Rocket Wasn"t The High Evolutionary"s Only Success: GOTG 3 Theory Explained

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In Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the High Evolutionary thought Rocket was the only one of his experiments who could create, but that may not be the case. After debuting in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn's final MCU project gave Bradley Cooper a chance to properly shine as Rocket Raccoon, as the Phase 5 film explored the character's backstory in the MCU, and introduced audiences to his childhood friends. Linda Cardellini, Asim Choudhury, and Mikaela Hoover voiced Lylla, Teefs, and Floor, respectively, but Rocket seemed to stand out among them because of his aptitude for inventiveness.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 revealed that Chukwudi Iwuji's High Evolutionary had enhanced Rocket and his friends to perfect his methods for creating the "perfect society." Though Rocket and his friends were expendable, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 showed the High Evolutionary hunting Rocket in an attempt to harness his creativity. Rocket proved his heightened intelligence by solving the High Evolutionary's filtration issue, and creating a key from pieces of seemingly insignificant metal which allowed him to escape his cage. This made him an incredibly valuable asset to the High Evolutionary, but it seems the villain overlooked one of his other experiments, who might have displayed similar qualities.
Lylla Showed Evidence Of Creativity Too

Although everyone's attention was on Rocket's innate ability to create in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Lylla the Otter also showed signs of having a surprising amount of intelligence. During an exchange on Twitter, director James Gunn even confirmed that "Lylla is significantly more intelligent than Floor," implying that Lylla could have had a level of intellect matching that of Rocket's. While this was never tested in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, there's one moment that proves Lylla also had the ability to create, and could have had a bright future in the MCU had the High Evolutionary not cut her time short.
During one of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's flashbacks to Rocket's childhood, he and his friends decide to give themselves names in preparation for their life on the "new world". Teefs and Floor both name themselves after the things they see, know, or are currently doing - Teefs has prominent teeth, and Floor was lying on the floor - but Lylla is far more interesting. Her name has no connection to anything physical, but was simply created out of nothing as a personal choice. Even Rocket named himself after something he had already witnessed, so perhaps Lylla could have had a level of creativity higher than her raccoon friend.
Where Did Rocket & Lylla’s Ability To Create Come From?

Since Lylla was abruptly killed by the High Evolutionary, it's difficult to examine where this creativity may have come from. In Rocket's case, one theory suggests that Rocket's exposure to music made him intelligent, but Lylla was never seen listening to music. Though there's not a great deal of evidence, raccoons and otters share many physical characteristics, so could be similarly matched in intelligence too. It's also possible that Rocket and Lylla's immediate connection with each other in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 unlocked a heightened level of creativity, freedom, and intelligence in the pair, though it seems this question will never truly be answered.
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