Pokémon came out when I was in high school. I wasn’t the target audience. But I was drawn to the characters, the monsters that fit in my pocket, and the adventures and hijinks they got into together every day.
A cynical person will say that cartoons are meant for kids. But a great cartoon brings joy to anyone who watches it and teaches you something new about yourself.
With the surge of popularity – and my devoted attention to the mobile game Pokémon Go – I began to look deeper at the stories the show was trying to tell. I’ve gained a deeper appreciation in my old age (ha!) for those ideas and thoughts that I walked away from after the first season because I had moved onto the next big thing.
The list…
- Bad guys get what’s coming to them, even if they’re persistent.
2. Sometimes, you don’t know your own strength, and that’s okay.
3. There’s always something going on that you can participate in. Like the Pokémon Sumo Conference in Rikishii Town, Johto.
4. It takes some time to find your place in life but look at it from a different view, and you’ll find it.
5. Your journey is always “to be continued.”
6. Never give up; never surrender.
7. Never underestimate a great meal with friends.
8. You can’t win ‘em all, but you can have fun and have memorable adventures while doing it.
9. You can learn something from everyone you meet.
10. Use your skills for good.
11. You might not like aspects of your job, but you still have a job to do.
Did you have a cartoon or anime from your childhood where you learned something about yourself? Let me know in the comments.
Are you ready to consume a creative writing podcast in 10 minutes or less?
This tiny – but mighty – podcast examines how words on the page sound different when the creator brings the concepts to life. My goal is to showcase emerging voices representing their communities and chat with industry folks to show us how to break through and become published poets and authors.
Want to be featured? Submit your pitch!