"Okay, everyone!" Ash said. "Today I'm going to be giving a lesson about evolution!"
He looked back and forth. "What's the first thing you think of when you think of evolution and what it's like?"
"It's something I can't do?" Togedemaru asked.
"Probably," Ash agreed.
"Probably?" Togedemaru repeated. "What do you mean, probably?"
"We'll get to it!" Ash answered. "But to me the most important thing about evolution is that it's something that happens to a Pokémon. That means it's a really big change for them, and not all Pokémon want to evolve."
He shrugged. "It's a lot like other things where humans have to remember to pay attention to what their Pokémon want, and it's especially important because evolutions almost always can't be reversed."
"Almost always?" Lillie asked. "Oh, yeah, your Pidgey…"
"Right!" Ash agreed. "That's one example, but there's probably others out there… but it doesn't change how important it is to listen to your Pokémon and pay attention to whether they want to evolve. And if they don't want to evolve, that's when you might need to get them an Everstone."
He sent out Dratini, who waved her tail at everyone. "This is Dratini, and she doesn't want to evolve, so she's got an Everstone to make sure she doesn't. That's because Dratini evolving into Dragonair is one of the kind of evolution that just happens when a Pokémon's body is ready for it, so since she's not ready for it but her body might think differently the Everstone stops it happening by accident. Pokémon can make themselves not evolve if they realize it's happening early enough, but without an Everstone it can be uncomfortable and it doesn't always work."
"That's right!" Dratini confirmed.
"Another kind of evolution is the kind that happens when a Pokémon faces a specific experience," Ash said. "Like Lokoko, because she's a Ninetales. Fire-type Vulpix evolve to Ninetales when they're exposed to a Fire Stone, and Ice-type Vulpix evolve when they're exposed to an Ice Stone."
Snowy put up her paw.
"Do we need to be ready otherwise?" she asked.
"No, actually!" Ash answered. "A Pokémon can evolve that way even if they're really young and definitely wouldn't be able to evolve the first way. For a Pokémon like Snorunt, they evolve into Glalie if they're ready for it, but female ones – so far – evolve into Froslass if they use a Dawn Stone. Same thing with a Kirlia evolving into Gardevoir or Gallade."
"So," Kiawe began. "Snowy could become a Ninetales today, but it depends on a lot of things if she should."
"Yeah!" Ash agreed. "It's usually better for a Pokémon to not evolve that way until they've done a bit of developing, because otherwise it can leave them with problems… but that's a general thing, not a rule."
He nodded at Togedemaru. "And because of how some Pokémon only evolve in specific conditions, we don't know whether Togedemaru can evolve or not. All we can really say is that they probably don't evolve… lots of people forgot that Stantler can evolve, for a while, but they can and my friend Whitney's companion did!"
"Oh," Togedemaru said. "That makes sense. Thanks!"
"No problem!" Ash replied. "And there's one kind of special circumstances evolution that I want to mention because it's… well, more special than usual? Which is evolving from friendship, or from having a good relationship with their trainer. Like Riolu evolving into Lucario, or Eevee into a Pokémon like Sylveon or Espeon. And… I want to mention it because it's something people often don't know about."
The class leaned forwards a bit.
"It's that a Pokémon not evolving doesn't mean that they don't have a good relationship with their trainer," Ash said simply. "That kind of Pokémon evolution happens without trainers involved in the wild, but it coming from a friendship makes it a lot easier… but either way, the evolving Pokémon also has to feel good about what they'll evolve into. My friend Dawn's Riolu hasn't evolved because he prefers being a Riolu instead of a Lucario, not because he and Dawn don't get on well."
"And I want to mention something about what evolution is like," Pikachu added, jumping to the front. "I wouldn't want to be a Raichu instead of a Pikachu, but apparently I can't – so, no loss for me! But I'm okay with being a Pikachu instead of a Pichu, and especially for that kind of evolution that comes when your body is ready… it's sort of like realizing something new about yourself."
"I agree," Steenee said, nodding. "I didn't realize it at the time, but afterwards. It was like… like an important birthday, maybe? I'm still the same but something's changed too."
"The thing about evolution is, the only really important rules are the ones that affect the Pokémon," Ash summarized. "Because they're the ones experiencing it. Everything else is just patterns that we've seen and that we think will work, but you never know when one of them will end up turning out to not be a rule."
Salazzle sent himself out.
"Like Salazzle!" Ash said. "Because we only know about a male Salandit evolving once, and this is him, we don't know for sure what caused it and we won't until it's happened lots more times. So all we can really say is, sometimes it happens."
"Which makes me a test case," Salazzle agreed. "Eh, I'm not in love with the idea but that's just me."
"Food's nearly ready, shouldn't be long now," Dragonite said.
"Great!" Ash replied. "Okay, everyone, you'd better have a wash if you want one before dinner!"
Litten set herself on fire in lieu of a wash. Salazzle had no such compunctions, dousing himself in flavoured mist that turned into boiling hot water when he touched it off, and Rowlet flew down to land on Ash's shoulder.
"Phew," the Grass-type said. "That was a lot of work."
"You kept it up great, though!" Ash replied. "Isn't it so amazing to think about how far you've come from how you were doing when we met?"
"You're right," Rowlet agreed. "It's amazing to think about… even if I do still appreciate having a good bask."
"Nothing wrong with that!" Ash agreed, then looked around. "Huh… oh, there you are, Pikachu!"
Pikachu flipped upside down, cancelled his Surf, and doused himself with water to cool off. "Well, I think that was productive."
"How's Rockruff doing?" Ash asked.
"I think they're grasping the concept of Thunder Fang," Pikachu replied, but he looked puzzled. "Didn't they say?"
"Huh? No," Ash said. "I thought Rockruff was training with you."
"They were, but then they headed off back to you a few minutes ago," Pikachu said slowly. "I… hope this isn't a problem."
"It might be, yeah," Ash worried. "Maybe Team Rocket is around!"
He scanned the area, then looked closer. "Wait – Gladion? Hi!"
"Ash, I thought I saw the signs you were here," Gladion said. "Mostly all the jets of flame and so on… but there's a problem, and I hoped you could help. Lycanroc is missing."
"That sounds like it could be Team Rocket up to something," Ash worried. "Rockruff isn't where I thought they'd be either. We'd better go and find out what's up!"
There was a bright green flash from behind a nearby small hill.
"What was that?" Gladion asked.
"I was changing for dinner," Zygarde replied, padding their way over the hillock. "Specifically I was cancelling and reforming my 10 Percent Form from a new set of cells which were not dirty. But if Rockruff and Lycanroc are potentially in trouble this should take priority."
"Yeah!" Ash agreed. "Gladion, do you have a Pokémon who can follow Rockruff's trail? Pikachu can take us to where they were only a few minutes ago."
"Umbreon can do it," Gladion said, sending out the Dark-type. "Right, Umbreon?"
"It's narratively convenient, so yes!" Sandile announced.
"I'm pretty sure you're not actually supposed to be here right now," Pikachu frowned. "Did you get a lift from Ibid?"
"I'm pretty sure that I'm supposed to be a Krookodile at this point," Sandile countered. "And yeah, I'm two generations out of position but it's not like that kind of thing has stopped Squishy, here, has it?"
"Who's Squishy?" Umbreon asked, deeply confused. "And yes, I can probably track a Rockruff… where should we get started?"
"This way," Pikachu said.
"I must be missing so much of the conversations that are going on," Gladion sighed.
Umbreon led them along the coast of Akala Island in the red-golden light of sunset, then waved a paw. "I hear something nearby. All I can smell is Lycanroc, Rockruff and another Lycanroc though."
"She can hear something nearby," Ash passed on. "But there's no sign of Team Rocket or anyone else who might put them in danger."
"Just over there," Umbreon went on, and Ash, Gladion, Pikachu and Zygarde crept up to the crest of a rise.
Gladion's Midnight Lycanroc was there, and so was Ash's Rockruff, and another Midday Lycanroc which Ash recognized after a moment as being Olivia's.
"You are ready?" the Midday Lycanroc asked.
"I'm ready," Rockruff agreed. "I don't know which I want to be, though… just that I want to evolve."
"That is why we are here now," Gladion's Lycanroc stated, as the sun descended behind the sea. "If you would be happy with the day or the night, then we will let chance decide."
"That feels right," Rockruff nodded, then raised their head and howled.
Both Lycanroc joined in, and Rockruff lit up with light just as the last of the sunlight faded – and there was a green flash.
"Wow," Ash breathed. "I've never seen one of those so bright before."
The glow faded, revealing Lycanroc.
Who was… not exactly as expected.
"Okay, what?" Gladion's Lycanroc asked. "Was that even an option?"
"I didn't know it was an option," Olivia's Lycanroc replied. "Two legs by night, four by day. That's how my family's always remembered it… I thought doing it at sunset would just be random. Not a third one."
"Is something wrong?" Ash's Lycanroc said, inspecting themselves, then looking up over their head. "Ooh, I'm orange… Hey, is it me or do I have your rock ruff as well as yours? Both of them?"
"Lycanroc, that's amazing!" Ash said.
His Lycanroc turned, surprised. "Ash? What are you doing here?"
"We came to check if you were okay!" Ash explained. "And you evolved – you look great!"
"Oh, wait, that explains it," Olivia's Lycanroc decided. "Yeah, no further questions here."
"Why not?" Gladion's Lycanroc asked.
"Let me tell you about what happened when I used Continental Crush yesterday…" the Midday Lycanroc began, then stopped. "Actually, hold that thought. I'm technically on an errand. Hey, Ash, we were all too baffled by the whole Salazzle thing to remember to give you this!"
Darting back over to the side, Olivia's Lycanroc carefully picked up a Z-crystal.
"It's a generic Rock one, though honestly I would not be surprised at this point if you found out it was also a unique one," the Rock-type explained. "Be careful when you practice Continental Crush, though."
"Sure!" Ash agreed, already engaged in trying to find out the best way to hold Lycanroc on his lap. "Thanks!"
About ten minutes later, Professor Kukui looked up.
"Ash!" he said. "It's nice to see you by Moonlight – what's up? We're planning to head back tomorrow, does that have to change?"
"No, Professor!" Ash answered. "It's just, I thought you should know, that whole thing where an evolution happened that nobody had ever heard of before?"
He held up Lycanroc. "It happened again!"
"Of course it did," Kukui agreed.
AN:
Lycanroc never met a binary they woudn't non.