It’s not official confirmation, but according to this tweet, Iwane (anipoke animator) thinks that Alain is in his early 20s! (Q&A translation below)
Q: Hello Iwane-san. In XY&Z, Alain was speaking casually (tameguchi) with Steven, so I was wondering how old Alain is. (Although he switched to speaking politely/keigo in Journeys.)
out of desperation for more alain content i searched for mezastar videos on youtube and compiled all of his lines that i could find into this video (with bonus clips of the origins of his lines)
Congratulations to Steven Stone on earning Alain’s keigo* card, though I’m a bit conflicted. Alain used to use tameguchi** with Steven in the Mega Evolution Specials ever since their first interaction where he thanked Steven for helping Mairin and then immediately challenging Steven to a battle.
*keigo = polite speech, used to talk with people you respect/strangers
**tameguchi = casual speech, used with people you are close to/younger people
(nerding out about a fictional character’s speech pattern below)
(minor JN117 spoilers)
*after Mairin introduces Steven to Alain*
Alain: ありがとう (arigatou) Thank you.
If Alain were to use keigo, he would say ありがとうございます (arigatou gozaimasu)
*after noticing Steven’s Key Stone*
Alain: バトルをしないか (batoru wo shinai ka) Will you battle me?
[Keigo: バトルをしませんか (batoru wo shimasen ka)]
Now it could just be that Alain didn’t know that Steven was a champion. But even after learning about Steven’s champion status, Alain kept using tameguchi with Steven. (when he’s not grunting as a response, that is)
*after Steven tells Alain to go to the other altar to find the megalith*
Alain: わかった (wakatta) Got it.
[Keigo: わかりました (wakarimashita)]
*after Steven judges him for leaving Mairin behind*
Alain: 足手まといだけだ (ashidematoi dake da) She’s just a burden.
[Keigo: 足手まといだけです (ashidematoi dake desu)]
In JN116, during the part where the other champions are commenting about Diantha’s Reflect + Light Screen strategy, I did notice that Alain used keigo there, but I assumed Alain used keigo because Cynthia was also a part of the conversation.
Steven: Reflect and Light Screen... She fortified herself with two defense moves.
Alain: しかし、技の効果は時間が経つと切れてしまいます (shikashi, waza no kouka ha jikan ga tatsu to kireteshimaimasu) Still, the effect of the moves will dissipate in time.
Normally, he’d say something like 切れてしまう (kireteshimau), so that caught me off guard.
And then JN117 aired and pretty much confirmed that Alain uses keigo with Steven, since there’s a scene where only the two of them speak. (granted, Leon and Diantha were still there, but they didn’t speak)
Steven: I guess she’s getting serious.
Alain: しかし、オノノクスのポテンシャルも相当なもの。勝負の行方はわかりません。(shikashi, ononokusu no potensharu wa soutou na mono. shoubu no yukue wa wakarimasen) Still, Haxorus’ potential is consierable. We still don’t know how this will turn out.
[Tameguchi: 勝負の行方はわからない。(shoubu no yukue wa wakaranai)]
Now, this could mean that either 1. something happened between Alain and Steven after XY&Z or 2. the writers forgot that Alain uses tameguchi with Steven. As much as I wish that it was 1, this is not the first time that Alain’s speech pattern got mixed up in Journeys.
JN115′s afterstory seems harmless at first glance, and even when looking at the translation, nothing seems off.
Alain: I entrust my feelings to you.
Ash: I accept them!
But the way Alain speaks to Ash here is weird, with the JP comments under the tweet all commenting about it.
Alain: お前に俺の思いを託したぜ (omae ni ore no omoi wo takushita ze)
There are many ways to say “you” in Japanese, such as omae, kimi and anata. Alain uses 君 (kimi) with Ash, not `omae. In fact, the only person I recall Alain using omae with is Mairin. And Alain has never used “ze” to end his sentences. Normally, he’d say something like this. (the meaning of the sentence has not changed)
Alain: 君に俺の思いを託す (kimi ni ore no omoi wo takusu)
But the person who worked on the afterstories aren’t really anipoke staff but rather an artist that anipoke comissioned, so I’m more lenient towards this.
TL;DR: Alain used to speak casually to Steven in XY, but in Journeys he starts speaking more politely. Is it because something happened between these two, or is it because the staff forgot? Who knows? Looking forward to JN118! (mostly for Alain)
I recently saw a tweet that ranked the Masters 8 members by the amount of likes they got from @anipoke_pr’s icons/headers tweets and that inspired me to rank them by pretty much everything that @anipoke_pr has done for every member of the Masters 8. (Icon/Headers, Wallpapers, Voice Actors’ Comments)
(images galore ahead)
Starting off with the most recent promotion, the icons and headers giveaway. This promotion happened AFTER JN115 for all members.
Steven dominates every category save for the comments for obvious reaons. (*cough* JN115 *cough*) Leon fans, don’t translate the Quote Retweets and Comments because 9 times out of 10, you will regret it.
Next up is the wallpaper giveaway, where you have to retweet the tweet (QRTs don’t work) and the anime account will DM you a wallpaper of the character you retweeted. In the tweet is a short video of screenshots of the character, with the final screenshot containing a phrase from the character.
(Twitter decided to not show the exact amounts after 10k so the amount of retweets are rough estimates.)
Some people have had issues where they retweeted the tweet but did not receive a DM, which lead to more comments and qrts for some characters. (most notably Cynthia) Leon’s tweet came out an hour AFTER JN115 aired, which definitely affected the comments.
Finally, the cast comments. These were all released on the day the Masters 8 members were revealed. Not much to say about these.
The voice actors’ popularity may have an effect on the results as well.
while i’m at it, might as well repost the ono kensho (alain’s va) pash interview translation too! if you’re interested in seeing someone’s thoughts on a character they voice, read on! i don’t see any spoilers but i’ll put the translation down the cut just in case
(disclaimer: i wish my japanese was good enough to accurately translate all of this but this is the best i can manage)
(also i can’t post the full scans just in case pash somehow finds me)
(damn rereading this after jn115 aired sucks)
- Alain's making his first reappearance since Pokemon XY&Z. How did you feel when it was decided that Alain was to reappear?
It's been about 6 years since his last appearance, so I've been looking forward to it! This time, since it's been since Alain last met Ash, I wondered what kind of battle Alain would have with Ash... but it turns out it's not only just Ash, but the Champions from other regions are also here in the Masters Tournament. This made me even more psyched.
- Do you feel that Alain has grown or changed in any way compared to the old series?
He's grown more mature...? Or rather, I feel like his perspective has broadened a bit. But I think Alan's original fighting spirit is alive and well!
- It seems that Alain will appear as a part of the Masters 8 in the Pokemon World Championships.
Personally, being a part of the Masters 8, similar to the Elite Four, means that Alain holds Champion level strength, so that made me happy. For Alain, whose goal is to master Mega Evolution, it's a place where he can challenge strong opponents, and I feel that winning is a stepping stone for Alain.
- What are your impressions of the other members of the Masters 8?
Leon is the strongest. He gives me the impression of a passionate entertainer. Cynthia gives me a cool and mysterious impression. For Steven, I get the impression of a calm but strong person. Also, he seems to live an elegant life. Lance is confident. He gives the impression of a provocative and aggressive person. Like Steven, Diantha also gives off an impression of a calm but strong person. She also seems to be living an elegant life. (laughs) Iris gives the impression of being energetic. She is straightforward in what she likes and seems to have many friends. And finally, Ash. Ash is Ash. (laughs) He is just like I remember him from when I was a child, loving Pokemon and working hard at everything he does.
- What is Mega Evolution to Alain who is aiming to master Mega Evolution?
I think that Alain believes in the infinite potential that is hidden behind Mega Evolution. The deeper the bond with a Pokemon, the stronger it becomes. I think he believes in the potential of Mega Evolution and strives towards it.
- What do you expect if Alain were to battle with Steven and Ash in this Masters Tournament?
I would love for him to fight both of them. In particular, I think Alain himself would like to fight Steven since they were never able to finish their last battle. Alain and Ash have had a good battle in the finals of the Kalos League, I want them to battle each other again to see how they've grown.
- Other than Ash and Steven, are there any other Masters 8 members you want Alain to battle?
I'd like Alain to battle Iris because I think that it would be a fun battle, just like battling Ash. I'd also like Alain to battle Diantha since they're both from the Kalos region.
- What should we pay attention to when watching Alain's performance in the Masters Tournament?
What kind of Pokémon will Alain battle with this time, and whether his partner Charizard's Mega Evolution is even more powerful, and above all, who will be his opponent! I hope you look forward to Alan's growth.
- A message to the readers please.
I am very enthusiastic about this Masters Tournament. I want to take on the challenge as a challenger without forgetting the spirit of challenge. Whoever my opponent is, I know it will be a hard-fought battle, so I'm looking forward to the matchup!
the only copium i have for journeys now is the daiala interaction that suzumura kenichi (steven’s seiyuu) mentioned in the pash interview (really rough translation by me + my bestie DeepL below)
warning: potential spoilers??? idk it hasn’t happened in the anime yet, so for people who want to be surprised, uhh turn back
- How was the reunion with Alain and Diantha, characters who once fought together with Steven?
Suzumura: I was very happy to reunite with Alain again. Actually, there’s a scene where Steven says pretty harsh words to Alain. In the actual rankings, Steven is ranked 3rd while Alain is ranked 6th, so he might be flexing* a bit. (laughs) I think Daigo has always been like that, and that's what makes him so appealing. It's amazing that even in dialogue where he might seem like a jerk at first glance, he doesn't seem that way. The same goes for the other members of Masters Eight. They all appear at key points outside of their own battles and speak at certain points, but their characters are well portrayed in these scenes. There is also the feeling of the battle happening before their eyes, which is exquisite.** Everyone has this intimidating air where the feeling of “I’m not going to lose to you!” is implied. In the green room, while watching the battles, the other members have conversations as if they’re trying to find out what’s on the other’s mind.*** It makes your heart pound, which is what makes it interesting. Since the Masters Tournament is drawn mainly around the battles, there is not a lot of conversation outside of the battles, but I could feel the atmosphere of Steven, Ash, Alain, and Diantha rejoicing in their reunion. There is a sense of respect and sportsmanship towards the opponent, rather than seeing them as just an enemy. Everyone’s feeling of "That's why I’m going all out!" was clearly portrayed in places where it was not in the dialogue, and that’s what I think makes the atmosphere great.
(*suzuken uses マウント取って which means something like one-upping someone but i feel like flexing flows better
**i honestly have no idea how to translate かつ、バトル目前というビリっとした空気感もあって、そこが絶妙なんですよ。so uhh yeah that part’s a bit awkward
*** googling 腹の探り合い gives me either “finding out what the other has on his mind“ or “finding out each other's real intentions” so i went with the first meaning
my n3 japanese is not jozu enough for this orz)
suzuken what do you mean by really harsh words, i need answers now
JN115 may have hurt me in the worst possible ways, but Alain using keigo (polite speech) with Leon was funny to me solely because Steven is still the only Champion Alain doesn’t use keigo with. (he used it with Diantha when they talked once)
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