[Pokémon] Intelligence Levels

[astralprogenitor]

Unlike depictions of pokémon in the anime, the denizens of this world come in a wide range of intelligence levels, ranging from just recognizable as alive to far surpassing human abilities. This thread is here to help you understand what these ranges mean for you and your character's companions.

Commonalities​

Even with the range of intellect, all pokémon seem to have certain things in common. These have been documented repeatedly by researchers, though in many instances no one's positive why these traits are shared just yet.

Emotional Understanding:
Pokémon are able to understand how other creatures feel naturally. While they don't necessarily understand the complex motivations behind those feelings - your magikarp isn't going to understand that you're sad because you failed your semester exam on quantum physics - they can all sense emotive states and intentions to a degree. Pokémon with higher insight are more likely affected by the emotions, often being so empathic as to feel the emotions themselves when very strong. This also means that pokémon instinctively sense things like aggression, fear, or affection from other individuals.

Lack of Civilization:
Pokémon do not naturally create societies or civilization. Even highly intelligent pokémon rarely band together for more than what could be considered a loose herd or near-tribe of several individuals living individually in proximity for protection. When asked about it, even intelligent pokémon seem to have difficulty explaining. It seems that the thought simply doesn't occur to them; while they can understand once introduced to the idea, it isn't something that they think of on their own.

Lack of Innovation:
Similar to the lack of civilization, innovation and invention is something that doesn't come naturally to wild pokémon or pokémon that live alongside humans but have never been attached to a pokéball. They have never been shown to invent or use tools, create art, or devise architecture beyond basic nests or simple shelter. Human and pokémon scholars alike have come to an agreement that something in the digitization process of binding with a pokéball changes certain pathways in the mind, as intelligent ball-bound pokémon have shown a near-equal capacity for innovation to humans.

The Human Compulsion:
The most controversial aspect of pokémon intelligence, particularly in recent years, is what is known as the "human compulsion." More accurately, it's the compulsion to listen to humans, particularly those they respect. There is debate over whether it's a result of technology or something else, though those on the side of it being something deeper point out that non ball-bound pokémon still experience the compulsion. Intelligent pokémon have described the experience as an intense and urgent need to obey, creating great mental and even physical discomfort if they do not; they emphasize that it is not simply a want to do as they're asked - it is an uncontrollable, physiological need. It is worth noting that, apparently the less respect - or fear - that a pokémon has for a human, the less apparent this effect is. This has been cited as the reason why strong pokémon are able to ignore weak trainers and why traded pokémon may rebel.

 

[astralprogenitor]

Bestial​

Bestial rank pokémon are, for all intents and purposes, "dumb" animals. They operate on whatever instinctive needs they may have: when they are hungry, they find food; when they are thirsty, they find water; and when they are tired, they sleep. They are often difficult or impossible to train for anything but battle commands, and their capacity for learning is next to nothing. That isn't to say they make terrible companions, of course; they appreciate toys and treats as much as any critter might, and many of them appreciate a good, warm snuggle just as much. Just don't expect any grand thoughts running through their mind - or any thoughts more complex than .

 

[astralprogenitor]

Basic​

Basic rank pokémon are considered, generally, average pokémon. A great many species are classified under this rank, and it's likely what most inexperienced trainers are primarily familiar with. These pokémon operate at a slightly higher level than bestial ones, but they lack the cognition necessary to learn language skills. They are capable of learning complex tasks and several commands beyond just battle. They would best be compared to working dogs or smart cats in the real world; they are able to communicate basic needs or wants, clearly have emotions and feelings towards things, even if not at the same complexity level as humans, and they're able to think about their actions in the short term. While they have long term memories, they don't plan for the future nor really consider the consequences of their actions unless they're doing something they've been trained on repeatedly.

 

[astralprogenitor]

Advanced​

Advanced rank pokémon are quite intelligent, though not as much as an average adult human. They would best be compared to toddlers or smart birds, such as parrots or corvids, in the real world. Depending on their physiology, they may be capable of learning to speak or gesture a few words and even create very simple sentences, such as "want food" or "no work, play now." They typically display good problem solving skills and have a greater understanding of cause and effect, though still to a limited degree, being able to comprehend things like "if I push over this glass, my trainer will probably be angry," but less so something like "this ancient tree is clearly the only source of food for the local ecosystem, so burning it down will probably devastate this entire area and kill tens if not hundreds of pokémon." These pokémon aren't going to be chattering about philosophy with you, but they might enjoy watching cartoons and playing simple video or board games!

 

[astralprogenitor]

Humanlike​

Pokémon with humanlike intelligence are capable of reaching, you guessed it, humanlike thought. The degree of smarts varies as much as it does in humanity, of course, but at the very least they are capable of learning language and forming complex thoughts and ideas towards a wide array of subjects. Those that cannot physiologically speak often develop other methods of speaking, such as using sign language or telepathy in order to communicate. These pokémon tend to be rarer, with most of their number made up by larger, bipedal pokémon, as well as a good number of psychic and ghost types. There are exceptions, but an average human in the park is going to be much, much more surprised by your swampert speaking than your gardevoir.

Humanlike pokémon often work alongside humans, although in most areas they still require a legal trainer in order to take on official jobs or positions. This requirement is largely maintained as a simple identification system, as wild pokémon don't understand what the heck is going on over in that human 'nest,' anyway.

 

[astralprogenitor]

Superhuman​

Superhuman pokémon are those that generally outperform all but the smartest - and sometimes even those - humans. These pokémon are highly intelligent, capable of understanding concepts extremely quickly, and they can process ideas and data faster than their human counterparts. These pokémon are quite rare, with only a few known species sitting at this level. Those that work with humans generally do so as scholars or living information processors, working alongside them to provide quick calculations and probability assessment or provide situational analysis from multiple angles. Wild pokémon of this sort are exceptionally crafty and elusive, and while they still don't show innovation in the form of invention, they are usually quite difficult to track down and catch as they tend to stay two steps ahead of any would-be pursuers.

 

[astralprogenitor]

Machine​

Machine rank pokémon are those which have an inorganic thought process. These pokémon process information and stimuli more like a computer than a living being; each seems to have its own set of rules and parameters that it lives quite strictly by. At the base level, these typically involve filling simple needs - acquire energy when low or hungry, remove contaminants when dirty, find shelter when exposed to dangerous elements, and the like. While this seems similar to bestial, closer examination reveals that these patterns are filled in precise and repeating manners far more consistently than any organic creature. For instance, a porygon can be shown to value food - in its case, electricity - over shelter, as it will expose itself to unpleasant elements consistently until that need is met; once its will meets a certain threshold, it will immediately cease consumption and seek shelter it previously shunned. The method in which these actions are done is also clearly mechanical, with movements and motion quite calculated and robotic.

Trainer commands seem to be a machine-minded pokémon's top priority. Most of them cannot handle extremely complex commands as they are out of their core 'programming,' but they require little to no training to master moves and will listen to their trainer's commands without hesitation... so long as their trainer meets whatever internal requisites the pokémon has to respect them. It is uncertain if machine type pokémon actually experience emotions and bonds, although most of them do seem to respond positively to affectionate stimuli.

 

[astralprogenitor]

Artificial Intelligence​

Artificial intelligence ranked pokémon are an odd category. They begin life with the same capabilities as a machine ranked pokémon, and in the wild they seem to stay this way. However, upon becoming bound to a pokéball, the pokémon's 'programming' changes (or perhaps corrupts); it will, over time, begin to learn new behaviors, and if properly raised will begin to expand its mental capacity. Pokémon of this sort become more and more intelligent as they are kept around humans and allowed to learn, and it has been repeatedly documented that their capacity for emotions and empathy grows as well.

For the purposes of this shop, a pokémon with artificial intelligence should be played/ranked according to the total number of roleplays or expeditions completed with that pokémon:

• 0-2: Machine
• 3-5: Basic
• 6-8: Advanced
• 8-12: Humanlike
• 13+: Superhuman

 

[astralprogenitor]

Alien​

Alien ranked pokémon have only ever been documented in a few cases. Their behavior cannot be accurately boiled down to one descriptor, as the very nature of it means they are inscrutable. Pokémon with this intellect capacity are difficult or impossible to understand and seem motivated by desires that are simply nonsensical to humans. These pokémon may obey orders in the rare instances they are caught, but they are some of the hardest to keep happy and train as their wants and needs are as listed - quite alien to our own.