[WHY] Pokemon Black and Blue

[Shyria Dracnoir]

The amount of time that Pokémon spend stuffed in pokéballs is akin to how elephants are chained up in train carts, waiting to be let out to "perform" in circuses. But the difference between real life and this fictional world full of organized animal fighting is that Pokémon games paint rosy pictures of things that are actually horrible.

Originally Posted by Team PETA

If PETA existed in Unova, our motto would be: Pokemon are not ours to use or abuse. They exist for their own reasons. We believe that this is the message that should be sent to children.

Oh god what

This just makes me wonder; how do they manage to find game teams they can contract to make these, or do they somehow manage their own in-house group?

Though apparently someone on the design team played enough Black/White to include the twist about Gehtis's real motivations

[POS Industries]

Actually, this game is pretty hilarious. Like, in a completely intentional way. The designers really did their homework here and it's a clever parody that communicates their message.

I ain't even mad. Good for them.

[Whomper]

How is this not a lawsuit waiting to happen?

[Kim]

Honestly, I'm gonna say PETA has a fair point with this. Pokemon Black and White were all about selling the message that Pokemon like being held in captivity, being forced to fight, and basically being the servants of people to do whatever they want. In a world with as much animal cruelty as there is, including a lot we just let happen because it's been TRADITION'd into modern society, I think calling out a game that sends that message is very fair. There are a LOT of reasons to not support PETA in general. Their methods can be really shitty and even result in the deaths of animals at times, and their attempts to spread their message can be incredibly sexist and body shaming. I don't support PETA. I actually enjoy Pokemon games now and again, but they're basically "GLORIFIED DOG FIGHTS: THE GAME", and that's kinda fucked up.

[POS Industries]

Originally Posted by Whomper

How is this not a lawsuit waiting to happen?

Parody is protected under fair use.

[A Zarkin' Frood]

I kind of stopped playing my Black edition even though the game was fun because the story rubbed me kinda the wrong way. Like, why do I have to fight against the good guys?

[Ryong]

I never stopped finding weird how power plants in the pokémon world are basically pokémon hooked up to power lines so.

I'd like to note that, at least, all physical wounds in Pokémon are rather easily healed but yes there'd still be psychological trauma. But, yeah, the games always pass off the idea that pokémon are totally okay with being used as weapons or just tools in general.

[POS Industries]

Originally Posted by A Zarkin' Frood

I kind of stopped playing my Black edition even though the game was fun because the story rubbed me kinda the wrong way. Like, why do I have to fight against the good guys?

Well, it did communicate pretty early on that Team Plasma was being completely hypocritical about their motivations and then it turned out to be all a scam anyway (which in and of itself bears the unfortunate implications that protest groups are actually doing what they're doing for completely self-serving means).

However, the difference between Ghetsis and N was that N was completely sincere and that, really, he wasn't wrong about the rights of pokemon to be free if that was their choice. He was merely mislead by Ghetsis his entire life to believe that all pokemon were being forcibly captured and forced to battle against their will and his interactions with the main character eventually lead him to see otherwise.

But that does, unfortunately, also send something of a problematic message about institutionalized animal cruelty like Kim was talking about, so it's not exactly a bad thing to have that message, whether intended or not, called out on its bullshit.

[Whomper]

Originally Posted by POS Industries

Parody is protected under fair use.

Yeah, but parody is an imitation. This game doesn't imitate: it says "hey, this is Pikachu and Ash and all the other characters created by Game Freak". Hell, it even steals from the game's plot lines to make a point (Ghetsis).

I dunno, man. In my opinion, this game pushes past imitation and presents a clear defamation of Game Freak. I guess we'll have to disagree.

[Kim]

Originally Posted by Whomper

Yeah, but parody is an imitation. This game doesn't imitate: it says "hey, this is Pikachu and Ash and all the other characters created by Game Freak". Hell, it even steals from the game's plot lines to make a point (Ghetsis).

I dunno, man. In my opinion, this game pushes past imitation and presents a clear defamation of Game Freak. I guess we'll have to disagree.

Definition for defamation: a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone's words or actions.

It's not defamation.