PE01

Pokémon Evolutions

PE02 : The Eclipse →

The Champion

PE01   ザ・チャンピオン The Champion

Web release Japan September 9, 2021 United States September 9, 2021

English themes Opening N/A Ending

Japanese themes Opening N/A Ending N/A

Credits Animation Team Kato Screenplay Benjamin Townsend Benjamin Townsend Storyboard 冨安大貴 Daiki Tomiyasu Assistant director 冨安大貴 Daiki Tomiyasu Animation director 山崎玲愛 Rei Yamazaki No additional credits are available at this time.

The Champion on the official English Pokémon YouTube channel. The Champion on the official Japanese Pokémon YouTube channel. (Japan only) The Champion on the official Chinese Pokémon YouTube channel. The Champion (Behind the Scenes) on the official English Pokémon YouTube channel. Review thread on BMGf

The Champion (Japanese: ザ・チャンピオン The Champion) is the first episode of Pokémon Evolutions. It was first released on the official English Pokémon YouTube channel, Pokémon TV, and the official Japanese Pokémon YouTube channel on September 9, 2021.

Spoiler warning: this article may contain major plot or ending details.

Blurb

What goes on within the heart of a Champion? Doubts? Regrets? Determination? Maybe all three?

Plot

In Wyndon, the biggest city in Galar, Wyndon Stadium is jam-packed with people eager to witness the historic Championship Match between Leon, the undefeated Champion of the Galar League, and Victor, the famed Gym Challenger. In the stadium's locker room, Leon is sitting alone, thinking about the events that interrupted his and Victor's first battle before it could even begin.

At the tower summit atop Hammerlocke Stadium, Leon's Aegislash is defeated by Eternatus, the Legendary Pokémon responsible for the cataclysmic event known as the Darkest Day. Leon quickly recalls Aegislash and sends out his strongest Pokémon, Charizard, to face Eternatus. Victor and Leon's younger brother Hop arrive at the tower summit just as Charizard lands a Fire Blast on Eternatus, causing it to fall down. Seizing the opportunity, Leon throws a Poké Ball at Eternatus, sucking it in. For a few tense moments, the ball shakes, before stopping. Leon, realizing what's going to happen, immediately tells Charizard to shield Victor and Hop, just as the Poké Ball bursts open. The powerful burst of energy released by Eternatus escaping the attempted capture knocks Leon to the ground.

Frustrated by his failure, Leon squeezes Charizard's Ultra Ball in his hand so hard that it slips out and falls to the floor. Charizard emerges and approaches Leon, pulling his Champion cape on his shoulders and motioning him to get going. Understanding his partner, Leon starts putting on his Champion attire.

Victor and Hop eventually succeed in bringing Eternatus down again. At that moment, however, it suddenly transforms into its devastatingly powerful Eternamax form. Faced by overwhelming odds, the two Trainers raise the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield, respectively, into the air. The Legendary Pokémon Zacian and Zamazenta react to the legendary artifacts and arrive to help, using the artifacts to transform into their more powerful Crowned forms. Zamazenta's Behemoth Bash and Zacian's Behemoth Blade deal notable damage on Eternatus, severely weakening it. Victor seizes the chance and uses his Dynamax Band to enlarge a Poké Ball, which he then hurls at Eternatus. The Gigantic Pokémon struggles against the ball's grip, but is eventually sucked in. The ball crashes down and shakes three times before shrinking back to normal, signifying a successful capture. In the sky, the clouds part to signify the end of the Darkest Day.

His attire ready, Leon recalls his Charizard and heads to the field, where the crowd is already cheering for Victor and his accomplishment of defeating Eternatus. As Leon steps out in front of the audience as well, the cheering grows even louder. Leon and Victor face each other, and Leon does his signature Charizard pose to signify the start of the Championship Match.

Major events

• Leon recalls how Victor defeated and caught Eternatus.
• Leon prepares for his Championship Match against Victor.

Characters

Humans

• Victor
• Gloria
• Hop
• Bede
• Marnie
• Nessa (picture)
• Leon
• Ball Guy
• Pokémon Center lady
• Jack
• Cabbie
• Spectators

Pokémon

• Inteleon (Victor's)
• Eternatus (Victor's; Eternamax; new; flashback)
• Toxel (Gloria's)
• Dubwool (Hop's; flashback)
• Cinderace (Hop's)
• Morpeko (Marnie's)
• Aegislash (Leon's; flashback)
• Charizard (Leon's)
• Corviknight (Flying Taxi; multiple)
• Joltik (Trainers'; ×2)
• Impidimp (Trainer's)
• Cufant (Trainer's)
• Perrserker (Trainer's)
• Rookidee (Trainer's)
• Nickit (Trainer's)
• Skwovet (Trainer's)
• Greedent (Trainer's)
• Grubbin (Trainer's)
• Bunnelby (Trainer's)
• Jangmo-o (Trainer's)
• Toxtricity (Trainer's; Amped Form)
• Orbeetle (Trainer's)
• Grookey (Trainer's)
• Scorbunny (Trainer's)
• Sobble (Trainer's)
• Goomy (Trainer's)
• Gossifleur (Trainer's)
• Axew (Trainer's)
• Pancham (Trainer's)
• Wooper (Trainer's)
• Dreepy (Trainer's)
• Polteageist (Trainer's)
• Snom (Trainer's)
• Minccino (Trainer's)
• Golisopod (Trainer's)
• Noibat (Trainer's)
• Vulpix (Trainer's)
• Helioptile (Trainer's)
• Zacian (Hero of Many Battles and Crowned Sword; flashback)
• Zamazenta (Hero of Many Battles and Crowned Shield; flashback)
• Rotom (Drone Rotom; multiple)
• Rookidee (×2)
• Pikachu (×2)
• Toxtricity (Amped Form)
• Rillaboom

Trivia

• The number on Victor's Gym Challenger uniform is 25, a reference to the Pokémon franchise's 25th anniversary.
• The two Pikachu in this episode wear the hats of Victor and Gloria.

In other languages

Language		Title
Chinese	Cantonese	冠軍
	Mandarin	冠軍
Dutch		De kampioen
European French		Le Maître
German		Der Champ
Italian		Il Campione
Korean		챔피언
Brazilian Portuguese		O Campeão
Russian		Чемпион
Spanish	Latin America	El Campeón
	Spain	El Campeón
Thai		แชมเปี้ยน

Pokémon Evolutions

PE02 : The Eclipse →

This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation.