Yes, I know. His first Odyssey post is about Pokémon? This is telling to my personality, so that you guys are aware.
Anyway, last weekend, the Pokémon Company and Cinemark Theaters teamed up to bring back the first feature film based upon the best-selling video games: Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back.
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Watching this movie with my family not only brought back some emotional memories from my childhood but reminded me how these fictional characters teach a lot of valuable life lessons, masked under a slogan to catch 'em all.
1. Determination is key
One of the beginning moments of the movie features three determined trainers, braving the stormy waves of the sea to battle the World's Most Powerful Pokémon Master (spoiler alert: it's Mewtwo) on New Island. Hopping onto Water- and Flying-type Pokémon to cross the turbulent waves, the trainers make their wave to their destination. This kind of conviction is inspiring, and something we should all aim for!
Also, having a giant sea dragon like Gyarados could probably help you get you anything you could ever possibly need.
2. Refusing to fight, even when the punches are being thrown...
Mewtwo's detailed plan of world domination includes cloning all of the Pokémon present on New Island in an attempt to create his own clone army of more super-powerful Poké-pals. Included in his battalion is a clone of our protagonist Ash's beloved Pikachu, who proceeds to smack the crap out of the original Pikachu. However, Ash's Pikachu knows what's up and won't give in to the temptation of fighting back. This is also the part of the movie when "Brother My Brother" by Blessid Union of Souls plays and you try to hold back the tears.
More importantly, PIkachu's actions remind us of the power of protest. Not fighting back, even when pain is directly being inflicted upon you, has more power than any single punch could pack.
3. ...and taking a stand when no one else will
...so the GIF makes it look like Ash gets obliterated. Which, he probably should have. But he didn't because he's the hero! Instead, he gets turned into stone and only the tears of Pokémon will revive him from his stony state (another spoiler alert.)
...It was the '90's, okay?
But seriously, standing between two malevolent forces while they're battling it out in attempts to stop the fighting is a noble task to say the least. That takes a lot of courage. Or a lot of naivety. What's the difference?
4. It's okay to cry
So here's the part in the movie where the tears actually do fall from your eyes. This emotionally-devastating scene comes after Ash has fallen into his statuesque state while trying to intervene between Mew and Mewtwo's fighting. Pikachu, of course, is distraught that his master and best friend is no longer, well, alive. He begins crying, which leads to the rest of the Pokémon on the island crying. All of the tears find their way to Ash's lifeless body, and he's alive again! Man, do I love cartoon plots.
Moving on, it just goes to show that even when you think it might be an inconvenient time or you might be feeling self conscious how people may react, just cry it out anyway!
Who knows, it might just save somebody's life!
5. "We do have a lot in common..."
Let's rewind a bit to Meowth, Team Rocket grunts Jessie and James' signature Pokémon, experiencing a revelation about differences and similarities while talking to his clone.
Especially in this day and age, it's difficult to focus of the things we have in common with folks rather than finding out what may be different and holding grudges against each other because of that. Let's focus on the positives, people!
6. And finally, "...the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant..."
Mewtwo's speech at the end of the movie, when he realizes the wrongdoings of his ways, is the very inspiration for this article. I've seen this quote on t-shirts, in Instagram bios, and more. Why does it resonate with so many people?
Because it's a basic life lesson! What a person (or being, in the world of Pokémon) does with the life that they're given is much more important than the circumstances of how or where you were born. I think that's certainly a lesson that all of us could be reminded of from time to time.
You can now confidently say that you received some life-saving advice from Pokémon today!
