PokeBrawler overveaw

The Pokebrawlers, are group of humans who, by some strange genetic fluke, were bestowed with strength, endurance, and resistances similar to that of Pokemon. Using these talents, they train constantly by finding Pokemon of all sizes and fighting them hand-to-hand. Since they are self-sufficient, they do not receive Starter Pokemon (not that they would want one anyway, as they are forbidden to capture Pokemon) Each "Brawler" is born within a specific elemental set (Fire, Normal, etc.), however, they do not have access to their respective move-pools. The upside is, through specialized training and therapy, can gain another set's resistances in addition to increased strength and endurance. There is also a secondary stage to their ability, one they aptly call Blood Savage mode. In this stage, a Brawler's metabolic and physiological processes are accelerated a thousandfold, rendering all damage done unto them null and causing said Brawler to frenzy with the strength of one hundred thousand Brawlers. There is a cost to this ability; the more it is used, the faster they age and the more mentally unstable they become, until they either die of accelerated aging or their mind shuts down permanently. Like the set training, Blood Savage mode can be trained to help lessen the degenerative effects and augment the beneficial ones.
By the time a Brawler turns thirteen, his rite of passage into manhood involves finding a pack of Pokemon, each member of which needs to be of considerable size and strength (the area Frank inhabits is rich with Steelix and Nidoking) and challenging the alpha leader to a fight to the death or until one gives up. The Brawler is allowed no weapons except the ones they were born with (their body and mind), however, they are allowed to pick up objects from their environment and use them. They are also given a special serum prior to the fight which prevents them from entering Blood Savage mode. Should the Brawler succeed, he has his defeated adversary break off a piece of his armor or skin for him/her to take back as a trophy to his/her victory. Should the Brawler fail, he is killed and the alpha leader has a subordinate return the body to its place of origin. As one can tell, it's a very violent culture, but this rite of passage is necessary in order to weed out any and all "undesirables".

as a poke brawler you are raise and set on a certen code of honer. also the Pokebrawler creed has many founding and upstanding principles, but there are four which are considered the most important.

1) Steal not from the innocent, but from the wicked

2) Help those in need, never exploit them for personal gain

3) Attack not, unless the motive is defensive or honorable in nature

4) Every creature is sacred, battle but never entrap or capture

In a sense they do use Pokemon, but merely to help further the understanding of the Pokemon world and gain insight into the behaviors of certain types of Pokemon.
These "tenants of the Creed" guide the Brawlers to be a sort of "police" group. They constantly get into skirmishes with the infamous Team Rocket and its affiliate groups, sometimes going on infiltration missions to liberate stolen Pokemon and return them to their owner. They also capture high-ranking Team Rocket officials to turn over to the local authorities to collect bounties. Very rarely do they execute these people, but if there is a clear and present danger, they will kill them.