The official Japanese Anime PR Twitter account posted a special illustration for this episode on June 14th, 2024 by Akira Komayama.

AniPoke Special Illustration released
In episode 56, airing Friday June 28th, we'll get Liko & Kaede VS Chili. We present a special illustration by Akira Komayama-san!
The Pokémon Anime airs every Friday at 6:55pm on the TV Tokyo Network (airdate and airtime may vary depending on region)! Episode 46-54 are all currently available to watch on Youtube!

アニポケ 特別イラスト公開
6/28(金)放送の第56話はリコ＆カエデ VS チリ
こまやま明(@Akira_Komayama)さんによるイメージイラストはこちら！
アニポケは毎週金曜よる6時55分～
テレ東系で放送※一部地域では放送日時が異なります
第46～54話は一挙配信中

On June 28th, 2024, Famitsu and Inside Games posted an interview with Mitsuki Saiga.

The "Terastal Debut" arc of the Pocket Monsters anime TV series premiered Friday April 12th, 2024. As protagonists Liko, Roy and Dot engage in fierce Pokémon battles against the Paldea Elite Four, we bring you an interview with Mitsuki Saiga-san, who plays the Elite Four member Chili. Here we asked Saiga-san lots of questions about obvious subjects such as the Chili character, but also about her personal thoughts and new takes on the Pokémon anime series now that she has a role in it.

Q: First off, how did you feel when you you got cast as Elite Four member Chili?
Saiga: Well, when they offered me the role, they gave me a short description of the character, and I happily accepted the role based on that. I had never heard of the character before, so it wasn't until after the official announcement of the casting that I realized she's actually extremely popular. That really surprised me.

Q: There were a lot of reactions to that announcement, weren't there?
Saiga: There were. Not only was "Chili-chan" trending on X, I also got a surprising amount of comments from fellow actors both at AnimeJapan itself and on LINE (laughs). It was a real relief to hear that those who had seen the promo video approved of my delivery in it.

Q: Apparently a lot of Pokémon fans had wanted you in this role ever since the games first released, too.
Saiga: Really? Thank you, that made me happy to hear. I hope I lived up to their expectations, then. Ever since I got offered the role, I wanted to have fun telling a story together with Chili-chan, so I was really looking forward to the dubbing sessions.

Q: What were your initial impressions of Chili after seeing her character design, and did they change after you had read the scripts and actually played her?
Saiga: When I first saw her design, I though she looked very calm, collected and reserved, so I figured she was probably this cool and confident, handsome lady. I got pretty surprised when the directors told me she was actually a very bright and cheerful character who's always getting others swept up in her energetic nature; It's true that the first line I recorded for her was "Maido! Chili-chan ya de!", and that when I read the script for her debut episode she didn't come across as all that calm and collected after all, but it wasn't until that conversation with the directors that I finally got what kind of character she is, and how completely off my initial impression had been. And even after that, I didn't get her cheerful enough to the sound director's liking right away.
So with the realization that she only comes across as cool and collected in serious, intense situations like battles, and is otherwise very open-hearted and energetic, I started forming the character, the person, of the Chili-chan in the anime. Or more accurately, I started understanding her.

Q: One of Chili's most defining traits is the dialect-esque manner she speaks in. Do you find it difficult to act while speaking like that?
Saiga: Well, the staff actually told me to focus on the actual acting and not worry too much about the dialect since it was a made-up one anyway, but since I wanted to do this right, I brought in some native speakers of what I figured her dialect was based on to coach me. They told me how to pronounce my lines in order to sound as natural as possible, and I incorporated their advice into my acting.

Q: I watched her debut scene right before this interview, and she definitely sounds very natural. It also makes her comes across as very cool while battling, especially when you keep her otherwise cheerful disposition in mind.
Saiga: I'm happy to hear that. I didn't want my voice to distract from the story, so I hoped I managed to play her in an engaging manner. Your comment allows me to feel at ease as I wait for the episode to air, and is great motivation in general too (laughs).

Q: Did playing Chili give you a different impression of her, or make you understand her better?
Saiga: I thought the way she responded to Liko-chan finally going all out against her by going all out against Liko-chan herself was a really cool character trait. What makes her such an appealing character is how multi-faceted she is; She's normally very carefree, but you can see the expression in her eyes change during her battle with Liko-chan as she takes on the role of a mentor and starts battling seriously. I think it's precisely because Liko-chan herself realizes this that she's able to go all out against Chili-chan, and that the true highlight of the battle is seeing how it makes Liko-chan grow and what new kind of step forward it makes her take.

Q: Is there anything you'd like Chili to do in the future, or any particular situations you'd like to play her in?
Saiga: I'd like her to just hang out with Liko-chan and the others a bit, talking normally with them instead of acting as a battle opponent. I enjoy being able to discover new and appealing aspects of characters by seeing them depicted in everyday situations. Like, if Chili-chan and the other Elite Four members were to just hang out together and talk, we'd get to see their real selves with all their peculiarities on full display. Wouldn't that be something people would find interesting?

Q: I'd definitely love to see it! So, do you identify with Chili in any way, or do you feel like she resembles you in some manner?
Saiga: Not at all. It's always like that no matter who I play... I think that's specifically what makes this job so much fun.
If I absolutely have to pick something, though… I guess we have very similar voices? Yeah, we do (laughs).

Q: (laughs)
Saiga: Every character I've got to play throughout my career has been really fascinating, though, and that goes for Chili-chan as well. Playing these characters makes me understand how they think and operate, and I find that really entertaining.

Q: Besides Chili, have any other characters in the anime particularly caught your attention?
Saiga: As far as episode 55 and 56 go, I guess Botan and Grusha… There's a massive amount of interesting characters in these two episodes, many of them appearing for the first time, and just to provide setup for future episodes before disappearing again too. They were all really distinct, so you get the feeling there's going to be more to them.

Q: And did any Pokémon particularly catch your attention?
Saiga: That would be... (points to the Dooh plushie next to her) Dooh here. I learned about it when I got cast as Chili-chan and thought it was really cute. I remember I posted on X that I really wanted to hug it, and then getting shocked when a fan reposted with a comment telling me it can't be touched since it's a Poison type (laughs).

Q: It's an extremely popular Pokémon. People find that expressionless face really calming.
Saiga: I think part of what makes it so popular is that it's very strong despite looking so cute and unassuming. I really like the strong bond it has with Chili-chan as well. I'm primarily familiar with the Pokémon from the Pocket Monsters Red/Green video games, which I played in my 20s, but Dooh-chan quickly become one of my favorite Pokémon. They may come up with new cute Pokémon with every new game, but this particular one was like love at first sight (laughs).

Q: You mentioned having played Pocket Monsters Red/Green, which Pokémon from those games are your favorites?
Saiga: My favorite is Mew. It's both cute and strong at the same time. I also really like the three Pokémon you can pick between at the beginning.

Q: Fushigidane, Hitokage and Zenigame?
Saiga: Yes. Personally, I think of those three as the foundation of all things Pokémon. And they're so cute they make you want to cancel their evolutions too (laughs).

Q: Do you have any other favorite Pokémon games? I saw on social media that you've been using the Pokémon Sleep app.
Saiga: Yes, that's right! I don't need much sleep to get through the day, so I started using it to manage my sleep time. Normally I wake up after about 3 hours, which is enough to get through a full day without feeling sleepy, so I'd like to get a proper 6 hours of sleep for once. Even if I go to bed at 1 or 2am I end up waking up around 6, though, and then I just toss and turn in bed or play video games until I'm actually supposed to get up (laughs).
I've been hard at work evolving Pokémon in the app too, and currently have (looks at smartphone) 112 of them. One of my recent favorites is Riolu, it looks really cute, and its evolved form Lucario is so cool. I also really like Kagebouzu, the way it bobs around is so cute.

Q: You really like cute Pokémon, huh?
Saiga: They make me feel at ease! (laughs)

Q: You've appeared in the Pocket Monsters anime series before, including in the role of Shuu in the Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation anime that started in 2002. Do you think the series has changed in any way since then?
Saiga: I think the Trainers have different goals now. This series doesn't feel like it's about winning battles and becoming the best, so both the series and the Pokémon world itself feel different from back then. Shuu-kun was extremely competitive though, so that might be coloring my impressions.
Of course, that doesn't mean Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation wasn't a fantastic series in its own right. The Roselia I had was really cute too (laughs). It was cute in a different way than Dooh-chan, more of an elegant cuteness.

Q: Do you still remember how you felt when you got cast as Shuu?
Saiga: I knew that the Pocket Monsters anime had become really popular and was getting a follow-up series, but I never would've guessed I'd get to be part of it. Shuu-kun is a really popular character and I still get lots of fans saying they love him. He's said to have a very handsome demeanor. Initially I thought of him as a very proud kid that was acting pompous towards Haruka, and played him like that (laughs), but I'm happy he ultimately matured into a decent guy.

Q: Is the atmosphere during the dubbing sessions the same now as it was back then, or has it changed any?
Saiga: The biggest difference is that many of the actors playing the main characters are quite young. Previously the series relied heavily on dependable veterans, while the current dubbing sessions have a very youthful feel to them due to the generation shift. There's still veterans actors in the show though, like Megumi Hayashibara-san and Kaede's voice actress Kotono Mitsuishi-san, so I don't feel entirely out of place.
In addition, the Pocket Monsters series is ultimately a story about people and Pokémon growing and maturing, isn't it? It feels like all the current actors are rapidly growing during these dubbing sessions while getting support from their seniors, so the atmosphere matches the show itself perfectly. And it feels just as friendly now as it was back then.

Q: Is there anything about acting in Pocket Monsters that's unique to this show?
Saiga: This is a show that's watched by a lot of children, so a lot of importance is placed on making the story exciting and atmospheric in a way that makes it enjoyable for them to watch. As an actor, I likewise keep in mind that I need to get the meaning of my lines across in a way that's easy to understand. The sound director and series director understand the importance of this and guide us actors towards that goal, so we do our best to create a story according to their lead.

Q: Finally, can you tell us what you feel the highlights of this series are?
Saiga: I feel that this is a wonderful series that lets you truly enjoy seeing the three protagonists gradually grow and develop all throughout the entire story, and that everyone can relate to and get encouraged and cheered up by. I hope I play a part in cheering some of you up. The Terastal Debut arc is sure to get even more exciting from here on, so make sure to keep watching, and I hope you'll enjoy what's coming up!

【アニポケ】チリ役・斎賀みつきさんインタビュー。「ふだんは快活で、気風がいい。でもバトルでは真剣に」

テレ東系で毎週金曜18時55分から放送中のテレビアニメ『ポケットモンスター』にて、2024年4月12日から新章『テラスタルデビュー』編の放送がスタートした。
この新章には、パルデア地方の四天王たちが登場！　四天王を演じる、チリ役の斎賀みつきさん、ポピー役の高岸美里亜さん、アオキ役の鳥海浩輔さん、ハッサク役の置鮎龍太郎さんにインタビューを敢行。それぞれの役への印象やアフレコ現場でのエピソードなどについて話を聞いた。
“テラスタル”を修得するため、オレンジアカデミーに留学することになったリコ、ロイ、ドットは、四天王たちとどう関わっていくのか。3人のテラスタルデビューと合わせて、4人の演技や四天王の活躍にも注目だ。
今回は、チリ役・斎賀みつきさんのインタビューをお届け。“チリちゃん”のことはもちろん、テレビアニメ『ポケットモンスター アドバンスジェネレーション』で演じたシュウについての話も。往年のファンもぜひチェックしてほしい。
なお、今後残りの四天王キャストへのインタビューも順次公開予定。お楽しみに！

ふだんは快活で気風がいいけど、バトルではかっこいい一面を見せてくれる

――まずは、チリ役に決まったときのお気持ちをお聞かせください。
斎賀　じつはお話をいただいてチリちゃんのことを知ったのですが、私が演じると発表されたときにたくさん反響をいただき、とても人気のキャラクターなのだとわかり、驚きました。

――ファンの方が多いキャラクターのひとりで、さらに斎賀さんが演じるとなり、反響がものすごく大きかったですよね。
斎賀　X（旧Twitter）のトレンドにもあげていただきましたし、役者仲間からの反響もすごかったんですよ。LINEで「チリちゃんを演じるんですね！」と届いたり、現場で「チリちゃんでしょ！」と声をかけられたりして（笑）。PVを観た役者仲間から「（演技が）すごくよかったよ」と言われて安心しました。

――ポケモンファンの中ではゲームの発売時期から「斎賀さんの演じるチリちゃんが聞いてみたい」という声も多数ありましたよ！
斎賀　え！　そうなんですか!?　ありがたいお話です。ファンの方たちのご期待に沿えていればいいのですが、チリちゃんとしていられる機会をいただけたからには、チリちゃんといっしょに物語を楽しく紡いでいけたらいいなと考え、アフレコに臨んでいます。

――チリの印象は、演じる前と後で変化しましたか？
斎賀　そうですね。チリちゃんのイラストを見たときの第一印象は、クールでかっこいいお姉さんでした。でも、いただいた台本を読んで、「まいど！　チリちゃんやで～」というセリフがあったので、第一印象とは違うのかなって。
アフレコ現場に行って監督に確認したときに、「チリちゃんはとても明るくて、周囲を巻き込むような元気なキャラクター」とお聞きして、やっと腑に落ちました。この時点で第一印象との違いはめちゃくちゃありましたね。
実際にテストで演じてみたときも、「もっともっと、やっちゃっていいよ」とオーダーをいただきました。クールで真剣なところはバトルにとっておいて、ふだんは快活で、気風がいい感じでいくんだなとしっかり自分の中で認識して、アニメにおいてのチリちゃんというキャラクターを作っていったといいますか、理解していこうと思いました。

――チリと言えば、方言のような話しかたが特徴的です。演じるにあたって、気を付けていることはありますか？
斎賀　スタッフさんからは、「実在する方言ではありません。お芝居重視で演じていただいて大丈夫です」と伝えられていました。でもやるからにはしっかり演じたいので、モデルとなったと思わしき方言をネイティブに話せる方たちに、いわゆる方言指導をしていただきました。「こういうふうにアクセントをつけると、自然に聞こえる」などと教わって演じています。

――インタビュー前にチリが登場するシーンを拝見しましたが、とても自然でした。バトルでのチリも、ものすごくかっこよかったです！
斎賀　私の声がストーリーをジャマする音になっていたらイヤだと思っているので、物語がスッと入ってくるようなお芝居ができていたらいいなと考えて演じました。そういっていただけると安心してオンエアを待つことができますし、今後もがんばれます（笑）。

――チリを演じていくうちに、印象が変わったところや、深く理解できたところはありますか？
斎賀　チリちゃんは多面性を持っているところが魅力だと思います。ふだんは飄々としているけど、リコちゃんとのバトルでは目つきが変わって、指導者として真剣にリコちゃんと向き合ってあげる。その姿がかっこいいですよね。

リコちゃんも真剣にバトルをしてくれるのがわかるからこそ、全力でチリちゃんに向き合えるんじゃないかな。チリちゃんとのバトルを経て、リコちゃんがどのように成長するのか。そしてどのような一歩を踏み出すのか。そこがバトルの見どころになっていると思います。

――今後、チリとして演じてみたいこと、やってみたいことはありますか？
斎賀　リコちゃんたちと遊びに行ってみたい。対戦相手としてではなくて、ふつうに会話をしてみたいですね。ふだんの姿が描かれることで、それぞれの新たな魅力を発見できておもしろいと思います。

――チリと斎賀さんが似ていると思うところも、何かあればお聞きしたいです。
斎賀　どのキャラクターもそうなのですが、みんなそれぞれ魅力的ですし、特徴があるので、似ているところはないと思っていて……。だからこそ演じるのがおもしろくて楽しいんだと思います。でも、あえて似ているところを挙げるなら、“声”かな（笑）。

――（笑）。チリ以外のキャラクターで、気になった登場人物はいますか？
斎賀　第55話、第56話で気になったのは、ボタンやグルーシャかな……。この話数は登場するキャラクターが多いうえに、初登場のキャラクターも多いんですよ。顔を見せたと思ったらフラグだけ立てていなくなってしまうから、気になるキャラクターが多すぎるエピソードでした。みんなそれぞれ個性的ですし、何かありそうじゃないですか。

――では、好きなポケモンや気になるポケモンは？
斎賀　ドオーちゃんです。私がチリちゃんを演じることになって確認して、かわいいと思いました。「ギュッとしたいんだけど」とX（旧Twitter）で書き込んだら、ファンの方から「（どくタイプなので）触れませんよ」と教えてもらって、ショックを受けたのを覚えています（笑）。
ドオーちゃんはファンが多いポケモンですよね。動きもかわいいし、強そうに見えないのに、強いところも人気の理由なんだと思います。チリちゃんと強い信頼関係で結ばれているところも、めちゃくちゃかわいい。20代のころにゲーム『ポケットモンスター 赤・緑』を遊んでそのころのポケモンたちは知っているし、新作が出るたびにかわいいポケモンも登場しますが、一目惚れ、といった感じでドオーちゃんが一気に好きになりました（笑）。

斎賀さんはかわいいポケモンたちに夢中！

――『ポケットモンスター 赤・緑』を遊んでいたとのことですが、好きなポケモンは？
斎賀　ミュウですね。強いのにかわいい。あとは最初に選べる3匹のポケモンたち。

――フシギダネ、ヒトカゲ、ゼニガメですね。
斎賀　やっぱり個人的にはこの3匹がポケモンの原点だと思うので。進化をキャンセルさせたくなるかわいさがありますよね（笑）。

――『ポケットモンスター 赤・緑』のほかに好きなタイトルはありますか？
斎賀　アプリの『Pokémon Sleep』かな。私はショートスリーパーなので、睡眠時間を管理したくて始めました。がんばって進化もさせていて、（スマホを見ながら）112匹仲間にしていますね。最近はリオルがお気に入りです。見た目がかわいいですし、進化したルカリオがかっこいいので。あとはカゲボウズも好きですね。動きがぷにぷにしていてかわいい。

――斎賀さんはかわいいポケモンがお好きなんですね。
斎賀　だって和むじゃないですか～（笑）。

――斎賀さんは2002年から放映されていたアニメ『ポケットモンスター アドバンスジェネレーション』でシュウを演じるなど、昔からアニメ『ポケットモンスター』シリーズに出演されていますが、昔と現在で変わったと思うところはありますか？
斎賀　トレーナーの目的が違うと思います。いまはポケモンバトルに勝利して、いちばんにならなきゃという感じではないんじゃないのかなぁと。なので、作品としても違うし、ポケモンの世界としても違うものになっているなと感じました。自分が演じていたシュウくんが勝負にこだわるタイプでもあったので、よりその印象が強いのかも。
もちろん、アニメ『ポケットモンスターアドバンスジェネレーション』はそういった面を含めてステキな作品でしたし、手持ちのロゼリアももかわいかったな（笑）。ドオーちゃんとはまた違ったかわいさで、ロゼリアは気品のあるタイプでしたね。

――当時、シュウを演じることになったときの感想は覚えていますか？
斎賀『ポケットモンスター』がアニメで人気シリーズになって続いていたことは知っていましたが、まさか自分が参加できるとは思ってもみませんでした。シュウくんは人気のキャラクターで、いまだに「好きです」といってくださるファンが多いんですよ。シュウくんは、佇まいがかっこいいと言われていて。最初はハルカにキザなことを言う、プライドの高い子どもだなと思いながら演じていましたが（笑）、最終的にいい子に成長してよかったです。

――収録現場の雰囲気は、以前と変化しましたか？
斎賀　主役を演じる役者に、若い子が多くなったのが大きな変化だと思います。以前は頼れる先輩たちにおんぶにだっこ、なところがありましたが、新シリーズの現場は世代が若返ってフレッシュさを感じつつも、林原めぐみさんや、カエデ役の三石琴乃さんをはじめとするベテランの役者も出演しているので、安心感もある現場だなと思います。
それに『ポケットモンスター』シリーズも、登場人物やポケモンたちの成長物語じゃないですか。まさにいまの役者さんたちもみんなに支えられてどんどん成長しているので、作品とまったく同じ雰囲気で、昔と変わらず温かい現場だと思います。

――『ポケットモンスター』ならではの演技はありますか？
斎賀　子どもたちが楽しむ番組だと思うので、わかりやすく演じるというのは意識しています。現場も子どもたちを楽しませるための盛り上げかたや雰囲気作りは、ものすごく大事にしていると思います。それを把握して、私たち役者を導いてくれるのが音響監督や監督なので、私たちは精一杯それについていって物語を作りあげていきます。

――最後に、作品の見どころを教えてください。
斎賀　物語の全体を通して、主人公たちの成長を楽しめる作品ですし、その姿に共感したり、勇気や元気をもらったりできるステキな作品だと思います。私もみんなを元気にする一端を担っていければいいなと考えています。
今後、ますます盛り上がっていくだろう『テラスタルデビュー』編を見逃さずに、楽しんでいただければと思いますので、これからもぜひチェックしてください！

On June 28th, 2024, Crank-in posted an interview with Mitsuki Saiga.

The Pocket Monsters TV anime (airs every Friday at 6:55pm on the TV Tokyo Network) entered a new chapter titled "Terastal Debut" this April, which depicts Liko, Roy and Dot studying on exchange at Orange Academy in order to learn "Terastallizing". Voice actress Mitsuki Saiga plays Paldea region Elite Four member Chili, who confronted Liko in episode 56, "Liko VS Chili! At the End of the Battle", on Friday June 26th. Saiga spoke passionately to us about the importance of voice actors recording together and how she feels "it's specifically because this is a story about Liko-chan and the others growing as people that recording together adds something extra", drawing on her own experiences with this.

Q: What was your initial impression of Pocket Monsters?
Saiga: I thought of it as a video game franchise that can be enjoyed by everyone, young and old alike. One time when I was working with children as a part-time job, a kid handed me a copy of Pocket Monsters Green and told me to play it. I figured that if I was going to play it, I should put some honest effort into it, so I did all kinds of research and eventually managed to collect all 151 Pokémon. And then the kid suddenly asked for the game back (laughs).

Q: Seriously?
Saiga: I gave it back, of course, but I couldn't help thinking about how much trouble I had gone through to complete that game. And that was my first encounter with Pokémon. Later, I got to appear in the Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation TV show as a voice actor playing the role of Shuu, and this time around I'm playing Chili-chan. I think it's seriously amazing that the series has not only continued on non-stop while at the height of its popularity, but has even powered up further as well.

Q: How did you feel when you first learned you had been cast in this series?
Saiga: I was offered the role directly, which I was very grateful for, and I happily accepted since Chili-chan seemed like a really fascinating character. There were tons of reactions to the public announcement of this casting, and I especially got a lot of comments from my colleagues about how amazing it was that I was playing Chili-chan, which made me realize how big a role this was. This made me feel like I had been given a lot of responsibility, but also made me look forward to experiencing a wonderful story alongside her.

Q: Let's backtrack a bit; What kind of person do you feel like Chili is?
Saiga: Even though she looks rather androgynous, I feel like she's this invigorating older sister-type that's always cheering up the people around her. I find it really cool and appealing how she never acts arrogant in any way despite being a really skilled Pokémon Trainer. And I also thought she was a really fun person.

Q: "Fun person"?
Saiga: Yes. The director and sound director both made it very clear to me that she's not calm and collected, but a very bright and cheerful character, the kind who's always getting others swept up in her energetic nature. I thought she was going to be a reserved character based on her design, but she's really pleasant. I could even sense how cheerful she was just from reading the script, and her very first line in the show was "Maido! Chili-chan ya de!" (laughs). I think of her as someone who's able to get serious and take a stand when needed, but is otherwise an approachable person who spreads joy and happiness.

Q: The dialect-esque manner she speaks in really stands out as well.
Saiga: Indeed. It's not kansai-ben, but it's relatively close to it, so I made sure to study up on proper intonation and the like beforehand. I hope the way I play her sounds natural.

Q: Chili confronted Liko as a member of the Elite Four. What was your impression of Liko in this battle?
Saiga: I saw Liko-chan as a sweet and quiet girl who calmly analyses things, but who also felt a bit more withdrawn than everyone else, so as I played Chili-chan this episode, I hoped she would manage to help Liko-chan take a step forward and grow a bit as a person during their battle.

Q: Chili's partner is a Dooh. Don't you think it's cute?
Saiga: Absolutely! There's this one scene where Chili-chan is doting on Dooh-chan, and I totally felt the exact same way as her as I played it (laughs). Dooh-chan is poisonous, so it can't actually be physically touched, but you can tell how much the two trust each other from the way they interact. Pokémon that are loved by their Trainers have really happy expressions on their faces, and that absolutely holds true for Dooh-chan. Trainers who treat their Pokémon roughly, or as if they're just tools, however, are probably ultimately doomed to failure.

Q: That's the kind of message you find in the show itself as well.
Saiga: Our battle had a message like that too. Chili-chan and Liko-chan were battling in real earnest, but they didn't come across as desperate for victory; it's not like it was a battle with actual major stakes or anything. Still, it was a battle with a proper conclusion and all that, a defined winner and loser, and I think it's important to depict such things. Losing a battle against someone isn't the end of the world - on the contrary, what's truly important is that the loser feels a desire to improve.

Q: Whether you win or lose the battle isn't all that matters.
Saiga: Indeed, and I think that holds especially true for this series, since it depicts Liko-chan and the others growing as people. Seeing them try their hardest makes the children watching the show both want to cheer them on as well as try THEIR hardest alongside them. The other day I was actually talking to Yuka Terasaki-chan from my agency about this, and I told her how grateful I was to be part of a show that entertains and cheers up children like that.

Q: You just brought up Terasaki-san, does that mean you got to record for the show together with the other voice actors?
Saiga: Yes, we all recorded together. Even though that meant there were a lot of people standing around watching you, recording with other actors really makes a difference when it comes to line delivery. When recording without the person you're interacting with present, it's difficult to figure out how much energy or what kind of tone to give your lines, and especially if I'm the first to record, I often end up playing the role in an overly safe manner. Recording together, on the other hand, means you get to play off the emotion present in the other person's line delivery; So say, if Liko-chan starts getting worked up during the battle, Chili-chan can actually respond to that in turn. This lets us create atmosphere and build the excitement in a scene together, which is why I really feel it's the way to go.

Q: Recording together feels completely different for the actors?
Saiga: Very different. 20-30 years ago, when I'd be uncertain when to breathe, my seniors would offer me support or work with me to get the timing of the lines right if I messed up. You really felt like everyone were creating the show together, and that's a feeling that largely got lost when we had to record separately. I'm really happy we finally got that feeling back now.

Q: "Everyone were creating the show together", that's a beautiful way of putting it.
Saiga: I think it's especially important in this case specifically because this is a Pokémon show. The current series is also a story about Liko-chan and the others growing as people, so the balance between the characters around them is extra crucial. Of course we always had the sound director and other staff there to guide the ship and call for adjustments as needed when we recorded separately as well, but there is a certain atmosphere you only get when recording together.

Q: I see.
Saiga: Having Megu-san (Megumi Hayashibara) and the others around on the Pokémon set is also a really big deal. Megu-san will sit there watching everyone closely and give us her opinions and advice on our performances. Her commanding presence is so cool!

Q: Thank you for all your valuable input. Finally, can you tell us some highlights we can look forward to in upcoming episodes?
Saiga: The wonderful story is going to continue in order to have Liko-chan and the others grow even further. Personally, I think the battle against Chili-chan made Liko-chan take a step forward, so I'd like you to see the result of that with your own eyes. And don't miss the episodes following that either! Please keep supporting the show!

『アニポケ』“四天王”チリ演じる斎賀みつき　リコとのバトルに込めた思い「成長するお手伝いをチリちゃんができたらいいな」＜インタビュー＞

インタビュー 2024年6月28日 18:00

テレビアニメ『ポケットモンスター』（テレビ東京系／毎週金曜18時55分）が、4月から、新章「テラスタルデビュー」編に突入。新章では「テラスタル」を修得するため、オレンジアカデミーに留学することになったリコ、ロイ、ドットの姿が描かれる。そして、6月28日（金）放送の第56話「リコVSチリ！バトルの先に」で、リコの前に立ちはだかるパルデア地方の四天王 チリを演じるのは、声優の斎賀みつき。「リコちゃんたちの成長物語だからこそ、余計に掛け合うことで生まれたものがあると思う」と、自身の経験も踏まえつつ、掛け合いで芝居することの大切さを熱く語ってくれた。（取材・文＝M．TOKU）

■「これはすごい役を受けちゃったぞ」

――もともと『ポケットモンスター』にはどんな印象をお持ちでしたか？
子どもから大人まで楽しめるゲームというイメージです。私、子どもに関わるアルバイトをしていた頃に、『ポケットモンスター 緑』をとある子から「やって！」と渡されたことがあって。やるからにはと思っていろいろな資料をかき集めて、頑張って151匹集めたんですよ。そしたら急に「返せ」と言われまして（笑）。

――なんと！
あれだけ苦労したのになぁと思いながら返したのが、『ポケモン』との出会いです。それから、声優としてもテレビアニメ『ポケットモンスター アドバンスジェネレーション』でシュウ役として出演させていただき、そして今回はチリちゃんを演じることになりました。人気絶頂のままずっとシリーズが続いていて、さらにパワーアップもしているって、本当にすごいことだと思っています。

――本作への出演が決まった際はどんなお気持ちでしたか？
今回はオファーをいただいての出演だったんです。お仕事をいただけるのはありがたいですし、チリちゃんは魅力的なキャラクターなので、ぜひとお返事しました。実際に出演の発表がされてからは、周りからの反響がすごくて。特に同業者から「チリちゃん演じるんだ、すごい！」と言われることが多かったんです。「これはすごい役を受けちゃったぞ」と、責任重大だと思いながらも、その分楽しんでステキな物語を一緒に歩んでいけたらなと思いました。

――改めて、チリをどのような人物だと感じていますか？
中性的な見た目をしていますが、とても清々しい姉ちゃんだと感じています。周りを元気にしてくれるような人ですね。ポケモントレーナーとしてとても強いですが、それを鼻にかけない感じが格好いいです。あとは楽しい人だなと思いました。

――楽しい人！
はい。監督さんや音響監督さんにも「クールじゃなくて明るくて元気。その明るさでみんなを巻きこんじゃうような人」と言われたんです。見た目はクールなイメージがありましたが、愉快な人なんですよね。実際、台本を読んでいても明るさを感じましたし、最初のセリフは「まいど！　チリちゃんやで」でしたから（笑）。決めるときは決める格好よさもあるけれど、そうじゃないときはみんなを明るくしてくれる親しみやすさがある人だと思います。

――方言のような話し方も特徴的ですよね。
そうなんですよ。あれは関西弁ではないのですが、一応近しい言葉ということで、アフレコが始まる前にイントネーションなどのお勉強はやっていました。自然に聞こえればいいなと思いながら演じています。

■誰かに負けた時点で終わりじゃない

――チリは四天王としてリコの前に立ちはだかります。バトルしたリコへの印象をお聞かせください。
大人しくて、冷静に物事を分析する子ですよね。でも、みんなよりちょっと半歩ぐらい引いちゃっている感じにも見えて。なので、バトルする中でリコちゃんが少し前に踏み出す、成長するお手伝いをチリちゃんができたらいいなと思いながらアフレコをしていました。

――チリの相棒はドオー。かわいいですよね！
本当にかわいい！　チリちゃんがドオーちゃんを愛でるシーンがあるのですが「分かる…」と思いながら演じていました（笑）。どくを持っているので触れることはできませんが、ふたりの信頼関係はやり取りから伝わってきます。ドオーちゃんもそうですが、トレーナーさんに愛情を注いでもらっているポケモンって、すごく幸せそうな顔をしていますよね。逆に雑に扱ったり、道具のようにポケモンを扱ったりするトレーナーは、最終的にはうまくいかないんじゃないかなと。

――そういうメッセージも作品に込められている。
バトルもそうですね。チリちゃんとリコちゃんは真剣バトルをしますが、がつがつした感じではないんですよ。「絶対に勝たないとダメな戦い！」というわけではないというか。でも、ちゃんと勝負はつくんです。それを描くのも大事なことだと私は思っていて。誰かのバトルに負けた時点で終わりじゃないんですよね。むしろ負けた側が、もっと強くなるぞという気持ちが大事なんじゃないかな。

――バトルの勝敗だけがすべてじゃない。
リコちゃんたちの成長を描いている本作は、特にそうだと思いますね。頑張っているリコちゃんたちの姿を見て子どもたちは応援したくなるし、一緒に頑張ろうとも思ってくれる気がします。そういう子どもたちが楽しんでくれたり、元気になってくれたりする作品に関われるのはありがたいよねと、同じ事務所の（ロイ役）寺崎裕香ちゃんとも話していました。

――寺崎さんのお名前が出ましたが、本作のアフレコは掛け合いでの収録ができましたか？
はい。みんなで一緒に収録できました。ものすごい人数の中で演じましたが、迫力が違いましたね。相手がいない収録は、どれくらいのテンションや空気感で演じればいいか、つかみづらいんですよ。特に先に収録をするときは無難な芝居をしちゃうことが多かったんです。一方の掛け合っての収録では、気持ちの交換がちゃんとできるんですよ。例えばリコちゃんが熱くきたら、それ相応にチリちゃんとしても返す、みたいな。盛り上がりや空気を一緒に作っていけるので、みんなで収録できるのはやっぱりいいなと感じていました。

――みんなで一緒に収録してみたら、役者としては感覚が全然違った。
違いましたね。2、30年前は「ブレスの位置がわからない、どうしよう」となったときに先輩たちが「大丈夫だよ」と声をかけてくれたり、「いいよ、（セリフのタイミングを）こぼしても何とかするから」と言ってくれたんです。作品をみんなで作っているという感覚がすごくあったんですよね。分散収録になって、それがなかなかかなわない時期が続きましたが、ようやく一緒に作り上げているという感覚が戻ってきたのが、本当にうれしいです。

――みんなで一緒に作る。ステキな言葉です。
特に『ポケモン』という作品だからこそ、みんなで一緒に作るのが大切だと思っています。今回のシリーズはリコちゃんたちの成長物語でもあるので、彼女たちと関わる周りのキャラクターも、余計にバランスが大事だと思うんですよね。もちろん、分散収録のときも音響監督さんたちが船頭としていろいろと調整をしてくださいましたが、実際に掛け合う中で感じる空気感もありますから。

――なるほど。
『ポケモン』の現場には、めぐさん（林原めぐみ）たちがいるのも大きいです。めぐさんは現場をしっかりと見ていて、「こうしたほうがいいんじゃないかな」と、意見を出してくれるんですよ。あの先輩の姿、すごく格好いいです！

――貴重なお話ありがとうございました。最後に今後の見どころを教えてください！
リコちゃんたちがさらに成長するためのステキな物語が続きます。チリちゃんとのバトルでリコちゃんはどう変化するのか。個人的には一歩進めたのではと思っているので、見届けていただければと思います。そして、その後も見逃さずに、引き続き応援をよろしくお願いします！ テレビアニメ『ポケットモンスター』は、テレ東系にて毎週金曜よる6時55分から放送中。 ※一部地域では放送日時が異なる ※放送内容は変更になる場合がある

On June 28th, 2024, Crank-in posted an interview with Minori Suzuki.

The Pocket Monsters TV anime started airing a new series back in April 2023. In April this year, a new chapter titled "Terastal Debut" started, depicting Liko and the others studying on exchange at Orange Academy in order to learn "Terastallizing". We've interviewed Minori Suzuki, who plays one of the show's protagonists Liko, about how she currently feels about playing the protagonist in the Pocket Monsters TV anime with its over 25 years of history now that she's been doing it for a year, the fun times she's had with protagonist Roy's voice actress Yuka Terasaki, as well as the battle she had against Paldea region Elite Four member Chili in the new chapter.

Q: It's been about a year since the Pocket Monsters TV anime started airing back in April 2023. How do you look back at this year?
Suzuki: The weekly dubbing sessions are so involving and I'm having such a wonderful time I'm sure I'll remember it as the happiest time of my life as it flashes before my eyes. Sorry, that was probably a bit too much. I apologize…!

Q: (laughs) It sounds like the time you've spent with this show has meant a lot to you.
Suzuki: It has! I've been learning so much important as an actor, being surrounded on the set by cast members of all ages, some of whom were in earlier series and some of whom are taking that first step alongside me. Nearly every week I get frustrated with my shortcomings, but also happy about how much I'm developing, and it almost feels like I'm progressing step by step alongside Liko herself. I can confidently say that Liko has made this an extremely fulfilling year for me.

Q: I heard you also felt like you were under a lot of pressure at first.
Suzuki: Yes. I've always felt like getting to be in a series as well known as Pokémon, as well as getting to play a protagonist, both represented heights I wanted to reach as an actor, so I felt a lot of pressure when I took this role. The Pokémon franchise has been a natural part of my life ever since I was very little, so this felt like a once-in-a-lifetime event for me. It still feels a bit strange that I'm part of this franchise now.
However, after the audition I got hit with this feeling that Liko and I were meant to be, so I felt an odd kind of confidence that I'd get the role (laughs).

Q: Wow! In that case, the year you've spent with Liko must've felt very fulfilling.
Suzuki: It's felt like a very long year in a good way. Everyone at the dubbing studio are so friendly and welcoming it feels like we've already spent many years together, and since Liko and the others have had so many adventures by now, it feels like we've been spending a lot of our lives together. We only do one dubbing session a week, and the show itself only airs once a week as well, but the Pokémon anime is on my mind 365 days a year.

Q: We've made lots of new friends during this year, including of course Liko, but also Roy, Dot, Professor Friede and others. Has there been anything particularly memorable that took place during the dubbing sessions that you'd like to share with us?
Suzuki: Me and Roy's voice actress Terasaki-san have actually been friends for many years (laughs). The two of us were both in the show I made my voice acting debut in, and even after that show ended we'd constantly get in touch whenever I'd happen to go see a play she'd be in or things like that.
After we got cast as Liko and Roy, Terasaki-san would encourage me and cheer me on, and I'd feel at ease since she was there with me. Nowadays I regularly contact her if there's something I need to talk about, play with her children, go out to eat with her and her husband... I've even met her niece and her father, so all that remains now are her mother and older sister (laughs).

Q: That's amazing (laughs). It's quite rare for people to grow that close as adults.
Suzuki: It is, isn't it? Even our hairstyles and clothes have started resembling each other now, maybe as a result of us spending so much time together. Sometimes the dubbing studio staff actually mix us up (laughs).
By the way, something else I discovered was that the Pokémon anime dubbing sessions actually have their own exclusive snack box. Dubbing sessions often run pretty long, so everyone chips in with snacks they put in the box to save for those occasions. It's a huge box with a Pokémon design, and it's so old it might have actually been there ever since the Pokémon anime first started…! Other shows record at the same dubbing studio, but that box sits there on the top of a shelf exclusively for our use. The first person to arrive will take it down from the shelf, open it and line the snacks out on the table, and then we'll eat from them as we discuss and prepare for our session. That's the Pokémon anime way!

Q: Snack-fueled discussion, huh?
Suzuki: I feel like our discussions are always extremely lively. Especially Ikue Ohtani-san and Megumi Hayashibara-san, both massive veterans in the Pokémon anime game, are extremely considerate and always tell you to ask them if there's something you need help understanding. This invites discussion and leads to seniors and juniors getting to talk things over. The two of them don't just help their fellow cast members either, they even give life advice to the show's staff. It's amazing how experienced they come across as...!

Q: Have you learned anything from them?
Suzuki: I've learned SO much! The entire Pokémon anime cast, regardless of age or professional experience, are amazing voice actors and even more amazing human beings who are really courteous towards everyone else and always read the room, which I think is one of the things that makes the acting in this show so good. These people make me want to broaden my outlook as Liko and become a resourceful and attentive person.

Q: Episode 56, "Liko VS Chili! At the End of the Battle", aired Friday June 28th and depicted a battle between Liko and Elite Four Chili. This episode included a scene where Liko and Nyarote grew a bit further, what was it like to play this scene?
Suzuki: During that scene, I thought about how, if I was in Liko's stead at that point, I'd feel extremely nervous, but I'd also really really not want to lose. It made me feel once again how intimidating Pokémon battles could be.
I'd experienced many battles as Liko up to that point, but I found it really difficult to work both the desire to get stronger and the experience from the adventures up to that point into my acting at the same time. The voice director was telling me to "feel the passion burning inside me", to "keep my feet on the ground" and the like, and at the end of the dubbing session I was so tired I went straight home and straight to bed afterwards (laughs). That's how intense it was.

Q: Liko's emotional outburst really surprised me. Thus far we've seen the docile and quiet Liko grow as a person, take an interest in battling and show all kinds of personality traits throughout her adventures, but this episode gave us yet another new side to her character.
Suzuki: I felt the same way, like we're seeing the emergence of a Liko I never imagined existed. That intense face, that refusal to give in... We've never seen any of this in Liko before. However, I'm the one that was sure I knew what Liko was like, so I'll do my best to keep up with her as she keeps exceeding my expectations!

Q: Finally, can you tell us some highlights we can look forward to in upcoming episodes?
Suzuki: Every week, the Pokémon anime pours more love into the characters and the show itself than any of you could ever imagine, and I hope viewers are able to sense the nuance we put into even the smallest little lines. The current Terastal Debut arc is full of cool battle scenes against the Elite Four to make the viewers appreciate these battles, so please cheer Liko, Roy and Dot on as you watch!

鈴木みのり、『アニポケ』主人公のバトンを受け取って1年　“リコ”と過ごした日々は「充実しているって胸を張って言える」＜インタビュー＞

インタビュー 2024年6月28日 17:00

2023年4月から新シリーズの放送がスタートしたテレビアニメ『ポケットモンスター』（テレビ東京系／毎週金曜18時55分）。今年の4月から開幕した新章「テラスタルデビュー」編では、「テラスタル」を修得するため、オレンジアカデミーに留学することになったリコたちの姿が描かれる。そんな本作で主人公の1人、リコを演じる鈴木みのりにインタビュー。25年を超える歴史を持つテレビアニメ『ポケットモンスター』シリーズで主人公を演じて1年が経つ今の気持ちや、同じく主人公のロイを演じる寺崎裕香との仲良しエピソード、そして新章で相対するパルデア地方・四天王 チリとのバトルについて語ってもらった。（取材・文＝河内香奈子

■『アニポケ』専用ボックスから生まれる会話

――2023年の4月にテレビアニメ『ポケットモンスター』（アニポケ）の放送が始まりました。 約1年が経ちましたが振り返ってみていかがですか？
本当に毎週の収録が濃くて、多分、走馬灯で「あの時が私の1番楽しい時期だったな」って浮かぶだろうなと思えるくらいステキな時間を過ごしています。いきなりこんな話ですみません…！

――（笑）。それだけ思い入れのある時間を過ごされているんですね。
はい！　前のシリーズから出演されているキャストさんはもちろん、今回一緒に1歩を踏み出すことになったキャストさんもいて、いろいろな年代の方がいる中で、役者としてすごく大切なことを学ばせていただいています。毎週のようにできなくて悔しい、成長できてうれしいの連続で、まさにリコと一緒に1歩1歩進んでいるような感覚だし、 毎日がリコのおかげで充実しているって胸を張って言えるような1年ですね。

――当初はプレッシャーもあったとお聞きしました。
『ポケモン』シリーズのような誰もが知っている作品への出演や主人公を演じることは、「役者としていつかはかなえたい」と思っていただけにすごくプレッシャーがありました。『ポケモン』は小さな頃から当たり前に日常に溶け込んでいる存在。それに自分が関わることは今でも不思議な感覚で、「一生に一度の大きなイベントはここなんだ」って思いましたね。

ただ、オーディションの時から「私は絶対にリコと運命の出会いをしているはずだ！」と、ビビっときていたので、リコ役には謎の自信がありました（笑）。

――おお！　そんなリコと過ごした1年はとても充実していたのではないでしょうか。
いい意味でこの1年は長く感じました。現場の雰囲気がとっても温かくて、皆さんともう何年も一緒にいるような気持ちになりますし、リコたち自身の冒険が盛りだくさんだからこそ、ずっと前から共に歩いているような気がしています。アフレコ自体は週に1回、放送も週1回ですけど、その1日だけではなく、365日ずっとアニポケのことを考えていますね。

――この1年間でリコはもちろん、ロイやドット、フリード博士などさまざまな仲間と出会います。収録現場で印象に残っているエピソードはありますか？
ロイ役の寺崎（裕香）さんとは本当にずっと一緒にいます（笑）。 それこそ私のデビュー作で寺崎さんとご一緒していて、その作品が終わってからも自分がたまたま見に行った舞台に寺崎さんが出ていて連絡したりとか、ご縁はずっとつながっていました。

そんな関係性があったからこそ、『ポケモン』でリコとロイとして一緒に出られることが決まった時、寺崎さんから「みのりちゃんだったら絶対大丈夫って思った！」って言っていただいて、私も「寺崎さんが相方ならもう何も怖くないや！」って思えたんです。今は何かあるたびに連絡したり、お子さんと遊んだり、旦那さん含めてご飯に行ったり…実は姪っ子さんとお父さまにも会ったことがあって、あとはお母さまとお姉さまだけなんです（笑）。

――それはすごい（笑）。大人になってそこまで深く仲良くなれるのは珍しいです。
本当に！　あまりにも一緒にいるからか、だんだん髪型とか着る服まで似てきて、現場で間違われることもあるんです（笑）。

あと、『アニポケ』の現場ならではのお菓子ボックスがあるのも発見でした。収録が長丁場になることも多々ありまして、そんな時に食べられるようにと、皆さんが持ち寄ったお菓子をボックスに入れているんです。そのボックスは、ポケモン柄の大きな箱なのですが、多分『アニポケ』の放送が始まった当初からあるんじゃないかなってくらい年季の入ったもので…！　ほかの作品も収録するスタジオなのに、『アニポケ』専用としてずっと棚の上に置いてあって、それを早く来た人が出して、箱を開けて、お菓子を並べて、食べながらコミュニケーションを取る…っていうのが『アニポケ』流の風習なんです。

――お菓子をきっかけにコミュニケーションが生まれているんですね。
すごくコミュニケーションが活発な現場だと思います。特に長年、ポケモンに関わっている大谷育江さんと林原めぐみさんのお2人は、「分からないことがあったら聞いてね」って、とても気を使ってくださって。 そのおかげで、きっかけが生まれて、先輩・後輩のコミュニケーションが生まれています。あとキャスト同士だけじゃなく、お2人がスタッフさんの人生相談に乗っていたり…熟練の空気で流石だなと思いました…！

――そんな先輩たちから学んだことはありますか？
もう学ぶことばかりです！　年代やキャリアとか関係なしに、『アニポケ』に関わっているキャストさんたちって、 声優としての技術がすごい上に人間性も素晴らしい方ばかり。誰に対してもすごく丁寧に、場の空気を読んで接してくださるのですが、それもお芝居がステキになる要素の一つだと思いました。そんな皆さんの姿を見て、もっとリコとしての視野を広げて、気配りをしっかりできる人間力のある人になりたいなと思います。

■リコvsチリの収録後は「大爆睡しました（笑）」

――6月28日（金）放送の第56話「リコVSチリ！バトルの先に」では、 リコと四天王 チリとのバトルが描かれます。リコとニャローテがまた1歩深く成長するシーンだと思うのですが、演じていていかがでしたか？
もし自分がリコと同じ場所に立っていたら、とてつもない緊張感だろうし、でも絶対に負けたくないって思います。今回は改めてポケモンバトルのすごみを感じました。

今までリコとして何度もバトルを経験してきましたが、より強くなりたいって思いと、これまでの冒険で少し強くなった経験値と、そこに私自身の芝居の力を合わせていかなきゃいけないっていうところがすごく大変で。現場では「お腹に熱を感じて！」「もっともっと地に足つけて！」といったディレクションがあり、演じた後はすごく疲れて、家に帰ってすぐ大爆睡しました（笑）。それくらい熱意の高い収録でした。

――リコの感情的な一面に驚きもありました。これまでの冒険を通して、大人しかったリコが成長したり、バトルに興味を抱いたり、さまざまな面を見せてくれましたが、今回はより新たな一面が見えたのじゃないかと。
私もどんどん自分が想像しきれなかったリコが出てきているなと感じます。キリッとした表情だったり、絶対に負けたくないって思ったり、今までにないリコの姿がたくさんありますよね。でも「リコってこういう子だよね！」って決めているのは私自身。いつだって想像を超えてくれるリコに追いつけるように頑張ります！

――最後に今後の見どころを教えてください！
『アニポケ』は、皆さんの想像以上にキャラクターや作品に愛を持って毎週挑んでいます。ぜひ細かな言葉のニュアンスまで感じ取っていただけたらうれしいです。そして今回の「テラスタルデビュー」編は「バトルっていいな」と思える、四天王との格好いいバトルシーンがたくさん出てくるので、 ぜひ画面の前でリコ、ロイ、ドットを応援してください！

テレビアニメ『ポケットモンスター』は、テレ東系にて毎週金曜よる6時55分から放送中。
※一部地域では放送日時が異なる
※放送内容は変更になる場合がある

Inside-Games posted an interview with Minori Suzuki on Friday, June 28th, 2024.

The Pocket Monsters anime airs every Friday at 6:55pm on the TV Tokyo Network, and the adventures of the new protagonists Liko and Roy continue to attract lots of fans.
Its "Terastal Debut" arc, which started in April 2024, is additionally set in the Paldea region known from the Pocket Monsters Scarlet/Violet video games, and puts the spotlight on characters video game fans are highly familiar with.

We've interviewed Minori Suzuki-san, the voice actress who plays Liko in this anime, who gave us her personal opinion as an actress on Liko's development:

Q: It's been over a year since the new series that started over from scratch with Liko and Roy as protagonists began airing. How strongly has it hit you that you're actually playing a role as major as the protagonist of the Pokémon anime?
Suzuki: Ever since I got cast as Liko, I've been almost unable to believe it's real, though I've also been extremely happy about it. Ever since I was a kid, Pokémon has always been there in the form of movies, plushies and the like, so I never imagined it would suddenly become such a big part of my life. There was never any one specific point where it REALLY hit home that I was playing the protagonist though, but I do remember this one time I saw Liko on the packaging of some Pokémon Pan at the supermarket and went "oh right, I'm playing the main character now" (laughs).

Q: Following the "Liko and Roy Set Off" and "Terapagos' Shine" arcs, the anime has recently taken a new direction with the start of the Terastal Debut arc, where the group studies on exchange at Orange Academy. What are your thoughts on Liko's development thus far?
Suzuki: I feel like she's grown so much I don't even know where to begin talking about it. However, I think the most obvious way she's changed is that she's started to speak up more, verbalizing the kind of feelings she'd previously just keep to herself. I'm sure the viewers have noticed this as well.
Before she started her journey, Liko struggled with discovering what she wanted to do and how to dedicate herself to something. Getting an actual goal, meeting the Six Heroes and taking Terapagos to Rakua, also gave her the strength to work towards it, and I think she's become extremely strong-willed now.
Q: Episode 49, "Dot and Gurumin", gave her more opportunities to express her feelings, such as on the subject of Dot taking the assessment test in her Gurumin costume, didn't it?
Suzuki: It did! I also thought it was very much like her to constantly feel around for the right moment to voice her concerns instead of just blurting them out. Her inherent kindness was really on display there, wasn't it?

Q: Later, in episode 56, "Liko VS Chili! At the End of the Battle", Chili asked her why she battled, and Liko declared it was because she can lose herself in it. After she lost, she then cried bitter tears. These are both things it's hard to imagine Liko doing in earlier episodes, so how did you approach playing her in these scenes?
Suzuki: Liko has been traveling around with her own particular goal in mind for a while now, but I don't think she ever got all that many opportunities to think about specifically battling. Getting to spend time with Elite Four member Chili-san and Gym Leader Kaede-san, who both enjoy being on the front lines, probably made her conclude that her own particular reason for battling is to get absorbed in it.
I read the script thoroughly while keeping in mind both Liko's own determination to do what a Pokémon Trainer must do, as well as my own personal experiences and my attitude towards my job as an actor. This made me determine that there's no way to genuinely express your true feelings for something unless you've actually lost yourself in it, so I tried playing Liko as clearly reaching her conclusion over the course of the battle.
Q: She looked so cool when she made that declaration!
Suzuki: Chili-san and Kaede-san both nudged her a bit in the right direction during the battle, but it's Liko herself that sought, and ultimately reached, her own conclusion. By the way, I actually just watched that episode myself, and noticed that when Chili-san calms Liko down when she's all stressed out and stiff, Kaede-san gives her a little nod in response, and Chili-san winks back at her! When I reorded my lines I didn't pay that much attention to what the characters other than Liko were doing, so I didn't catch little details like those at the time. Watching the full scene in the finished episode made me realize with excitement just how much the two were guiding Liko along. They were being so adult...! (laughs)

Q: There's no way we can talk about Liko and not touch upon the fact that her main Partner Nyahoja recently evolved into a Nyarote. Has their relationship changed any since then?
Suzuki: I don't really think so. They both still keep a healthy distance from each other, and Nyarote still emphatises with Liko and fights alongside her, while still also encouraging her to pull herself together if she hesitates about something. But Nyarote is bigger now, so what HAS changed is how they show each other affection. Like how they hug, for instance!

Q: Episode 51, "A Prickly Nyarote?! The Mysterious Flower Pillar", had a very memorable scene where the two were standing side by side holding hands.
Suzuki: Yes, I found that scene really touching. One thing I really like about Nyarote, which likewise didn't change after it evolved, is the way it has this precocious and somewhat mature side to it despite occasionally feeling jealous of Tebrim and Terapagos.

Q: The Terastal Debut arc is set at Orange Academy, which means many characters from the Pocket Monsters Scarlet/Violet video games appear in it. Are there any characters you're personally looking forward to sharing an episode with Liko?
Suzuki: No, I look forward to each and every one of them, really. I got so excited when Nanjamo co-starred in episode 15, since it was still so early in the show (laughs). From the very beginning, the Terastal Debut arc featured appearances from all the Gym Leaders, the Orange Academy teachers and even Botan-chan, so I'm as pleased as I could be...
If I have to pick one specific character, though, I have to go with Grusha-san. There was this sense of uneasiness between him and Liko that I'm rather curious to learn more about.

Q: Do you ever get the opportunity to interact with the Pokémon franchise in private or in job situations, outside of your work on the anime?
Suzuki: I've really gotten into collecting merch lately, so I make sure to check the Pokémon Center Online every day. Some merch sells out really fast, so when I learn that something I've been looking for for a while is coming back, I make a tour of the various Pokémon Centers around Tokyo early that morning to look for it. And it always gets me when I'm standing in line to pay and I hear Liko's narration voice coming from the speakers (laughs).
Q: Nobody in the store would imagine that Liko herself is actually standing in line at that point, would they? (laughs)
Suzuki: The other day I spotted a Nyahoja ecobag at an arcade near work, one you could win. I really wanted it, but I got so worried that any staff members or actors would see me as I was standing there holding my work-related stuff. I kept trying, though, and finally managed to get it!
I couldn't tell you how many Nyahoja plushies I own even if I wanted to, and I'm still looking more. For the past 6 months I've been searching like mad for this Nyahoja plushie that comes with some dango, it was released as tie-in merchandise for last year's Pokémon World Championships.

Q: You really do spend a lot of your time on Pokémon, don't you?
Suzuki: Yeah. Recently I got introduced to the Pokémon Card Game as well. I wanted to collect the alternately colored Nyahoja, Nyarote and Masquernya ex cards from the High-Class pack "Shiny Treasure ex", but Nyarote just refused to show up, so no too long ago I finally folded and bought two full boxes so I could do an unboxing livestream. And I actually got one from the very last pack! I screamed so loudly in disbelief I got all kinds of comments from my fans along the lines of "So this is what a voice actress is like"...!

Q: What kind of deck do you use, by the way?
Suzuki: An acquaintance of mine who knows a lot about the game made me this really hardcore Masquernya ex deck that has cards like Pigeot ex and Shining Foodin in it. Another friend made me a Sirnight ex deck, and I'm using the Terastal Mewtwo ex Starter Set as well. I'm still learning!

Q: Finally, do you have something you want to tell the fans?
Suzuki: It's been a year since the show started, and the weekly reactions I see to it and the turnout at various related events make me really feel that you're all enjoying it a lot. Liko, Roy and Dot are currently growing a lot through their battles with both each other and unrelated people, and being that I'm Liko's voice actress, I'm doing my best to keep up with them. All the cast members are so passionate about the dubbing, and I've never seen dubbing sessions filled with so much love before. I hope that love gets though to all you viewers as well. Please continue to support the show!

「アニポケ」リコ役・鈴木みのり、進化したニャローテの愛情表現に「ジーンとくる！」―ポケモンセンターのレジに並ぶ“ガチファン”な一面も【インタビュー】

「アニポケ」リコ役・鈴木みのりさんに独占インタビュー！ニャオハとニャローテへの愛に満ちていました。
2024.6.28 Fri 19:30
テレ東系にて、毎週金曜よる6時55分から放送されているテレビアニメ「ポケットモンスター（以下、アニポケ）」。新たな主人公である「リコ」と「ロイ」の冒険は、多くのファンを魅了してやみません。
さらに2024年4月からスタートした「テラスタルデビュー」編では、ゲーム『ポケットモンスター スカーレット・バイオレット』でもお馴染みのパルデア地方が舞台となり、ゲームファンに馴染み深いキャラクター達にもスポットが当たっています。
そんな「アニポケ」でリコ役を務める声優・鈴木みのりさんにインタビューを実施。演者としての視点で、リコの成長について語って頂きました。

◆冒険を通じて、リコは本当に逞しくなった

―リコとロイを主人公に迎えて新たに始まった新シリーズの放映から、約1年が経過しました。これまでリコを演じてきて、「アニポケの主人公という大きな役を担当している」と実感されたことはありますか？
鈴木：リコという役が決まった時からこれまで、演じられて嬉しいという気持ちと、信じられないという驚きが凄く強かったです。子供の頃から映画を見たりぬいぐるみを集めたりと、私の日常にポケモンというコンテンツが溶け込んでいたので、これほどまで大きく関わる人生があるとは思っていませんでした。
実感については大きなきっかけがドンとあるわけではないのですが、スーパーに売られているポケモンパンのパッケージに描かれたリコのイラストを見た時なんかに、「あ、主人公を演じているんだな」なんて感じることがあります（笑）。

―アニメは「リコとロイの旅立ち」編、「テラパゴスのかがやき」編を経て、オレンジアカデミーに留学する「テラスタルデビュー」編という新たな展開を迎えました。これまでのリコの成長をどう見ていますか？
鈴木：一言では表現できないぐらい、大きく成長しているなって印象です。視聴者の方も感じて頂いているかなとは思いますが、これまで内に秘めてばかりだった気持ちを言葉にするようになったのが、一番分かりやすい変化ではないでしょうか。
旅に出る前の「頑張りたいけど、頑張り方がわからない」「やりたいことがみつからない」といった状態から、「六英雄と出会ってテラパゴスをラクアへ連れていく」という目的が生まれたことで、そこに向かって行動する力がつきました。本当に逞しくなったなって思います。

―第49話「ドットとぐるみん」では、ドットがぐるみんのぬいぐるみを着て基礎テストを受けようとしていたことに対して疑問を口にするなど、意思表示をする機会が増えましたよね。
鈴木：そうですね！でもそこでハッキリとは言わず、「今、言ってもいいのかな」ってタイミングを探り探りするのが、すごくリコらしいなって思いました。心優しい彼女の性格が出てますよね。

―第56話「リコVSチリ！バトルの先に」では、チリからポケモンバトルをする理由を問われた際に「夢中になれるから」と断言し、さらに負けた時には悔し涙を流しました。その姿はこれまでのリコからは想像もできなかったのですが、どんな気持ちで演じていたのでしょうか。
鈴木：リコは彼女なりの目的を持って旅を続けていたのですが、バトルそのものに対して深く考える機会は、これまであまり無かったのかなと思います。そんな時にバトルを最前線で楽しんでいる四天王のチリさんやジムリーダーのカエデさんと触れ合ったことで、リコなりにバトルをする理由を考えた時の結論が、「夢中になれるから」だったのでしょう。
このシーンは、リコのポケモントレーナーとしてやるべきことへの一生懸命な気持ちと、私のこれまでの経験や役者としてのありかたを重ねて台本を読み込みました。何事も夢中にならないと本当の気持ちって伝わらないんだなと感じましたし、バトルの中でリコがそれを見つけ出せるような流れをしっかり表現できたら、と思いながら演じましたね。

―あのシーンのリコは、本当にカッコよかったです！
鈴木：バトルの中でチリさんやカエデさんにヒントを出してもらいつつ、でもリコ自身で答えを見つけるんだ、挑むんだっていう心情ですよね！実は私も先ほど第56話を見たのですが、チリさんが緊張でガチガチになっているリコをほぐしてくれるシーンがあるじゃないですか。その際、カエデさんの会釈に対して、チリさんが片目ウインクで応えてたんですよ！
セリフを収録した時は、リコ以外のキャラの動きはあまり伺っていないので、この細かい仕草までは把握できていなくて。一連の流れを初めて映像として見た時に、「あっ……リコを導いてくれるお姉さまたち……オトナや……！」ってテンション上がりました（笑）。

◆ニャローテへの進化で、変化した“愛情表現”

―リコを語るうえでは、一番のパートナーであるニャオハがニャローテに進化したことも見逃せません。その関係性で変わったこと、変わらないことはありますか？
鈴木：個人的にはニャオハだから、ニャローテだからって感覚はあまりないですね。付かず離れずの関係は続いているけれど、リコの気持ちに寄り添って一緒に戦ってくれますし、逆にリコが立ち止まっちゃった時は「どうしたの？ しっかりしなよ」と励ましてくれる。そういう部分は変わらないかなって。
でも進化して身体が大きくなりましたから、愛情表現の方法は変わりましたよね。抱きついてくるとか！

―第51話「トゲトゲニャローテ！？不思議な花ばしら」でも、ふたり並んで立って手を繋いで立ってるシーンが印象的でした。
鈴木：アレは本当に、ジーンときちゃう。時々テブリムやテラパゴスにヤキモチはありますけど、おませさんでどこか大人っぽいっていう部分は、ニャオハからニャローテになっても変わらない魅力ですよね。

◆ポケモンセンターのレジで並んでると、流れてきたリコの声に「おおうっ……！」（笑）

―「アニポケ」の「テラスタルデビュー」編はオレンジアカデミーが舞台ということで、ゲーム『ポケットモンスター スカーレット・バイオレット』のキャラクターが数多く登場します。リコとの共演が楽しみなキャラクターはいますか？
鈴木：いやー、どのキャラクターも楽しみではあるんですけども……！ナンジャモさんと15話で共演した時は、「まだ序盤なのに！」「うわー！」って大興奮でしたし（笑）。「テラスタルデビュー」編も冒頭からジムリーダーのみなさんやオレンジアカデミーの先生たち、ボタンちゃんまで出てくれますから、大満足ですよね。
……でも強いて言えば、リコとの間で不穏な空気が流れてるグルーシャさんが気になってます。

―普段、「アニポケ」以外でポケモンに触れる機会は、お仕事/プライベート問わずありますか？
鈴木：最近はとにかくグッズを集めるのが好きで、ポケモンセンターオンラインをチェックするのが日課です。でもやっぱり、すぐに売り切れちゃうグッズもありますし、ずっと探してたグッズが再販してるなんて情報が聞こえてくると、早朝から都内のポケモンセンター各店舗に行ってみたり。そこでレジに並んでいる時、店内ナレーションでリコの声が聞こえてくると、「おおうっ……！」ってなりますね（笑）。

―リコがレジに並んでるとは、誰も思わない（笑）。
鈴木：先日も収録スタジオ近くのゲームセンターでニャオハのエコバッグを見つけてしまい、これがどうしても欲しくて……。仕事の荷物を持ったまま、他のスタッフさんや役者さんに目撃されたらどうしようなんて思いつつ、ずっと挑戦してなんとかゲットできました。
ニャオハのぬいぐるみは、もう何体持っているかわからないくらいあります。最近は、去年のポケモンワールドチャンピオンシップスのグッズとして発売されたお団子を持ってるニャオハのぬいぐるみを半年間、ず～っと探し続けてました。

―本当に、ポケモンが一緒にいる日々なんですね。
鈴木：あとポケモンカードゲーム（ポケカ）も最近、教えてもらいました。ハイクラスパック「シャイニートレジャーex」に収録されている「ニャオハ」「ニャローテ」「マスカーニャex」の色違いが欲しくて集めてたんですが、「ニャローテ」だけどうしても出なくて。
それで先日、自分の生放送で「これがラストチャンス」と思いながら2boxの開封配信をしたら、本当に最後のパックからニャローテが出てくれたんです！もう信じられないぐらい叫んじゃって、ファンの皆さんから「これが声優か」なんて言われちゃいました……！

―ちなみにどんなデッキを使われてるんですか？
鈴木：ポケカに詳しい知人から「マスカーニャex」デッキを作ってもらいました。「ピジョットex」とか「かがやくフーディン」が入ったガチ寄りのやつですね。その後、別の友達から「サーナイトex」デッキを作ってもらったり、「スターターセット テラスタル ミュウツーex」を使ったりしています。まだまだ練習中です！

―最後にファンの方へ、メッセージをお願いします。
鈴木：放送から一年経ちましたが、毎週の反応やイベント等を通してみなさんが「アニポケ」を楽しんでくださっているんだなと強く感じています。
物語の展開としてはリコ、ロイ、ドットの3人が自分や相手とのバトルを通して大きく成長している最中なので、演じている私も置いていかれないよう頑張っています。
キャスト全員が熱量をもって収録に臨んでいますし、こんなに愛にあふれた現場はないです。そんな気持ちが、「アニポケ」を見ている皆さん全員に届いたらいいなと思っているので、引き続き応援宜しくお願いします！

CoroCoro Comic's Official website posted an article about this episode just before the original airing on June 28th, 2024.


Anipoke is just around the corner! An exhibition match with the Elite Four members, Chili! What lies ahead in this serious battle......!?


Broadcasting every week from 6:55 pm! The anime "Pocket Monsters" will start airing soon! In this article, we'll introduce you to the Pokémon and characters that will appear in today's episode, as well as comments from the voice actors and director, and other information you won't find anywhere else!

Liko and her friends are having exhibition matches with the Paldea Elite Four at the Orange Academy. Roy and Dot are done, so it's finally Liko's turn! Liko teams up with Gym Leader Kaede to challenge Chili, one of the Paldea Elite Four, who uses Ground-type Pokémon!!


▲ She is the strongest Ground-type Pokémon Trainer in the Paldea region! The Pokémon she will be using in the exhibition match are Dooh and Dugtrio!


▲ Grass-type Nyarote has the advantage against Ground-types, but is it evenly matched against Dooh, because it is also a Poison-type!!?


▲ With the Elite Four and Gym Leaders watching, Liko's exhibition match finally begins!!

Chili says something interesting to Liko, who is feeling a bit nervous about her battle with a member of th Paldea Elite Four...!!? But then, during the battle, Kaede shows her true fighting spirit, showing her the true path of a Trainer!!


▲ Liko seems to be extremely nervous as she is thinking too hard about how to deal with such a strong opponent.


▲ Kaede's Exleg leads by example, showing how to perform in Pokémon battles!!


▲ Kaede had intended to support Liko in the battle but has now decided to get serious!!?


▲ Liko and Nyarote are in a serious Pokémon battle! What will be the outcome of the battle......!?

Meanwhile, Dot is chasing after Terapagos, who has wandered off on its own as usual. While searching for Terapagos, Dot has an encounter......!?


▲ Dot arrives at the Orange Academy in search of Terapagos.


▲ It seems that Terapagos was found safe and sound but...... Someone is there!!?

The rest of the story will be on Anipoke, which airs today at 6:55 pm!

【アニポケまであとちょっと！】四天王・チリとの交流戦!! 本気のバトルの先にあるものとは……!?
四天王・チリとの交流戦!!本気のバトルの先にあるものとは……!?
毎週金曜よる6時55分から放送中！
アニメ「ポケットモンスター」まもなく放送開始!!
この記事はアニメ放送前に、今日の放送回に登場するポケモンやキャラクターの紹介、声優さんや監督からのコメントなどなど、ほかでは聞けないアニポケ情報をお届けするコーナーだ!! オレンジアカデミーでパルデア四天王との交流戦をすることになったリコたち。ロイ、ドットに続いて最後はリコの番！　リコはジムリーダーのカエデとタッグを組んで、じめんタイプの使い手であるパルデア四天王・チリに挑む!!
▲言わばパルデア地方最強のじめんタイプの使い手！　交流戦で繰り出すポケモンはドオーとダグトリオだ！
▲くさタイプのニャローテはじめんタイプには有利だが、どくタイプもあわせもつドオーとの相性は互角か!!?
▲四天王やジムリーダーが見守る中、いよいよリコの交流戦が始まる!!
パルデア四天王とのバトルに緊張気味なリコに、チリがある言葉をかけると……!!?　そしてバトルでは、トレーナーとしての道を示すようにカエデが本気のバトルを見せる!!
▲強敵を前にあれこれ真面目に考えすぎて、ガチガチに緊張している様子のリコ。
▲カエデのエクスレッグが背中で語る、ポケモンバトルの流儀を見よ!!
▲リコのバトルをサポートするつもりだったカエデも本気モードに!!?
▲リコとニャローテ、本気のポケモンバトル！　はたして勝負の行方は……!?
一方、いつものように勝手に歩いて行ってしまったテラパゴスを追いかけるドット。気ままなテラパゴスを探していると、ドットにある出会いが……!?
▲テラパゴスを探してオレンジアカデミーの校舎までやってきたドット。
▲無事にテラパゴスは見つけられたようだが……そこにある人物が!!?
ということで、続きは今日よる6時55分から放送のアニポケで！

On June 29th, 2024, the official AniPoke Twitter account posted an After Story picture by mojacookie.

Anipoke Camera
This month, we have the Paldea Elite Four
Liko took a commemorative photo after the Elite Four exhibition matches!
Chili and Poppy are smiling as expected!
Hassaku can't stop crying after seeing everyone's growth.
Aoki is also in the background, so the four of them are all together!

アニポケカメラ
今月はパルデア四天王たちと
四天王交流戦後にリコが記念撮影したみたいです！
チリ、ポピーはさすがの笑顔！
ハッサクはみんなの成長を見て涙が止まらないようです
アオキも背後にいて、ちゃっかり4人がそろってます
(by #もじゃクッキー @mojacookie)

On June 28th, 2024, the official Japanese AniPoke Twitter account reminded that this episode was available to watch on the official Japanese YouTube channel. The video was region locked to Japan only. It was available from June 28th, 2024 to July 5th, 2024. This episode was specifically labeled as a missed-program webcast (見逃し配信).

The episode was also available on the TV Tokyo YouTube channel and the Official Corocoro Channel and were labeled as limited-time delivery (期間限定配信). The TV Tokyo version included the series trailer at the end of the episode where as the Corocoro version had beginning and ending bumpers promoting Corocoro.

AniPoke Episode 56 Liko VS Chili! At the End of the Battle
What did you think?
Botan maintains the school's system and knows the teachers well.
Botan is suspicious of Teacher Agate...
Where have we seen her before...?
Check out the missed stream!
The missed stream will be available for 1 week from today!

アニポケ 第56話「リコVSチリ！バトルの先に」
いかがでしたか？
学校のシステムをメンテナンスしていて、先生たちにも詳しいボタン
そのボタンが怪しがる“アゲパン先生”…
どこかで見たことあるような…？
見逃し配信でチェック！
公開期間は本日より1週間です

The official spoon.2Di magazine Twitter account posted a reminder that Spoon.2Di Vol.111 released on June 27th, 2024 featured interviews with the voice actors of Liko, Roy and the Elite Four!

June 27th, 2024 spoon.2Di vol.111
Anipoke features interviews with the voice actors of Liko, Roy and the Elite Four!

Minori Suzuki as Liko
Yuka Terasaki as Roy
Mitsuki Saiga as Chili
Miria Takagishi as Poppy
Ryōtarō Okiayu as Hassaku
Kohsuke Toriumi as Aoki

The TV anime Pocket Monsters feature is a 14-page special on the Terastal Debut arc!
It includes a super cute original pinup of Liko, Roy, Chili, Hassaku, Nyarote, Hogator, Dooh, and Seglaive

6/27 spoon.2Di vol.111
アニポケ 特集はリコ、ロイ、四天王のキャストの皆様のインタビューをお届け！

リコ役 鈴木みのり さん
ロイ役 寺崎裕香 さん
チリ役 斎賀みつき さん
ポピー役 高岸美里亜 さん
ハッサク役 置鮎龍太郎 さん
× アオキ役 鳥海浩輔 さん

テレビアニメ「ポケットモンスター」は「テラスタルデビュー」編 14P大特集！
リコ、ロイ、チリ、ハッサク、ニャローテ、ホゲータ、ドオー、セグレイブが集合したとってもキュートな描き下ろしのピンナップ付き

The Pocket Monsters TV show brings you the story of Liko, Roy and Dot, a trio with respective dreams and goals, as they grow alongside, and form bonds with, their Pokémon while traveling around as members of the adventurer team "the Rising Volt Tacklers". After entering its second year following its premiere in April 2023, the show is currently in its "Terastal Debut" arc, where Liko and the others receive Terastal training as they study on exchange at Orange Academy in the Paldea region. The plot here is developing in exciting directions as the popular Gym Leaders and Elite Four from the video games the show is based on make appearances and battle Liko and the others. We're now going to present a generous selection of highlights from the Terastal Debut arc, centered around interviews conducted with the cast members playing Liko, Roy and the Paldea Elite Four.

The Pocket Monsters TV show airs on the TV Tokyo Network every Friday at 6:55pm! (airdate and airtime may vary depending on region. All content is subject to change)
Staff: Executive Director: Daiki Tomiyasu / Director: Saori Den / Series Construction: Dai Sato / Character Design: Rei Yamazaki / Sub-Character Design: Kyoko Ito / Sound Director: Masafumi Mima / Music: Conisch / Animation: OLM Cast: Liko: Minori Suzuki / Roy: Yuka Terasaki / Friede: Taku Yashiro / Orio: Ayane Sakura / Murdock: Kenta Miyake / Molly: Kei Shindo / Randou: Ikkyu Juku / Dot/Gurumin: Yoshino Aoyama / Amethio: Shun Horie / Zir: Kohsuke Tanabe / Conia: Arisa Shida

INTERVIEW WITH MINORI SUZUKI, THE VOICE OF LIKO:

(Born October 1st, from Aichi, represented by Aoni Production. Major roles include Freyja Wion (Macross Delta), Uran (Pluto) and Akiho Shinomoto (Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card))
Liko is a young girl who set off on an adventure as a member of the Rising Volt Tacklers in order to learn the secret of the peandant she received from her grandmother. As she's been going through all kinds of experiences with her companions and Pokémon, including her Nyarote, she's been growing on a daily basis while discovering both her true feelings and her potential. Minori Suzuki-san has accompanied Liko on this entire journey, and we've had a lengthy discussion with her about her first encounter with Liko and what upcoming highlights await us.

Q: You've played Liko in the Pocket Monsters TV show for over a year now. How does it feel?
Suzuki: I've felt nothing but gratitude this entire year. Liko's words about how you won't find anything unless you take that first step has given me the courage to take such steps towards growing as an actor on multiple occasions, and I hope the show's characters will likewise give its viewers the courage to do their best, or something else along those lines. I also keep experiencing more and more little moments that tell me children are accepting the new protagonists Liko and Roy; I get children singing along to the ending theme rap when I attend events, I overhear children talking about watching Pocket Monsters, I get kids referring to me as "Liko"... These moments make me so happy, you know.

Q: You also felt like playing the protagonist in the Pocket Monsters anime put a lot of pressure on you when you first started voicing Liko, isn't that right?
Suzuki: It is. This show is a really major deal, so being part of it made me... well, not really nervous, but very excited. My first encounter with Liko hit me really hard though, and ever since the initial audition I truly believed I was the only person that could possibly play Liko, so I never felt overly anxious about the role. Having protagonist Roy's voice actress Yuka Terasaki-san there with me on the set was very reassuring as well.

Q: You had a role in the previous Pocket Monsters series as well, didn't you?
Suzuki: Yes, I got to play a one-off character named Regina in the previous series, and my encounter with Regina actually played a very important role in my acting career. How do I put it... This was the first time I got to go to the Pocket Monsters dubbing studio, and it was in the middle of the Corona crisis so all the voice actors weren't recording together, the only one recording together with me was Koharu's voice actress Kana Hanazawa-san. However, the staff was so considerate towards me, and the way they told me what a good job I had done afterwards gave me so much confidence and really made it clear to me how much I wanted to focus on acting. The fact that I encountered Liko after experiencing such a big turning point just made it mean even more to me.

Q: What were your initial thoughts on Liko?
Suzuki: My initial impression of her, based on the reference material I was given prior to the audition, was that she felt a bit introverted and passive in a way that reminded me of myself, not having a lot of confidence in herself and not having found something she truly wanted to do in life. That impression colored my initial approach during the first dubbing session, where I interpreted her as a bit too literally bewildered and anxious, ending up playing her as rather gloomy and negative. However, after the sound director explained to me that Liko wondering about what to do wasn't just meant to express anxiety, but also that she was actively trying to find her own answer to that question, it finally clicked that she was actually an optimistic and positive girl that just struggled to express her feelings and hadn't found a clear goal in life yet. I've kept this in mind ever since.

Q: Liko has grown a lot through her many experiences and her many encounters with various people and Pokémon, including Nyahoja. Is there anything specific you feel really changed her or contributed to her growth?
Suzuki: The way I feel she's grown the most is how she's gradually become able to communicate her thoughts to others by putting them into words. She used to monologue a lot more than she does now. One scene I think really showed her kindness was this one time when Dot looked like she was struggling to make up her mind and was instead just spinning her wheels in place. Liko was there offering a helping hand by asking if Dot really wanted to go through with her current plans - not because she was pushing her own sense of righteousness on her, but because she had been observing the situation and spoke up at the right point. In addition, I feel like she's ranked up a bit when it comes to battling, having been taught and assisted by many different people and become able to approach battles with a more serious goal in mind than just having fun or trying something new. She's become more strong-willed as a Trainer and battles in a slightly more professional-esque manner, so I keep feeling I have to get to grips with this new Liko when I play her.

Q: What are your thoughts on the relationship between Liko and her first partner Nyahoja?
Suzuki: I feel like Nyahoja/Nyarote acts according to Liko's own behavior and has no interest in supporting her if she acts weak, a kind of relationship that lets Liko continue to candidly challenge herself and overcome her inadequacies. One episode I found particularly memorable was episode 40, "Farewell, Nyahoja?", which depicted Nyahoja's past; It might actually be precisely because of its past that Liko's Nyahoja found it had something in common with the overly sensitive Liko. In that episode, Liko had to speak without a single hint of hesitation or lies in her words to get her feelings across to Nyahoja and avoid making it uneasy. It was difficult to act out those scenes, but also very fun.

Q: Liko's empathy was also on full display when she met Mibrim.
Suzuki: Indeed. Ever since I first read the script for the episode where Liko and Mibrim meet, I've found it almost unbelievable that there's actually a Pokémon that's so seemingly tailor-made for Liko. Whenever I do a scene where Liko interacts with Mibrim, I always take great care not to stress it out... though I do wonder if Mibrim's trust in Liko means she specifically wouldn't actually need to be that sensitive around it.

Q: Is there anything else you make sure to keep in mind when you play Liko?
Suzuki: Well, this is more because this is Pocket Monsters than anything directly related to Liko, but since this is ultimately both a coming-of-age story and an adventure, I give her a constant sense of goal-driven inquisitiveness and excitement. I also make sure to play her with a great sense of optimism; When the characters get stuck, the script will have them wondering aloud what to do in ways that might register as anxiousness or worry if you just look at the lines as written, and I want to keep in mind that they're actually looking for a solution to their problem as they're saying these things. As I said earlier, this is something the sound director explained to me (laughs).

Q: I'm often told how difficult it is to give Pokémon orders during Pokémon battles. How do you personally feel about it?
Suzuki: I'm actually struggling really hard with it as we speak. The Terastal Debut arc features more battles than ever, and since Liko and the others have been making a lot of progress lately, the sound director told me that Liko needs to grow as a battler as well. At the time I was personally under the impression that experience in itself would make her grow as a battler, but I eventually once again realized that I need to express her development through my acting and my voice rather than let the plot itself do all the heavy lifting. As the story progresses, Liko's stage of development increases, her opponents, goals, outlook and the like change drastically with it, and she becomes able to do so much more. As this is going on, it's only natural that a desire to battle more results in her growing more passionate about it, and that means she has to go into battle with everything she's learned firmly in mind. Summoning up all your experience at once like that as you're battling is very taxing, but I have no intent of letting it get the better of me. However, all of this is why I felt so strongly how much Liko had grown during her battle against Chili-san.

Q: Next I'd like to talk about the other characters. Let's start with Roy, the boy who came aboard the airship Brave Asagi and accompanies Liko and the others on their adventures as a member of the Rising Volt Tacklers, all in order to get the Black Rayquaza. What do you think his appeal is?
Suzuki: Roy's personality is the polar opposite of Liko's, and he and Hogator are there for each other in a different way than Liko and Nyarote are. I think that's probably why Liko and Roy respect each other and see the other as an inspiration. Roy's Hogator is incredibly cute as well. Being that I play Liko, I love Nyahoja and Nyarote more than anything else, but Roy's Hogator is still so super cute that when I'm just watching the show as a regular viewer, I can't take my eyes off it! Particularly hearing its voice for the first time really surprised me with how cute it was. It's so nice that you can make new discoveries like that when the anime lets you see the Pokémon move around and talk.

Q: Then there's Dot, another member of the Rising Volt Tacklers who goes on adventures while also working as a content creator. What are your thoughts on her?
Suzuki: At first, Liko wanted to befriend Dot, but since Dot had some emotional barriers, Liko had to carefully feel things out. Thankfully, Dot gradually grew to trust Liko, so things got less one-sided. These days they're not just fellow members of the Rising Volt Tacklers, but can also compete against each other due to being from the same generation and having the same goals; Not in terms of trying to outdo the other, but in a synergistic way where Liko trying her best will make Dot try her best, and Dot trying her best will make Liko step up after her. I really like how they're more than just friends. In addition, Liko is a big fan of Dot's content creator persona Gurumin, but she's definitely a true otaku in how she keeps Dot and Gurumin completely separated in her mind (laughs). Even when she saw Dot with the Gurumin costume only partially on, she just went "Gurumin is Gurumin!" to herself. I think it's really commendable how she keeps private matters private (laughs). Gurumin made me understand Liko's character better, see?

Q: Ever since episode 46, the plot has involved the characters receiving Terastal training while studying on exchange at Orange Academy. It's all been very busy, with lots of new characters appearing as well, so how do you feel about this story?
Suzuki: I think it's really awesome that the characters people know from the games the anime is based on get to interact with the Pocket Monsters characters, and personally I also got really exited about getting to battle a lot back when I first got told about this arc. Back before I knew if Liko and the others would be attending Orange Academy, Grape Academy, or even any academy at all, I had bought an Orange Academy pencil case I was still using, so I got overjoyed when I learned they'd be going to Orange Academy (laughs).

Q: During her assessment test, Liko learned how to Terastallize in her battle against Gym Leader Kaede. What did you think about this battle?
Suzuki: This was the very first battle in the Terastal Debut arc, so I practiced her lines where she commands a move over and over in order to get a feel for how much she had grown. This gave me a really good idea of what Liko's development was, as well as what a Pokémon battle was.

Q: So what is a Pokémon battle, according to you?
Suzuki: It's hard to explain in just a few words, but what's most important is that a battle doesn't involve the Trainer making the Pokémon fight, nor does it involve the Trainer just commanding the Pokémon; Instead, the Trainer and Pokémon fight together as a team. So since a battle reveals the Trainer's true character, I feel that I need to keep improving myself as Liko on a daily basis. What Elite Four Chili-san said in episode 56 about enjoying yourself also really struck a chord with me. If you focus on the battle while enjoying yourself at the same time, you will certainly come to properly understand both your Pokémon and your opponent, and your enthusiasm should increase on its own... And if you enjoy yourself so much you lose yourself in the battle, your outlook should expand on its own. That holds true for me as well; During my battles against Kaede-san and Chili-san, the sound director told me I sounded like I was about to give up. This was because I wasn't looking at the battle itself, only at Nyarote, and all I was thinking about was getting through to it. In fact, I was so desperate about getting through to it that I lost focus and was commanding it without my feet on the ground. And of course, since I wasn't speaking from my stomach, there was no passion and refusal to lose in my voice either, so I realized I did indeed sound like I was about to give up.

Q: What was it like acting alongside Kaede's voice actress Kotono Mitsuishi-san?
Suzuki: Liko grew one more step from Kaede-san teaching by example, but I myself also learned a lot from watching Mitsuishi-san in action at the dubbing studio; Seeing Mitsuishi-san and the sound director discuss how to show Kaede-san's idiosyncracies in a slightly nuanced manner really impressed me. I based my understanding of what Pokémon battling was like on what I picked up from her acting and played my role while thinking about how I should act in order to live up to her standard, which just ended up in frustration as I had to face my own inadequacies. The takes that ended up on TV were of course fine, but this made me come to a realization similar to the one Liko and the others came to after finding themselves completely outclassed by the Black Rayquaza in episode 45, that I still didn't know anything about Pokémon battling. Still, after the battle was over, I felt like I wanted to improve myself further and then battle some more. I'm sure Liko felt the same way at that point too, and that made me realize this is what Pokémon battles are all about, so both Liko and I were very happy to learn that we'd get to battle alongside Kaede-san once again during the battle against Chili-san.

Q: The exhibition matches against the Paldea Elite Four started in episode 55, and here Liko is going to team up with Kaede to battle Chili. What are your thoughts on Chili?
Suzuki: I was already a fan of her from the video games, so initially I was just gushing over how beautiful she was (laughs), but after battling her I felt like she truly was one of the few chosen ones, as well as someone who would kindly assist those who were aiming for her level. You can probably say that about the other members of the Elite Four as well, but I think it's just wonderful how Chili-san does it in such a cute and unique way, working in jokes to make Liko and the others feel at ease. I got to record alongside Chili-san's voice actress Mitsuki Saiga-san, and we were sitting side by side by the mike playing off each other's lines. I was incredibly fun to be able to battle her while feeling her passion at the same time.

Q: Finally, do you have something you want to tell those who are looking forward to the episodes of Pocket Monsters TV show and Liko's role in them?
Suzuki: I think her battle against Chili-san really made you feel how much Liko had grown, and I think upcoming battles will make her even stronger than that. However, it's not like it's all going to be smooth sailing for her, and she'll definitely end up eventually hitting another wall and becoming disheartened. Seeing Liko still try her best in such a situation will no doubt encourage you viewers, so make sure to look forward to the upcoming episodes!

CHARACTER PROFILES:

LIKO (Voiced by Minori Suzuki): A girl from the Paldea region. The "mysterious pendant" she got from her grandmother leads to her deciding to set off on an adventure.
KAEDE (Voiced by Kotono Mitsuishi): Gym Leader of Cercle Town and Trainer of Bug type Pokémon. The manager of "Patisserie Mukuroji".
NYAROTE: Grass Cat Pokémon. Grass type. Liko's partner. Nyahoja evolved. Battles using an ivy and a bud.
TERAPAGOS: Laid dormant in its pendant form for a long time, but turned back into its Pokémon form after reuniting with the Six Hero Pokémon. It apparently used to travel with the Ancient Adventurer Lucius.
TEBRIM: Serene Pokémon. Psychic type. Liko's Pokémon Mibrim evolved. It's grown so big it can no longer fit in Liko's hood like it used to.

THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY:

Having enrolled in Sekiei Academy, Liko was doing her best trying to bond with her Starter Pokémon Nyahoja when she suddenly got attacked by the Explorers, a group that was after the pendant she had got from her grandmother. She was rescued by an adventurer team called the Rising Volt Tacklers, and her desire to learn the secret of her pendant led to her deciding to set off on an adventure with them!

SPOTLIGHT EPISODE: EPISODE 40, "FAREWELL, NYAHOJA?"

During battle practice, Nyahoja accidentally ends up injuring Liko. Liko ensures Nyahoja it's not to blame for what happened, but it ultimately ends up running away from the airship, heading for the breeding house where it was born and raised. There, Liko learns that Nyahoja once injured a fellow Nyahoja while trying to help it, making it develop a fear of hurting those it cares about. Liko explains to Nyahoja how she actually feels, and...

SPOTLIGHT EPISODE: EPISODE 47, "LIKO AND NYAROTE, PUT ALL YOUR HEART INTO IT"

Liko visits Kaede, the Gym Leader of Cercle Town, for her Terastal training assessment test! After a confectionery cooking competition against an intruding Sango from the Explorers, Liko learns the importance of putting all your heart into it alongside your partner, both when it comes to cooking confectioneries and battling. Then it's on to the battle against Kaede, where a fully pumped Liko commands Nyarote to use a preemptive attack. However, Kaede skillfully attacks with Himeguma's Charm and Sweet Scent to toy around with the two of them...!
Remembering what Kaede had taught her, Liko and Nyarote worked together as one and successfully Terastallized for the first time! This suddenly turned the tables on Kaede and Himeguma, but they then Terastallized themselves and instantly defeated Nyarote with a powerful attack.
Despite the outcome, Kaede declared that Liko had passed due to putting all her heart into the battle. Taking in the joy she felt from passing, Liko once again etched Kaede's advice to enjoy the moment into her heart.

INTERVIEW WITH YUKA TERASAKI, THE VOICE OF ROY:

(Born August 4th, from Kumamoto, represented by Ken Production. Major roles include Vueko (Made in Abyss: Retsujitsu no Ogonkyo), Adonis (Hametsu no Okoku) and Mika Egashira (Skip to Loafer))
Roy is a young boy who set off on an adventure as a member of the Rising Volt Tacklers in order to get the Legendary Pokémon Black Rayquaza that appeared from his Ancient Monster Ball, as well as to grant his new partner Hogator's dream of becoming as cool and strong as Lizardon. Yuka Terasaki-san has played this constantly energetic and optimistic moodmaker of Liko's companions, and we've had a discussion with her about Roy's appeal and memorable scenes.

Q: You've played Roy in the Pocket Monsters TV show for over a year now. How does it feel?
Terasaki: It feels like I've finally gotten used to the role, or more accurately, that I've gradually internalized it, to the point I'm now able to discuss with the staff at the dubbing sessions how I feel Roy would logically react or word something. I've also grown much closer to Liko's voice actress Minori-chan through various events, TV show appearances and the like. Yoshino-chan has also started joining us now, and we've all become good friends. It really makes me feel like a member of the Rising Volt Tacklers on the Brave Asagi.

Q: Liko's voice actress Minori Suzuki-san mentioned that it's thanks to you being there with her on the set that she's been able to make it as far as she has.
Terasaki: Wow, she said that?! Minori-chan is so sweet!! Having Minori-chan there really meant a lot to me too. You feel a lot of pressure when you take on a new series in such a long-running franchise, so having Minori-chan there to share the burden was a big help. It's also really important that the children enjoy the show, so prior to the series' premiere I was really nervous about how they'd react to the it. Recently I've had a lot of opportunities to observe first-hand that children do enjoy it, though, so I feel a bit more at ease and a bit more confident now.

Q: What kind of boy do you think Roy is? What was your initial impression of him, and how do you think he has changed throughout the series?
Terasaki: I think he's the type of person who's driven by feelings. Liko is driven by reason, but Roy is all passion (laughs). I feel like his appeal lies in how innocent and straightforward he is, and he hasn't changed in that respect. I do think getting exposed to new and unknown things has changed him in other ways, though, and I feel like he's grown a lot as a battler. The island Roy used to live on was one where humans and Pokémon lived in coexistence, so he grew up in a community with no such thing as Pokémon battles or Pokémon Trainers. Once he first started battling by commanding Pokémon around, he'd gain EXP by watching Friede and his other companions battle and putting what he picked up from from them into practice; At first he was only going with simple and familiar stuff like commanding Hogator to use Tackle, but now he's coming up with strategies he follows and properly incorporating all kinds of things he's learned from the people he battles.

Q: What do you focus on the most when you play Roy?
Terasaki: As Roy himself declared to his Grandpa, his two goals are to catch the Black Rayquaza and to make Hogator become as strong as Lizardon, and I consider those goals very central to the character. Roy can sometimes get very impatent due to his desire to battle and quickly get stronger, but that's simply because that goal is so important to him. Early on the sound director would constantly remind me to not forget about what drives Roy to the point it got fully ingrained in me, and it's been what I focus on the most as I play him ever since.

Q: And what effect does that have on how you play him?
Terasaki: An underlying sense of purpose effects both how a line is said and how it's understood. The sound director will often say not to focus so much on the literal words themselves, and that's because the actual importance lies in WHY the character is saying a line and WHAT the character is saying it in response to; It's not as simple as just sounding sad when a line is meant to be sad. I've been a theatrical actor for quite a while now, and when I do theater I always create a profile and a past for my role, building an underlying core of a character I can then delve into. I later realized anime works similarly, that the presence of a character's underlying core effects how the character's lines are delivered and makes the character's idiosyncracies emerge. That was a very important realization for me.

Q: Are there any scenes or lines that particularly stuck out to you when it comes to Roy's portrayal?
Terasaki: In episode 37, "Hogator Becomes a Bad Boy?!", there's this scene where Hogator uses a new move called Disarming Voice for the first time. The original intent was for Hogator to be pushing itself on its own with Roy watching it from afar but not understanding what it was trying to do, followed by Hogator unleashing Disarming Voice and a surprised Roy exclaiming "Whoa, a new move!". It just didn't make sense to me for Roy to just stand there and watch as Hogator was pushing itself to the limit like that though, so after we all talked it over, the staff actually ended up changing the scene to one where Roy realizes what Hogator is trying to do and yells "Hogator, ganbare!" right before Hogator unleashes its Disarming Voice. I feel like I should credit this to the relationship Yamashita-kun and I now have after spending the past year developing our roles together. When I watched the finished episode, I saw the animators had also gone in and reanimated Roy's face during that adlibbed scene. That gave me a real feeling of animation being a collaborative effort, and I thought it was wonderful how such synergy could create something so good.

Q: Roy and Hogator's song became the talk of the town immediately after its debut in the show, and it's been featured many times since then. What is it like to dub these scenes?
Terasaki: Well, Roy always starts singing at the most surprising moments that catch you off guard (laughs). I really struggled with the song at first, being unable to stay on tune and in rhythm, and found it really difficult to do a performance the sound director was happy with. When I watched the finished episode, I finally understood what he had been telling me, though.

Q: What was that?
Terasaki: It's all about the heart and soul of the song, or in other words, what the purpose of singing it at that point actually is. Roy's singing has an underlying sense of purpose to it as well; Does he want to cheer Hogator on, does he want to encourage himself because he's scared, is he trying to find Hogator? The sound director had told me how important it was to keep this in mind when singing, and I thought I WAS doing that, but it wasn't until I saw the finished episode that it finally clicked. I was then able to do the entire retake in a single go. Later, I was asked to adlib 4 or so scenes, which I had to desperately come up with lyrics for; I think that really shows how much they trust me, don't you think? You can find that adlibbed song at the beginning of episode 49 ("Dot and Gurumin"), where the trio is heading for Hakko City and we hear Roy constantly singing in the background while Liko and Dot are talking (laughs), so make sure to check it out!

Q: Has there been any dialogue between Roy and Hogator that made a real impact on you?
Terasaki: The scenes that made the biggest impact on me when dubbing were the ones I just talked about, but if you mean individual bits of dialogue, it was definitely the "Kimi ga ii tte... kimeta n da!" line from episode 6 ("The Ancient Monster Ball"). The scene where Roy gets Hogator has Roy make this entire passionate speech to it, the music starts adding to the moment, and then Hogator just makes this confused face (laughs). I've rewatched that scene so many times, that look on its face is just hilarious; It really catches you off-guard that it has such a blank expression during such a dramatic scene (laughs). It's genuinely a really touching scene, and I'm sure you'll get a laugh out of Hogator's expression, so make sure to give it a watch! As a whole, I think Hogator is a really expressive character of the type you can only get in animation.

Q: While we're on the subject of Roy's Pokémon, I thought Kaiden's evolution into Taikaiden in episode 52, "Storm Warning for Kaiden", was a wonderful moment that really made you feel how strong the bond between Roy and Kaiden is.
Terasaki: Evolutions that happen due to the Pokémon's relationship with its Trainer are the most touching ones, aren't they? I loved how it grew in size specifically to save me, that was a really Pocket Monsters-y scene. Their initial meeting in episode 14, "Fly, Kaiden!!", really made an impact on me as well. Kaiden returns to its kin after learning to fly, but then races back to Roy with all its might after initially saying goodbye to him, and that scene where Roy gets it after Murdock gives him a little nudge is one that really got to me. Both were really moving scenes.

Q: What do you find appealing about Liko and Dot, Roy's Rising Volt Tackler travelmates? Let's start with Liko.
Terasaki: I think Liko's best quality is that unlike Roy, she's very earnest and serious, which we can see in things like her concern for her relationship with Nyahoja. This is something she has in common with her voice actress Minori-chan. When Nyahoja was evolving into Nyarote, I remember her wondering if she could've done more for Nyahoja, and that I told her that the very fact that she's asking herself that is evidence of her love for Nyahoja, so she should feel confident she didn't leave anything undone. Seeing Minori-chan thinking of Nyahoja with tears in her eyes once again gave me the impression that it's precisely thanks to her that Liko is such a lovable character.

Q: And how about Dot?
Terasaki: I think Dot has probably grown the most of the three, and really made me realize how much a person can change through outside stimuli and interaction with others. She's the kind of character that normally stays holed up in her room and thinks it's a pain to go outside, but can get her interest aroused if properly stimulated, so it's probably difficult to find the right balance when playing her, and I think her appeal has a lot to do with the way Yoshino-chan gives the role her all no matter how many retakes she needs. I feel the trio of Liko, Roy and Dot, where Liko closely observes her surroundings and thinks things through, Dot analyzes their ideas and provides data, and Roy uses his heart, is very well balanced.

Q: Ever since episode 46, the plot has involved the characters receiving Terastal training while studying on exchange at Orange Academy. It's all been very busy, with lots of new characters appearing as well, so how do you feel about this story?
Terasaki: I feel like it definitely has a lot of battles. Since we're having one battle after another, it's fun to get to use what you learned in one battle in the next one, and I think that lets both Liko, Roy, Dot and us voice actors grow substantially.

Q: During your assessment test, you battled Gym Leader Colza. What are your thoughts on him?
Terasaki: He has a really interesting vocabulary, doesn't he? When he called Roy "Roygarde", I seriously didn't realize he meant me at first. He has bags under his eyes and looks really cold and scary at first glance, but he's a passionate man who teaches Roy how to battle with great enthusiasm; A true Gym Leader who cares about the students and Trainers' development. He's very eccentric, though! (laughs) I thought Nakai-san's portrayal of him was really good as well.

Q: Hogator managed to Terastallize during the battle against Colza. Roy's "Kagayake, yume no kessho" line during that scene was really cool, don't you think?
Terasaki: I was really looking forward to saying that line. I had always been jealous of Friede's Terastallizations, and thought Amethio getting to use them as well was really cool too. I was really excited to learn what Roy would get to say when Terastallizing, so when I finally got to perform the line, I got so carried away and said it with such joy that the sound director had to remind me that it's supposed to be a strategically important move that can only be use once per battle, just like in the video games.

Q: The exhibition matches against the Paldea Elite Four started in episode 55, and here Roy teamed up with Colza to battle Hassaku. What are your thoughts on this battle?
Terasaki: Up to this point, Roy had always used keigo when talking to Colza-san, so I found it curious that he didn't do so during this battle. When I asked the staff about it, they explained that they deliberately avoided it because this battle put the two of them on a level playing field, or more accurately, as partners fighting together. That definitely made a lot of sense; When I engrossed myself in the battle and consciously focused on my teamwork with Colza-san, it felt very natural to talk like that. Roy had already battled Colza-san twice at that point, so the two of them had definitely developed somewhat of a mutual sense of trust by then, and it felt like I was cultivating a sort of seed of their bond with my acting. I'm also really grateful that Colza-san was backing Roy up and letting him be the one to shine; Teaming up with such a strong Trainer in a tag battle was definitely huge for him. Standing in front of the mike alongside an actor whose work I have so much respect for was definitely an experience for me, and as I was trying my best to live up to his standard, I realized Roy was probably feeling exactly the same way at that point.

Q: What are your thoughts on Hassaku?
Terasaki: I loved the relationship between "Hassan" and "Col-san", as they call each other (laughs). They must go way back. I could tell how much Hassaku-sensei was enjoying the battle in its own right even though he was coaching Roy, so it was a lot of fun acting alongside him.

Q: What do you feel that you, as Roy, gained from this battle?
Terasaki: Roy has always enjoyed battling, but I think this experience taught him the value of teamwork, as well as the fact that battling will always involve both him AND his Pokémon. This time he battled alongside Colza-san, but he most frequently teams up with Liko, and I think he'll change his approach somewhat the next time they do that. This battle most likely gave him some new perspectives and taught him new ways to work together with someone.

Q: We already talked about Hassaku, but what are your thoughts on the other members of the Paldea Elite Four; Poppy, Chili and Aoki?
Terasaki: Poppy-chan is absolutely adorable, don't you agree? Her innocent, childlike way of battling can be a bit scary as well, though, and I quite like that contrast. As for Chili-chan, I think her Kansai-esque speech pattern is really cute. I also find it interesting how she'll prod and agitate her opponents during a battle, not to psych them out, but to start a bit of a fire under them and get them going. And Aoki-san is... very detached (laughs). I don't really have a good read on him yet, he's pretty mysterious.

Q: Finally, do you have something you want to tell those who are looking forward to the episodes of Pocket Monsters TV show and Roy's role in them?
Terasaki: The Terastal Debut arc will continue to feature lots of battles, and lots of Gym Leaders will be appearing as well, so I'll hope you look forward to that. One of the upcoming episodes will also be the kind of cute, fun and heartwarming story you associate with Roy and Hogator. You might also find some hints about upcoming plot details in the opening, so make sure to watch it closely!

CHARACTER PROFILES:

ROY (Voiced by Yuka Terasaki): A boy from the Kanto region. He set out on an adventure to get the Black Rayquaza that came out of the "ancient monster ball" and flew off.
COLZA (Voiced by Kazuya Nakai): Gym Leader of Bowl Town in the Paldea region, as well as a nature artist whose most notable work is "The Careless Kimawari"
HOGATOR: Fire Croc Pokémon. Fire type. Roy's partner. Happy-go-lucky and gluttonous. Likes singing.
TAIKAIDEN: Frigatebird Pokémon. Electric/Flying type. Kaiden evolved. Catches the wind in its giant wings to produce electricity.

SPOTLIGHT EPISODE: EPISODE 6, "THE ANCIENT MONSTER BALL"

Hogator and its new friend, a young boy named Roy, meet on an island the airship stopped at for repairs. When the repairs are done and it's just about time to say goodbye, Roy tells Hogator how much he wanted to spend more time with it. Hogator then presents Roy with a monster ball...?! And after thus gaining Hogator as a partner, Roy decides to set out on an adventure with the Rising Volt Tacklers!

SPOTLIGHT EPISODE: EPISODE 37, "HOGATOR BECOMES A BAD BOY?!"

When Roy and Hogator learn that ferocious Waruvile and Waruvial are interfering with the work at an archeological dig, they set off to investigate and end up finding kindred spirits in these Pokémon through the medium of song. Hogator tries using its song to stop the Pokémon that are in conflict with the workers, but doesn't quite get through to them. But after some encouragement from Roy, it manages to unleash a new move; Disarming Voice...?!

SPOTLIGHT EPISODE: EPISODE 48, "SHINE! THE GLIMMER OF FIRE AND ART"

Roy visits Colza, the Gym Leader of Bowl Town, for his Terastal training assessment test, but Colza is busy preparing an art festival and tells him the battle will be postponed until Roy realizes the problem with his current fighting style. Roy enters the art festival for a change of pace, and the piece of art he and Hogator made together impresses Colza so much he starts Roy's assessment test. At first, Roy is completely at the mercy of Colza's Usokkie's Substitute, but after repeated usage of Flamethrower, he notices a tiny but important detail; The real Usokkie has started sweating...?! After watching how Colza timed his Terastallization of Usokkie, Roy counters by having Hogator Terastallize. By carefully watching Colza's attacks and steadily responding in turn, he then secured an impressive victory! Colza praised Roy for battling while seeing, feeling and imagining everything around him, an approach that benefits both art and battles. And thus, Roy passed his assessment test as well.

SPOTLIGHT CHARACTER: DOT

Dot is a member of the Rising Volt Tacklers. Initially she kept holing herself up in her room and kept even Liko and Roy at a distance despite their attempts to communicate with her. However, their genuine attempts eventually lead to her gradually interacting with them, leaving her room more often, and eventually becoming friends with them. She's actually the real person behind the popular content creator Gurumin, but Liko, a huge Gurumin fan, mistook her as just being a hardcore fan, and it took a long time for Dot to eventually confess the truth! Despite being extremely knowledgable about Pokémon, she initially had no intent of becoming a Trainer, and had never got the Kuwassu that always accompanied her. However, she eventually got Kuwassu in order to search for Liko's stolen pendant, taking her first step towards being one. At present, she's making daily progress as a Pokémon Trainer, wanting to learn more about the secrets of the world that Liko and Roy are pursuing.

CHARACTER PROFILES:

DOT (voiced by Yoshino Aoyama): A member of the Rising Volt Tacklers. The person in the off-limits room on the airship. Her true identity is... the popular streamer Gurumin?!
NANJAMO (voiced by Kaede Hondo): Gym Leader of Hakko City in the Paldea region. Apparently also an aquaintance of the costumed content creator Gurumin...?
KUWASSU: Duckling Pokémon. Water type. Appears in Gurumin's videos. It likes to keep things tidy and hates getting its head dirty.
KANUCHAN: Metalsmith Pokémon. Fairy/Steel type. Gathers metal in order to make a hammer.

SPOTLIGHT EPISODE: EPISODE 50, "TERASTALLIZE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA! DANCE DANCE KUWASSU!!"

Dot's Terastal training assessment test involves a battle against Nanjamo, the Gym Leader of Hakko City. Believing that the fighting style that suits her the best is to fight according to a pre-planned strategy, she researches Nanjamo's battles in advance before taking her on, but still ends up struggling greatly against Harabarie, who's a poor type matchup for Kuwassu. In addition, an unexpected incident takes place when a power outage cuts off the livestream of the battle right in the middle of it. Dot is in a hurry to come up with a new strategy...
Seeing Kuwassu seemingly enjoy itself as it dances right in the middle of this malfunction, Dot remembers the incident that taught her how misfortune is social media attention in disguise and Terastallizes Kuwassu. Kuwassu fights using its new move Liquidation, but Nanjamo counters by Terastallizing Harabarie as well. Dot and Kuwassu ultimately lost, but Nanjamo still declared they passed the assessment test due to enjoying the "batori" to the fullest no matter what happened.

SPOTLIGHT EPISODE: EPISODE 55, "SHOWDOWN! THE PALDEA ELITE FOUR"

What awaited Liko and the others after passing their assessment tests was an exhibition match against the Paldea Elite Four, where Dot will team up with Nanjamo and battle Elite Four member Poppy. Poppy makes the first move, using Daioudou's Sandstorm and Dekanuchan's Gigaton Hammer. Nanjamo then comes up with a plan involving Dot's Kuwassu attacking while protected by Harabarie's Reflect, but they get overpowered by Daioudou and Dekanuchan's barrage of attacks. Dot commands Kuwassu to dance on Harabarie's stomach to generate electricity, before Terastallizing Kuwassu and using Liquidation against Dekanuchan! ...however, she came just one step short of defeating it. Nanjamo then unleashed a Discharge and rendered Daioudou unable to battle. Dot and Nanjamo had won.
Poppy was satisfied with having had a fun battle despite her loss, but when she sees Dot looking depressed despite winning, she asks with a pout why Dot isn't celebrating. Dot tells her that she won thanks to Nanjamo rather than her own skill, and Poppy replies that next time she'll get to have a battle that will bring her plenty of both joy and frustration. Hearing this brings a smile to Dot's face...

INTERVIEW WITH MIRIA TAKAGISHI, THE VOICE OF POPPY:

(Born February 17th, from Aichi, represented by Kenyu Office. Major roles include Tasha Romanovsky (Tokyo 7th Sisters), Sarah (Catch! Teenieping) and Eve the Pokémon Role Player (Pokémon Masters EX))
Poppy is a member of the Paldea Elite Four, and while she may look small and cute, she and her Steel type Pokémon are very powerful in battle. Miria Takagishi-san has been giving us Poppy's childlike enjoyment of battling, strength worthy of an Elite Four member and highly expressive cuteness, and we've had a discussion with her about Poppy's appeal and her thoughts on Pocket Monsters in general.

Q: How did you feel when you you got cast as Poppy in the Pocket Monsters TV show?
Takagishi: I've always wanted to be in Pokémon even after deciding to become a voice actress, both because I love the franchise and especially because I grew up with Pikachu ever since I was a baby, so getting this role made me very happy. When I first learned I'd be playing a member of the Elite Four I was unsure if a newcomer like me would be up to the task, but I decided to enjoy this rare opportunity I had been given.

Q: I hear you play the video games as well, so what were your thoughts on Poppy's role in those?
Takagishi: It really surprised me that such a tiny little cutie could become part of the Elite Four. I'm sure she can serve as an inspiration for children and teach them what they can be capable of if they put in the effort, no matter how young they are. Poppy-chan also has a really cute way of talking, and the way she was really friendly with Chili-chan in her initial appearance made a huge impact on me. I thought they made a really cute duo, and hoped we'd get to see some of that represented in the anime as well.

Q: What do you focus on the most when you play her?
Takagishi: Poppy-chan first appeared in episode 46, where she had a single line of dialogue while watching a battle. The sound director told me that since that scene involves the Elite Four visiting the academy in search of talent, watching battles to see if the Trainers there have potential, he wanted me to focus on calmly analyzing the battle and providing input on it, rather than on talking to Chili-chan in a cute way. That really gave me a sense of Poppy-chan's proficiency, as well as her passion for Pokémon battles, and I hoped the way I spoke that line got across both her cuteness and fundamental strength.

Q: During the exhibition matches between the trainees and Elite Four, Poppy battled the team of trainee Dot and Gym Leader Nanjamo, with Poppy using a Daioudou and a Dekanuchan. What did you think about your performance here?
Takagishi: I felt like Poppy-chan really enjoyed this battle; She wasn't just using pre-planned moves, but had fun improvising in response to what her opponents were doing. The episode did a great job showing just how much fun she had battling with the Pokémon she loves so much she refers to them as "friends", so I did my best to incorporate this into my acting according to the script and characterization.

Q: And what were your thoughts on your opponent Dot?
Takagishi: While her knowledge about Pokémon allows her to strategize well, she still wasn't very good at acting quick or improvising. However, as the battle went on, she was able to turn the situation around with some quick thinking. It was great how she was able to grow during the battle and eventually snatch the victory.

Q: She seemed depressed even though she won, though, didn't she?
Takagishi: Her reaction surprised me, but I realized she felt that way due to her pride as a Trainer. Poppy ultimately gave her some older sister-esque advice that she should enjoy herself more the next time around, and seeing the smile Dot made in response to that made me look forward to seeing her grow from here on.

Q: Poppy seems to idolize her fellow Elite Four member Chili. What are your thoughts on her?
Takagishi: She's very cool and handsome, isn't she? The battles we're currently in the middle of are exhibition matches so they're a very different beast from Elite Four matches, and Chili-chan acted as a proper teacher even in the middle of them, giving off even stronger older sister-type vibes than ever. I'm happy I got to see this different side of her.

Q: And what are your thoughts on the other Elite Four members, Hassaku and Aoki?
Takagishi: Hassaku-sensei definitely has a teacher feel to him the way he affectionatly provides guidance, and I thought the passion and love he has for his students and how easily he starts crying was really cute. It made the school come across as so wonderful I'd like to attend it myself. As for Aoki-san, he's had very few lines compared to the other characters I've appeared alongside, but I figured that fit him pretty well, or rather, made me think that's just the way he is (laughs). I'm looking forward to seeing what's in store for him in the future, though.

Q: What is your favorite Pokémon out of the ones that have appeared in this series so far?
Takagishi: That'd be Dot's Kanuchan. First of all, its initial encounter with Dot was really cute. It steals the mike Dot bought and turns it into a hammer, and it's just so cute when it goes to show the finished mike to Dot. i also really liked how its eyes teared up because it didn't want to say goodbye to her. I really like Roy's Hogator as well, its slight absentmindedness is super adorable, especially in the battle against Hassaku where it thinks Appryu is an apple and looks up at it while drooling. Every episode has it being so cute it hurts (laughs).

Q: Thank you so much! Finally, do you have something you want to tell those who are looking forward to the episodes of Pocket Monsters TV show?
Takagishi: It makes me extremely happy to get to be part of the Pokémon franchise, which I'm personally a huge fan of as well. I hope you'll give her expressions and battling a look, they're of the kind you can only see in animation. I'll do my best to portray an all new side of Poppy-chan, so I hope you'll enjoy the Pocket Monsters anime with me.

CHARACTER PROFILES:

POPPY (voiced by Miria Takagishi): The youngest of the Elite Four, and a cute Trainer of Steel types.

INTERVIEW WITH RYOTARO OKIAYU, THE VOICE OF HASSAKU

(Born November 17th, from Fukuoka, represented by Aoni Production. Major roles include Kaku and Kizaru(Borsalino) (One Piece), the Transformation Belt DX DreaDriver and Gigist (Kamen Rider Gotchard) and Isaku Zenpoji and Koji Makaino (Nintama Rantaro))

AND KOHSUKE TORIUMI, THE VOICE OF AOKI:

(Born May 16th, from Kanagawa, represented by Arts Vision. Major roles include Mikazuki Munechika (Touken Ranbu series), Suzuki (Henjin no Salad Bowl) and Green Keeper (Sentai Daishikkaku)) Hassaku normally works as an art teacher, and Aoki is an office worker who serves as both Elite Four member and Gym Leader. These two more adult members of the Paldea Elite Four are portrayed by Ryotaro Okiayu-san and Kohsuke Toriumi-san, and we've had a discussion with them about their thoughts on Hassaku and Aoki, as well as on getting to be part of the current series.

Q: Your characters Aoki and Hassaku made their debuts in the Terastal Debut arc, how did you feel when you you got cast in the current Pocket Monsters TV show?
Okiayu: This is my first time playing a recurring character in this series, so it made me very happy. Pocket Monsters is a series everyone has at least heard of, and one that's become part of our culture at this point. I got a tremendous amount of feedback after the public announcement of my role, which once again spelled out to me just how big this show is. Toriumi: The last time I was in the show was back in the Pocket Monsters XY series, so I was also very happy to get to be part of it again.

Q: And what did the dubbing sessions for this series feel like?
Okiayu: Most of the voice actors playing the student characters are very young, but they've been playing them for so long now that they understand them very well. This made US feel like the clueless rookies there (laughs). Toriumi: Yeah, this show has a lot of series-specific terminology and a very unique setting, doesn't it?
Okiayu: I got the staff to talk me through that stuff.
Toriumi: Everything is so established already, so you just feel like an intruder, you know.
Okiayu: Well, even though the current series has been airing for over a year now, we get so much guidance from the sound director that I thought both the characters and the cast still have a lot of room to grow as I was watching him.
Toriumi: Yes, the set felt brimming with youthful energy in that regard.

Q: Toriumi-san, your character Aoki is both a Gym Leader, an Elite Four member and a Pokémon League businessman all at once. What are your thoughts on the character and what do you think makes him so appealing?
Toriumi: At present, he comes across as a exemplary office worker who's devoted to his job and doesn't assert himself too much, so he seems very trustworthy in that regard. Maybe watching him can teach young children that the reason their dad is always so tired is because he's working hard for his family? (laughs) In these current episodes he's not evaluating the trainees as a Gym Leader but rather as an Elite Four member, so I think he has a desire to guide the students in his own way. I like how he doesn't make that side of him all that conspicuous, though; He's the type of person that doesn't spell things out for you, but instead makes you reach your own conclusions. In that sense, I think he might be very well suited for a leadership role in today's society.

Q: Okiayu-san, your character Hassaku is both an art teacher at Orange Academy as well as a member of the Elite Four. What are your thoughts on the character and what do you focus on the most when you play him?
Okiayu: The director described Hassaku to me as "loud and cheerful", so I had that description in mind when I first went up to the mike, and the sound director had to tell me that I got the character completely wrong (laughs). He then explained to me that he didn't just want me to play him as passionate, but also as a good teacher for his students, which made me realize more what they were going for with him. From that point on I made sure to focus more on portraying him as a proper teacher while not overshadowing the other characters in the scene. However, the fact that he can get so emotional during battles, going from being really cheerful to crying in his own distinctive manner at the drop of a hat, made me think about what kind of person he normally is; Is he the kind of person that just easily lets his emotions out when he starts crying, or is he the kind of person who's always keeping his emotions bottled up while in "normal mode", constantly being on the verge of tears?

Q: During the exhibition matches between the trainees and Elite Four, Hassaku battled the team of Roy and Gym Leader Colza, what did you think about this battle?
Okiayu: When Liko was battling Gym Leader Kaede during her assessment test, Kaede's desire to provide guidance to Liko was on full display. I got a somewhat different impression of Hassaku; Even though he might've gotten rather passionate about the battle, it felt like he was trying to give Roy an example of what battling truly is like, rather than guiding him.

Q: One reason he got so excited might be because he was fighting Colza, a long-time acquaintance of his. Do you agree?
Okiayu: "Col-san", yeah. You're right, that might have played into it. I didn't record together with his voice actor Nakai-san, so I had to picture in my head how excited he was as I was dubbing this scene.

Q: What were your thoughts on Roy?
Okiayu: That he was very energetic! This time around, the three protagonists are given three well-balanced personalities, and I figure Roy is the energetic one of the group. There's more to a character than just being energetic, though, and I thought that must be the difficult part.

Q: And Toriumi-san, what are YOUR thoughts on Hassaku?
Toriumi: He's a teacher as well, and the most education-minded member of the Elite Four. It seemed like he enjoyed battling, so he must be a fairly uncomplicated, passionate man who can be greatly moved by seeing how young people grow and improve. And while he doesn't act superior to others in any way, I think he feels a lot like like a leader type. He's also very loud (laughs).
Okiayu: (laughs). The Elite Four always gives me an impression of ultimately being a wall for the protagonists to potentially overcome. These episodes depict exhibition matches against the trainees for the specific purpose of evaluating them, so I think we've yet to see what they're truly like when battling properly as Elite Four members.

Q: Voice actors in the Pocket Monsters anime often talk about what it's like to command Pokémon during battle scenes. What was it like for you?
Okiayu: It had been quite a while since the last time I did this kind of acting, so I found it a lot of fun. Moves like "Protect" are pretty simple stuff.
Toriumi: The sound director kept repeating that what's important is essentially to not direct your command towards your own Pokémon, but for you and your Pokémon to focus on your opponent and set your eyes on his or her Pokémon together. This wasn't something he told me specifically, it was directed at the entire group of voice actors as a whole, and I think it's important to establish a shared understanding of the show in this way.

Q: Toriumi-san, how did you prepare for the role of Aoki?
Toriumi: I actually never consciously prepare for roles. However, when it comes to Aoki, he has like a single line in his first episode, then one more line in his next, two in the one after that... He barely talks at all, and I feel like it's very difficult to play a character like that.
Okiayu: Yes, it's difficult for prepare for a role when you don't have many lines to work with. In addition, Aoki and Hassaku are both adults, so they're a very different type of character from the kids that are in the process of growing up and developing. That might also be something that makes them difficult to play.
Toriumi: Indeed. The sound director places a lot of value on the characters' characterization, but he places even more value on the fact that they're individuals. That goes for Pokémon as well. He directs by delving into what the different human and Pokémon characters FEEL in a scene and why that makes them act the way they do, and I'd try to align my personal take on the role with this. I'm not sure how to best word it...
Okiayu: I think all actors have at least some kind of idea of how they want to approach their role, but if the person directing them has a clearer vision of the production they're working on, you have to follow that idea for the end result to work. In other words, the director's opinion sometimes takes priority over the actor's.
Toriumi: Exactly. Thank you.

Q: What are your thoughts on Aoki and Hassaku's fellow Elite Four members Chili and Poppy?
Okiayu: I think Chili comes across as very easygoing, her "Chili-chan ya de!" line is extremely memorable and really makes an impact on you. She feels a lot more confident and outspoken than Aoki and Hassaku.
Toriumi: Yeah, she seems very optimistic and relaxed, doesn't she?
Okiayu: As for Poppy... she's cute.
Toriumi: Indeed. Cute and endearing.

Q: And what are your thoughts on Pokémon League chairwoman Omodaka?
Okiayu: She's a lot more mature and adult than I expected her to be. She doesn't seem to flaunt her strength, but you still get the sense she's a true powerhouse.
Toriumi: Yeah, she has this boss-like air to her.

Q: Finally, what are your thoughts on each other? I know you've been in multiple shows together at this point. Okiayu: I feel like we have very similar attitudes towards work. I don't know if we're actually that good at maintaining balance in a work environment, but we always try to do that in the dubbing studios.
Toriumi: Yeah, I think we're usually the resident "balance keepers". I'm Okiayu-san's junior, and he's always been very kind and friendly whenever we've worked together.

Q: Do you make the conscious choice of being "balance keepers" because you want balance in the work environment at the studios?
Okiayu: Yes, I think some people are the type to steer the creative work we do in the right direction, and some people are the type to establish a good work environment. Everyone wants to do their job well, of course, but I personally aim to truly excel at it; I obviously need to put in serious effort for that to happen, and I want everyone at the studio to share that same attitude.
Toriumi: Yeah, I think it's all about how you act, how you think, and how you look at things while in the studio, about fostering that "let's do this properly, guys!" attitude. That's why I consider harmony to be so important.
Okiayu: I don't feel like there's anything wrong with goofing around at work, but when it's time to actually record, we have to refocus and do our jobs properly. I think that's just common sense, really.

Q: Do you feel like you had this attitude this time around as well?
Okiayu: No, as mentioned earlier, this show feels so well established already. In addition, the staff is so attentive that if anything, it feels like we're the ones being put through the grinder here.

CHARACTER PROFILES:

AOKI (voiced by Kohsuke Toriumi): A Flying type Trainer who serves as both Elite Four member and Gym Leader. HASSAKU (voiced by Ryotaro Okiayu): A Dragon type Trainer who's a member of the Elite Four, but also an art teacher at Orange Academy.

Aoki battled the team of Sango and Haidai, where Sango used Onigohri's Selfdestruct to render all the Pokémon on the field unable to battle, something the rules said made Aoki win. Sango objected, but Aoki gave her the adult advice that personal rules don't apply in the real world.

SPOTLIGHT EPISODE: EPISODE 55, "SHOWDOWN! THE PALDEA ELITE FOUR"

The exhibition matches against the Elite Four have Roy teaming up with Colza to battle Hassaku. Dragon type Trainer Hassaku has his Seglaive and Appryu unleash one attack after another, overwhelming Roy and Colza with delicate yet daring strategy. The two of them fight back using a highly creative combination of moves, but...?!
After Terastallizing Hogator, Roy fires off a Flamethrower, but Hassaku counters with Seglaive's Blizzard. He then follows up with Glaive Rush to render Hogator and Olinyo unable to battle, winning the match. Roy's eyes sparkle as he talks about how much fun he just had, having now personally experienced how a battle is something people create together.

INTERVIEW WITH MITSUKI SAIGA, THE VOICE OF CHILI:

(Born June 12th, from Saitama, represented by Ken Production. Major roles include Richard (Bara-o no Soretsu), Nao (Skip to Loafer) and the White-Haired Sorcerer (Jujutsu Kaisen)) The last thing we have for you is an interview with Mitsuki Saiga, the voice behind Chili, one of the Elite Four. Saiga-san portrays Chili with all her exuberant charm, which contrary to her calm and collected look includes a cheerful personality that's always getting others swept up in it, a casual kindness towards others and a handsome coolness she shows while battling. We've had a discussion with her about Chili herself, the unique dubbing style of Pocket Monsters, and the battle between Chili and the team of Liko and Kaede that's going to air any day now.

Q: How did you feel when you you got cast as Chili in the current Pocket Monsters TV show?
Saiga: I was offered the role directly and happily accepted, but it wasn't until I saw the overwhelming response to the public announcement of the character, including from my colleagues, that I realized how extremely popular a character she was. This made me feel like I had been given a lot of responsibility, but also made me look forward to experiencing a wonderful story alongside her.

Q: What are your thoughts on Pocket Monsters and its content?
Saiga: I think of it as a video game franchise that can be enjoyed by everyone, young and old alike. Back when the original Pocket Monsters Red/Green games were new, I played it when the children at my part-time job handed me a copy. After I had put a ton of effort into it and almost managed to collect all the different Pokémon, they asked for the game back and I had to return it despite all the trouble I had gone through collecting Pokémon. That's what I remember the most about the franchise (laughs). Later, I got to appear in the Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation anime as the character Shuu-kun, and I think it's amazing that the series has continued on non-stop while remaining so popular. Now it's even powered up further as well. Now that's a franchise!

Q: Chili is a member of the Paldea region's Elite Four, what are your thoughts on her?
Saiga: Even though she looks very androgynous, she's actually this open-hearted older sister-type that even cheers me up when I play her. I find it really cool, appealing and fun how she never acts arrogant in any way despite being really skilled. I initially thought she'd be calm, collected and cynical, but the director and sound director both made it very clear to me that she's a bright and cheerful character, the kind who's always getting others swept up in her energetic nature. Indeed, her very first line in the show wasn't a calm and collected "Chili desu", but a "Maido! Chili-chan ya de!" said while suddenly popping onto the scene with a big smile. That made me get what they were going for, and I think the fact that she's so surprisingly approachable is another thing that makes her so appealing. I think of her as someone who's able to get serious when needed, but otherwise spreads joy and happiness.

Q: How did you approach the dialect-esque manner she speaks in?
Saiga: Since it's only similar to kansai-ben, I was told to focus on the actual acting, but I got myself some proper coaching in what kind of intonation sounds natural and the like for the role.

Q: What were your thoughts on the dubbing sessions?
Saiga: We were a lot of people recording together, and you could really feel that. When only a few actors are recording together, I often end up playing the role in an overly safe manner. Recording together, on the other hand, means you get to build each other up and play off the emotion present in the other person's line delivery; So say, if Liko-chan starts getting really worked up during the battle, I can actually properly respond to that in turn. That's why I think recording together is a very valuable experience I'm extremely grateful for. I think it's an especially good thing in this case specifically because this is a Pocket Monsters show. The current series is a story about Liko-chan and Roy-kun growing as people that I think has a good balances between the people doing their best to grow and develop and the people supporting them, with the sound director and director there to guide the ship and keep everything together. It's all being done in a really good environment. Megumi Hayashibara-san in particular will sit there watching everyone closely and give us advice on our performances. I thought she was so cool.

Q: During the exhibition matches between the trainees and Elite Four, Chili will battle the team of protagonist Liko and Gym Leader Kaede. What are your thoughts on your opponent Liko, and what did it feel like to act alongside her voice actress Minori Suzuki-san?
Saiga: Liko-chan is very quiet girl and also felt a bit more withdrawn than everyone else, which I thought was unusual for a protagonist. This time around there's two protagonists, so I guess Roy-kun gets to be the proactive and passionate one, but that just makes Liko's demeanor have all the more of an impact on you. I was wondering when she'd take a step forward, so as I played Chili-chan this episode, I hoped she would manage to help Liko-chan do just that during their battle. I noticed that Liko-chan had a different gleam in her eyes after the battle had ended, so hopefully she took something from it. As for her voice actress Suzuki-san, this is my first time working with her. Just like Liko-chan, she comes across as quiet and unwilling to step out of her comfort zone, so she seemed to fit the character.

Q: What did you think of Chili's battle style?
Saiga: I thought she looked like she was really enjoying herself. However, when her opponent got serious, she likewise became serious and started fighting back properly with no holds barred. I thought the aspect of her character that situation revealed was really cool, and I think you'll enjoy seeing that change in her as well.

Q: What are your thoughts on her partner Pokémon Dooh?
Saiga: Dooh-chan is super cute! When I first learned how popular it was, my reaction was just "of course it is" (laughs). Chili-chan has a line where she asks the other person doesn't agree Dooh-chan is cute, and she uses so many cute Pokémon you have to wonder if she doesn't just like cute things. You can tell the two must really trust each other from how close they are. Dooh-chan is a Poison type, so it can't actually be physically touched, but it receives a lot of love despite that, which is why it has such a nice look on its face. (looks at the exclusive artwork drawn for the magazine) Look, this artwork even has Hoge-chan sitting on a cushion so it won't touch Dooh directly. It's really impressive how much effort the animators put into the little details like that.

Q: Let's talk about some other characters next. Gym Leader Kaede battles alongside Liko and shows a wide variety of facial expressions during the battle, what do you think of her?
Saiga: I initially thought she was a very gentle and kind person, but when she started enjoying herself by battling seriously, she became so cool and impressive I got stunned. Kotono-san's voice just added to it. Even though the two of us got to record together, I thought the contrast between her soft and gentle feel and this coolness was extremely impressive.

Q: What were your thoughts on getting to take part in the exhibition matches between the Elite Four and the trainees that are currently taking place?
Saiga: These matches were practice battles of sorts, meant to help Liko-chan and the other trainees grow, and I felt like that was what makes Pokémon battles so good; Rather than coming across as the parties being desperate for victory, they ultimately have a goal of making them grow into worthy Pokémon Trainers. That said, I think it's important for them to be battles with a proper conclusion and all that, a defined winner and loser, not just overly casual ones; It's important that the match ends with the loser having a desire to improve and do better next time. I feel Pocket Monsters is ultimately animation meant for children to enjoy, so it's important that it's able to cheer them up and make them want to try THEIR hardest. The other day I was actually talking to Roy's voice actress Yuka Terasaki-chan about this, and I told her how nice this type of Japanese animation is and how grateful I was to be part of such a show.

Q: And what do you think of the other Elite Four members; Hassaku, Poppy and Aoki?
Saiga: My impression of Hassaku-san is that he's a very dependable teacher, but also extremely emotional and endearing, and I think he's actually an extremely multifaceted person capable of being both passionate and kind. Poppy-chan really surprised me; I think absolutely everyone had a similar reaction to seeing such a small kid being an Elite Four member. However, when I saw her in action, being just as strong as you'd expect an Elite Four member to be, I understood how she got her position. By the way, when the entire Elite Four lined up together, you can only see the top of Poppy-chan's hat, that's how small she is. That's also why you can't do closeups of them as a group. You just have to chuckle a bit at that (laughs). As for Aoki-san, well, he's definitely the biggest mystery here. When I talked to his voice actor Toriumi-kun the other day, he pointed out how overly many positions the man holds; It's pretty amazing of him to be both a Gym Leader and an Elite Four member on top of being an office worker. When I started thinking about that, I got the impression he's probably the person most likely to actually be hiding something. I think he's the most mysterious character of the three.

Q: This show features a lot of different Pokémon. Which of them is your favorite, and which Pokémon do you like in general?
Saiga: My current favorite is definitely Dooh-chan, the combination of its round shape and characteristic facial expressions is really cute, and it looks super cute when moving around as well, even though it's so big (laughs). Previously, my favorite used to be Mew; not just because it's a Mythical Pokémon, but also because it's a cute and cool character in general. I also think Zenigame and the Kagebouzu in Pokémon Sleep are cute.

Q: You really like cute Pokémon, don't you?
Saiga: I really do. When you evolve Pokémon they often end up looking strong rather than cute, so I'm the kind of person that usually aquires two of each Pokémon, evolves one of them, then keeps using the cute preevolvution instead.

Q: Now that you've had a role in the current Pocket Monsters show, do you feel there's something that's very unique to Pocket Monsters?
Saiga: Pocket Monsters is partially an interpersonal drama series, but I think it's been very well established that the Pokémon themselves are the main focus and that it's ultimately a story about them. I could tell that everyone involved with the show were very fond of that idea, which made it very fun to work on. The atmosphere in the dubbing studio felt just as friendly and peaceful as the show itself. Of course the show's tone gets serious during battles, but as a whole it feels very gentle and kind. You can really tell it's a show meant for kids.

Q: Thank you so much! Finally, do you have something you want to tell those who are supporting the Pocket Monsters TV show?
Saiga: The Pocket Monsters Terastal Debut arc is interspersed with lots of wonderful stories that help Liko and the others grow further, so I hope you'll continue watching without missing even a single episode. Thank you so much for all your support!

CHARACTER PROFILES:

CHILI (voiced by Mitsuki Saiga): A sociable and friendly Elite Four member who commands Ground types. Nicknamed "Chili-chan" because of her easygoing attitude.
DOOH: Spiny Fish Pokémon. Poison/Ground type. Chili's partner Pokémon.

NEXT EPISODE: EPISODE 56, "LIKO VS CHILI! AT THE END OF THE BATTLE"

Liko teams up with Gym Leader Kaede to take on Elite Four Chili, keeping all she's learned thus far firmly in mind. How will she fight together with Kaede? How will Chili battle alongside Dooh and Dugtrio? It also appears an intriguing person will make an appearance...? Look forward to the upcoming episodes as well!

The official Japanese Anime PR Twitter account posted a Next Episode Featured Points on June 26th, 2024.

While Liko is battling, Terapagos takes a carefree stroll on its own around the academy. Dot searches the school building for it, where she runs into... Botan, another Orange Academy student.

アニポケ 次回注目ポイント
リコのバトル中、アカデミーを気ままにお散歩するテラパゴス
校舎の中を探し回るドットが出会ったのは…
同じくオレンジアカデミーに通う生徒・ボタン

The official Japanese Anime PR Twitter account posted preview pictures of episode 56 with context info from episode 47.

Pokémon Anime Elite Four Exhibition Matches:
Liko and Kaede: In episode 47 of the Pokémon anime, Kaede was playing around with Himeguma's sweet and bitter moves during Liko's assessment test. In the battle against Chili she sends out an Exleg, maybe she'll use a different strategy this time as well?! The previous battle is currently available on Youtube, give it a watch!

アニポケ 四天王交流戦
リコ＆カエデアニポケ47話で、リコの基礎テストをヒメグマ のスウィート＆ビターなわざで翻弄したカエデ
チリとのバトルでカエデが繰り出すのはエクスレッグ
また戦略が変わるのかも⁉
以前のバトルは一挙配信で見てね！

The official PokéTimes Twitter account posted a reminder on June 26th, 2024 to inform viewers that the Terastal Debut arc was available to watch on YouTube in Japan.

"Kibari ya!"
In the next episode of the Pokémon anime... we're finally getting the battle between Liko and Chili! All the episodes of Terastal Debut are currently available on Youtube, so those who haven't seen it yet should take the opportunity to get caught up!

きばりやぁ！ 次回はいよいよ…リコとチリ のバトル まだ「テラスタルデビュー」を見ていない そんな方は、アニポケ 一挙配信で追いつきましょう https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBE2D9BnJJUpjQYqPFeWbrcBmpnJG5vns

To promote the 56th episode, the official Anipoke Twitter account posted a mobile wallpaper on June 26th, 2024 featuring the Liko/Kaede VS Chili battle.

Let me battle:
Episode 56 of the Pokémon anime features the last of the Elite Four exhibition matches: The Liko/Kaede VS Chili battle! We've turned this battle into a mobile wallpaper! Make sure to comment on it using the #アニポケ (Anipoke) hashtag as it airs!

Let me battle
アニポケ 第56話は四天王交流戦ラスト！
リコ＆カエデ VS チリ がバトル
白熱のバトルの模様を壁紙にしました！
放送中は #アニポケ を付けてバトルを実況してね

The official Japanese Anime PR Twitter account posted comments on June 21st, 2024 from Chiaki Kobayashi who plays Grusha and Ryo Hirohashi who plays Botan.

Breaking Pokémon Anime News:
Grusha and Botan will be appearing in the Pokémon anime episode airing June 28th! Grusha will be voiced by Chiaki Kobayashi-san, and Botan by Ryo Hirohashi-san! We've received comments from both of them! Make sure to look forward to seeing how they'll interact with Liko, Roy and Dot!

Since I'd played the Pocket Monsters Scarlet/Violet video game myself and was already familiar with the Trainer named Grusha, I got both shocked and really happy when I was told I'd be voicing him.
Grusha comes off as a very calm and collected person that doesn't seem to view his opponents as threats at all, but that actually hides a keen interest in them, as well as a fierce passion. I play the character in a way that manages to get that perfect balance across.
Being a fan myself, I'm looking just as much forward to seeing what I'll be doing in the anime as anyone; who I'll battle and what Pokémon I'll Terastallize. But no matter who I going to face, I'll give it my absolute utmost in my role as a Gym Leader that takes on challengers, so I hope you'll all look forward to it!
-Chiaki Kobayashi, the voice of Grusha

My darling little friends all love Eievui, so according to my somewhat ridiculous train of thought that all Eievui fans are friends, I'm sure they can befriend Botan-san as well, since she's sporting an Eievui backpack. Make sure to slowly open up to her to avoid startling her by being too sudden, though.
It makes me really happy to be able to be a part of a world I myself love, but I'm also extremely grateful to get such an opportunity to be part of a world someone I care about loves.
Best regards,
-Ryo Hirohashi, the voice of Botan

The official Japanese Anime PR Twitter account announced on June 14th, 2024 that Lip would be voiced by Mariko Nagai and Haidai would be voiced by Yasuhiro Mamiya.

Pokémon Anime News:
In addition, Gym Leaders Lip and Haidai will appear during the Elite Four exhibition matches as well!
Lip, the Gym Leader of Bake Town, will be voiced by Mariko Nagai-san
Haidai, the Gym Leader of Carafe City, will be voiced by Yasuhiro Mamiya-san

アニポケ ニュース
さらにさらに、四天王交流戦には
ジムリーダーのリップとハイダイも登場
ベイクタウンのジムリーダー・リップ役は 永井真里子 さん
カラフシティのジムリーダー・ハイダイ役は 間宮康弘 さんです

The official Japanese Anime PR Twitter account posted a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this Anipoke episode with production artwork pieces on June 27th, 2024. The pictures featured Liko, Kaede and Chili.

Liko key frame at: 18:33
Kaede key frame at: 12:11
Chili key frames at: 18:53, 19:08

We present key frames from Liko and Kaede VS Chili from episode 56. Liko is clutching a Terastal Orb in her hand, while you can really tell how fierce the battle is from Kaede and Chili's expressions.

アニポケ マニア
第56話より、リコ＆カエデVSチリの原画をご紹介
テラスタルオーブを握るリコ
カエデ、チリの表情からも、バトルの熱が伝わってきます

A new trailer depicting upcoming events in the anime TV series Pocket Monsters (airs on the TV Tokyo Network every Friday at 6:55pm, officially abbreviated "Anipoke") has been released.

The trailer shows Liko, Roy and Dot, who have all passed their Terastal training assessment tests, taking on the practical application tests. In these tests, where the trainees will battling using two Pokémon each, have been revealed to involve Dot battling Aoki, Roy battling Lime, and Liko battling Grusha, who's reknowned as the strongest Gym Leader in the Paldea region.

The trio has grown another step further as Trainers after participating in exhibition matches against the Paldea region's Elite Four. How will they do in the practical application tests, which demand a more strategic form of battling?! Not only that, but next week, on July 5th, we'll delve further into the mystery of Terapagos?! Orange Academy's history teacher Raifort (voiced by Takako Honda) will be making an appearance as well, as the group goes to do fieldwork in the vast land of Paldea in search of the "Ancient Treasure"...?

It has also been announced that last year's Pokémon Anime Festival will be held again this year. Lots of events that will make you enjoy the anime even more are going to be held throughout the summer of 2024 under the name "Pokémon Anime Festival 2024". One of them is the JR East Pokémon Stamp Rally 2024, which will start July 12th.

Breaking Pokémon Anime News:
Liko, Roy and Dot head for their next challenge! We've released a special video showcasing the Terastal Training practical application tests! The Gym Leaders the three of them will be facing are... Aoki, Lime and Grusha! Look forward to the upcoming episodes!


アニポケ 速報
リコ、ロイ、ドットが次なる挑戦へ――
テラスタル研修・応用テスト編の特別映像を公開
3人が挑むジムリーダーは…
アオキ、ライム、グルーシャ
今後もぜひ、お楽しみに！

テレビアニメ『ポケットモンスター』（公式略称：アニポケ　テレビ東京系 毎週金曜 後6：55～）新シリーズの今後の展開を描いた最新映像が公開された。
映像では、テラスタル研修・基礎テストに合格したリコ、ロイ、ドットの3人が応用テストに挑戦することに。2体のポケモンを使用してバトルする応用テストでは、ドットはアオキ、ロイはライム、そしてリコは、パルデア地方最強のジムリーダーと名高いグルーシャとバトルをすることが明らかになった。
パルデア地方四天王との交流戦を経てトレーナーとしても一歩成長した3人。より戦略的なバトルが求められる応用テストでどんな 活躍を見せるのか！？ そして次週、7月5日はテラパゴスの謎に迫る！？
オレンジアカデミーの歴史教師・レホール（CV：本田貴子）も登場し、「いにしえの財宝」を探すため広大なパルデアの地へとフィールドワークへ出かけるが…？
さらに、昨年実施した「アニポケ夏祭り」を今年も開催することが決定。「アニポケ夏祭り 2024」と題し、2024年の夏も、アニメがもっと楽しくなるイベントを多数開催するほか、『JR 東日本 ポケモンスタンプラリー 2024』も7月12日より開催する。
現在の新シリーズは、ポケモン世界全体を舞台にしたW主人公のリコとロイの冒険を通じて大事な何かを「見つける」物語となっている。