Pokemon Intelligance

[Chibi Pika]

I'm making this in resposnse to the absurdly huge amount of "Do people in the Pokemon world eat meat?" threads.

The anime seems to support that Pokemon are not your ordinary animals, as they are all shown to perfectly understand human speech, and Pokespeesh is shown many times to be a complex, translatable language. But then it goes and stabs itself with lines like Ash's Krabby comment.

The games, on the other hand, seem to support Pokemon as being animals, with Pokedex entries saying that certain Pokemon have been hunted near to extinction. But then it says that some Pokemon are more intelligent.

So what's your take? I see them as thinking, reasoning beings, just like us. Obviously Slowpoke and the like are more around the level of a four-year-old or something, but still...

~Chibi~;249;;rukario;

EDIT: Holy, hell, I just realized that I spelled intelligence wrong. ><;;;;;;; Great...let's see who the first person to laugh at me is...

 

[Divine_Light]

"Some are are more intelligent and capable of understanding, but the majority are like animals" Thats what i voted a what i agree with

 

[Ridi]

I like to think of them as typical cartoon animals. So they're probably as smart as humans, they just think a little differently and speak animal-like languages.

 

[Dimitar]

I think that pokemon are just about as intelligent as humans. Don't ask me why they didn't go on and make tools, civilize, etc., etc., etc., but the fact that they can clearly understand quite complex commands in the anime and not-so-simple ones in the games shows they are intelligent. As far as the hunting thing, never forget that people view all other creatures as inferior. They really wouldn't have cared how intelligent their victims were if they treated them like that.

And how's LC coming? Any progress?

 

[PDL]

It greatly depends on the pokemon obviously... some are obviously alot smarter then others.

in the anime, they're usually depicted as having around the same intelligence as a young child, able to understand and do things that their real-life counterparts cannot, but are probably unable to do things a full grown adult human can do, such as pay taxes or solve complicated math equations.

and it also appears that most pokemon are unable to differenciate between doing good and doing evil, thus they can easily manipulated by a person to do wrong, thus why they usually end up being unwitting pawns for evil teams.

The only pokemon who appears to be able to understand the concept of good and evil is Mewtwo.

 

[Xtra]

And Meowth, since he was evil without Jesse and James around, and sometimes he was against whatever they had planned.

 

[Dimitar]

and it also appears that most pokemon are unable to differenciate between doing good and doing evil, thus they can easily manipulated by a person to do wrong, thus why they usually end up being unwitting pawns for evil teams.

The anime hints that they do not have the interest to get involved in ethics.

The only pokemon who appears to be able to understand the concept of good and evil is Mewtwo.

Nah, all the legendaries seem to.

And Meowth, since he was evil without Jesse and James around, and sometimes he was against whatever they had planned.

You know, that gets me thinking... What if pokemon could develop their intelligence by learning things, but most didn't feel like doing it?

 

[Chibi Pika]

in the anime, they're usually depicted as having around the same intelligence as a young child, able to understand and do things that their real-life counterparts cannot, but are probably unable to do things a full grown adult human can do, such as pay taxes or solve complicated math equations.

and it also appears that most pokemon are unable to differenciate between doing good and doing evil, thus they can easily manipulated by a person to do wrong, thus why they usually end up being unwitting pawns for evil teams.

^ A very interesting point, and also something I've toyed with in fanfiction. See, the Pokemon in my fic are shown as being exactly like humans--I even translate their dialogue. Yet, there is a level of insight and intuition unique to humans, something that no amount of intelligence will allow any Pokemon to do. This is actually what sets Legendaries apart from ordinary Pokemon--not their power.

Meowth, IMO, is of a special kind--a very rare individual that has that higher level of thinking that even the most intelligent of Pokemon lack.


BTW, Dimitar: Crap, I still haven't responded to all those posts in the thread, have I? >< I told myself I'd get around to it. I've typed up a synopsis for whoever is going to be my beta (I'm probably going to choose Lupin), and later I'll try to stall with a funny file that I've been dying to post.

~Chibi~;249;;rukario;

 

[PDL]

And Meowth, since he was evil without Jesse and James around, and sometimes he was against whatever they had planned.

yes, when Meowth learned to speak human, he also gained that ability to differenciate and act upon his choices like a human.

but generally, Pokemon simply tend to follow orders from their trainers, almost never questioning their belief that their trainer knows best.

 

[Torchibusken]

The first option. Pokémon are amazing and diverse...

 

[Cenodoxus]

It greatly depends on the Pokémon. There´s nothing objectionable with eating a Magikarp in my opinion; it doesn´t seem to exhibit intelligence beyond that of a normal fish, considering that it can only Splash.

On the other hand, eating Pokémon with levels of intelligence ranging from Alakazam to Shellder would probably be considered a crime. Although, then again, Farfetch´d and Lapras were almost hunted to extinction...

 

[Alphonse Elric]

It depends on the Pokémon and the way they adapt to their surroundings.

Take for instance, a Slowpoke. It can fish with its tail, but it is not yet known whether it does so just to be able to obtain food, or because it is bad at swimming, and the only way that it can get fish to eat is by means of dipping its tail into the water, waiting for a fish to bite. Since it has a rather tough hide of a tail, it hardly feels any pain when a fish actually bites. That might be a sign of intelligence, even if Slowpoke are described as "The Dopey Pokémon".

 

[Char1016]

I voted the first option.
Pokemon can;t be like Animals.
Animals can't use attacks. Pokemon can.

How can you compare Latios, Latias, Alakazamm, Metagross etc to a Giraffe? Who's smarter?

 

[Omega Pirate]

According to the description on one of my TCG cards, Dragonite is as smart as any human. So, I guess some of them are. But then you have Wobbufette....

 

[Char1016]

According to the description on one of my TCG cards, Dragonite is as smart as any human. So, I guess some of them are. But then you have Wobbufette....

Yes and we have a Magikarp too, and don't forget Feebas. But just for a few Pokemon that don't have high intelligence we can't leave smart Pokemon nowhere.

 

[Shiney_Hunter_Tauros_Rule]

I picked the second option.
But really, who cares? Its a game

 

[killerjaw01]

I think some are intelligent, like Dragonite's earlier Pokedex entries said it had the same intelligence as a human, and Mewtwo is possibly more intelligent.
Others, like Slakoth, are less intelligent. Pokemon such as Growlithe would probably have the intelligence of a dog so therefore they would be capable of understanding some human gestures etc.

 

[Zephyr Soul]

XD Only one person has voted for 'Pokemon are animals'. Either people listen to sense (or are convinced by stupidity), or the 'animal' people don't come here.

Anyway, if you want to know what I voted for, go and look.

 

[Evanji Axu]

They're all sentient to a degree.

From least to most:

Bugs
Fish
Amorphous
Aquatic Arthropods
Amphibians
Reptiles/Birds
Mammals/Hominoid
Legendaries

There are, of course, exceptions such as Gardevoir, etc.

 

[Ben Kenobi]

Intelligence is relative when comparing animals with humans. Pokemon do seem smart as they are able to understand human language but so do the humans. Also Pokemon can mainly only speak the syllables of their name but as Qui-Gon Jinn said (Star Wars quote):

"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent."

Then there are non-existent Pokemon like dragons.