by Anthony Friedman

Pokemon are species that are dedicated to helping their master, but they are not slaves. Their owners are their friends. They are loyal and strong and will protect their friends. This is not done because they have to; they do it because they want to. To top it all off, they are just like a pet. They won't listen to you unless you have the special badges that will prove to them that you are worthy. One of the main goals of the Pokemon Game is to get badges to increase the special powers of your Pokemon, so they will listen to you.

Here's a quick rundown. With a Cascade Badge, all Pokemon up to level 30 will obey you. With a Rainbow Badge, all Pokemon up to level 50 will obey you. With a Marsh Badge, all Pokemon up to level 70 will obey you. Last but not least, with an Earth Badge, all Pokemon will obey you. So remember, Pokemon are your friends, and they will help you, as long as you help them.

I found out about Pokemon by two of my friends. They already had a lot of Pokemon merchandise. I had no idea what it was, but when I heard, I was hooked. Now I have almost every single TCG (trading card game) card ever made, and the yellow and blue versions of the Game Boy games. I have most of the Pokemon games and I hope to get a lot more.

About the Pokemon Movie
This movie is about Ash Ketchum, a Pokemon trainer, and how he battles Mewtwo, a psychic Pokemon, and winds up saving all the Pokemon. Ash Ketchum learned that friendship is very valuable.

I thought that the movie was good and bad. It was good because it brought to life some of my favorite Pokemon, like Pikachu and Ash Ketchum. The battle between Mew and Mewtwo was really cool, especially when they were beaming, fighting, and flying through the air. The special effects were terrific and the animation was great.

I didn't like the way they portrayed Mewtwo. I also didn't like the scenes that didn't make sense. They mixed up characters and there were a few unfinished parts in the movie. Here are some examples: when Mewtwo blows up Giovanni's (the team rocket leader) building, we never find out what happened to Giovanni. Also, when the scientist's laboratory is blown up, we never find out what happened to the scientists. The movie also doesn't explain how Mewtwo gets his laboratory to make to make Super Pokemon clones.

Most of the scenes made you feel for the characters.

All in all, I would give this movie a seven out of ten. I wish they had made Mewtwo a positive character because he is one of my favorite Pokemon. I also felt it was somewhat slow moving. I can see why this movie might be confusing for people who don't know about Pokemon. Ash Ketchum was the hero of the movie, and with the lesson he learned, he can become the greatest character ever known.

About the Author
Anthony J. Friedman is almost ten years old. He lives in Los Angeles, and is in the fourth grade at Los Encinos School.

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