SPOILERS! Mysteries and Conspiracies of Pokemon

[stage7_4]

stage7_4:
Dialga isn't a Time Lord, it can actively control the flow of time. Celebi is a Time Lord as it can only travel through time.

Oh come on, you know I was using the term loosely. :)

I guess in this case I'm talking more about the real life reasons behind Dialga's case of "show, don't tell" rather than plausible story implications. So a reverse of our usual topics on this thread.

And I really do think that the more legendaries added per generation the more it cheapens them (a trend I'm glad they relaxed on in gen6), so yeah Dialga probably didn't deserve any more spotlight than his trio but that still means he's valued more as part of a set than as an individual (the Ty Lee lament, brought to you by Avatar). And it's not like that's ever stopped them before! Looking at you, Entei and Suicune (while Raikou cries in the corner).

And going off our talk about how "powerful" legendaries are, here we have a clear cut case where statistically (and a bit framed in story) Dialga should trump Celebi but for some reason (or, because Dialga's time abilities are just so story-breaking compared to Celebi's more minor version) Celebi got more opportunities to be effective than the great time dragon. Too add in Celebi's forest and healing powers on top is what pushes me over the edge.

If it sounds like I'm hard on the green fairy, well, you got me. I've got a chip on my shoulder about it since the first legitimate North American release of it was the Pokebox bonus gift (at least that I can think of, were there any Celebi giveaways outside of Japan? Other than Pokebox?) So for years the thing taunted me. You can look, but you can't touch.

 

[Pikachu315111]

stage7_4:
Yeah, even Mythical Pokemon are starting to have this problem now with each generation introducing three. Heck, we got so many mythical Pokemon we just had to downgrade one down to Legendary! To be fair they are trying to cut back with only 3 "normal" Legendaries released for Gen VI, using Mewtwo and a Winged Mirage to fill out the Legendary catchable in-game quota (though I think ORAS blew that one out of the water).

Being Dialga an Celebi never fought we have no idea, then again for some reason the anime likes to show Celebi being a weak and fragile creature. It's a Legendary that can control the forests, anime writers I think its more tougher than you think it is.

Also everyone got a Celebi, it wasn't US exclusive. Though that said I do agree it probably should have been a Mew, however I have a feeling Celebi might be very popular in Japan.

 

[stage7_4]

stage7_4:
Also everyone got a Celebi, it wasn't US exclusive. Though that said I do agree it probably should have been a Mew, however I have a feeling Celebi might be very popular in Japan.

No, you got me backwards. The Pokebox Celebi was the first one to be released in the US ever (to my knowledge, can anyone back me up?) despite there being a few Japanese releases. Yeah everybody got it, but for most of us it was our first ever (in 6 gens!). So it's technically the only Celebi to be actually called Celebi (since the Japanese version is Serebii).

 

[Darth Manaphy]

No, you got me backwards. The Pokebox Celebi was the first one to be released in the US ever (to my knowledge, can anyone back me up?) despite there being a few Japanese releases. Yeah everybody got it, but for most of us it was our first ever (in 6 gens!). So it's technically the only Celebi to be actually called Celebi (since the Japanese version is Serebii).

Wrong. HGSS saw a Celebi release that allowed you to get the Giovanni event and Zorua in BW. There was also Journey Across America (though that was still very limited) for Gen III. Finally in GSC times, there was an event that gave you Celebi at Six Flags (literally the first, and so far, only time I went to one)

 

[stage7_4]

Wrong. HGSS saw a Celebi release that allowed you to get the Giovanni event and Zorua in BW. There was also Journey Across America (though that was still very limited) for Gen III. Finally in GSC times, there was an event that gave you Celebi at Six Flags (literally the first, and so far, only time I went to one)

Just found the release list, yeah you're right. Celebi was really hard to get prior to the Pokebox, but I you're right in that "really really rare" isn't the same as "never."

And in doing some more reading, it seems that Celebi was pretty notorious for being a punching bag in the anime and movies, despite being a mythic pokemon. So all the powers but no bite? Well, consider my objections withdrawn.

 

[Darth Manaphy]

Just found the release list, yeah you're right. Celebi was really hard to get prior to the Pokebox, but I you're right in that "really really rare" isn't the same as "never."

And in doing some more reading, it seems that Celebi was pretty notorious for being a punching bag in the anime and movies, despite being a mythic pokemon. So all the powers but no bite? Well, consider my objections withdrawn.

I guess you just didn't live anywhere near a Gamestop. On the other hand, in my opinion, Deoxys was worse. It had only one Gamestop release at the very beginning of Gen IV (minus the same small Journey Across America) and didn't do much so not everyone would be able to get it. The rest of the Mythicals occurred often enough (minus Genesect being ONLY for B2W2)

 

[Norne]

I think you are overblowing the creation trio and rainbow Llama, time Space and antimatter/dark matter or the force applied on them that dictate the level of integrity of mass and energy on the equation are just forces.

Palkia is just a phallic thing from another dimension probably populated by more phallic things of said dimension that exert a lot of power and gives the illusion of space moving, an effect often attributed to light or extreme speed applied to an object.
Dialga is just another phallic thing but quadrupede, time is also distorted if enough pressure is applied to the matter or a circle of energy between two points is meet.

Giratina is a bit tricky as the concept of the pull on dark matter and the forces that apply to it affecting everything even how gravity is quantified reflects on the world affected the inverted one and vice-versa,however we actually got to explore this dimension even though we got to only see one presumed inhabitant of it, most likely for the plot and GF experimenting on visuals.

Rainbow Llama is just an overbroaded myth of another thing in an specific dimension that people decided to add myths to an call a creator, remember people want to put sense on stuff and even if it looks phallic they would call it a God if they don't understand it. There might be a whole ecosystem on access dimension as well as a populace but again as plot goes we see one in a place a bunch of farmers overrated for a loooooong time that spawned loads of fanfiction.

Gods? To a bunch of Sinnoh farmers yep, to someone like Cyrus tools to reshape stuff, to people like ghetsis fancy things people overrate and can be used to inspire awe, but in the end stuff you can tackle on and beat if you know what you are doing, or angry enough to challenge a kid that is most likely a better trainer than you and is cursing the fact we can't RNG it better nor see the nature coz fuck it, we gotta add cut scenes and chatting instead of letting you see the status screen overworld...

 

[JES]

I think with Groudon and Kyogre it was more like:

Hoenn Story Abridged

*Them going along, creating land and water until they encounter each other*
Groudon: Hey! You're covering my land with your water!
Kyogre: And you're rising land above my water!
Both: I'M GONNA BEAT YOU UP UNTIL YOU STOP!
*Start fighting causing massive destruction. Rayquaza watches from above*
Rayquaza: Oh for the love of...
*Starts hearing the people praying for someone to rescue them*
Rayquaza: Well we kind of need the humans and they're causing a lot of environmental damages so...
*Rayquaza flies down to Groudon and Kyogre*
Rayquaza: ANCIENT BRIANS! You're destroying the place and killing a lot of humans!
Both *pointing to the other*: HE STARTED IT!
Rayqauza: I DON'T CARE WHO STARTED IT IMMA FINISHING IT!

Not to mention killing off Pokémon. And ancient brains? I could think of better insults, like *censored*heads! Or muscle heads! Or boneheads!

The rest of the Mythicals occurred often enough (minus Genesect being ONLY for B2W2)

Uggh! Tell me about it! I only have my Genesect because I used Pokedit! I also made a few others to trade to others too.

 

[Pikachu315111]

Not to mention killing off Pokémon. And ancient brains? I could think of better insults, like *censored*heads! Or muscle heads! Or boneheads!

Well I didn't want to curse, though I had a good insult if it was them insulting Rayquaza:

For completion sake I also included the sequel comic

 

[jordanthejq12]

I always did wonder why one of Hoenn's cover legends has an explicit and non-mutual type advantage over the other. Seriously, what would Groudon be thinking?

(Then again, see Kalos, where Xerneas whoops Yveltal and Zygarde in a straight fight.)

 

[Oriolous]

I always did wonder why one of Hoenn's cover legends has an explicit and non-mutual type advantage over the other. Seriously, what would Groudon be thinking?

(Then again, see Kalos, where Xerneas whoops Yveltal and Zygarde in a straight fight.)

This. All of my THIS. God, it bugs me so much because Groudon is my absolute favorite of the two.

 

[Norne]

Dunno, my Mexican blood might make me more biased but I'd take an Orca over an iguana or a venomous wrestling lizard(for the reference Mexico has 2 of the only venomous lizards species known, one of them likes to wrestle), or a flying worm/lizard. So I was oddly satisfied with kyogre being a beast.

 

[pika pal]

Here's something I always mulled over: We know many of these legendaries have these amazing powers over different elements or concepts, but how easily does the degree that would be awe-inspiring be. Just because they can control these things doesn't mean they can control them easily persay.

For example, when Giratina appears in Platinum, obviously it takes offense to what Cyrus's plans do to the Distortion World as callous, but it might also be angry since it has to correct this stuff and can't do that at the drop of a hat.

Kyogre's and Groudon's abilities are potent, but they seem inherent to them, as if they don't have direct control over them. This might be Gameplay/Story Segregation, but it would explain why they don't simply re-enable their weather if it's stopped, and why the Primals simply have to be removed/challenged by another to have theirs overwritten.

It would explain why they don't use these powers in the Trainer's hand: it still takes a lot of focus and effort on their part for something that, on the grand scale they deal with, isn't worth the work they'd have to put into it. These Pokemon have the ability to manipulate things, but they don't outright embody/control them altogether, otherwise catching Xerneas would mean no body could die, Uxie would eliminate Amnesia, etc.

To bring in outside canon, look at the Mystery Dungeon series. Dialga and Palkia both become equally feral when fronts against their territory of control are threatened. Dialga has the story Primal thing that might explain things, but Palkia has no real reason besides just being really pissed off, to the point of trying to kill two beings who barely know what's going on, much less their role in it. Imagine if you spent days and days of hard work and concentration on a painting of a sculpture, and then some jerk comes by to throw brush strokes on thinking he can improve it, or just to ruin it. If the governing takes serious work, this is essentially what the legendaries deal with anytime a Team Leader or villain Mon tries to play god.

 

[Detective Barricade]

Here's something I always mulled over: We know many of these legendaries have these amazing powers over different elements or concepts, but how easily does the degree that would be awe-inspiring be. Just because they can control these things doesn't mean they can control them easily persay.

For example, when Giratina appears in Platinum, obviously it takes offense to what Cyrus's plans do to the Distortion World as callous, but it might also be angry since it has to correct this stuff and can't do that at the drop of a hat.

Kyogre's and Groudon's abilities are potent, but they seem inherent to them, as if they don't have direct control over them. This might be Gameplay/Story Segregation, but it would explain why they don't simply re-enable their weather if it's stopped, and why the Primals simply have to be removed/challenged by another to have theirs overwritten.

It would explain why they don't use these powers in the Trainer's hand: it still takes a lot of focus and effort on their part for something that, on the grand scale they deal with, isn't worth the work they'd have to put into it. These Pokemon have the ability to manipulate things, but they don't outright embody/control them altogether, otherwise catching Xerneas would mean no body could die, Uxie would eliminate Amnesia, etc.

To bring in outside canon, look at the Mystery Dungeon series. Dialga and Palkia both become equally feral when fronts against their territory of control are threatened. Dialga has the story Primal thing that might explain things, but Palkia has no real reason besides just being really pissed off, to the point of trying to kill two beings who barely know what's going on, much less their role in it. Imagine if you spent days and days of hard work and concentration on a painting of a sculpture, and then some jerk comes by to throw brush strokes on thinking he can improve it, or just to ruin it. If the governing takes serious work, this is essentially what the legendaries deal with anytime a Team Leader or villain Mon tries to play god.

From Cyrus' notes about Dialga/Palkia, the Poke Ball itself seems to null most of their devastating power. In Emerald at least, it seems like Groudon and Kyogre really can't control their power: they're compelled to fight each other once awake until Rayquaza swoops in to snap them out of it and seek a new spot to slumber, and their weather follows them everywhere even as they're trying to find a satisfactory spot to return to slumber in. (though this can also be attributed to gameplay/story segregation as the player has to know if they're close to one) Platinum also gives a message about Darkrai when captured at New Moon Island that says it's there because it really can't control its sleep and nightmare/bad dream-inducing powers, thus its kept mostly secluded, with only Cresselia on the nearby Full Moon Island for company.

 

[Norne]

Here's something I always mulled over: We know many of these legendaries have these amazing powers over different elements or concepts, but how easily does the degree that would be awe-inspiring be. Just because they can control these things doesn't mean they can control them easily persay.

For example, when Giratina appears in Platinum, obviously it takes offense to what Cyrus's plans do to the Distortion World as callous, but it might also be angry since it has to correct this stuff and can't do that at the drop of a hat.

Kyogre's and Groudon's abilities are potent, but they seem inherent to them, as if they don't have direct control over them. This might be Gameplay/Story Segregation, but it would explain why they don't simply re-enable their weather if it's stopped, and why the Primals simply have to be removed/challenged by another to have theirs overwritten.

It would explain why they don't use these powers in the Trainer's hand: it still takes a lot of focus and effort on their part for something that, on the grand scale they deal with, isn't worth the work they'd have to put into it. These Pokemon have the ability to manipulate things, but they don't outright embody/control them altogether, otherwise catching Xerneas would mean no body could die, Uxie would eliminate Amnesia, etc.

To bring in outside canon, look at the Mystery Dungeon series. Dialga and Palkia both become equally feral when fronts against their territory of control are threatened. Dialga has the story Primal thing that might explain things, but Palkia has no real reason besides just being really pissed off, to the point of trying to kill two beings who barely know what's going on, much less their role in it. Imagine if you spent days and days of hard work and concentration on a painting of a sculpture, and then some jerk comes by to throw brush strokes on thinking he can improve it, or just to ruin it. If the governing takes serious work, this is essentially what the legendaries deal with anytime a Team Leader or villain Mon tries to play god.

Translation note, primal is a mistranslation always remember it is dark dialga.

 

[Pikachu315111]

Translation note, primal is a mistranslation always remember it is dark dialga.

Don't know how that's a mistranslation. Actually for one thing it's not, the translator just changed the terminology because "Dark" is a name of a type in English (in Japan the "Dark-type" is called "Evil-type" so they don't have a problem using the word "Dark"). How were they suppose to know years later they were going to release actual Pokemon called "Primal Pokemon"? In the context of the game it makes no difference; "Dark" just refers to Dialga becoming corrupted while "Primal" more explains what has happened to its behavior and mindset. It's no different than the English versions of the Colosseum games calling the Pokemon who closed their hearts "Shadow Pokemon" when in Japan they were also called "Dark Pokemon". Though funny enough when the Pokemon TCG had their "Dark Pokemon" (this was before the introduction of the Dark-type) in Japan they were called "Bad Pokemon". Translating for the Pokemon franchise must be a very interesting job.

 

[Norne]

Don't know how that's a mistranslation. Actually for one thing it's not, the translator just changed the terminology because "Dark" is a name of a type in English (in Japan the "Dark-type" is called "Evil-type" so they don't have a problem using the word "Dark"). How were they suppose to know years later they were going to release actual Pokemon called "Primal Pokemon"? In the context of the game it makes no difference; "Dark" just refers to Dialga becoming corrupted while "Primal" more explains what has happened to its behavior and mindset. It's no different than the English versions of the Colosseum games calling the Pokemon who closed their hearts "Shadow Pokemon" when in Japan they were also called "Dark Pokemon". Though funny enough when the Pokemon TCG had their "Dark Pokemon" (this was before the introduction of the Dark-type) in Japan they were called "Bad Pokemon". Translating for the Pokemon franchise must be a very interesting job.

It depends on context, we got primal years after independent of the out of control dialga in his game series, wich was scripted by a non GF team BTW.

Primal reversion as a term in the franchise is going back to a power long lost, the dark scenario we meet in dialga case it's more of an out of control case if you follow the gameplay.

It is necessary to mark that while some concepts might overlap they are entirely different both by execution and inception.

 

[Pikachu315111]

It depends on context, we got primal years after independent of the out of control dialga in his game series, wich was scripted by a non GF team BTW.

Primal reversion as a term in the franchise is going back to a power long lost, the dark scenario we meet in dialga case it's more of an out of control case if you follow the gameplay.

It is necessary to mark that while some concepts might overlap they are entirely different both by execution and inception.

... I think we're trying to say the same thing here but are bringing up different points.

All I was saying was that "Primal Dialga" wasn't a mistranslation, it was a conscious change because "Dark" had been connected to a type in the English languages. Primal Dialga as we know it is a one off thing, it only exists in the 2nd Mystery Dungeon games.

Year later GF using the term "Primal" for Groudon & Kyogre's pseedo Mega Evolution doesn't retcon this. Both terms are being used differently and are describing different things. Primal Dialga was a description of its savage behavior while Primal Groudon/Kyogre is referring to them restoring themselves to their ancient form. Heck, I'm sure if they do make a pseudo Mega Evolution for Dialga & Palkia they'd probably name them something differently than "Primal" since that's Groudon & Kyogre's shtick (like maybe Primordial or Celestial).

As I noted, its a similar case in Japan with Primal Dialga and Shadow Pokemon being called Dark Dialga and Dark Pokemon. Yet Dark Dialga isn't a Dark Pokemon as Colosseum has defined it; they're using the same term but differently and separate from each other.

 

[Jibaku]

@ Shadow Pokemon and Primal Dialga

Worth noting that Primal Dialga uses "やみ" (yami, which means dark, but written differently) to describe its primal status, while Shadow Pokemon simply use the katakana for the word dark "ダーク"

 

[stage7_4]

While we are on the subject of mystery dungeon games, what was up with the Player and Grovyle's backstory anyway (in Time, Darkness, and Sky)?

There be spoilers ahead, ye be warned!

Hide

So it turns out that you and Grovyle came from another future where you were human and he was your partner. You lost your family, a time crash happened, bad juju, just like the gypsy woman said, yada yada yada.

In Sky you get to go to that Bad Future in a Special Episode with Grovyle (and Dusknoir and a Pink Celebi). But there are no signs of human life. Granted this is post apocolyptic time crash world, but there are never any signs of human life in any timeline past, present, or future.

So where did this kid come from and why has everybody seemingly gone to rapture?

I guess there is a case that you were never human, Darkrai messed with your head on that one (he's seeming the reason you lost your memory and became a pokemon, and when Palkia puts Darkrai through similar circumstances Darkrai only gets the memory loss). It would explain how Grovyle could recognize his partner in a different form (because it isn't, you're a wizard pokemon). And lack of angst about losing opposable thumbs for the quadruped starters (seriously I'd miss my hands). Or not, it's been a while since I played this game.

So were you some human whose best friend was a leafy raptor with the voice of DAN GREEN?! Or always a (delusional) pokemon?

I vaguely recall some weird human/pokemon stuff in the first Red/Blue game too (something about a Gengar/human cursed by a Ninetales regarding a Cresselia?) but I've never played that one.

 

[pika pal]

While we are on the subject of mystery dungeon games, what was up with the Player and Grovyle's backstory anyway (in Time, Darkness, and Sky)?

There be spoilers ahead, ye be warned!

Hide

So it turns out that you and Grovyle came from another future where you were human and he was your partner. You lost your family, a time crash happened, bad juju, just like the gypsy woman said, yada yada yada.

In Sky you get to go to that Bad Future in a Special Episode with Grovyle (and Dusknoir and a Pink Celebi). But there are no signs of human life. Granted this is post apocolyptic time crash world, but there are never any signs of human life in any timeline past, present, or future.

So where did this kid come from and why has everybody seemingly gone to rapture?

I guess there is a case that you were never human, Darkrai messed with your head on that one (he's seeming the reason you lost your memory and became a pokemon, and when Palkia puts Darkrai through similar circumstances Darkrai only gets the memory loss). It would explain how Grovyle could recognize his partner in a different form (because it isn't, you're a wizard pokemon). And lack of angst about losing opposable thumbs for the quadruped starters (seriously I'd miss my hands). Or not, it's been a while since I played this game.

So were you some human whose best friend was a leafy raptor with the voice of DAN GREEN?! Or always a (delusional) pokemon?

I vaguely recall some weird human/pokemon stuff in the first Red/Blue game too (something about a Gengar/human cursed by a Ninetales regarding a Cresselia?) but I've never played that one.

The thing is, Dusknoir at one point taunts Grovyle when he thinks he has him cornered, Grovyle saying his partner's still in the past to fix things and Dusknoir revealing you're there as a Pokemon. Besides the dialogue outright saying you were human at some point, Grovyle shows obvious surprise that you're a Pokemon.

My guess is that humans are just a lot rarer in the dark future than before. The "good" time period still has at least an entire continent of Pokemon only, so they were uncommon enough already. Now imagine them in a future where most of the Pokemon have gone feral/evil because of the planet's paralysis. They might have to be in hiding to survive that at all, and that's assuming they didn't turn on each other as well.

 

[HelenTheHero]

I was just doing my X Nuzlocke, and I got to Anistar City. Being the explorer I am, I went and talked to everyone. So near the sundial, there is a Hex Maniac who says something along the lines of, "Sometimes things that were made by mistake are called OOPart, maybe the sundial is one." Something like that. Something struck me about this. I now have a theory... that the Anistar City sundial was made by Hoopa. Let's start with some facts. The sundial is stated to not be able to be replicated with modern technology. The NPCs theorize that maybe the ancients used Pokemon to help. But what Pokemon? I now think it is Hoopa. We know Hoopa can create portals, could the sundial be some after-affect? I think it might actually be where Hoopa Unbound is. Look at it.

It looks a little like Unbound to me. I also thing that the Hex Maniac is hinting that it was made by Hoopa, with her remark about "OOPart." Hoopa Art, anyone?

EDIT: I learned what OOPart means. But, it could still refer to Hoopa. Hoopa does put things out of place using its rings after all.

 

[Pikachu315111]

I was just doing my X Nuzlocke, and I got to Anistar City. Being the explorer I am, I went and talked to everyone. So near the sundial, there is a Hex Maniac who says something along the lines of, "Sometimes things that were made by mistake are called OOPart, maybe the sundial is one." Something like that. Something struck me about this. I now have a theory... that the Anistar City sundial was made by Hoopa. Let's start with some facts. The sundial is stated to not be able to be replicated with modern technology. The NPCs theorize that maybe the ancients used Pokemon to help. But what Pokemon? I now think it is Hoopa. We know Hoopa can create portals, could the sundial be some after-affect? I think it might actually be where Hoopa Unbound is. Look at it.

It looks a little like Unbound to me. I also thing that the Hex Maniac is hinting that it was made by Hoopa, with her remark about "OOPart." Hoopa Art, anyone?

Did you even look up if OOPart meant anything? Because I did, OOPart stands for "Out-of-place artifact". While not exactly what the Hex Maniac said, it does match the description of the Sundial being something modern technology can't replicate. It's as if it's not meant to exist in this time, yet it does.

"Well maybe Hoopa teleported it to Anistar from the future"

Maybe. Though personally I'd put my money on Diancie, you know, the pink crystal Pokemon that can create pink crystals and possibly has a connection to Mega Evolution, being the creator of the Anistar Sundial than Hoopa having anything to do with it.

Hide

Note how Diancie is so far the only Gen VI Pokemon to have a Mega Evolution. Also note Diancie has those yellow parts to it.

Now we'll need to get the Prison Bottle someway in XY2/Z, however I don't think it'll have anything to do with the Anistar Sundial.

 

[jordanthejq12]

Somewhat new topic.

We're told in the intro to every game that "we don't yet know everything about Pokemon". Indeed we don't, hence this thread. One thing we have not yet discussed, as far as I'm aware, is what constitutes the mysterious "bond" between trainer and Pokemon.

In the Kalos games, Professor Sycamore believes that this bond is the key to Mega Evolution. The anime seems to reinforce this, and present it as a function of time spent with that Pokemon. In the games, our main canon, we have two primary means of mechanically representing this bond, or so we think:

• Friendship, which is generally a function of time in party (steps and level-ups being the passive means of boosting it), which strengthens the power of the move Return and allows for certain evolutions.
• Affection, a function of time spent in Pokemon-Amie, which allows Pokemon to become increasingly more effective in battle through an increased critical-hit ratio, boosted experience gains, and the ability to dodge attacks, cure non-volatile status conditions, and survive otherwise fatal attacks.

And yet the first Pokemon the player Mega Evolves is a Lucario received literally moments before the battle, which as a freshly-gifted Pokemon starts with 70 Friendship and 0 Affection. Which, if you don't want the game to be too easy, can be boxed immediately, then withdrawn some time later for whatever reason--and it can still go Mega.

"But Jordan," you might say, "doesn't Lucario have weird Aura powers or something?" Yes, it does, and the Lucario who eventually becomes your instant-win button is attracted to your Aura the first time it sees you. So maybe that might explain a few things. But, also consider:

• Although comparatively rare, if you catch a Pokemon and have its mega stone, or you trade it into ORAS, you can push the button immediately, without any "bonding" needed ahead of time. Bag Mewtwo at the end of XY, pick up its mega stone, and you've got yourself a ready-to-Mega powerhouse.
• Lysandre, Archie, and Maxie, the primary antagonists of their respective games and overall not-nice people, are also capable of utilizing Mega Evolution. Much like Maxie's Crobat, it seems to suggest Pokemon can grow close to their trainers regardless of the trainer's moral behavior, so whatever powers Mega Evolution works for the villains too, in and out of universe.

So we can inference that whatever this "bond" is, it is something that present game mechanics cannot precisely capture, yet it is so key to the Pokemon mythos--indeed, it is the cornerstone of any counterargument against those who claim Pokemon battling to be little more than glorified dogfighting. So, what can we come up with? (This may be one where we have no choice but to cross canons.)

 

[Lady Vader]

Somewhat new topic.

We're told in the intro to every game that "we don't yet know everything about Pokemon". Indeed we don't, hence this thread. One thing we have not yet discussed, as far as I'm aware, is what constitutes the mysterious "bond" between trainer and Pokemon.

In the Kalos games, Professor Sycamore believes that this bond is the key to Mega Evolution. The anime seems to reinforce this, and present it as a function of time spent with that Pokemon. In the games, our main canon, we have two primary means of mechanically representing this bond, or so we think:

Lysandre, Archie, and Maxie, the primary antagonists of their respective games and overall not-nice people, are also capable of utilizing Mega Evolution. Much like Maxie's Crobat, it seems to suggest Pokemon can grow close to their trainers regardless of the trainer's moral behavior, so whatever powers Mega Evolution works for the villains too, in and out of universe.

Wow, that was a lot of text.
On Team Leaders Using Mega Evolution:
Firstly, Archie is all for Pokémon, so there's that.
Secondly, while not-nice in a standard way, all three of them have some good in them. All three or them think that their plan is for the best, though insane (Lysandre)/not very well thought-out (Archie and Maxie). And we confronted by how stupid and destructive their plan is, both Archie and Maxie immediately realize the errors of their ways and ask the player to correct their mistake, as they are unable to.
The Bond That Enables Mega Evolution:
There are different kinds of bonds than those that naturally form between people as they interact. Sometimes, it can be fate. Others can be far stranger, such as the Force bond between Revan and Bastila in Knights of the Old Republic (though that might also be fate...I need to play that game again). And sometimes, there can be an instant bond between people (or people and Pokémon). Haven't you ever encountered someone who you instantly became friends with? Or have you ever actually encountered that old trope of Love at First Sight? Some bonds take years, some take days, others are instantaneous.
Also, to connect this with another mystery, maybe that bond is just present in trainers like the player characters, who are just naturally talented at training Pokémon. Maybe what lets us be so good at training is a naturally strong bond with Pokémon, allowing for instantaneous potential for Mega Evolution.