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Imaginary friends are psychological manifestations typically employed by toddlers to practice social skills. Most children grow out of the phase; Chris, on the other hand, retained his belief in imaginary friends well into adulthood, still holding the belief at 42 years of age.

Chris has always had difficulties distinguishing fiction from reality due to his autism. His imaginary friends were originally an occasional source of companionship, as well as a coping mechanism for moments of stress, such as the infamous example of invoking Sonichu to Mary Lee Walsh during his college days. As he entered his mid-30s, Chris retreated more often to his imaginary world as a reaction to the downward spiral of his life, ignoring the real-world problems of his debt and lack of independent living experience, resulting in a vicious feedback loop in which Chris's real-world problems worsen while his devotion to his imaginary friends increases. The machinations of the Idea Guys and the enablers that followed, whose chief tactic is role-playing as Chris's imaginary friends, further cemented the belief into Chris's mind.

Chris's devotion to his imaginary friends outweighed his real-life friendships with his Pokémon League friends, and he gradually lost contact with the latter to focus on his fantasy world.

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