Nintendo recently launched the new Pokémon Black/White 2 in North America, and is being protested by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). PETA has created a parody game about Pokémon’s being cruel to animals within the game. The website was launched on the same day as Pokémon Black/White 2 was launched in North America.

PETA’s parody game, Black and Blue: Gotta Free ‘em All, advocates that Pokémon is a violent game, that it has animal torture in it, and that being captured by a trainer is considered slavery. The parody game itself is decked out in blood, gore, and a heavy indication of torturing animals.

On PETA’s website, they claim that “Pokeball is akin to how elephants are chained up in train carts, waiting to be let out to ‘perform’ in circuses,” and how the fictional world of Pokémon is “to paint a rosy picture of things that are actually horrible.” How much exaggeration can PETA have with such frivolous views?

PETA doesn’t know anything about the Pokémon franchise and the culture behind it. Pokémon is one of the most animal-friendly games out there.

Looking back at the very first episode “Pikachu, I Choose You” in the Pokémon series, the TV show explains that not all Pokémon like to be in the Pokeballs. Ash is faced with many troubles later on, and adapts and protects Pikachu in a fight from other wild Pokémon. He adapts to the consequences with a Pokémon out of their Pokeball, and does not blame Pikachu. Later on, Ash loves his Pikachu and cares for him as his best friend. The two become loyal companions.

From what PETA says, the Pokeball is a type of cage and a prison for the Pokémon itself. If PETA did a little bit of research they would learn that the Pokeball is actually not a prison. In many episodes of the TV show, Misty’s Psyduck and Jesse from Team Rocket’s, Wobbuffet commonly pops out of the Pokeball, just because the Pokémon wants attention. Pokémon choose whether they want to go in and out of the Pokeball without the trainer’s consent for most of the time. Psyduck and Wobbuffet sometimes save the trainer’s life when they pop in and out of their Pokeball too. Therefore, a Pokeball cannot be a cage for Pokemon.

In the game of Pokémon, a lot of NPCs and the characters within the game heavily express the theme of “Love your Pokémon as your friend.” One important thing about the game is that the player must drop by the “Pokémon Fan Club” to get the Bicycle, which is important for the storyline. The Pokémon Fan Club expresses love for Pokémon and advocates within the world of Pokemon to “Love your Pokémon as your friend.”

Regardless, if a player were to ignore the idea of the fan club, and the theme of “love your Pokémon as your friend,” there was a launch of the Pokémon Walker with Pokémon SoulSilver/HeartGold. The Pokéwalker was literally a pet device that allows a player to bring their Pokémon with them. The player can play with their Pokémon, and when the Pokémon wants attention, it makes a sound to indicate to the player. The Pokémon in the Pokéwalker would get all the attention it needs from the player, and is literally a pet on hand.

With this hard evidence, how can PETA exaggerate the views of Pokemon? Why can’t PETA use its proper time, effort, and money to actually save real animals and not worry about such trivial, fictional things?

~Dru Chan

Questions? Contact me at Dru@guyspy.com or check me out on Twitter.