PETA: Pokémon Condones Animal Cruelty

Now this just confuses many people, including us here in HQ. Pokémon, the game many in our generation grew up playing, is now being hunted by PETA, on the grounds that it condones animal cruelty.

We’re not sure why, since Pokémon, as the world knows it, is a virtual game involving fictional and imaginary animals. In addition, it has long ago been spawned as a cartoon series, which again many have grown up watching.

So why is PETA going after Pokemon now? Well, PETA is concentrating its anti-Pokemon campaign against the new Pokemon Black and White 2 game, released only two days ago for the Nintendo DS. According to PETA, “the amount of time that Pokemon spend stuffed in pokeballs is akin to how elephants are chained up in train carts, waiting to be let out to ‘perform’ in circuses.”

As a response, PETA launched its own parody video game on its website, called “Pokemon Black & Blue: Gotta Free ‘Em All”, where players battle against trainers to gain freedom, with a variety of “attacks” such as “group hugs” and “protests”. Further, it states that “if PETA existed in Unova, (their) motto would be: Pokemon are not ours to use or abuse.”

We’re not quite sure what to make of this. What do you think?

(Source: CNET)