Of Mon and Men

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Biologically, what's the difference between a human and a Pokémon? I've approached this from many angles, and I can't say for certain what draws the line between human and Pokémon.

If humans couldn't use Pokémon attacks, then they would certainly be separate. However, what's to stop a human from using things like Tackle or Lick or Bite? Or a human with psychic abilities from using Psychic?

If no humans could evolve and all Pokémon could, then they would certainly be separate. However, not all Pokémon can evolve. And we're always finding new ways in which Pokémon can evolve - how can we be entirely certain humans have no way in which they can evolve?

If humans couldn't breed with Pokémon, then they would certainly be separate. However, given the versatility of Pokémon genetics, how can we know a human and a humanshape Pokémon couldn't have an offspring? For all we know, humans in the Pokémon world might have eggs instead of live birth like the other 'mammals' - has the anime ever shown a newborn baby?

Humans can talk, but then there's Meowth. Humans look distinctly different, but then there's Unown. Humans wouldn't be much weirder if they were called Pokémon than Porygon, or Ditto, or Nosepass, or Magneton, or any of the legendaries...

And if humans are distinctly separate from Pokémon, what did they evolve (grand-scale, not Slowpoke into Slowbro) from? Did they have a separate branch from Pokémon, or are they a new Kingdom being formed off the Pokémon Kingdom? Are they more closely related to Mankey and Primeape, or to Jynx and Machoke?

What makes a Pokémon a Pokémon, and a Human a Human? Or are Humans just special Pokémon that try to dominate the other species?
 
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I'm not sure if this is science or philosophy, or both. I think that humans can use some attacks that Pokémon use (the ones you mentioned, Lick, Bite, Psychic, and also Headbutt, Fake Out, Glare and, depending on the human, Scary Face). But certain attacks cannot be used by humans without specialized equipment (Flamethrower, Hydro Pump, for example).
 
I have this one theory (I seem to have a lot of those) that pokemon aren't entirely biological creatures, but are part spirit/energy being, whereas humans are entirely physical. Humans evolved biologically, while pokemon evolved from the natural aura or "Force" surrounding the pokemon solar system.
 
Science, mostly. Though there is the philosophical "How do you know?" question, which mostly arises from the fact that there's not much evidence to support those theories that can be drawn from canon. So, yeah, I guess it's both.

Well, not all Pokémon can use all attacks - Mew is the only one that can, correct? And besides, if Pokémon can use bones and leeks and other tools to assist them in battle...

EDIT: So, Roses, where does Porygon fit into your theory? Is it a very, very special computer program, then? XD
 
Maybe scientists have found a way to manipulate the energy field in order to create artificial pokemon.
 
I remember reading a fan fiction in which humans could be "evolved" like Electric Pokemon with Thunder Stones altered for humans to be able to use electric attacks. However most humans were killed by this and those who did survive could only handle it for short period of time before their bodies were overcome by the metabolic changes.

The fic also discussed the one thing that truly seperated humans from Pokemon. Humans be contained in Pokeballs. However, with the use of thunder stones allow people to be place in Poke Balls.

It really blurs the line.
 
I tend to agree with Roses Ablaze's theory about Pokémon being part spirit/energy. Since we've brought philosophy into the discussion, perhaps the Aristotlean view applies here. He articulated the theory of the four elements (earth, water, air, and fire) into an influential philosophical system. He believed that the elements could be changed into one another. For example, cold and moisture produced water, but if heat were then applied, the result was steam (air).

Pokémon are elemental. However, there are types that defy Aristotle's basic four classifications, namely, Dark and Ghost types. Aristotle suspected that beyond the four material elements there was a mysterious quintessence ("fifth essence or element")--the pure, immaterial, unchangeable substance of the heavenly bodies.

Thoughts?
 
I don't think there is any but people don't call themselves pokemon because they think they're better. I mean we can use all the different type other than Psychic and probably Bug. To mean I try to make the pokemon world only have one unusual essense which is Ghost. I place it as another world where souls wander and that ghost have abilities related to that and can go there on by themselves. Like I would prefer the knowledge that a remoraid doesn't create water but it just has some similarities to water and collects water and shoots it. So, depends. As for the element discussion, it could work since we have already set up the magical part of certain pokemon.
 
I do remember reading somewhere that Pokémon are actually alien creatures, with Mew being their original form. My theory is that the original Pokémon creatures were all Mews when they arrived on Earth. Gradually, over time, as the result of genetic pool mixing (not necessary by interbreeding; by coming into contact with any genetic or energy source is enough), adaptation to the environment, and so on, they developed their own traits, appearances, and gained the ability to quickly grow into another phase of their life without gradual metaphosis ("evolving") and into what we know as Pokémon today. Ditto was either: 1. a Pokémon that tried to adapt, but something went awry during the process and it's now simply a blob of purple mess with the ability to alter it's genes, or 2. an undeveloped Pokémon still in the middle of the adaptation process.

Magnetmite, Magneton, Porygon, and Porygon2 are all artifical life forms, probably created by scienctists and using genetic material from other Pokémon. They may be biotechnological machines, infusing both flesh and electronics.
 
Magnetmite, Magneton, Porygon, and Porygon2 are all artifical life forms, probably created by scienctists and using genetic material from other Pokémon. They may be biotechnological machines, infusing both flesh and electronics.

I've heard this description given to Skarmory as well.
 
Skarmory has been around long before electronics because the gold Pokedex entry says their feathers were crafted into swords. Skarmory more likely evolved in an environment that caused it's feather to take on metallic charactistics. Similar to how Steelix's skin became metal because of the massive amounts of heat and pressure in its preferred environment.
 
The way I see it, Pokémon is another kingdom. You'd have animals, plants, fungi, etc., and Pokémon. Humans are animals, so they'd be separate.

And, humans may be able to "tackle" and "bite," but those attacks can't have the same effects as when Pokémon use them. When a human licks something/one, that thing/person can't be paralyzed, and it certainly wouldn't lower health.
 
In my "spirit" theory, pokemon aren't even really their own classification. Some of them have scientific species names and are classified like normal animals (or plants), but some pokemon aren't even considered living creatures (on a scientific level; obviously on an ethical and moral level, they are considered sentient beings).
 
The Pokémon who aren't considered living creatures: would that include Magnemite/Magnetron, Voltorb, Porygon, etc? I was just thinking that it might also apply to Onix and Steelix as well.
 
I think only Magnetmite, Magneton, Porygon, and Porygon2 (and possibly Voltorb and Electrode, come to mention it) fit into the "non-living creatures". Other Pokémon, such as Skamory, Steelix, and Onix are probably creatures whose body took on their environment's characteristics as they adapted to it, gaining rock- or steel-like bodies.
 
That makes sense. But we've got other stuff, like items (i.e. machine guns, swords, etc). So its pretty different.
 
I still imagine that we do. If someone bites a psychic pokemon in a extremely wicked and evil manner I'd imagine it would have the same effect. And we do have special defense. If we are calm at mind we are more protected against psychic attacks. It is like the thing that allows people to walk on coals and survive being struck by lightning. Yes, they are controlled by different things but still. Look at Slowpoke. The reason it has special defense is because its mind is dull and little stuff can bother it. Or shuckle. It is mold so you can't shock it or play mind tricks or cause much damage with water. Stuff like that.

We could attack a onix. Just use a hose. We could attack a tangela. Light a match. Yes, those aren't a part of our body but we still can use them. We are just stuck with the basics. A normal pokemon which a very developed mind.
 
I'd say the part of our minds that makes us stop, drop and roll could be considered special defense. And for some moves the name can be confusing, we can not use the move lick. Because the move lick is a supernatural and a other worldly move. It is a ghost move. The thing that makes you go paralized and hurt is the fact that it is not from our world. Like is like a chill you feel on the back of your neck when you walk through a haunted house. Yes other pokemon taht aren't ghost can learn it but that doesn't really mean that the move isn't supernatural. We can lick. Just not in the way the move lick works.

Thanks, shinylapras.
 
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