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?!
SEMIFINAL MATCH 2: SATOSHI VS SHIRONA
Satoshi struggles greatly against Shirona when she goes all out?!
Shirona technically outperforms Satoshi in all kinds of areas, including battle experience of knowledge of moves. How will Satoshi fight against her?!
SINNOH CHAMPION SHIRONA:
She's ranked 2nd, so she's right next to Dande! Her ace is Gablias!
Gablias seized the victory in her first match by mega evolving. Take note of how powerful it is!
Tritodon battles using all kinds of moves, including one that makes rain fall on the field.
SATOSHI, THE FIRST CHAMPION OF THE ALOLA LEAGUE:
He's not giving up until he gets a battle with his idol Dande! Unleash your power and seize victory!
It's time to show the full power of his highly trained team of 6!
Which of his available trump cards will he use and when will he use it?! Lucario's Mega Evolution? Gangar's Kyodaimax? Pikachu's Z-Move? He wants to make sure he knows the perfect potential turning point!
"The Semifinals II: Dazzle" airs Friday September 2nd!!
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DEFEAT SHIRONA, THE SUPER SKILLED BATTLER HOLDING RANK 2 IN THE MASTER CLASS!!!
Satoshi is participating in a tournament that will declare the best Pokémon battler of all! And he's aiming to win!!
CAN SATOSHI PASS THE SEMIFINALS?!
Satoshi has qualified for the semifinals, but his next opponent is Shirona! Get ready for a fierce match where neither of the two is willing to give an inch!
PREMONITIONS OF AN AMAZING CLASH!!
Which Pokémon will the two send out first?
*Here's Gangar's Will-O-Wisp! Drive your opponents to the wall with burns!
*Pikachu is pumped! Will it use its signature move?
Shirona's powerful Pokemon: Gablias (Dragon/Ground), Tritodon West Sea (Water/Ground) and Milokaross (Water)
A balanced lineup centered around Gablias!
"The Semifinals II: Dazzle" (airs September 2nd)
Satoshi and Shirona finally clash! Make sure to catch the entirety of the match against this unbeliavably powerful opponent!
"The Semifinals III: Valor" (airs September 9th)
The battle between Satoshi and Shirona continue on with no clear winner in sight! What could the word "valor" refer to?!
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It's time for the second semifinal match, where Satoshi faces Shirona in a match with advancement to the finals on the line! Satoshi is in trouble from the very get-go, as Shirona toys with him using her clever strategies. Satoshi wants to try turning the tides of the battle, but... Sinnoh Champion Shirona and her powerful Pokémon stand like a wall before him!
Screenplay 冨岡淳広 (Atsuhiro Tomioka)
Storyboard 尼野浩正 (Hiromasa Amano)
Episode Director 太田彬彦 (Akihiko Ota)
Animation Director 柳原好貴 (Koki Yanagihara)
Animation Director 濱中章太郎 (Shotaro Hamanaka)
Animation Director 大山愛子 (Aiko Oyama)
Animation Director 中村希実代 (Kimiyo Nakamura)
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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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