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Review JN065: Dragon Battle! Satoshi VS Iris!!

I’ve just realised, in the scene when Ash gets the letter about the battle from Goh, it’s to be assumed Ash was busy with training and wasn’t around for when it arrived.
If that’s to be the case, the Pokemon Ash was training was Sirfetch’d, Pikachu, Lucario, Dragonite and Gengar, but there was no sign of Dracovish...Weird how it wasn’t shown training with him/apart of the group.
 
The handling of Iris' character was amazing, We saw many sides of her personality I had forgotten, like her pride, her excitement when seeing cute Pokemon, and her unconditional love to Dragon-types. She made for a very cool rival for Ash. And it was also cool how far the writers took her, finally evolving her main partner and reaching very far in her training, directly mentioning that it was a result from the training with Drayden and Clair that she started in the final part of BW. Overall the episode felt like a celebration of her character and Best Wishes overall, which is great and what one would expect from her return.

However I had several gripes with the battle, which most of you also noticed. My main one is the result, two of Ash's newest Pokemon (one of which didn't even had an official battle!) shouldn't really compare to 2/3 of a champion's MAIN aces and who apparently have defeated many important trainers off-screen. Additionally, while some of the interruptions made for cute or funny moments many weren't necessary, which caused in Pokemon fainting very quickly. And while it's cool that Dragonite polished its own battle style, the way it learned Draco Meteor almost felt like a Deus Ex Machina.

If Iris had been just the gym leader I'd probably enjoy this a lot more, but the way they twisted it makes me feel like they sacrificed her and her region with the purpose of Ash looking amazing and giving him something he's not worthy of (before you come at me, I don't think being a champion in Alola gives you enough abilities to take out the potential of every new Pokemon immediately and defeat other champions) which is the kind of things people accuse Goh of receiving (which is also a problem). Also, you'd better not be an Unova fan, because this episode means that no other characters from that region will have battles this series, and that none of them have really a chance of being on the Master Eight.

tldr: I like the atmosphere of the episode, I'm mixed on the battle and I don't like the implications.
 
The handling of Iris' character was amazing, We saw many sides of her personality I had forgotten, like her pride, her excitement when seeing cute Pokemon, and her unconditional love to Dragon-types. She made for a very cool rival for Ash. And it was also cool how far the writers took her, finally evolving her main partner and reaching very far in her training, directly mentioning that it was a result from the training with Drayden and Clair that she started in the final part of BW. Overall the episode felt like a celebration of her character and Best Wishes overall, which is great and what one would expect from her return.

However I had several gripes with the battle, which most of you also noticed. My main one is the result, two of Ash's newest Pokemon (one of which didn't even had an official battle!) shouldn't really compare to 2/3 of a champion's MAIN aces and who apparently have defeated many important trainers off-screen. Additionally, while some of the interruptions made for cute or funny moments many weren't necessary, which caused in Pokemon fainting very quickly. And while it's cool that Dragonite polished its own battle style, the way it learned Draco Meteor almost felt like a Deus Ex Machina.

If Iris had been just the gym leader I'd probably enjoy this a lot more, but the way they twisted it makes me feel like they sacrificed her and her region with the purpose of Ash looking amazing and giving him something he's not worthy of (before you come at me, I don't think being a champion in Alola gives you enough abilities to take out the potential of every new Pokemon immediately and defeat other champions) which is the kind of things people accuse Goh of receiving (which is also a problem). Also, you'd better not be an Unova fan, because this episode means that no other characters from that region will have battles this series, and that none of them have really a chance of being on the Master Eight.

tldr: I like the atmosphere of the episode, I'm mixed on the battle and I don't like the implications.

Well, that’s not exactly true, now is it? Based on how the PWC works, some of the Unova Gym Leaders could be in the Hyper Class or even the Masters Eight, if they started earlier than Iris did.

...or, you know, at least one of them. Y’know, the one whose whole punk aesthetic meshes well with Galar? The one who literally has a Galarian fursona? The one who had BETTER battle Piers by the time this series is over or so help me Arceus I’ll...be VERY disappointed.

Roxie vs. Piers. Make it happen, Journeys. Make it happen.
 
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Wow, this episode made me so happy. It did have its flaws, which I'll get to, but this is easily the most fun I've had watching a Journeys episode in a good, long while.

First and foremost, I think this was a stellar episode for Iris. She's really grown a lot since we last saw her, and it's super impressive! Not only as a trainer, but in her personality as well. She just felt a lot more mature and serious, which I enjoyed. Of course, she still called Ash a kid, which I honestly don't have a problem with. I'm glad they only did it once, kind of as a nod, and didn't repeat it over and over again. To me, that's when it really gets grating, and that's also a great way to show that Iris has matured while at the same time staying true to her personality.

And the champion outfit...oh my goodness! I knew it was coming, but seeing it in action was really something. I adore that they adopted that into the anime! I'd love to see more of that for other characters as well. She looked so gorgeous and ethereal, and it was fun to see her original outfit in the beginning of the episode as well to kind of meld the two stages of Iris together.

It was also great to see that Axew had evolved and become such a strong battler like it dreamed of, as well as Iris' reaction to Dracovish. I really enjoyed the battle, but these elements really added to it. You could feel that this was an important battle but that it was still between two friends, and so I appreciated that tone being brought to it.

My biggest problem with the episode is it shouldn't have all been crammed into a single episode. I mean, Brock and Misty's SM episodes could barely squeeze everything into them and they got two each time. The whole thing just felt kind of rushed and I ended up feeling a little cheated out of the full potential of Iris' return. Don't get me wrong, the battle with Ash was great (again, albeit a little rushed) and I enjoyed it, but it's disappointing that we didn't really get to see them catching up as friends, or Goh really getting to interact with her outside of the forest. If this had been stretched out to two episodes instead, I also think people might not feel like Iris' development as a trainer would feel more complete I know we got some explanation for it, but it was all pretty vague and came exclusively from Drayden, and I would've loved to hear a bit more from Iris' perspective. I very easily would've given up the Flabebe episode for a continuation of this one and still can't understand why Journeys is continually stunting its own growth and development as a series.

Regardless, I would take way more episodes like this one than what we normally get out of this series. Even if the quality still isn't 100% there, it's really nice to see old characters show up and make the entire anime-verse feel more expansive.
 
Nearly a week later and I finally got to watch the episode! A really great one.

Loved all BW references and Iris's old Pokemon (it was nice to see that weakling Kibago turned into a really powerful Ononokusu), also loved when she said "I'm not a kid, I'm a Champion!", and her new Champion status (even though it's a bit unrealistic for a 10 year-old to hold such a high title in an entire region).

Missed the Trio a little bit (well, they weren't really necessary in this episode but still), and the presence of Dent (there could've been more references to him I think, like what's he doing right now, or where he is).
 
Nearly a week later and I finally got to watch the episode! A really great one.

Loved all BW references and Iris's old Pokemon (it was nice to see that weakling Kibago turned into a really powerful Ononokusu), also loved when she said "I'm not a kid, I'm a Champion!", and her new Champion status (even though it's a bit unrealistic for a 10 year-old to hold such a high title in an entire region).

Missed the Trio a little bit (well, they weren't really necessary in this episode but still), and the presence of Dent (there could've been more references to him I think, like what's he doing right now, or where he is).

His actor is pretty famous, maybe they couldn't spare him. Perhaps he's off fishing or recording some big anime or something. Maybe there is a budget hiccup somewhere and the big famous M.M is too expensive....

(Heck maybe that is why Goh gets so much focus, his actor is Izuku's+ and that may require a bit heftier a price tag so they need to go all bang for their buck with him)
 
His actor is pretty famous, maybe they couldn't spare him. Perhaps he's off fishing or recording some big anime or something. Maybe there is a budget hiccup somewhere and the big famous M.M is too expensive....

(Heck maybe that is why Goh gets so much focus, his actor is Izuku's+ and that may require a bit heftier a price tag so they need to go all bang for their buck with him)
That's the first time I see someone using M.M for Miyano Mamoru xD Yeah, I remember Dogasu stating that during the XY days, and I assume his price only increased since then. But I don't see an issue of bringing him for an episode only for example, it wouldn't throw OLM or TV-Tokyo too overbudget I believe.
 
This episode was absolutely amazing. Iris was very refreshing and I just love her intro in the gym. I actually enjoyed having her around. It was adorable seeing her react to Ash's dragons, and I love her moment with Dragonite. Also its great to see Axew FINALLY evolved! Rhe battle was decent and its great to see Ash rank up. Can't call Ash a horrible trainer now that he's defeated Professor Kukui AND the Unova Champion. I do wish we got to spend more time with her though.

My only complaint is Iris didn't give Goh her "You're such a kid!" line when he tried to catch her, considering she would have reacted that way in BW. She was irritated when Ash did the same thing. The other thing is while I love that Ash finally snaps back at her for the line, I just WISH he told her "Oh yeah? Well I'm a Champion too!" Why are the writers so hesitant to bring this up? We've seen the trophy but they just won't say he's the Alolan Champion.
 
My only complaint is Iris didn't give Goh her "You're such a kid!" line when he tried to catch her, considering she would have reacted that way in BW. She was irritated when Ash did the same thing.
That just goes to show that she's more mature now.
The other thing is while I love that Ash finally snaps back at her for the line, I just WISH he told her "Oh yeah? Well I'm a Champion too!"
Ash isn't really the type of person to brag about his achievements.
 
I have been thinking about this episode for a while now and no matter how I look at it, the way that it went down just bothers me and I honestly cannot agree with the general consensus that it was a good episode

For one thing, as I have stated many times before in the past; Iris has never been one of my favorite characters, far from it in fact, and so that was bound to wind up being a hindrance when it came to actually enjoying this episode, even though I really do like dragons. Also, the fact that Iris’ original “a little kid” catchphrase was actually brought back did not help. Oh, if only she wasn’t associated with dragons-type Pokémon or at the very least was able to make a better first impression upon me during her initial run as a regional traveling companion.

On another related matter it, um-uh, also felt somehow wrong to me that the Dragonite battle was just so one-sided in Iris’ favor. It just feels like Ash’s Dragonite should have been able to deal more damage and hold its own against Iris’. And I certainly don’t like the idea of it being believed that it would have been most likely overwhelmed by Iris’ Dragonite had Ash not called it back. Couldn’t it have been more like; Ash’s Dragonite could have held its own against Iris’ Dragonite, had the battle continued, with the winner still being up in the air, and Ash only recalled his Dragonite because he was worried that it was being psyched out to certain degree or at least something to that effect? It just feels like in the appearances that it has been given, Ash’s Dragonite has proven that it cannot be defeated so easily, no matter how powerful its opponent is.

Also, like quite a few other people here, I really do wish that Ash’s status as the Alola Region Champion was brought up, now that Iris is the Champion of the Unova Region.

But, what really bothers me about this episode is the fact that Iris has this apparent gift that allows her to connect with Dragon-type Pokémon on a spiritual level. Now granted, this was, in part, because of the fact that Ash has no such ability for whatever reason, but another big part of it is because it is largely believed that it was only because of Iris doing this that Ash won this match, which just feels wrong to me. Ash should not need to have these kinds of situations to sway the battles that he partakes in in his favor. If they were merely trying to showcase Iris’ knack and love for Dragon-type Pokémon, than, like much of the rest of the episode; it really does feel like they could have done that in a different way.

Anyone have any comments about all of this?
 
It is a good episode, by Journeys standards.
Most are so used to the drop in quality that when they get these treats, well people cling to and cherish them.
 
This episode would be pretty good if Iris were a gym leader. I don't accept this nonsense about Volkner and Bea being ahead of a regional champion, even if she is 10 years old. She was good enough to defeat Alder and the Unova Elite Four. I'm not even a big Unova fan, but the worldbuilding here sucks.

Ash needs a serious rival. No, that isn't Leon who is merely a role model (not that he's done anything we haven't seen before). Thank you OLM for making Iris a champion for a single episode (truly a "what if?" scenario) and making sure that Gary doesn't want to participate in PWC because it's "too crowded." It would be upsetting if these old characters actually gave Ash a hard time instead of striking his ego.
 
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Also, the fact that Iris’ original “a little kid” catchphrase was actually brought back did not help. Oh, if only she wasn’t associated with dragons-type Pokémon or at the very least was able to make a better first impression upon me during her initial run as a regional traveling companion
Iris only brought back her catchphrase once and was actually rebutted to by Ash. The scene barely lasted thirty seconds anyway.

That second part sounds more like a problem you have with BW rather than this episode. And she's associated with dragons because her game counterpart is.

It just feels like Ash’s Dragonite should have been able to deal more damage and hold its own against Iris’. And I certainly don’t like the idea of it being believed that it would have been most likely overwhelmed by Iris’ Dragonite had Ash not called it back. Couldn’t it have been more like; Ash’s Dragonite could have held its own against Iris’ Dragonite
Iris's Dragonite has a lot more experience than Ash's does, to be fair. And Iris is at Champion level anyway, so it makes sense for her Dragonite to slightly overwhelm Ash's. And even then, Ash's Dragonite tanked a TON of hits, which is already an impressive feat.

But, what really bothers me about this episode is the fact that Iris has this apparent gift that allows her to connect with Dragon-type Pokémon on a spiritual level.
Iris has always had this gift, though? This episode just shows her growth in being able to control that power and understand it better?

There's nothing wrong with not liking an episode, but not liking the episode just because of minor nitpicks you have with one character just comes across as silly to me. Many people actually wanted this episode to be a two-parter because it felt like it was too much in one episode. That, and people wanted to know more about how Iris became champion, which would've been better if it was a two-parter(Also, some people wanted Iris to interact with Goh).
 
This episode would be pretty good if Iris were a gym leader. I don't accept this nonsense about Volkner and Bea being ahead of a regional champion, even if she is 10 years old. She was good enough to defeat Alder and the Unova Elite Four. I'm not even a big Unova fan, but the worldbuilding here sucks.
Iris only just entered the WCS, so she hasn't had as much time to build up her rank as Volkner and Bea have.
 
That's an excuse and you know it. This battle could have happened in a year or two with much higher stakes. Or they could have just made Ash lose to a champion instead of a gym leader like Bea.
Galar Gym Leaders are established to be around Elite Four level when going all out in the games. And it's not an excuse. All Trainers start at the bottom, so Iris wasn't simply done climbing past the Great Class yet. It doesn't mean that she's not able to do it.
 
Iris only brought back her catchphrase once and was actually rebutted to by Ash. The scene barely lasted thirty seconds anyway.

After an entire saga of hearing her use this condescending catchphrase over and over again, hearing her use it again, thus proving that she’ll most likely never just drop it, is enough of a hit nerve for me

Iris's Dragonite has a lot more experience than Ash's does, to be fair. And Iris is at Champion level anyway, so it makes sense for her Dragonite to slightly overwhelm Ash's. And even then, Ash's Dragonite tanked a TON of hits, which is already an impressive feat.

A. As it has been established time and again; ASH IS A CHAMPION TOO, and B. Going up against an experienced Pokémon has already become something that Ash can deal with, even with somewhat recently captured Pokémon. His Dragonite was able to do a great deal better against an experienced Mega Lucario and against rampaging Dynamax Pokémon. Plus, even as a Champion, Iris’ skill set should not be that much higher than Ash’s, if anything it feels as though that they should be roughly at equal strength give or take.

Iris has always had this gift, though? This episode just shows her growth in being able to control that power and understand it better?
And again it feels somewhat wrong to me that someone with her condescending and annoying attitude has that type of ability while someone like Ash does not
 
And again it feels somewhat wrong to me that someone with her condescending and annoying attitude has that type of ability while someone like Ash does not
Like I said, she called Ash a kid ONE time, which he rebutted with by calling her a kid, which was well deserved. Other than that I don't recall her acting condescending in this episode. It seems to me that you're letting your opinion of how she was like in the BW saga affect how you feel about her now. The fact that she didn't spam call Ash a kid like she would've done in the past showcases her growth. The fact that Ash called her out on it showcases that not everything will be in her favor. And the fact that she was more focused on helping Dragonite in the battle instead of winning also showcases her growth, especially considering the Excadrill arc from BW. In any case, Ash won regardless, Iris started late in the PWC, and the episode put focus on Dragonite, which was definitely needed. All in all, it made a lot of sense. Sure, some might argue the technicalities of the actual battle, but I still feel like it's unfair to Iris by saying she's still condescending. She acted like an actual champion and friend in this episode-a balance which didn't happen in BW. That's one of the main reasons why people, including myself, love this episode.
 
I guess that when all is said and done, ‘development’ for Iris and Dragonite aside, it’s just so frustrating that the implications of this episode’s battle not only implied that Ash’s Dragonite would have been defeated by Iris’ (which already does not sit right with me all on its own, since it already seemed like Ash’s Dragonite was at least strong enough to give Iris’ a difficult time), but also that Ash would have lost the match as a whole had Iris not interfered. How does that make Ash look after all this time. He should not be this easy to overwhelm, even with newer Pokémon, since he has a knack for training his Pokémon to become very strong rather quickly. I would have enjoyed a battle between Dragon-type Pokémon and I would’ve enjoyed watching a battle between Ash’s and Iris’ Dragonites, and this is what I wind up getting?
 
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