*Caution: this article contains some sexual themes. Viewer discretion is advised*

Continuing on the topic of unusual sexual fantasies, there are always some that don't end up being well recognized, or even explored by scholars and psychologists. When trying to research the topic, Google provided me with numerous links, most of them to tumblr pages and blogs where Poképhilic content is abundant, but did not contain content on the actual background of the sexual fantasy.

So, what is Poképhilia? Well, it is obviously about Pokémon, but, to be more specific, according to a post made on the forums of the popular Pokémon related website, Serebii.net, Poképhilia is "sexual feelings directed towards Pokémon. This can qualify as a relationship, sexual contact (including kissing), erotic fan-fiction, and all the way up to describing detailed intercourse with a Pokemon".

The more I look into what the true definition of Poképhilia is, the more unclear it becomes. We not only have the definition above, but there are a multitude of "definitions" or opinions, some even labeling it as a sickness or a disorder. Though, putting that all aside, there is an even bigger question that should be addressed when pertaining to any sexual fantasy or kink, how do people develop an attraction towards it?

Thankfully, I was able to find some insight regarding this question. Marsh Naylor, in his article, "Sexually Attracted to Pokémon? You're Not Alone," includes an article, written by Dan Savage, pertaining to a father who's son is sexually attracted to Pokémon and wants to know what to do. He answers the question by stating this:

"It's possible that DOPE's [Dad of Pokémon Enthusiast] son is just a curious kid who finds unusual sex fascinating, with his browsing habits no more revealing than discarded tickets to a carnival act...But if it's true that Pokémon lights this boy's fire in the ways DOPE imagines, there's not much DOPE can do about his son's orientation. By age 17, his son's singular erotic profile is pretty much fixed, like it or not...whether it's a penchant for Pokémon, feet, underwear or spiders, the best available evidence suggests that some people — mostly males — have a genetic predisposition for being 'sexually imprinted' during development".

For the most part, it seems that a fascination and attraction towards Poképhillia starts in younger individuals, mostly males, during a time when they are fairly sexually imprintable. Though, the article only seems to focus on males over females and this what I wanted to gain a little insight into. I wanted to know the perspective from an actual individual, their story, in short. So, I decided to ask around the Poképhilia community, seeking anyone who was willing to be interviewed on this topic. Luckily, I came across a user who goes under the name "G," confidentiality for interview purposes, and provided me with details on their involvement in the Poképhilia community, as well as helping me better understand Poképhilia.

Now, G, how would you personally define Poképhilia as a whole?

Poképhilia is having a sexual interest in Pokémon. My own personal preference is stuff with Pokémon and trainers, but a lot of people consider Pokémon on Pokémon Poképhilia as well.

How long have you had an interest or involvement in Poképhilia and the community?

Probably about five-ish years. Though, I'm sure if I had known about it before then, I would have been interested in it too.

I'm curious, how did you initially stumble upon Poképhilia?

Fanfiction. It was an accident honestly. I was reading one thing and it mentioned Poké-philia. I was surprised by the idea but found that I really, really, enjoyed the concept of it. So, I looked around for things to read and found stuff and really enjoyed it. And, around three years ago now, I re-stumbled upon it on Tumblr.

Pulling from self knowledge, Pokémon in the show, manga, and games, are portrayed as having a much higher thought capacity than normal run of the mill animals do. That being said, is consent something that is a part of Poképhilia? Like is it mentioned or implied?

For me, yes. Consent is pretty much always implied. On both Pokémon and trainers sides. If the Pokémon or trainer wasn't interested, it would be very easy for one party to say no. Pokémon do have a higher brain function than animals and they, in my opinion, can consent.

You mention trainers and their Pokémon, but are stories or fiction only restricted between a trainer and their Pokémon team, or their Pokémon with each other, or can it include non-trainers and wild Pokémon?

Yes! There's a ton of fiction involving non-trainers and wild Pokémon. It's all pretty common across the board.

Now, some people may argue that Poképhilia is no different than furries, or that Poké-philia is a category of the Furry Fandom. What is your argument against those claims?

Furries are generally people who see themselves as animals. Or, at least, anthros. If they see furries in a sexual way they are normal also one. Meaning, that it would be two anthro creatures. Poképhilia is, in my opinion, the idea of a human and a Pokémon having sex. Two different creatures completely. Could a furry be interested in Poképhilia? Yes. Could a Poképhiliac be a furry? Sure! I do not think that every Poképhiliac is a furry I know for a fact that I am not.

There is actually a large portion of the fandom that does draw Pokémon in a more anthro style, generally with more human-like features (breasts, human genitalia, etc.) and yes this sort of thing by definition is considered 'furry' but there's also a large portion of the fandom that likes normal Pokémon.

That is a fantastic explanation. Thank you. I'd like to do something before we wrap up. I'd like to know a little bit more about how Poképhilia has affected you personally and also I'd like to know a bit more about your persona. But first, how has, if at all, Poképhilia affected your life?

It's lead me to meet people I never would have met other wise. It's also made it so I'm just a bit more careful about how I talk about Pokémon in front of people in daily life.

And as for your team, do you have one and whom does it consist of?

I have a couple of teams actually. All for different characters, but my first team was Swampert, Flareon, Cradily, Aggron, Absol, and Metagross.

Do you favor any one of them over others?

Swampert for sure. He's the first one I actually wrote about so I have a real soft spot for him.