What do people eat in the Pokemon world?

[possum]

I was cutting into a piece of fish today and was thinking how awful it'd be if I were eating a Magikarp, but really, when you think about it, Pokemon come in all types. There's vegetable and plant type Pokemon, then of course there are fish Pokemon, and cow Pokemon, and bird Pokemon. Do people in the Pokemon world eat Pokemon? Or are there animals in their world that aren't Pokemon that they eat? If they do eat those animals, would they also eat Pokemon? What do y'all think?

I just prefer to think that everyone in the Pokemon world is vegetarian, but what do y'all think? Is there anything canonically that can answer some of my questions? I know they drink Moo Milk, but do they eat Moo Roast?

This is more a theoretical question than anything, I'm not too worried about solid answers. Just wanted to talk to other people about it! I figured I could find some interesting perspectives here : )

Edited January 1, 2016 by Damayanti

[Zumi]

I remember having seen a post about on tumblr with a few images on what the guidelines for the anime were, including depiction of food. It said that food depicted in the anime is deliberately shown as ambiguous, just to not give an indication of what they're eating. However, Bulbapedia also states that there are several species that have other pokemon as their prey, so there's definitely some kind of food chain going on as well.

It's a bit unclear actually ;w;

[dead account]

At least one of the books in the top floor Canalave City's library talk about humans eating pokemon from rivers or the ocean, and how people should pick their bones clean.

And in another book in the same place is a story of a swordsman who killed and ate many pokemon with reckless abandon. And those he didn't eat, he discarded. He eventually broke his sword after the pokémon went into hiding.

So eating pokemon is certainly a thing that humans in Pokémon did in the past, if Sinnoh mythology is to be believed(well, it was certainly right about Palkia and Dialga, so...), but it's hard to say if they still eat pokémon.

[Kurotsune]

Food.

[Vinny]

Sorry to spoil the party although it will probably give you peace of mind but

sem titulo.png

http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Animals_in_the_Pok%C3%A9mon_world#In_the_games and in other mediums if needed

I now want to see an episode where a Miltank meets a group of normal cows. Would they respect the Miltank? How do the other cows react in front of Miltank? Is Miltank the senpai of all cows?

While there is this, the game suggests that people do eat pokémon too, in fact. I don't need to mention the Magikarps in the anime, and mentions of Farfetch'd in game.

After all, it shouldn't be too hard to kill a Farfetch'd (Sorry Hukuna). Same for Magikarp.

[Ice Cream Sand Witch]

Jelly donuts that look like rice balls. They cook them on their trusty frying pans, which can also be used as drying pans.

[Cobalt996]

All I know is that they eat sandwiches and avoid eating onigiri.

Not onigiri, definitely doughnuts.

[Alchemia Chan]

Well, there was this episode with a banquet from Season 1. I can't remember the episode but the food doesn't look like Pokemon to me.

[TimTim]

I'd rather not think about it, there are instances that anime depicted or insinuated that magikarps and farfetch' have been hunted for food, slowpoketails are deemed delicacies(reason why Team Rocket was willing to go through such length to steal slowpokes in slowpoke well). On the other hands, pokemon food such as pokepuffs and pokeblocks are edible by humans.

[Rabbna]

Well acording to the pokedex basculin is tasty and farfetchd is eaten with its leak

[Vandaeron]

Honestly, I don't see too much issue with eating pokemon. They may be portrayed with remarkable sentience, but for the most part animals are capable of exhibiting the same level of intelligence/mutual understanding that pokemon are.

Just a part of life, I suppose.

[Quickslip]

#speakingoutofmybutt, but I'd think pokemon have a much higher intelligence than that of the vast majority of animals.

True, animals can grasp alot of the same concepts and take the same actions as pokemon, but a pokemon would understand those concepts significantly quicker than our animals given the same experience I think. A bear might watch someone screw and unscrew a metal container full of delicious food and take it, but I doubt it would understand what it was that was done to open it. If an Ursaring watched someone do it, it would immediately attempt to unscrew the top once it had finished cowing whoever it was it had taken it from.

That and the whole easy comprehension of language and even at times speaking it. I just think it all points to more intelligence than your average, or even above average, wolf, bear, or whathaveyou.

[Vandaeron]

Maybe, but there's also the same element of "they're crazy magic monsters that go into little balls" going on where they have to be made more interesting to appeal to people, so it's still a pretty gray area overall.

[Deleted User]

Food.

AKA Foxes.

[Ironbound]

If I can put in my bit, I'm sure that at least some parts of certain Pokemon are edible. I'm referring not just to Slowpoke tails (which are straight up served to the player in X&Y at some restaurant) but also to the plant-like pokes here, since we do know about Tropius's banana-chin and Cherubi's smaller cherry, etc. Berries are also apparently edible. There's also definitely some concept of a food chain among Pokemon themselves, as evidenced by many Pokedex entries. Perhaps the Pokemon world is a friendly all-vegan place, or maybe those fishes and random birds in the anime's background are non-pokemon food after all.

Also, happy new year, everyone!

[Masquerain]

I didnt read all the posts above yet, but there was an interview with the pokemon creator once. One of the questions asked was about the pokemon world and the food humans eat. His answer was something along the lines of.. the pokemon world is on a level of advancement that doesn't exist the same way as we know it...The food they eat is something you can imagine as genetically engineered simulation of meat and whatnot, so the real answer is probably that all the hotdogs and burgers we see in the anime are not made of pokemon meat. However, there is mention of pokemon delicacies in the anime too, mainly fish pokemon .

In the games, both pokemon and humans definitely do eat pokemon as mentioned in lore and dex entries. We just never see this directly. Hell, it is even implied humans and pokemon once had relationships and were the same beings

Edited January 1, 2016 by Masquerain

[possum]

I didn't expect this to get so many responses, but I'm glad I posted because this is some really interesting information. I was talking about it with my friend and he also mentioned Slowpoke tails. I don't think I could eat a Pokemon because even the weak ones can have purpose. And they do seem far more intelligent than "regular" animals. I prefer to think that if animals have super powers that can be harnessed and subdued in little balls, then there'd be no need to eat them. The world is so mythical/advanced for them. Especially when you have God-pokemon among you? And they're all over the place? Mewtwo wouldn't be happy about it, that's for sure!

[Masquerain]

Every pokemon has the potential to protect itself if humans wanted to eat it I think...though you have team rocket and other thieves that have methods for incapacitating pokemon, so who knows..