it's a game, but I'm already in the game

does anybody ever battle Pokémon on a Pokémon game and just imagine you yourself in the game like you are the trainer in the game telling your Pokémon what to use as if it was you in the game and not your character? I find it more engaging than just playing the game. what do you do when doing this?

I feel that way when I nickname my Pokémon. Normally in games, I don't nickname them, but I have for all my Pokémon in X. It makes me feel more attached to them. I always go, "Yes! You did! Awesome!" when my guys evolve. :) I also like to booyah opponents by talking with my Pokémon.
"Oh, you shouldn't have done that! My good ol' buddy Frogger (my frogadier) is gonna blast y'all! Oh snap! One-shot KO! WHAAAAAAAT?"
That was a bit much, but you get the picture.

I do that with books a lot...maybe of the player could also talk and not listen. I like nicknaming though.

I know exactly what you mean. Immersion is a big part of any game, and with Pokemon it's especially fun. For some reason though, I find immersion easier with the earlier games with less graphics capability. I guess it's because it's easier for me when there's less details filled in for me :)

I used to do this when I was a kid, as it made the game feel more engaging. Every time I selected a move on battle screen, I used to silently whisper the name of attack as if I was actually commanding the Pokémon myself. d: I still do it now, but only in my mind.

I remember way back in the day I used to read the attacking text out loud as it was happening, but I probably haven't done that since Gold. I always have to nickname my Pokemon though, as it immerses me in the gameplay a little bit more, rather than just thinking of them as a bunck of data and pixels.

Nah, not in the way you put it probably. But since I'm scarred from all my years of forum RPing, every character I play in games I feel and connect with in one way or another. Often, I make up background stories or personalities inside my head for characters that don't show much of that in games. Pokémon games are exceptionally easy to do this for, and that in turn reflects what team I create. It's nothing I do actively, it's just how I play games. Part of the experience :]

I find I do the same sort of thing, but less commanding my actual Pokémon and more just shouting at opponents for no reason. It almost shocks me, playing Pokémon gives me a really unnecessarily aggressive mentality - I don't take it seriously in any way, of course, but it's just funny to fake-rage at these NPCs and/or wild Pokémon who are more-or-less completely innocent.

"POISON!? How dare you use poison? No-one defies The Baron! Take this, you prick!"

I did when I first started playing the series it seemed like was better that just playing the game.

I never have. Not with pokemon at least. The stories in pokemon were never deep enough for me to want to do this.

Quite an interesting question, because playing a game as addicting as Pokemon does really make you feel like you're a part of this world; you can't seem to get your mind out of it for the rest of the week at least.

I do often do that sort of thing, especially if I'm competitive battling I speak commands to Pokemon just like ordinary Trainers from the anime. I can do that because other people won't be able to hear my loud voice. ;)

I always do! xD;; I get much more attached to the game and my Pokemon that way. Sometimes I even envision my battles with more depth and strategy than just simple turn-based battles, which makes it a lot more fun. I'm quite imaginative. :)

All the time, and not just in the games, but I also do that when I'm roleplaying as well. I'm always acting out my character, which takes me inside my own imaginative world where I play my characters...battling, and training my Pokemon at my own time. It's so fun that way.