Lore reasons for Pokemon Battling rather than War? Also name my Not Pokemon race

[MatrixStone93]

I need to figure out two things: why a world with Pokemon and Humanoid Races (humans are dead) would pit Pokemon against each other instead of warring with each other using Pokemon.

And what I can call my monster race that's used like Pokemon in the Pokemon series. They're all elementals in the shape of different creatures, people, or objects depending on their species.

[LoneStarNorth]

Do you mean that this world doesn't have war at all, or just that nobody fights with swords or guns or what have you?

If there's no war at all, it could be that in this world everyone has all the things they need (food, water, shelter, electricity, internet access, whatever) and therefore they have no reason to try to take things from each other. Perhaps the pokemon are the reason for the world to be this way.

If they fight but only with pokemon, maybe the creatures are naturally compelled to fight in a way the humanoids aren't, and this evolves into a form of entertainment over time. Or perhaps the creatures have some kind of magic that protects their summoner from all harm, and they in turn can only be harmed by other creatures, thus making other forms of weapons and warfare obsolete.

As for what to call them, maybe do what pokemon did and mash two words together. Elemental animals = elemals/animentals, or something along those lines.

[Melayl]

Perhaps the reason the humans are all dead is because they had used them for war and basically destroyed themselves. Now the humanoid races have learned from this mistake, and have the creatures battle each other instead. Like the concept of a champion from each side fighting and deciding the conflict that way.

[mrzomby]

steal the story from league of legends where war tore the world apart, and a league of summ...pokeman battlers formed teams of 6 champions to battle and decide wars. Have 1 evil faction still do small scale false flag attacks against other nations to try to stir war up again after everyone else disarmed, while they kept their war machines.

[Tvtyrant]

I need to figure out two things: why a world with Pokemon and Humanoid Races (humans are dead) would pit Pokemon against each other instead of warring with each other using Pokemon.

And what I can call my monster race that's used like Pokemon in the Pokemon series. They're all elementals in the shape of different creatures, people, or objects depending on their species.

There was a huge war in the past and the winners implemented a new world order where warfare is carried out by proxy Pokemon fights? Maybe have Kaijumon from the war that are held back to enforce the terms of the world treaty.

One of the Kaiju could be capable of leveling a city but require tremendous breeding time and resources to make, and being sterile can't be reproduced again (think golden chocobo from FF7.) So only very wealthy nations can afford them, and they already benefit from having the best trainers so it works out for them.

[igordragonian]

Well, if the new race isn't human, give them diffrent set of instincts then humans.

Like. There is a short story of Issac Asimov, where an alien race has instincts for working together and physical disgust of direct violence.
Their shtick, is secretly give other races nucelar weaponry knowledge and let them destory themselves, and then those aliens come to help, and make them join their pacifist federation and prosper.
They do it, before other races devolp space travel, so they can't make bloody galactic empires.

So.
Maybe this race is icapable of acting in direct violence, but they still want to show dominance.

[aimlessPolymath]

One option would be that battling helps the creatures to grow, or be otherwise important for their development- it could also just be seen as the equivalent of walking the dog, and just generally not a big deal.

[Quizatzhaderac]

Depending on technology, weapons might not actually be much more effective than the Pokemon. Especially if Pokemon battles have been the norm for a while maybe nobody knows martial arts or weapon-crafting?

If fights are always one-on-one (or otherwise have elements of fairness) maybe the pokemon themselves enforce that by being unwilling to hurt someone/something past the point of unconsciousness.

[Kantaki]

I mean, the easiest solution would be some kind of traditional combat by champion as conflict resolution.
So instead of wasting men and mon in bloody battles you have the best of your community fight it out in a ritualized duel instead.
For whatever reason it sticks* and those duels become the normal way to solve things, both on a small and on a large scale.

*Maybe a really good trainer and his team are good enough that sending out grunts just isn't worth it.

[Epimetheus]

I'm not sure I can add a better reason than others have already mentioned, but if you need a name still, you could borrow from the Codex Alera and call your not-Pokemon "Furies", or from Steel Crow Saga, and call them "Shades".