Why can't life be like pokemon? Everyone there is either free to leave or stay in their town/city. They don't have formal schooling unless its particularly in pokemon. There are fellow adventures with you that come with you and help you and you become friends. Everyone has a common goal in mind and everybody has a fair chance at competing. You can make money while traveling and just backpacking by battling your pokemon. Every day is an adventure and ash gets to go see the whole world with his friends. People don't live their boring mundane lives because they all like what they do. People age really slow so you get to fully enjoy your youth and ash does more in his youth then people do in their whole lives.