Looking at the dust that was accumulating on my old Pokemon VHS box-set, I was struck with a mixed sense of guilt and excitement. These were the adventures that defined my childhood; in almost every photograph captured of me from ages 5-9 years I can be seen holding a lime green Game Boy Color taking my 6 friends (all Pokemon) to the next level. It sounds sad, but I have no regrets. Something told me that this extended obsession actually enriched my life, grounded me as a person, helped me acclimate to nature, appreciate people. But why? After all, in retrospect, Pokemon is only a notch below dog fighting when it comes to entertainment.
However, after watching just one full 60 minute tape (Ep. 80-83: Friends and Rivals if we’re going to split hairs) I realized why this series has been so enduring in the hearts of young Americans of my generation, and why the grounding concepts of Pokemon was actually established almost 200 years ago.
In the 1820s Ralph Waldo Emerson and a group of his contemporaries established a new way of thinking called Transcendentalism which was basically a protest against the general way of thinking at the time, particularly the ideals of the Unitarian Church. They believed that Nature was the greatest teacher, and that establishments like organized religion were corrupting the purity of people’s souls. They basically made a club, published some important papers on their ideals which, as you will soon see are stunningly similar to average Pokemon trainer’s reality.
1. Wilderness Retreat: Ash Ketchum, the protagonist of the original Pokemon series leaves home to becomes the greatest Pokemon trainer of all time. Basically Ash and his homies backpack through the virgin lands from city to city, camping in the wilderness, and occasionally bumming on couches of new-found friends. What would Thoreau be if he never spent a year living on Walden Pond? What would Christopher McCandless’ story be if he didn’t follow his dreams and become one with nature (OK, don’t think too much into this one)? What’s more, even Team Rocket camps out from time to time in their down North Face sleeping bags.
Before the Gov’t Shutdown.2. Natural Significance: One of the Transcendental Club’s central beliefs was that all nature was significant. In the world of Pokemon the lakes run clear and there seems an evergreen forest that perpetually follows the characters throughout the show. The sunset always looks good when it sets (often making a nice “>To Be Continued” last scene), and the Clean Air Act is very strict. What’s more, they even have Mt. Tam featured in the show!
No DDT Here.
Rock-climbing!3. Universal Brotherhood: In Episode 80, Ash meets a talented fellow backpacking trainer named Richie. After 24 hours these dudes seem to be inseparable, displaying just about every broshake one could ever wish to witness. The thing is that this pattern is repeated in nearly every new town, as Ash has a naive habit of trusting about everyone he meets. Emerson and Whitman stressed the goodness in all people, and the theory that all men were connected as one. Emerson says in Nature, “”That Unity, that over-soul, within every man’s particular being is contained and made with all other; that common heart, of which all sincere conversation is the worship.” Either Ash emanates these ideals perfectly or he just possesses a hypnotic charm.
…and again3. Insignificance of Logic: At age 10 Pokemon trainers are turned loose to the harsh world with hardly a grammar school education. All glory set aside: Mom says bye and you essentially become an uneducated transient animal trainer. Although he was a Harvard grad along with Thoreau and many of his colleagues, Emerson’s transcendentals believe that Nature is the greatest teacher and that studied logic is meaningless in comparison. he also said that the greatest truth is found in intuition. So think twice when you send your daughter to U of O for $45,000 a year; maybe giving her a dog, a sleeping bag and the open road is a gooder choice.
Ash trying to grasp basic addition. 4. Individuality: Although Ash is normally found traveling from region to region with his notorious posse, he always makes time to visualize his next battle. Any real transcendentalist knows the importance of individuality and the power of independence. This is the reason Walt Whitman had the guts to publish work about erotic homosexual memoirs in a time when gays were persecuted. It’s why Emerson had the courage to be radical enough to protest the methods to the church when it was the center of Angelo-Saxon culture! It’s why Ash… It’s why he has the confidence to strut around with a dirty electric mouse on his shoulder.
Ash drinks Gatorade.5. Pretentious Contemplation of Life: What would a philosophy be without some pretentious intellectual “What is Life?” questions. Emerson claimed that God was in every part of nature and people, an idea originally spun in Eastern Asia. The world of Pokemon represents this inner connectedness between the elements, “animals”, nature and humans. In Episode 80, Ash claims that he will be “the greatest trainer in the universe” and has visions of seeing Pokemon even in the stars. For a children’s show, Pokemon introduces some pretty big themes, especially as we find Team Rocket experiencing outer-body experiences as they fly through a sky of flashing colors.
God?
TR apparently experimenting with LSD6. And of course…FREE LOVE!
***Please excuse the bad image quality it was all iPhone snapped from a VHS.***
naturesalute 