This mainly to vent but would appreciate any tips on how to cope. A few months ago my bf and I broke up, around that same time my mom and I stopped talking. And today my best friend and i “broke up”. In all three situations I didn’t do anything to hurt their feelings, they all lied to me about different things and had been disrespecting me for a while and i tried to set boundaries.
with my friend, I moved away for grad school three years ago and the distance has strained our relationship we live different lives she lives in a smaller city, went to community college for her MA, and is in a more financially strained situation. regardless I would never ghost her or choose a romantic partner over her, which she did and has done anytime a man is in her life or more than a few months.
It’s overwhelming that three of the people i care about most are no longer part of my life. I have other friends but none that are even comparable to her. i’m an only child of divorced parents so not much family aside from grandparents and dad who are both distant. And i’m seeing other people but casually, i’m scared i’ll never find someone like my ex. My mom has been toxic my entire life. Losing all of them makes me even more hyper aware of how people perceive me. Do my other friends actually want to be my friend? Do my friend/boyfriend /mom actually care about me? What’s wrong with me?
I guess what I’m asking is how am i supposed to deal with all of this? I am in therapy and on meds for depression and adhd. but i’m also in my first real job and applying to phd programs. I feel dumb, used, and like no one ever wants to truly be around me.

We are in the process of trying to move to another city, for my wife to take a new job. She already has an official job offer, but has since stopped working at her day job.
We currently have a mortgage on our house, and have about 50% of the home in equity. We are looking to sell our house, and buy a new one, in a different city. The only problem with this, is that she's not working in order to show income, as of right now, at least. She spent over 8 years in her last position, and was forced to resign(illegally, but i cant get her to sue). We've been building her credit for 2 years now.
How do we get approved for a mortgage so we can move to the new city and she csn start her new job? Renting isn't really an option that I've been able to find, due to having a child, a dog, and a bird. As well as the only thing stopping us from just showing up at the bank and asking for a mortgage, being thst as of today she has no income to show.
There has to be a way to obtain a mortgage so that we can move and she can start her new job? We are looking at a 20% down payment and 6 months of the mortgage and utilities completely paid for, even if she didn't have a job lined up. She has an offer letter and everything. We need to get there for her to start... we've been doing door dash and instacart for extra money in between these positions, but nowhere will allow us to use that as income, unless she's filed for 2 years from it... but they say we can come back as soon as she has a 40 hour paycheck to show from the w2....
We need to move soon, or she will lose the position and then we're screwed long-term.
How can we swing this? I can't figure it out, but it has to be possible...
(I can not work due to disability)

Best Architectural Designs Featuring Famous Buildings and Monuments To begin, let me explain what architecture is. The art and science of building design are combined in architecture, which places an emphasis on the design and the load-bearing capacities based on the design. When I say the best architectural designs, I also mean many other dimensions. You will see some of the world's best architectural designs, the best architectural design software, and some of the best architectural design concepts today in the post below.
Planning and designing a building are only part of architectural design. This is why there are two distinct academic fields: architecture and civil engineering, respectively. Let's first take a look at some of the world's best architectural designs and their characteristics.
The skyscraper building, which is the tallest in Western Europe and has 72 stories, can be found on the southern banks of the Thames.
Also Read: https://aaarchitecturalservices.co.uk/
Here are some of the best architectural designs.
It is a structure that serves multiple purposes and includes offices, homes, restaurants, and a hotel. The church steeples have a significant impact on The Shard. The basic structure has a glass facade with eight angles that gives you a great view of the city from the towers. The building has a stunning view that stretches for up to 40 miles in each direction. It is a piece of the Shard Quarter improvement. It is likewise alluded to as the Shard of Glass. Renzo Piano is the designer of perhaps of the most amazing compositional plan.

As the title suggests, my store’s new Swing Manager is pissing me off.
Long ish rant so get ready to read 🧍‍♂️
Today we had him transfer over to our store from a different store in our franchise for reasons that I don’t know about.
For context, I’m a 19 y.o. male working in Western Canada. I picked up a short 12pm-4pm shift earlier today. I came in and we we r so busy (we r walking distance to four schools, two sports arenas, lots of businesses, and next to the City’s busiest freeway). In all this chaos, he tells me to go clean the washrooms. I told him that three other ppl cleaned it before me so it didn’t need to be cleaned, but he insisted that I clean it still, so I oblige, and it took me like two mins to restock the paper towel and wipe the counters. He said, “U were too quick.”, but that’s only cuz it was already clean. So I go back and stand on my phone for like ten mins.
I come back to go on McDelivery (DoorDash, UberEats, etc.) and help on Front Counter w a trainee, and he tells me to put a hairnet on. Mind u, I have nothing wrong w wearing a hairnet in the Kitchen or on Fries, but I was doing FC and MCDEL. I was so confused cuz he didn’t have a hairnet on (he was running for DT), and neither did anyone else in FC or DT have a hairnet on, neither did the trainee. I didn’t have time to argue so I threw a hairnet on for like 15 mins to make him happy and then I took it off after cuz I deemed that it was unnecessary to have one on.
I walk by him and he gets mad saying, “Hey, u threw ur hairnet away. Go put another one on.”, again, although I was pissed and confused, it was busy and I had no time to argue.
Fast forward, and I’m running for MCDEL. I’m doing great managing the orders myself and then he comes up to me and says, “I’ll take it from here, go on Fries.” Now, we have no DT Runner during the lunch rush. While I’m on fries, there’s one trainee doing FC, the Swing Mngr is doing MCDEL, and our DT times are in red. I don’t mind wearing a hairnet on Fries, but in my opinion, the trainee should be on Fries, the new Swing should be the DT Runner, and I should be on MCDEL and FC. But that’s just my opinion as a Team Leader (called an “Area Leader” at some stores).
Fast forward, and I’m on BDAP (which is basically the drinks station). I’m doing my best making all these hot and cold drinks and milkshakes and smoothies all while taking orders on lane two. He comes up to me, and tells me to, “We r in red, get us out of red.” At that point, I’m all like ??? Cuz first he tells me to clean the already clean washrooms then to put on a hairnet for FC and MCDEL. And then he takes me off MCDEL/FC to go on Fries, making the Presenter do Running and Presenting, and has a trainee to FC all by himself. THEN, he takes me off Fries to go on BDAP, and tells ME to get us out of red, even tho he was the one who left his station.
I did lots of looking around and I was the only one who was being treated like this by him. In my opinion, I just think it was unfair to be singled out like that and to be blamed for a problem that he created. I’m tryna give him the benefit of the doubt cuz he just coulda been stressed on his first day at his new store, but if he continues I do plan to talking to him about it cuz it was really annoying
Anyways. Rant is done 😅

Pulled this info from todays city council meeting:
Applicant Criteria - Are a current resident of Long Beach - At least 21 years of age - Agree to undergo a thorough background investigation and be free of criminal convictions that would disqualify the applicant - Successfully complete a psychological evaluation. - Provide proof of ownership and DOJ firearm registration - Complete firearm training - Pay all fees
Process and Fee Break down (new applicant 2 years):
Step 1: Submit the online application and Initial Fee - $70.10 fee, per application
Step 2: Applicant Submits Live Scan/Fingerprints to Initiate Background investigation - $93.00 fee, rolling fees very by vendor
Step 3: In-Person Applicant Interview
Step 4: Applicant Psychological Evaluation - $150.00 fee
Step 5: Applicant Firearm Training (Excludes credit card and convenience fees paid to Permitium) - $300.00, training fees vary by vendor
Step 6: Chief of Police Approves, Applicant Pays Issuance Fee and License is Issued - $280.40 fee
TOTAL COST = $893.50
Process and Fee Break down (renewal):
Step 1: Submit the online application and Initial Fee - $25.00 fee, per application
Step 2: Applicant Submits Live Scan/Fingerprints to Initiate Background investigation - $52.00 fee, rolling fees very by vendor
Step 3: In-Person Applicant Interview
Step 4: Applicant Firearm Training (Excludes credit card and convenience fees paid to Permitium) - $150.00, training fees vary by vendor
Step 6: Chief of Police Approves, Applicant Pays Issuance Fee and License is Issued - $280.40 fee
TOTAL COST = $227.00, every two years
Proposed Modification/Replacement/Duplicate City Fee is $10.00 per application/request. Fee set forth by California Penal Code Section 26190.
TLDR: first time application cost $893.50 and last two years, renewal $227.90. Online app, live scan, in person interview, psych eval, firearm training, issuance fee by chief.

https://www.alternet.org/missouri-supreme-court-refuses-disba
"An 86-year-old defense attorney will be allowed to keep his law license after the Missouri Supreme Court in a 4-3 ruling refused to disbar him despite having sexually assaulted six of his clients, all women.
Attorney Dan K. Purdy will be "indefinitely suspended from practicing law but allowed to apply for reinstatement after a year," The Kansas City Star reports."
"In September 2020, Purdy made sexual advances toward four clients in a Vernon County jail interview room, including touching and kissing, that were confirmed by video provided by the Vernon County Sheriff's Office," The Star reports. "Each woman was later interviewed by officers and told them Purdy's advances were unwanted."
In addition to jail interview roos, Purdy's sexual advances took place in court and in his car. All were locations where his clients might have felt uncomfortable to complain.
"Purdy's clients either did not know or did not realize they could repudiate his sexual advances," Justice George W. Draper III wrote in the majority opinion.
There are seven justices on the Missouri Supreme Court, four appointed by Republican governors, three by Democratic governors. Four are men, three are women.
The ruling was not along party lines."

My wife and I were watching a 20/20 episode about John Robinson. I have lived in the Kansas City area all my life so I knew about his farm in LaCygne, KS. What I didn’t know was that he lived in a trailer park that was about 1/2 a mile from the house where I grew up and my middle school. My parents and my in-laws also lived in the Wichita area during BTK’s reign. It’s creepy how close you may have actually been to a serial killer. Has anyone else found out that they either lived close to or actually encountered a serial killer?

Just yesterday I was able to run GTA 5 at max graphics without any issues. Today it crashed and continued crashing whenever I would go anywhere out of the city. This is also happening with Fortnite but it only happens after I start getting lag spikes. How can I fix this?
Specs:
MAG B650 TOMAHAWK RYZEN 7900X RTX 4080 (FE) DDR5 5600 MHZ SAMSUNG 980 PRO (M.2) SAMSUNG 870 EVO (SATA DRIVE)

Took my cat to the vet today because he's been sleeping all day and barely eats. They revealed that his kidneys have been enlarged. They couldn't find a definite cause as to why it was happening. They suggested visiting an ER if his condition declines but I can't afford to do that because I don't have pet insurance and I already spent so much money today for this visit. Does anybody have some tips or insight on how I can approach this situation? I really can't afford to do much more medical care so I'm trying the best I can from home with the medicine they gave me. Also, the only food I can consistently get him to eat is temptations and churu sticks. Is it bad if this is his only diet/could it make his kidneys worse? I know temptations aren't the healthiest option out there.
Species: Cat
Age: 2 years old
Sex/Neuter status: Neutered
Breed: Mixed shorthair
Body weight: 9.5 lb
History: Clean history besides the vet visit today.
Clinical signs: The vet did an x-ray that revealed that my cat had enlarged kidneys. The bloodwork revealed moderately increased white blood cells, mildly decreased red blood cells, and decreased platelet count. They were not able to come to a conclusive diagnosis but they said the findings could suggest autoimmune disease, systemic infection (feline infectious peritonitis, feline auto immunodeficiency virus), or something else. He was given subcutaneous fluids, convenia, cerenia, and glucocorticoids.
Duration: 48+ hours
Your general location: Washington
Links to test results, X-rays, vet reports etc:

I just learned today from my allergist that in lot of cases like mine, Eosiniphilic esophagitis is not from food allergies nor is it from environmental allergies, but rather a purely genetic immune system defect. Damn….

Hello all.
Today I present to you a few clips of the full Stage 4 PvP MagDK, Athena, as she does what she does best in Imperial City: Hunt.
Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCmenwRozRo

I had a tech out today who was trying to get my speed up on my internet. I was supposed to be getting 200Mbps up, but was topping out at 60. He tested the line entering the house and that showed the speed I should be getting. Inside the house, after some testing, he finally figured out that the Commscope was somehow limiting the upload speed. Removing it from the equation, I got my full speed. Great. Then he gave me a new Commscope CSAPDU9VP to replace the old one, connected the TVs to it, plugged the modem in the VOIP port on it, and my speed was still great, so he took off.
Then I later got an earful from my wife who discovered TV was now fubar -- pixilation city. I can only assume the new Commscope, being the only "new" thing, is messing up the picture.
I am not familiar with these amplifiers and the documentation out there is just awful. I can't find why or what should be plugged into the VOIP slot. Is the modem being on that somehow messing up the rest of the ports?
Why would the Commscope limit upstream speed on a modem?

I’ve been dealing with a NFH for the last 8 months or so. We were great neighbors until the decided my backyard tree shouldn’t be removed (not even close to their property line). Long story short, they cause the tree removal to cost double since they caused so many problems during day 1 of the removal. We later decided to build a fence along our property line, which is also along the edge of their driveway. The other side of their driveway is their house. They’ve always liked to use about 1 foot of the grass along side of their driveway so they don’t have to pay much attention when pulling into their driveway. The grass is all on my side of the property line. When I started building the fence, they freaked out and that’s when the real terror began. They were certain they owned about 2 feet off of their driveway, which they certainly did not. I had a survey, and as it turned out they did not. I refused to show them my survey. They called the city in me and I explained everything to them. It was awful putting that fence up. They were out there. It seem like every minute watching. What I’m doing. Trying to bother me talking to me and I was certainly not responding. Once the fence was up they were still bothering us. Trying to talk to us, but we would never respond. In the winter, my wife put some steaks alongside the property line which is along side their driveway further down by the street to make sure they stop driving on our grass in that area where we had not extended the fence. The neighbor grabbed the steaks out of the ground and brought them to our front door banged on the door and started berating my wife (thinking these stakes indicated a fence was going in…he’s an idiot). I recorded him doing all this, and he still would not leave us alone. I ended up, shouting him off of my front porch while holding my camera in front of them and he still would not back down. While my wife was putting the steaks back in, he started telling her how he suspects that I am cheating on her. He thinks that I’m not a good guy and that will probably end up getting divorced soon. Two days later, I walked into a school event with my kids and I noticed him walking in with his kids and we pass each and said “hey what’s going on guys?” Trying to be friendly (psycho). I turned around and walked away…I don’t know what he wants. It seems like he’s just trying to intimidate me and my family. Even today I was loading my small child in the car and he drove by really slow, turned around as he was passing my house on the corner before he got to his house, backed up in the intersection and just sat there watching as I loaded my kid in the car. This is one of many instances where he just shows up and stares and it’s extremely weird. I had the police over twice and he was told to leave me alone. I don’t know how to handle this because I think he just wants me to react and then he’ll be able to get a video of me looking like I am as bad as him, or get me arrested. I’ve even resorted to putting a film on my windows, facing his house to prevent him from staring in on us, which is happened several times since all this started. How do you handle this low-key stalking or harassing behavior?

And I'm going to prove it.
What follows is an in-depth analysis of the Pokemon world and its culture (hereafter referred to as the “Poke'verse.”) Where I’ll attempt to understand just what these beings actually are, and how they relate to the humans of their universe. The relationship between human and pokemon is obscure, but we'll be defining it today. For this post, I will reference the video game lore, but I will, to a large extent, be pulling examples from the anime. While I can understand why some might say this invalidates my points, I truly think the anime should be considered fair game. It depicts what the Poke'verse is truly supposed to be like, as the writers intend it to be, unhampered by the restrictions of a video game.

Let's dive in.

At this point, I know that the Pokemon fandom and the general public have a well-established and largely iron-cast interpretation of what it means to be a Pokemon Trainer, but today I’m going to attempt to challenge that interpretation. Because on the whole, it’s not especially flattering, and I think it’s false. You’ve seen the jokes, and the video essays, and the parody comics. You’ve seen it all. People have criticized Pokemon for the premise of the game effectively being a system of romanticized slavery. That the heartless humans kidnap these innocent animals and force them into sadistic dog-fights to further their own power, to the point where it is a global, televised sport. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you, Pokemon…are slaves. It's animal abuse. Those who argue it are in denial.
The funny thing is, most people don’t argue it. Which is because, to a large extent, most people don’t care. It’s just a video game, right? It’s not as though the Pokemon are outwardly suffering. Pokemon fans seem to just accept this premise and live with it, because the Pokemon world is bright and enjoyable and the formula of the games is addicting. To most people, the problematic premise of this universe isn’t a big deal. Nobody takes a passionate stance against it, apart from Gamefreak itself. They have little choice but to dismiss these claims, to argue against them…but nobody really listens. The franchise may do the best it can to play up the whole “friendship” angle, but the majority of fans, casual and otherwise, would say they’re not fooling anyone.

I see things differently.

This conclusion about the Pokeverse is not the only one that can be drawn from analyzing this world. It's also based on several assumptions, headcanons, and interpretations of this world’s symbolism. I interpret these things another way myself, and I’ll try to explain how. But the bottom line is that humans and Pokemon exist together in this world and have a unique relationship. Our world has humans, but not Pokemon, so one can assume that the Pokemon are a deliberate symbol of…something. What that something is will probably vary based on who you ask, but just about everyone seems to interpret them as the “animals” of their universe. As in, living creatures who are not human. (Because Humans…are also Animals, and that’s kind of the whole point right there, but I’m getting ahead of myself.)
We seem to draw an inherent comparison between Pokemon and #RealWorld Animals, which is where all of this stems from. I believe this is a mistake. Or if nothing else, it’s not the definitive interpretation of what they are. If anything, the closest comparison I can think of is…maybe Angels? But even that doesn’t truly describe their role. The more the Poke'verse gets fleshed out, the clearer it becomes to me that catching and training Pokemon are completely misunderstood concepts. They’re not really comparable to anything in real life, certainly not the training of animals or the keeping of pets. I genuinely don’t think that the relationship between Trainer and Pokemon has an equivalent in our world.
I do understand where the impulse to make this comparison comes from. Of course people look at Pokemon and see animals. After all, they're living, breathing creatures, magical creatures that coexist with humanity. A not insignificant number of them do resemble real-life animals or are otherwise based on them. The most crucial bit of evidence for this idea is that the Pokeverse, by all appearances, lacks “real world” animals of its own. There are no recognizable creatures from our world to speak of, apart from humanity. So I can see how people reached this conclusion and I get why they draw the parallel.

However, it’s just not a fair comparison to make. Not at all.

Some animals do have the means to defend themselves, of course. But Pokemon have abilities on another level entirely. They’re basically magic. They have superpowers unique to themselves. Can a human spit fire? Tunnel a hole in seconds? Can they summon storms in the blink of an eye? Can a human block all damage with Wonder Guard? The answer is no. They cannot do this. Humans are one race, and a relatively mundane race at that. While they are distinctly separate from Pokemon…that doesn’t make them superior. It doesn’t make them more powerful. The sheer variety in Pokemon species, not to mention the variety of their powers, means that if war was to break out between the two communities…the humans would not win. It wouldn’t even be close.
Pokemon are baked deep into this culture. If you had to guess which of these two societies was here first, would you really guess humanity? I wouldn’t. Just look at the spiritual side of this world. It has deities who are confirmed to exist, who created this world as we know it..and they’re all Pokemon. Who knows where the humans even came from, but the Legendary Pokemon are the ones who fashioned the universe. It is vanity to assume that Humanity is the dominant species of the Poke'verse.
They are not, nor have they even been in charge of this world. Pokemon explicitly range from human to above-human level intelligence. The humans attempt to understand them, but the Anime clarifies that they’ve chosen to name the Pokemon based on their speech patterns. Pokemon don’t “say their name” and nothing else. It’s the reverse. They speak unique languages that the humans elected to name them for. By contrast, Pokemon can clearly understand human language. There’s no way around it, they are smarter than us. So it’s no surprise that they have their own communities and systems, totally independent from humanity. However, there are also countless Pokemon who choose (read: CHOOSE) to work with humans, on individual and group-wide scales.

In fact, Pokemon and Humans may not be so different at all.

I bet their DNA is remarkably similar. They may descend from a common ancestor. There is consistent flavor text that verifies this, stating that on a fundamental level, Pokemon and Humans are all but the same. Perhaps humankind and Pokemon weren’t always separate beings? Perhaps they were once one and the same? It’s pure conjecture, but according to the Library in Canalave City, there was a time in the ancient past when Pokemon ate at the same table as Humans and would even marry them sometimes. That last bit of trivia is cut from the English version, undoubtedly because of the popular interpretation I discussed earlier. Fans see Pokemon as animals, and the dubbing team probably wanted to avert any weird implications.
What’s odd is that in Legends: Arceus, which takes place in the ancient past…humans and pokemon have clearly already been separated, and have no relationship beyond hostility and fear towards each other. There are exceptions, of course, but by and large, the idea of a “Pokemon Trainer” is a new concept to the humans in Hisui. I’m getting very off topic now, but it does make a fan wonder. Just what happened to separate pokemon and humankind? They were as close as kin at one point, before some kind of split occurred, and it’s taken countless generations for them to redevelop a closeness...there’s a greater mystery here that isn’t relevant to the topic at hand, but these questions are worth asking. Either way, the point is that the two communities are almost fated to come together.
The Pokemon are drawn to humanity, and whether they invest in an official “trainer” or not, they seek out humans just as often as the humans go looking for them.
The Pokemon will form these partnerships out of their own desire. A desire for what, you may be asking? I think it varies, but when it comes to the TrainePokemon relationship, we can assume the typical goal is shared strength. The human and the Pokemon form a symbiotic relationship in the Training system. This is stated numerous times, especially in the Anime - A wild Pokemon will never reach their full potential. Not without a Trainer. You see? It isn’t only the humans who benefit from this relationship, and the Pokemon understand this. The vast majority of them want to be caught, they seek a trainer who can help them harness their powers.
Mewtwo decries Pokemon Training as Slavery during Mewtwo Strikes Back. Pikachu contradicts him, and Ash literally puts his life on the line in the effort to prove him wrong. Much later, in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, the same question comes up. Lucario asks if Ash is Pikachu’s “master” and Ash rejects that terminology. Because Pikachu is his best friend, nothing less. There is a reason why the word is “Trainer” and not “Master” or “Owner.” Because Pokemon Trainers do not own their Pokemon. Full stop. The Poke Ball isn't a prison. It, and the PC Boxes from the games, are implied to be a kind of virtual reality. The Poke Ball is a symbol, a convenience more than anything else, but not a requirement. Ash is living proof. The Poke-Ball may be the norm, but if you're claustrophobic like Pikachu, or you're just not feeling it, you can abstain. Ash has never treated Pikachu as a captive. Or any of his Pokemon for that matter. We don't ever see anyone keeping Pokemon as prisoners apart from the villains.

But what about catching Pokemon in general? That's still messed up, isn't it?

There is an obvious counterargument to be made to my stance, a Donphan in the room, and I won’t ignore it. The counterpoint here is that capturing Pokemon is almost always done against their will. Or at least, that’s how it’s traditionally done, and the norm in the games remains consistent. Still. Ash winds up befriending the majority of his Pokemon instead, and he’s far from the only trainer we see doing so. James is another human who recruits his teammates primarily through his own likable qualities. You might argue that while obtaining a Pokemon can happen without fighting, that style is still unusual. But again, based on the anime, it doesn’t seem to be that uncommon. I think what’s considered rare is that Ash seems to specialize in doing this despite his intended goal of training Pokemon for battle.
Regardless, capturing Pokemon through battle still happens. It happens quite a lot. The examples that differ from this norm don’t erase that, nor do they erase how repugnant it is. After all, the Trainer is cornering a creature who more often than not, was just minding their own business. (A wild Pokemon is very often the one to initiate battle, but never mind.) The trainer then forcibly kidnaps them after violently assaulting them. Even the term “capturing” Pokemon has problematic connotations. No way around it - on paper, this sounds bad. It sounds horrific. But if I may, I’d like to offer a different perspective based on what I’ve been able to observe of the Poke'verse’s culture. First of all, I’d like to offer a scalding hot take about the violence of Pokemon battles. This may be where I lose a lot of people, but hear me out.

I challenge the idea that a Pokemon battle is “violent.”

Or at least, I don’t believe the characters consider it to be violent, not in the same way we understand it. A pokemon battle isn’t assault, because they’re not human. But it’s also not animal abuse, because the Pokeverse doesn’t have animals. Again, it’s worth remembering that Pokemon are supernatural creatures with magical powers, and I’d say their powers, the “moves” they learn, play by different rules than conventional fighting. There’s actually quite a bit of evidence to suggest that this is true.
In Mewtwo Strikes Back, the Pokemon very specifically fight their clones without access to any of their actual moves, after Mewtwo psychically blocks their powers. Everything about this scene is meant to convey tragedy. All of a sudden, a series that’s been all about battle is preaching against violence. Sure, we can call it bad writing, executive meddling, or anything we want. But ignore the Fourth Wall and ask yourself, why would the characters react this way in-universe? Why is it that Pokemon battling has always been okay, but in this one instance, it’s not? The movie goes to great lengths to show us that the Pokemon are hurting each other. Which we don’t normally see.

The only difference? The Pokemon aren’t using their normal moves.

From this, we can conclude that the typical, conventional Pokemon battle, where the two Pokemon fight using their special abilities...it doesn’t hurt them. It may tire them out, but a Pokemon Center can heal basically any injuries in record time. Nurse Joy is some kind of miracle worker…or maybe she isn’t. Maybe The Pokemon are being tired out from their battles, but not actually harmed in the long term. Ever wonder why Pokemon can use hidden moves in the field, even when they're supposedly "fainted?" Or why Pikachu is able to get right back up after fainting in battle to cheer Ash on? This would explain why Pokemon attacks don’t cause lasting damage to humans, either. Get hit with a Flamethrower? Don’t worry, you’ll just be temporarily stunned and have soot all over your face. The doylist explanation is, once again, that it’s a children’s cartoon, but that doesn’t explain what’s happening in-universe. Team Rocket has been electrocuted by Pikachu a near-infinite number of times. So how are they even alive?
Simple. Pikachu isn’t actually trying to kill them. Because of course he isn’t. It’s quite possible that Pokemon moves simply are not capable of inflicting serious damage, or perhaps Pokemon have an inherent resistance to them. But I suspect it’s not a lack of ability that stops Pokemon moves from being violent…but an almost universal choice. That when Pokemon go on the offensive with their powers, or at least, when they direct said powers at humans…they are always pulling their punches. That’s why the fight on New Island was so grotesque - the Pokemon were not remotely familiar with battling that way, engaging in true violence, and there’s little doubt that they were figuratively and literally scarred by that night. (The ones who still remember it, anyway.)
It’s no wonder they never use their powers to cause actual bodily harm to anyone - I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some kind of sacred, unspoken taboo among Pokemon against doing so. A taboo that wouldn't be known to the newborn clone Pokemon on New Island. A taboo that may not have existed centuries ago, in say, the ancient times of the Hisui region. But present day, communities of Pokemon are more civilized, and they a working relationship with human society that ranges from neutral to friendly. We’re in head-canon territory now, but this kind of law among Pokemon kind makes a lot of sense. There may be Pokemon out there who break this taboo, but they would be few and far between - probably outcasts among their own kind. It would add a new dimension to Pikachu's refusal to fight back against his clone counterpart.
Again, this scene makes a point of telling us over and over, that what we’re seeing is wrong. “Pokemon aren’t meant to fight. Not like this.” That line right there is precisely the point. Battling isn’t meant to be like that, and in practice, it almost never is. There’s a reason why Pokemon almost never actually die in battle, and only get “very weak,” a condition that is cured flawlessly with the medical science of a Pokemon Center. It’s almost like a Pokemon’s powers create a kind of invisible simulation system, allowing them to spar with their opponent safely. Because that’s what a Pokemon battle is, at heart. It’s a test of skill. It’s meant to just be friendly sparring. A kind of sport that the Pokemon and Trainers engage in together, and it’s stated many times that they need to be in sync to have any hope of a successful career in professional matches. Again, I refer you to Mewtwo Strikes Back. The Pokemon were able to use their powers collectively to restore Ash to life. There’s clearly a lot more to a Pokemon’s power than just combat. That part is nothing more than recreation for them.

I deviated tremendously from the original question about capturing Pokemon, but I feel that it’s important to address this point.

Pokemon Battling is not violence. It’s effectively a sport that all sides consent to playing, a sport that has safety measures practically built in, as well as further precautions offered like the Pokemon Center. In that sense, it's more or less just another interpretation of Pokemon Contests, and Showcases, and everything else. A human helping a Pokemon study their powers and use them to fullest potential. This is the reason why I don’t actually consider a Trainer fighting a wild Pokemon to be so obscene. However, that only addresses the question of violence. Trainers are still kidnapping Pokemon against their will, right? That’s why one has to “weaken” a Pokemon to catch them. Well, believe it or not, I’m going to debunk that too.
Barring exceptions, the wild Pokemon must be exhausted to the point that they can no longer resist a poke-ball, before you can obtain them. Their opinion about being caught is always a non-issue. By all accounts, it doesn't seem as though this is acceptable. But even this, I think, is part of the cultural dissonance. Among other things, we don’t know what the little “click” of the Poke-ball actually means. It signals that the capture was a success, but is that the Pokemon choosing to yield, or the Poke Ball’s technology locking them in? It’s a little ambiguous, I’ll freely admit as much…but I would argue that the former idea isn’t impossible. Again, wild Pokemon, generally speaking, actually want to find a Trainer. The first episode of the anime even hints that certain wild Pokemon are jealous of those with trainers. With that in mind, why is catching them even a fight to begin with?

I’ll tell you why. When a wild Pokemon battles a trainer, they are essentially giving that trainer a test.

They’re gauging the trainer’s abilities to bring out the potential of their Pokemon. If you’re a trainer, and your Pokemon defeats another Pokemon in the wild…you’ve just proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that your Pokemon is stronger than the wild one. You have now proven that you have something to offer, you’ve passed the test. The wild Pokemon now realizes that it stands to learn something, to grow more powerful, by accepting your tutelage. That’s why it’s considered acceptable to the Pokemon to follow a trainer after they are overpowered and captured. It’s like…right of conquest, but with fully informed consent.
Consent is key here, and I believe this cultural understanding to be the reason that most Pokemon are immediately comfortable with following the trainer who caught them. While one might argue that they don't really have a choice anymore...that simply isn't true. The anime clarifies that Pokemon can release themselves from a Poke-Ball whenever they want. Misty’s Psyduck is the most iconic example of this, but there are countless others. In theory, a Pokemon could just leave a trainer who they find unsatisfactory. Actually, that’s not just a theory. That’s canon. Something that most people don’t seem to realize (or at least, they forget) is that it’s not just Trainers who ditch Pokemon they no longer want. It happens in reverse as well.

Pokemon can and do abandon their trainers, if they deem said trainers to be unworthy of their talents.

Remember when I said that I would be chiefly referencing the anime, because it’s the most reliable depiction of what the Pokeverse is supposed to be like? This is exactly what I was talking about. Because obviously, this never happens in the games. Your Pokemon don’t just disappear from your party or PC boxes, because that would be an incredibly stupid and unfair mechanic. But in the anime, where the relationships between Pokemon and Trainer are more fleshed out? In the first season, Bad To The Bone is about a Marowak who chose to ditch his trainer after said trainer had his badges stolen. While the Marowak eventually changed his mind, at no point did any character voice the idea of trying to return him by force. That was never on the table. It was Marowak’s choice and no one else’s, which is why the trainer was heartbroken.
But that’s not a one-off, it’s not the only example. There are quite a few. Due to a misunderstanding, Gym Leader Pryce once believed his Piloswine had abandoned him. Then there’s Ash. Always the mother hen, he’s adopted many Pokemon who were abandoned by previous trainers, but the opposite has also happened. His Snivy, and his Greninja, are both Pokemon who were explicitly stated to have had previous trainers whom they chose to leave, because they didn’t feel understood. Typically, it seems that Pokemon choose to leave because they feel as though the unspoken contract that is “pokemon training” has been violated somehow, or they’re otherwise not getting what they signed up for. This is why the traditional method of “catching” Pokemon is so vital. Because it’s an honor system. There's a reason we aren't able to capture a Pokemon has already fainted. That would be the most efficient way to go about things, but the MC won't do it. Why? I can only assume this is to ensure the Pokemon gets a voice in whether they're caught.
Any time a human does attempt to force a Pokemon into submission or otherwise harm them through any method that is not the traditional system of capture, the story treats them as unquestionably villainous for doing so. The other humans react in horror, and attempt to stop them. This is because forgoing the “defeat them in battle” route and instead using some kind of technology or whatnot to claim the Pokemon is seen as dishonorable at the best of times, and evil at the worst of times. The Trainer is ignoring the agency of the Pokemon. Attempting capture in the conventional way is a mutually accepted system, the wild Pokemon know and understand that a trainer may attempt to take them, and if they really don’t want to be said Trainer’s Pokemon, they can always choose to leave after they are captured. But the use of other means takes that choice away from them. These villains, usually the evil Teams, are using methods of capture that fail to demonstrate to the Pokemon why they are a worthy Trainer, and likewise rob them of the ability to judge them as unworthy.

There are exceptions, but for the reasons I have described, I fail to see how the idea of “slavery” is applicable to properly trained Pokemon.

They have the power to attack their trainers whenever they choose. Sometimes they do. They have magical abilities that enslaved humans in real life do not have. Legends: Arceus does a great job of highlighting just how dangerous Pokemon could be toward their human counterparts if they really wanted to be. They also have the power to leave. A Pokeball is not a chain. The only time a Pokemon struggles to escape a Ball is when it is first used on them, and the connection is initially forged. But, as I’ve talked about, I believe this to be a ceremonial process and little else. Trainers will immediately send out freshly caught Pokemon to heal or train, and the Pokemon don’t run. But once again, they could. What is stopping them? Ash’s Charizard never saw fit to abandon him, but if he had, what could Ash have actually done about it? Basically nothing. He’d get a flamethrower to the face and then Charizard would fly off. The same thing is true for any of Ash’s Pokemon, or the trained Pokemon of any Trainer ever.
There’s another Donphan in the room that I’d like to touch on real quick. I’ve talked a lot about how the anime clarifies the nature of Pokemon and their relationship to their Trainers…but I also mentioned that the developers have openly tried to beat back the claims of animal abuse, of slavery. The anime speaks for itself, but what about the time Black and White openly addressed these criticisms? You were probably waiting for me to bring it up, but the truth is, I don’t have much to say. The idea of Pokemon and Trainers having a symbiotic relationship, and needing each other…the idea that they shouldn’t be separated…all of that is touched on in the games, but the subject is mostly used as a scapegoat by a wannabe dictator.
I have yet to see any character in Pokemon honestly make the same comparison that critics make in real life, and I doubt we ever will see that happen. It’s just not an idea that can be properly explored in the Pokeverse, because our world is unknown to them. Our way of doing things isn’t something that any in-universe Trainer could hope to understand. It’s an entirely different culture. The way we personally view Pokemon as creatures is colored by our context, by the fact that we’re on the outside, peering into this world with the perspective of a society that doesn’t have Pokemon. To the humans, this is the way their world works. Team Plasma came the closest to approaching that idea, but even then, they were the villains. It was made abundantly clear that they were wrong.
​

• In theory, Pokemon are servants at the whims of their Trainers. In practice, they’re actually the ones with real power and the relationship is balanced, nuanced, and heavily based on mutual trust.
• In theory, Pokemon are the wild animals of their universe. In practice, they have no equivalent to our world. They are, as we're told many times, "wondrous creatures." They have no explanation.
• In theory, Pokemon are forced to engage in senseless violence day in and day out. In practice, Pokemon battling is an art form that the Pokemon themselves choose to pursue, and it is not remotely dangerous.

If you've stuck with me this long, know that I appreciate you. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk. If you need me, I'll be shiny hunting for Klawf.

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