From the introduction: After the invention of universal Portamon translators, humans recognized the sentience of these species. Portaballs and Portamon enslavement is outlawed, and now their name has been changed to Libermon. For those who still want to be Libermon trainers, the only way to convince them to join your team is to build trust based on mutual respect, informed consent, and shared interests. If you want to catch em all, you’re going to have to go on a lot of dates.