You're both kind of right. Yes, the tone of the battles is like dogfighting and they're probably mostly physical for a lot of Pokemon, and yes, elemental powers are an element (and presumably, a key part of strategy as the biggest variable), but not in crazy "Exploding a volcano in your face" proportions.

It's a bit tricky trying to realistify (definitely a word) the world of Pokemon, but as I said to the Imperfectionist, it's more about getting the tone right rather than obeying strict rules we're laying out now. If you don't pull anything out of your ass, you'll do fine. :)