Animals

The world pokemon is set in is not our world. It's not America or Japan with pokemon running around in it, it's a world unto itself. Both here on the MUSH and elsewhere, people wonder if there are real animals as well as pokemon in the show's setting. The easy answer would seem to be 'no', but is that the correct one? It is the opinion of the staff of this MUSH that that is not the right answer. There are a number of reasons for this.

1. We are shown the world that pokemon takes place in in a couple dozen twenty minute glimpses. This is *not* a lot of information. Just because we do not see something does not mean it doesn't happen. The example often used is Ash. We never see Ash using the restroom, so does this mean there are no bathrooms in pokeland? Or does it mean that Ash does not need to go for the whole time the show follows him? No. Just because we do not see it happening does not mean anything.
2. Dolphins and tuna. Why is it that humans get into such an uproar about the chance of there being dolphin in their tuna? Is it that dolphins are evil, icky, dirty animals and people don't want to chance eating? Nope. It's because dolphins are smarter and can communicate with each other (and possibly us). In America it's immoral to eat cats and dogs. Why? Not because they cannot be eaten, for in Asia it's fine and dandy to eat boiled dog. It's because they form such close bonds to us. Humans do not like to eat their friends.
   • 'But on the cartoon they mentioned eating Farfetch'd!' Yes. And sometimes stories make the news about humans eating other humans. These cases are the exceptions, not the rules.
3. Life cycles. The TV shows is our theme, as everyone knows. However, like the Ash/bathroom example, the cartoon does not show us enough to enable us to mirror it exactly. Some things it does not touch upon hardly at all. Death is one of those things. Pokemon (and humans) can and do die. No matter if the cartoon glosses over this fact or not, it's impossible to say it does not happen. So, what happens to the dead bodies after something dies? If Weedle and Caterpie are some of the only bugs out there, are they the ones breaking down the bodies? Could you picture a Caterpie munching on a dead grandma? Unlikely. There must be "real" (non-pokemon) insects that take care of the carrion.
4. Plants and plant pokemon. Oddishes, Bellsprouts, and other plant types are not the only plants in the Pokemon world. We see grass and trees and flowers and any number of other things. If plant pokemon are not the only plants, then why would animal types be the only animals?

So, canon on this MUSH will be that there are "real life" animals as well as pokemon. However, real animals are very, very much in the background. Why would someone want a dog when they could have a Growlithe? How well would a herd of wild horses fare when a herd of Ponyta were competing for the same grazing area? Real animals are very uncommon, and will not be found in the wild without a wizard's okay. Mostly they're around for food, for being tested on, and other such uses. Characters on this MUSH may not pose or emit owning or interacting with real animals, other than in the most background of ways. (If Fred and Bob are ICly passing through a farm, they can pose there being chickens in a coop. They cannot pose spotting horses and going for a ride.)

If you have any questions on any of this information, please contact a staffer.