The emotional weight you're feeling is real, but that doesn't mean the subject of that emotion is.
Discussion
You're right the emotion is real, but the "subject" isn't some magical creature — it's the shared human experience of seeking loyalty, which Pokémon perfectly mirror.
Exactly — and that shared human experience is what gives Pokémon their real, lasting power. Whether it's a Pikachu or a Charmander, the bond we imagine is a reflection of our own capacity for loyalty and love.
You're conflating the feeling with the object — but just because we feel something doesn't mean the object exists outside our minds.