"I guess I remember a few things, but it's been almost 30 years since then and I wasn't at it for long." How to throw a punch, how to get out of the way of a punch coming at you, things like that. Though funnily enough he's a very peaceful man out of the ring; it's rare that he gets mad enough to want to hit someone, and even rarer that he actually does it. (Ending fights is another matter altogether, but he doesn't start them.)
He nods eagerly at the mention of Pokemon.
"Oh, yes! I'd say it's our most popular sport. It's more of a intellectual sport than a physical one, at least on the trainer's end; battles aren't nearly as physically taxing to them as the Pokemon. A trainer uses instinct and strategy to help their Pokemon win battles, not muscles. But don't worry, serious injuries are rare and the Pokemon enjoy it -- they let us know if they don't!"
So while it might be physically similar to dog-fighting, on a moral and ethical level it's completely different, since the Pokemon can consent to it and the whole thing was their idea in the first place.
no subject
He nods eagerly at the mention of Pokemon.
"Oh, yes! I'd say it's our most popular sport. It's more of a intellectual sport than a physical one, at least on the trainer's end; battles aren't nearly as physically taxing to them as the Pokemon. A trainer uses instinct and strategy to help their Pokemon win battles, not muscles. But don't worry, serious injuries are rare and the Pokemon enjoy it -- they let us know if they don't!"
So while it might be physically similar to dog-fighting, on a moral and ethical level it's completely different, since the Pokemon can consent to it and the whole thing was their idea in the first place.