Nintendo’s Pokemon series, a beloved franchise that teaches you about friendship and perseverance all while setting your sights on the illustrious Pokemon league … well your wrong after ploughing an unhealthy amount of hours into Pokemon Y recently my cynicism has caught up with me and here’s the dirty home truths we all ignore as Pokemon.

1. Animal Cruelty ….. What Animal Cruelty?

It’s not like you spend the majority of your time hunting down the free animals of a particular region only to fight and weaken them until they can no longer resist capture. Oh wait that’s exactly what happens! The entire Pokemon franchise is built on capturing animals and using them to your own means. #DontTellTheZoos

2. Parenting, What Parenting?

This one never even occurred to me when I was younger, I’d happily talk to the elderly man in a white jacket taking one of his oh so cute starter Pokemon and not blink an eye-lid when my parents showed absolutely no fear or restraint when allowing me to travel across the country on my own.

WHAT? Yeah sure go on, wonder out into that world full of monsters and nefarious groups who are attempting to use those monsters to rule the world, Yeah sure go on It’s not like your parents won’t be there for you … WAIT they only congratulate me when I’ve defeated the Pokemon League, high expectations much, What happens If I fail to ever beat the Pokemon League… does that mean my parents don’t love me!

3. Fighting Your Friends Is Okay!

Right from the get go your at war with your best friend and this one could be put down to healthy competition but the fact you cannot progress unless you beat them means the win-loss record ultimately is heavily in your favour. Now Pokemon Trainer Gary has a strong character and would drop you a ‘smell ya later’ but the guy/girl from Pokemon’s Kalos region isn’t as emotionally strong! They often reflect on the defeat with self-doubt and an evolving lack of belief in their abilities as a Pokemon trainer.

4. Fighting Preschoolers Is Also Okay!

This point is a lot shorter, your mom’s abandoned you, you’ve managed to catch a monster from the wild and what’s the first thing you decide to do… pick on a preschooler! Translate that into the real world you wouldn’t go down to your local nursery and start lobbing oranges at the 3 Year-Olds (Well I really hope you wouldn’t).

5. It’s Impossible To Catch Them All!

I Love Pokemon to bits, It’s my longest lasting love in video-gaming and as much as I love it and have probably spent hundreds of hours on it, I have never once ‘caught em all’ and I’m slightly ashamed to say that. However back in the days of Pokemon Silver/Gold and Pokemon Fire Red / Leaf Green it was an achievable goal and I came damn close.

These days however, I’m not even getting close (boy oh boy) I’m trying, it almost feels impossible sometimes. I’ve felt for the last couple of generations that a fresh, brand new 150 Pokedex would be amazing, no older generations just newbies it would help create the feeling we all had the first ever time we picked up Pokemon.

Take a look at some of your games, they’re not all as innocent as they seem (cough…mario…cough) and p.s. I absolutely love Pokemon, Just having a bit of fun.