...their "pets" to pound the crap out of each other for 22 minutes plus commercials. That's "tough love," I guess. (Speaking of Sentience: I now recall an unintentionally funny sequence in one episode. Several pokemon held a "conversation" in their native tongues, e.g., "Pika! Pika!" "Squirtle, squirtle!" And the pokemon dialog was subtitled! :) ) -- "Hey, ho -- let's go!" -Ramones