The REAL reason pokemon centers are free
Dec 2, 2016 3:18:53 GMT
Moopli, TheCreator, and 2 more like this
Post by The_Wayward_Admiral on Dec 2, 2016 3:18:53 GMT
This theory relies heavily on this theory by MatPat. Please put on your tinfoil hat.
So one thing that's probably struck you as odd about Pokemon centers is that they are offered free of charge. Some have tried to explain this away as either government funding of veterinary care, crippling debt on your parents' credit card, or "just like, a game mechanic, bro". I however, propose a much darker reason for this freedom.
To begin, let's briefly consider the great Pokemon war. Assuming that the country of Kanto was devastated, and the three great teams of Mystic, Instinct, and Valor (until now, effectively the governments) have been laid low, we come to the natural conclusion that increased restrictions on trainers is necessary. This leads to the "once you're ten, you're legally a globetrotting adult who can get a license to train monsters of death" rule. And ostensibly, this is enforced by the Pokemon league. In both the anime and the games, we hear references to the rules set by the league about battling, and the general gym and elite four structure they provide. But what other government systems do we hear of? None.
Given how important Pokemon battles are to everyday life in the world of Pokémon, it's reasonable to assume that any organization put in charge of them will wield immense influence.
Now, let's consider another enigma. The guy who gives you tips when you go into gyms. Some have tried to suggest that this is your father, but I suggest that he is not. Instead he is an employee of the Pokémon League, providing advice to young trainers so that they don't get completely curbstomped by the more powerful gym leaders. He's making it competitive, but it isn't like that would matter to a regulatory organization, that seems like a concern that would come up when producing, say, reality television.
So what if the helpful man is making your gym battles more watchable for an unseen audience.
But who constitute this unseen audience?
In the opening scenes of Sun and Moon (MINOR SPOILERS THAT DON'T REALLY SPOIL AHEAD), your mother makes a casual remark to Professor Kukui that she watched his battle against the Kanto Elite Four. But think back to all the times that you battled at the Indigo Plateau. Is there anywhere at all that even remotely resembles a spectator's area? No, there really isn't. In fact, unless you're an uber powerful demi god of a trainer, you can't even get past Victory Road to arrive at Indigo Plateau. So for your mother, who would not have been involved in the battle directly, and who never demonstrates battling aptitude, it seems reasonable that she'd have to have seen it on TV. (END SPOILERS)
Okay, you might say, but why is this nefarious? And what motive would the League have to televise the battles in their gyms?
Well, imagine you live in this post-war nation. People are tired of chaos, but more importantly, they view Pokemon as the root cause and are distrustful of them. Now imagine that you've been appointed to regulate these creatures that everyone hates. It's not a particularly glamorous job, and it's devoid of profits given how there really isn't much of a government anymore. So at first you try what you can to make Pokemon battling safe, but funding is running low. Desperate, you start filming reality shows to convince everyone that training is something that can win them glory and build character, as well as to generate add revenue.
This works well, and you start pulling the strings to increase the drama. You realize that a lot of trainers are failing early because they suffer a lot of fainting and can't afford potions. Soon it's more economical to gain show material by paying for them to heal their pokemon. Free Pokemon centers are born.
You have real power now. You start to like power. Now you realize, you control what is rapidly becoming the biggest facet of the country's post-war escapism, you control the biggest media attraction, and you bring in more money for the government than taxes probably do. So now you maneuver yourself to take shadow control of everything, under the guise of the Pokémon League, the helpful team of do-gooders who made Pokemon safe again.
So when you, dear reader, answer the professor's "Boy or Girl" question, and begin your journey, you're actually feeding into a media empire that serves to legitimize an unelected cabal, whose power depends upon the ethos of young, well meaning trainers heading out to become the champion and convince the world that they need the Pokemon League.
So one thing that's probably struck you as odd about Pokemon centers is that they are offered free of charge. Some have tried to explain this away as either government funding of veterinary care, crippling debt on your parents' credit card, or "just like, a game mechanic, bro". I however, propose a much darker reason for this freedom.
To begin, let's briefly consider the great Pokemon war. Assuming that the country of Kanto was devastated, and the three great teams of Mystic, Instinct, and Valor (until now, effectively the governments) have been laid low, we come to the natural conclusion that increased restrictions on trainers is necessary. This leads to the "once you're ten, you're legally a globetrotting adult who can get a license to train monsters of death" rule. And ostensibly, this is enforced by the Pokemon league. In both the anime and the games, we hear references to the rules set by the league about battling, and the general gym and elite four structure they provide. But what other government systems do we hear of? None.
Given how important Pokemon battles are to everyday life in the world of Pokémon, it's reasonable to assume that any organization put in charge of them will wield immense influence.
Now, let's consider another enigma. The guy who gives you tips when you go into gyms. Some have tried to suggest that this is your father, but I suggest that he is not. Instead he is an employee of the Pokémon League, providing advice to young trainers so that they don't get completely curbstomped by the more powerful gym leaders. He's making it competitive, but it isn't like that would matter to a regulatory organization, that seems like a concern that would come up when producing, say, reality television.
So what if the helpful man is making your gym battles more watchable for an unseen audience.
But who constitute this unseen audience?
In the opening scenes of Sun and Moon (MINOR SPOILERS THAT DON'T REALLY SPOIL AHEAD), your mother makes a casual remark to Professor Kukui that she watched his battle against the Kanto Elite Four. But think back to all the times that you battled at the Indigo Plateau. Is there anywhere at all that even remotely resembles a spectator's area? No, there really isn't. In fact, unless you're an uber powerful demi god of a trainer, you can't even get past Victory Road to arrive at Indigo Plateau. So for your mother, who would not have been involved in the battle directly, and who never demonstrates battling aptitude, it seems reasonable that she'd have to have seen it on TV. (END SPOILERS)
Okay, you might say, but why is this nefarious? And what motive would the League have to televise the battles in their gyms?
Well, imagine you live in this post-war nation. People are tired of chaos, but more importantly, they view Pokemon as the root cause and are distrustful of them. Now imagine that you've been appointed to regulate these creatures that everyone hates. It's not a particularly glamorous job, and it's devoid of profits given how there really isn't much of a government anymore. So at first you try what you can to make Pokemon battling safe, but funding is running low. Desperate, you start filming reality shows to convince everyone that training is something that can win them glory and build character, as well as to generate add revenue.
This works well, and you start pulling the strings to increase the drama. You realize that a lot of trainers are failing early because they suffer a lot of fainting and can't afford potions. Soon it's more economical to gain show material by paying for them to heal their pokemon. Free Pokemon centers are born.
You have real power now. You start to like power. Now you realize, you control what is rapidly becoming the biggest facet of the country's post-war escapism, you control the biggest media attraction, and you bring in more money for the government than taxes probably do. So now you maneuver yourself to take shadow control of everything, under the guise of the Pokémon League, the helpful team of do-gooders who made Pokemon safe again.
So when you, dear reader, answer the professor's "Boy or Girl" question, and begin your journey, you're actually feeding into a media empire that serves to legitimize an unelected cabal, whose power depends upon the ethos of young, well meaning trainers heading out to become the champion and convince the world that they need the Pokemon League.