Pokemon was released in 1996 with a measly 151 creatures in the Pokedex. There wasn’t a “National Pokedex” as we know it today, and the lack of diversity in the infant Pokemon universe led to several real-world animals appearing in the anime. But as Gen 2 rolled around, these fish and birds disappeared.
Where Did The Real Animals Go in the Pokemon World?
This question was presented by Reddit user Rychu_SR, who posted a screenshot from the seventh episode of the Pokemon Original Series, The Water Flowers of Cerulean City. They asked, “I wonder if the Pokemon world was supposed to be a mix of Pokemon and animals? If not, we need these fish in the new game!”
While walking through the Cerulean, Ash peers into one of the fish tanks to see several “real” fish swim by. When he speaks with the Sensational Sisters, they swim in the background. And here we are, almost 30 years later, with none of the fish from the tank ever becoming Pokemon.
In fact, this isn’t the only instance of real animals being spotted in the Pokemon world. Several episodes feature fish. We’ve seen realistic deer, a mongoose, lobsters, and more throughout the Original series. But these instances become fewer and far less egregious as generations pass. In fact, we’ve not seen a real animal referenced in the anime since the 40th episode of Sun & Moon.
We don’t have a concrete reason as to why all of the real animals disappeared from the Pokemon world, but several fans have swarmed the Reddit post with their theories. The most popular being that The Pokemon Company originally planned for Pokemon and animals to be separate and coexist, but as time went on and the Pokedex grew, the franchise shifted to a reality where only Pokemon exist.
This is backed by references in the Gen 1 titles that mention real-world locations. The Americas, Guayana, India. Even Kanto is a real region in Japan. However, these references to real-world places and animals disappeared over time, and Kanto has become synonymous with Pokemon.
So, did the fish in Cerulean Gym go extinct? Is it still possible for real animals to exist in the Pokemon world? Or did Pokerus infect all of the real animals and evolve them into Magikarp and Pidgey?