Recently, animal rights group PETA put out an interactive flash game speaking out against Nintendo’s Pokémon series, officially standing against Pokemon capturing, training, and battles. While many poked fun at this and highlighted it as an example of PETA being out of touch, it definitely got us thinking: if Pokémon were real, why wouldn't this conversation come up more? Should Pokemon fighting be banned?

On the tree-hugging, puppy petting, Team Plasma-supporting side is Hollander Cooper (2-1-0), who believes that we should all just hold hands and stop forcing fire-breathing monsters to murder each other. On the animal cruelty, dog-fighting side is Henry Gilbert (0-2-0), who maintains that we should stick by the old ways and enjoy watching animals electrocute each other.

Cooper: Before you’re able to battle your pets (which I’ll get to later), you need to train them, an act which is remarkably cruel and unusual. In order to get them more powerful you need to force them to fight hundreds of battles, pump them full of rare candies (which have proven to be bad for Pokémon health), and force them to spend a majority of their time in small, cramped balls. This is disturbing, and shouldn’t be allowed.

Henry: First off, on more than a few occasions Pokémon are able to accompany their trainers outside the ball. But even if they don’t, there’s been no proven correlation between a Pokémon’s happiness rating and the time they spend inside a ball. And compared to the dangers they may face in the wild, I would suspect some Pokémon find the Poké Ball preferable.

Henry: Not to sound too heartless, but no matter how heated a Pokémon battle can become or grievous the damage to the participants, you must keep one thing in mind: it is impossible to die. In the entire recorded history of Pokémon battles, the fight only ends when one (or even both) monsters are unable to continue, but are still breathing and often can be fully healed post-match. As per the rules, these are not blood sports, and no Pokémon is ever in danger of dying.

Cooper: Just because they’re not being outright killed doesn't mean they’re not being damaged, both mentally and physically. “Fainting” after being damaged by blows to the body or head can actually lead to concussions, which can lead to permanent brain or memory damage. Mental attacks by Ghost, Psychic, or Dark-type Pokémon can also leave enemy’s brains scrambled. Sure, they’re not “dead,” but they might be better off that way.

Cooper: Pokémon battling is advertised at, and geared specifically for children, usually under the age of 13. These pre-teens are then roaming the streets and battling anyone they make eye contact with, learning that it’s alright to start a fight, and that violence is fun and trivial. Having kids watch Pokémon constantly be wounded or injured undoubtedly leaves mental scarring, and desensitizes them to the horrors of battle.

Henry: What you see as damaging to children is what I call responsibility. By giving children something to care for, they learn important values that will last them their whole lives. Perhaps some children have grown into poor trainers, but most that you meet out in the wild love their Pokémon and see “fighting” as the fun pastime that it is.

Henry: Even if they can’t die, admittedly Pokémon can still take damage, and healing them can cost a lot when you take into account potions and curing status ailments. This could cause many Pokémon to suffer if their trainer can’t afford proper medication, but that’s never an issue thanks to the convenient and--more importantly--FREE healthcare provided at all Pokémon Centers. Just hand over your team to Nurse Joy and in moments they are fully restored at no cost. Pokémon care doesn’t get any easier than that.

Cooper: Where does the money for said free Pokémon health care come from, eh? I’ll tell you where: Our tax dollars. All of the money we earn and spend is taxed, with a portion of that going to paying Nurse Joy to stitch back on a Pikachu’s ear after it was ripped off by a rabid Pineco. Where’s our free health care? Maybe if we stopped paying for Chanseys to mend burnt Bulbasaurs we might be able to get our own doctor’s appointments.

Cooper: The actual act of Pokémon battles are barbaric and disgusting. Having a fire-powered dinosaur breath flames on a twig is going to result in the plant-type Pokémon being burnt to a crisp 100% of the time. Oh, and don’t even get me started on Ghost-type Pokémon--ghosts of the dead eating the dreams and poisoning their opponents. Some Pokémon have human-level intelligence or higher! How can we justify forcing them to fight for our amusement?

Henry: Pokémon are a reflection of everything in our natural world, a world that conforms to the rule “survival of the fittest.” The savage type difference between Charizards and Bulbasaurs existed long before humans began capturing them. Official Pokémon battles at least keep the fights in a controlled environment, with rules, officials, and nearby first aid. They’d likely be fighting even without humanity’s interference, so the much more civilized battles that are overseen by licensed trainers is a far better life for a Pokémon.

Henry: Ending Pokémon battling is something the world’s economy simply can’t withstand. Poké Ball production, food, accessories, films and sporting events featuring Pokémon; virtually everything you see around you is based on the interaction of humans with Pokémon . Remove that, laying off the many people employed by corporations like Silph and Devon, and you’re left with a ruined global economy all because of small collection of misguided bleeding hearts.

Cooper: So what? Just because we’ve built our entire infrastructure around animal cruelty doesn’t mean we should be scared of change. We weren’t worried about the Ponyta-riding industry when we invented the bike. Bill didn’t worry about the typewriter when he created the PC. We need to be willing to move on, especially if it’s for the greater good.

Cooper: It was less than 15 years ago that the Pokemon “Mewtwo” launched an assault on humanity, using its superior psychic powers to attempt to bring down the people that had once attempted to contain it. The power of friendship did, indeed, prevent this from becoming a worldwide catastrophe, but how can we in good faith continue to empower and “level up” Pokémon knowing that, if organized, the beasts could overthrow humanity, especially if we continue to make them stronger.

Henry: As long as there are dedicated, loving trainers out there like Ash Ketchum, that grim future will never come to pass. Legendary Pokémon like Mewtwo, Ho-Oh, and many more have caused damage thanks to their extreme power, so it’s a good thing that they can be caught and come to understand the friendship of a trainer. In this case, Pokémon ownership helps protect the world from potential threats like those.

Henry: In this cold, unfeeling world, no bond is closer or more true than the one between a Pokémon and its trainer. The more they work together in battle, the greater the connection between them. As the trainer grows in experience and the Pokémon level up, the friendship grows greater and greater. Yes, some Pokémon champions haven’t been all that nice to their monsters, but the truest of Pokémon Masters are the ones that befriend their team as well as command them.

Cooper: Friends don’t force their friends to fight fights they know they can’t win. Friends don’t shove their friends in balls for 99% of their life. Friends? Trainers aren’t “friends” with their Pokémon--they’re their masters, and the Pokémon are their servants. Just because people pet their Pokémon, make movies with them, and cook them Poffins doesn’t really make you their friend, it just means you’re making sure they’re plenty healthy for the slaughter.

Who won this heated debate? Pokémon rights or the tradition of Pokémon training? Answer in the poll and explain yourself in the comments.

Need to learn more about Pokémon to make your choice? Check out our updated legendary Pokémon guide and Pokémon Black/White 2 review.