>>56940738I definitely think there was a conscious decision to have Pokémon and normal animals exist along side each other in early canon. You used to see them all the time in early media, and it was more than just "they didn't have a Pokémon equivalent for it back then" like some people will tell you. Why else would they be showing normal cats and dogs when Meowth and Growlithe exist. Why normal fish when Magikarp and Goldeen exist, or normal birds when Pidgey and Spearow exist.
