ALL things respond to their environments, Zan. Heat, pressure, light, magnetism, the presence of a container, and contact with other materials. Fuel wouldn't be fuel if it didn't react with anything (no reaction = no release of energy). It's quite a stretch of logic to try and define based on speculation what a fantasy alien object should and should not react to. In no way is it unheard of in fantasy storylines to find a nonliving object which responds to one's thoughts (Ghostbusters II comes to mind). The fact that it responds to such passively suggests that Alien Energy lacks a will of its own.
"Homing in on Rock" is based solely on a visual effect, hardly definitive. He shot down an Evil Energy powered craft, and the energy spread to him while he stood near it. A damaged and crashed craft introduces too many variables for us to account for.
Evil Energy, on its own, never demonstrated any sense of volition. If on its own, Evil Energy were infectious, Rock should not be capable of safely handling it, which he does throughout the first half of the game. It doesn't respond to being handled by those of justice (Rock, Light, and Duo), suggesting a lack of any survival instinct. And, as is central to Power Fighters' plot, Alien Energy on its own has no affinity to justice or evil, but rather adopts the traits of whichever it is exposed to.
All of this is passive behavior, and therefore cannot be taken as definitive evidence of life or programming.