The fictional world I’d most like to live in

I don’t know if it’s still a thing, but back when I was in high school and middle school, I remember that there were a thousand-and-one questionnaires for any fandom you could dream of! Maybe it was just a side-effect of growing up enjoying how so many fandoms flourished on the Internet, which maybe meant I was just close to where these conversations were happening. But I remember, in a very non-specific way, that one of those questions was “which fictional world would you most like to live in.” Basically, which fictional world do you wish was real life?

Think about the question for yourself for a second. It’s fun! Maybe you’re thinking you would love to live with the transporter technology available in Star Trek. Depending on how deep into the lore you get, the fictional world of Star Trek certainly seems like a solid choice. Or you wish you could live among the hobbits in Lord of the Rings. Or Star Wars! But only if you’re a Jedi. Regardless of your choice, it’s a fun experiment.

It’s funny that I don’t remember the specifics of when I first heard this question because I have always had the same answer to that question. From the time since I was barely qualified as a teenager to today.

Pokemon.

If there was one fictional world that I could live in, it has always been and will always be the world of Pokemon.

Yup.

If you know me at all, I honestly couldn’t guess if you’re surprised by that answer or if the moment you heard it, you went, “Huh. Makes sense.” I’ve loved Pokemon since I was a child. It was what I looked forward to watching when I got home from school when I was little. But it’s not the fandom I’m exceptionally vocal about. It’s more like, every so often, I remember how cute Pokemon are and then I go through a period of absolutely loving on the cute Pokemon (read: the ones I think are cute, regardless of whether or not they are).

So why Pokemon? When there are a million and one fictional worlds to choose from, all the books, movies, and more in the world, why would I choose the world of Pokemon? The answer is incredibly simple. And it all goes back to my memory of one scene in the animated show that may or may not be real since I saw it so many years ago (back while I was still in single digits of age).

I was initially introduced to Pokemon through the animated series rather than the video games, and so it was the show I was most influenced by. I grew to be very invested in the adventures of Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu and friends he encountered on his Pokemon journey that he was on despite the fact that he was just ten years old.

I have a vague memory of how there were nights when Ash and his friends would sleep in their sleeping bags beneath the stars. I remember Ash staring at the night sky hanging high above their heads and talking to a friend about their journeys so far before drifting away to sleep.

And my memory of that scene, whether or not it’s real or imagined from my very young mind, still brings me such an overwhelming sense of peace.

Pokemon is a world in which a child can safely go on a Pokemon journey, exploring the world with his friends by his side. He sleeps under the stars and meets new people. He faces challenges in battles and gyms and whether he wins or loses, he does so with his friends by his side. Not to mention the whole free healthcare available at Pokemon Centers. Not gonna lie: that’s pretty appealing.

It’s not even the fun of actual Pokemon (as in the creatures) I want (but if an Oshawott wants to be my friend, I will be OVERJOYED). It’s the idea of safely traveling on foot with my friends and finding peace in that journey and joy in the future rather than fear and anxiety in the unknown.

Obviously, it’s a simpler version of cross-country traveling than one might experience in the real world. Obviously, there are opportunities to experience the joys of traveling in the real world. But in Pokemon, the sensation of peace that was bestowed upon me to see humans and Pokemon sleeping beneath the stars,

I will spend my life searching for whatever version of that I may be able to find in this world before me.