Obedience & Badges

[Max1996]

I think it's more a game mechanic than any thing. Look at the anime. Ash's Charizard was disobedient even after Ash got the Earth Badge.

I saw speculation on this. It's possible that it was because, while Ash has 8 Kanto Badges, strictly speaking, he only earned 4 or so of them.

 

[Muur]

I think I wouldn't count it as an actual thing if it was real as it's just a balancing game mechanic, so if it was real your Pokes wouldn't start thinking you suck and start not listening because your'e an office worker who doesn't do gyms but fights friends and such. Plus, you have the trainers who do contests and such.

If pressed on a "say why Muur" , then I'd go with the notion of strong Pokes want strong trainers.

The only instances we have of it is Charizard and Mamoswine in the anime but they had nothing to do with badges. Ash had 8 and Charizard still didn't care. Also, Excadrill counts I guess.

 

[ThreeThousandFish]

It's possible that it was because, while Ash has 8 Kanto Badges, strictly speaking, he only earned 4 or so of them.

If pressed on a "say why Muur" , then I'd go with the notion of strong Pokes want strong trainers.

The only instances we have of it is Charizard and Mamoswine in the anime but they had nothing to do with badges. Ash had 8 and Charizard still didn't care. Also, Excadrill counts I guess.

I suppose some Pokémon, even if aware of badges and their significance (and of whether their trainer rightfully received their badges), simply care not about them. Charizard could be unconditionally uncooperative for his own reasons (and/or because it is very funny).

 

[Midorikawa]

Well the anime is the anime. I wouldn't use it for any evidence.

 

[colours]

I personally feel like it was never about the badges themselves; it's about the capability and strength of the Trainer that really matters. Pokemon are intelligent enough to grasp the concept of personal achievement, and when they clear a certain hurdle, they recognize the personal strength of the Trainer commanding them and they begin to respect him/her more and listen to them more.

... A perhaps crazy theory for sure but one I'm going to go with.

 

[Harryghost]

I say it is because Pokémon see badges as a symbol of their Trainer's strength; the game emphasizes this much at least. Then again, it is more-so a game-only thing. The anime has plenty examples of Trainers with literally no badges/experience whatsoever, but Pokémon obedient to them; on the flip side, it also holds examples of Pokémon disobeying Trainers with considerable battling experience, such as Iris. So, yeah... the Badge-Obedience relation holds good only in the game media per se, and is more than likely a move to prevent players from using their overpowered Pokémon, from other games, from the get-go.