic."

Hence, I travelled to the South Boulevard of Lumiose to visit Professor Augustine Sycamore.

"Mega Evolution? Oh, I'm not an expert in that subject." Professor Sycamore waved me off when I asked him about this phenomenon behind closed doors. "No one can claim to be an expert on Mega Evolution because it is just so mysterious. I'm dubbed as the 'expert' simply because I happen to know more than others."

"But surely you have an inkling behind its history? Like how and where it first came from?"

"I do." Professor Sycamore nodded as he put down his cup of tea that he had prepared for us. "But like you, all I have are speculations. There is no concrete evidence. I like what you had speculated though, there are certain parts that agree with mine so I think we might be on the right track."

"Which is?" I asked in excitement, eager to know more about Mega Evolution.

"That Xerneas and Yveltal are somehow involved in creating Mega Evolution." Professor Sycamore spoke in a more serious voice. "The power to govern life and death is a great power, Nova. If what you think is the truth behind the story of the Kalos King really is the truth, that the Kalos King had been given eternal life as punishment for his sins, then him, Xerneas, Yveltal, and the ultimate weapon may be the reason how Mega Evolution came about. Let me tell you what I know."

Professor Sycamore adjusted himself in his chair before speaking.

"Now, from what I found out, there is a very specific energy produced during Mega Evolution that makes Mega Stones work. That energy can only be produced when there is a trainer and a pokemon involved. What I speculate from my various experiments is that, the stronger the bond between the trainer and the pokemon, the more energy is released. That energy is what your uncle calls the Infinity Energy."

I nodded as I jotted down some notes for easy referencing. Even with my photographic memory, sometimes, it is easier to organise your thoughts if you write it down somewhere.

"Without a trainer, even when the pokemon itself holds its corresponding mega stone, nothing happens no matter how we tried." Professor Sycamore continued. "We tried to see if we could dissect the mega stones to see how it works, but doing so reveals nothing other than the fact that these stones somehow contain the DNA of the same species of pokemon that corresponds with the stone."

"DNA?"

"Yes, DNA." Professor Sycamore confirmed. "We are still trying to work out why and how a stone actually has DNA. All we know is that these stones are not natural. They are man-made."

Now that's interesting.

"So, you are telling me that some ancient civilisations had the technology and knowledge to produce mega stones?"

"Very likely." Professor Sycamore nodded. "But considering that the mega stones contain DNA in them, it probably was a result of inhumane experiments. In any case, knowledge of the true history and the manufacturing of mega stones is long lost. The PWL is still trying to see if they find a way to recreate mega stones but every attempt was a failure. However, you brought up a new point."

Professor Sycamore pointed a finger at me.

"Now, if what you speculate is true, that both Mega Evolution and Xerneas' own power was involved to power that ultimate weapon, then the missing key to creating a mega stone may be Xerneas' power. As far as we can track, the oldest mega stone the PWL has in their possession is also about 3,000 years old. It coincides with the timing of the Kalos War."

I nearly jumped out of my seat in excitement.

"That means that the Kalos King-"

"May very well be the one who created the technology that allows him to create mega stones." Professor Sycamore completed the sentence. "Problem is, did the Kalos King invent the process of Mega Evolution to power the weapon, or is Mega Evolution a by-product created by the ultimate weapon?"

"The lives of many pokemon were used to revive the pokemon that was loved by the Kalos King." I recited that particular narration of the story once more as I forced my mind to work double time. "You said mega stones had pokemon's DNA in them, but what about key stones?"

"Human DNA." Professor Sycamore said grimly. "Basically, everyone who carries a key stone with them is carrying a piece of a person's corpse. It's just not common knowledge to them."

I shuddered at that thought.

"Why do I suddenly feel like a detective working on an unsolved murder case?"

Professor Sycamore gave a chuckle at my words.

"I felt the same when I first learnt about this part of Mega Evolution." The kind professor sighed as he drank his tea once more. "Don't think too much about it. The horrors of the war are over. Nobody is planning to manufacture key stones and mega stones in the same way we suspect it to be. Just focus on piecing together an objective and unbiased view of the true history of Mega Evolution."

Professor Sycamore scribbled something down on a piece of paper before handing it to me.

"Go find Korrina in Shalour City. Say that I sent you there to enter the prohibited levels of the Tower of Mastery."

"Tower of Mastery?" I asked, not knowing where this is going.

"If you truly want to learn more about the history of Mega Evolution that our region is guarding, the Tower of Mastery is the place you need to visit." Professor Sycamore stressed. "Like you and me, the Kalos League and the PWL are also interested in the true history of how Mega Evolution came about. I know what your uncle is trying to do. If your uncle really succeeded in using the powers of Mega Evolution to create this Infinity Energy, he might have just solved the energy crisis problem plaguing our region and also the world. This is all for a good cause, the League and the Government will definitely give you their full support."

I accepted the piece of paper.

"However, like I said, everything I shared with you today is strictly confidential." Professor Sycamore stressed once more. "If word got out to the many villainous teams around the world that there is such a thing as Mega Evolution and they figured out how to harness its power, we might have very well doomed the world."

"They would very likely create their own ultimate weapon." I finished with a grave tone in my voice. "A repeat of the Kalos War."

"Exactly." Professor Sycamore nodded in agreement. "I will bring it up to the League about your speculations behind Xerneas' possible involvement behind Mega Evolution. Most likely, if Xerneas was really involved, then Yveltal probably was also involved in some manner. According to the legends surrounding them, when one of them acts, the other will too."

"And if the Kalos King really is still wandering around today…"

"Then maybe it's best we leave him undisturbed." Professor Sycamore finished. "I'm interested in the secrets of Mega Evolution but I don't want to find out how it was used or involved in making the ultimate weapon."

I glanced at the piece of paper in my hands.

Tower of Mastery, huh?


"Eh, if you really want to know the entire truth of Mega Evolution that I know, then you would have to ask Grandpa. He's the one who I learned the history of Mega Evolution from."

Korrina, the Gym Leader of Shalour City, pondered out loud as she skated around me in circles in a private room we are in.

"I still find it hard to believe that the League and Government gave Lysandre Labs the go ahead to research on Mega Evolution, just like that." Korrina had a more serious frown on her face as she did an abrupt T-brake. "Mega Evolution is dangerous, especially to pokemon. There's a reason why the PWL imposed a strict five minutes safety guideline. Our Government must be very desperate to meet our region's energy needs to allow your uncle to continue his research. Still-"

Korrina snatched the piece of paper that Professor Sycamore had given me from my hands when she suddenly skated past me.

"I trust Professor Sycamore." Korrina stated as she read the piece of paper. "If he thinks you are trustworthy, then you are trustworthy. Although, I think it would be basic courtesy for me to warn you of something before you embark on trying to climb the Tower of Mastery to meet Grandpa."

I can feel my eyebrows rising to meet my hairline. I don't think I like where this is going if even a Gym Leader has that kind of look on her face.

"You will have to fight your way through the Tower to meet him, very literally."


Character and pokemon list:

Nova Labelle, Age: 26, Female, Ground Specialist, Historian, Niece of Lysandre

Pokemon on hand:

1. Mamoswine (Berg), Male

2. Golem (Crust), Female

3. Excadrill (Solid), Male

4. Golurk (Drift), Genderless

5. Garchomp (Core), Male

6. Claydol (Vision), Genderless

7. Whiscash (Seis), Male

8. Marowak (Tinen), Female

9. Torterra (Terra), Female

10. Gigalith (Mantle), Male

11. Tyrantrum (Jaws), Male

12. Aurorus (Sail), Female

13. Sandile (Rumble), Male