The Power Structure of the Pokémon World | Video Essay

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ธ.ค. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 88

  • @jonseon5952
    @jonseon5952 3 ปีที่แล้ว +106

    It's possible that Pokémon regions are Republics, the people decide if someone who is very active in their community should be a gym leader/representative. But collective gym leaders must make major legislative decisions. If someone tries to take a town by force, gym leaders will be there to stop the takeover like towards the end of Black/White. Or they can just draft one exceptional trainer which is what they usually do to the main character.
    Going by show logic, populations are small enough that one Sheriff (i.e Officer Jenny) is usually enough to keep crime under control. But there are police officer trainers as mentioned.

    • @SwiftStr33t
      @SwiftStr33t  3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      That would make sense but gym leaders seem to never meet, except like the battle resort in Sinnoh. These wackos seem too unorganized to take care of anything other than Pokémon. Thanks for the comment, Black and White was the most proactive.

  • @dabloons4days
    @dabloons4days 2 ปีที่แล้ว +77

    not including the anime’s was a good call cause i remember there was a red centered anime and in it brock picked his two weak pokémon on purpose since red didn’t have any badges. this tells me that brock has stronger pokémon. how strong is unknown but damn what if he is or could be just as strong as the eight level gym leaders

    • @gameinsane4718
      @gameinsane4718 2 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      That’s… actually REALLY close to how the manga handle gym leaders and their “power level” especially the first run.
      Basically like half the leaders (and even e4 I think) are actually members of Team Rocket and there’s a huge fight between them all. There’s also manga lore about how to qualify to be a gym leader you have to fight a trainer of the League’s choosing and win WITHOUT letting a single one of your Pokémon be defeated.
      If we can ever choose which leaders to fight in what order in the games, I guarantee there will be some “don’t wait to challenge this gym leader” videos online afterwards

    • @armaggedon390
      @armaggedon390 2 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      We see that in the games too, in Black 2/White 2, Cheren is a gym leader, having been the rival in the previous game. And he explicitly mentions how he would have won if he used his real team.

    • @gameinsane4718
      @gameinsane4718 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Ooh, Gen5 battle subway had even the first gym leaders from gens 1-5 having borderline competitive 1v1 teams if we’re talking Gen5

    • @rjd1922
      @rjd1922 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@gameinsane4718 Don't you mean the Pokémon World Tournament?

  • @dabloons4days
    @dabloons4days 2 ปีที่แล้ว +32

    the war does explain why there’s only regions and not countries anymore. it also makes sense a little why the gym leaders don’t just go and try and take over anything. cause there’s tons of regions all over the world that would probably stomp them if they tried to do some

  • @Gwinnmusic
    @Gwinnmusic 3 ปีที่แล้ว +45

    Fantastic video as usual, it really made myself creating some headcanons/theorizing things too. Good job, no wonder you're my second favorite TH-camr.

    • @SwiftStr33t
      @SwiftStr33t  3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Always out here competing for second best

  • @JJLiew
    @JJLiew 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I met Masuda and asked him about this. He told me to shut up.

    • @SwiftStr33t
      @SwiftStr33t  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Shut up and stop playing on your phones

  • @epicdubs69
    @epicdubs69 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    This was beautiful. Especially the last segments message and the allegory for magikarp.

  • @doubledio3061
    @doubledio3061 2 ปีที่แล้ว +63

    Interesting take but there are a few holes, especially after sword and shield . For starters while some gym leaders are political figures that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a political position . Many of the gym leaders simply have another occupation besides battling like elesa being a model or roxanne being an actual school child . Which is another point , some of the gym leaders are children who still listen to authority figures above them like faulconner who actually uses his dad’s Pokémon . It can be inferred Pokémon battling is more like a sport that can be used for law enforcement . It’s mentioned that there are minor gym circuits entirely seperate from the ones the player goes through in game and there’s a chairman and sponsors in charge of the league that outrank the champion . But the chairman we saw in swsh got arrested , so even he answers to someone . While it’s odd at first glance the evil teams seem to be working in broad day light I don’t think it’s too bad when you look into it more . The evil teams from gen 3-5 were trying to seem altruistic with trying to help the environment, basically being peta , or whatever the heck galactic was doing to convince their grunts they were doing a good thing . Team rocket and team flare probably worked under hiding . People weren’t supposed to know there was a base in the casino since there was a hidden switch and if Giovanni’s identity was known I think people would’ve talked about it . Team flare didn’t really have much of a presence in kalos like the other evil teams , they didn’t really have a “ THIS IS THE BASE ON TEAM FLARE “ building so it’d make sense no one tried to stop or even knew what they were doing . And team skull is treated more like misfits and pests even if they took over a town , no one really even respects them let alone fear them . It’s also hard to say the champions don’t help either , even if we ignore the reasons I stated earlier why the evil teams aren’t stopped sooner the champions can fly around . For all we know while we’re busy doing contests or whatever they’re handling incidents we haven’t even heard of since they’ve settled already . We SEE Leon going around stopping dynamax Pokémon while we’re busy doing gym challenges . Reason we know that is because Leon is actually friends with us and let us know . While they’re not canon there are anime shorts you can look up on TH-cam right now where it’s basically the events of the game but the protag isn’t there and Cynthia is the one to try and stop Cyrus . Cynthia could easily curbstomp Cyrus and the legendary if the levels are anything to go off of but probably left it for us as a test or something since a lot of the protags say usually say something about seeing potential in us which they were completely right .

    • @silverhetch3383
      @silverhetch3383 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Roxanne is a teacher though

    • @batmanbatman3840
      @batmanbatman3840 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@silverhetch3383 thats not a political figure bro

    • @batmanbatman3840
      @batmanbatman3840 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      i had written like 4 paragraphs out of holes this guy made in almost every sentence but i clicked off the video accidentally :( not sure if i will write again, i have been here for a long, long time

    • @silverhetch3383
      @silverhetch3383 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@batmanbatman3840 yes

    • @silverhetch3383
      @silverhetch3383 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@batmanbatman3840 but i was just correcting :)

  • @hyun-shik7327
    @hyun-shik7327 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I think each pokemon region is like a shogunate. Are they the official government? No, but they're in power because they have the strongest military. The champion is like the shogun, and the gym leaders are like daimyo. While each region may have its own "official" government, that being the one that hires the official police, they're so outclassed by the pokemon themselves that it really doesn't matter. For this same reason, human civilization exists by the pokemon's permission because it's mutually beneficial. If an army of haxorus and metagross didn't want towns or the Pokemon League to exist, there wouldn't be much the humans could do about it.

  • @baddragonite
    @baddragonite 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Funny thing is now that SV is out it's introduced the idea of "PokeBall IDs" and technology that can disable certain people's pokeballs within an area which honestly feels like it should have huge lore implications lol

  • @QueenSunstar
    @QueenSunstar 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I see the Pokémon world set up in which the Champion is responsible for running their regions. They handle all legislative duties. The Champion handles disputes between gym leaders and can strip a gym leader of their title as well as ban trainers from the league of their respective region.
    A Champion can declare a Champions Trust on another region should that regions Champion become incapacitated in any way. If the Trust is not ended by the regions Champion after 3 years, the Champion who declared the trust becomes Champion of that region. This is how Lance ended up Champion of both Johto and Kanto.
    The Elite Four are each responsible for two gym leaders and 1/4 of their home regions. They answer directly to the Champion.
    Gym Leaders are responsible for their part of the region. These are called provinces. The gym leader is responsible for all legislative duties as well as protecting their province.
    Gym Leaders have access to highly trained powerful Pokémon called City Pokémon. These Pokémon are far larger than their wild counterpart as well as being far more powerful. They are able to fight on their own. Each gym has its own specialty city Pokémon.
    Luminous City had Magnezones. Hammerlocke has Haxoruses. Turfield has Dubwool, and so forth.
    Leon is the only other Champion overseeing two regions, the other being Alola. Alola is the site of Galar’s minor league.
    Alola wanted a league of its own and since it is technically a part of Galar, it wasn’t allowed. Leon decided to shift the minor league down to Alola, giving them a league of their own.
    Being the Champion isn’t just about being the strongest trainer. It’s a lot of work. Leon and Lance are the only Champions to actually lift a finger and deal with the threat to their regions.
    (Lance is known as the Holy Nightmare by me. He was nearly impossible to defeat. That damn hyper beam haunts me still!)
    (Yes, Steven joins you in fighting a couple of magma/aqua grunts, but he sends you in alone to take down team magma/aqua.)
    Professor Oak was the first Champion of Kanto. Kanto was the last region to make the shift from a monarchy to the current system.
    To keep power in check, there is the Council of Champions in which every regional Champion is a member.
    Champions can be removed from power by a vote from their fellow Champions. Algids current Champion actually had to kill his predecessor after they became a threat to the region.
    Gym Leaders can be challenged for their position. There are steps for that process. First you give notice of your intent to the gym leader you want to challenge. The gym leader then sends notice to their member of the Elite 4. That member then consults the Champion and a date and time is set up. This battle is overseen by the Champion and refereed by the member of the Elite 4. The winner becomes the new Gym Leader or stays as Gym Leader. This was done in Saffron City as seen by the two gyms.
    Galar is a bit different. The gym leaders hold more power, and the Champion is served directly by his gym leaders.

  • @voidhex6468
    @voidhex6468 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    This needs more views, wonder if more people have actually asked themselves those questions regarding the many flaws of our world while comparing it with the utopia shown in the Pokemon series, guess while the humans of the Pokemon world had Pokemon to help them be their better selves, the humans in this world mostly if not only got the opposite of that, hence why so many problems and conflicts, and ongoing several issues that have been present since ancient times unable to be eradicated because of the many ridiculous yet numerous things that have kept them from ever being resolved once and for all.

  • @gege1178
    @gege1178 2 ปีที่แล้ว +60

    I just kind assumed there was a government,but it just wasn’t talked about.
    Great video, with some really great points.

    • @SwiftStr33t
      @SwiftStr33t  2 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      If it was one game I wouldn't care, but with so much world building and this subject is barely touched upon is criminal.

  • @APDS-Akin
    @APDS-Akin 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The 'Twilight wings' miniseries was one of my favorites because of the good vibes it gave in regards to representing elements like 12:57-13:01, not even being all that 'battle focused' until the sickly child sees Leon competing in the last episode
    You put many a Breadtuber on the verge of tears ;_; ^_^ at 13:07+ and remind me of how I missed now the defunct TH-camr 'Zeria'

  • @rajatava3500
    @rajatava3500 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    The dark side of the power structure of the pokemon world used to be more visible in previous generations...

  • @taiman2152
    @taiman2152 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    My head cannon has been that Gym Leaders aren’t the leader of the town but the defender, their strong trainers who protect people from powerful Pokemon while also helping to train new trainers so they can be ready for the dangers of the world, the building is literally called a Gym I doubt they are of anything political

    • @SwiftStr33t
      @SwiftStr33t  2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thanks for the comment, but you kinda just describe something political.

  • @8265
    @8265 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I think that there is. a World Government who fund the International Police Force,….However this try’s to intervene. Hence, the power of the Gym Leaders who are supposed to act as leaders in their regions

  • @vyktorehon5995
    @vyktorehon5995 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Living there would be economic hell for any non prominent Pokémon trainer

  • @daxfer2945
    @daxfer2945 2 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    This has been a very fun video to watch. I really liked how you talked how the general government sense of the game world is generally broken feeling. Would definitely love to see a version though based on the Adventures manga, hopefully near-ish in the future.

    • @SwiftStr33t
      @SwiftStr33t  2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Anything the normal GF writers stay away from would be good enough for me.

  • @clownsingularity
    @clownsingularity 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    honestly the best way to look at the pokemon world is to just make shit up and act like its canon

  • @christopherperez1252
    @christopherperez1252 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    An interesting video, and a good voice. Got my sub

  • @mayas4625
    @mayas4625 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    A holy yield from the youtube algorithm

  • @unusuariomas7163
    @unusuariomas7163 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Theres definitely some world government stuff going on (all officers wearing the same or very similar uniforms, in the anime everyone is officer jenny; and then interpol, the agency Looker is a part of).

  • @12801270able
    @12801270able 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    What's the game at 13:12 called?

  • @BlinciLIVE
    @BlinciLIVE 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Great video with great points :D, would love to see the potential reasoning behind how it's all been structured since the war dated 1000 years prior. From what makes up a region, to Interpol, healthcare, what makes it a utopia and so forth. The potential for worldbuilding is immeasurable.

  • @houselemuellan8756
    @houselemuellan8756 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Imagine if there is a Pokémon Legends Zygarde, and the plot is that Zygarde sent you back in time because there's some other guy trying to stop AZ from killing everyone.
    If your new rival succeeds, the modern Pokémon world's Utopia would be completely erased, and Pokémon would return to being tools of war and nothing more.

    • @batmanbatman3840
      @batmanbatman3840 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      i think its a bit of a stretch to think that pokemon in the past where nothing more than tools of war

    • @houselemuellan8756
      @houselemuellan8756 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@batmanbatman3840 hyperbole

  • @Deoxys_Used_Mimic
    @Deoxys_Used_Mimic 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Sword and Shield is what happens when the adults finally decide to step up.
    …at least until the end, anyway…
    Then, the fans complain about *themselves* not being involved enough.

  • @chocov1233
    @chocov1233 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    18:01 - Kyogre has entered the chat

  • @gonertopetinho2095
    @gonertopetinho2095 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    On the Manga some of the kanto gym leaders and elite four were actually a part of Team Rocket 11:40

  • @stuntmankelp3198
    @stuntmankelp3198 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I believe that any attempt to rationalize the world of Pokémon and social institutions within Pokémon need to abandon the rules the games lay out. Making the acquisition and training of Pokémon much more difficult, even more so or at least to a similar level to the anime.
    In addition I would say general life would be much better moulded around Pokémon than they are in games. An example would be that buildings are much better reinforced against (most) attacks as if the buildings were prepared for storms, earthquakes, etc. Also I believe the police would have to be much more present and competent than they are in the games.
    Just things here and there that could help us translate and rationalize the world of Pokémon to something we believe could function.

  • @hoennfanboy
    @hoennfanboy 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Im playing platinum right now while listening to this & at Stark Mountain in the post game when one of the last team galactic leaders attempts to take the magma stone & awaken heatran, Looker is disguised as a boulder, then a croagunk, takes the stone & he arrests the old man along with police officers. So he sometimes does stuff? Just thought it was cool i just saw this part in the post game as i watch this vid lol

  • @moosewhisker8072
    @moosewhisker8072 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Yo this video is a certified banger! Kudos!

  • @APDS-Akin
    @APDS-Akin 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Is it kind of sad how 10:37-12:37 in this video reminds me (ironically(?)) of 9:07~10:44+ in this one ? th-cam.com/video/y_TV4GuXFoA/w-d-xo.html
    __
    11:42-11:47 reminds me of how Sabrina, Surge, Koga and (I think) Blaine *were* aligned with Giovanni in the manga

  • @TheSdzfr
    @TheSdzfr 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I Wish to live in Poke-World.
    No seriously, Of course I do have an issue on how Type effectiveness works, Grass needs a buff, Steel needs a nerf, etc. but I wish to live in that world.

  • @jonaw.2153
    @jonaw.2153 หลายเดือนก่อน

    You know what I've always wondered? Why do criminal teams like Team Rocket still follow League rules (6 Pokémon per person max and only attack the enemy until their Pokémon 'faints' and not until they die) when they clearly don't care? Yes, it's a game mechanic, but there should be _some_ way to show how criminally power-hungry they are, right?

  • @charleston1848
    @charleston1848 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    great video!

  • @Kyumifun
    @Kyumifun 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I think if the Pokémon world or Kalos and Galar region were portrayed as more corrupted than they are then the villains would acctually have good reasons to nuke the already perfect world or to awaken a monstrosity

  • @APDS-Akin
    @APDS-Akin 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Cries in super self-pressured, hyper-competive, overachiever labour investment producer/education system expectations 2:37-2:42

  • @coffeeking9565
    @coffeeking9565 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Your comment about pokemon being akin to sentient takes was spot on.
    My theory is that's why the world of pokemon glorifies the "trainer experience". If everyone has a army of sentient tanks, then order must be maintained by the threat of mutual destruction.
    What prevents crime or towns from being taken over may be the sheer amount and variety of trainers that exist.

  • @APDS-Akin
    @APDS-Akin 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    In the 'Pokemon Yellow' manga equivalent the Elite four were doing the 'destroy the human world to liberate Pokemon' shtick by ~15 yrs before Gen.V w/'N' got PETA's attention

  • @Next2Null
    @Next2Null 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Whether we use a Zangoose or Slaking to save the world...That's the fight I've wanted to have my whole life, metaphorically...Mostly at least, hopefully I'm not the only one who's lived (or wants to at least lol) a whole separate life in the Pokemon world.

  • @irishcream9004
    @irishcream9004 ปีที่แล้ว

    pokemon is the gun in the room

  • @kikiash2425
    @kikiash2425 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I've operated on the idea that the Pokemon games are through the perspective of the player character, so a child. We don't see much political figures, police or military, etc, because you're playing the role of a kid whose main interest is becoming the league champion and little else. As for food, its worth noting the only examples of purchasable food in the games are mostly for Pokemon consumption, save for some restaurants in gens 6 and 7 and SM even has supermarkets. You just can't buy regular food because well, what in-game purpose would it serve? Gym leaders aren't political figures so much as they are community leaders.
    I've also operated under the idea as well that levels aren't so much a fact of the world as they are a representation of in-universe strength, as seen by characters battleable between different games with Pokemon whose levels might be lowered later on chronologically. So maybe there is a military with Pokemon comparable to in-game champions or higher, idk

  • @josejuancotacastillo8400
    @josejuancotacastillo8400 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    So Ash is a war lord maybe.

  • @samlindberg
    @samlindberg 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I really like 👍

  • @xL0stKIlah
    @xL0stKIlah 14 วันที่ผ่านมา

    The conclusion of pokemon wars is to now make sport of battle. Your ending is just cope lol. Most people cant even get basic pokemon.

  • @misterlinux9290
    @misterlinux9290 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    No manga rep, nice try

    • @SwiftStr33t
      @SwiftStr33t  2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Not touching that with a ten foot pole

    • @misterlinux9290
      @misterlinux9290 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@SwiftStr33t I see, a non-believer...
      Jk.
      It has a lot of Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D energy, that's all.

  • @batmanbatman3840
    @batmanbatman3840 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    i had to write this before but i erased it on accident but in summary (and this will sound very rude ause im trying to be as short as possible)
    -importantly, do not call pokemon "gods", I simply don't think that is good
    -most of your video assumes there is little police or military which i think is not necessarily true
    --(i really dont want to write this again but) you say evil teams would be unstoppable or something like that idk yet you say everyone can be a hero
    -idk man that last one is the last one i remember cause i think it was thelst one i wrote, but in general you are assuming all these things and i think you overestimate gym leaders idk i dont want to watch more ive been here for like an hour or so (it certainly feels thatway idk havent kept count and my finger hurts) you just present a lot of info as contradictory or nonsensical when it shouldnt be necessarily
    i was goingtowrite stuff but i ggave up so nevermind. i already wrote like 4 paragraphs and it got erased. idk. figure it out, maybesomeone will point out why itdoes make sense and you are wrong or might be wrong or have too little imagination or maybe ill revisit this in a few months or idk.

  • @batmanbatman3840
    @batmanbatman3840 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

    • @batmanbatman3840
      @batmanbatman3840 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      i wrote like 4 paragraphs of counterpoints to almost every sentence you said up to minute 13 or so but i clicked to another video on accident! on top of that, i took off the spacebar and the n and b keys on the keyboard cause i dropped water on my laptop and i didnt know what to do so i just took them off to clean and dry and I started to lose hope on it working again so I was just starting to take it apart nonsensically (a mistake)- i still have the button that activates when you pressit but i lost the plastic thing it has worringly and i have to press really really hard for a keyboard so my index finger is extremely exhausted to a worrying degree (if it was my leg i wouldnt feel comfortable standing up) soooooooooo i dont want to write anymore

    • @batmanbatman3840
      @batmanbatman3840 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      dude i have been here for half an hour at least, probably more

  • @APDS-Akin
    @APDS-Akin 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Videos like these are why we would have to consistently accept live action Pokemon adaptations to be kid-fare which it's original audience who experienced Gen.I (myself included) would find mediocre or underwhelming; who are we to want to intensify something which grew out of a placid childhood freedom which grew from one man's innocuous childhood past-time of rural exploration and animal observation ? (i.e. Satoshi Tajiri).
    'Give or take' the whole 'superpowered animal bloodsport' crux we've had since day one..
    __
    "^_^ -u- However I smell 'Watership down give or take the creature sentience from Monster rancher or Digimon' level xenofiction potential in adapting the 'Mystery dungeon' games

  • @D3athL1vin
    @D3athL1vin 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

    realizing that pokemon is a socialist utopia filled with superweapons

    • @SwiftStr33t
      @SwiftStr33t  6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Life could be a dream

  • @thevipez8740
    @thevipez8740 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    What do you think about Joe biden?

    • @SwiftStr33t
      @SwiftStr33t  2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I'm not really Biden his act

    • @thevipez8740
      @thevipez8740 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@SwiftStr33t yeah lol

  • @TheSdzfr
    @TheSdzfr 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I Wish to live in Poke-World.
    No seriously, Of course I do have an issue on how Type effectiveness works, Grass needs a buff, Steel needs a nerf, etc. but I wish to live in that world.

  • @TheSdzfr
    @TheSdzfr 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I Wish to live in Poke-World.
    No seriously, Of course I do have an issue on how Type effectiveness works, Grass needs a buff, Steel needs a nerf, etc. but I wish to live in that world.