Was the Slowpoke Tail Story in GSC an attack on the asian animal parts trade?

[The Big Al]

Long title eh?

In Enviromental Geograhy, we learned about poaching and that it's main consumer is the asian black markets.

Well, this got me thinking. In Gold/Silver/Crystal TR was cutting off the tails of slowpoke to sell as something. This sounds a lot like the killing deer and elk for their antlers and bears for their gull blatters (TR of course didn't kill the Slowpoke but that's because the game's geared toward all ages and you really wouldn't have to kill a Slowpoke to cut off its tail) in the real world.

I wonder if this was Tajiri condemning the trade of animal parts in the asian market.

I also found it interesting this never made it to the anime. It was just JJ&M chasing Slowpoke to make rain.

Anyway, discuss.

 

[Carpetted!]

I don't think so. Poaching is killing animals illegally, while the things the rockets are doing is cruel but legal. I think the point was just to make the rockets look despicable (spelling).

 

[PDL]

I wouldn't be surprized if it was condeming the asian black market...

anyway, there are other "hunted" pokemon, Farfetch'd, Lapras, Stantler... but the only evidence about their reasons for being hunted are merely pokedex desrciptions...

maybe they chose Slowpoke because it gained a new alternate evolution in GS?

I don't think so. Poaching is killing animals illegally, while the things the rockets are doing is cruel but legal. I think the point was just to make the rockets look despicable (spelling).

urm, I think you are confusing Pokemon catching with Pokemon poaching

with pokemon catching, it's you, your pokemon and a wild one that's willing to fight it... your pokemon is risking it's safety to fight with a wild and potenially dangerous creature... If you manage to capture it, the wild creature will become friends with you, and you have a new teammate.

with pokemon poaching however, it's just you, a pokemon that can't defend itself and a machete, it's not even a fair fight... not at all... you just hack off the tail... completely mutulating the creature...

there is no honor in fighting someone who cannot fight back... how would you feel if some big creature came and hacked of a limb and sold it for a high price on the black market.

and aren't you the same person who made that "ant-killing should be illegel" thread?

you disgust me Floored!

 

[Naraku_Diabolos]

Definition

Poach

catch game illegally: to catch wild animals or fish illegally on public land or while trespassing on private land
Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2003. © 1993-2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Basically, if you recall from the first movie, Mewtwo was Team Rocket's slave for quite awhile and Team Rocket was in the Safari Zone 'poaching' Tauros. Mewtwo helped by disabling their movements, making them easy prey to be captured inside PokeBalls. Team Rocket was poaching Tauros; wild and rare Normal-types that only existed in the Safari Zone in the Kanto region. However, Tauros ran wild in Johto.

Actually, Farfetch'd were hunted for their leeks (the stick it always carries). For some strange reason, those sticks are actually strong. Without the leek, the Farfetch'd would go extinct. It uses the leek to make nests, harvest food etc.

Lapras were hunted for their reason to transport people and Pokemon across their backs. If Team Rocket possessed them, they would be able to use them to move working machines, people etc. for unbearable prices.

A Stantler's rack of antlers were used for decorations. The ball near the base of the antler would be grinded into a fine powder for medical purposes.

Yes, and I'm aware of how real animal poaching is done. Take dolphins or sharks for an example. For sharks, they would poach them for their dorsal fins. They would cut the fin off and then throw the shark back into the water; especially great whites.

Dolphins are a different story. Just like whaling, they would take every usable body part of the dolphin after it was captured and then toss the corpse back into the water. That's real life poaching.

 

[adamgnome]

I would have to agree with you, I also thought that's what they were doing way back in the G/S days. I'd say this was a definate stab at that pretty horrible crime. :/ Poor Slowpokes. >__<

I always loved how Team Rocket was the Mafia in Red/Blue aswell.

 

[Evanji Axu]

I certainly hope it was, because that trade is downright despicable. Similar to how a Slowpoke's tail leaks a sweet sap, grilled bear paws are a delicacy in Asia...ewww. But wouldn't they be all bony?

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

I think a big difference here is that Slowpoke tails grow back rather quickly. If they'd wanted to make a point about parts trade, I don't think they'd have put that tidbit in.

 

[Porygandrew]

They put that point in to make sure they don't talk about 'killing' pokemon.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Why? I mean, they had no trouble with Cubone's mother, right?

 

[Manga_in_a_Bottle]

To me, it wasn't cutting off the slowpokes tails that made Team Rocket's actions so repulsive -- after all, they don't feel anything and the tail grows back after awhile. Rather, I thought that Team Rocket must've mistreated the slowpoke while they were being held captive for thier tails, rather how some chickens are kept locked in cages and never get any exorcise