Can Pokemon feel?

[KanonMira]

I don't know if it has been properly asked, there was a bit about Pokemon having memories in the breeding section but that is the place to seriously discus this.

Pokemon have evolved through each new generation, each new game in the series. Pokemon are becoming much more realistic and closer to real emotion and feeling then people think.
"But Pokemon are nothing but data and pixels"
Yes this is true, data imitation of emotions and feeling have already have a huge role in game. Pokemon have their own unique memories.

Still this is only emulated data.
But if Pokemon can be emulated to feel, and have memories who is to say they can't really feel our effects on them, or our care.

I was playing one day, and I happened to be upset over some issues. Now my performance in should still be my average performance, but I noticed that I would get paralyzed and poisoned and sometimes just miss the target. I couldn't understand as to why, I was in a bad mood now and I felt as if my Pokemon knew it. My pixels and data felt upset with me.

That is just one example.

Another is when in Pokemon Amie.

Pokemon really come to life here, my affection for my Pokemon goes through the roof. They respond to my every word I say. They have their own little sounds and animations.
Game freak are definitely aim for real Pokemon emotion.

So I dedicate this thread to everyone out there that think Pokemon are much more then simple pixels and data.

 

[shinx12345]

I like to think they have feelings. It makes you feel more immersed in the game, like you are on a real adventure. It becomes more realistic when they miss and when they smile in pokemon amie. And I have had pokemon I have really cherished as well, so you are not alone, I also tend to treat them more than just code. I am happy others do, as people are much more materialistic these days, and I am happy Pokemon and other games are helping to alleviate this problem.

 

[Hiatus]

Pokémon do not have feelings in-game. I know you've stated this a bunch of times before, but honestly, it's true--they're nothing but a few technological bits. ): If it were real life, then yes, they definitely would've had feelings and emotions. This doesn't seem to be the case though, unfortunately.

This doesn't really belong in X and Y, by the way. In my opinion, it'd fit better in Pokémon General. If you don't mind, I'm going ahead and moving it there!

Moved.

 

[Dragon]

Well, if were talking about pokemon irl, then yes, I'd say they feel things like joy and sadness all the time. Pixel bits are a tricky subject - I'd say they were given special 'traits' that express how they feel and whatnot, which was especially apparent in Pokemon Amie, in which, I think we can easily believe that pokemon in game have true feelings and so, we feel a bit more emotional when we've grown attached to certain pokemon. Again, I'd say that's a tricky point to make, ahaha.

 

[Christopher]

Picture's worth a thousand words:

Spoiler:

 

[Sagakkan]

I was playing one day, and I happened to be upset over some issues. Now my performance in should still be my average performance, but I noticed that I would get paralyzed and poisoned and sometimes just miss the target. I couldn't understand as to why, I was in a bad mood now and I felt as if my Pokemon knew it. My pixels and data felt upset with me.

That is just one example.

Another is when in Pokemon Amie.

Pokemon really come to life here, my affection for my Pokemon goes through the roof. They respond to my every word I say. They have their own little sounds and animations.
Game freak are definitely aim for real Pokemon emotion.

So I dedicate this thread to everyone out there that think Pokemon are much more then simple pixels and data.

I tend to agree.....I've spoken to my computer, toaster oven and ceiling fan to get them to work better. And I think it worked. I guess you could call me an animist of some variety.

Also, I have some hesitation with breeding and trading pokemon on the massive scale that we so often do, because they are treated like nothing more than a commodity, which seems awful if they do indeed have feelings.......if PETA weren't as frequently counter-productive and unrealistic as they are I'd probably be their chairman or something :P

 

[moon]

I definitely think the games nowadays are created to portray pokemon as creatures with feelings, emotions and memories. Much more so than in the earlier games. And if you look at anime and manga, pokemon are certainly highly intelligent and feeling beings.

But I don't see a realistic possibility that the pokemon inside our gaming consoles can actually sense how we feel and be affected by it or react accordingly. Technology hasn't come that far yet.

In a future where games maybe read our facial activity and AI is more advanced, it's not impossoble that we will come to think of pokemon (and other creatures inside of games) as more personal friends who actually understand us. At some point they might even become intelligent enough to be worthy of that belief. But like I said, we're not there yet. And would we really want to get there?

 

[dscottobrien1]

I definitely think the games nowadays are created to portray pokemon as creatures with feelings, emotions and memories. Much more so than in the earlier games. And if you look at anime and manga, pokemon are certainly highly intelligent and feeling beings.

But I don't see a realistic possibility that the pokemon inside our gaming consoles can actually sense how we feel and be affected by it or react accordingly. Technology hasn't come that far yet.

In a future where games maybe read our facial activity and AI is more advanced, it's not impossoble that we will come to think of pokemon (and other creatures inside of games) as more personal friends who actually understand us. At some point they might even become intelligent enough to be worthy of that belief. But like I said, we're not there yet. And would we really want to get there?

Pokémon Amie has the ability to read facial expressions via the 3DS camera, so its getting closer

 

[moon]

Pokémon Amie has the ability to read facial expressions via the 3DS camera, so its getting closer

Wow, that's pretty cool! I don't own the newest games so I wouldn't know. I still don't think it's about the pokémon in the game being intelligent and feeling beings of any kind though. It's just automatic responses from a program.

 

[Aeroblast]

If we're talking about Pokemon in terms of being fictional creatures, then yes. In the anime there have been tons of emotional moments between trainers and their Pokemon. (especially Ash and Pikachu)

If we're talking about Pokemon as data in a game, then no. Programs don't possess sentience.

 

[Minuteman III]

If we're talking about Pokemon as data in a game, then no. Programs don't possess sentience.

If we are to aim for the point where Pokémon possess sentience, Pokémon should first be Turing complete, like we are*. The rest will come naturally.

*It seemed to make sense when I wrote this, but I'm not certain that Turing completeness applies to biological beings such as ourselves.

 

[Bestintheworld]

Obviously they do, in the game there's things like the affection and happiness levels which are both feelings and emotions. In heartgold/soul silver the pokemon who you walk with would animate his current feelings. In anime obviously ash's pokemon have a deep bond with him i.e. Pikachu, charizard, butterfree, oshawott, snivy, tepig,etc. Just to name another anime example watch the squirtle squad episode the squirtles turned on team rocket when they began to feel bad and sorry for ash and gang.

 

[The Ruby Of The Sea]

In game? Yes. They're programmed to have some kind of emotional tie to you. Amie has become so advanced, they respond to your faces and "touch"

 

[antemortem]

I think it goes without saying that Pokemon are based off of real animals which do have feelings and emotions, and in the anime they are depicted as having emotional bonds with humans and sometimes the attacks that opposing Pokemon unleash on them actually deal physical pain. Of course, Pokemon, yet again in the anime, that've been abused also obviously feel pain both physically and emotionally (see: Tepig). When it comes to the games, I think Pokemon still 'feel' otherwise what would the Happiness metre be reflecting? Pokemon-Amie just expanded on the concept, and did so very well.