Real-world animals

[Argy]

I thought it would be interesting to start a thread listing the canon references to non-Pokémon animals.

This picture is what got me thinking about it, and the presence of the dog seems almost jarring.

 

[Roses Ablaze]

Where'd you get that picture? o.o

I'd like to think that there are non-pokemon animals in the pokemon world for two reasons. A) the thought of people eating animals that have been shown to be at least somewhat more intelligent than animals on our planet disturbs me. B) People are animals, but they aren't pokemon, and they exist. I find it hard to believe that humans would be some weird class all on their own that separates them, biologically, from every other living thing on Earth. (The only thing that separates us from animals is really our intelligence and dexterity)

 

[Argy]

Someone on Pokemopolis posted it, and it looks like it's from a magazine.

 

[Snake Bandage]

A) the thought of people eating animals that have been shown to be at least somewhat more intelligent than animals on our planet disturbs me.

I recall several references to eating Pokemon in Pokedex entries, actually (I can't remember which ones, exactly). And the main characters in the anime had no qualms about attempting to eat Magikarp (who is inedible, fortunately). I guess it's something people would rather avoid, though, especially with rare Pokemon (as mentioned in one of Farfetch'd's Pokedex entries).

In any case, there are some real-world animals in the anime, at least. Like this dog, and regular fish in the Cerulean Gym and the ocean, as well as worms (and probably several other small bird-food-y creatures. Hey, even in the game, Pidgey eats small bugs). I haven't seen a real-world animal in the anime since the original series, though.

 

[Every Breaking Wave]

How many Miltank and Tauros burgers has Ash eaten, or Zigzagoon hotdogs for Max? (Although thinking about it, pure beef hotdogs could come from Miltank or Tauros too)

 

[Habunake]

Well, the Dex says "Bird Pokemon", "Mouse Pokemon", "Worm Pokemon", "Fish Pokemon", so they must exist...perhaps they've been near eradicated by their Pokemonic breathren in the recent years?

 

[Nekusagi]

I always thought that when the Dexes refer to the animal they're inspired by, it's a particular breed. Like with Cat Pokemon, there's Meowth, Persian, Delcatty, Skitty, and those two new ones. They all have "Cat" in their type somewhere (Scratch Cat, Classy Cat, etc), so maybe Persian, Meowth, etc are like breeds or something. Same goes for Arcanine, Houndoom, Snubbull (say what you will about "fairies", those things are bloody BULLDOGS) and dogs. Not that the Snubbull and Houndour lines have "dog" in their type, but still...

And the magazine pic looks like one of those big Newtype spreads, IMO.

 

[Zeta]

Well, the Dex says "Bird Pokemon", "Mouse Pokemon", "Worm Pokemon", "Fish Pokemon", so they must exist...perhaps they've been near eradicated by their Pokemonic breathren in the recent years?

Or those names are family/genus names used to trace ancestry. Like Pikachu, Cyndaquil, and Sandshrew could all have a common ancestor with "mouse" in their species identifiers.

 

[Lil Brother]

To be on the subject of that dog, I think it's from the Japanese ani-manga. More pages are on the main page of Pokésho right now...

What I'm more conerned about?

XDXDXD.

 

[Every Breaking Wave]

Or those names are family/genus names used to trace ancestry. Like Pikachu, Cyndaquil, and Sandshrew could all have a common ancestor with "mouse" in their species identifiers.

Ah, like all dinosaurs are either Saurischia or Ornithischia (with minor classes below such as Therapoda, Ceratopia, Stegosauria, etc.)?

 

[Nekusagi]

To be on the subject of that dog, I think it's from the Japanese ani-manga. More pages are on the main page of Pokésho right now...

What I'm more conerned about?

XDXDXD.

That illustration's kinda weird. I don't recall ever seeing a "real" animal in the anime... in one of the Orange Islands episodes, Misty made a reference to "bottom feeders, like catfish or something", but that's the only other "real" animal reference I recall personally. Oh, and the mongoose in the Ghost of Maiden's Peak (and Gastly really did turn into a mongoose).

And about that picture: Wow, those Japanese sure are forward about the Pidgey and the Beedril! ^///^

Misty's expression is hilarious.

 

[Another Fan]

Remember there being a reference to a lion tamer in the anime.

Eh, no animals in my interpretation. Dex entries I have always taken with a grain of salt, especially the labeling of pokemon. Despite many being clever, things like the Cat Ferret pokemon and the constant reference to animals, I just simply choose to overlook.

Why do I prefer no animals? Because if I include animals, the world will be changed to such a degree from our own, that it will be impossible for me to coordinate and imagine a coherent world. Much easier for me to say that pokemon are the animals of the pokemon world.

As for the pokemon/animal/human thing. I say that pokemon is just a generic term created by battlers or whatever, not really one based on science I would think. For me a human in the pokemon world would be a normal type with a swollen head.

 

[Snake Bandage]

Why do I prefer no animals? Because if I include animals, the world will be changed to such a degree from our own, that it will be impossible for me to coordinate and imagine a coherent world. Much easier for me to say that pokemon are the animals of the pokemon world.

So basically you're saying that... you don't have enough imagination, and therefore you aren't willing to work out how Pokemon and regular animals could fit in one world?

Nice.

So, what are Pidgey supposed to eat, then, if there aren't at least some regular animals? Caterpie? They're supposed to be around the same size, and Caterpie is about half a kilo heavier. Pidgey would have to be freakin' fierce to hack a Caterpie to pieces.

 

[Argy]

For me a human in the pokemon world would be a normal type with a swollen head.

We've seen in the anime that humans can't go into Pokéballs, and it has been explained that Pokémon suddenly appeared at a certain point in human history. Humans (and animals) and Pokémon have no relation, just like plants and Grass-type Pokémon have no relation. At least, we presume so. I think the best evidence points to an otherworldly origin.

 

[Zeta]

So basically you're saying that... you don't have enough imagination, and therefore you aren't willing to work out how Pokemon and regular animals could fit in one world?

Well, I for one could not work out how Pokemon and larger regular animals could fit in one world. Smaller creatures that use up lesser resources like birds, rodents, insects, and invertebrates? Yes. Any other type of animal would have to be domesticated, because the Pokemon would easily outdo them in just about every way. In a fight for resources between a herd of flame-breathing Tauros and Miltank and the average wild cattle, for instance, the Tauros and the Miltank will win every time.

 

[Bird of Ice]

Why do I prefer no animals? Because if I include animals, the world will be changed to such a degree from our own, that it will be impossible for me to coordinate and imagine a coherent world. Much easier for me to say that pokemon are the animals of the pokemon world.

But the Pokemon world IS a part of our world. Arcanine's Pokedex mentions how the Pokemon is considered a legend in China, Lt. Surge is known as the Lightning American...I'm sure others could bring up more examples... The point is, if places like China and America are mentioned, the Pokemon world must be a part of our world; and if there are animals in China and America, I don't see why there wouldn't be any in Kanto Johto and all of the other regions of the Pokemon world.

 

[Zeta]

But the Pokemon world IS a part of our world. Arcanine's Pokedex mentions how the Pokemon is considered a legend in China, Lt. Surge is known as the Lightning American...I'm sure others could bring up more examples... The point is, if places like China and America are mentioned, the Pokemon world must be a part of our world; and if there are animals in China and America, I don't see why there wouldn't be any in Kanto Johto and all of the other regions of the Pokemon world.

Having the same geography does not necessarily mean having the same ecosystems and lifeforms.

Anyways, as I said before - regular animals could not compete with Pokemon counterparts. On one hand, you have regular realistic animals, and on the other hand - you have versions of those animals which are adapted to the same types of conditions, can with stand a significant amount of damage, reproduce outside their own species, reproduce quicker, feed on a larger variety of food, have near-human intelligence, AND have super powers. It'd be an impossible challenge for regular animals.

It'd be like expecting Earth cavemen to win against Cavemen from Krypton.

Oh, and for the origins deal? I'm a supporter of the "Pokemon are of unearthly origins" theory. I was a fence sitter till Deoxys, but Deoxys pretty much proves Pokemon aren't from earth.

 

[Bird of Ice]

I just thought of something else. Regular plants (trees, grasses, flowers, ect) can be seen in abundance in th Pokemon world. A rose bush has no problem competing with moblie plant Pokemon like gloom. If members of the plant kingdom are present, I would suspect that members of the animal kingdom (as well as bacteria, fungi and protista) can be found in the Pokemon world as well.

 

[FabuVinny]

They have real mushrooms in Fiore.[/random]

 

[Argy]

I don't think Grass-type Pokemon should be considered plantlike at all besides aesthetically and in regards to their abilities. For one, their cellular structure would have to be entirely different, and unlike plants, they have nervous systems and other structures found in animals.

It is possible that Pokemon drove wild animals to extinction or near-extinction. However, the fact that people eat meat that presumably isn't from Pokemon makes it almost certain domesticated animals and/or livestock still exist. We just never see them because they aren't important to the story.

As for the timeline of the Pokemon world, I think it is supposed to be a near-distant future version of our own world (with liberties taken, obviously).