THE SUPER INTENSE SEMIFINALS OF THE POKÉMON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS MASTERS TOURNAMENT!!
Only one step remains before the battle against Dande, the greatest of them all, and the goal Satoshi set for himself! Who will win their way through the semifinals and stand in the arena for the finals?!
Which of these four is the greatest in the world?
The Masters Tournament started off with 8 people in it, but now only these four remain. And only two of them will continue to the finals!
SEMIFINAL 1: DANDE VS CARNE
A CLASH BETWEEN KYODAIMAX AND MEGA EVOLUTION?!
Dande made it through his first match using only 2 Pokémon. Can Carne beat him with her trump card, Mega Sirknight?!
GALAR CHAMPION DANDE:
The semifinals are 6-on-6 matches. Which other Pokémon will he use?
The key to victory is Kyodaimax, which can only be done in his home region Galar!
KALOS CHAMPION CARNE:
She cleared her first match with a calm battle style where she fortified herself with defensive moves!
Thanks to its strong bond with Carne, Sirknight can mega evolve! This is her reliable ace!
"The Semifinals I: Sweep" airs Friday August 26th!!
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The day of the Masters Tournament semifinals has arrived. Satoshi is training for his match alongside his Pokémon when he runs into his opponent, Sinnoh Champion Shirona, who is likewise making some final preparations before their match. And as Shirona tells Satoshi about how she first met her partner Gablias, the first semifinal match, a battle between Dande and Carne, is about to begin at Shoot Stadium. The curtain rises for the fierce semifinals!
Screenplay 冨岡淳広 (Atsuhiro Tomioka)
Storyboard 尼野浩正 (Hiromasa Amano)
Episode Director 野田泰宏 (Yasuhiro Noda)
Animation Director 山崎玲愛 (Rei Yamazaki)
Animation Director 大西雅也 (Masaya Onishi)
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LET'S RESEARCH THE KEYS TO SATOSHI'S NEXT OPPONENTS SHIRONA AND GABLIAS' STRATEGIES!
All the participants in the Pokémon World Championships Masters Tournament are top tier Trainers, but what is it that ultimately decides their battles? Is it the Pokémon's strength? Strategies? The Trainer and Pokémon's compatability? Or is it something else...? Satoshi's opponent in the second round, Shirona, certainly has no equal when it comes to skill, experience and career. But why don't we conduct some thorough research on this mysterious lady and her ace Gablias to see if we can't find a way to overcome her? It seems the key to her strength lies in her newly revealed past. Her first Pokémon was apparently a Fukamaru. And you'll get to see a glimpse of it alongside a cute young Shirona too?!
The result of her research is......
SHIRONA'S NEW TRUMP CARD IS GABLIAS' MEGA EVOLUTION!
During Iris' impressive effort against her, Shirona showed off her never before seen trump card: Mega Evolution. Her ace Pokémon Gablias was already a mighty opponent, so keep a eye on its new form in this battle as well!
(Mega Evolution is an evolved form created from the Trainer's bond with the Pokémon, which Alan, Carne and Daigo can use as well. The Pokémon gains an astounding power-up in battle only.)
If you want to observe Shirona...
SHE SHOWED NO CONCEIT DESPITE HER OPPONENT BEING SOMEOE SHE HAD TAUGHT: SHIRONA'S ALL-OUT BATTLE AGAINST IRIS!
Shirona's opponent in her first match was Iris, the Champion of the Isshu region. Shirona had taught Iris the basics of Pokémon battling in the past, and she smiled at how much her former student had grown as she now unleashed her power against her as an equal.
(Neither student-teacher relationships nor age matter on the battlefield! Iris showed how much she had grown, but in the end, Shirona was indeed one cut above her)
If you want to observe Gablias...
SHIRONA AND GABLIAS HAVE BEEN IN HARMONY EVER SINCE GABLIAS WAS AN EGG
Shirona and Gablias have been spending time together and growing up together ever since Gablias' preevolution Fukamaru was still in its egg. Have they become one in body and soul?
(You never know what's going to hatch from a Pokémon egg. But that's also precisely why the day you say hello to what hatched is going to stay with you as long as you live)
THE SECRET TO POWER IS RAISING A POKÉMON FROM AN EGG?! IN THAT CASE SATOSHI SHOULD HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF WINNING TOO!!!
In battles where the bond between Pokémon and Trainer is essential, do the pair that has spent the most time together have the advantage? Will Satoshi and the Lucario he raised from an egg and which has mastered Mega Evolution show their true strength as well?!
(Satoshi's Lucario has shown how much of an ace it is in battle. The respective growth of Satoshi and Shirona's two partners, who have been raised under the same circumstances, might end up being the highlight of their battle? Look forward to seeing how they'll fight!)
SHIRONA EXPERT TOMO SAKURAI SPEAKS:
"Shirona is even stronger than I could've imagined!"
Q: SHIRONA MADE HER REAPPEARANCE IN THE SHOW AS THE PERSON HOLDING RANK 2 IN THE POKÉMON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS MASTER CLASS. TELL US HOW YOU REACTED WHEN YOU FIRST LEARNED THIS WOULD BE THE CASE.
A: Shirona may be the Champion of the Sinnoh region, but to be honest, I never expected her to be ranked THAT high. So when I learned she was ranked second, I got so surprised I wanted to apologize for doubting her (laughs).
Q: IN THE THIRD MATCH OF THE FIRST ROUND, SHIRONA BATTLED IRIS, WHO HELD RANK 7. WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THAT BATTLE?
A: This was a battle that of course Shirona, but also I, felt got really heartwarming at points. It even had this scene where a smiling Shirona looks at how much Iris has grown and says "Right now, we are both just Pokémon Trainers."
Q: SHIRONA USED MEGA EVOLUTION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE ANIME IN HER MATCH AGAINST IRIS. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?
A: That really surprised me too! She suddenly took out her lipstick, spun it around, and there was a Key Stone there! However... I may have got really shocked by that scene, but the person in the studio that got the MOST surprised by it when we were recording was Aoi Yuki-chan, who plays Iris (laughs). I did wonder why Shirona's Key Stone was on her lipstick, though. I associate lipstick with women, and I never really consciously thought of Shirona as a "woman" while playing her, so it felt a bit unexpected... To me she was always "a Trainer" as opposed to "a woman".
Q: SHIRONA ACTS VERY DIGNIFIED AND COMMANDING DURING BATTLES IN GENERAL, DOESN'T SHE?
A: I'm happy to hear you say that. Truth to be told though, I occasionally get really fired up when delivering my lines (laughs). Every time I do, though, sound director (Masafumi) Mima tells me I'm overdoing it, and I manage to course correct. I will keep doing my best to focus on remaining calm and composed during battle while playing Shirona in order to truly get across what the character is like.
Q: SHIRONA HAS BEEN DOING VERY WELL IN THE POKÉMON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS SO FAR, HOW DO YOU THINK SHE FEELS ABOUT THIS TOURNAMENT?
A: I think she wants to test the extent of her power. Shirona made a certain resolve before this tournament that's going to be revealed before the battle against Satoshi, so please keep an eye out for the scene where she talks about it.
Q: FINALLY, I HEARD THERE'S GOING TO BE A SCENE IN AN UPCOMING EPISODE THAT TALKS ABOUT SHIRONA AND GABLIAS' PAST, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME HINTS REGARDING THAT?
A: Yes, there's going to be a scene that explains how Shirona lovingly raised Gablias from an egg. It's going to be a heartwarming scene showing how little Shirona and the Fukamaru that hatched from the egg work really hard together and grow a lot together. It quickly became my favorite scene in the entire series, and made me both smile and cry... It made me feel much more strongly about Gablias as well. This is a scene that really emphasizes Shirona's love for Pokémon, so I'm really looking forward to you all seeing it.
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