PETA is no stranger to the video game world, and today it has a brand new flash game for concerned animal lovers to check out. Capitalizing on yesterday’s release of Pokémon Black and White 2 to spread its message, the group has released Pokémon Black and Blue, in which users take on the role of abused Pokémon as they fight to free themselves from their trainers. The game features Pikachu, Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott, but Pokéfans may not immediately recognize them.
That’s because they’re a lot more battered and bruised than we’re used to seeing them. A bandaged and bloodied Pikachu, for instance, sports a chain around his neck and has a chunk missing from one of his ears, while Tepig is missing his ears altogether. Snivy has a syringe jutting out of his head and a tag on his tail, and Oshawott has been clearly skinned alive. In other words, it’s probably not the best idea to let your kids around Pokémon Black and Blue if the series is one of their favorite things.
Interestingly, it looks like PETA has done its research, as Pikachu can be seen on the game’s site holding a sign that says “I support Team Plasma.” Team Plasma is the Team Rocket of the monochrome generation, only instead of attempting to steal powerful Pokémon like Team Rocket did, Team Plasma is fighting to free all Pokémon from their trainers. “If PETA existed in Unova, our motto would be: Pokémon are not ours to use or abuse,” PETA writes on the game’s website. “They exist for their own reasons. We believe that this is the message that should be sent to children.”
The morality of battling Pokémon is up for debate, but with so many children falling victim to the Pokémon craze, we’re tempted to argue that showing images of bloody and severely injured Pokémon isn’t the best way to spread PETA’s message of animal rights to kids. In any case, we suggest that you play through the short game, if only to see PETA’s take on the Pokémon franchise. We also get to see Pikachu and the other Pokémon speaking perfect English, which is definitely an interesting (if not somewhat horrifying) spin on things.
PETA releases “Pokémon Black and Blue” to raise awareness of virtual monster abuse is written by SlashGear.
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