Chances of characters watching Masters 8 in person

[Handy Man]

An idea I've been seeing around is having Ash's friends meet up to watch the Masters Eight bracket in person when it happens. I love this idea, and it's one of the reasons I'm most excited for the Masters Eight to happen. Seeing all of these people that have impacted Ash's life over the show's 25 year history would be a sight to behold. We may even get other characters to show up to watch it in person as well. I wanted to go over my opinions on the chances of each character to make an appearance, and how likely I think their odds of appearing will be. I'll have three categories; high chance, 50/50 chance, and low chance. Let's get into it!

High Chance

• Misty
Misty was Ash's first ever traveling companion, and thus, one of his closest friends. Misty has seen Ash grow from the rookie in "Pokémon, I Choose You!", to the experienced trainer he blossomed into by the Sun & Moon series. Misty has always had Ash's back, and I feel like she wouldn't want to miss seeing Ash take on some of the best trainers in the world.

• Brock
Brock is also one of Ash's closest friends, having traveled with him the longest out of any of Ash's friends. Due to that, Brock has witnessed Ash's growth as a trainer first hand more than anyone else. He was there when Ash placed 16th in the Indigo League, when he made top 8 at the Johto and Hoenn leagues, when he won the Battle Frontier, and finally when he made the top 4 at the Sinnoh League. Brock would be very proud of Ash for making it into the Masters Eight, and I feel like he wouldn't miss it for the world.

• Team Rocket
While Jessie, James, and Meowth were never Ash's friends, they are still an important part of his journey. Team Rocket has rooted for Ash in multiple leagues, more than anyone else funnily enough, and I feel like the odds of them watching the Masters Eight in person are actually pretty high. Just because Ash is a twerp, that doesn't mean that they can't be proud of him.

• Professor Oak & Delia
Ever since Ash started his journey, these two have always been important supporting characters. They have watched the Kanto, Johto, and even Alola leagues in person, and I feel like they would be more than happy to watch the Masters Eight in person.

• Gary
Gary has never watched Ash in a league before, but that doesn't mean he can't start now. Having known Ash the longest out of any of his friends, plus having matured significantly since the end of the original series, I'm sure he wouldn't mind joining his grandfather and witness the progress of his childhood friend. Gary was in the first ever episode of Pokémon after all, so it only feels right for him to support Ashy-boy.

• Dawn
Out of all previous traveling companions, Dawn has appeared the most in Journeys, with 8 episodes and counting. Dawn has always been one of Ash's best friends, and if she knew about the Masters Eight tournament, I could guarantee that she would love to cheer Ash on. Maybe Iris as well, since Dawn did meet her for several episodes in BW.

• Iris
Iris is basically guaranteed, since she's already in the Masters Eight bracket as-is. However, it's still worth mentioning her. She would absolutely love to root for Ash, and I know that Ash would root for her all the same.

• Cilan
Out of all of Ash's traveling companions, Cilan arguably has the best reason to attend out of anyone. Having traveled with Ash and Iris throughout Unova, he would be over the moon to watch both of his friends compete in the Masters Eight bracket. I feel like he's a shoe-in.

• Clemont & Bonnie
We already saw them watch Ash's Ultra Class match against Drasna, so they are well aware of his involvement in the Pokémon World Championships. I feel like they wouldn't just only watch that specific battle, and they would be interested in watching Ash compete further in the Masters Eight.

• Serena
As Ash departed on the boat from Hoenn to Kanto, Ash told Serena instantly that he's competing in "this championships thing". Ash seems like he really wants Serena to check out his progress on the Pokémon World Championships, and Serena would love to take the opportunity to see Ash again and root for him.

• Mairin
This is an interesting choice, as Mairin is a friend of Alain's, not Ash. Mairin played a key role in Alain's character development throughout the Mega Evolution Specials and XYZ, plus there's the fact that we last saw Mairin join Alain to find a Key Stone and Mega Stone. Now that we know that Alain is in the Masters Eight, I think it's pretty likely that we'll see Mairin root for him in the audience.

• Lana, Kiawe, Lillie, Sophocles, Mallow, Gladion, Professor Kukui, Professor Burnet
I'm basically lumping the Sun & Moon cast together, because they essentially represent Ash's Alolan extended family. I feel like all of these characters have a great reason to come and support Ash in the Masters Eight, and I have a good feeling that all of them will show up together.

• Goh
Goh is guaranteed of course, he's Ash's traveling companion in Journeys. I felt like I had to include him for the sake of completion. It is worth noting that Goh is the only character to have watched all of Ash's Pokémon World Championship matches though, he hasn't missed a single one.

• Chloe
Even though Chloe is a major supporting character in Journeys, Chloe has never watched any of Ash's Pokémon World Championship matches so far. Despite this, she did noticeably show interest in Ash's promotion match against Raihan. Regardless, I feel confident that she'll join Goh and the others in watching the Masters Eight in person.

• Professor Cerise, Chrysa, Ren
These three have been invested in Ash and Goh's adventures throughout Journeys, and I think it makes a lot of sense for them to watch the Masters Eight in person. After all, it was Professor Cerise himself who gave Ash and Goh the tickets to watch the finale of the last season's Masters Eight bracket.

50/50 Chance

• Tracey
Ever since the last AG episode, Tracey's appearances have been very spotty, with none of his future appearances having a speaking role. As Tracey has traveled with Ash throughout the Orange Islands, and is still Professor Oak's assistant to this day, it would make a lot of sense for him to watch the Masters Eight in person. However, it feels like the writers like to pretend he doesn't exist most of the time, for whatever reason. He did get mentioned in JN068 though, so anything is possible.

• Clair
This is a pretty wild choice, but hear me out. Clair is a cousin of Lance, and Iris has also met Clair on a few occasions. Not to mention that she's had a gym battle with Ash before, and ran into him during the Decolore Islands arc. Having Clair in the audience to root for Lance and Iris could prove to be interesting, especially if Lance and Iris have to fight each other in the bracket. I feel like it would be a nice nod of continuity to have Clair watching the Masters Eight, but it admittedly also feels a little random.

• May & Max
I really hate to put these two in the 50/50 section, but the situation with May's actress KAORI is extremely unfortunate. They deserve to join all of Ash's other friends in the Masters Eight bracket, and I really hope they can make a miracle happen. If nothing else, we could see May make a silent cameo and have them both watch it on TV at home, but that would be really sad if they were one of the only previous traveling companions that couldn't watch the tournament in person with everyone else. As the Advanced series is important for being the first series after the original series, I really hope that May and Max pull through. However, I cannot in good faith say that their chances are high.

• Paul
Paul was never really one to root for others. When Ash eliminated him from the Sinnoh League, he immediately set off for Snowpoint City in hopes of encountering Brandon again. However, with the upcoming Journeys episode where he meets up with Ash once more, I do feel like Paul is interested in Ash's progress. I can't see him attending the Masters Eight in person, but what I can see is him watching it on TV. He watched Ash on TV a few times during Diamond & Pearl, including instances like The Wallace Cup and Ash's battle against Tobias. Maybe Reggie could also get a cameo alongside Paul. Regardless, I do think Paul will appear during the Masters Eight bracket in some capacity, but he's not guaranteed.

• Professor Sycamore
Alain is currently working as Professor Sycamore's assistant, just as he used to. Professor Sycamore was a pretty important supporting character during the XY series, and I feel like he's invested enough in both Ash and Alain to at least be interested in the Masters Eight. I don't really see him coming to watch it in person, but I'm sure he'll get a cameo of some sort.

• Korrina
Korrina is an interesting supporting character, as we've seen her make multiple appearances during both XY and Journeys. She also notably watched the Ash vs. Bea Ultra Class match in person. She seems friendly enough to want to watch Ash in person for the Masters Eight, but she also doesn't seem high priority at all either. She's a wildcard pick for sure.

• Sawyer
When we last saw Saywer, he was assisting Steven Stone and jotting down notes from him. I feel like Sawyer isn't guaranteed, but I do think there's a good chance we could see him in some capacity. I'm sure he would love to watch Ash, Alain, and Steven battle as well.

• Sonia
Sonia has been in a few episodes of Journeys, and her childhood friendship with Leon has already been established. She's on good terms with Goh as well. I feel like it would make sense for her to appear and root for Leon, but she's not guaranteed.

Low Chance

• Most Rivals (Ritchie, Casey, Morrison, Barry, Trip, Stephan, Tierno, Trevor, etc.)
Aside from Gary, Paul, Alain, Sawyer, and Gladion, most of the rivals have little reason to reappear for the Masters Eight. While it would be cool to see them again, I feel like most of their stories were done after their initial appearances, and the writers do not seem interested in most of them reappearing much. The most notable missing rival in my opinion is Trip, but due to his poor reception, it feels like the writers wanted to sweep Trip under the rug. Only time will tell if the other rivals will make appearances though.

• Most Professors (Elm, Birch, Rowan, Juniper, etc.)
Professor Oak, Kukui, Burnet, and Cerise are by far the most likely professors to make appearances, with Professor Sycamore not too far behind because of Alain's involvement in the Masters Eight. I just can't see the other professors having any interest of watching the Masters Eight, it just seems unlikely to me.

• Most parents (Flint, Norman, Johanna, Grace, Meyer etc.)
Aside from Delia, Kukui, and Burnet, none of the other parents have much of an incentive to be shown watching the Masters Eight. It would be cool to see them, but I wouldn't count on it.

• Hop
Irritatingly, Hop has yet to make any appearance in Journeys whatsoever. Since he is Leon's brother, I feel like he should finally be properly introduced and root for Leon in the Masters Eight. I just feel like not including Hop much earlier in Journeys was a big missed opportunity, and I'm hoping he can appear at all before Journeys ends. Hop deserves better.

That should cover my opinions. I really hope we get to see a huge gathering of characters for watching the Masters Eight in person, it would be incredibly hype. Please let me know what you're thoughts are, as well as if there are any other characters I forgot about. I hope we can finally see all of these characters meeting each other, I can't wait!

 

[cricketlaxwolvesbandy]

I want Max to get an appearance the most because he’s the only companion to not have an appearance in JN at all.
He also hasn’t had a speaking role since AG. Would like him to actually have a speaking role but cameoing at the masters 8 would be the next best thing. I really want to see all of Ashs companions cheer him on in person, that would be awesome.

 

[ehh123]

I would love any of them to appear just so Goh can hear about Ash's journeys with them and react to all the things our now humble Ash didn't bring up.

"HUH? He got to turned into a Pikachu?!?"

 

[Rath]

Well, Iris will already be there because she's in the tournament. And with both Ash and Iris being there, it'd be appropriate to have Cilan there to root for the both of them.

Aside from that, I can see Brock, maybe Misty, Dawn, and the Alola gang there. The rest will probably just be cameos.

 

[Sai]

I doubt anyone will be there. They're not going to pay all these VA's for numerous eps in the stands.

 

[DuskAstral]

I don't think everyone will be able to come to Galar to watch these fights.
Of course, some people will show up, but there won't be many of them.

 

[Turbo]

I know everyone loves the idea that all of Ash’s companions and friends watching him but that feels more like a finale of Ash than just Journeys so I’m conflicted on the idea as I don’t think Ash is done

Guaranteed
In-person

• Goh - obviously he’s Ash’s #1 fan
• Iris - she’ll be present or at least curious if she’s already eliminated
• Alain - Similar to Iris

Via Tv/Phone

• The Cerise Lab crew + Chloe even if they’re not there they’ll watch on the TV I feel

High
Likely but can't guarantee

• Alola gang - yeah if they don’t make the trip I’m sure they’ll be watching in Alola
• Dawn - She’s appeared a lot and could return one last time
• Brock - We know he can at least listen through Radio as seen in the Team Rocket episode
• Delia and Professor Oak - don’t know if they’re guaranteed but very likely given their roles

Medium chance
It falls between chance they’ll appear but maybe not involved like a cameo

• Clemont and Bonnie - they appeared in Journeys so could reappear and their connection to Ash would make them want to watch
• Serena- same as above
• Korrina- same as above
• Bea - same as above
• Alister- same as above
• Raihan - same as above
• Cilan - Ash, and Iris are present so could reunite the BW trio for his appearance
• Team Rocket - Could fill the classic has a job that puts them in the stands role but their low appearance in journeys might say otherwise (be funny if they did commentary)

Low but reasonable
Falls more into getting as many people to watch as possible just cameos

• Gary - Never really watched Ash but this would be the time
• Paul - will appear in JN and role is still unclear could move up or down
• Tracey - Professor Oak connection so could tag along but also might have to stay at the lab if they go
• Horace/Tokio - Not a connection to Ash but could watch with a Gary or Goh or project Mew members like the other chasers
• Misty - Hasn’t appeared but could be a nice cameo as she could just watch on TV and not speak
• May and Max - same as above
• Other PWC Ash has beaten including Drasna, Marnie, Rinto, etc - just to show how far he’s come in Journeys
• Wikstrom - already came back for the Drasna battle but maybe again to root for Sirfetch’d
• Other Journeys comebacks that weren’t companions like Drake, Wallace
• Sonia - could watch because of Leon but hasn’t been a big factor to Ash

Practically zero chance

• Other/past rivals like Harrison Tyson Stephan Trip Tierno etc - Would feel like literally everyone which would be pushing it
• Gym leaders, he has a close-ish connection - Volkner, Maylene, Cilan’s siblings, etc - same as above
• Other trainers like Anabel, Brandon, Casey, Ritchie, etc… - same as above

 

[Emelie]

If he wins shouldn't he celebrate? Perhaps the past traveling companions throw him a surprise party in Pallet Town! I think that would be preferable since everyone gets a chance to talk to each other without being overshadowed by the battles. I would like to see Misty, Dawn and Serena interact.

If this is his last season perhaps something will happen with Serena as well. She seems like the most likely candidate for a future love interest. Unless they go with Misty because Kanto nostalgia lol.

 

[Queen Cynthia]

I bet you TRio will be selling food and drinks in the stadium during Ash's battles as always. And they'll probably be thinking about quitting Team Rocket because honest work is more satisfying than being evil

 

[Handy Man]

Now that we know that the Alola gang was watching Ash vs. Raihan via broadcast, as well as Hop watching the Masters Eight in person, the prospect of at least some of Ash’s friends watching in person is looking more and more likely. Here’s hoping!

 

[Handy Man]

So you’re saying there’s a chance…

 

[XavierAnime]

I would always like that May is together with Ash as always as the two halves of the arc in the ribbon of my memory

but she does not really Ash's childhood to be a couple, he feels life without Serena's mistress if when she finds out Ash with May, it breaks heart and will be empty.

In my change, I'd like Ash to return the ribbon half to May and Ash go to Serena for this together where it belongs.

 

[Turbo]

I would always like that May is together with Ash as always as the two halves of the arc in the ribbon of my memory

but she does not really Ash's childhood to be a couple, he feels life without Serena's mistress if when she finds out Ash with May, it breaks heart and will be empty.

In my change, I'd like Ash to return the ribbon half to May and Ash go to Serena for this together where it belongs.

What?

 

[Handy Man]

Mairin and Professor Sycamore made appearances! I can’t wait to see more cameos!

 

[R1ke]

Idk where but there was a shot of tacy/oak/charizard/infernape all looking at something in a trailer, so mb that’s one of Ash’s matches? Alola gang also mentioned how they’d watch Ash’s battles offscreen, I could see other companions doing that too

I hope Paul watches the Cynthia battle in particular, since he helped train Ash for it; Garchomp was the only mon Ash couldn’t beat

 

[Sai]

I'm assuming Hop is the only character "in-person" and everyone else will be shown watching on TV like Sycamore/Marin.

Claire will probably watch the Lance/Diantha battle

Drayden and maybe Claire will watch Iris vs. Cynthia. Maybe we'll see Paul watching that match due to Cynthia

For Ash we already know the scene with Delia/Oak/Tracey reserves is probably from the Steven ep

 

[swampertus]

I think for the finals we might see some characters watching at the stadium.
Prof.Oak/Tracey/Delia/Iris/Go/Hop will def. watch. Alola gang might come too. Serena and Misty are the possible options too.

 

[WatcherMark]

I would be very surprised if Shōta didn't make an appearance watching Satoshi and Daigo's match since he idolized the two of them (plus it's not like the producers would have any trouble getting hold of his voice actor...).

 

[Imtnt]

My guess here we will see almost everyone again till the final round if Ash gets there. If watching TV or in his mind making memories for Lucario spirit bomb. In person maybe not likely untill the final. Wish they will get atvleast some main characters though in the fiirst round.