Pokemon Anime Clip Shows How Bisharp Eats Food

Since it first showed up in 1996, Pokemon has introduced the world to hundreds of unique creatures, each with their own unique charm and abilities. One fan discovered an old clip that answers a burning question about the Sword Blade Pokemon, Bisharp, as fans have always wondered how a Pokemon with swords for arms eats.

The clip itself was shared by Redditor and Pokefan Zezin96. The looping gif is taken from a clip from Pokemon Journeys Episode 47, “Crowning the Chow Crusher!” which aired in the US on March 5th, 2021.

The clip shows a Bisharp competing in a Pokemon eating contest in Vermillion City. A plate of tasty berries is placed before the Pokemon, who proceeds to slice them apart with his blade-like arms before gathering them up and shoving the pieces into its face. Despite not having proper hands, it seems Bisharp is more than capable of holding his own against other foodie Pokemon like Snorlax.

The Pokemon fans who saw the clip immediately broke out into discussion about it. Many couldn’t help but compliment the near-perfect cut of the gif itself, while others commented they recognized the episode it was from. Many others drew comparisons between the samurai-like Pokemon slicing berries to Fruit Ninja, and wondered what a Pokemon-themed spin on the minigame might look like in a new Pokemon Stadium game.

The gif also brought up discussion of the strange circumstance surrounding food in Pokemon. Because the world is inhabited by adorable, sapient creatures, the Pokemon universe has always had to tread carefully around the consumption of meat. While some older episodes of the Pokemon anime showed reference to Pokemon being eaten–such as Magikarp–and Pokedex entries have made reference to some monsters being preyed on by each other or by humans, these references are rare and outright avoided in most recent media, as shown in the Pokemon Product Approved Manual.

Nevertheless, Pokemon fans adore its universe, even if it is sometimes unclear how the food chain actually works within it. Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet are currently in production, and will introduce a new region, new gameplay mechanics, and an open world. While it is unlikely to answer some burning questions about how someone might get a steak in the Pokemon universe, it will add the ninth generation of Pokemon to the game. Though it is not known exactly how many new monsters players will be able to collect in the game, it is entirely possible Pokemon Scarlet and Violet might bring the total count above 1000.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet release on November 18 for Switch.