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| Season | Pokémon the Series: XYZ (Season 19) · The Master Class arc (XY112–XY113) |
| Episode | Season 19, episode 19 · English episode 907 · Japanese episode 912 · Bulbapedia code XY112 |
| English title | Master Class Is in Session! |
| Japanese title | マスタークラス開幕！火花散る乙女の激闘！！ Masutā Kurasu Kaimaku! Hibana Chiru Otome no Gekitō!! — “The Master Class Begins! A Maidens’ Fierce Fight Where Sparks Fly!!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 17 March 2016 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 25 June 2016 · Cartoon Network |
| Screenplay | Akemi Omode |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | XY&Z – Satoshi (Rica Matsumoto) · Puni-chan no Uta (Puni-chan’s Song) – Eureka (Mariya Ise) |
| English opening | Stand Tall – Ben Dixon and The Sad Truth |
| Who’s That Pokémon? | Scraggy (US) |
| Previous episode | Unlocking Some Respect! (XY111) |
| Next episode | Performing a Pathway to the Future! (XY113) |
Plot episodeMaster Class, part 1
Master Class Is in Session! is the 19th episode of Pokémon the Series: XYZ, the nineteenth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 907th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 912, Bulbapedia code XY112). It first aired in Japan on 17 March 2016 and in the United States on 25 June 2016. It falls within the season’s The Master Class stretch (EP112–EP113).
Synopsis
The Pokémon Showcase Master Class begins in Gloire City, and Serena battles through the first two rounds against her friends and rivals to reach the semifinals alongside Shauna and Jessie. Arriving in the city, Serena gazes at the castle where the Kalos Queen is crowned and is joined by Shauna, Miette and Nini, each of whom has three Princess Keys; Jessie, disguised as “Jessilee,” boasts that the crown will be hers. At the Pokémon Center, Serena’s mother, Grace, says she will be in the audience and that nerves are normal, recalling her own racing days. Serena remembers that she began her journey to escape Rhyhorn racing, and that her friends and Pokémon have supported her ever since, and she resolves to give everything she has. The next day, each Performer uses three Princess Keys to unlock a booth leading onto the stage, where twenty-seven contestants line up before an audience that spans all of Kalos.
Palermo is introduced as special judge, and the reigning Kalos Queen, Aria, arrives with Delphox to greet her fans. Monsieur Pierre explains the rules: there are no Theme Performances, only Freestyles, with one Pokémon in each of the first two rounds and two in the semifinals, and the semifinal winner will challenge Aria for the title and her tiara. Clemont suggests that the early rounds are meant to show the bond between each Performer and her Pokémon. In the first group, Jessilee uses Gourgeist’s smoke to hide her rivals and draw every eye to herself, beating Nini and Concetta, and Nini leaves the stage in tears. Serena chooses Braixen for the first round because she expects to face Miette, and she is right.
In the fourth group, Serena and Braixen perform against Sara Lee’s Glaceon and Miette’s Slurpuff, and though all three routines impress, Serena earns the most votes and advances. Miette wipes away her tears, congratulates her and asks her to win it all, and Nini says the same; Serena promises that she will. Watching a monitor, the girls see that Shauna has advanced too. Viewers across Kalos, including familiar faces such as Korrina, Viola and Professor Sycamore, follow the broadcast from their homes. In the second round, Serena performs with Pancham, Shauna with Ivysaur and Jessilee with Gourgeist, and all three defeat their opponents. The stage is set for a semifinal between Serena, her friend Shauna and the disguised Jessie, with the winner earning the chance to challenge Aria for the title of Kalos Queen.
Major Events
- Master Class, part 1. In Gloire City Serena beats Miette and Sara Lee, then advances with Pancham
- Shauna and Jessie, as Jessilee, also reach the semifinal
Trivia
- The English title plays on the phrase “class is in session”, for the opening rounds of the Master Class.
- The screenplay is by Akemi Omode.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Kalos storyline.
Changes in the English Dub
- The dub substitutes an Ash title card, read by Ash
- Music from Genesect and the Legend Awakened
Part of our Pokémon the Series: XYZ guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.