Battling: How does it work in your fanfic?

[myuma]

So we all know the basics of a battle in the games and anime. However, it doesn't necessarily translate well into writing, or make sense from a worldbuilding point of view, which means fanfic authors often change how battles work. Do you?

Some questions to get the discussion going...

1. Does the four move limit still exist? Do moves themselves exist?
2. Do types and type advantages still exist?
3. What is the relationship between trainer and 'mon like in battle? Is it that of a master and servant, or more like a coach and athlete?
4. How violent are battles? Do they cause serious injury, or just a few light scratches?

If you've got any ideas not covered by these questions, feel free to add it into your reply!

 

[kyeugh]

oh, battles. dear, sweet, precious battles.

pokémon fanfic, and i think probably quite a lot of game-based fanfic in general, is tricky because many video games are built on mechanical combat. it's fun and strategic in-game, but as you say, it doesn't really translate very well. in addition, fights in literature tend to be kind of boring in general. i think they're pretty fun for the writer, maybe even indulgent, but it's always way clearer in your head than it's going to be to the reader, so unless you do an exceptionally good job it's kind of just... okay, they're fighting, i don't really care about the specifics of every action, but here i am reading them. pokémon fic falls into this trap a lot.

for that reason, i don't really like detailed fights in general, and pokémon fights are the most detailed of all, so i try to stay away from that stuff. i know that when i'm reading fic, at least, generally when you've got a fight scene that's just an ASB-style of trainers yelling commands at their pokémon and then the pokémon enacting the commands until one of them passes out, it's like... i really do not care about this. i much prefer reading more concise interactions— maybe you're being chased, and your pursuer's pikachu shoots a bolt at you to slow you down, or something. those kinds of situations feel much more organic to me anyway. the concept of trainers just bursting into a well-structured, rule-oriented battle on a whim really messes up the flow of action.

that said, it does have its place, since pokémon training is a baked-in component of the world. i like to think of it as a sport myself, with trainers making up a very small minority of the youthful population, sort of like football. maybe you do it in high school, maybe you get a university scholarship for it, maybe you pursue it, maybe you do it on and off through your adult life. maybe you've got a pet growlithe that you train in your spare time, and you rough up the neighbor's poochyena on the weekends. fully-fledged trainers with a full team of six (or more!) powerful, trained pokémon are uncommon and fairly uncommon, though you can probably expect quite a few retired trainers (see: aged jocks) to have a decent team of a few middle-staged pokémon.

i kind of like the idea of moves, but maybe not quite so many as occur in canon. like, it makes sense that certain techniques would recur across similar pokémon species. maybe there are even regulations governing their specific execution— for example, it doesn't really count as a legal "ice punch" unless it's at least this cold, and so on. but a lot of the moves we have in canon seem more a product of the mechanics than anything you'd reasonably see in a non-game world. i'd probably avoid stuff like stat-changers, or gimmicky things like destiny bond etc.

i'd say typings would still make sense, although i reckon they'd be a bit more intuitive in-universe, as opposed to the very categorical system we have. like, you might group pokémon who have fire abilities together since that's a logical grouping to make, but i think things like the dark, dragon, and fairy types might not exist since they're kind of just qualitative, and also then you get into "why isn't charizard a dragon-type" which i don't think i can really explain under the understanding of typings that i have. that said, i don't think type effectiveness would matter as much, though it's still a factor.

as far as the violence of battles go, i suspect the regulations i mentioned earlier might place a cap on techniques too. maybe a flamethrower with an interior temperature of over 1000°c or something, i don't know. some kind of good-faith system in place to ensure pokémon aren't just getting completely slaughtered for sport. i mentioned in an earlier post that pokémon in my world are bred selectively for performance in battle, so i think it's safe to assume that they're unusually robust and sturdy, far beyond anything you'd see in our own world.

 

[Equitial]

Does the four move limit still exist? Do moves themselves exist?

For me, there's a huge difference between Pokemon fighting each for sport and Pokemon just fighting each other. 'Battling' is the sport, with rules and regulations and arbitrary limitations to make things more competitive. One big difference between battling and just fighting is the four-move rule. The four-move rule is something arbitrarily decided to make battles more interesting! Alas, I don't actually write official battles too, but the times I do I like the way it makes the trainer/battlers think.

Moves themselves kind of exist, except they are no hard lines for anything in particular. There is no inherent difference between a Water Gun and a Hydro Pump except one is a lot bigger than the other. However, when official battling is concerned, moves are a lot more rigidly defined. Trainers have to call out attacks before the Pokemon on the field can do anything, so when the sport boomed that's probably when things got minutely detailed. There are also probably issues when trainers from different regions compete, because maybe an attack is a legal move in Kanto but disputed in Galar.

Do types and type advantages still exist?

Yes! Something something infinity energy inherent auras for each Pokemon and move do-do-doo-do SCIENCE. I also like to make sometimes arbitrary distinctions between special and physical moves as well.

What is the relationship between trainer and 'mon like in battle? Is it that of a master and servant, or more like a coach and athlete?

In official battles, I write it so that all Pokemon are fully sapient, but it's not quite a coach/athlete dynamic. I haven't settled on everything, since it's not actually a focus, but I imagine there are limitations placed so that Pokemon must rely on their trainers during the battle. Again, I'm not sure about the details, but probably a Pokemon's view of the battle is blocked unless they're on-field by some method or the other. And then, when their turn is up, they must do whatever it is their trainer states; they just do extra moves, so if they want to improvise they have to be creative with what they're given. I kind of go back and forth on the idea that battles are actually turn-based, i.e. a trainer can give a command then has to wait until the opponent also).

For the non-sport, actual fighting, if there's a human with the Pokemon, generally the human'll be in charge of strategizing while their Pokemon are caught up in the combat. The human can also operate the Pokeballs; if your Pokemon goes down, you'll want them out of course, but you could do definitely not battle-approved maneuvers like pulling them away from attacks.

How violent are battles? Do they cause serious injury, or just a few light scratches?

Battling is sport, so I reasoned it to be about as dangerous as martial arts in the human world. A Pokemon has a chance of getting hurt, but nothing major. Majorly advanced healing is also available and Pokemon are a lot more durable than humans, so there's not much risk. For actual fighting, things can get more intense, obviously.

 

[NonAnalogue]

In MY fanfic, at least, battles all generally follow a pattern - the trainer sends out her Ditto, and then they get knocked out in one move.

When writing battles in general, though, I always liked to avoid just having the trainer yell out moves and stuff. The way I see it, in a battle, the Pokemon is making the choices of what moves to use, and the training they've done with their trainer helps them make better choices. So I suppose I do see it more as a coach/athlete sorta deal.

 

[PrimordialArc]

Does the four move limit still exist? Do moves themselves exist?

Generally in my fics, the four move limit is redundant; as much as it works well as a game mechanic, it doesn't seem realistic for a pokémon to only be capable of learning four moves at a time. Of course, imposed battle laws stating only four moves at a time work well too, but I like to create techniques and combinations that make writing battle scenes more interesting, so I just tend to throw the limit out of the window and say that anything goes when it comes to how many moves a pokémon is capable of using in a battle. It just depends on how many techniques they're capable of performing confidently.

That being said, moves themselves are just an extension of a pokémon's natural abilities, and are largely social in their existence and regulation. Any charmander at a certain age or experience level will be able to produce an ember attack, and that eventually works its way up to flamethrower, or heat wave, or fire blast. But the boundaries between such attacks are indistinct for the pokémon themselves; they're just using their innate defence/offence mechanisms, so there isn't really any finesse when wild pokémon are fighting. In regulated battles, however, moves have boundaries and distinctions because that allows for a level of professionalism, and pokémon respond to different attack commands with varying power levels of the same attack strain.

Do types and type advantages still exist?

To a certain extent, but I tend to give it some leeway. I go off the assumption that weaknesses and (especially) resistances are governed by external biology, but that this doesn't really apply to a pokémon's 'insides', per se, except in certain circumstances. For example, an onix is resistant to electric attacks so long as said attacks fall upon its hide; if electricity manages to get to the soft, fleshy parts beneath its natural armour, then it might be able to do some damage. Similarly, a mudkip is going to be resistant to fire-type attacks because of the gel-type secretion covering its skin, but a point-blank flamethrower to its face/eyes/mouth is still going to hurt.

What is the relationship between trainer and 'mon like in battle? Is it that of a master and servant, or more like a coach and athlete?

It's a bit of both. Generally, a trainer's commands are what a pokémon will base its strategy off of, but in the heat of the moment in particularly intense battles, commands can rarely be delivered at the necessary speed for a pokémon to execute them in time; and in that case, prior training and possibly instinct is what the pokémon will fall back on.

How violent are battles? Do they cause serious injury, or just a few light scratches?

That depends on the circumstances. In general, wild pokémon will often fight to kill if they feel as though their territory/prey is being intruded on, or if they feel endangered by whatever they're attacking, much like animals will. As for regulated battles, it depends on my fic or on the situation. In ASoS, gym battles are done in such a way that generally, unless something goes seriously wrong, nobody is too badly hurt. The same goes for any match manned by a referee, though trainer-on-trainer battles without such regulation might risk further damage. Still, nobody's aiming to kill, so pokémon get off lightly. Criminals, on the other hand, will definitely fight to kill or incapacitate. And in my secondary fic (which.. is nowhere near available for viewing), corruption in the region its set in means that even official battles can lead to death - and often do.

 

[myuma]

Does the four move limit still exist?
No, for the same reasons others have given (it's unrealistic, arbitrary, etc). There might be a soft limit because the Pokemon might be more confident using some moves than others.

Do moves exist?
Yep. Trainers and Pokemon name techniques which they use regularly in battle, and that constitutes a move.

Do types and type advantages exist?
Originally, I was going to scrap type advantages, but they're such an important part of battles that I can't bring myself to. So yes, they do exist. In universe, perhaps the explanation is that they're biological classifications - all Fire-types have fire glands somewhere on their body, or all Ghost-types have the ability to possess things and float through solid objects.

What is the relationship between trainer and 'mon like in battle?
Calling out moves doesn't make much sense in a real-time environment, which is what battles would be in universe. Before the battle, the trainer sizes up the other team and decides on a strategy. Trainers almost always consult their own Pokemon while making the strategy. Then the Pokemon choose their own moves as they fight, although they might have specific actions they've been told to do as well ("Make sure you start a Tailwind"). The trainer chooses when to switch them in and out, which again, the Pokemon are usually aware of because they've spoken about it beforehand.

In other words, the Pokemon handles lower-level tactics ("I'll move into the opponent's blind spot so they won't see me coming") and the trainer handles higher-level strategy ("We'll set up Spikes and Stealth Rock, then try to get in a lot of Ice-type moves - most of the enemy Pokemon are part-Flying"). But important decisions are a) made ahead of time and b) made as a team, involving both the trainer and their Pokemon.

How violent are battles?
Bruises, scratches, minor burns, localised paralysis, and slight poisoning are all par of the course. Pokemon feel less physical pain than humans do from an equivalent injury, and they also naturally heal much quicker. Humans in the Pokemon world have also invented some very advanced healing technology, which means even major injuries are not much of a problem.

Why is battling even a thing?
Humans are generally a lot weaker than Pokemon and didn't have a way to fight against, say, the violent Fearow stealing their crops, or the Mightyena refusing to let them travel in peace, unless they teamed up with friendly species of Pokemon who agreed to defend them. These days, technology and firearms give humans a way to defend themselves, but battling is still a popular - and useful - sport, not to mention that it allows humans and Pokemon to better understand one another, reducing the chances of a war between them.

 

[windskull]

As my fic is is PMD-based, I'll only be answering 3 of the questions.

Does the four move limit still exist? Do moves themselves exist?
Sort of. It's more of a soft limit than anything. A pokemon typically has four moves that they keep in practice, but they can still use any move they've learned. Moves that they haven't kept in practice won't be as effective, however. In addition, with regards to related moves (i.e. ember, flamethrower, and fire blast), if they are skilled with a stronger version of the attack, they'll also be able to use weaker versions without trouble.

Do types and type advantages still exist?
Yes. At least to some extent. They have an effect on fights, but some type advantages are more important than others.

How violent are battles? Do they cause serious injury, or just a few light scratches?
It depends on the situation. A friendly training skirmish would mostly end with minor scratches and cuts, and perhaps mild status effects. A battle against a territorial "feral" pokemon ( to use the more common term) could end up much more serious, with broken bones more serious status effects. And in some cases, if not prepared, death. In most parts of the world, however, death in fights are rare.

 

[Misfit Angel]

1. Does the four move limit still exist? Do moves themselves exist?
The four move limit is definitely gone in my writing. I've seen arguments that a four move limit forces the author (and by extension the characters) to think strategically, but I find strategy perfectly easy to come by even with bypassing that limit.

Moves themselves still exist, but I rarely refer to them by name. Your average hobby level trainer (which is where my characters usually sit) isn't going to have glossary-like knowledge of move names, but a more professional or skilled trainer might. Instead, I rely on description and lexical cues to do the magic for me. A command like "fire breath" could be any range of moves, and I'm hoping it's fun for the reader to try to pick out which it is?

2. Do types and type advantages still exist?
Typing is kind of like a hidden attribute in my setting. It's very obvious that a Pikachu is electrically inclined, but that doesn't define it. An earthquake isn't going to be magically more powerful against a Pikachu than a Bidoof by virtue of typing. When it comes to type effectiveness, generally only the obvious ones still exist, like water being strong against fire. Even that has the potential to backfire on the water-type attacker, who might have their vision restricted by steam or something.

3. What is the relationship between trainer and 'mon like in battle? Is it that of a master and servant, or more like a coach and athlete?
A mix of both. Unless I set up a specific pokemon to be unruly and dangerous, they generally follow orders both in and out of battle. Exceptions to this are in the case of novice trainers and new captures, who probably know their own capabilities more than their trainer and would choose a more wise approach.

4. How violent are battles? Do they cause serious injury, or just a few light scratches?
I operate on a system of critical hits. A particularly strong or well-aimed attack is likely to cause serious injury (or even death). However, in general, fights between pokemon are like fist fights for humans: a bad idea, but usually not life-altering. For narrative purposes, my pokemon tend to have advanced recovery capabilities and are usually ready for the next fight by the next day. Pokecenters are really only for major injuries, illnesses or general wellness check ups.

 

[Dragonfree]

Ha, I'm definitely on the gamey end of the spectrum compared to a lot of you, at least in the Quest for the Legends-verse. I like the systematized Pokémon battling that we see in the games, and I just don't really enjoy the idea of moves or types not being an actual thing, or the trainer having no active role; it kind of stops being Pokémon to me at that point. (Which isn't to knock all of you who do prefer to write it that way, but it's just not what I'd ever want to do.)

I never really formalized battling for the Morphicverse, so all these answers will be for the QftLverse.

1. Does the four move limit still exist? Do moves themselves exist?

The four-move limit is a thing, but it's simply a formal battling rule - Pokémon can remember any number of techniques, and normally they'd be free to use any of them, but the League imposes certain additional rules to maximize the use of strategy and fairness for League-sanctioned battles (i.e. battles at the actual League and gym battles), including a limit of four moves per Pokémon per battle. This ultimately works out to be a little different from how it works in the games, because rather than having four moves selected ahead of time, the trainer can pick the moves they order on the fly based on what's going on in the battle when they send out their Pokémon, and people will do stuff like ordering three moves early and then saving the fourth slot for when they really need something in particular. I had a lot of fun with this in the fic and would probably use it outside of this universe, too.

This only makes sense, of course, because moves absolutely exist, and are clearly and discretely defined. There is a concrete difference between an Ember and a Flamethrower. Different Pokémon might pull off these moves in different ways, but there's a distinction, and there will be a clear similarity to how the same move works even if used differently by different Pokémon. A trained referee can watch the match and tell if your Pokémon is using an extra move.

2. Do types and type advantages still exist?

Yes. Each discrete move involves typed energy, which interacts with different Pokémon depending on the types that are a fundamental attribute of their species. A Karate Chop uses Fighting-type energy that makes it stronger against a Normal-type Pokémon, while a Mega Punch doesn't. The physicality of the moves and the Pokémon does factor into it too - a water-based attack hitting a Charizard's tail flame would be even more effective than usual, etc. - but mostly type interactions are governed by these fundamental energies that interact in these particular ways that we know as the type chart.

3. What is the relationship between trainer and 'mon like in battle? Is it that of a master and servant, or more like a coach and athlete?

Ehh, neither, really. The trainer and Pokémon are working together. Pokémon are sapient, but as a rule they're not great at creative or strategic thinking, especially at the same time as they're using their brainpower to actually execute their moves, position themselves, keep track of their opponent, and try to dodge attacks; in general, Pokémon do much better when they've got a trainer they trust to guide them in battle. But the Pokémon can still take initiative when they do see a good opportunity, and if they disagree with what the trainer commands they can absolutely ignore it.

This does interact with the four-move rule: the way that rule is enforced in formal battles, the trainer has to order a move at least once before it's officially considered one of the Pokémon's four moves for this battle and they're allowed to use it. This is partly in the name of keeping up what's seen to be the true cooperative spirit of the sport - a Pokémon battle where the trainer literally just stands there and lets the Pokémon do all the work would be bad sportsmanship, and the League really wants to see trainers and their Pokémon properly working together - but also partly a matter of ensuring you don't get awkward situations where a kid who isn't necessarily an expert on moves doesn't notice that their Pokémon just used a new move, and they start obliviously ordering more moves beyond the limit.

This'll work out differently for different trainers and Pokémon and trainer-Pokémon relationships. In theory, a trainer can come out for a League battle, call out the names of four moves at the start, and then sit back and let the Pokémon do the rest. In practice, nobody really does that - both trainers and Pokémon want to be able to respond to what's going on in the battle with their move picks, after all. Sometimes Pokémon will actually call out or gesture to ask their trainer to order a particular move to make it legal. Other trainers are more conservative and prefer to direct every move their Pokémon use, and most Pokémon will be fine with that too, so long as they trust the trainer's decisions. Most are somewhere in between - generally the trainer will be shouting instructions throughout, but the Pokémon will think on their feet when they can, get in quick extra moves between commands, and so on.

Beyond the bit about the trainer having to order a move before it can be used, it's perfectly normal and expected for a Pokémon to sometimes not do exactly what their trainer says; sometimes they really do have a better grasp on what's going on, and obviously they know their own limits better. The trainer isn't their boss, just the graphic designer to their frontend programmer, so to speak.

4. How violent are battles? Do they cause serious injury, or just a few light scratches?

Pokémon in the QftLverse are very resilient; you can beat them up pretty badly before they're in any actual danger of permanent damage or death. I happen to enjoy writing violence that's a bit more intense than you'd see in the anime, so there'll be eye-stabbings and claws digging into flesh and metal crumpling and melting and blood all around, and all this is pretty fine and expected and it hurts but the Pokémon will be fine after a routine visit to the Pokémon center and they (usually) think it's worth it. But there are limits.

In this universe, fainting is an actual thing too - Pokémon are highly competitive and eager to get into friendly fights by nature, and they've evolved an instinct to automatically fall unconscious at a certain level of injury in a low-stakes battle - basically, fainting ensures there's an unambiguous winner and the fight ends before they get to the point of doing permanent damage to each other. When they know they're in a genuine life-or-death situation, the fainting instinct won't activate and they can actually fight to the death. Extremely brutal attacks can of course take them right from the safe conscious range into disabling/fatal territory, but it's hard for this to happen by accident in a trainer battle; it happens, but very rarely.

 

[Namohysip]

So, I'm sort of in a unique situation here in that while I specialize in PMD, I also have at least a single one shot already written in my "trainer verse" and have a few others in mind as well. So, with that being said, I actually have several mechanics that cross over in my PMD setting of Kilo, and my trainer setting that's more or less a canon interpretation. So, where possible, I'll answer the questions for both!

1. Does the four move limit still exist? Do moves themselves exist?

Yes and no. In Kilo (my PMD setting) Pokemon are capable of learning any number of moves and can, at will, switch them up based on any moves that they had learned previously as long as they remember the aura memory behind it. In other words, maybe they didn't use Iron Tail in a while, but they can give themselves some time (several seconds to minutes) to 'recall' to move, and at that point, recollection becomes much easier.

The "quick recollection" method seems to be an intrinsic property of all auras (with some exceptions for non-mortals, such as Mew) and, essentially, Pokemon are only able to "hotkey" four moves at any given moment, and need extra time to call upon or otherwise 'swap out' any of these four moves.

From a narrative standpoint, my philosophy here (aside from generally preferring to stick to canon) is that limitation breeds creativity, and by limiting characters to only so many moves, it can show a lot about their battle style, personality, occupations, or tendencies by which moves they have on the front lines, and which ones they'd abandoned, neglected, or otherwise benched.

As a concrete example, I have my Trapinch, Gahi, who prefers stealthy or evasive maneuvers, so he has the likes of Sand Attack and Feint Attack on his preferences. Meanwhile, pure offensive fighters like my Axew, Demitri, focus almost entirely on hitting things and hitting them hard, so Dual Chop, etc. And my main character, Charmander Owen, barely has any offensive moves at all at the start of the story, having both Protect and Smokescreen so he can generally stay out of fights or otherwise battle from a distance. Yeah, you can just give them "preferences," but it doesn't quite have the same impact as they simply only being able to use those techniques on the fly.

In the trainer world, it's largely the same, but Pokemon aren't quite as educated about how to easily switch their moves around. Their trainers or mentors or other equivalents instead help them tune to the techniques they need. Examples include the Tutors, TMs, etc.

2. Do types and type advantages still exist?

Yep. Nothing really special to remark here.

Edit: I lied I actually have something special to point out here.

While I typically follow all Type matchups when it comes to Type versus Type, I do have a few stretches of canon now and then to accommodate for environmental factors. The logic is supported partially by canon as well; Ice Types are immune to hail despite Ice being typically neutral against Ice, or a Fire can't be burned even though they aren't 0x immune to Fire.

As an example, my story has a scene right near the start of my Charmander sleeping in fire because it's cozy. In several settings, this would be dangerous, but I decided to roll with this because, particularly in PMD, Fire Types can walk on lava with zero penalty.

On the flip side of things, he also has to be wary of bodies of water, because that's generally very unpleasant. In fact, if his tail gets doused, he runs the risk of going into "water shock," which is the Charmander equivalent of trying to walk after suffering a charlie horse to both legs, so to speak. No, he doesn't die if the tail goes out; the association is reversed--it's an indicator of life, not a provider.

In Kilo specifically, there are actually workarounds for this for quality of life purposes. While I only depicted one particular instance of this, the anti-Super Effective berries have a small world building factor here. my Charmander often uses Passho Berries or Passho Powder to take baths, simply by mixing it into the water. This makes, essentially, Fire-friendly water so he can bathe without any discomfort. I also have later on in the story a Hydreigon and Gardevoir pair; despite the Type issues, a simple Roseli Berry can make close interactions less... risky, so to speak.

3. What is the relationship between trainer and 'mon like in battle? Is it that of a master and servant, or more like a coach and athlete?

Nothing for Kilo here, as humans are pretty much these mythical things that folks don't even know what they look like. But for the trainer world, it's neither coach and athlete or master and servant. My trainer world has non-wild pokemon at extremely high autonomy levels, perhaps even a step further than what the recent Galar entries imply. They can leave their Poke Ball at any time; they typically actively choose to battle alongside or with their human partner.

The entire "trainer" journey is more like a means for children to have a hands-on learning experience with the world and how intrinsic humanity's relationship to Pokemon really is. Very rarely do trainers truly "complete" their Gym missions, so much as use it as a platform to find what sort of career they'd truly want to study for by getting out there in the world.

Okay, I kind of went off on a tangent there, but basically my point is, Pokemon voluntarily go alongside their human trainers as partners, typically out of competitive spirit, having something new to do, general curiosity or fascination with humanity, or just because their trainers seemed like pretty cool dudes. Additionally, humans have a certain aura about them that helps Pokemon get stronger, faster compared to if they lived in the wild--and Pokemon seem to have a sense for this.

4. How violent are battles? Do they cause serious injury, or just a few light scratches?

Compared to what you'd see in the basic animations of the games and the largely bloodless carnage of the anime, more violent than canonically depicted. I'm not familiar with how the mangas do it, but perhaps more at that level? Cuts draw blood; punches leave bruises; heavy blows crush bones and probably give a lot of organ damage...

Buuuut Pokemon (and humans!) are very resilient in this world, both due to a significant environmental heal factor (PCs, Orans, Reviver Seeds, and so on) and natural Pokemon resilience. Across almost all canons, humans have been shown to have near-cartoon levels of physics as an in-universe property, and not just as a gag. I ran with that (After all, humans had to have survived living alongside Pokemon somehow...)

So, in the end, if we, Earthlings, were transported to the world of Pokemon, we would probably be downright horrified at how bloody these fights would be. But everyone else would look at us funny and say, "Okay, well, go back to your My Little Ponyta I guess." Because I think a good analogy for this is, the carnage seen in Kilo and the trainer world of my headcanon is to them the way we see how it's depicted in the anime.

Why is battling even a thing?

I brushed upon this in question 3, but battling is by and large the most common way for Pokemon to evolve to their strongest forms. This is inherently appealing to Pokemon for (actual) evolutionary purposes. Because Pokemon have evolved to battle for fun, and are extremely hardy folks, well... Battling just became part of the world culture.

As for Kilo, the same thing applies, even without humans to accelerate it: Battling is fun. Pokemon were built for it. In Kilo specifically, there are even scriptures in the Book of Mew (whether it's true or not) suggesting that Mew enjoyed battles because it was considered a "celebration of life."

Suppose that was a bit of a word wall, ahaha... Well. I hope that clarified a few things on my end of things.

 

[StellarWind]

Seeing how this came up again in the discord and I haven't replied to this thread before... Lessee.

1. Does the four move limit still exist? Do moves themselves exist?
The hard four-move limit is gleefully disregarded as the game mechanic that it is. Moves as a concept absolutely do exist - but they are far less rigid and defined as they are in-game, as well.

The underlying mechanic behind most moves involves the application of elemental energies in particular patterns at at particular intensities or flow rates - and most of the moves acknowledged "officially" are well-documented as "stable" in terms of these attributes. Some moves are closely related and vary mostly by the amount of energy directed into their pattern, and some moves have similar (if not identical) patterns even though the energies used in which are vastly different. Not all patterns support all types of energy or power levels - and the ability to keep a pattern stable and adjust it to compensate is often something that comes with practice, often leading to a need to practice moves to be able to more 'naturally' invoke them, or more powerful variants thereof. A Pokémon could absolutely learn to specialize in particular moves to the point they become almost a second nature - or become 'rusty' with a technique they don't use often - and the favoured moves of particular individuals may vary based on their habits, habitats and combat experience (in the wild) or the battle strategies developed with trainers (where such partnerships exist).

Pokémon are capable of acquiring certain new moves intuitively, though they may also learn moves that are not immediately intuitive through observing other Pokémon or other forms of elemental energy flow which they may imitate to learn new patterns (TMs and TRs do not typically exist in my fic-settings but I'd imagine they'd somehow have energetic impressions and/or recordings of move-patterns). Of course, learning to properly tap into elemental planes or particular patterns that are not intuitive to a particular species may be more of a struggle - although intraspecific variations exist as well leading to some particular individuals with atypical moves on rare occasions. It also bears noting that the creation of new moves by experimenting with energy types and patterns is theoretically possible, but not recommended to inexperienced trainers and Pokémon as 'unstable' moves may range in their effects from fizzling out harmlessly to wild uncontrolled explosions.

2. Do types and type advantages still exist?
Absolutely. I've gone into those in greater detail before in this post.

3. What is the relationship between trainer and 'mon like in battle? Is it that of a master and servant, or more like a coach and athlete?
The answer to that question is "there are as many variations to this as there are trainers and 'mon", Pokémon vary in degree of intelligence and sapience, after all - and have as many attitudes and personalities as humans would. And then there's the human factor as well... Takes two (or more, multi-battles are a thing after all) to tango, as it were.

I'd say that ideally, the relationship would be that of equal partners, based on mutual respect and trust. A trainer could provide guidance and guard against tunnel vision in the heat of battle by operating as an outside perspective - another set of eyes - and providing some extra focus/making a call when there are multiple options for what to do next. After all, in an actual battle, unlike an outdated jRPG, combatants aren't going to sit there and patiently wait for their turn - and environmental factors also contribute to the results. However, it would do well for a trainer to remember that they may issue commands, but it is up to their partner to execute them, in practice, on the battlefield! Ultimately a trainer should be familiar enough with their partner Pokémon's individual strengths and weaknesses to build their battle strategies around such and allow the Pokémon to set the pace - and a Pokémon should trust their trainer's judgment as for what may be the best thing to do next. When a trainer and a Pokémon work together in this manner and become familiarized with each other's quirks (and often, the quirks of their opponents!) over time - that's when you get to see some truly impressive bullshit as the trainer and the Pokémon pull the best out of each other - and sometimes don't even need words to communicate. A close trainer-Pokémon bond can even serve as a reason for miraculous recoveries in the face of extreme adversity or serve as an anchor point in reality when channelling overwhelming amounts of energy, such as in the case of mega evolution. Not to say that miscommunications won't happen, or that a trainer or a Pokémon may make a call that wasn't optimal - this could happen for any close relationship and really should be a learning experience for all involved.

However, as I said, that's ideally. While I'd imagine that most of the particularly powerful trainers have these sorts of relationships with their 'mon, there would inevitably be less-than-optimal relationships in which the trainer is a control freak that expects nothing but complete obedience from their Pokémon (and would punish or dismiss anything less), or the Pokémon doesn't respect the trainer's input enough to particularly follow their guidance due to inexperience or perceived incompetence on the trainer's part - but still gets something out of the relationship so they're less inclined to break free and escape to the wild, or something to that effect. The power dynamics of Pokémon battling are as diverse as the people and Pokémon involved in them.

4. How violent are battles? Do they cause serious injury, or just a few light scratches?
That depends on the battle! Most Pokémon are far more robust and resilient than humans or non-Pokémon creatures and would readily recover even from more serious injuries, particularly when exposed to particular energy signatures that would boost their healing - and battles are a fairly common occurrence in the lives of many Pokémon, both in the wild and in the company of trainers. Motivation, however, has a major effect on the degree of violence a battle would take.

When survival is on the line, battles can get very violent, involve a whole lot of energy expenditures and be horribly exhausting for the 'mon in question. When it's more of a contest of wills (like a territory scuffle, a battle for dominance in the wild or a friendly trainer battle/league battle), it typically doesn't end in serious injuries as usually Pokémon would refrain from using excessive amounts of elemental energies or attack with an intention to maim or grievously injure - no use in exhausting oneself prematurely or disrupting the energetic balance in the area to severe levels just to prove a point, after all. One could say that most 'mon have somewhat of an innate sense of a 'fair fight' and self-regulate accordingly (though some Pokémon eschew this and would fight brutally or in a 'dirty' manner to secure a quick victory!)

That is not to say that sometimes you DON'T get some pretty violent shenanigans that would require more serious medical attention than a simple cell-regeneration program. Unscrupulous elements have been using Pokémon as anti-personal weapons and some high stakes battles or battles in which confusion (for instance) triggers a Pokémon to act as though a battle is for survival has led to battles ending on a forfeit to avoid risking serious injury to any of the participants. One could also assume there might even be some edgy no-rules-no-holds-barred-fighting-for-keeps fight clubs out there, but that's not the sort of themes I tend to explore in my works personally.

 

[WildBoots]

It's been interesting to see how many responses there have been to these questions. I can accept any battling system where the rules are applied consistently within the story -- and as long as battles scenes have enough a) clarity and b) tension. The system I use goes a little something like...

1. Does the four move limit still exist? Do moves themselves exist?
No four-move limit. A more inexperienced pokemon/trainer would have fewer options to reach for though, as would a rusty and out-of-practice pokemon/trainer.

Moves exist but... I take a lot of creative liberties. I use the game data as a guide only -- I'm a car on a dirt road, not a train on a track. I think about what kinds of abilities a pokemon might have, what would have the best narrative impact, and how to best convey my mental image to the reader. I also think about the trainer's relationship to that pokemon --is it a psychic type that might understand what the trainer wants without a verbal command? Does the trainer use coded language to keep the opponent and their pokemon from knowing what they're doing? So, I frequently have my trainers issue commands that aren't official moves, or commands that relate to a specific move but sound more like something they'd actually say.

2. Do types and type advantages still exist?
Yes. I do fudge things a little though. I've got a solrock that shields its trainer with psychic energy. In the game it would either be light screen, reflect, or protect. In my story it's kinda all 3, but it also totally falls apart with a bite or a shadow claw. On the other end of the spectrum, I've got a bastiodon that can sometimes soak multiple punches when in-game it probably wouldn't, unless you want to bring levels into it. I wanted it to feel more like a defensive wall than it normally is in practice with that double-fighting weakness.

3. What is the relationship between trainer and 'mon like in battle? Is it that of a master and servant, or more like a coach and athlete?
Pokemon in my settings are closer to pets than anything else. Some of them are quite intelligent, but they don’t have a human-like intelligence. They do usually listen to their trainers out of loyalty and respect, but I’ve written scenes in which they don’t.

4. How violent are battles? Do they cause serious injury, or just a few light scratches?
I let my battles get more violent than some do. I like a world where pokemon feel dangerous and difficult to predict. Pokemon can also handle a lot, especially when they're in the care of a human. I imagine pokemon generally heal pretty quickly -- faster than a human would, anyway -- but I also don't treat potions like an instant cure-all. Dealing with injury adds stakes to battles and it also parallels real-life athletes, who often perform while injured and push through it anyway.

 

[Keleri]

1. Does the four move limit still exist? Do moves themselves exist?

No, pokemon can remember dozens of moves-- BUT they do have to stay practiced in them to use the techniques effectively and under pressure. Moves exist but their borders are fuzzier than in the games, and practice and technique can make one pokemon's Flamethrower much different than another's.

In general, moves exist as Things Pokemon Do Consistently, and that they learn spontaneously from some kind of genetic memory. However, the exact energetic underpinning of how they access and manipulate infinity energy to produce the attack can vary, and often different species of pokemon or pokemon from different regions have slightly different ways of producing the same attack. In-depth study of pokemon, their moves, and the energy techniques behind them have produced libraries of moves idealized for different situations, such as the best power-to-energy use ratio for long battles, ones that maximize power-to-time, ones that are less ideal but are less technically challenging to pull off, etc.

Pokemon in the wild generally only learn their own level-up moves, although if there is a trained pokemon in their social group who returned to the wild, that pokemon might be able to tutor others in moves that it learned from other pokemon, or through devices like TMs/TRs. Joining with a trainer makes it easy to learn these foreign moves, which usually need multiple sessions with a tutor to learn and practice.

A TM/TR holds the energetic memory of a master tutor performing the move, which can be used to transmit that knowledge to the recipient, but it still requires practice to get good at using the move, and doesn't always work-- something about the copied memory just doesn't jive with a certain pokemon for some arcane reason, and they can't learn it that way. Sometimes this has to do with the particular technique used by the master tutor-- the TM/TR is most likely trying to teach one of the minmaxed forms of the move refined by dozens of experienced pokemon, and it may be that an imperfect and technically simpler move would be needed for the learner pokemon to even get started manipulating a foreign type energy or an unusual move.

There are also compatibility limitations in terms of what moves a given pokemon can learn or be tutored in-- in a world where you can learn any move, why doesn't every battle involve Toxic/Protect/Double Team/Substitute etc.? Basically to use that kind of annoying moveset, you as a pokemon have to commit to that style of battling and practice it to a master level, and that kind of battling has to be compatible with your mind and spirit. A given pokemon by virtue of its species and/or personality will be suited to a given style and will find moves that serve that style much more easy to learn versus ones that don't. Some popular styles include sweeper, tank, healer, annoyer/illusionist, etc. But generalist battlers (or pokemon that don't battle at all) exist too; pokemon in my setting aren't min/max-able because making a team is much more about finding personalities that work well together and finding the opportunity to take on a pokemon team member rather than having perfect choice and infinite opportunity like you do in the games.

In addition, moves aren't just optimized for battling, but also for the "field" techniques that pokemon arguably perform more often than the battle versions. Only a limited number of trainers go on to elite trainer status and compete regularly in high-level tournament battling, but many, many people have one or two partner pokemon that help them to perform work and help society.

2. Do types and type advantages still exist?

Yes, although the types are sort of more magical abstractions of the thing they're named after than literally those things, and so the type chart also doesn't need to make 100% physical sense. (Consider, steel takes 2x the damage from fire as does normal, so clearly you should be handling your lasagna with your bare hands. :V) Pokemon can therefore interact freely with the matter world without stuff like Quagsire dying instantly if it touches a blade of grass or a leaf, or Fire, Ground, or Rock pokemon being unable to drink water.

Instead the type chart is about how easy or hard it is for the recipient pokemon to take up and process the energy that's given to it in battle through an attack, and how drained its stamina will be as a result of absorbing that energy. However, it is true that the magical energy is related to the thing it's named after, and so you do find Fire energy around deserts and volcanoes, Water energy in rivers and rain clouds, etc. Types also give pokemon resistances, weaknesses, tolerances, and intolerances that don't 100% reflect the type chart like Namo mentioned-- Heatran can swim in magma even though it takes 1x damage from Fire-type attacks, while Volcanion likes hot water and may avoid being out in the rain even though it's part Water.

3. What is the relationship between trainer and 'mon like in battle? Is it that of a master and servant, or more like a coach and athlete?

Depends on the pokemon and trainer; in general, pokemon have sharper senses and live more in the moment, while humans are physically frailer but more able to make plans and build elaborate strategies based on prediction and getting into the opponent's head. This can be reversed, however-- there are plenty of humans that resent having to plan ahead and would rather receive instructions than give them, and there are many pokemon that are older, high level, more experienced, or just plain smarter than humans that can function well independently in battles or even to act as a trainer themselves. (And to literally get into an opponent's head if they're Psychic type-- ha ha no this would be Extremely Illegal ಠ_ಠ)

Battle styles vary as well; generally at the junior trainer level, trainers will call out moves that the pokemon will then perform as they're able to, but as their experience grows pokemon are more able to take initiative and adapt to what the opponent is doing to feint and make changes on the fly or take opportunities as they arise. At higher level, the training and combos have all been practiced in the background, and the trainer functions more as second pair of eyes and broader strategizer, using their knowledge of the opponent, the pokemon already used and the ones to come to decide what course to take. The trainer may not call out every move-- they may not call out any-- and they may even call out code words, phrases, or just plain different moves than the ones that get used, although this can be indistinguishable from your pokemon ignoring your instructions, and is occasionally the subject of debate as to whether a certain trainer is playing 4D chess or is just bad at their job :V

Human trainers perform an important role in my setting, namely, to themselves be a source of energy for their pokemon. (Om nom nom. :V) Humans with a good bond with their pokemon involving trust and mutual respect will be able to allow their pokemon to tap into the human's energy reserves and use it to get stronger as well as perform feats of strength like mega evolution, z-moves, dynamax, etc. Regardless of what a pokemon-human relationship looks like on the outside, unless it's founded on this kind of real bond, it will not be able to progress to the highest levels of training. (There are even powerful pokemon that don't have access to a human to use as a "battery", and it holds them back. :V)

4. How violent are battles? Do they cause serious injury, or just a few light scratches?

Battles involve two components, the physical blows and the exchange of energy. If the pokemon don't tap into any energy, they can have a purely physical battle that will end when one or both of them forfeit, or when one or both sustain physical injury such that they have to turn back to energy ("faint") to recover from the damage. (And so even a purely physical battle comes back to energy, too.) A more usual battle involves both physical blows as well as energy, and like I mentioned above, the energy does "damage" to the pokemon based on how hard or easy it is to absorb, and may carry with it additional effects like status or damage over time. As all that adds up, the pokemon will get to a point where its stamina is consumed and it's too tired to fight on, and has to faint and/or return to its pokeball and recover.

Battles can be very violent, but it's frowned upon in League matches and possible to lose a match that you apparently won by knockout if you allowed or encouraged your pokemon to be overly violent. Pokemon can survive any physical injury, including decapitation! But in the wild, this kind of injury would mean a slow, lingering death in energy form as the body has to use more energy than it has to heal the wound. As a result, wild pokemon are much more circumspect than trained ones, and even then some pokemon will never take the risks that they know, intellectually, they can survive if things go wrong.

Overly violent battles are disallowed because it makes many pokemon stressed out and uncomfortable, just plain isn't very sportspersonlike, and depending on how the physical injury is sustained, it can also mean damage to the pokemon's energy skeleton. This type of injury is not the fun oopsie whoopsie pokemon center kind that just goes away with a quick heal, but actually requires intensive, hours-long healing, and may need multiple sessions. Energy skeleton damage is how you can get pokemon with scars, missing limbs or organs, or paralysis; if a pokemon loses an eye in a battle, it can get healed and get the eye back, but damage to the energy skeleton could be permanent. Pokemon also get these permanent injuries to their matter body if they can't get to the pokemon center in time; to survive, the pokemon's body will stop itself from fatally pouring energy into the wound, and the matter body will try to continue on without that part.

In my setting, pokemon are much more concerned about what situation they'll be in if they have to faint. In the wild, fainting without any allies around can be a death sentence-- in energy form, you're now vulnerable to predation by enemy pokemon (or even those you thought were allies). As a result, wild battles are basically never to fainting. When pokemon attack you as a traveling trainer, they just want to trade a couple attacks and then run; if they stick around longer than that, it's because they're testing you as a possible trainer for them. Wild pokemon battle among themselves in this way, too, supervised by elders, although fights to the death for high stakes (e.g. control of territory and associated energy resources, or to protect or get at an egg) happen too.

Pokemon training before pokemon centers reflected this style of battling as well-- battles were almost never to fainting, but rather to something like first blood or ring out, or the "battle" was over a feat of strength or stamina. With the advent of pokeballs, trainers now had a safe space/hiding place for fainted pokemon instead of only being able to shelter their wisp in their own bodies or some other container (classically, a jar, oil lamp, or teapot). And the proliferation of pokemon centers meant that any pokemon battle could now be to fainting, maximizing energy transfer and speeding up level gain and evolution.

However, many experts caution against subjecting low level pokemon to this type of battling, and it's a common mistake that a first-time trainer will be disappointed that their starter gives up after a couple of attacks in their first battle, to the point that professors and pokemon center staff generally walk new junior trainers through their first battles. There are extensive tutorials before getting your first pokemon, but the popular image of pokemon fighting to extremes is so pervasive that many 5th graders still don't get it until they see that level 5 is NOT the same as level 50.

As discussed above, pokemon have huge resilience and restorative abilities, and their abilities have been used to improve medicine and recovery for humans/animals as well. I have the idea that the physics of the world of pokemon are "easier" than our home universe's physics in some ways-- not enough that we all die from overheating because there's no stop button on our glucose metabolisms, whoops, but enough that certain useful reactions take less energy, space travel is easier, people are stronger and more athletic, people age slower and live longer, etc. They also feel pain differently than humans and some animals, and it's easier to set it aside during a battle, so instead of being immobilized by pain they can fight through it like a domestic cat or a Krogan.

All that aside, though, it's still a pokemon's choice whether they battle or not right now, against this opponent, or for you-- or not, and pokemon league officials and pokemon center staff will make sure that unwilling or reluctant pokemon's choices are obeyed as best as they can detect.

 

[WildBoots]

Human trainers perform an important role in my setting, namely, to themselves be a source of energy for their pokemon. Om nom nom. :V Humans with a good bond with their pokemon involving trust and mutual respect will be able to allow their pokemon to tap into the human's energy reserves and use it to get stronger as well as perform feats of strength like mega evolution, z-moves, dynamax, etc.

Fascinating idea, Kel. Potentially very risky for the human — love that.

 

[Keleri]

Fascinating idea, Kel. Potentially very risky for the human — love that.

OOOH HOO HOO HOO HOO I mean uhhh perish the thought! Nothing bad happens. At all. (sweating loudly)

 

[K_S]

All answer relate to most of my works as they share the same universe "Two paths" and "Dodging" which are mentioned on this site. The only exception is "Transversal". As my stuff has some dark shadings and I try to be as realistic as I can in all aspects my written battles tend to be short, bloody, and brutal as a response.

Does the four move limit still exist? Do moves themselves exist?

No I wound up throwing the lot out. However it’s canon in the verse’s I wrote for starting trainers not to know about the more than four move limits, and it’s enforced by dex and casual research as the most common moves will be listed in groups of four when a newly caught pokemon is… well caught/looked up, and the like. The truth is not explicitly spelled out because it’s the trainers responsibility to figure it out. The journeys are a means to gauge/encourage maturity, being encouraged to take initiative is part of the progress. This is further enforced by older hands and the like being actively discouraged from letting things slip. The “limit” is actually a test of character that a gym leader is allowed to break off if a challenger is being seriously hampered by that limit and can’t seem to cotton on that it’s an artificial barrier. (This rule applies to items and many “stat” boosters used in canon, “battle aides” are black market commodities that canonically don’t work and can be lethal if applied improperly.)

Do types and type advantages still exist?

They do but it can be worked around. In “Two paths” Giovanni’s Rhydon is pitted against Ash’s Bulbasaur, and there is a segment where Gio’s ticking off the disadvantages, low speed stat, type diasadvantage, and amused that Ash thinks that it’s going to help him win. When Ash responds stereotypically by over-relying on types he counters each and every one. His Rhydon can’t outrun ‘saur, but it has been trained to use it’s own girth and gravity to do very fast low sweeping attacks and he closes the distance and dodge as most of the attacks aim up to accommodate the height difference between Bulbasuar and Rhydon. As almost all of ‘saur’s attacks are projectile neither Ash or Bulbasaur are able to deal with a brutal in your face fight. In another fight Nidoking tanks a vine whip, grabs the leafy appendages, and slams Bulbasaur into the dirt repeatedly until Giovanni calls him off to avoid beating the creature to death.

What is the relationship between trainer and 'mon like in battle? Is it that of a master and servant, or more like a coach and athlete?

It wildly varies. Drawing from the headcanon of my main series Ash is considered a very bizarre outlier, befriending and catering to his catch’s needs and allowing them as much autonomy as he can while on a training circuit, he's more a cheer leader than a trainer at this point. Most people, like Delia, Gary, Tracy, and a few minor characters, see them as pets. Oak is another outlier, respecting them as dangerous wild animals with the exception being those who are caught and tamed, and he views that should remain a minority for environmental and ethical reasons and he loaths battling as a rule of thumb. On the other end of the spectrum Giovanni/and most of the villain teams, see them as disposable tools, and while Giovanni holds affection for some of his original catches he will push them to the death if the ends require it, only sparing Persian, his starter.


How violent are battles? Do they cause serious injury, or just a few light scratches?

In the wild many “dominance displays” and many starter gym challenges actually devolve into shows of strength, endurance, or feats or agility that mime mating dances, acrobatics, and general showboating as when bloods drawn wild ‘mon can go berserk as can trained ones in specific circumstances.

It’s not a secret that pokemon kill each other, certain species are farmed for meat and the like, and there’s a predator prey situation in the wilds, and this is not kept from the populace. The ‘mon journey is so controlled and laden with surveillance though that few children fall through the cracks and are actually hurt while journeying.

The gym system of battles is unique. They can be to the death, though it’s not the accepted norm and the League puts certain caps. In modern times being too brutal a trainer can get you defrocked of your station, and children on the circuit are usually left alone and given gentle training session rather than battles but it wasn’t always like this.

As trainers accrue badges and or age up the kid gloves come off and the fights, especially the last battle/gym leader, is notoriously brutal. All trainers are warned that battles can have deadly consequences and before the battle segments of the journey kick up to their highest levels trainers are openly warned that they’ve been moved off the “gentle” trail gyms and if they continue their “journey” and the consequences of carelessness and failure are spelled out bluntly (this usually happens around the fourth or fifth badge, the fact it hasn’t in canon is a plot point in my main series). If trained improperly (Ash’s charizard, by accident. Gary’s steelix, willfully) ‘mon of higher evolution will go after the weakest thing on the field, challenging trainers/their own trainers, enemy ‘mon, and this can lead to death, as can debris from careless attacks, pits from earthquakes, and the like. There’s checks in balances in the gyms but outside of them stupidity and malice can prevail to lethal ends.

As a rule of thumb any battle Giovanni initiates when irritated is likely to scroll from “brutal” to “bury the bodies afterwards” as he and his present team range from incredibly short tempered to sadistic and he has a no holds barred policy when not acting as an “official gym leader”.

 

[Flyg0n]

I figured it'd be fun to put my two cents in this!

1. Does the four move limit still exist? Do moves themselves exist?
Yes and yes. For very specific reasons. https://www.fanfiction.net/u/4407829/Flyg0n has a longer dissemination on my personal thoughts on why the 4 move limit is important and why I use it. As for in-universe biological reasons, it due to the way a pokemon's brain is wired. I haven't talked about it in-depth in my worlds story, but basically, a pokemon only really has four 'slots' in his brain where it can tap into to channel aura. In order to use a move at maximum potential and effectiveness, pokemon must channel aura. Which leads to my views on moves. In pokemon, all moves are aura. Aura is a multifaceted concept that takes many forms. It can be channeled in thousands of different ways.

A move is a physical manifestation of aura in a specific form. The aura use of an ember is different than flamethrower, and thunderbolt is different from thundershock and thunder. This is why certain moves can have special effects, such as Brick Break specifically being able to shatter light screen and reflect. This is also the reason why a pokemon like Rhydon can use Thunderbolt/Ice Beam. Aura is separate and distinct from a pokemon's biological capabilities.

It is important to note that using aura is very different from using a pokemon's natural abilities. Charmander using Flamethrower is not the same as it actually breathing fire. Slash the move is not the same as Scyther just trying to cut your head off. Aura moves are energy based and only chip away at the opposing pokemon's aura/energy. Using a natural ability could easily kill something. (Although pokemon and people are fairly hardy).

2. Do types and type advantages still exist?
Yes! Types and type advantages are separate from biological components as well. A typing refers to the internal energy a pokemon carries. (Naturally up to two max). Even though a Charizard looks like a dragon, it actually possesses internal energies of 'fire' and 'flying'.

I touched on this lightly in a chapter of my fic, but basically, a pokemon's moves and types are the purest representations of elements in our world. 'ice' isn't just cold water, but the purest form, the very concept of ice itself. Our ice or our fire is a mere shadow of theirs. Our idea of ice actually comes from pokemon. It's a bit of a nebulous concept, but the best way to explain it is simply to think of how a human cast a shadow. The shadow is human-shaped but it isn't a human. Our fire, our ice, our electricity are representations of the powers pokemon wield.

Each of these energies was specifically created at the beginning of the pokemon world to counterbalance each other.

3. What is the relationship between trainer and 'mon like in battle? Is it that of a master and servant, or more like a coach and athlete?
The closest representation is coach and athlete, but it really goes much deeper than that. Pokemon are fully sentient, but entirely separate in their way of life from humans. They are instinctual, competitive beings. Humans are... well, humans. You see, both humans and pokemon possess 'aura'. Now this aura isn't like the 'My Ash Ktechum is a super god who can fight pokemon and shoot lazerz'.

A pokemon bonded with a human gains protection and shares in their trainer's aura, drawing on their strength as well as its own internal strength. They also have the chance to grow stronger than they can alone. A human and pokemon aura, when brought together, will always exceed the sum of its parts. It is a perfect union, a marriage if you will. Peanut Butter and Jelly. A Golbat in the wild cannot evolve. But with a human it becomes possible.

The bond between human and pokemon is actually much closer to two brothers. Ideally, it should be a perfect synergy between two contrasting yet complementary beings, who together exceed anything apart.

Naturally, this doesn't apply to criminals. Criminals and evildoers who treat pokemon poorly actually have a 'negative' bond with their pokemon, which actually saps a pokemon's natural strengths, leaving them susceptible to injury.

EDIT: It should also be noted that as you get into the upper echelons of battling, calling attacks is less necessary, as the bond between pokemon and human will usually reach a point where yelling it isn't necessary, the pokemon can sense your intentions.

Case in point of why humans and pokemon are both important in battle :

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU_3BniydHk


4. How violent are battles? Do they cause serious injury, or just a few light scratches?
Pokemon battles are not violent, not dogfighting, and not slavery. A battle is a contest of wills, wits and strength between two pokemon. Pokemon channel their own 'auras' in ways to create attacks, as mentioned above, and do battle. These attacks do very little serious harm to the opponent, beyond some slight bruising and scratching. This due to the protective aura a trained pokemon possesses. "fainting" is simply what occurs when a pokemon's body drops into a healing trance when they are exhausted.

Fighting past this point, or being forced to do so repeatedly however, can definitely hurt a pokemon.

Criminals and battles against evil-doers are another matter entirely, and they may and usually do, fight to kill.



I have a bevy of thoughts on the topic, but that covers the basics

 

[K_S]

Question about this line...

Naturally, this doesn't apply to criminals. Criminals and evildoers who treat pokemon poorly actually have a 'negative' bond with their pokemon, which actually saps a pokemon's natural strengths, leaving them susceptible to injury.

How would frustration and shadow moves play in with this dynamic in effect?

 

[Flyg0n]

Question about this line...

Naturally, this doesn't apply to criminals. Criminals and evildoers who treat pokemon poorly actually have a 'negative' bond with their pokemon, which actually saps a pokemon's natural strengths, leaving them susceptible to injury.

How would frustration and shadow moves play in with this dynamic in effect?

I'd say that moves like Frustration would go up in power for sure, but a pokemon is still more susceptible to injury. Think about enamel on teeth. If you have weak or no enamel, your teeth are much more sensitive, and can suffer damage easier.

As for shadow moves, I'm assuming you're referring to shadow pokemon, like from the XD game? If so, that's a bit different. Shadow pokemon are a separate category. I haven't contemplated this fully, but I think a shadow pokemon would be the equivalent of having perfectly obedient pokemon that still possess natural defenses and needs no bond. But i'd have to contemplate it further.

 

[K_S]

Fair enough. It was a bit of an out there thought and I wondered if you had thought it over. Thanks for sharing.