T. K. Arispe

 I'm aware that I'm the only one who thinks these comics are funny. Good thing this is my blog and I can post whatever I want.

As a kid, I didn't really think twice about the idea of Pokémon battles, but as an adult it does seem like a bit of a questionable practice. Like, you receive this weak, young creature who relies on you for its well-being, and the first thing you do is walk out into the wilderness, aggravate some wild creatures into hostility, and literally throw your creature at them and command it to fight?

I think later entries in the core series do a reasonable job of explaining that Pokémon actually enjoy battling and it's an activity that strengthens the bond between Pokémon and trainers. It's probably also a good way to let a Pokémon blow off steam and channel any natural aggressive tendencies in a healthy and productive manner.

But the way Oak explains it in Gen I is kinda sketch.