Aim to Be a Pokémon Master (Japanese:めざせポケモンマスターMezase Pokémon Master) is the first Japanese opening theme of theoriginal series, with a cover byWhiteberry being the fourth. An arrangement made to commemorate the 20th anniversary ofPokémon the Series replacedAlola!! as the second opening theme ofPokémon the Series: Sun & Moon. Another arrangement made to commemorate the series's 25th anniversary titledAim to Be a Pokémon Master -with my friends- (Japanese:めざせポケモンマスター -with my friends-Mezase Pokémon Master -with my friends-) replacedOne, Two, Three as the second and final opening theme ofPokémon Journeys: The Series.
Aim to Be a Pokémon Master is the most re-used theme song in the history ofPokémon the Series, having no fewer than ten versions including the original:
Aim to Be a Pokémon Master -with my friends- from THE FIRST TAKE digital single
Opening animation: TV OP 1
Synopsis
Mew
Thetype symbols appear in a circle, and the series logo appears on the screen. The three fully evolvedKanto first partner Pokémon,Pikachu,Ash, and an unnamedLass are seen. This is followed by three scenes showing randomGeneration I Pokémon.
Ash is then seen with aPoké Ball. After that, he is riding on the back of aLapras with Pikachu while aGyarados andDragonair are seen jumping out and in the water. Next, Ash and Pikachu are looking atPallet Town. It cuts to a scene with them walking, and then Ash throws a Poké Ball with aPidgeot inside. The Pokémon then begins battling with aFearow.
The next scene shows Ash and his friends inViridian Forest. Then, Ash and Pikachu are seen running with anArcanine and aRapidash. The latter Pokémon jumps up, and the threelegendary birds are seen flying in the sky. A clip ofMewtwo andMew in space is shown, followed by Ash in a stadium holding a Poké Ball. His friends appear with him.
This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Episodes in which the fourth variant ended (EP039 - ???) and the fifth started (??? - EP080)
EP001 -EP002: The original animation. During the Pokémon images scene, there's a picture of aKadabra, but it reads "Foodin" on it.
EP003: The Kadabra error is corrected, and an actual Alakazam picture is put in its place.
EP004 -EP038: TheTCG types symbol background keeps rotating after the "Pocket Monsters" logo appears in the title screen, and after the executive production credits appear on the final shot.
EP039 -EP080: After the "Pokémon Shock" incident ofEP038, the opening was changed to be broken up into four images per screen. This change was also applied to reruns of the first 37 episodes.
EP039 -EP080: A shot where Ash throws a Poké Ball is slowed down, removing part of the scene where the spinning Poké Ball covers the entire screen, and Ash holding another one was edited to remove one frame where it glows over the entire screen. Two frames were also removed from the battle between Ash's Pidgeot andFearow. Several frames were removed from the scene starringZapdos.
An instrumental version of the original version of this song appears in both the Japanese and English versions ofPokémon Pinball when the player is attempting to catch or evolve a Pokémon.
A scene in which Ash stands in a stadium was used as part of a bumper with Brock's voice saying "We'll Be Back After These Messages!" when the 4Kids dub was first aired in syndication in 1998 in America.
This story is about a boy,Satoshi and Pocket Monsters, and Their friendship, adventures and meetings.
Synopsis
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Ash is holding a Poké Ball towards the screen. The logo appears, followed by Pikachu fighting a Tyranitar and usingThunderbolt. Ash and his friends are then seen jumping into the water. There, a Mantine, Lanturn, Lapras, and Lugia swim alongside them. Ash turns his hat and faces left.
This is followed by Ash and Pikachu running with Ho-Oh flying in the background. The Trainer looks at a stadium and clips of his Pokémon appear on the screen. A scene then follows, showing Ash and the others looking at a city in which theLegendary beasts, Celebi, Mewtwo and Mew are seen.
Ash and the others are then shown walking into a cave where Misdreavus and Crobat appear. Ash and the others stood at a bridge. Then, thePichu Brothers are under it. After that, Ash tried to chase after his Pokémon. Then, Team Rocket chased after Ash and his friends. Finally, Ash and his friends chased after Team Rocket withTogepi in front of them.
Four Pokémon and five people are on top andLarvitar stood in front of them. Ash and Pikachu ran up a flight of stairs together with thelegendary birds and reached the Plateau. Ash and Pikachu stood in front of many Pokémon. Ash, Misty, Brock and Ash's Pokémon stood together.
The fact that this, the fourth Japanese opening, is a cover of the first one is mimicked in the English dub, whereBorn to Be a Winner, the fourth opening, borrows heavily fromthe first one.
This is the first Japanese opening theme to not be performed byRica Matsumoto.
This is the only version of Aim to Be a Pokémon Master to not be performed byRica Matsumoto.
This version of the opening features the first appearance ofAsh-Greninja outside ofPokémon the Series: XY. Prior to this point, all ofGreninja's appearances inPokémon Journeys: The Series depicted its basic form, even in flashbacks to scenes which originally featured Ash-Greninja.
This is the first opening animation sinceHigh Touch! to feature all of Ash's traveling companions up to this point.
The lyrics for all versions of the song are identical with the exception of formatting, backup singers, and the ad-libs shown in parentheses below.
The original 1997 version includes all ad-libs except for 「待ってる」. However, it is still displayed in the lyrics on-screen during the opening animation. The first line of the second stanza is formatted as 「なかなかなかなか、なかなかなかなか 大変だけど」 and the second and third line of the third stanza are formatted without spaces.
The Whiteberry cover includes all ad-libs except for 「待ってる」. The initial 「ポケモン ゲットだぜーッ！」 is included only in the TV size version and not in the full version. The first line of the second stanza is formatted as 「なかなか なかなか なかなか なかなか 大変だけど」.
The 20th Anniversary version includes only the 「ポケモン ゲットだぜーッ！」 and 「ピカチュウ～！」 ad-libs, the latter of which is formatted with an exclamation mark. The first line of the second stanza is formatted as 「なかなか なかなか なかなか なかなか大変だけど」. The last two lines of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth stanzas are displayed as one line. InSM042 andSM043,Misty,Brock, andProfessor Oak say the 「きゃ～～～！！」, 「待ってる」, and 「そりゃそうじゃ」 ad-libs respectively, although they are not displayed in the lyrics on-screen.
The 2023 version includes all ad-libs except for 「待ってる」.
The 1998 movie version and its 2019 remaster include all ad-libs except for 「待ってる」.
The 2001 movie remix, 2002 movie remix, and the 20th Anniversary Ballad ver. do not include any of the ad-libs.
In the 2023 version, backup singers sing the line "With my friends" at the same time asRica Matsumoto sings 「仲間をふやして 次の町へ」.
Even if in fire, in water, in grass, in forests In ground, in clouds, in that girl's skirt (Eek!)
It's very, very, Very, very difficult but I'm sure I'll get you! Pokémon, I'll get you!
Farewell, bye-bye,Masara Town I'm leaving on a journey with him (Pikachu!) Racking up wins with themoves we've trained Making friends, and then off to the next city (We're waiting!)
Always and forever doing well Though there's no guarantee of that... (That's true!) Forever and always, I'll live true Because they're here
Ah! I aim to be aPokémon Master I want to be, I have to be I know I'll be one!
Even if in fire, in water, in grass, in forests In ground, in clouds, in that girl's skirt (Eek!)
It's very, very, Very, very difficult but I'm sure I'll get you! Pokémon, I'll get you!
Farewell, bye-bye, Masara Town I'm leaving on a journey with him (Pikachu!) Racking up wins with the moves we've trained Making friends, and then off to the next city (We're waiting!)
Always and forever doing well Though there's no guarantee of that... (That's true!) Forever and always, I'll live true Because they're here
Even if in fire, in water, in grass, in forests In ground, in clouds, in that girl's skirt (You're persistent!)
It's very, very, Very, very difficult but I'm sure I'll get you! Pokémon, I'll get you!
Tired from battling, good night, good night If I close my eyes, it all comes back (Pikachu?) How flames burned, winds blew Cries echoed, in that battle
An enemy yesterday is a friend today Though there is such an old saying... (What do you mean by "old"?!) A friend today is also a friend tomorrow Yeah, and for all eternity
Ah! I aim to be a Pokémon Master I want to be, I have to be I know I'll be one!
Dreams will someday become reality Though someone sang that... Like a bud that will someday bloom My dream will come true
Always and forever doing well Though there's no guarantee of that... (That's true!) Forever and always, I'll live true Because they're here
Ah! I aim to be a Pokémon Master I want to be, I have to be I know I'll be one!
Ah! I aim to be a Pokémon Master I want to be, I have to be I know I'll be one!
Trivia
Outside ofJapan, the song is available for streaming inHong Kong on Apple Music, and the 20th anniversary version is available inIndonesia onSpotify.
EP001 - EP038
EP039 - EP080
The hand drawn logo
The CGI logo
Kadabra on the first variant
Alakazam on the next variants
Meowth's missing fang
Poliwrath's white eyelid
