Preview JN115: Opening! Masters Tournament!!

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

They've done a decent job in XY callbacks, possibly as good as the Alolan, Kanto, and SM ones.

JN has done better at callbacks than any series prior, and seeing XY callbacks is very pleasing. This isn't about callbacks though. The problem is that Alain being in the Masters 8 gives people hope to see Ash get some revenge after being absolutely robbed of a major league victory. It was a loss that caused significant backlash. It won't change the fact that Ash lost there, and being Alolan Champion is significantly better than being the winner of the Lumiose Conference, but to include Alain and not give Ash the chance to face and FINALLY defeat him after multiple losses just feels like a slap to the face.

 

[Imtnt]

To be fair Ash is battling Lance, the Kanto/Johto Champion from Ash's home region. It's not like Ash isn't getting a highly prestige trainer to win against.

Plus Lance higher ranked, will prob help him justify his progress and face Steven/Cynthia.

I think it is also worthless that Ash will fight Charizard after Charizard just to state he is better than both his last and current rivals.

* JUST MAYBE Alain will battle train Ash before the final and thats the only reason to make him lose to Leon in the first round.

 

[Lightning Flame Blast]

It’s not like Lance was very well hyped up even back in OS, so prioritizing him over Alain seems… asinine.

 

[KrspaceT]

Lance was the second best guy last years. That's, again, hardly nothing. It's just...well when it comes to Ash and anticipation he's not in the top half of the M8 roster. Honestly they could probably have had Lance show up in a few non M8 episodes to prepare that better

 

[Rath]

Summary and staff list from Dephender

The curtain rises for the "Masters Tournament", the greatest tournament in all history and the one that's going to determine the absolute best of the best at Pokémon battling, and Satoshi and Go have gone to Shoot City in the Galar region where the playoffs will take place! There, Satoshi encounters Dande's younger brother Hop, and a battle suddenly starts between the two! Afterward, Go and the others decide to watch the matches with Hop!

Screenplay 冨岡淳広 (Atsuhiro Tomioka)
Storyboard 齋藤徳明 (Noriaki Saito)
Episode Director 沼山茉由 (Mayu Numayama)
Animation Director 倉員千晶 (Chiaki Kurakazu)
Animation Director 新岡浩美 (Hiromi Niioka)

 

[Eclipsical]

wooloo sweep incoming

 

[Lightning Flame Blast]

Oh boy, this is gonna get bloody

 

[pengugeneral]

New info from Dephender at Serebii.

Spoiler

The curtain rises for the "Masters Tournament", the tournament that's going to determine the abolute best of the best at Pokémon battling. Satoshi, who has been selected as one of the "Masters Eight", the top 8 Trainers, has gone to Shoot Stadium where the playoffs will take place! And now the first match of the first round, a battle between Dande and Alan, is about to begin with Satoshi watching.

Screenplay 冨岡淳広 (Atsuhiro Tomioka)
Storyboard 齋藤徳明 (Noriaki Saito)
Episode Director 沼山茉由 (Mayu Numayama)
Animation Director 倉員千晶 (Chiaki Kurakazu)
Animation Director 新岡浩美 (Hiromi Niioka)

 

[cricketlaxwolvesbandy]

New info from Dephender at Serebii.

Spoiler

The curtain rises for the "Masters Tournament", the tournament that's going to determine the abolute best of the best at Pokémon battling. Satoshi, who has been selected as one of the "Masters Eight", the top 8 Trainers, has gone to Shoot Stadium where the playoffs will take place! And now the first match of the first round, a battle between Dande and Alan, is about to begin with Satoshi watching.

Screenplay 冨岡淳広 (Atsuhiro Tomioka)
Storyboard 齋藤徳明 (Noriaki Saito)
Episode Director 沼山茉由 (Mayu Numayama)
Animation Director 倉員千晶 (Chiaki Kurakazu)
Animation Director 新岡浩美 (Hiromi Niioka)

So Greninja’s return episode was worthless.
Press F to pay respects

 

[Rath]

So Greninja’s return episode was worthless.
Press F to pay respects

It did exactly what it was intended to do; give Lucario a power-up

 

[cricketlaxwolvesbandy]

It did exactly what it was intended to do; give Lucario a power-up

And that’s a waste when Greninja’s story isn’t finished yet.

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

For JN114, but still, seeing Pikachu and Ash's own Charizard together again always does make me happy.

 

[Shadao]

New info from Dephender at Serebii.

Spoiler

The curtain rises for the "Masters Tournament", the tournament that's going to determine the abolute best of the best at Pokémon battling. Satoshi, who has been selected as one of the "Masters Eight", the top 8 Trainers, has gone to Shoot Stadium where the playoffs will take place! And now the first match of the first round, a battle between Dande and Alan, is about to begin with Satoshi watching.

Screenplay 冨岡淳広 (Atsuhiro Tomioka)
Storyboard 齋藤徳明 (Noriaki Saito)
Episode Director 沼山茉由 (Mayu Numayama)
Animation Director 倉員千晶 (Chiaki Kurakazu)
Animation Director 新岡浩美 (Hiromi Niioka)

Spoiler

Well, looks like Alain will be sacrificed to the beast. If he's gonna be there to get Trevor'd, might as well make it a sweep.

 

[Adelon]

Spoiler

Well, looks like Alain will be sacrificed to the beast. If he's gonna be there to get Trevor'd, might as well make it a sweep.

It kind of sucks that

Spoiler

Ash probably won't get his rematch with Alain

but I'm excited to see the epic showdown between

Spoiler

Mega Charizard X and Gigantamax Charizard!

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

And that’s a waste when Greninja’s story isn’t finished yet.

Yes it is. It served its role as a hero who helped to save Kalos from a disaster.

 

[swampertus]

And that’s a waste when Greninja’s story isn’t finished yet.

Forget about that old frog already. He lost his chance and doesn't deserve another

 

[PokeFan2005]

https://twitter.com/anipoke_PR/status/1534837708509458433

The fight table will be revealed on Friday

 

[Max1996]

Yes it is. It served its role as a hero who helped to save Kalos from a disaster.

Is it fully resolved, though? I think its return episode begs to differ.

Forget about that old frog already. He lost his chance and doesn't deserve another

Are you sure about that?

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

Is it fully resolved, though? I think its return episode begs to differ.

I personally think that episode was just Greninja training Lucario, not necessarily a foreshadowing of Greninja's return.

 

[Rath]

The match-ups will be revealed in special video tomorrow, so the fanbase can move to complaining about the actual match-ups