Pokémon, as food?!

[SirOni]

Admit it. Every single one of you has made the Kentucky Fried Combusken joke before. Or some variation of that but no need to be meticulous.

Anyway let's talk about the one topic that has crossed all of our minds: are Pokémon eaten as food? We've all seen food like berries and confectioneries in this series before but what about the meat. With extremely few signs of real life animals it's only logical to assume that meat comes from these living creatures we call Pokémon. Being analogous to animals this also means that they probably eat each other in the wild as well. There are many Pokedex entries of carnivore-like Pokémon such as Taillow and Omastar eating other Pokémon like Wurmple and Shellder respectively. With all the food products shown throughout the franchise and the documented behavior of Pokémon it's only natural to believe that it's a Pokémon-eat-Pokémon world out there. It's all part of that circle of life you hear lions talk about.

From that there are many other questions one could ask themselves about Pokémon as food like:
-which Pokémon are eaten by humans and by other Pokémon?
-are there farms like in real life for produce Pokémon so that we don't have to eat our friends?
-which Pokémon are probably delicious?
-are inanimate object based Pokémon edible as well?
-are Pokémon like Koffing, Grimer, and Trubbish edible?!
-is eating potentially intelligent life considered an issue in the Pokémon world since Pokémon have shown that capacity?
-how do you know the difference between Pokémon that are not sentient or intelligent o-or, ah geez...
-would you eat a Pokémon?!

No need to answer all of these questions. Post however you want. What do you guys think about Pokémon as food?

Topic stolen from this video.

 

[Esserise]

I mean, I can't say that the thought has ever bothered me too much, but I admit that I am biased as a real-life meat-eater. I commend anybody who abstains from eating meat, but I also have no ethical qualms with the practice itself. I am, however, disgusted by the treatment of the animals that we use for food, and I like to think that the Pokémon world would have that whole issue sorted out by now. Society in the Pokémon world seems very conscious of the environment, and not only would it make sense for them to be actively aware of the treatment of food Pokémon just because of how it affects the Pokémon themselves, but also because of the effect that meat production can have on the environment.

So perhaps in the Pokémon world, meat/Pokémon-based food just isn't as much of a culinary centerpiece as it is in our world. More of an occasional thing for holidays or celebrations, perhaps.

Although I have to be honest, that with how far advanced the technology of the Pokémon world is, I am surprised that they don't seem to have figured out a way of creating synthetic meats. Or maybe they have, and there are separate concerns about it.

Could the Infinity Energy issue be compared to this? If indeed the Devon Corporation was actually draining the lifeforce of Pokémon in order to power their technologies, you'd think that would be a big ethical issue. Was the Devon Corporation keeping their practices secret, or is the public just complacent? I'm inclined to assume the former. But then what became of it? They never mention it in XY (for obvious reasons, sure, but let's read into it), so does that mean it's still a secret? Or has there been a reform? It's so strange because it feels completely at odds with the usual ethos of the Pokémon world's society.

which Pokémon are eaten by humans?

Farfetch'd and Basculin are basically confirmed, aren't they? Tauros and Miltank are probably eaten too. Krabby? Sawsbuck? I wonder if there are some people who like to eat the more abstract kinds, like Gardevoir or Electivire. I'm sure somebody along the line has wondered what Dragon meat tastes like, too.

are these farms like in real life for produce Pokémon so that we don't have to eat our friends?

I'd say it's a safe bet. We at least know of one Miltank farm in Johto, although it's said that they only distribute the milk.

which Pokémon are probably delicious?

Medicham. Surprising, huh?

are inanimate object based Pokémon edible as well?
-are Pokémon like Koffing, Grimer, and Trubbish edible?!

Just as with animals, I wouldn't assume that they're all edible. Ones with poison in them, or ones that are composed of rocks or steel probably are not edible. As for some of the more corporeal Ghost types, like Chandelure? No idea.

would you eat a Pokémon?!

Well since I already eat meat, it wouldn't be crazy to expect me to try eating Pokémon if I lived in that world.

 

[PyroPokeman]

Pokemon as food sounds pretty natural. I bet if GameFreak chose to, they'd have regionist remarks like how Kanto people eat Ratata, as no one eats it in Unova.

which Pokémon are eaten by humans and by other Pokémon?

I'll try to keep the list small.

Tauros/Miltank = beef

The crab Pokemon = crab

The fish Pokemon = fish

People might like the shellfish Pokemon, it may be even better in the Pokemon world with those bigger portions. I'm looking at you Clampearl and Cloyster.

Like some countries, people might eat bug Pokemon, like Caterpie and Durant.

Gogoat is basically goat.

are there farms like in real life for produce Pokémon so that we don't have to eat our friends?

Probably, there's a Miltank farm for milk, so I'd think there would be places for livestock to be produced.

which Pokémon are probably delicious?

From experience, Gogoat would be the best. Gogoat curry and rice.

are inanimate object based Pokémon edible as well?

Nope

are Pokémon like Koffing, Grimer, and Trubbish edible?!

Not a chance. Golurk, no way. Geodude, I hope not. I don't want to eat Trash either.

is eating potentially intelligent life considered an issue in the Pokémon world since Pokémon have shown that capacity?

Now isn't that an interesting question. Based on some of the Sinnoh myths, I feel there's a circle of life thing going on, which I think the Pokemon world can do better than ours because there are literally no evil other than the evil teams. So, there are not too many people being inhumane to Pokemon other than the occasional trainer. But that's looked down upon universally. It isn't as deep into the controversial stuff our industries are in because of that.

how do you know the difference between Pokémon that are not sentient or intelligent o-or, ah geez...

I don't think it's a thing. I mean unlike our world, they have super special awesome powers. So I'd like to believe for the most part things are a bit more ethical, with some smaller unethical means to eating Pokemon. Circle of life, we have to eat each other to live is very strong in the Pokemon world. Again, Sinnoh myths are kinda proof of that.

would you eat a Pokémon?!

Oh yeah.

 

[Gengarzilla]

I'd like to imagine that the starter lines are generally considered taboo to eat on account of them being intended as a Pokémon trainer's close companion. No Kentucky Fried Combusken or Pignite pork for me, thank you.

 

[PinkIceFox]

If I'm around a living thing for longer than a second I tend to form an emotional attachment. Though pokemon tend to seem a bit more 'human' to me so that's kinda... reeeeee.

Needless to say if I think about eating pokemon I tend to either feel bad or imagine someone trying to hunt a kingler for that sweet, sweet crab flesh and getting guillotined.

I'd imagine most pokemon difficult to hunt down for food. Well besides Farfetch'd. Practically throws itself at hungry trainers and screams "EAT ME WITH THIS LEEK YOU SILLY HUMAN."

 

[CrystaI]

In our Real-Life, practically speaking all the organic animals are edible. Not only the very common beef/pork/mutton/poultry/seafood that we can basically find in every supermarket, but quite many other exotic ones like swine, deer, horse, snake, frog, crocodile, ostrich, many insects, etc. There are still quite a lot and the list may goes on.

However, especially for the exotic ones, despite it is edible, will it be welcome by the majority people is complete different question. I knew it is edible, but who will have the courage to try eat locust and caterpillar? No I won't. I even stay away from eccentric candies that were made specifically irksome-looking such as cockroach jelly sweet . Why should I try the "real thing"? No matter how delicious it may be, but just a big NO THANK YOU.

Because the majority people only eats the meat that are familiar to them, hence our agriculture only tends to mass breed the common domesticated animals. None of the exotic animal were breed, you may only obtain their meat by hunting the respective animal in the wild. And in that case, whether you are able to obtain it or not is a matter of your hunting skill and luck. That's why exotic meats are difficult to obtain, and why bother to get it when you don't have neither skill nor luck? If you don't have the ability to hunt wild animal, then just go back to the supermarket and buy the ready-made common meat. That is just how life works.


I apply the exact same logic to Pokemon World. I'm sure there will be some specific kinds of pokemons that were always choose to be the target of domestication, such as Miltank. But outside of these common choice, normal people don't tend to mass breed others for consumption. Deer in Real-Life is edible, but I never heard of any kind of farm that mass breed any deer for daily consumption. Why people in Pokemon World shall then mass breed Deerling? When it comes to farming and agriculture, people always tends to choose the easier option. So other than a few selective choice where it is easy to domesticated, I don't think people will take the massive effort to hunt down large amount of difficult-to-obtain pokemons just for the sake of consumption. The exotic pokemon meat will stay as difficult-to-obtain, whether you can obtain it or not is all a matter of your hunting skill and luck.

And also, despite IMO most organic pokemons are edible, still I don't think people will just go out and eat it. Such as Real-Life locust and caterpillar . For the majority people, they are just revoltingly disgusting to even imagine such thing is put on the plate, and you further ask one to put it into the mouth? Applying the same logic, I don't think the majority people in Pokemon World will consume Caterpie or some other insect pokemons, despite they are edible.

I think the Pokemon World people will still bound to eating pokemon meats only from a few selective choice that are easy to domesticated. For any other? Either too difficult-to-obtain so there is no reason to take the effort to obtain it, or just No Thank You.

 

[Ryan Massey]

can tepig become bacon or can tochic become kfc

 

[henrymidfields]

For my potential History of Shoyo (Poké-Japan) fanfic which I am still trying to figure things out, Omnytes and Omastars would form part of the diet for ancient Shoyoese people. The hunter-gatherers would also hunt Mamoswines during the Ice Age; this, alond with the eventual planet warming would render Mamoswine near extinct, with the only surviving examples located in Sinnoh. Swinubs and Piloswine would still survive in larger numbers in Johto, however.

 

[Woyaojinkela]

can tepig become bacon or can tochic become kfc

they don't have much meat and starters are rare. They would probably evolve it then eat it (more meat XD) or they could use a different food source (inb4, skarmory for kfc, good luck eating that).

 

[Guzma]

I always like to imagine that off-screen we still have "normal" animals like Gen I implied, and they exist alongside wild Pokemon. People will turn to eating Pokemon in drastic situations (except for Farfetch'd, which was so delicious it was hunted en masse), but overall you're much more likely to find "normal" fish on the menu. I think most humans would look at eating Pokemon the same way the western world views eating dogs or cats, especially certain species bred as companions, such as starter Pokemon.

It certainly doesn't mean Pokemon don't eat other Pokemon, however - Bounsweet's an obvious example of something preyed upon by everything, judging by its dex entry. There's probably entire food chains of wild Pokemon, and trained Pokemon caught in the wild have to be taught to not eat other Pokemon the trainer encounters, wild or otherwise. Hell, chances are most of the powers Pokemon have were adaptations in an "arms race" to defend themselves and/or have the advantage over prey. They basically state that Alola Marowak adapted to defend itself from Grass-type predators.

And then, much like in real life with man-eating animals, you most likely have some of the larger and fiercer wild Pokemon going after humans. Imagine being chased by Garchomp. It's flying at mach speed and dead set on ripping you apart. Since weapons (or at least firearms) have been retconned out of existence (or possibly never existed in game canon), you don't have a chance if you don't have any Pokemon tough enough to take it on.

Holy shit, I sounded like Grant from Jurassic Park right there.