The distinction I'm looking to make is the subtlety. Palworld is objectively, dramatically more in-your-face about it. The first ad on Steam is one "Pal" eating another.

Nintendo will accept they need to have an answer to "So are all Pokemon vegan?", but will neither advertise it, nor push people to question what all the people and pokemon eat.

They have very different markets, and strive to project different images.