Curtain Up! Fight the Fights! – Pokémon Season 25 Episode 25


Season	Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series (Season 25) · The Masters Eight: quarterfinals arc (JN115–JN120)
Episode	Season 25, episode 25 · English episode 1195 · Japanese episode 1201 · Bulbapedia code JN115
English title	Curtain Up! Fight the Fights!
Japanese title	開幕！マスターズトーナメント！！ Kaimaku! Masutāzu Tōnamento!! — “Opening! Masters Tournament!!”
First aired (Japan)	17 June 2022 · TV Tokyo
First aired (US)	24 February 2023 · Netflix
Screenplay	Atsuhiro Tomioka
Opening / ending (Japan)	Wan, Tsū, Surī (One, Two, Three) – Satoshi & Go (Rica Matsumoto and Daiki Yamashita) · Batsugun Taipu (Supereffective Type) – Pokémon Music Club
English opening	With You – Echosmith
Previous episode	Friends, Rivals, Lend Me Your Spirit! (JN114)
Next episode	Pride of a Champion! (JN116)

Plot episodeMasters Eight beginsLeon vs Alain

Curtain Up! Fight the Fights! is the 25th episode of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, the twenty-fifth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 1195th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 1201, Bulbapedia code JN115). It first aired in Japan on 17 June 2022 and in the United States on 24 February 2023. It falls within the season’s The Masters Eight: quarterfinals stretch (EP115–EP120).

Released on Netflix in the US on 24 February 2023 with the second part (JN103–JN117); Teletoon had premiered it in Canada on 26 November 2022. Australian iTunes released it on 13 November 2022, within two days of the tournament’s conclusion airing in Japan.

Synopsis

The Masters Eight Tournament opens at Wyndon Stadium, where Ash meets Leon’s brother Hop, the eight finalists are introduced and paired, and Leon defeats Alain’s Mega Charizard X in the first match. As Ash and Goh arrive, a boy demands a battle with Ash and is beaten in a single Iron Tail from Pikachu; he introduces himself as Hop, Leon’s younger brother, who has sworn to defeat Leon and wanted to test the Trainer his brother keeps praising. Team Rocket, meanwhile, are covering the tournament on their radio show while scouting strong Pokémon to steal. On his way to the locker room, Ash reunites with Iris and the rest of the Master Class, and the announcer introduces the eight: Ash, the Alola Champion from Pallet Town; Iris, the young Unova Champion; Alain, Mega Stone excavator and Lumiose Conference winner; Diantha, film star and Kalos Champion; Lance, G-Man and newly crowned Champion of Kanto and Johto; Steven, Hoenn Champion and heir to the Devon Corporation; Cynthia, Sinnoh Champion and archaeologist; and Leon, the undefeated Galar Champion, who invites everyone to come at him with all they have.

A random shuffle sets the first round: Leon against Alain, Lance against Diantha, Cynthia against Iris, and Steven against Ash. While Ash, Goh and Hop head for the stands, Iris stays back to get a photo with Diantha and Cynthia, and Steven tells Lance that facing Leon first could overwhelm Alain. Dan announces the rules: three Pokémon each, no time limit, free switching and one Dynamax, Z-Move or Mega Evolution per Trainer. Alain’s Chesnaught opens against Leon’s Rillaboom, which Leon surprisingly Gigantamaxes at once. Chesnaught’s Spiky Shield blunts G-Max Drum Solo and it rides out Max Airstream to land Gyro Ball, but the Max Move has raised Rillaboom’s Speed. Max Quake blocks Pin Missile, and once Rillaboom shrinks back it dodges another Gyro Ball and knocks Chesnaught out with Acrobatics.

Alain sends out Charizard, which Ash excitedly tells Goh and Hop he has battled many times, and its Flare Blitz powers through Drum Beating to knock out Rillaboom. Leon’s own Charizard misses with Dragon Claw and takes an Air Slash, so Alain switches to Malamar, but Fire Blast stops its Psycho Cut and a point-blank Fire Blast defeats it as it tries Throat Chop. Down to Charizard, Alain declares that his goal is to surpass Leon’s Charizard and Mega Evolves it into Mega Charizard X, to Ash’s delight. It withstands Ancient Power and strikes back with Dragon Claw, but its Flare Blitz is met by a point-blank, super-effective Dragon Pulse that knocks it out. Leon advances to the semifinals, and Alain accepts the defeat graciously, promising to train for a rematch. As Hop cheers his brother, Lance and Diantha step onto the field for the next match.

Major Events

The Masters Eight Tournament opens. Ash beats Leon’s brother Hop in an exhibition, Pikachu against Wooloo
Quarterfinal: Leon beats Alain, his Gigantamax Rillaboom and Charizard against Chesnaught, Malamar and Mega Charizard X
The first time all the regional Champions appear together
Anairis Quiñones becomes Iris’s English voice
Debuts of Hop, Snom, Pincurchin, Hattrem, Toxel, Clobbopus, Galarian Darumaka and Galarian Zigzagoon, and TV-episode debuts of Dottler and Eldegoss