Becoming the Very Best

I have a question for us all: what is our number one goal in life? I realize there are very many answers to this question, but all of them relate back to one single answer: to become the best at what we set out to do. Every one of us strives for optimal performance with any task we are willing to take. This dream, our dream, is not so different than the dream of a boy all of us know. Some of us have known him since a young age and grown to love him, others have at least heard of him at one point in their lives. Much like us, he wanted to be the very best, like no one ever was. Ash Ketchum is his name, and we all share his dream. I believe Ash not only caught Pokmon on his quest for greatness, but he also caught a hold of our hearts. Some of you might be skeptical about how I can relate this to something meaningful, some adults may even be wondering what Pokmon is. But I am here to tell you about Pokmon and how the television show and the games were more than our childhood entertainment.

Ash Ketchum was the average boy with big dreams eager to start his Pokmon journey. He was always looking forward to it after seeing examples of Pokmon battles on TV that he wanted to participate in as well. We too had eagerness when we first entered high school. We had such high expectations after watching shows and movies, thinking what happened on screen would be what the rest of our adolescent lives would become. But lets be honest for a minute. We were disappointed when we started off. High school wasnt much more than a glorified middle school. It was not what we expected, like how Ash expected a Charmander or a Squirtle when he went to Professor Oaks lab only to find one disappointing Pikachu left for the taking. However, as we and Ash both grew we gained more respect for what we were originally disappointed in. Whether it was high school or a Pikachu, they met the expectations we had from the start. Through many years, Ash has met new allies and friends, but he also has encountered challenging battles, rivals, and obstacles blocking his way. He would not stop until

he achieved his dream. And with the dreams that we have, we can get rid of anything blocking our way, and become unstoppable until we reach our goals.

So far, I have only brought up points about the television show that we grew up watching, but Pokmon is a much larger and more diverse universe. It doesnt matter if you played Red, Blue, or Yellow, you still learned new life skills from Pokmon games that you were unaware of. While you fought your way to the Elite Four, you learned the skills of decision making. In Pokmon, you could only carry six Pokmon with you at one point in time, so choosing the right team to ensure a win helped improve your skills on making decisions. The same falls true for choosing the move-set as well. You have a variety of powers to use, but which one will help you the most? These powers also make you think critically. What skill would be the most effective in your situation? Choosing the right move was a key component to Pokmon. If we capture the skills we learn from these games, surprisingly to all of us, you can be much better at thinking through the choices you make and how you are going to get your task done more efficiently.

It is true we are like Ash on our journeys, but is it ridiculous to say we are also like the Pokmon as well? As Meowth once said in Pokmon: The First Movie-Mewtwo Strikes Back, We do have a lot in common. The same Earth, the same air, the same sky. Maybe if we started looking at whats the same instead of always looking at whats different, who knows? Who knows? Ive done a lot of thinking about this quote and I believe I do know the relation Meowth is trying to make. Much like Pokmon, we start at a mere level one, building up experience until we level up. Now, you may ask, Hunter, how are we leveling up? I want to tell you our level is not by age, but by all the moments weve lived and learned. While we learn what is acceptable to do and what is unacceptable, were gaining the experience we need, evolving us into a better person. Our move-sets also progress as we grow. For example, when we were younger, we learned Manners and Staying Inside the Lines While Coloring.

As soon as we have these ideas crammed into our head never to be forgotten, we have the room and access for more powerful abilities necessary to use in our future, such as Perseverance and Independence. Our lives start as a small seed, a little level one Sunkern. This Sunkern we nicknamed Life knows one very special ability: Growth. And eventually, with the power of Growth, our lives will bloom into a beautiful Sunflora.

So here we are, graduating from high school. Consider this gymnasium the final gym that we have finally beaten. We have mastered a generation that weve been through for four years. Its time for us to go out and be the very best, like no one ever was. We will travel across the land, searching far and wide for what we want to achieve. Ill leave you all with a quote. In the heart-wrenching climax of the first Pokmon movie, Mewtwo leaves us thinking with a heavy statement that I believe is true to anyone, even if you havent seen an episode or played one of the games. He says, It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are. So go out and catch your dreams. Because remember, you gotta catchem all!