Pokémon's Grossest Detail Will Chew Up Your Childhood And Spit It Out

For a kids' franchise, "Pokémon" has courted plenty of controversy. A preacher claimed Pikachu and all his buddies were downright satanic, while a "Pokémon" episode was banned for causing seizures. That doesn't even get into much of the obscure lore behind the TV series and video games, including the fact that humans totally eat Pokémon.

One utterly scrumptious pocket monster is Farfetch'd, at least according to Episode 49 of the anime — "So Near, Yet So Farfetch'd." In the episode, the Pokédex entry for Farfetch'd reads, "A wild duck Pokémon. Farfetch'd makes a delicious meal, especially when cooked with leek. Because of this Farfetch'd is nearly extinct." That's right: not only are people eating the bird, but they're doing so to the point where it's nearly wiped off the face of the planet. The bird Pokémon even carries a leek around with it, already saving any intrepid chefs a trip to the grocery store. Hopefully, Ash never ate one — it would have made it awkward when he eventually caught a Galarian Farfetch'd much later in the anime.

That's not all. On Episode 16 — "Pokémon Shipwreck" — the team's adrift without food, so Ash and Brock daydream about all the different ways to eat Magikarp. It's not something they're shy about or try to hide, so it's obvious eating Pokémon is generally accepted in this world. They may talk about the power of friendship between Pokémon, but when the chips are down, a Pokémon Center could turn into a full-blown buffet.

One would assume that someone like Ash, who has such a strong bond with Pokémon, would stay a vegetarian rather than eat a potential friend. Clearly, the rest of the world doesn't feel the same, but it's odd that people would eat these creatures when there are seemingly real animals about. There are various instances in the anime where there are just regular fish around, and Jessie's Ekans gets spooked by a normal mongoose. Plus, the fact that a Pokémon like Farfetch'd is referred to as a "wild duck" could mean that there are just ducks around. 

As a result, it seems strange that humans would resort to eating Pokémon when they can have chicken, beef, and, yes, duck like we do in the real world. Of course, this poses an even more nebulous moral quandary. What separates the intelligence of a Pokémon from a plain animal? Pokémon can obviously understand a variety of commands in order to partake in battles, but regular pigs are also more intelligent than people who eat them regularly give them credit for. If a pig could shoot ice beams out of its mouth, that might be another story. 

The equivalent of PETA in the "Pokémon" universe certainly has its work cut out for it, between people eating Pokémon and using them for battles. Fortunately, Ash has never been seen eating one of his pals, but if he did, it would instantly become one of the most shocking moments in the "Pokémon" anime.