Pokemon is an involuntary sport for the Pokemon. They probably follow along and maybe even like it, but they don't have a choice. Frustration, for example, as a TM, executed properly would indicate your Pokemon doesn't like you, but the game doesn't let them get up and run away.
The anime, manga, etc tries to make sense of it, but the core game says Pokemon don't have a choice but to listen to trainers who have all of their badges. And the function of the Pokeball is a container. Pokemon struggle when you initially try to catch them. They cease to become sovereign beings. The majority of them end up sitting in your PC forever because you wanted to fill your Pokedex.
The qualm I have with this is that it might be taking the "game rules" to an exaggerated degree. Some things in the videogame have to happen the way they do simply because the game needs to be playable. If you're a ten year-old playing your Red version, it would not be fair if your starter decided to not feel like battling in the middle of your badge battle. The Pokemon always fight for you in your games because it's a videogame and that's how it's programmed to function.
Taking the perspective offered by the anime, or possibly manga, Pokemon sometimes choose not to battle, and their trainers go right ahead and accept that. Ash frequently lets his Pokemon make the choice to battle or not. This, from a realistic standpoint, is more likely. And both games and anime have expressed that becoming stronger and winning competitions is a goal respected and shared by all Pokemon and trainers. Pokemon have the power to desert a trainer if they want to (such was the case with the Snivy Ash recently captured in Unova), but Pokemon themselves enjoy the competition and personal growth.
The same goes for Pokeballs. The games would be a complete dud if a Pokemon you've been training for a month just up and disappeared from its Pokeball. But in the anime, trainers frequently have their Pokemon outside traveling alongside them, and Pokemon can even escape their Pokeballs at will. Think of Psyduck and Wobbuffet. And the Pokeball is clearly not a brainwashing/enslaving device, since we've seen dozens of instances of trainers and their Pokemon disagreeing or bickering - and the Pokemon frequently win, thanks to Flamethrower or Water Gun or Thunderbolt.
Black/White hijacked the argument against Pokemon battling by introducing strawman Team Plasma. Their qualm against battling is something we can sympathize with. But when we see someone we sympathize with, incidentally act pigheaded about it, kick a Munna, find out their leader is a complete monster, and their king is deluded, we stop sympathizing with them and by association quit believing their original premise, no matter how much truth it contained, because it is now connected with those instances of horror.
But it is, just a game.
Aha, that was wonderful. I love it when Debate regulars visit GPD.
*applause*
Boxing is "cruel" friendly competition, you know.
Okay. Then high school wrestling. Or martial arts tournaments. Or arm wrestling, even. Take your pic. Physical sports are not all cruel. ^_^
