Thread: Are humans technically Pokemon?

Originally Posted by Zistal

Pok

Q: In the same way humans in our world are a type of animal, are humans in the Pokémon world a form of Pokémon?

Masuda: Humans are definitely separate from Pokémon. The way you think about it is different than how we think about animals in relation to humans on Earth. For example, on Earth we have mammals and reptiles all these different categories. In the world of Pokémon, they are all Pokémon. We don’t really categorize them in exactly that way. It’s kind of a different way of looking at it. So yeah, humans are definitely separate from Pokémon. For example, humans can’t learn four different moves like a Pokémon can.

Case closed.

Are there worker Pokémon in the world of Pokémon? Are there swaths of Pikachus powering a city?
Masuda: Pokémon as creatures, are much closer to – they’re not like how our pets are on Earth – they’re much closer to humans than they are to like a cat or a dog pet that we would keep on Earth. Because there is such a closer relationship between humans and Pokémon, most people in the Pokémon world probably wouldn’t want to use Pokémon in such a manner as making them work to do something. But, there are some people with bad ideals, or bad people in the Pokémon world who might try to do something like that.

And yet in the very first generation, we see a Machop helping with construction, Lt. Surge talking about how his Pokemon helped power his plane, and in Gen II, we find out bird Pokemon are used to deliver mail, and in Gen III, we do see that Pokemon get employed to do real jobs. Oh, and let's not forget how we use Pokemon for transportation (e.g., Surf, Fly) and clearing obstacles (e.g., Strength, Cut, Rock Smash). And these Pokemon aren't treated badly, nor are the people who do this necessarily "bad" (unless you ask N)

Clearly what Masuda was saying doesn't reflect the reality presented in the games.

Slightly more on topic, while Masuda claims that humans and Pokemon are separate, the Sinnoh Folk Tales allude to a time where humans and Pokemon may have been viewed as one and the same in-game.

There once were Pokémon that became very close to humans.
There once were humans and Pokémon that ate together at the same table.
It was a time when there existed no differences to distinguish the two.

I had commented on the Pokemon World's mythology reflecting the an overarching theme of how world views have changed from humans and Pokemon living in harmony to humans dominating Pokemon...something touched on by N. It's kind of ironic that Masuda takes on the position that humans are fundamentally different from Pokemon given the themes that the last games were trying to portray. The separation of humans and Pokemon or the domination of Pokemon by humans--both N and Ghetsis' goal basically view humans and Pokemon as incompatible. The entire game, we fought to show humans and Pokemon can coexist. Many legends before this allude to that.

If the new "bond" feature in XY is anything like linking in Conquest, then I have even bigger doubts as to how different humans and Pokemon are.

The way I see that...
They are the same in spirit, but they are different creatures.

The whole plot of BW was that different things should cohexist and work together. And so is what ancient legends try to say. "One and the same" is that despite they being different they share so many things they're treated as such.


The working question seems to be about forcing pokémon for work (i.e. pikachu energy), however the ones that are used for working might be better said to be "employed".
We haven't seen a pokémon not preassumbly enjoying what they do, after all.


That said, despite being different types of creature, saying that "pokémon are closest to humans than to anything else" is probably true.
After all, I do have a theory that some humans, or at least an ancestor, became pokémon as well. (And in one case it's canon)

I don't think you can use interviews as evidence. I mean, every time I tried to do that I was told by people that the only things that apply in the Pokemon game universe are things that are in the games, so I don't think anything Masuda says really counts.

Here's how I put it with my own strange theory on all of this: Pokemon are the result of what we humans have done 100-150 million years ago...Many animal species were wiped out by us and only the domesticated animals survived hence why so few animals we know exist in the Pokemon World because they evolved into what we know as Pokemon in time.......So also the Pokemon world is like our future in a way...

So after ya ya blah blah blah of my own talking and theory's...Yea,I think so in a way but im going to leave it as that since I clearly don't understand how Masuda has anything to do with this.

N: "Wait, humans are Pokemon? THAT explains a lot about my past."

Well, assuming ideas like Grimer literally being animated sludge are true, and not something a ten-year-old made up to fill up his Pokedex, then it seems that you don't necessarily have to be descended from a certain common ancestor to be considered a "Pokemon". Maybe it's also possible to sort of lose your "Pokemon-ness" as well? So then perhaps "Pokemon" is more of a way to describe a creature than an actual clade itself. If we go by that logic (which, of course, I made up in ten seconds) it could be more of an opinion on whether humans are Pokemon or not, or we could pass the test or fail based on certain, non-cladistic scientific reasons.

Erm, no. For starters, humans can't breathe fire or shoot electricity...

Humans aren't Pokémon, although they are living things. Even N isn't Pokémon.

Seeing that humans can become pokemons in the afterlife (Yamask was a human before it died, and Froslass are reincarnated women), doesn't that mean humans are actually some sort of pokemon species in the pokemon world? Except that humans have the weakest elemental power.

Among some humans, there are those with above-average elemental power. Like, Morty is said to have a vision that can see miles away, and Sabrina has psychic powers. Riley/Sir Aaron and Ash can use Aura just like Lucario. So that sort of defines that humans do have 'types' like pokemon, but it only appears in a more 'human' way.

No.

They both are different creatures, but there is some overlapping here and there, like Pokémon that used to be people and People who have ''pokémon-like'' powers.

The question can be related to our positions as, "Are humans animals?" in which case I would say yes. Humans are a different species of animals just as they could be a different variety of Pokémon.

An Easy way to understand Pokemon (at least, for me it is) is to think of Pokemon as "Forms of Life" as opposed to "animals/plants/rocks/etc."
They are Living entities that (through various means) arose within the Pokemon world.
They do not all share the same origin as we humans think of when we think about life in terms of our concept of Biological Life and it's origin.

So, while Humans can also be defined as a "form of Life," this does not necessarily define them as the same form of life as Pokemon.

Another aspect to the Pokemon world is the question as to whether or not humans actually originated in the Pokemon world to begin with,
Or instead they too have a origin lost to Antiquity of the History of the Pokemon world.

Originally Posted by TheCableGuy

They do not all share the same origin as we humans think of when we think about life in terms of our concept of Biological Life and it's origin.

This. The topic's question works on the assumption that Pokémon are animals, or a "type of biological life". Which simply can't be without throwing out what many pokémon are.

Pokémon have a diverse variety of origins and very different natures, yet as a whole encompass some common concepts that set them all apart from non-pokemon life.

Originally Posted by MegaChar

Here's how I put it with my own strange theory on all of this: Pokemon are the result of what we humans have done 100-150 million years ago...Many animal species were wiped out by us and only the domesticated animals survived hence why so few animals we know exist in the Pokemon World because they evolved into what we know as Pokemon in time.......So also the Pokemon world is like our future in a way...

There is much wrong with what you just said I don't know where to begin.

Come on, Humans don't come from Eggs, evolve, use Moves, have stats.
Pokemon don't change over time...

It can't be! That's it! Pokemon, Humans, Wildlife.... All three live, yet not the same!