I like to discuss about Pokémon, and the world it exists in.

Pokémon was originally made to be a children's game but expanded as it appealed to all ages not to mention originally made for a more mature Japanese Culture but expanded worldwide which censored many things to make it more child friendly in the West.

But it takes a adult maturity with childlike passion and imagination to truly understand what Pokémon is and how their world works, so I'll discuss my own understanding of them here.

Let's start by discussing what Pokémon are. Pokémon or Pocket Monsters are beings that come in many shapes and sizes possessing remarkable powers and abilities. Each born in a species that has a type that makes them affiliated to an elemental power. While they can learn attacks of other types they are most powerful with the moves of their natural type.

It's argued they are aliens from another world like suggested in the first gen anime or creations of Pokémon deities like Arceus, wherever they come from we know they exist on Earth alongside humans.

Pokémon can communicate either by primal means or have their own dialect which they sound like they speak their species names if heard by humans. Humans would have to be exposed to telepathy or use of machines to understand what Pokémon are saying or they have to become Pokémon themselves or even very rarely learn Pokémon dialect themselves. Other then that they'll have to understand their Pokémon through pantomime or studying their body languages and expressions.

Pokémon also possess intelligence as they seem to understand not only human emotions but speech enough to take orders in battle.

Pokémon get stronger by two ways, by either battling like Saiyans from Dragon Ball or by bonding with others. As they get stronger some can evolve which expand their powers even further. Some forms require bonds to unlock such powers.

Humans lack power and yet are the dominant species of this world's Earth. It's not just because of intelligence as in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon reality shows Pokémon in a human lacking world are capable of forming human like communities.

Human intelligence is a factor of their dominance nevertheless but one can argue the reason what Pokémon haven't wiped out the human race as prey is because Pokémon need humans as much as humans need Pokémon.

Child friendly censorship hides the fact that Pokémon like any beasts of the wild can be dangerous, as the manga, game, and even anime at least slightly suggests wild Pokémon can hurt, maim, or even kill and devour other Pokémon and humans if given the chance.

Pokémon maybe intelligent with human like emotions but still possess savage primal instincts to hunt, gain territory, breed, and survive by any means necessary. As well as having a love to battle.

It's little suggested whether Pokémon have a natural lifespan. While each Pokémon can have individual height and weight, they only seem to "grow up" by evolving at least to those that can evolve. Pokémon cemeteries in the anime, games, And manga do suggest Pokémon can die it's not at least in my experience confirmed whether they die from age like humans or other causes. I believe that the Pokémon race are built to battle, and can't age the same way as humans do. I believe they can die from non age related natural causes and as fatalities to Pokémon battles that gone wrong as some sources suggest Thar trainers kept their Pokémon for more than 20 years, and some elderly trainers kept strong looking Pokémon that does't seem old. So good news for human pet keepers your Pokémon pets can outlive you.

No matter how much the media can censor it , it can't hide the fact that Pokémon are (excuse my language if I offend anyone) are breeding machines that breed quickly under right conditions and their offspring develop quickly to maturity as it seems they are mature enough to defend themselves after hatching except perhaps for Khangaskan babies that seem to need parental care at least unless the orphaned babes become Cubone and Marowaks if what is suggested in Sun/Moon is proven true.

Legendary Pokémon are rare Pokémon with powers greater than normal and seem to possess a mystical status as some of them are deities. While the games suggest they are asexual incapable of breeding, it can be argued it's simply a game mechanic to prevent them to breed in order to keep them rare as anime shows there's more than one of the same Species of Legendaries, and even in at least one occasion there's shown to be a baby Lugia.

One reason why Humans domesticate Pokémon to not only make their lives easier but protect themselves from savage and wild Pokémon.

Humans need Pokémon for companionship, protection, and other uses. Pokémon need humans because humans while lacking power can use their intelligence to strategize how to survive efficiently and they possess a power within their hearts. Pokémon binding their hearts with humans that can train they how to efficiently battle and get stronger are more likely to survive. So the domestication of the two species went both ways as their relationship became symbiotic as Pokémon become companions and humans their coaches and caretakers.

In ancient human history Pokémon were used alongside human armies as weapons of war; in modern peaceful times Pokémon have become humans best friends and companions. Their instinct to dominate and battle has been channeled to competition in Pokémon trainer battles.

In modern human society Pokémon trainers are selected by age of ten to be paired with a starter Pokémon and a pokedex and journey out in the world to capture and train Pokémon. It seems easier to provide starters that are born in captivity than one that's from the wild. (Like in Ash's Pikachu's case which was from the wild and was hard to train at first until he bonded with Ash)

But Pokémon training isn't just a hobby it's a profession and career that can last a lifetime if chosen. Trainers aren't just needed to provide entertainment to the masses they are also needed as beast keepers to domesticate and train captured Pokémon. Trainers keep the wild Pokémon in check as their tamed Pokémon offer the trainer protection when traveling in the wild.

They are also needed for research. It seems that the regions of the Pokémon world are isolated like the City States of Greece. People from Kanto would be ignorant of Pokémon that only exist in Johto, only recently when trainers began traveling to other regions and capture and compete with other region variant Pokémon did humanity at large became aware of Pokémon globally.

So when a trainer captures a new Pokémon and document it in pokedex they are providing research material to the Pokémon professors of the region they are sponsoring. They have opportunity to study the Pokémon first hand when the Pokémon gets stored away.

Trainers can be funded for their work by participating in Pokémon competitions or battle against other trainers informally and get prize money from winning.

Pokémon trainer is just one of many Pokémon related careers. There's also Pokémon breeders that study the behaviors of Pokémon and find the best ways to breed them for countless uses from either wildlife conservation or providing new starters for the generation of trainers.

Pokémon medical professionals like Nurse Joys are professionals that dedicate their lives of treating injured Pokémon and providing seemingly free room and board for trainers as the Pokémon Centers seem to be government funded.

Pokémon law enforcement like police officers such as Officer Jenny are trainers that work to promote law and order, that patrol human communities and hunt Pokémon trainer poachers and criminals.

Pokémon Rangers are professional trainers that dedicate their lives on wildlife conservation and aid Pokémon and humans alike in need in the wild.

Pokemon Gym Leaders or in Alola Region Pokémon Captains are elite trainers sponsoring an area that helps the development of future Pokémon trainers by battling them. The gym badges or Alola Z-Items are incentives for the trainers to win, as possessing badges make them eligible to participate in championships, in games and manga it's suggests they are required to help control strong leveled Pokémon. In my view the badges or Z-Item give a trainer a sign of strength which gives the usually proud strong leveled Pokémon their respect and more likely to listen to them for being competent masters. Gym leaders and captains are like teachers, inspiring trainers to become strong enough to surpass them so they can survive the world at large whether they compete or not. Gym Leaders seem to be able to hold career for a lifetime and make it a family business, however in Alola region captains can only hold position until 20 and can have a chance to be selected as Kahuna or leader guardian of the island or choose another profession.

Pokémon professors are academics that are the intellectual elite of their region that dedicate their lives in studying Pokémon that their trainer charges provide for them, as well as take care of the trainers Pokémon that get deposited, and raise new starters for new trainers. Some professors also study special fields like Professor Sycamore studying the regional variant ability of Mega Evolution.

One can see there's no longer known human military in the Pokémon world and there's little to no use of conventional weapons like guns. One can argue it's part of child friendly censorship but one can also argue that such weapons are actually obsolete compared to Pokémon. Pokémon seem to be far more durable to humans having hides that can withstand energy attacks, bladed attacks, and other forms of punishment and can heal far faster from injuries than humans. Elemental powers and abilities aside one can argue bullets may do little harm to some Pokémon and Pokémon abilities can do far more destruction than a bullet could and yet at same time can be more humane in the right hands as fatalities caused by at least tamed Pokémon are rare.

Perhaps that's why Pokémon trainers have Pokedex as IDs and are limited to use six Pokémon at a time, so that there's a check and balance to eliminate the recreation of hostile Pokémon armies.

There's also argument how Pokémon smuggling and thievery is dumb when there's a world full of them. We gotta understand what Pokémon criminals are before judging their motives. Criminals such as Team Rocket are former trainers that got hired as mercenaries or petty thugs to a team dedicated to the use of a boss like Giovani. These bosses are rich seemingly to be businessmen who funded the creation of their teams of elite Rogue trainers to support their goals if world domination or such. The new Team Skull seems to be more poor being lead by a dropout trainer and the whole team seem to be made of trainers that drop out or have rejected the Pokémon training system entirely and turn to criminal acts for respect and easy money maybe not unlike the more funded and mercenary Team Rocket. Seeing them could also suggest that Pokémon criminals are mostly former trainers that have drop out from being Pokémon trainers and turn to criminal acts for easy money as trainers seem to need to rely on battling for funds.

For the Team Bosses achieve their goals one needs powerful Pokémon or additional capital. Bosses like Giovani are already rich and simply needed either an army of elite Pokémon or even legendary Pokémon to achieve their goals.

Still other Pokémon criminals like poachers and smugglers capture and sell Pokémon to the highest bidder to be commodities to the rich or even sold for meat or their body parts like animal poaching in our world.

It's censored in media that Pokémon could be used as food by other Pokémon and humans or even used in human material. But games and some anime suggests that it's true. Criminals don't just steal Pokémon for kicks they use them for illegal purposes and abuse that's why legit trainers and law enforcement are around to stop them.

So when we get down to it the Pokémon world is a tough place to live, they can be our best friends but they can also be our worst enemy. Being a Pokémon trainer isn't an easy profession as one doesn't just compete with other trainers but also most survive the savage wild Pokémon. It's not a career for faint hearted as that's why some trainers like Brock's father gave up training after failing or even losing some of their Pokémon in fatalities. But it's a wonderful world to be in as there's something magical and addicting to these wonderful creatures that have enchanted our hearts in the young and old. Pokémon forever!