[Ford definitely thinks of them more like kids-- or at least, the less intelligent and smaller ones. The smarter ones he just treats like he'd treat any other adult of a species not his own, which thankfully is something he has a lot of practice with. Maybe that's given him a unique perspective on this world, and why he really never had a phase of thinking of Pokémon as 'just animals'.

Jack asks about the fox and his smile turns rueful. Oh good. Now he gets to explain that awkward thing.]

Oh, it's silly, really. While collecting the badges I attempted to beat Misty with just a Ninetales. Ah-- the equivalent of trying to fight against a fire-hose with a single lit match.

[There's a little footage of that up on screen, actually, since it's still such a cult classic of recent battles.]

It was televised and people thought it was funny, so it became something of a running joke. A, ah, 'meme'.

[As Chloe would have put it. Gosh, he misses Chloe.]