Wasn't there a manga that tried to make Pokemon SRS BZNESS, with violence and swearing and all those "mature" themes? Sorry, I can't take that seriously. The initial twenty or so episodes of the anime are about as gritty and realistic as the franchise can be without seeming completely contrived.
Plus, hae you SEEN the newer Pokemon? Like, Ruby/Sapphire and Diamond/Pearl? Those things are ridiculous.
Granted, the vast majority of Pokemon are quite silly. But at least they had some grounding in reality: Pidgey, Tauros, Goldeen, Kangaskhan, to name a few.