>>52749965Here's the part of the rolling stone article on detective pikachu. People are keenly aware of the conceptualization of Pokémon, the reason people here deny it and fight back against it even with all this evidence is because they allow their sentimental values override what is clear as day. And I've shown with statements from the very same people who created the series how deliberate this construction is, the 1996 Pokedex exclusive to Japan has a subsection where Pokémon are compared to cats and dogs just as Tajiri did in his 2018 biography with added context. Verily indeed in his biography Tajiri reinforces this view by imaging Pokémon battles as two dog owners allowing their dogs to fight, the angle the player takes in the games is inspired by that idea.
>>52750167Having human level intelligence and existing in the space of a domestic animal isn't mutually exclusive in fiction. The tvtropes page has plenty of examples showcasing the opposite. Fictional dogs like Snoopy, Scooby-Doo and Courage the Cowardly Dog at times display more intelligence than their owners. However that doesn't mean they cease being pets/animals because they're still presented that way.
