Sawyer
- Scottie redirects here. For the English voice actor, see Scottie Ray.
| Sawyer ショータ Shōta | |
 Sawyer | |
| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Eye color | Blue |
| Hair color | Green |
| Hometown | Unknown |
| Region | Hoenn |
| Trainer class | Trainer |
| Anime debut | Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile! |
| English voice actor | Robby Duncan Sharpe |
| Japanese voice actor | Ikue Ohtani |
Sawyer (Japanese: ショータ Shōta) is a recurring character in the Pokémon anime. He is a Pokémon Trainer and a rival of Ash who first appeared in Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile!.
History
Prior to Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile!, Sawyer was living in the Hoenn region. He went to Littleroot Town to visit Professor Birch in order to get his journey started, choosing Treecko as his first Pokémon. With Treecko, he battled a wild Taillow and later met the Hoenn League Pokémon Champion, Steven, along with his Metagross. At some point, he traveled from Hoenn to Kalos.
Sawyer made his first onscreen appearance in Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile!, where he had a Gym battle at the Lumiose Gym against Clemont, who was training for his battle against Ash. His Treecko was easily defeated by Luxray's Wild Charge despite the type-advantage. After losing, he wrote down Clemont's advice regarding the timing of Treecko's moves.
He appeared again in A Fashionable Battle! intending to challenge the Laverre Gym, only to hear it was closed. Right at that moment Ash arrived, as he wanted to challenge the Gym as well. Sawyer reunited with Clemont and introduced himself to Ash, Bonnie and Serena. Soon after, he had a Double Battle against Ash, which was postponed when they noticed a fashion show going on. He was later picked by Linnea to battle Valerie as part of the fashion show. He used his Bagon against Valerie's Spritzee, but was quickly defeated.
He made another appearance in Fairy-Type Trickery!, where he and his Treecko watched and analyzed Ash's Gym battle against Valerie together. He then appeared in Rivals: Today and Tomorrow!, when he lost his notebook, but later found it thanks to his Slurpuff's strong sense of smell. Later, he had a three-on-three battle against Ash, but lost. During the battle, his Treecko evolved into Grovyle, but still lost to Ash's Frogadier. After that, he said goodbye to Ash and his friends and prepared to head for Coumarine City to challenge Ramos.
He appeared again in From A to Z!, where it was revealed he had obtained four more Gym Badges, including the Plant Badge for defeating Ramos. He also told Ash and his friends about Terminus Cave, and helped them fight Team Flare.
He appeared again in A Meeting of Two Journeys!, where it was revealed that he had caught a Honedge, that his Bagon had evolved into Shelgon, and that his Grovyle had evolved into Sceptile. The episode began with his Shelgon in a battle against Ash's Hawlucha, which Hawlucha won. After that, Honedge quickly lost against Pikachu. He then sent out Sceptile, to which Ash responded by sending out his Greninja. They were evenly matched at first, but Sceptile gained the upper hand with Leaf Storm. Greninja, however, managed to endure the attack and transformed into Ash-Greninja, allowing it to defeat Sceptile with ease. After the battle, Sawyer questioned Ash about Greninja's transformation and came with the hypothesis of Ash becoming Greninja. Later, he said goodbye to the group and continued his journey.
He reappeared in A Full-Strength Battle Surprise!, where he had another three-on-three battle against Ash and finally won. After the battle, he decided to travel with Ash and his friends to Snowbelle City in order to watch Ash's Gym battle. In the following episode, after seeing Ash losing to Wulfric in the Snowbelle Gym, he left the group.
He was seen again in XY125 where he, along with Ash, participated in the Lumiose Conference. He appeared again in XY126 where he won his quarterfinal battle against Tierno. During his win against Tierno, it was shown that sometime after leaving Ash's group in Snowbelle City, he obtained a Key Stone and a Sceptilite, which allows for his Sceptile to Mega Evolve.
In XY127, he began his Full Battle against Ash in the semifinals. He started out with Slaking in order to take on Ash's Hawlucha and its battling style. Slaking took several super-effective hits from Hawlucha, but did nothing in response. Instead, it used Slack Off to heal off most of the damage it took, and then defeated Hawlucha by using Counter in response to Hawlucha's Flying Press. Slaking then battled against Ash's Talonflame, where it used Slack Off once again to heal itself. However, all of the damage it had taken caught up to it, allowing Talonflame to defeat it with consecutive Steel Wing, Flame Charge, and Brave Bird attacks. Sawyer then sent out Clawitzer, utilizing Aqua Jet to keep Talonflame pressured, with Sawyer saying the speed attack was inspired by Ash's usage of them. Clawitzer then used Ice Beam to partially freeze Talonflame's wing, and then defeated it when its Aqua Jet overpowered Talonflame's Flame Charge. Ash then sent out Pikachu as his third Pokémon, with Clawitzer dodging Pikachu's Thunderbolt and Quick Attack. Pikachu then dodged Clawitzer's Ice Beam, which then led to Electro Ball, while Clawitzer countered with Dragon Pulse, causing an explosion that damaged both Pokémon. Clawitzer then attempted to chase down Pikachu with Aqua Jet, but failed. When Pikachu tried to use Iron Tail, Clawitzer managed to grab it, attempting to finish the battle with Water Pulse. This gave Pikachu an opening to hit Clawitzer with Electro Ball at close range, and then finished it off with Thunderbolt. Sawyer then chose Aegislash as his third Pokémon, using Sacred Sword to chop down the trees on the battlefield.
In the following episode, utilizing the destroyed battlefield to hamper Pikachu's movements, Aegislash was able to lower Pikachu's attack when it used King's Shield to counter Iron Tail, then going on the offensive and scoring consecutive hits with Sacred Sword. However, Pikachu managed to use one of the logs chopped up by Sacred Sword to stop King's Shield from completing, before knocking it out with Thunderbolt. With Sawyer now down three Pokémon, the battlefield changed, while Sawyer sent out his newly-evolved Salamence to battle Ash's Noivern. After taking a hit from Boomburst, Salamence's Dragon Rush overpowered Noivern's Dragon Claw. It then used Incinerate to get Noivern close, where it then hit it with Dragon Tail. Noivern then used Boomburst again to counter Incinerate, using the smoke to try and hit Salamence with Acrobatics. Knowing Noivern's ability to see through dust and smoke, Sawyer quickly ordered Salamence to use Protect, and then Dragon Rush to counter Acrobatics, resulting in a tie between the two. Sawyer then chose Slurpuff as his 5th Pokémon, while Ash chose Goodra, whom Sawyer had never battled before, and as such, didn't have any data on its strengths and strategies. Slurpuff's Flamethrower and Goodra's Ice Beam collided evenly, as Slurpuff hit it with Dazzling Gleam. Slurpuff then used Fairy Wind, but Goodra countered with Bide, Slurpuff limiting the damage with Cotton Guard. Slurpuff then unleashed a constant Flamethrower stream, while Goodra used Bide once more. Sawyer was shocked to see that Goodra had held on after such a powerful attack, and caused the battle to end with another double knockout after Bide and Fairy Wind collided. Down to his last Pokémon, Sawyer sent out Sceptile, while Ash sent Pikachu back out. Sceptile stopped Pikachu's Quick Attack with Leaf Storm, but then took a hit from Thunderbolt. After a stalemate between Iron Tail and Leaf Blade, Sceptile defeated Pikachu with Frenzy Plant. Ash sent out Greninja as his final Pokémon, sparking a final showdown between the two Pokémon, whose rivalry had only escalated with time. After a brief struggle, Greninja transformed into Ash-Greninja, while Sawyer Mega Evolved Sceptile. Despite Mega Sceptile taking a huge hit from Aerial Ace, Sawyer seemed to match Ash move for move, hitting Ash-Greninja twice with Leaf Storm. Ash-Greninja managed to avoid what would have been a decisive Frenzy Plant, and then using Double Team, before absorbing all of the clones into Water Shuriken, causing the move to grow in size, allowing it to easily push past Leaf Storm, and give Ash the win. Despite the loss, Sawyer felt no disappointment, or ill-will towards Ash, expressing his desire to keep on getting stronger and gaining more experience, so that he could continue to grow as a Trainer and eventually surpass Ash, shaking Ash's hand in a friendly respect.
Character
Sawyer is very studious and careful, seeing as how he writes down notes in his notebook after every battle he participates in. He does his best to apply his gained knowledge in battle, but can sometimes lose his calm in critical situations, causing him to make the wrong move and lose. However, Sawyer is shown to be very open to new experiences and doesn't seem to mind losing as long as it gives him a chance to improve himself. This attitude has allowed Sawyer to steadily progress as a Trainer. Furthermore, as he has progressed, he began incorporating Ash's unorthodox strategies, such as using Slaking to counter Ash's Hawlucha' battling style, and using Aegislash to chop down the trees on the battlefield to eliminate Pikachu's hiding spots.
Sawyer appears to look up to Ash as a friend and rival. After meeting Ash and being given helpful advice, Sawyer became more assertive and confident in battle, and his Pokémon reflect this newfound attitude. After witnessing Ash's loss to Wulfric in All Hail the Ice Battlefield!, Sawyer appeared to be disappointed, saying that the Trainer he had been admiring for so long wouldn't have lost, but ultimately promised to believe in his friend, knowing they would see each other in the Pokémon League. This belief ultimately turned true when he saw Ash at the League's Opening Ceremony in XY125, and was completely confirmed for him during his battle against Ash in the semi-finals.
In XY128, Sawyer began to cry after Ash's Greninja was about to attack with a giant form of its Water Shuriken move in its Ash-Greninja form, due to fear of thinking that he might not be able to counter it. Although, he soon regained his calm and was happy when he talked to Ash on the battlefield after he lost the battle, even accepting to grab Ash's hand in a show of good sportsmanship.
He is a big admirer of Steven Stone, shown in a flashback where he met him and his Metagross in Hoenn.
Pokémon
This listing is of Sawyer's known Pokémon in the anime:
| の | This article is missing information on this character's Japanese voice actor. You can help by adding this information. |
| Debut | Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Yūji Ueda |
| English | Bill Rogers |
- Main article: Sawyer's Sceptile
Sceptile is Sawyer's starter Pokémon. In Rivals: Today and Tomorrow!, it was revealed that it was given to him by Professor Birch as a Treecko. Later in the episode, it evolved into Grovyle while battling Ash's Frogadier.
In A Meeting of Two Journeys!, it was revealed that Grovyle had evolved into Sceptile.
In XY126, it was revealed that Sceptile was equipped with a Sceptilite, enabling it to Mega Evolve.
| Debut | A Fashionable Battle! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Kiyotaka Furushima |
| English | Carter Cathcart |
Salamence first appeared as a Bagon in A Fashionable Battle!, where it was used in a Double Battle alongside Treecko against Ash's Frogadier and Hawlucha until they postponed the battle. It was also used to battle Valerie's Spritzee but lost.
In Rivals: Today and Tomorrow!, Bagon participated in Sawyer's 3-on-3 battle with Ash. It battled against Pikachu, but lost.
In A Meeting of Two Journeys!, it was revealed that Bagon had evolved into Shelgon. It battled against Hawlucha and lost.
It reappeared in XY128 during Sawyer's Lumiose Conference semi-final battle against Ash, where it was revealed to have evolved into Salamence. It battled against Ash's Noivern and eventually tied with him.
Salamance's known moves are Fire Fang, Dragon Breath, Headbutt, Dragon Claw, Dragon Rush, Incinerate, Dragon Tail, and Protect.
| Debut | Rivals: Today and Tomorrow! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | Hitomi Nabatame |
| English | Haven Paschall |
Slurpuff first appeared in Rivals: Today and Tomorrow!, where she was used to find Sawyer's notebook using her strong sense of smell. Later she participated in Sawyer's 3-on-3 battle with Ash. She battled Hawlucha and lost, despite the type-advantage.
In XY126, Slurpuff battled against Tierno's Raichu in the Lumiose Conference, but lost to his Blastoise.
In XY128, Sawyer used Slurpuff in his semi-final battle against Ash, where it went up against Ash's Goodra. The face-off ended with both Pokémon fainting simultaneously.
Slurpuff's known moves are Electro Ball*, Attract, Energy Ball, Flamethrower, Dazzling Gleam, Fairy Wind, and Cotton Guard.
| Debut | A Meeting of Two Journeys! |
|---|---|
| Voice actors | |
| Japanese | |
| English | Justin Anselmi |
Aegislash first appeared as a Honedge in A Meeting of Two Journeys!. It battled against Ash's Pikachu, but lost. In A Full-Strength Battle Surprise!, it was revealed that Honedge had evolved into Doublade. It battled against Noivern and was defeated.
In XY126, in the Lumiose Conference, it was revealed that Doublade had evolved into Aegislash. It battled against Tierno's Ludicolo and won, but was then defeated by Raichu.
It was later used in XY127 and XY128, where it battled against Pikachu in the semi-finals and was once again defeated by him.
Aegislash's known moves are Fury Cutter, Iron Defense, Slash, Night Slash, Swords Dance, King's Shield, and Sacred Sword, and its Ability is Stance Change.
Clawitzer first appeared in A Full-Strength Battle Surprise!, where it was used in a three-on-three battle against Ash. It managed to defeat Noivern and Hawlucha, but lost to Greninja.
It reappeared in XY127, being used in the battle against Ash in the Lumiose Conference. It managed to defeat Talonflame, but was soon defeated by Pikachu.
Clawitzer's known moves are Crabhammer, Heal Pulse, Dragon Pulse, Ice Beam, Aqua Jet, and Water Pulse*, and its Ability is Mega Launcher.
| Debut | XY126 |
|---|
Slaking first appeared in XY126, where it was seen defeating a Medicham in the second round of the Lumiose Conference.
Slaking was later used in the semi-finals against Ash in XY127. It battled against Hawlucha and defeated him, but was then defeated by Ash's Talonflame.
Slaking's known moves are Slack Off, Counter, and Hammer Arm, and its Ability is Truant.
Achievements
Badges obtained
This listing is of the Badges Sawyer has obtained:
- Unknown Badge (prior to A Fashionable Battle!)
- Bug Badge (prior to From A to Z!)
- Plant Badge (prior to From A to Z!)
- Two unknown Badges (prior to From A to Z!)
- Psychic Badge (prior to A Full-Strength Battle Surprise!)
- Fairy Badge (prior to A Full-Strength Battle Surprise!)
- Iceberg Badge (prior to A Full-Strength Battle Surprise!)
Pokémon League
Sawyer has competed in the following Pokémon League Conferences:
- Lumiose Conference - Top 4 (XY128)
Voice actors
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Trivia
- Sawyer and his Treecko were first shown in Mad-Paced Getter, the second opening song of the XY series.
- Sawyer is the first recurring human character to be voiced by Ikue Ohtani, the voice actress for Pikachu.
- The episode Sawyer met Ash, Serena and Bonnie aired in the same week as the episode where he debuted in the English dub.
- In Battling with Elegance and a Big Smile!, the closed captions show Sawyer's name as Scottie in the dub.
- Half of Sawyer's Team is composed of Pokémon native to his home region of Hoenn, whereas the other half is composed of Pokémon native to Kalos.
- Sawyer is currently the only of Ash's recurring rivals to not be native to the region in which Ash is venturing, having traveled from Hoenn to compete in the Kalos League.
Names
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ショータ Shōta | A common Japanese masculine given name |
| English, German | Sawyer | Similar to his Japanese name |
| Spanish | Sabino | From saber, to know |
| French | Liam | |
| Italian | Sandro | Similar to his Japanese name |
| Korean | 승태 Seungtae | Korean reading of the Japanese name Shōta (勝太, 昇太, 升太, 承太) |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 翔太 Xiángtài | From the Japanese name 翔太 Shōta |
See also
| Trainers in League Conferences | ||||||||||||||
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This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon animation. |
