Ruling Mr. Mime's Bench Barrier / Placing damage counters

[PsychedelicBreakfast]

In this thread I asked why Mr. Mime's ability doesn't work when the wording from an attack reads "place [x amount of] damage counters on one of your opponent's benched Pokemon." Here is the conversation:

Can you explain how Eerie Singing Voice can bypass Mr. Mime's power? Is it just how the attack is worded or what?

sorry if was not clear, it literally says "Put 2 damage counters each of your opponent's Pokémon."
so it would not be "damage"

mr mime would stop if the attack says something like: "This attack does 20 damage to each of your opponent's Pokémon"

( the second attack saysut damage counters on both Active Pokémon until each Active Pokémon's remaining HP is 10.)

I'm not disputing this, but if this is correct, I would like to know how placing damage counters isn't considered damage. Here is Mr. Mime's ability. Gourgeist's Eerie Singing Voice wording is listed in the above conversation. ESV is an attack, and it can do damage to a benched Pokemon, but how is Mr. Mime's ability nullified just because it says "place damage counters"? It's still damage.

 

[Brave Vesperia]

Basically, damage and damage counters are different, yet simultaneously the same. So yes, Eerie Singing Voice would bypass Bench Barrier. The mechanic of taking damage is different from damage counters being placed on something.

 

[DNA]

The way I once heard it is that doing damage is like being punched, and placing damage counters is like God.

Humor aside, the origin of the 'damage' is different. For example, a punch to the face is going to feel a whole lot different than a cloud of smoke, right? The cloud of smoke would harm you but wouldn't be direct physical damage. A similar principle applies to Pokemon here.

Now I must go hang myself for making stupid analogies about a trading card game.