 Pikachu yellow =
Original text (2000) |
 Ditto pink =
Additional text (2003-08) |
 Wobuffet blue =
New segments (2004-08) |
 Battles over  battles...
Let's clear one thing up right away: Contrary to rumors, Pokémon battles are NOT the same as cockfighting or pitbull fighting; Pokémon never having been touched by the animal rights movement (as an advocate myself, I feel that Pokémon should rather be praised by animal activists for reasons listed here). In battle, Pokémon are willing participants, and are not forced to battle if they become too weak and the battle is never to the death. Pokémon are never left in this weakened state as their trainers have them treated at the nearest Pokémon center after a match. However, there are good trainers and bad trainers (see the 1st season episode: "Showdown at Dark City" below). Just like with animals in our world, there are some people who exploit Pokémon for their own personal gain, abuse, or abandon them (and I'm not just talking about Team Rocket either). Furthermore, those 'good' and 'bad' individuals are a lot more clearly defined in the Pokémon world then as is often the case in ours; for example, while an AirWick room freshener commercial features a family of CGI bunnies, the company (Reckitt-Benckiser) tortures and kills rabbits to test that and all their other products behind closed doors.
Pokémon battle because they love their trainers in return for the love and care they receive. Wild Pokémon are sometimes even jealous of human-trained Pokémon...it depends on the trainer, not the concept of battle. And a good trainer knows when a Pokémon is better left in the wild.
 Recommended episode(s):
"The Path to the Pokémon League" (Pokémon [first season]) - good trainer/bad trainer
-Ash worries after witnessing some intense Pokémon training, but learns the difference between abuse and tough love
"Charmander, the Stray Pokémon" (Pokémon [first season])  - good trainer/bad trainer
-An abandoned Charmander is blindly loyal to its negligent trainer until Ash offers it a new life
"Showdown at Dark City" (Pokémon [first season]) - fighting vs. battling
-Two rival gyms are warned they will never gain official gym status if they continue to use Pokémon for violence
"The Lost Lapras" (Pokémon [Orange Islands; second season]) - good trainer/bad trainer
-Ash, Misty, and Tracey stop abusive trainers found beating their infant Lapras, and help it to trust humans again
"Sitting Psyduck" (Pokémon Advanced Battle [eighth season]) - fighting vs. battling
-A rich girl discovers her pampered Psyduck is happier when playing, getting dirty, and battling
"Different Strokes for Different Blokes" (Pokémon Diamond & Pearl [tenth season]) - good trainer/bad trainer
-Ash is disturbed by Paul's training style that includes verbal abuse and zero tolerance for weaker Pokémon
"Tag...We're It!" {Tag Battle; part 1} (Pokémon Diamond & Pearl [tenth season]) - good trainer/bad trainer
"Glory Blaze!" {Tag Battle; part 2} (Pokémon Diamond & Pearl [tenth season]) - good trainer/bad trainer
"Smells Like Team Spirit" (I hate the 90s) {Tag Battle; part 3} (Pokémon Diamond & Pearl [tenth season]) - good trainer/bad trainer
-Ash becomes fed up with the abusive training to which Paul subjects his Chimchar; when Paul later discards Chimchar, Ash invites the scarred Pokémon to join his team and become stronger through love and encouragement
"Tears For Fears" (I love the 80s) (Pokémon DP Battle Dimension [eleventh season]) - good trainer/bad trainer
-As Chimchar adjusts to its new life, it is in shock and awe of the kindness and sense of family shared by Ash and his Pokémon
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 Still not convinced? Consider this...in our world, the act of 'hunting' (humans killing 'game' animals) defines that which is legal and justifiable, whereas 'poaching' (humans killing or capturing 'protected' animals) is immoral and against the law. In the world of Pokémon, the terms 'hunting' and 'poaching' (also the labels 'hunter' and 'poacher') are used interchangeably and both refer to the illegal trapping (capture for profit or without the intent of proper training and care), injuring, and exploitation of wild Pokémon.
Recommended episode(s):
"Tentacool and Tentacruel" (Pokémon [first season]) - habitat development
-The jellyfish Pokémon fight back against developers building on their ocean home
"Dig Those Diglett!" (Pokémon [first season]) - habitat development
-Pokémon trainers are recruited to stop Diglett from interfering with a development project, but their Pokémon refuse
"The Breeding Center Secret" (Pokémon [first season]) - abuse/profit
-A luxury Pokémon spa is a front for cramped cages and a Team Rocket plot to steal rare Pokémon
"The Mystery Menace" (Pokémon [Orange Islands; second season]) - removal/personal gain
-Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny oppose a politician's order to destroy a Pokémon inhabiting city sewers
"The Underground Roundup" (Pokémon [Orange Islands; second season]) - humane relocation
-A Pokémon wrangler offers a humane alternative to the cruel conventional method of removing Electrode from town
"A Poached Ego" (Pokémon Advanced [sixth season]) - hunting/poaching
-Jessie and James must part with their beloved Arbok and Weezing to protect wild Ekans and Koffing from hunters
"On Olden Pond" (Pokémon Battle Frontier [ninth season]) - habitat development
-A greedy developer changes his plans after realizing the Dragonair that inhabits the condemned lake saved his life
"Mutiny in the Bounty" (Pokémon Diamond & Pearl [tenth season]) - hunting/trapping/profit
-Ruthless hunter J. traps and sells Pokémon, utilizing a cruel new device for displaying live Pokémon
"Ill-Will Hunting" (Pokémon Diamond & Pearl [tenth season]) - hunting/trapping/profit
-Pokémon Hunter J. is commissioned to capture rare Shelidon, but Ash, Gary, and friends refuse to let her succeed
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Recommended game(s):
Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow, Pokémon Fire Red/Leaf Green
(GameBoy, GameBoy Advance, GameCube+GameBoy Player)
-Original and full-color classic Kanto quest, still the most sinister Team Rocket RPG plot to date
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 But aren't most Pokémon so powerful that they could easily rebel against abusive trainers...or any trainer? This is a common argument used to counter the question of just why these almost super-powered creatures allow themselves to be confined in tiny Pokéballs and trained by humans. While it's obvious that if a trainer is kind to his or her Pokémon, the Pokémon will return that kindness and willingly participate in battles and contests (and Pokéballs are actually warm and comfortable), but in some cases, care and respect for one's Pokémon has little to do with whether a Pokémon obeys its master. With no disrespect to fans who claim otherwise, a Pokémon's (or any creature's) size, strength, and power is irrelevant in the hands of domineering humans, just as in our world where people have overpowered, captured, and beaten into submission the largest, strongest, and most dangerous animals.
 and Prejudice...  
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