Interesting discussion you have here :) It sounds like it could become a bit PETA-ish though.....
I'm still trying to decide whether or not I like the idea and if it's ethical at all for Pokemon to be stuffed in a ball. I know there's theories about what the inside of a Pokeball is like for the mons, but I think the anime sums it up with this:
If that's what they're subjected to I don't think I want to catch Pokemon anymore. No wonder Pikachu is "afraid" (as Ash calls it) of going into a Pokeball....
Seeing as I've been watching the first few episodes of the anime recently enough, I want to draw on some of that for my opinions, not to mention a few comics I've seen...
It's brought up in the games that "Tame", trained Pokemon are stronger than wild Pokemon, thus wild Pokemon can become jealous of trainer-owned Pokemon. That would suggest that Pokemon
want to be caught and trained, to an extent. That being the case, does this mean it's an inherent desire for Pokemon to be captured and trained?
. It makes me sad :( I'd prefer to think that if it were real world the Pokemon wouldn't be stored in a "virtual storage machine", as you call it, but rather they get adopted or kept in a daycare type of setting or something. Like the Squirtle Squad, I also think Pokemon might be used in modern society for the benefit of everyone :)
Look at it this way though: Imagine Pokemon competing as being like dogs competing in a dog show (I don't want to say fighting because that's just mean). Dogs do it because their owner brings them to it to compete. If they win, the get a useless ribbon. I would see the novelty for dogs being the "Yippee I'm out of the house!!!!" thing, not the "I'm gonna compete and win". Maybe Pokemon are the same?
On another note: What use do Pokemon get out of material trinkets like a trophy or something for their valour?
Consider too that without a trainer to properly direct them in their training and care, I doubt any Pokemon would even come close to being strong enough to battle the Elite Four. I think if the trainer has taken the Pokemon this far and there's a mutual relationship between them, the Pokemon want to do their best for their trainer.
Also: If Pokemon really didn't want to go into Pokeballs I don't really think you could force them..
This though is pretty sad comic:
I may have more later... just need to really decide on my proper standpoint in this matter :)
I see what you mean. It's not nice to have it purely one-sided, I suppose. Some Pokémon (this is most seen in the anime) do have a coherent interest for battling with the trainers; I suppose it's about appreciating their nature and how easily they get used to a major change in their life. I should give respect for them for that, I wouldn't like to be put into a ball suddenly and be dragged along a more dynamic life.
Inside of a Pokeball is said to replicate/simulate a friendly environment for Pokemon, so I guess we don't really have to worry. They probably know what's going on outside their Pokeball as well.
Well, the only problem is the Pokéballs don't seem to link with each other, so it can be supposed they are living in a lone utopia where only the Pokémon seems to be the prominent life form. I don't suppose they feel lonely? But with that consent, I do agree that our worries can be reduced considerably.
Actually, I've always figured that boxed Pokemon end up like Ash's in the anime- going to live with one of the professors rather than being condemned to digital storage. And if Pokemon are converted to energy in Poke Balls rather than being stuck in a small sphere like that picture CliCliW showed, I imagine it to be no different than being asleep while in there.
Sadly, Professors in the games are not so kind enough to even mention that they are raising our Pokémon. I do think that Professors raising the unneeded Pokémon is a tad bit better, but still they ARE unneeded, right? Yeah, that's true. At least in the anime Ash constantly sends them out for having fun, eating food, and sleeping, so it seems like a mini-camp for them.
I don't like thinking of the Pokeballs or storage system as being particularly bad places to be, but then again, it would make me too sad to think my precious Pokemon are being neglected. (iДi)
My personal theory is that the Pokeball represents the ideal habitat for the Pokemon inside of it. For example, a Gyarados would have an ocean environment in the Pokeball. A luxury ball would just take the environment and make it fancier. Like, a Blaziken may be in a volcano type habitat but also have a mini dojo to satisfy it being part fighting. A regular Pokeball would be like the equivalent of a house for us - it would have what we need to stay satisfied, and a luxury ball would be like a mansion, having everything we need and more.
I see the storage boxes as being similar to a daycare, except without the EXP gain. That's why I can never only have one Pokemon in a box - I'm afraid it'll get lonely! Someone else mentioned it being like it was in the anime and that works too.
I know, I really over thought this, but I guess it goes to show I get a little too emotionally involved. This theory just makes me feel a lot better about the admittedly screwed up concept behind Pokemon.
The only thing; like I mentioned before; is that no creature would like to live in a dream world all by itself. Even we need the people around us to live, don't we? It's a very ethical concept, and that. But your fantasy does seem interesting, especially the Luxury Ball part. Yeah Brendino made a pretty good suggestion about the stored Pokémon being actually taken care of by professors for us.
I have learned from the many sources and games that Ihave nothing to feel sad or guilty of.
First off, I feel that Pokemon want to be caught. They approach the trainer, challenge it to a battle, and if the Pokemon submits to the trainer, it allows itself to be caught. Everything in the 5 gens of games show that Pokemon become friendlier as they accompany the trainer. Many times, the characters explain that the Pokemon can not only see, hear, and understand what's going on outside the Pokeballs, but trainers can also see inside.
One thing that is debatable is the PC boxes. Although I am convinced that they are free in the PC boxes, like a huge Pokeball for all your caught Pokemon, I find it odd how the Pokemonn loses all affection for you when you drop them off. But at the same time, if the Pokemon does not like you, putting it in the PC cancels it's hatred toward you too. Sometimes I think the PC boxes erases the Pokemon's memory, thus resets the affection or hatred towards the trainer.
Interesting way of putting things. One thing that can be said is that Pokémon wouldn't exactly "want" to be caught, rather they would fancy the idea to be caught. Maintaining a cute little face throughout the day inside a ball does seem to be taxing sooo... if they manage to see what's outside, I don't think they will see much more than the interior of a pocket, because unless they are somebody like Luxray they don't have X-ray vision; but this is more practical than ethical, I suppose. If PC boxes work in the way you suggest, that means they are directly manipulating Pokémon. They are important life-forms too, in fact they do everything to bring us glory. That's a good point, though.
I've heard a theory that "the Pokeballs contain some sort of Pokemajigger" (I'm quoting directly) that brainwashed the Pokemon into fighting for their trainer and always being loyal. Of course, that gets thrown out the window when you watch the anime unless some Pokemon are REALLY tolerant.
Oh yes, that's where the ironical term "slaves" is more appropriate. We've had a whole game (BW) that expressed the feelings of the whole ethical animal cruelty business, but unfortunately the story ended in such a way that Trainers still used Pokémon and the whole thing was left undisturbed. True, Ghetsis's true intentions were not Pokémon liberalism, but N's was.
There has been suggestions of a war between humans and Pokémon long ago, so this whole system is not so stable methinks. Let's just hope for a better devised mechanic on a later franchise that might solve all our problems.