Hello Bill, I have a question about Mega Evolution! I’ve only been told people could do it but… Is it one of those skills not everyone can do or can anyone just “bond” with their pokemon and reap the battle benefits?

Ah, I’m afraid it’s the latter, anonymous, which is unfortunate because many researchers would jump at the chance to study it firsthand. But the unfortunate fact of the matter is that mega evolution is a fantastically taxing process on both the trainer and the pokémon. First and foremost, you need a pokémon who’s strong enough to withstand mega evolution in the first place. Then, you need to ensure that the bond between you and it is as strong as you can get it, and then, you need to ensure you can summon the emotional strength needed to trigger evolution and then maintain it throughout a battle. The whole thing can be exhausting even for seasoned veterans, which is why only a select few with particularly strong pokémon and/or psyches can achieve it.