When I was a kid, I used to play with sticks. Every day, me and my brothers would go into the woods and stickfight. We'd find the most sturdy branches in the woods, take them, sharpen them, and swordfight with them. One day my brother speared my foot with one of those sharp sticks, and it sliced open my toe, sending me to the ER.

As a kid, I had the instincts to fight. I think it's a sad leftover from our primitive days. It doesn't mean fighting should ever be encouraged. Because while it might seem harmless for a while, I don't think traumatic brain injury or impalement is worth the risk to your little buddy.

Does that mean you shouldn't spar with fighting pokemon like Hitmonchan? No, go right ahead. Sparring is different than literal battles where you fight until the opponent is knocked out. Which everybody treats like it's no big deal when pokemon get incapacitated by a blow?? Like the fuck? Thats obviously not healthy for the pokemon, so why to violent sickos like to pretend it's ok to encourage violent behavior in your mons?

Finally, I'd just like to end things off with some food for thought. Just a little something I thought of.
Charmander is a sweet little lizard, and over time, your hard battles transform him into a violent ferocious mean dragon. Think of that what you will. It's obvious what the message is, violence will turn you, into a monster.