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Depends on the interpretation of the pokemon world. The syntax of the Canalave myths state that the practice did once exist, but it is unclear if it still exists. The attitude towards pokemon by most people, I think, would lead to the conclusion that they have no reason to make a difference. However, the dichotomy of the world also suggests that some people continue to believe pokemon should be separate, and are furthermore just tools. Both of these views seem to exist, but loving your pokemon seems to be the favored view. The other view is still allowed to exist. It would seem that the standard is that one is allowed to treat pokemon in whatever way they wish. It's like how you can treat people like garbage in real life, but there are no legal ramifications for it. By this same token, I find no reason for the idea of loving a pokemon to be something that isn't accepted by somebody, or even for it to be something that isn't widely accepted.
