Humans eating Pokémon

[Sheep]

Bit of a dark thread this time around, but it's a reality of the series and interesting to discuss!

It's no secret that people eat Pokémon. There have been multiple instances confirming this, the most notable ones being Pokédex entries. A few, but not all, of the ones mentioning this are below.

Crabrawler:

If it loses its pincers, they'll quickly regrow. The pincers are popular ingredients in paella since their shells produce a tasty soup stock.

Appletun:

Its body is covered in sweet nectar, and the skin on its back is especially yummy. Children used to have it as a snack.

Clauncher:

Clauncher's claws can fall off during battle, but they'll regenerate. The meat inside the claws is popular as a delicacy in Galar.

For certain Pokémon (like those with pincers) it seems like the staff write in that their pincers fall off so we assume people only eat fallen-off pincers to make this whole thing less dark, but other entries (like Appletun's above) are more clear about the darker side - consuming Pokémon that may still have been alive prior.

If you were in the series, would you be able to eat Pokémon? If you could, would you limit it only to situations like Crabrawler and Clauncher, where the body parts should be detached and no harm brought to the Pokémon? Or would you just eat them regardless of how they were prepared? Perhaps you wouldn't be able to at all?

 

[Sweet Serenity]

If I existed in the Pokémon world, I would only be able to eat Pokémon in a completely limited capacity. My limitations regarding eating Pokémon would be based upon eating certain edible parts of them without harming the Pokémon in question. For example, I believe that Appletun has body parts that can be safely peeled off and eaten while alive without harming it. In that case, I wouldn't mind having parts of Appletun as a snack. In addition, Slowpoke Tail is said to be extremely delicious and nutritious, which can be eaten without harming the Slowpoke. As a result, I would definitely try that as well. However, I would never support the butchering of Pokémon for food. In the Pokémon world, Pokémon are often presented as potential companions for humans with a higher level of sentience and intelligence than normal animals. Moreover, some Pokémon aren't even remotely close to animals at all and are more humanlike. This makes Pokémon more similar to having pets, which people don't eat, or in some cases, even similar to human friends, which people definitely don't eat. Therefore, I could never support Pokémon being butchered and used for food.

 

[Devalue]

Is already a vegetarian, so no. Might consume some Pokemon products, like Moomoo Milk. Would likely turn down things like claws and tails. Represents the Pokemon too much.

Imagines culture to be a powerful force, however. May be normal somewhere to go to the Pokemon pen, breed a Fidough, and bake one daily as bread. After that, pick a few small balls from Cherubi. Probably bred them to pump out plump, juicy fruit. (Competes with berries, though, so who knows? Could come down to environment and/or Pokemon rights laws. Identifies some regions as more ideal for certain fruits than others.)

Actually enjoys bread, unlike meat. Likely arrives at the same conclusion, regardless. Would feel bad about ending some Fidough's life.

Idle thought: What happens if you cook a Fidough egg? Is the inside an eggy bread?

 

[Mimicking Mimikyu]

No way! I think I'd go vegetarian or vegan in the Pokémon universe. They have some level of sapience, are able to understand human language, and are treated (for the most part) as pets or companions.

 

[moon]

I'd be vegetarian but definitely not vegan; I'd drink moomoo milk if the Miltank conditions seemed fair, and I'd use Mareep wool and eat Tropius fruit and other things that pokémon would willingly give. Pokémon are portrayed more like friends than food, and it's a really weird clash that the games (and anime) put so much emphasis on making friends with every kind of pokémon but then says that kids eat Appletun as a snack. I don't vibe with it.

 

[Corveone]

I would eat/drink stuff that comes from a Pokémon, but not eat the Pokémon itself.

 

[Explorer of Time]

I absolutely would not eat Pokemon meat, but I'd be fine with eating Pokemon eggs, Moomoo Milk, or other Pokemon food products that don't hurt the Pokemon they're from. So I guess I'd be a vegetarian, but not a vegan.

 

[Nah]

I don't think I'd be bothered by eating Pokemon if I found myself in the Pokemon world tbh

 

[ReKoil]

I'd have no problems with eating anything that comes off naturally without harming the Pokemon, or any products from the Pokemon like Moomoo Milk.

 

[Retek]

(I mean, Magikarp looks yummy...)

Jokes apart, I'd be a vegetarian too I think!

 

[TepigLover101]

I mean if we really think about it, we all eat animals all the time (unless you're vegitarian or vegan) cows, pigs, squirrels, sheep, etc, meaning it is not far fetch'd (get it) in the slightest that if we were all born into the pokemon world that most wouldn't bat a eye at eating pokemon, though I could definitly see it being a very debated topic and would lead to the creation of pokemon peta, eitherway I think I would eat pokemon as long as if I didn't think too hard about it

 

[budube]

Me right after catching a Lechonk for the first time

 

[Zeostar]

Considering it seems humans and pokemon share that world with an almost supernatural bond, I would have to take my food options somewhere else.

 

[Sandslash Fan]

I would go on an all Zubat diet.

 

[Fact Checking Gardevoir]

If I existed in the Pokémon world, I would only be able to eat Pokémon in a completely limited capacity. My limitations regarding eating Pokémon would be based upon eating certain edible parts of them without harming the Pokémon in question. For example, I believe that Appletun has body parts that can be safely peeled off and eaten while alive without harming it. In that case, I wouldn't mind having parts of Appletun as a snack. In addition, Slowpoke Tail is said to be extremely delicious and nutritious, which can be eaten without harming the Slowpoke. As a result, I would definitely try that as well. However, I would never support the butchering of Pokémon for food. In the Pokémon world, Pokémon are often presented as potential companions for humans with a higher level of sentience and intelligence than normal animals. Moreover, some Pokémon aren't even remotely close to animals at all and are more humanlike. This makes Pokémon more similar to having pets, which people don't eat, or in some cases, even similar to human friends, which people definitely don't eat. Therefore, I could never support Pokémon being butchered and used for food.

I personally think the same way. Only eating if there is no harm nor killing.

This also makes me think of my personal headcanon, no matter what the pokédex says...
I like to think Arceus did not create the Pokémon for them to eat one another.

They would eat berries, plants, ...
Their means of attack, defense ? Their moves, their horns, claws, shells, ... ? They would use it in battles, for dominance, protecting close ones, claiming or defending territories, ... and it would never go further than KO.

 

[Arcaneum]

I would make it my mission to do a Living Dex apart from it's trying at least every Pokémon once.

 

[Duck]

It depends. I mostly avoid unprocessed meat due to some sensory issues anyways, so I don't think it would change a lot of things for me, but I do think it's interesting to mention that the food situation in Pokemon is kinda weird.

In SwSh there were only three obviously meat ingredients - Sausage, pre-cooked burger and Smoke-poke tails (the latter of which is said in the Pokedex to be able to be farmable in a sustainable and cruelty-free way)

ScarVio

Spoiler:

on the other hand, has a lot more of those, with bacon, chorizo, fried fillet, hamburger, klawf stick, prosciutto and smoked fillet).

This is basically eating all the Lechonk / Oinkologne (which, if they are anything like their real life counterparts, are into cannibalism so, idk, I wouldn't feel bad about eating them), Klawf legs and mystery meat for the hamburger.

But while we do see ranches and berry farms, we don't really see people planting or harvesting any other kind of crop. I guess we do see farms off in the distance in Galar but it's a very small amount to feed an entire region in a sustainable way.

If you think Café Remix is canon, there's also the argument that Pokemon are sapient, capable of working (presumably under as fair a contract as you can make within the confines of capitalism), and A-OK with the consumption of hamburgers. There are no Miltank or Tauros in the staff, take that as you will.