Pokémon and the "Metaverse"

Along with the matter of identity, the movie that I saw two days ago also in part dealt with the matter of the "metaverse", which is a hot thing right now thanks to a certain social media having ideals in that direction. It may be considered that many things in life are also heading in that direction, so the social media wants to capitalize on that. What about Pokémon? It is meant to be an offshoot of the real world, so it's supposed to be (more) realistic in its presentations. However, it might just have a place in this increasingly attractive realm.

In the movie, though, the "metaverse" still appears rather abstractly virtual than realistic. It is more reminiscent of something that had begotten the "incident" rather than a place where Pokémon exist in all their realistic glory - and for many of those deeply involved with Pokémon, the "incident" will always remain a regrettable part. Therefore, a Pokémon "metaverse" involving something as depicted in the movie might not be preferable, and something that replicates the realism of Pokémon would be more preferable.

Instead of a virtual space with lots of abstract geometry and sharp lines and angles, a "metaverse" with lots of organic and natural objects and materials would seemingly work out better and fit in with the characteristically realistic nature of the species. Within the space of any "metaverse", people (as whoever they might be) would still need to interact with each other, and the realism that Pokémon projects might be more conducive to people, who might not necessarily want to shed parts of the real world in the "metaverse".

In that regard, Pokémon Go - though it is an augmented reality game instead - could be considered to be a (prototype) "metaverse" for Pokémon and people deeply involved with it. Meanwhile, Pokémon Playhouse might become the introductory "metaverse" for younger audiences before they delve into what might be a more complete realization of a Pokémon "metaverse" at a later point in time. By then, something greater than these two games might just manifest itself as the "metaverse" for Pokémon.

At any rate, the world might be heading in the direction where everything moves away from the realism of the real world and be conducted in the world of the "metaverse". Even so, some underpinnings to the real world might still be necessary in whatever that "metaverse" might turn out to be. For fans of and those who are very much involved with Pokémon, that much might still be true for what its "metaverse" could be - a reality that is removed from reality yet still feels like reality.

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