Pokemon is, definitively, a game for everyone. That it's such a delightful and well-made franchise explains why it appeals to audiences of all ages. But the franchise is still built on some rules and limitations that ensure it appeals to children first. One such example cropped up in a Game Informer interview with Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield's director, Shigeru Ohmori, and producer, Junichi Masuda. The subject in question being related to whether Pokemon are eaten in the Pokemon universe.

To be fair, the specific question that was asked doesn't directly ask about whether Pokemon are eaten. But the question isn't necessarily subtle about it. Ohmori and Masuda are asked about Pokemon Sword and Sheild's recently announced Curry food-cooking feature. There's a specific type of curry called Sausage Curry and the question is about what kind of sausage is in the meat: "Is the meat in the curry -- is it artificial? Fake meat?" The question indirectly asking whether the sausage is made from Pokemon.

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Pokemon Sword and Shield director Ohmori artfully dodges the question, though it's clear that he understands what the question is hinting at. He says, "I don't know what it," with a huge smirk on his face. A follow-up question asks whether anything could be called sausage in the "Pokemon World" and Ohmori says yes, that it's "Pokemon World Sausage" and that's that. For all intents and purposes, sausages may as well grow on trees or bushes like berries.

The question of whether humans in the Pokemon universe eat Pokemon for meat endures. It's not necessarily a serious question. It's just a curiosity about the world of Pokemon that fans of all ages ponder when they're bored and have nothing better to do. After all, the humans in Pokemon appear to eat meat, but most if not all animals in the game franchise are Pokemon. It's an ethical question about the treatment of Pokemon, as well as a reflection of how we look at animals in the real world.

pokemon sword shield interview masuda

Perhaps the best takeaway from Ohmori's response is just how dedicated and passionate he, and the Pokemon team in general, is when it comes to preserving the innocence of Pokemon. Ohmori and Masuda say in the same interview that Pokemon is for everyone and you can tell that they very much believe in preserving that. And answering questions even subtly implying something awful like whether Pokemon get eaten is well outside what they want for the franchise. For the sake of Pokemon's current fans and those to come in the future, let "Pokemon World Sausages" grow on trees.

Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield release November 15 exclusively on Nintendo Switch.

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Source: Game Informer (via Nibel)