He knew what Professor Oak had said and even knew a little more than the professor.
But Ash didn't know much about it, because when he arrived in this world, Nintendo had just started promoting a new version with Mega Evolution as the key feature.
At that time, only the map of the new region and a few new Pokémon had been shown. The focus of the promotion was Mega Evolution, but the Pokémon highlighted for this feature were the original Kanto starters: Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur. All three could undergo Mega Evolution. It was also made clear that not all Pokémon could achieve Mega Evolution.
This was due to the official setup. With hundreds of Pokémon already existing in the Kalos region, designing Mega Evolutions for all of them would have been an enormous task.
Thus, each Mega Stone was specific to certain Pokémon. To complete a Mega Evolution, you needed more than just the Mega Stone.
The other crucial item was the Key Stone. The Pokémon held the Mega Stone, and the Trainer had the Key Stone. The bond between them served as the connection. When the Mega Stone resonated with the Key Stone, Mega Evolution could occur.
That's why Professor Oak thought of this when he mentioned communicating with Pikachu's consciousness.
"I think maybe you and Pikachu have reached this condition because your bond is strong enough," Professor Oak guessed. After all, while he was an expert in many areas, this was not his specialty.
He only assumed that Ash and Pikachu had reached this level of connection, but because there was no Mega Stone, no transformation had occurred.
Ash pondered this, thinking about the idea of bonds. He believed his bond with Pikachu was strong enough.
Perhaps Professor Oak was right, but Ash felt there was something more to it. Still, he couldn't figure out what it was.
"Well! I happen to have the contact information for Professor Sycamore. You can reach out to him. Maybe you'll get more useful information," Professor Oak said, smiling as he noticed Ash's silence.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Professor!" Ash replied, not objecting. It would be even better if he could speak directly to Professor Augustine Sycamore.
"You're welcome! I'll give you his contact information and let him know you're reaching out," Professor Oak said warmly. He then passed on Professor Sycamore's details and prepared to hang up the phone, as he had other matters to attend to.
"Wait, Professor! There's one more thing I'd like to ask," Ash said quickly before Oak could hang up.
"What is it?"
"This..." Ash replied, pulling out his Pokédex. He activated the photo function, opened the Photo Album, and selected a picture.
"Huh? This is...!!!"
After speaking with Professor Oak, Ash jotted down the contact information for Professor Sycamore. He took a short break before dialing the number Professor Oak had provided.
"Hello, this is Professor Sycamore's Laboratory!" A woman in a white coat answered the phone after a brief moment.
"Hi, my name is Ash. Professor Oak introduced me to Professor Sycamore," Ash said.
"Oh? You're Ash! The Professor has already informed us about you. Please hold on for a moment," the woman responded politely and then asked Ash to wait. Shortly after, a man approached.
It was Professor Sycamore. Unlike the typical image of a researcher, his appearance was quite modern. Though he wore a white coat, it didn't hide his stylish clothing or trendy hairstyle.
He had an amiable and handsome demeanor, and some people compared him to a celebrity. Like Bill, another young researcher, Sycamore had a distinct presence, different from that of Professor Oak and others.
"Hi Ash, Professor Oak has already told me about you. I'm Sycamore!" he greeted.
Young researchers like Sycamore, much like Bill, were informal in their introductions. Sycamore didn't call himself "Professor" during their first encounter, a contrast to the more traditional approach of older professors.
"Hi Professor, sorry to bother you!" Ash responded politely.
"You're not bothering me at all. I'm very interested in this subject, especially since you come highly recommended by Professor Oak," Sycamore said with a wave of his hand, showing that he was genuinely interested.
He wasn't just being polite either. Professor Oak's reputation as an authority in Pokémon research was so well-established that even other researchers, regardless of age, would never dismiss his recommendations.
"Professor Oak gave me a general idea of your situation, but I'd like to hear more from you directly before forming any conclusions, if that's okay?" Sycamore asked.
Ash nodded and began explaining the connection between him and Pikachu. To help Sycamore better understand, Ash also mentioned that he had experienced something similar when he first started working with Pokémon as a child.
Sycamore's expression grew serious as Ash spoke. When Ash finished, the professor remained silent, closing his eyes briefly in thought. Then he opened them and looked at Ash with a thoughtful gaze.
"Okay, Ash, I think I have a general understanding of your situation. If Professor Oak hadn't confirmed it, I might have thought you were a psychic," Sycamore said with a small smile.
"But to be honest, it's the first time I've encountered anything quite like this."
Although Sycamore was an expert on Mega Evolution and had seen many Trainers who could achieve it, Ash's situation was unique.
Ash seemed to share an almost supernatural connection with his Pokémon. It might be due to their strong bond, but it could also be another form of power, similar to how some psychics are able to communicate with Pokémon.