#Mezase POKEMON MASTER

[runawaycarouselhorse]

What made both her sacrifice for her team mates’ happiness in Pocket Monsters (2019)/Pokemon Journeys episode 95 and the fact that she thought this would be her end more poignant for me is that being completely alone is what Musashi hates the most. She lost her (single) mother as a child and was never adopted, going from foster home to foster home... ;_;

After many failures (like being unable to graduate from a school meant to train literal Pokemon Nurses, because she couldn’t do what Chansey do, despite studying hard and being adept at skills like bandaging…) and having her heart broken and being disappointed (she let a boy she loved go alone so she can pursue idol dreams with some friends, who all made it… without her, so she lost a possible love for an impossible dream)…

She couldn’t bond with her partners and left them to be injured, just to save herself, during her training days at Team Rocket. She’d become selfish and self-preserving… in the Japanese version, the others called her “shinigami Musashi” according to Yamato (Cassidy), likening her to a reaper of souls… but James refused to run away, sick of living a life where he ran away from all his problems. He’d sacrifice himself for her and Meowth’s safety, getting badly injured and nearly missing their final exam, hospitalized. The first time they uttered the beginning of their motto was when she believed she was all alone again, much like in this scene… the Rockets in the Japanese version repeat the last thing someone else says as if to answer a question (the “nanda kanda to kikare tara” = “if you ask us about this or that” is mostly filler that could be substituted with anything else.)

Musashi (Jessie): (dejectedly, as she walks away alone as the final exam begins, even being questioned by Nyasu/Meowth where she’s going): Is this all that there is…?

Kojiro (James): (answering while leaning posed against a tree, covered in bandages, but they were only wrapped over his clothes so he could whip them off dramatically) If you ask us 'if this is all that there is,' our answer will be the universe’s compassion!

She’s so moved, she turns away to wipe her tears. “A team mate who won’t run away…”

I think that’s the first time they ever see her cry.

Jessie desperately wants family, belonging, that’s why she falls in love so quickly, she wants a family more than anything—James had everything material growing up, but not love… Musashi had near to nothing material growing up, BUT she had her mother’s love… until she lost her very, very early. They contrast each other! They’re soul mates, eternal partners, whether you ship them or not. Meowth, too, was orphaned as a kitten, never even named, and an outcast his whole life. He's also always falling in love easily, seeking a home... the trio should never be separated, they are each other’s sought-for home.

I think the falling snow in this scene, where she runs off in tears, after wearing a brave smile and telling James it’s okay to stay with Cassidy, is a very deliberate choice, as Jessie loves snow. One of her few happy memories of her depressing childhood is being made treats made of snow to eat. She unknowingly lost her mother in the snowy Andes mountains, seeking Mew, put into foster care, while Miyamoto tried to make money to give her a better life... glittering snow and sparkling tears…

For Meowth too, she lets him go. She just wants everyone to have their chance at love.

So, her believing she’ll end up dying alone, as she’s always feared, Musashi here laments her luck, but also has a beautiful little dream of her friends saving her.

Once again, similarly to the break-up episode of DP, she was the one who calmly and gently encouraged James to pursue a possible love. She also broke Dustox’s pokeball, in tears, not wanting her to make the same mistake she did, giving up on an attainable love for an unattainable goal (and, indeed, Jessie did not win the Grand Festival, despite her skill at Pokemon Contests… she made the right decision for Dustox’s happiness.)

Jessie loves her friends. Sure, she’s caustic, rude, temperamental, bitter, and self-absorbed, but she prioritizes love and their happiness. She doesn’t want them to be alone and abandoned the way she felt as a kid. She loves them so much so, she’s satisfied to die alone and suffer her worst fear if it meant they get to be happy. That’s self-sacrifice.

She doesn’t resent them one bit, saying it’s a nice dream when she thinks she’s imagined them saving her life… she thought it was her mind comforting her before her death, accepting her fate, rather than realizing it’s effectively a premonition of what will be reality… and when she realizes?! She initially reproaches them, looking mad, because she thought they abandoned their happiness for her! But no, things didn’t work out… this is where they’re meant to be: by each other’s side.

James also knows how much marriage means to her, even though he’s so traumatized by it, the word “fiance” triggers literal flashbacks for him and he climbed up a tree to get away from a teenaged girl who called him that. Yet, in XY episode 63, where she fell for Dr. White...

Kojiro: (with head down, eyes shadowed) If Musashi (Jessie) wants to pursue her happiness as a woman, shouldn't we give her our blessing?

Nyasu also had his misfortunes in love... they sympathize and empathize.

"Let's show her we're men and leave without saying anything..."

As Kojiro runs away, he sheds tears, wishing her happiness and bidding her farewell, silently. The scenes in these two episodes are clear parallels.

But in the end (including the final episodes, as rushed as that plotline was although I still loved Wobbuffet acting exactly like a troubled child of parents going through a messy divorce), they’ll always realize their happiness is by each other’s side as a trio.

"Sometimes you get good pulls, sometimes you get bad ones. Sometimes they're good, even if you think they're bad. Sometimes they're bad, even if you think they're good."

[ashxketchum]

"We should find a place to have a nice lunch..."

[scraftyisthebest]

As one story ends, another begins, yet the unique essence of a Pokemon protagonist lives on, even from old to new.

Through Liko, the essence of Ash's journey and character live on, as Liko too aims to be one who understands, befriends, and connects with Pokemon around the world, even if the path she takes to get there may differ, the aim is the same: to know the world, to connect with Pokemon, seeing them as friends and partners.

The essence of a Pokemon protagonist, the essence of a Pokemon Master. A Trainer who aims to understand Pokemon, and strives for connection. Ash is one who trained to understand Pokemon, which proved to be his greatest strength, and Liko too is on her way to becoming the kind of Trainer who can connect with the Pokemon she meets.

[jadeazora]

Today marks a year since The Rainbow and the Pokemon Master aired in Japan, the last episode of Ash's series.

Honestly, tho I grew up with Ash and have a lot of nostalgia towards him (this ain't coming from a place of dislike or nothing), I am happy they finally retired him and went an entirely new direction with Horizons.

(More because it's doing its own unique storyline, you don't really know where the plot's gonna go. It makes watching it more interesting imo. I also really love the Explorers as a villain team and how cool Friede is )

[shigerussato]

[goosaphone]

"Two guys on the same page. What's the problem?" - Ash Ketchum 2023

Happy Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈

[nakamorijuan]

松本梨香 - めざせポケモンマスター Rica Matsumoto - Mezase POKEMON MASTER POCKET MONSTERS - 1st Opening Theme

[summerandfall]

MPM redo comic

(delete later) Hello, can someone do me a solid and give some feedback for this script i have for a comic? please let me know if this is pog or cringe, i have to know before i commit to fully making this (very busy irl, so i have to choose which of my drafts i want to work on)

//dont mind the heavily patchworked and poorly lit sketches lol

please let me know if the dialogue flows well enough, if some parts are awkward/janky. leave asks, or replies, or tags, i don't mind however way. reblogs appreciated. please and thank you! 🙏🙏🙏

context: supposedly rearranges some scenes from MPM11; the small montage of Ash hanging around Pallet for a bit with his pokemon happens before the starters arrive at the lab. it rains before ash finds charmander and reunites with gary (only really so it makes sense that there's a rainbow in the last scene).

[harukadrawsthings]

Japan (and many international viewers who watch the original audio) has just seen the end of an era that lasted a quarter of a century. I haven't watched the episode yet as I'm awaiting the release of the English subtitles tonight from the team responsible for the translation but I have no doubt I'll need a lot of tissues. But since the outcome is already known in the land of the rising sun I've decided to reveal my art tribute to Ash and Pikachu in T-Shirt format that I've been preparing for at least a month but was reserving it for today!

I vividly remember the moment when the Pokémon series premiered in Portugal in October 1999, when I was still at primary school, and introduced us to an ambitious 10 year old boy who fell asleep on the 1st day of his journey in pursuit of a dream and who at first did not get along well with his electric mouse partner. There wasn't a single child or teenager at that time that would be indifferent and wouldn't talk about that universe inhabited by hundreds of creatures with magical powers and how different that concept was in an animated series for that time (and in videogames too because there was also a rush to Nintendo's handheld consoles!).

I never imagined that 23 years later I would still be following this story of friendship and how remarkable the protagonist would be in my life after being with me almost the whole time. He was the one who introduced me to a franchise I'm a big fan of and that same exposure has influenced my artistic path. He decompressed me on the daily train journeys I had to make to college, making me laugh and go to class with determination and optimism. He has been my psychologist these past six years which have been particularly difficult for me and has been a major element in my emotional stability. I also owe thanks to Ash for several important life lessons he has given me along his journey by demonstrating his virtues such as kindness, honesty, helping and being tolerant of each other. I have very happy memories of waking up in the morning and watching his adventures on television before going to school, and of watching him in the evening on television in more recent years including the present time.

Portugal will still have Ash on the small screen until the end of this year and I will follow him to the end and wait for the local dubbing of the remaining episodes to be broadcast (and cry again with the disclosure of the Pokémon Ultimate Journeys and this special 11-episodes mini-series) and enjoy his company for a while longer. I will miss this duo that won my heart and of millions of viewers of several generations all over the world that we will certainly never forget and that their memory will be eternal. It was a privilege to watch this story as everything happened in the moment.

So this stamped illustration is a homage and a gesture of gratitude to one of the most influential and impactful characters ever in the history of Japanese animation and who leaves us a legacy that I hope future generations will come to know and recognise his cultural importance. You'll be forever a legend! 🧢⚡

Thank you, Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, and so long!

Do not repost. Do not modify. Always credit me!

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Ash & Pikachu © Nintendo/TPC

Art © HarukaDrawsThings

[rfurny]

My version of Ash's final episode:

Ash is having a celebration at Oak ranch with all of his Pokemon and friends.

Gary asks him if he is close to becoming a Pokemon Master.

Ash goes off alone with Pikachu and reflects about his adventures.

They run into Pidgeot who has a family of its own.

Ash thinks about all the lives he has touched, changed, and molded.

Upon realizing that he truly is a Pokemon Master, Ho-oh appears face to face.

Ash thanks Ho-oh that his dreams have been fulfilled, and he walks under the rainbow which undoes Ho-oh's wish.

Ash is aged up in front of our eyes to a young adult.

He returns to his friends who have all been aged up as well.

Ash and Misty hold hands and share a meaningful look.

A new adventure unfolds.

[zaptap]

nobody told team rocket that ash isn’t doing another 130+ episode series and therefore isn’t going to reset his team to just pikachu

[runawaycarouselhorse]

TR HQ cafeteria food apparently includes: omurice, curry rice, club sandwiches, karaage (presumably? - bottom left, probably kept vague since they generally avoid meat*), and spaghetti!

*(Not always, the hungry TRio wanted to catch Udeppou/Clauncher to eat its limbs which grow back and we saw the food chain on display again in the Koko movie.)

[ashxketchum]

MEZASE POKEMON MASTER - FINALE

[dengekiboys]

Pokemon Journeys episode 141 / Pokemon: Aim to Be a Pokemon Master episode 5

[shigerussato]

[narashikari]

Well y'all didn't have to do that NOW of all times...