Pokemon Liscense

[Chaolin]

Well, I was flipping through the channels and pokemon was on Cartoon Network. Now, in the episode I was reminded how at age 10/11 you could get your pokemon license. Then I thought, "Dang, isn't that kind of young for a kid to have that kind of responsibility?"

So what do you guys think? Should the age requirement for the pokemon license be changed or should something else about the license change?

 

[Smarties-chan]

*Sigh...* yet another person trying to find logic in Pokémon. Pokémon is illogical, deal with it. =P But yes, I don't see how anyone could allow a 10-year old kid to travel alone around the world without any kind of supervision. Sounds pretty far fetched to me. But then again, the world of Pokémon is a place where people stick animals with super powers into little balls and make them beat the snot out of each other. Try making sense out of that.

 

[babyshuppet_666]

Yep, I agree with Smarties-kun. :/ I've always thought that was a bit weird... I mean, my little sister's 10 and she would be totally lost if she had to travel around the world by herself... O.o But then again, Pokemon's just a kids show on tv...

 

[Shiny]

Yes it should be 14 or 15 as at least you know abit about the real world XD
Thought I'm 12 and have to cook, wash and clean for myself my parents think I should get some responsibility

 

[Rebellious Treecko]

A 10-year old trainer would most likely know about responsabilty (sp?) and how to take care of pokemon, but going out in the world...that would seem a bit scary.

 

[diamondpearl876]

Should be changed to 16, like the driving age. >:O

 

[Grovyle42(Griff8416)]

I'd say 16-the same age you can get a job. If you can't take care of a hamster, god knows you shouldn't own a Charizard. (off topic: as soon as I move out, I'm getting a rooster and a duck (the duck was my friend's idea)

 

[Ichida]

Like anyone would trust ten year olds to travel through the wild with hundreds of different monsters who would attack them at first sight. They set it at ten years old because that was the game's target demographic. I bet you there were kids under ten who were upset because they thought they weren't old enough to buy the Pokemon games. XD

 

[anime geek]

When I first got a Pokemon game I was around five or six. I thought I was too young but cackled and played anyway because I thought I was being really neat-o breaking the rules.

I do think that 10 is just a bit too young, but can you imagine anybody over 10 sitting around all day or revising how to cure a frozen Pokemon?

It doesn't seem as if there are many total perverted people who prey on ten year olds, so I think they're safe. And with Pokemon, they'd have some protection.

 

[babyshuppet_666]

When I first got a Pokemon game I was around five or six. I thought I was too young but cackled and played anyway because I thought I was being really neat-o breaking the rules.

I do think that 10 is just a bit too young, but can you imagine anybody over 10 sitting around all day or revising how to cure a frozen Pokemon?

It doesn't seem as if there are many total perverted people who prey on ten year olds, so I think they're safe. And with Pokemon, they'd have some protection.

Hmm, I guess you're right. In the "pokemon world" there's only like team rocket who's after the pokemon, but kids should be safe lol. Well, I don't know...

 

[Death Rogers]

Yeah, sending a ten-year-old off to go capture these creatures who have powers to completely mutilate them and eat them alive. I mean, what if a new trainer found a charizard and tried to catch it? He'd be roasted and probably eaten.

 

[BassFace]

I found it didn't make much sense myself. It seems kind of weird for the parents to send their kids off into the world at the age of 10. It's like sending your kid off to college or something. I think you should be at least 16, or even better, 18. Better yet, you should have to take some sort of test like you would take to get your driver's license... to prove that you know how to handle and take care of Pokemon. I know there was a test Ash had to take in the manga, but Ash didn't have to take a test in the anime or the games.

Then again... if the star of Pokemon was 16 or 18 years old, the show probably wouldn't have the same appeal. I agree that they made it 10 years old because of they were aiming for that age range for their target audience.

 

[Grovyle42(Griff8416)]

Maybe like the pokemon test in that episode of pokemon...with the test.

 

[Myoko-chan]

Now wouldn't it be funny if ash and co. recieved a pokemon egg, and asked how did a pokemon lay an egg.

 

[Cherrim]

This is also the world where, instead of taking over the world by shooting people with guns or real terrorism, the evil groups attack you with Rattata or threaten to, um, take over the world with water. :\ I dunno, but it seems like it's generally a safer world set for a child's mentality. <_<;

But, if logic must be applied, yes, the age would have to be moved up. It would make more sense for children to stay in school and study Pokémon until at least age sixteen. After that they can continue on in school or leave town and become a Pokémon trainer. Perhaps a select few gifted kids could leave earlier but...any younger and you're just begging for trouble. :|

 

[Ash's Pika Pal]

Well, kids might have a better instinct for nature in the Pokemon world. Yet, you might have a kid who hates someone and wants to plot their death with his/her Rhydon. So, the grown-ups might have to make it to where no one can be a trainer until a certain age/ are mature enough and won't try to plot revenge against someone. But, of coarse there are people like Damion (Charmander's old trainer).

Also, we do have to consider so and so won't blow of the town just because you beat their Pokemon. After all Pokemon isn't your average world.

 

[Punishment]

This is also more of a Japanese cultural subject. Generally Japanese children have the luxury of being exposed to more "diverse" (couldnt get the right word in there) subjects then other children in countries like the United States.

That is why when you watch the Japanese episodes of Pokemon you see some subtle messages.

But then again I could be completely wrong and they were just targeting an age group.

 

[.Aero]

Haha, I was looking for a choice "it's just a cartoon". But if it was reality, It really would be too young going out on your own.

 

[Waffle-San]

For the real world its too young but in the pokemon world it seems alright to me, maybe bumped up to 12 or something but think about it. In every town they go to theres almost always a pokemon centre with a nice nurse Joy ready to take them in for a couple nights, and on the road if they need somewhere to stay everyone has their door open with there pokemon.
There's also the trainer schools like in the games and then on the routes surrounding you battle like 9, 10, 11 year old school kids. Maybe its just the cream of the crop that leaves at the earliest of ages.
I'd feel pretty safe if I was walking around with a Pikachu that can carry up to 10 000 volts in its pouch things.

 

[Ariolander]

Yea 10 is waaaay to young. I would say 18 or 21 ages when you are old enough to take some responsability. I mean a 10 year old fending for himself in the wild with monsters about? Heck no.

Even the most independent 10 year olds can't fend for themselves out in the woods less they be a freaking Eagle Scout or something.