I'm Gonna "GOTCHA!" Good

No matter what fate awaits us,

I'll take your hand in mine and never let go.

Next to you (next to you) here by your side,

Our souls cry out that this is where we belong.

And when our reasons shine bright,

Embracing us in their light,

I want you to see how you look in my eyes,

(Next to me) (next to me) in the good seats.

I want you to know that you're here.

That's how this all began.

-- "Acacia", Bump of Chicken (official translation)

In the announcement of things to come on the road ahead for some Pokémon games, I noted that something really special was shown at the end of it. That something special would be a song (in Japanese) and its accompanying music video, of which the final part I've quoted above as the official translation provided as subtitles in the video. The music video itself is titled "GOTCHA!", though the song is titled differently as above. It is awesome in many ways, which is why I chose to "expand" its discussion in a fully separate post.

It is true that the song and its video was shown at the end of the announcement, thereby "expanding" it so it's not just a 7 to 8-minute announcement. Yet, there's a little bit more to it than that. Those who have played the first-generation games may have checked the TV in the home of the player's Trainer and found a movie with a scene of "four boys... walking on railroad tracks". The music video for this song indeed contains this very scene at the beginning and near the end, and therefore this is an "expansion" of that. It's also an "expansion" of a reference to another popular Japanese movie, so it goes in multiple ways.

Meanwhile, the artist of the song has a big name as far as Japanese pop culture is concerned. Bump of Chicken is an alternative rock group composed of four members, and they've had many songs featured in different anime series, whether as openings or endings, and one of them is something I'm familiar with. As a result of being featured, their popularity extends to other things, including music games (and others) where their songs are featured. Of course, this Pokémon thing is new and could be construed as an "expansion" as well.

Aside from the four-boys-on-a-railroad scene as above, the music video contains many familiar faces from Pokémon games from the past to the present, and they are depicted very vividly in animated form as being part of the "Pokémon stories" of two of the boys, which includes the company of a Pikachu and an Eevee. In short, it is more or less an anime music video (AMV), but the animation style is somewhat different from the style of the current Pokémon anime. The video ends with one of the boys attempting to catch Mew as a display of the "GOTCHA!" title and theme.

The AMV has resulted in certain reactions. Because of the vividness of the characters in the video, some have stated the desire for an anime series in similar style. I would support it, though I wouldn't discount the anime as it is today, still with Ash in some capacity. Some who have viewed it but have been away from Pokémon (that is, "out of it") have even shed tears, and I would say it's amazing that it can do that. And then there are some who have watched the video numerous times because of its excellent quality; I think I may be close to doing the same thing, and I cannot argue much about its quality - it is that good and vivid, so much that each time I watch, I pick up something I missed previously.

Pokémon is and has always been about the creatures and the people who catch them to befriend them, struggle with them, and live life with them. The song rather encapsulates that in its lyrics and the video only serves to reinforce that further. It also couldn't have come at a better time the other day as "the road ahead" for Pokémon games expanded and for fans to take in all the expansion that has happened, including with this one. On that road ahead, I'm sure there's always time to be together with Pokémon (the creatures) and that any time is the right time for a "GOTCHA!".

One year ago: The Singapore Pokémon Center

Two years ago: (Welcome Back to) Local EX Raid, 10/2/2018

Three years ago: Preparing for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon