What If Pokémon Didn't Exist?

The topic posed by the question in the title of this post may not be a simple or succinct one to discuss within the confines of a post on this blog, but I can at least try. So by now, Pokémon has an established place in the world of video games and media in general. It started off with the former and established much of the latter. However, what becomes a wonder is what would be the state of the world today if all of that is non-existent. That leads to the question as present in the post title.

It would be wise to start off with the video game aspect, as that is where and how Pokémon began. Without the games, it would be certain that there wouldn't be a phenomenon of explosive interest such as that which I had observed early on when I started liking Pokémon. That would equally apply for the same phenomenon with Pokémon Go that came later in its lifetime; development of augmented reality might also have taken a different turn as a result.  What would be the traditional competitive venues would also be non-existent or perhaps even be replaced with something else. Thus, without the games existing, a number of associated phenomenon wouldn't be able to exist either.

If the games don't exist, then its associated media wouldn't be able to exist either. Anime with over a thousand episodes would still exist, but it would be for something else in place of Pokémon. Pokémon Centers, which are go-to places for all things Pokémon, would be something else, which could perhaps be Nintendo stores instead, and they wouldn't be as big. Likewise, the creativity of the people that would be with Pokémon wouldn't be stifled, but they instead would be shifted to other things that may not be as big and/or influential as Pokémon. The running thread through all of these is that there would be a shift to other things that may not be comparable to Pokémon.

Then there would be the personal effects, which would involve yours truly. This blog would obviously never exist if Pokémon didn't exist, or at the very least it would be focused on something else. While I could stand to establish relations and do the same things with many of my existing friends today, including cosplay, it would likely be for other things, and that has the potential to give off different impressions. Most importantly, I would likely have developed myself in ways that wouldn't be without Pokémon, and that has been explained (or not) at length, in fact with a song. These effects are profound and can be said to affect every fiber of my being.

The place that Pokémon has in games and media is amazing. It is unique and popular in many ways imaginable and unimaginable, even for particular fans like me. It is thus very special in those ways, and it would be terribly hard to explain all of those possible ways, though the above overview could be considered to suffice. Therefore, perhaps to put it succinctly and simply, the world of today would not be the world of today without Pokémon, and that should hardly be a wonder. 

One year ago: New Innovation, New Problems

Two years ago: Dreaming Big, Making an Impact

Three years ago: Friend Faves