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| Manga Guide | Den-geki! Pikachu
On Kankitsu Island, Satoshi has entered the Orange League tournament and is already winning his way to the top. A member of the Pokémon League staff tells him that if he wins just one more match he’ll earn the right to challenge Yuuji, the Southern Cross Head Leader, to a final battle. Satoshi’s excited by this news – he’s seen Yuuji on TV before and knows just how strong a Trainer this Kairyu user can be – but his status as the undefeated Head Leader fills Satoshi with a mixture of both dread and anticipation. Satoshi ends up winning his next match and the right to battle Yuuji and so he wastes no time researching his Pokémon to determine which ones he’ll choose for their upcoming six-on-six battle. The day of the big match comes, and so Satoshi and Yuuji take their places in what has become a Rock and Sand Battlefield. Round One: Yuuji’s Metamon vs. Satoshi’s Pikachu! Metamon transforms into Pikachu and proves to be just as strong as – if not stronger than -- Satoshi’s Electric-Type, and so Satoshi sees no choice but to have his Pikachu to destroy the ground below Metamon. Yuuji’s Pokémon is caught off-balance, giving Satoshi’s Pikachu the opening it needs to rush over and tackle Metamon before finishing it off with a powerful Electric-Type attack. The crowd goes wild as the challenger defeats Yuuji’s first Pokémon, but will Satoshi be able to beat the rest and win the title of Honorary Trainer? To be continued!
Each issue of CoroCoro Special has a page in the back featuring short one or two sentence comments from the authors of each of the manga featured in that month's issue. Below is a translation of Toshihiro Ono's comment from the issue in which this chapter was printed:
Toshihiro Ono is referring to his (then) recent trip to the San Diego International Comic-Con in San Diego, California U.S.A. The convention was held that year on August 13th through August 16th, 1999.
Comic-Con is also where this interview with Toshihiro Ono was conducted.
In Japan, there was a two day gap between the publication of this manga chapter and the debut of the TV episode on which it was based.
In the U.S., there was an approximately seven month gap between the release of Viz's version of the manga chapter and the debut of the English dub of the TV episode on which it was based.
Neither Kenji nor the Orange League receptionist appear in the manga version of this story.
In the Den-Geki! Pikachu manga, the Orange League Winners Cup appears to be a single elimination tournament where competitors must defeat a series of other Pokémon Trainers in order to earn the chance to go up against Yuuji. In the animated series, meanwhile, the Winners Cup is a single battle that's earned by collecting the Gym Badges from throughout the Orange Islands.
In the graphic novel version manga, Satoshi had heard of Yuuji before because he watched his matches on TV when he was younger. In the animated series there's no indication Satoshi's ever even heard of the Head Leader before.
Yuuji has a Saihorn in the manga that he doesn't have in the animated series.
The "Full Battle" (フルバトル) from the animated series episode is referred to as a "Full Contact" (フルコンタクト) battle in the manga.
The Rocket trio does not play an antagonistic role in the manga version of this story. Instead, they cheer Satoshi on from the stands to thank him for providing them with food and lodging the night before.
The manga actually shows us the announcers doing the play-by-play of the match while the animated series has the announcer remain off-screen the entire episode.
Throughout the chapter there are various shading additions and other small details were added for the Japanese graphic novel collection. Listing them all out here would be a herculean task and so this section will only focus on the more major art changes.
CoroCoro Special Page 57, Graphic Novel Page 67
Panel 4: Satoshi's face is completely redrawn. The text is also changed from "The Southern Cross Head Leader?" (サザンクロスヘッドリー ダー？) to "Huh? Really!?" (えっ ほんとに⁉).
CoroCoro Special Page 58, Graphic Novel Page 68
Panel 1: Satoshi's reply to Kasumi's explanation of the statues in the Kankitsu Stadium has been rewritten.
CoroCoro Special Page 59, Graphic Novel Pages 69 - 71
There's a section early on in the chapter where Satoshi's thinking about just how strong a rival Yuuji is. In the magazine version this part of the story lasts only one page, but for the graphic novel this gets extended to three pages. Additions include a flashback featuring a young Satoshi watching Yuuji on TV, the revelation that Yuuji has a Saihorn, and additional conversations between Satoshi and Kasumi. Panels 2 - 5 of the magazine version do show up in the graphic novel, though they're split up and scattered across the three pages of the graphic novel.
CoroCoro Special Page 60, Graphic Novel Page 72
The T-shirt Satoshi's wearing is plain white in the original magazine version but gets updated to a more graphic design for the collected version. This edit will take place in every panel this T-shirt appears in from here on out.
CoroCoro Special Page 61, Graphic Novel Page 73
There's a slight dialogue change.
CoroCoro Special Page 65, Graphic Novel Page 77
Panel 3: The word balloon that was left empty in the magazine version has a "pat pat" (バンバン) sound effect added to it for the graphic novel release. The text in Satoshi's word balloon is also re-centered.
Panel 4: Musashi's mouth is recolored so it no longer looks like she's grinding her teeth in her sleep.
Graphic Novel Page 79
A new page showing off the battlefield is added to the graphic novel version.
CoroCoro Special Page 70, Graphic Novel Page 83
Panel 5: The font of the announcers' dialogue is altered for the graphic novel release. Their mention of Metamon's "Transform" attack is also altered from using the kanji spelling (変身) to writing it out in hiragana (へんしん), just like in the video games.
Graphic Novel Page 84
Another new page is added to the graphic novel depicting Pikachu and Metamon fighting a bit more.
The Viz version primarily uses the CoroCoro Special magazine version of this chapter as its base, but then it also includes in the brand new pages created exclusively for the Japanese graphic novel version.
Kankitsu Stadium is referred to as "Citrus Stadium" in the Viz chapter instead of "Pummelo Stadium" like it is in the English dub of the TV series. The "Orange League Winners Cup," similarly, is referred to as the "Orange League Fruit Cup." The Viz version of this chapter came out more than half a year before the debut of the English dub of the episode debuted and so it's very likely 4Kids' localized names just hadn't been decided yet, hence the new localized names.
The Pokémon League staff member pictured below is wearing a hat that has the words "Pocket Monsters" under the "PM" logo. This text is removed from the Viz version.
When Satoshi and Yuuji shake hands in the stadium, there's a banner in the background that serves as a shout-out to the San Diego International Comic-Con. In the Japanese version the text says "San Diego Comic (illegible scribbles)," and in the Viz English version it says "o Comic-Con (text obstructed)-rnational."
Throughout the chapter, the blimp that flies over the stadium has its text changed from "Orange League" to "Golbat Tires," for some reason.
| Previous Chapter | Back to Den-Geki! Pikachu Volume 4 | Next Chapter |
| Chapter
Information |
 |
 |
| Chapter
Title |
"Winners
Cup" (ウィナーズカップ) |
| Japanese
Publication Date |
August
30th, 1999 (CoroCoro Special October 1999 Issue) |
| Page Count |
CoroCoro
Special Version: 21 Pages Graphic Novel Version: 25 Pages |
| Corresponding
TV Episode(s) |
Pocket
Monsters (1997) Episode 111 "The Winners Cup! A Six-on-Six Full Battle!!" |
| Availability |
Den-Geki!
Pikachu Volume 04 |
| Chapter
Summary |
On Kankitsu Island, Satoshi has entered the Orange League tournament and is already winning his way to the top. A member of the Pokémon League staff tells him that if he wins just one more match he’ll earn the right to challenge Yuuji, the Southern Cross Head Leader, to a final battle. Satoshi’s excited by this news – he’s seen Yuuji on TV before and knows just how strong a Trainer this Kairyu user can be – but his status as the undefeated Head Leader fills Satoshi with a mixture of both dread and anticipation. Satoshi ends up winning his next match and the right to battle Yuuji and so he wastes no time researching his Pokémon to determine which ones he’ll choose for their upcoming six-on-six battle. The day of the big match comes, and so Satoshi and Yuuji take their places in what has become a Rock and Sand Battlefield. Round One: Yuuji’s Metamon vs. Satoshi’s Pikachu! Metamon transforms into Pikachu and proves to be just as strong as – if not stronger than -- Satoshi’s Electric-Type, and so Satoshi sees no choice but to have his Pikachu to destroy the ground below Metamon. Yuuji’s Pokémon is caught off-balance, giving Satoshi’s Pikachu the opening it needs to rush over and tackle Metamon before finishing it off with a powerful Electric-Type attack. The crowd goes wild as the challenger defeats Yuuji’s first Pokémon, but will Satoshi be able to beat the rest and win the title of Honorary Trainer? To be continued!
| Author
Comment |
Each issue of CoroCoro Special has a page in the back featuring short one or two sentence comments from the authors of each of the manga featured in that month's issue. Below is a translation of Toshihiro Ono's comment from the issue in which this chapter was printed:
 |
I went to the U.S. recently. I was so
happy to see how popular the English version of DenPika is over there!! (Ono) 先日アメリカに行ってきました。英語版 『電ピカ』 が人気で、大カンゲキ‼ (おの) |
Toshihiro Ono is referring to his (then) recent trip to the San Diego International Comic-Con in San Diego, California U.S.A. The convention was held that year on August 13th through August 16th, 1999.
 |
| San Diego International Comic-Con 1999 |
Comic-Con is also where this interview with Toshihiro Ono was conducted.
| Release
Dates in relation to the TV series |
In Japan, there was a two day gap between the publication of this manga chapter and the debut of the TV episode on which it was based.
| August
30th, 1999 |
CoroCoro
Special October 1999 Issue goes on sale |
| September
2nd, 1999 |
Pocket
Monsters (1997) Episode 111 "The Winners Cup! A Six-on-Six Full
Battle!!" debuts on TV-Tokyo |
| February
25th, 2000 |
"Den-Geki!
Pikachu" Graphic Novel #4 goes on sale |
In the U.S., there was an approximately seven month gap between the release of Viz's version of the manga chapter and the debut of the English dub of the TV episode on which it was based.
| February
2000 |
"Pokémon
Surf's Up, Pikachu" comic book issue 4 goes on sale |
| June 2000 | "Pokémon Surf's Up, Pikachu"
Graphic Novel goes on sale |
| September 23rd, 2000 | Pokémon
Episode 306 "Hello, Pummelo!" debuts on Kids' WB! |
| Differences
between the manga and the TV version |
Neither Kenji nor the Orange League receptionist appear in the manga version of this story.
 |
 |
In the Den-Geki! Pikachu manga, the Orange League Winners Cup appears to be a single elimination tournament where competitors must defeat a series of other Pokémon Trainers in order to earn the chance to go up against Yuuji. In the animated series, meanwhile, the Winners Cup is a single battle that's earned by collecting the Gym Badges from throughout the Orange Islands.
In the graphic novel version manga, Satoshi had heard of Yuuji before because he watched his matches on TV when he was younger. In the animated series there's no indication Satoshi's ever even heard of the Head Leader before.
Yuuji has a Saihorn in the manga that he doesn't have in the animated series.
 |
 |
| A young Satoshi watches Yuuji on TV | Yuuji and his Saihorn |
The "Full Battle" (フルバトル) from the animated series episode is referred to as a "Full Contact" (フルコンタクト) battle in the manga.
The Rocket trio does not play an antagonistic role in the manga version of this story. Instead, they cheer Satoshi on from the stands to thank him for providing them with food and lodging the night before.
The manga actually shows us the announcers doing the play-by-play of the match while the animated series has the announcer remain off-screen the entire episode.
| Changes
made to the graphic novel collection |
|
VS |  |
Throughout the chapter there are various shading additions and other small details were added for the Japanese graphic novel collection. Listing them all out here would be a herculean task and so this section will only focus on the more major art changes.
CoroCoro Special Page 57, Graphic Novel Page 67
Panel 4: Satoshi's face is completely redrawn. The text is also changed from "The Southern Cross Head Leader?" (サザンクロスヘッドリー ダー？) to "Huh? Really!?" (えっ ほんとに⁉).
| Magazine
Version |
Graphic
Novel Version |
 |
 |
CoroCoro Special Page 58, Graphic Novel Page 68
Panel 1: Satoshi's reply to Kasumi's explanation of the statues in the Kankitsu Stadium has been rewritten.
| Magazine
Version |
Graphic
Novel Version |
| Kasumi: "These bronze statues
are the Honorary Trainers who have won their way through the Orange
League." カスミ 「ここの銅像がオレンジリーグで勝 ちぬいてきた、名誉トレーナーたちなんだ」 |
Kasumi: "These
bronze statues are the Honorary Trainers who have won their way through
the Orange League." カスミ 「ここの銅像がオレンジリーグで勝ちぬいてきた、名誉トレーナーたちなんだ」 |
| Satoshi: "So these are the
Head Leaders of the Southern Cross, huh?" サトシ 「これがサザンクロスヘッドリー ダーか…」 |
Satoshi: "And those Trainers
are called the Head Leaders of the Southern Cross." サトシ 「その名称がサザンクロスヘッド リーダーなのさ。」 |
CoroCoro Special Page 59, Graphic Novel Pages 69 - 71
There's a section early on in the chapter where Satoshi's thinking about just how strong a rival Yuuji is. In the magazine version this part of the story lasts only one page, but for the graphic novel this gets extended to three pages. Additions include a flashback featuring a young Satoshi watching Yuuji on TV, the revelation that Yuuji has a Saihorn, and additional conversations between Satoshi and Kasumi. Panels 2 - 5 of the magazine version do show up in the graphic novel, though they're split up and scattered across the three pages of the graphic novel.
| Magazine Version |
 |
| Magazine
Version |
New page added for the graphic novel |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
CoroCoro Special Page 60, Graphic Novel Page 72
The T-shirt Satoshi's wearing is plain white in the original magazine version but gets updated to a more graphic design for the collected version. This edit will take place in every panel this T-shirt appears in from here on out.
| Magazine
Version |
Graphic
Novel Version |
 |
 |
CoroCoro Special Page 61, Graphic Novel Page 73
There's a slight dialogue change.
| Magazine
Version |
Graphic
Novel Version |
| Satoshi: "Hey, besides Kairyu
what other Pokémon does the Head Leader have?" サトシ 「ねえ、ヘッドリーダーはカイ リューのほかにどんなポケモン持ってんの？」 |
Satoshi: "Hey, besides Kairyu
what other Pokémon has the Head Leader had lately?" サトシ 「ねえ、ヘッドリーダーはカイリューのほかに最近どんなポケモン持ってんの？」 |
CoroCoro Special Page 65, Graphic Novel Page 77
Panel 3: The word balloon that was left empty in the magazine version has a "pat pat" (バンバン) sound effect added to it for the graphic novel release. The text in Satoshi's word balloon is also re-centered.
| Magazine
Version |
Graphic
Novel Version |
 |
 |
Panel 4: Musashi's mouth is recolored so it no longer looks like she's grinding her teeth in her sleep.
| Magazine
Version |
Graphic
Novel Version |
 |
 |
Graphic Novel Page 79
A new page showing off the battlefield is added to the graphic novel version.
| Magazine
Version |
New page added for the graphic novel |
 |
 |
CoroCoro Special Page 70, Graphic Novel Page 83
Panel 5: The font of the announcers' dialogue is altered for the graphic novel release. Their mention of Metamon's "Transform" attack is also altered from using the kanji spelling (変身) to writing it out in hiragana (へんしん), just like in the video games.
Graphic Novel Page 84
Another new page is added to the graphic novel depicting Pikachu and Metamon fighting a bit more.
| Magazine
Version |
New page added for the graphic novel |
|
 |
| Changes
made to the Viz English graphic novel version |
| |
VS |  |
The Viz version primarily uses the CoroCoro Special magazine version of this chapter as its base, but then it also includes in the brand new pages created exclusively for the Japanese graphic novel version.
Kankitsu Stadium is referred to as "Citrus Stadium" in the Viz chapter instead of "Pummelo Stadium" like it is in the English dub of the TV series. The "Orange League Winners Cup," similarly, is referred to as the "Orange League Fruit Cup." The Viz version of this chapter came out more than half a year before the debut of the English dub of the episode debuted and so it's very likely 4Kids' localized names just hadn't been decided yet, hence the new localized names.
| Viz Graphic Novel Version |
 |
The Pokémon League staff member pictured below is wearing a hat that has the words "Pocket Monsters" under the "PM" logo. This text is removed from the Viz version.
| Japanese
Graphic Novel |
Viz
Graphic
Novel |
 |
 |
When Satoshi and Yuuji shake hands in the stadium, there's a banner in the background that serves as a shout-out to the San Diego International Comic-Con. In the Japanese version the text says "San Diego Comic (illegible scribbles)," and in the Viz English version it says "o Comic-Con (text obstructed)-rnational."
| Japanese Graphic Novel |
 |
 |
| Viz Graphic Novel |
 |
 |
Throughout the chapter, the blimp that flies over the stadium has its text changed from "Orange League" to "Golbat Tires," for some reason.
| Japanese
Graphic Novel |
Viz
Graphic
Novel |
 |
 |
| Japanese Graphic Novel |
 |
| Viz Graphic Novel |
 |
| Previous Chapter | Back to Den-Geki! Pikachu Volume 4 | Next Chapter |
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