Pikachu, I don't think we're in the 21st Century anymore...
Heracross said:
Although we know time does not pass equally in the real world and in the animé world, we are able to make educated guesses about how much time has gone by, ...
All well and good, but I'd like to present a flaw in all of these arguments and concerns:
We are
assuming that everything is being calcuated on a time scale, or rather a societal level, equal to modern first world society.
Everyone is so concerned over May having "breasts" at 10 and such, and say that they don't usually happen to 10 year olds, or at least fomed that much.
I say to them, "Terran 10 year olds, you mean."
I will not dispute that
in their world Ash and May (and Brock, Misty, Casey, Gary, et cetera,) were 10 years old when they started their journies. The key words here are "in their world." Meaning 10 of
their years. Which may or may not equal 10 of our's. Solar conditions may equate to a longer year, or this world may be more conducive to earlier physical development.
But that is actually a side issue which draws attention away from the key issue.
Being allowed to go out into the wild or society at a certain age
without having elders accompanying you (and no, Misty definitely does not count, and Brock's a borderline case...) means that that age is the generally accepted "Age of Majority". In
American society, that's 18. Note the emphesis. In
Pokemon scoiety, the "Age of Majority" could easily be 10. I mean, very few people are allowed to have their own
unsupervised Pokemon before that age.
Doesn't mean that Mothers aren't allowed to worry about their sons. I mean, Barbara Bush probably frets over even the children we don't hear about often, let alone the two that are famous. It's motherly nature.
And it is also a good son who obeys and comforts his mother. (But I bet you don't want to hear verses from the Bible here...)
Okay, now you're asking, "Well what idiot proclaimed that you're basically an adult at 10?"
Charles Darwin.
Seriously, though, you have to remember that their world has one thing that our world doesn't. One quite dangerous thing that probably was quite lethal if uncontrolled.
Pokemon.
Pokemon who could either manipulate the elements, or just flat out out-muscle other species, including Humans.
Given the dangers of untamed or rogue Pokemon, it could be easily seen that the life expectancy of the average human was short. We're talking probably 30 years with a
wide range (25 either way).
Now, it is true that humanity somehow gained superiority over the Pokemon. The fact that Pokemon training is seen as a sport rather than as a military exercise is proof of this.
So why didn't the "Age of Majority" increase along with life expectancy?
Well, this is my personal opinion, but Pokemon society is more progressive than many societies in our world. It may well be that the people decided that allowing the 10 year olds of the future to keep at least some of the responsibility of their ancestors would allow them to grow into better citizens.
Now some would say that Life Expectancy may not have changed all that much. The 40 year gap between Sammy and Prof Oak seems to counter this line. However, before you throw it out, consider that this series was created in Japan, where life expectancy is higher than in America and the elderly quite often live to at least 100. Professor Oak could still be an example of a well-aged man, at 80-90 of our years and still going strong. :083: in America, but quite possible in Japan.
Now, I will not dispute that at least two, and probably three and a half, years have passed since the start of the Anime in their reference frame. Nor do I dispute Ash and May's original ages, as they are stated in the Anime (and implied in the games). I
do, however, question the other ages relative to Ash's. At least their starting points.
