Optional

The Official Pokémon YouTube channel released an 8 minute short a few hours ago. Go watch it here.

Done? Alright, let's get into it.

Scrolling through the comments shows a generally positive response to the short. People seem to be empathising with the shiny Bidoof and see this as a heartfelt little tale of finding a place to belong.

But I have to disagree. The Bidoof is cast out from a community of peers and reluctantly taken in by a trainer. What develops then is a toxic one-sided relationship. From the beginning, the Bidoof is mainly interested in a sign of affection (a high five) from the trainer. The trainer does not give the Bidoof any signs of affection, but instead abuses its naïveté and its loneliness to keep it as an HM slave.

The power imbalance and abuse are a perfect example of an abusive, toxic relationship and is not condemned in the short at all.

While this relationship continues, Bidoof's mood worsens so far that it stops eating, a common indication of depression.

Finally, we get the big turning point: Being out of options the trainer sends in the Bidoof in an arena fight. It wins the fight and finally receives its high five and all is forgotten.

The short is tying a competitive achievement to the deservingness of affection / love.

During the credits we even see a polaroid picture of the Bidoof visiting its old community with the trophy it won at the arena and the community is excited and welcoming.

I don't think that teaching children to endure abuse for a chance to prove that they are deserving of love through competitive achievement is a good idea.

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