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6th Gen Scientific/Realistic Explanation of Mega Evolution?

Kashima DAC

Alpha Trainer Kashima
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Not sure if this thread goes here or if there's some Speculation thread or anything, but...

I've always tried to find ways to explain much of the fantastical world of Pokémon realistically, but the phenomenon of "Mega Evolution" has me stumped. Is there any animal in real life (preferably not an insect or bacterium) that spontaneously mutates under certain conditions?
 

NEOCHU

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I do remember from an episode of QI that an Axolotl can become Salamander if it ingests or is injected with Iodine, although unlike mega evolutions the change would be permanent.

I also remember reading that there are some animals that can spontaneously change their gender too, cant remember what they were though.
 

Kashima DAC

Alpha Trainer Kashima
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Posts
10
Years
NEOCHU said:
I do remember from an episode of QI that an Axolotl can become Salamander if it ingests or is injected with Iodine, although unlike mega evolutions the change would be permanent.
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I remember reading that on Bulbagarden. It also speculated the axolotl was the basis for Wooper's design.

NEOCHU said:
I also remember reading that there are some animals that can spontaneously change their gender too, cant remember what they were though.
Click to expand...

Earthworms, I think, can do that. But I'm talking more like an Incredible Hulk-like transformation, a temporary one. I doubt there are any animals that could do that. For example, Aerodactyl's stalagtite protrusions and Manectric's rapid quill growth seem biologically possible, because the roots of these anatomical parts could possibly be seen internally, but what explains how Mega Stones trigger them to come out?
 

XxCassiexX

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NEOCHU said:
I also remember reading that there are some animals that can spontaneously change their gender too, cant remember what they were though.
Click to expand...

Sheepshead fish is one of those.

But yeah, I mean, if you can explain the method through which pokemon do regular evolution scientifically... then through the same logic it shouldn't be hard to describe mega evolution.

I believe there is a canon explanation for mega evolution somewhere... Or perhaps it was in Pokemon Origins the film...

Anyway, explanations exist.
 

Kashima DAC

Alpha Trainer Kashima
15
Posts
10
Years
XxCassiexX said:
Sheepshead fish is one of those.

But yeah, I mean, if you can explain the method through which pokemon do regular evolution scientifically... then through the same logic it shouldn't be hard to describe mega evolution.

...

Anyway, explanations exist.
Click to expand...

Well, Pokémon evolution is merely regular metamorphosis. For Charmander, for example, if you were to look at one's skeleton (speculatively) you would see bone fragments for wings that it would gain as Charizard, and a cranial protrusion that splits upon maturation.

That's just my take on it.
 

Howmander

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Kashima DAC said:
I remember reading that on Bulbagarden. It also speculated the axolotl was the basis for Wooper's design.



Earthworms, I think, can do that. But I'm talking more like an Incredible Hulk-like transformation, a temporary one. I doubt there are any animals that could do that. For example, Aerodactyl's stalagtite protrusions and Manectric's rapid quill growth seem biologically possible, because the roots of these anatomical parts could possibly be seen internally, but what explains how Mega Stones trigger them to come out?
Click to expand...

Well technically earthworms are hermaphrodites, so they're both male and female simultaneously. If you REALLY want to get technical, there's a portion of them that hold both eggs and sperm together and the same time and when they slide by another earthworm those portions of each earthworm intermingle and they impregnate each other.

But anyway for mega evolution (since it's temporary) I would imagine the closest thing comparable would be an allergic reaction to the stones. They cause a temporary physiological change that just happen to (in this case) make them stronger and more powerful.
 

Banned

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I apologise for the rather crude example, but I can't think of any better way of illustrating it. There are certain... ahem... parts of the human anatomy that are rather flimsy and weak most of the time, but upon exposure to certain outside stimuli can undergo a sudden transformation to temporarily become much larger and stronger, and also becoming able to do things they previously couldn't :P I'm not saying Mega Evolution is phallic, but there are quite a lot of similarities ^_^
 

BigSteve

Pokemon Bright Gold
490
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<p>if you look it up on google, a guy on Reddit theorised that all Pokémon are manfestations of pure energy. This is why they can become 'light' and exist inside a pokeball (the inside of which appears to be a series of mirrors). </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>based on his theory, I guess a sudden energy surge (but not an alteration) allow a more powerful manefestation of the being, whereas an alteration to the energy could cause an actual evolution, and perhaps item based evolutions are an additional energy being added. Trade evolutions are triggered by the additional energy needed for transmission (amplification, just like radio waves), and perhaps item+trade evolutions require a 'focus' for the energy.</p><p> </p><p>and ofcourse, this could mean an Everstone is basically a Control Rod from a Uranium reactor.</p>

<p>
berlyda said:
I apologise for the rather crude example, but I can't think of any better way of illustrating it. There are certain... ahem... parts of the human anatomy that are rather flimsy and weak most of the time, but upon exposure to certain outside stimuli can undergo a sudden transformation to temporarily become much larger and stronger, and also becoming able to do things they previously couldn't <img title="Tongue" class="inlineimg" alt="" src="images/templates/smilies/cerulean/12. tongue.gif" border="0" smilieid="506"> I'm not saying Mega Evolution is phallic, but there are quite a lot of similarities <img title="Giggle" class="inlineimg" alt="" src="images/templates/smilies/cerulean/10. giggle.gif" border="0" smilieid="504">
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</p><p> </p><p> LOL! I suppose there's chameleons that change colour, porquepines that raise their quills, peacocks fan their tails......</p>
 
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Kashima DAC

Alpha Trainer Kashima
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Howmander;8131231But anyway for mega evolution (since it's temporary) I would imagine the closest thing comparable would be an allergic reaction to the stones. They cause a temporary physiological change that just happen to (in this case) make them stronger and more powerful.[/QUOTE said:
Well, that's the best explanation I've seen... v.v
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Hiatus

Hiatus

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My idea is similar to Howmander's; people and animals in real life have medicines which cause reaction their body, and Pokémon are sort of like that. Pokémon have mega-stones (and other stuff, too, of course, but this is the only thing we're discussing), and when they come into contact with them, their body and mind get affected, causing them to transform temporarily and become more powerful than they already are. In most cases, medicines don't have permanent effect, and neither does mega-evolution stones.
 

Fezful of Pokéballs

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NEOCHU said:
I do remember from an episode of QI that an Axolotl can become Salamander if it ingests or is injected with Iodine, although unlike mega evolutions the change would be permanent.

I also remember reading that there are some animals that can spontaneously change their gender too, cant remember what they were though.
Click to expand...
Slightly off topic sorry...
Animals that can change gender spontaneously/semi-spontaneously at will that pop into my head are...

chickens(one way transformation only, chicken turns into rooster), Clownfish(same way as chicken it's called: Protandry or Protogyny depending on born male or female) and basically lots of other fish families/species are capable of Protandry or Protogyny.
Frogs can swap gender at will either way they want/ need
Also several plants/plant like organisms are capable of "sex change" for ex. Mushroom corals
 

BigSteve

Pokemon Bright Gold
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Fezful of Pokéballs said:
Slightly off topic sorry...
Animals that can change gender spontaneously/semi-spontaneously at will that pop into my head are...

chickens(one way transformation only, chicken turns into rooster), Clownfish(same way as chicken it's called: Protandry or Protogyny depending on born male or female) and basically lots of other fish families/species are capable of Protandry or Protogyny.
Frogs can swap gender at will either way they want/ need
Also several plants/plant like organisms are capable of "sex change" for ex. Mushroom corals
Click to expand...



I believe plants have both male / female 'parts' but aren't compatible with themselves?
 
Twilight-kun

Twilight-kun

Pokémon World Champion
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the Mega Stone triggers their hidden potential

think of it as Digivolving or going Super Saiyan

both are temporary and are reversable

scientifically? Probably akin to a release of adrenaline, you gain a boost in power, but it doesn't last forever
 
Shrew

Shrew

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Twilight-kun said:
scientifically? Probably akin to a release of adrenaline, you gain a boost in power, but it doesn't last forever
Click to expand...

I was going to compare it to adrenaline, too. Like how a person/creature's bodies has certain limitations yet adrenaline can temporarily boost them beyond what they're normally capable of
 

Zorogami

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Adrenaline is actually a good example, since it does allow the human body to go beyond certain limitations for a period of time. I dont know if any of you have seen the TV Show "Heroes" but there, Adrenaline was the reason people could use their superpowers. I know thats not a scientific reason, i just had to think of it.

Also, and this might be a long stretch, ive seen a discovery channel documetary once, in which it was said that the Hammer-Shark is most likely the result of a spontaneous, over-night "mutation" of a regular shark...so maybe that could count as a RL "mega-evo"
 

BigSteve

Pokemon Bright Gold
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Zorogami said:
Adrenaline is actually a good example, since it does allow the human body to go beyond certain limitations for a period of time. I dont know if any of you have seen the TV Show "Heroes" but there, Adrenaline was the reason people could use their superpowers. I know thats not a scientific reason, i just had to think of it.

Also, and this might be a long stretch, ive seen a discovery channel documetary once, in which it was said that the Hammer-Shark is most likely the result of a spontaneous, over-night "mutation" of a regular shark...so maybe that could count as a RL "mega-evo"
Click to expand...


For mutations like that to happen, generally it's on a single cell genetic level during reproduction - i.e. when the reproductive cells initially fuse, an 'instruction' is messed up and the mutation happens - like Albino and such.
 
OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire

OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire

10000 year Emperor of Hoenn
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The only thing I can think that is similar is certain birds' feathers looking large in order to intimidate an opponent while attacking (or fake attacking) it to scare it off.
 

kirbasaur

Human-Ivasaur hybrid
89
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11
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Pokemon is not about REAL science its about fun, so it dose not need a scientific explanation.

Just my opinion.
 

mangamusicfan

The Lost one.
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I always thought they picked the Idea of Digimon, there they do a mega digivolve, lol.
And they also need a special Item to do so.
 
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