Sakura: Difference between revisions

This article is about the Pokémon Trainer from Ecruteak City. For the character whose Japanese name is also Sakura, see Daisy (anime).

Sakura サクラ Sakura
Sakura in the anime
Age	10 (estimated)
Gender	Female
Eye color	Blue
Hair color	Magenta
Hometown	Ecruteak City
Region	Johto
Relatives	Satsuki, Tamao, Sumomo, Koume (sisters*)
Trainer class	Trainer
Generation	II, IV
Games	Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver
Anime debut	Trouble's Brewing
English voice actor	Kerry Williams
Japanese voice actor	Mariko Kouda

Sakura (Japanese: サクラ Sakura), known as Sayo in the English language versions of the games, is a Pokémon Trainer who lives with her sisters, the Kimono Sisters, in Ecruteak City.

In the anime

Main series

Sakura in full costume

Sakura debuted in Trouble's Brewing. She struck a friendship with Misty after learning both were both the youngest in their families and had similar experiences with their older sisters. While she was training to be a Kimono Girl like her sisters, she dreamed of becoming a Pokémon Trainer instead and looked forward to challenging the Johto League. She even considered joining Ash and his friends on their journey. However, after witnessing Ash's group battling her sisters, she decided she wanted to train by herself first before embarking on her own journey.

In Espeon, Not Included, Sakura reunited with the group while passing through Ecruteak City. By this time, her Eevee had evolved into an Espeon. She used Espeon in a battle against Misty's Corsola, though she lost the match. She later helped the group to save her sisters' stolen Pokémon from Team Rocket. Afterwards, she decided she was ready to go on her own journey, and with her sisters' permission, she began her journey towards Violet City.

In The Blue Badge of Courage, Sakura was revealed to be challenging Gyms. She visited Misty in Cerulean City and mentioned that she already had three Gym Badges by that point: the Storm Badge, the Zephyr Badge, and the Hive Badge. After she helped Misty in rescuing Kinso's stolen Badges from the Gym Badge thieves, Sakura had a battle against Misty's Corsola once again. This time, Espeon was victorious, thus earning Sakura her fourth Badge, the Cascade Badge.

Character

Sakura shares a lot of parallels with Misty. In particular, she desired independence because she felt she never fit in with many of her sisters' activities and training regiments as Kimono Girls. Her encounter with Misty eventually motivated her to go on her own journey. By the end of Espeon, Not Included, Sakura put her training into practice, leading the offensive against Team Rocket and recovering her sisters' stolen Pokémon, in the process showing how far she had come as a Trainer compared to her old lifestyle.

Pokémon

This listing is of Sakura's known Pokémon:

		Eevee → Espeon
		Main article: Sakura's Espeon Espeon is Sakura's main Pokémon. It first appeared as an Eevee in Trouble's Brewing. By its next appearance in Espeon, Not Included, it had already evolved into Espeon and had a battle against Misty's Corsola. However, it was defeated by the Water-type. It also appeared in The Blue Badge of Courage defeating Misty's Corsola, earning Sakura a Cascade Badge.
Debut	Trouble's Brewing
Voice actors
Japanese	Yumi Touma
English	Kayzie Rogers

		Wurmple → Silcoon → Beautifly
		Beautifly first appeared in The Blue Badge of Courage, when Sakura used it to find the people who stole Kinso's Badges. While the English dub never stated it, Sakura explained in the original Japanese version that Beautifly had evolved from the Wurmple she had caught. None of Beautifly's moves are known.
Debut	The Blue Badge of Courage
Voice actors
Japanese	Machiko Toyoshima
English	Rachael Lillis

Achievements

Badges obtained

Sakura's Johto Badges

This listing is of the Badges Sakura has obtained:

Johto League Badges

• Storm Badge (prior to The Blue Badge of Courage)
• Zephyr Badge (prior to The Blue Badge of Courage)
• Hive Badge (prior to The Blue Badge of Courage)

Indigo League Badges

• Cascade Badge (The Blue Badge of Courage)

Voice actors

Pokémon Evolutions

Sayo in Pokémon Evolutions

Sayo appeared in The Show, where she and the other Kimono Girls reenacted the tale of Lugia and the destruction of the Brass Tower.

Pokémon

		Jolteon
		Sayo's Jolteon was used to enact the lightning storm that plagued Ecruteak City. Jolteon's only known move is Thunderbolt.
Debut	The Show

Voice actors

In the games

In Gold, Silver, and Crystal, Sayo can be battled in the Ecruteak Dance Theater, along with her four fellow Kimono Girls. Once she and the remaining Kimono Girls are defeated, a man will give the player HM03 (Surf).

Sayo makes an appearance in the Gold and Silver remakes, HeartGold and SoulSilver, as well. Unlike before, but as with other Kimono Girls in these games, she can be encountered outside of the Ecruteak Dance Hall. She first meets the player in the Ice Path when her sandals get stuck to the ice. She can be fought after the player receives the Rainbow Wing or the Silver Wing. Unlike before, she is in ownership of a Jolteon. Once she and the other Kimono Girls are defeated in a consecutive battle, the player receives either the Clear Bell or the Tidal Bell.

Pokémon

Generation II

Kimono Girl Sayo Ecruteak City Gold, Silver, and Crystal Reward: $1224
Type: Psychic Unknown Held item: None Espeon♂ Lv.17 Tackle Normal   --       Tail Whip Normal   --       Sand-Attack Ground   --       Confusion Psychic   --

Generation IV

Kimono Girl Sayo Ecruteak City HeartGold and SoulSilver Reward: $4560
Type: Electric Unknown Ability: Volt Absorb Held item: None Jolteon♂ Lv.38 Thunderbolt Electric Special   --       Double Team Normal Status   --       Thunder Wave Electric Status   --       Last Resort Normal Physical   --

Quotes

Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal

• Before battle

"I always dance with my Pokémon. Of course, I also train them."

• Being defeated

"Oh, so close! I almost had you."

• After being defeated

"Rhythm is important for both dancing and Pokémon"

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Ice Path

"Me oh my… Is that you, <player>? Fancy meeting you here! To tell the truth…my sandals are frozen on the ice, and I am stuck here. In other words, my flip-flops are quick-frozen to the ground. Tee hee. Well, it's no laughing matter. Would you push my back?/Would you come around and push my back?"

No: "Don't be so cruel. You will push my back, won't you?"

Yes: (after shoving her free) "You really are kind. Thank you so much!"

Kimono Dance Theater

• Before battle

"Excellent fighting spirit! You got me off the ice by pushing me from the back. I am the one who skates in sandals. I am Sayo--the Kimono Girl! I was listening in the Dragon's Den when you passed the test of the Elder. Allow me to challenge you and your Pokémon!"

• Being defeated

"Oh, so close! I almost had you."

• After battling Ho-Oh^HG/Lugia^SS

"We are rehearsing a dance."

Bell Tower^HG/Whirl Islands^SS

• If the player has not battled Ho-Oh^HG/Lugia^SS

"This is all we can do for you… What you do now is entirely up to you…"

• If the player catches/defeats/flees from Ho-Oh^HG/Lugia^SS

"You've done a great job. Say hello to Professor Elm for us."

Sprites

Sprite from Generation II	Sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver	Overworld sprite from Generation II	Overworld sprite from HeartGold and SoulSilver

Trivia

• Both of her known Pokémon are the result of branched evolution. Also, both of her known Pokémon were at the time the only two Pokémon that can learn Morning Sun by level-up.
• In HeartGold and SoulSilver, Kimono Girl Naoko, who once owned Flareon, is now in possession of the Espeon Sayo had in Generation II. This was also the case in Pokémon Evolutions.
• In Pokémon GO, a naming trick used to evolve Eevee into Espeon involves the name Sakura.

Names

This article is part of Project Anime, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of the Pokémon anime.