sergeiboobtitsky:

there’s nothing more absolutely tepid and luke-warm than people trying to force the square “pokemon” peg into the round “super gritty and painfully edgy” hole. like did you know, actually, if a charizard breathed fire on something, that it would fucking die?? i do actually know that because i also live in the world and am aware of the concept of physics, chemistry, and basic biology. i am also capable of “imagination” and “suspension of disbelief,” which is a weird ability of mine that allows me to interact with media without feeling the need to tell other people that this couldn’t happen in real life. 

yes, making two animals fight in real life is abusive and abhorent. no, pokemon is not comparable because it takes place in a fantasy setting where a pokemon’s inherent nature is to be competitive, where a realistically violent battle equates to friendly sparring in the context of this universe, and where physical combat is an allegorical device used to demonstrate the growing bond of friendship between pokemon and their trainers. 

no, pokemon and pokemon battles are not realistic in our universe. trying to remove this concept from its context, where it very much makes sense, is the most boring fucking thing you could do. i promise it will not kill you to take things at face value from time to time. pokemon is a franchise propped up on pillars of friendship, determination, and harmony with nature. it’s much, much, much more fun when you stop looking for secret, edgy lore, i promise