Pokémon Crossroads

I really wanted to write up on a philosophical aspect of Pokémon today and not something from its media manifestations (games and the like), and I finally settled on the topic I'm about to discuss, which seemingly hasn't been discussed before and is appropriate as such. So, the topic concerns "crossroads" in Pokémon instances - or even more specifically, journeys - which can be realized in different ways depending on the circumstances. As such, there's a certain philosophical understanding imbued in the realizations.

The "fork in the road" is one of those realizations, and it's sometimes depicted in the anime, particularly back when Ash and co. was still in it. The literal sense of "crossroads", being two roads that meet each other in a junction, is obviously present here. Yet, it's also representative of the starts and ends of certain initiatives, often appearing in scenes where such initiatives are at hand. Whether they begin or end things, though, at least some places will then tie into those initiatives and everything goes back to the "crossroads" as places that lead in and out.

Another sense of "crossroads" is two roads that pass over ("cross") each other, which could be understood as making an intersection composed of four ways or more. This would then be illustrated (and realized) well through places like Saffron City, Mauville City, and Lumiose City, which sit smack-dab in the midst of two or more paths. Philosophically, any of these directions could be taken, which means many directions that one can potentially take, even if they all may not be available from the get-go and only later on as possibilities.

More abstractly, places and spaces that involve aerial departures and arrivals - including but not limited to airports - could be thought of as "crossroads" in the sense that some people go to the air from the ground and vice versa, or they might only "touch base" with the others and still stay where they are. Instances of these are varied in the media manifestations, including the people and the vessels that transport them, but the essence is still that they are the meeting points for different "roads", ones that go to or just lead from the sky.

Conceptually, "crossroads" represent points of convergence, and all of the realized Pokémon instances  above have some sense of convergence, even if they may or may not involve actual or literal "roads" that are so aptly part of the term. If the philosophical understanding has any bearing on the Pokémon instances, it would be that it is a common matter to have roads, paths, and ways go in different ways and inevitably meet at certain points, allowing people and Pokémon species alike to traverse them to wherever it is they want or need to go.

One year ago: Being Wary of Things in Pokémon Games

Two years ago: Looking Into Unite's "Regular" Events

Three years ago: The Pokémon DP Sound Library

Four years ago: Friendship Filters in Pokémon Go

Five years ago: To Eat and to Lure

Six years ago: A Pidove Keychain

Seven years ago: Memories of Hoenn

Eight years ago: LINE Pokémon Stickers