Pokémon Evolutions
PE02 : The Eclipse
The Champion
PE01.png
  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 (Japanese: ザ・チャンピオン The Champion) is the first episode of Pokémon Evolutions. It was first released on The Pokémon Company International's official English YouTube channel, Pokémon TV, and The Pokémon Company's official Japanese YouTube channel on September 9, 2021.

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

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

Plot

In Wyndon, the biggest city in Galar, the 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 the 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

Characters

Humans

Pokémon

Trivia

Errors

Dub edits

In other languages



Pokémon Evolutions
PE02 : The Eclipse
  This episode article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime.