Aim to Be a Pokémon Master

Aim to Be a Pokémon Master (Japanese: めざせポケモンマスター Mezase Pokémon Master) is the first opening theme of the original series, with a cover by Whiteberry being the fourth. An arrangement made to commemorate the 's 20th anniversary replaced Alola!! as the second opening song of the.

A verse from this song was featured in the third opening theme of the, Pokémon Symphonic Medley, and a synthesized version was used during captures and evolutions in Pokémon Pinball. It is also one of the songs featured in the Japan-only game,.

Versions
Aim to Be a Pokémon Master is the most re-used theme song in the Pokémon anime's history, having no fewer than six versions including the original:

! Year ! Artist ! Arranger ! Used in
 * 1997
 * rowspan=2 | Rica Matsumoto
 * rowspan=2 | Cher Watanabe
 * EP001 - EP080
 * 1998
 * Mewtwo's Counterattack, It's the New Year! Pocket Monsters Special!
 * 2001
 * Whiteberry
 * Norio Sakai
 * EP192 - EP238
 * 2001
 * Rica Matsumoto
 * CHOKKAKU
 * Celebi: An Encounter Through Time
 * 2002
 * coba & Rica Matsumoto
 * coba
 * Guardians of the Water Capital: Latios and Latias
 * 2017
 * Rica Matsumoto
 * Saku
 * SM030 - SM043, I Choose You!
 * }
 * }
 * 2017
 * Rica Matsumoto
 * Saku
 * SM030 - SM043, I Choose You!
 * }
 * }

Synopsis
The type symbols appear in a circle, and the series logo appears on the screen. The final evolutions of the three s, Pikachu, Ash and an unnamed are seen. This is followed by three scenes showing random Generation I Pokémon.

Ash is then seen with a Poké Ball. After that, he is riding on the back of a Lapras with Pikachu while a Gyarados and Dragonair are seen jumping out and in the water. Next, Ash and Pikachu are looking at Pallet Town. It cuts to a scene with them walking, and then Ash throws a Poké Ball with a Pidgeot inside. The Pokémon then begins battling with a Fearow.

appears looking at the screen, when and  appear on either side of him. This is followed by Jessie and James rising up in front of them. Koffing, Meowth and Ekans jump up next, followed by holding a Poké Ball. Ash and are seen running from the rain. This is followed by a short clip of Nurse Joy,, Officer Jenny and Delia Ketchum.

The next scene shows Ash and his friends in Viridian Forest. Then, Ash and Pikachu are seen running with an Arcanine and a Rapidash. The latter Pokémon jumps up, and the three Legendary birds are seen flying in the sky. A clip of Mewtwo and Mew in space is shown, followed by Ash in a stadium holding a Poké Ball. His friends appear with him.

Humans

 * Ash Ketchum
 * Jessie
 * James
 * Gary Oak
 * Delia Ketchum
 * Nurse Joy
 * Officer Jenny
 * Delia Ketchum
 * Nurse Joy
 * Officer Jenny

Pokémon

 * (, new)
 * (, newly evolved)
 * (, newly evolved)

Trivia

 * The battle between Ash's Pidgeot and the Fearow is a parallel of Pallet Party Panic, the first episode in which the following opening was used. Ash's did not become Pidgeot until that episode.
 * The elemental logos shown before and during the title logo animation are the symbols for the seven TCG Type (TCG types) at the time.
 * The song can be heard in the instrumental version of High Touch!.
 * The image of was interestingly not removed after the EP038 incident.
 * At one point of The Road to Humilau!, Ash and 🇺🇳 hum this theme in the Japanese version. However, it was not kept in the English dub.
 * An instrumental version of the original version of this song appears in both the Japanese and English versions of Pokémon 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 an 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.

Errors

 * When, Ekans, and Koffing jump onscreen, Meowth's right fang disappears for a split second.
 * When Ash and are running from the rain, Poliwrath's eyelid is white instead of blue.

Variants

 * 1) EP001 - EP002: The original animation. During the Pokémon images scene, there's a picture of a, but it reads "" on it.
 * 2) EP003: The Kadabra error is corrected, and an actual Alakazam picture is put in its place.
 * 3) EP004 - EP038: The TCG Type (TCG 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.
 * 4) EP039 - ???: After the "Pokémon Shock" incident of EP038, the opening was changed to be broken up into four images per screen. This change also applies to reruns of the first 37 episodes.
 * 5) ??? - ???: 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 and . Several frames were removed from the scene staring Zapdos (This change carried over to the western opening).
 * 6) ??? - EP080: The title screen is CGI animated.

Opening text
! Japanese !width:"500"|English ポケットモンスターとの 友情と冒険のお話である.  Pocket Monsters, and Their friendship, adventures and meetings.
 * この物語は少年サトシと
 * この物語は少年サトシと
 * This story is about a boy, and
 * }
 * }

Synopsis
Ash is holding a Poké Ball towards the screen. The logo appears, followed by Pikachu fighting against a Tyranitar by using. Ash and his friends are then seen jumping into the water. There, a Mantine, Lanturn, Lapras and Lugia appear swimming alongside them. Ash turned his hat and faced the 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 the Legendary 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, the Pichu 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 with in front of them.

Four Pokémon and five people are on top and stood in front of them. Ash and Pikachu ran up a flight of stairs together with the Legendary Birds and reached the Plateau. Ash and Pikachu stood in front of many Pokémon. Ash, Misty, Brock and Ash's Pokémon stood together.

Humans

 * Ash Ketchum
 * Tracey Sketchit
 * Jessie
 * James
 * Delia Ketchum
 * Officer Jenny
 * Nurse Joy
 * Delia Ketchum
 * Officer Jenny
 * Nurse Joy

Pokémon

 * (Pichu Brothers)
 * (Pichu Brothers)
 * (Pichu Brothers)
 * (Pichu Brothers)
 * (Pichu Brothers)
 * (Pichu Brothers)
 * (Pichu Brothers)
 * (Pichu Brothers)
 * (Pichu Brothers)
 * (Pichu Brothers)

Trivia

 * The fact that this, the fourth Japanese opening, is a cover of the first one is mimicked in the English dub, where Born to Be a Winner, the fourth opening, borrows heavily from the first one.
 * This is the first opening theme to not be performed by Rica Matsumoto.

Humans

 * Ash Ketchum
 * Delia Ketchum
 * Olivia
 * Delia Ketchum
 * Olivia
 * Delia Ketchum
 * Olivia
 * Olivia
 * Olivia

Pokémon

 * (Rotom Pokédex)
 * (SM038-present)
 * (Ride Pokémon)
 * (Alola Form)
 * ('s; Alola Form; Snowy; hatches)
 * ('s; Mimey; flashback)
 * ('s; )
 * (Olivia's; )
 * (Samson Oak's)
 * (Hobbes's; )
 * (Trainer's; flashback)
 * (Trainer's; flashback)
 * (Trainer's; flashback)
 * (Trainer's; flashback)
 * (Trainer's; flashback)
 * (Trainer's; flashback)
 * (Ride Pokémon)
 * (Ride Pokémon)
 * (Ride Pokémon; ×2)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (Alola Form)
 * (multiple)
 * (Trainer's; flashback)
 * (Trainer's; flashback)
 * (Ride Pokémon)
 * (Ride Pokémon)
 * (Ride Pokémon; ×2)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (Alola Form)
 * (multiple)
 * (Ride Pokémon)
 * (Ride Pokémon; ×2)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (Alola Form)
 * (multiple)
 * (Alola Form)
 * (multiple)
 * (Alola Form)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)
 * (multiple)

Variants

 * 1) SM030 - SM037: The original animation.
 * 2) SM038 - SM043: The clip of Olivia is cut short to show Ash using Continental Crush with Lycanroc.

Trivia

 * This is the first Japanese opening to be made up almost entirely of episode clips.
 * This is the first Japanese opening featuring humans in which does not appear.
 * In SM042 and SM043,, , and can be heard citing ad-libs from the original version of the opening.

TV Size
! Japanese ! English
 * lang="ja" | 
 * lang="ja" | 


 * ''(I'll get you, Pokémon!)

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! I'll get you, Pokémon!

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

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 long to be a Pokémon Master I want to be, I have to be I know I'll be one!''
 * }
 * }

Full version
! Japanese ! English
 * lang="ja" | 
 * lang="ja" | 

</ab>
 * ''(I'll get you, Pokémon!)

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</sc> you! I'll get</sc> you, Pokémon!

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

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</sc> you! I'll get</sc> you, Pokémon!

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 long 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 long to be a Pokémon Master I want to be, I have to be I know I'll be one!

Ah! I long to be a Pokémon Master I want to be, I have to be I know I'll be one!''</ab>
 * }
 * }

Mezase Pokémon Master (Musiktitel) OPJ01 Objectif Maître Pokémon Mezase Pokémon Master めざせポケモンマスター 目标是宝可梦大师