About Pokemon Language

[Robotboy]

So, I'm currently in the process of writing a fanfic ( which I shan't be spoiling details on ), and I seem to have come to a bit of a roadblock concerning one crucial part of the story: characters, but more specifically, the Pokemon.

Now, what I want to do is make the Pokemon featured in the story to act and be just as important as the human characters. I mean, why not, right?

The problem is what to do with the language. For the moment, I'm stuck debating whether or not Trainers/Coordinators/Breeders/You get the idea are capable of understanding a Pokemon's language.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[whiteabsol]

Well, if the Pokemon have a deep conection to their trainers, I don't see why not the people can't understand them. If the pokemon is psychic, have them communicate telepathically or something. It's your choice wheather or not you want the humans to understand thier language.

 

[IceKing]

I remember one person said that he/she has the students in his fic study the pokemon language so that they could communicate with them. I don't want to say much about how they get past the barrier in my fic since it hasn't been written yet, but I agree with the above that some pokemon are able to udnerstand English through hard studying like Meowth or psychic ablities.

 

[Zerodius]

Personally, I am against the "trainers understand Pokemon language if they hang around them for a long time enough". Humans should NOT be able to understand Pokemon language unless they're psychic or use human language themselves.

As for humans learning the Pokemon language... well, the problem with Pokemon language is in the Pokemon themselves ; they're the animals of the Pokemon World and as such, should have a similar structure in communication ; it's not advanced enough for humans to make a specific structure for it (read: humans can't learn it, period).

Well, that's my opinion on the matter.

 

[Eternal Daydreamer]

Well, if it's through telepathy or the Pokemon knows the human langauge, it seems reasonable. Zerodious is right, a human cannot understand the squeaks of a mouse, so why should a human from the Pokemon world understand a Ratatta?

 

[Keleri]

I usually go with the explanation that there is a certain psychic element to pokémon speech that allows for communication between species, and with psychics being capable of telepathy and able to communicate with anyone.

I think of this slightly-psychic pokémon speech as the direct transition of the 'meaning' with the growls, chirps, hoots, etc. that accompany it to be more indicative of other things (mood, etc.) I also rejected the concept of some pokémon 'talking' via repeating their names--it's cute (and, yes, so positively iconic that I make an exception for pikachu) but ultimately it doesn't really make sense. Did their names come from their sounds or their sounds from the names they were given? And not to mention the pokémon tend to have different names in different languages...

With trainers, even the least psychically-inclined person will eventually become 'attuned' to and be able to understand a pokémon they spend an extended period of time around, but will generally have difficulty with proper nouns (names, basically).

Psychics and those 'gifted' with the ability can attune themselves much more rapidly (if not immediately and unconsciously) although psychics have to do things the hard way if the pokémon involved is a dark-type.

I'm not a big fan of the "we learned pokémon language in school" explanation, but I tend to let it slide because it's not super-important... although "zOMG I can udnerstand all pokeymans and am xtreemly speshul!!1 noe1 can udnerstadn tehm liek mee!!11" is often a flashing LED lending its light to the the incandescent glare of a Suefic.

I have also dabbled in the construction of gadgets that allow the user to understand any pokémon speech, which is in some ways a convenience for me--FFnet strips symbols and repeated characters so indicating pokémon speech becomes a bit of a hassle.

 

[Negrek]

I sort of resent the idea that pokemon have to "talk human" somehow in order for them to be meaningful and completely developed characters. It makes it easier to develop them as characters if you have their speech translated somehow, but it can be done otherwise, and I usually prefer that method.

I generally am of the mind that trainers can start to get the basic idea of what a pokemon is saying after being around them for a long time; sort of like, if you have a pet, you can start to understand what it wants or is trying to express when it acts in a certain fashion. Understanding of a pokemon's meaning can go a bit farther than this because they are consciously trying to express something to you and understand a bit more of your speech pattern and perceptions; however, it's not a word-for-word sort of thing. There are a couple of exceptions, such as psychic pokemon, which can speak telepathically through stimulation of the target's speech centers and generate a message in their own language.

Otherwise, there's always the translator option. I've never really liked the idea of learning pokemon language in school because it doesn't seem to me like it's something that you can really teach--their methods of communication are so alien to our own that you wouldn't really be able to associate specific words or phrases, just attitudes and the like, without a real intimate knowledge of the individual pokemon.

 

[Crimson Kitsune]

my two cents

I always pictured that since Pokemon are supposed to be magical creatures that they have certain properties about them that allow them to communicate in a more direct way with people and other Pokemon.
I mean, don't you find it interesting that every species of Pokemon can understand one another perfectly even though actual animals can not?

 

[Typhlogirl]

Hmm...In my humble opinion, I have always believed that a trainer can communicate with a pokemon he/she has captured, but not with wild ones. I guess I believe that the PokeBall does something, or something like that...I dunno. But I remain firm when I say that wild pokemon can't talk to humans, and vice versa, unless the pokemon can speak english or...vice versa XP.

-;157;

 

[Jetx]

I dunno about language... But in actions I believe they can, I believe that if the pokemon and trainers are close, the pokemon can communicate with the trainer through sequences of actions and emotions. I also believe that all pokemon can understand human language in some way...

Don't make it like:

"Are you okay, espeon?" he asked, nervously.

"Yes!" replied espeon with a beaming smile

That would suck, you should make it more like:

"Are you okay, espeon?" he asked, nervously. The small creature nodded looking much better than before.

That would be better. Actions > speech

 

[blackemerald]

It depends. The trainer could read its expression like a pet but that could become very limited, especially if it's a baby pokemon. They could speak to them telepathically with psychic pokemon. It would take a very long time for a human to learn how to say all the words of their language with just the pokemon's name although if the trainer has spent a long time with the pokemon it could be so used to its actions that it could be able to tell what it's saying. Failing that, you could always use a translater fitted to the ear or invent a new type of pokeball allowing the trainer to deceipher what the pokemon says. If they can make balls that can capture 1041.1 lbs monsters then this should be a breeze for them.

~B.E

 

[Luckmage]

*agrees with majority who say that pokemon cannot speak "perfect" English, of sorts*

Although I think there might be an exception...what about dittos? They/can/change/shapes...So what if they could sort of "shape" voice boxes for themselves? All it would need is some pretty skilled shape changing and some air forced in and out of their supposed "lungs" and...Well. You get the point. X_x That was an idea that I was considering for my first fanfic, cause' one of my main characters is a ditto.

Pokemon can also speak through means of body language too...though it is rather limited.

 

[xXSaberXx]

Kay so rawr. I haven't thought of this as much as some people, but yeah. I'll try my best here.

Typhlogirl had a good excuse. XD

But in all seriousness, I'll give you MY opnion. >.> I use the pokemon 'language', quote unquote, and it goes something like;

<HEY THERE.> Rapidash squealed.

"Wtf." Trainer 001 replied.

I think that the trainer can understand the pokemon and vice versa not EXACTLY. I think they just get the jist and piece together what they WOULD say based on the feeling/facial expressions. And yes, you can only do this if you have a close bond, have experienced what your trainer/pokemon feels, sees, hears, everyday. It's more like an educated guess, above all. Of course, those with a deeper connection between their pokemon start to see patterns in the language itself, as do pokemon with their trainer's language. It's like picking up another language if you lived around people that spoke it enough.

So if the trainer speaks Spanish, the pokemon will most likely learn Spanish. D: Comprende? (<---SPELLED WRONG HAW HAW HAW.)

It's just a matter of osmosis. Just like humans do. Babies pick up languages when they are little, and most people do this as well, if they are subjected to a language long enough. Teaching would help immensly, but that is only if you have the time. D:

xP Spanish speaking Totodile.

*laffs a*ss off*

HOPE THAT HELPED. :3

 

[Snazzy Snorlax]

Pokemon language is an issue many authors tackle differently. Read a bunch of them, take the technique you like most, or put your own spin on it. Actually, that's pretty much a rule of thumb when establishing any of the laws of the universe in which a fanfic takes place.

 

[Sola]

I belive human-pokemon interaction should be sort of like talking to someone who speaks a diferent language. Pokemon seem to be just as intelagent as humans, or nearly so, in the anime. Trainers understand what the pokemon needs, if not through the exact words. Thats just my opinion.

 

[Kiyohime]

I generally "translate" what my Pokemon characters say for the readers, but not for the trainers themselves.


Ex: The Paras scuttled back and forth, waving its pincers. "Parasss paras para!" You have a face that could blow off manhole covers.

"I get it, you're hungry." Zeffy sighed.


XD Negrek and Zerodius and a lot of people here make good points...so my own reasons are, I hate having to write "Paras paras paras" over and over...it numbs my brain. XP

 

[PDL]

in my fic, I'm actually kinda inconsistant with pokemon/human relations... one minute, Fatty and Gligar can understand eachother perfectly while in the very next scene, Sabrina would have trouble trying to talk to a human, despite being a psychic pokemon!

but I do have an idea on how to bypass this...

 

[Dilasc]

I like to believe that for Pokemon, there is not just ONE definitive langauge. Much like how humans have all sorts of languages, Pokemon may be capable of producing different languages as well. Poke-Japaness, Poke-Swedish, Poke-Italian, and so on. Most of the time though, people would not notice the linguistic differences, since it's still 'Koffing' to a human, no matter what language, it's just that German speaking Pokemon will not understand a French speaker, unless they too speak French. Otherwise, these foriegn pokemon will hear the frenchie talking about himself and them, or hear what sounds like them being told to take a piddle every time the French speaker tries to say yes.

On the other hand, how do Pokemon understand humans? Good question... How the heck would I know, dang nabit? Uh, well, that is to say, I have no good/creative way to explain that.

 

[Ash_Junior]

Dilasc, one way would be the general way that dogs (for example) *understand* us.

They don't know exactly WHAT we're saying, but by the tone of voice, body language, facial expression, etc. they can tell pretty closely what we're TRYING to say.

for example, my sister's idiot dog gets all goofy-looking when people talk in a high-pitched "baby voice" to him. He's really excited because he thinks that he's going to be rewarded/pet(ted?).

Or if one of our dogs does something wrong, and we yell "NO!" they don't know what it means, but it's short, sharp, and said with authority. if you don't, they don't really understand.

Of course, I'm of the opinion that all animals in this world are sentient. That explains the different personality.

Yeah, I've heard that test have been run to see if they're sentient or not, but if they're not, how do you explain lab rats? they learn things.

if you count sentience as the ability to learn things, then half of the US' high-school drop-outs could be classified as non-sentient.



okay, I got off-topic there, sorry.

 

[Omega Pirate]

Ash can uderstand Pikachu, so I don't see why someone else couldn't understand their own pokemon.