Preview JN117: VS Shirona! Iris's Road to Dragon Master!!

[Eitarou]

Technically even Leon (and Ash if you want to stretch it) are people of color as well.

Stretch what? Japanese people are PoC, end of discussion. Diantha's the only canonical white Champ.

 

[Queen Cynthia]

And she's not unbeatable, just strong. Iris is most likely losing to her, yes, but I doubt it'll be a steamroll.

I agree with you that the remaining battle will probably not be one opponent steamrolling the other.
And at the same time that very fact makes me mad too. If Leon can be called "undefeated", why can't Cynthia, too? If Leon can steamroll Alain, why can't Cynthia do the same with Iris?? That is so incredibly unfair, because I bet you Cynthia is just as strong as Leon, if not stronger! And all that just because they need to set up Leon as that massive last obstacle for Ash, at the expense of a weak plot that should actually be more realistic and do justice to the "true" champions like Cynthia that have been around for many years and already proven what they're capable of.

Stretch what? Japanese people are PoC, end of discussion. Diantha's the only canonical white Champ.

What?
Since when have Cynthia, Lance and Steven not been white champions? (no judgement whatsoever intended!) Do we actually need official confirmation for that if everybody can see that with their very own eyes? And as for Ash, I guess our boy just got some tan from being outside all day long.

 

[Daren]

And at the same time that very fact makes me mad too. If Leon can be called "undefeated", why can't Cynthia, too?

Because she's not the main rival of this series. Same reason Paul constantly outdid Ash but Barry didn't.
Edit: Also Iris was a major protagonist for three years and they'll want to show how she's improved. Alain likely got stomped because he wasn't a character with a large fanbase.
Leon being hyped up as the undefeated champion isn't just something the anime made up; it's straight from the games. It's thematically important to Leon's character in a way it wasn't to any previous champion, because Leon's whole identity is that he was the player character of an unseen Pokémon game. Even his bad sense of direction is (in my opinion) quite possibly a joking reference to the tendency for players in RPGs to explore everywhere and do the plot important things they're supposed to focus on last.

Since when have Cynthia, Lance and Steven not been white champions?

They're all Japanese. Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh are all based off parts of Japan.
Anime art style just looks that way. You can find various pictures from anime of the historical Japanese Daimyo Oda Nobunaga and he looks white, but I guarantee you he isn't intended to be.

 

[Queen Cynthia]

Edit: Also Iris was a major protagonist for three years and they'll want to show how she's improved

And that's what's worrying me to be honest. Iris fans might be pleased but what about the Cynthia fans? (if I was to guess I'd say there more fans of Cynthia than of Iris out there). The title implies it'll be all about Iris and what she's done so far and what not, while Cynthia is only mentioned as a side note ("VS Shirona") However, it would only be fair that every champion gets their fair share. Sure, there will be another battle with Cynthia, the one against Ash, but while in the first battle they need to "instrumentalize" Cynthia to put Iris in the center of attention, the second match will be all about Ash... Poor Queen, that's all the thanks one gets...

To be honest, it's quite a strange situation for me. On the one hand, I'm excited in anticipation of Cynthia's battle. On the other hand, I'm actually worried the writers might mess this up too, just as they did with Alain vs. Leon. Well, two more weeks of waiting.

 

[FluffleFi]

Considering Cynthia's showed up in multiple games, is one of the more popular characters in the whole series and is often said to be one of the hardest opponents in the series, I think Cynthia fans get more than enough. Outside of the PWT in Black 2 and White 2 you don't exactly see Lance or Steven showing up as secret bosses outside of there regions like Cynthia did in Unova and Alola.

Iris hasn't appeared outside of Unova if you don't count the anime or Masters, so if anything her fans suffer the most.

 

[Ghost Diplocaulus]

Also, Cynthia is clearly gonna defeat Iris in the end anyway, so isn't that plenty of love too?

 

[BigDocFan]

I am told though haven't seen it for myself that a Taiwanese Twitter user has revealed the Pokémon used in the battle between Iris and Cynthia, if this is the case Gastrodon will be on Cynthia's team

 

[Chilon]

In the Trailer we see Iris in rain. Rain-Dance Gastrodon will be nice. I dont know how they will use that but weather effects are most nice. When its NOT Gastrodon than is a swift swimmer like Drednaw good: a nice challenge for Iris before she goes. BT Milotic can use also Rain Dance. But why it should do? It has no use for Garchomp or Milotic. Mmmhh... Very susy. Eventually he uses it only to minimize the Fire moves from Iris Pokemon?

Thats why i think Iri will use a Dragontype thats not Dragonite and because its boring

Spoiler: Spoiler

Drampa comeback???????

 

[Queen Cynthia]

Considering Cynthia's showed up in multiple games, is one of the more popular characters in the whole series and is often said to be one of the hardest opponents in the series, I think Cynthia fans get more than enough. Outside of the PWT in Black 2 and White 2 you don't exactly see Lance or Steven showing up as secret bosses outside of there regions like Cynthia did in Unova and Alola.

Iris hasn't appeared outside of Unova if you don't count the anime or Masters, so if anything her fans suffer the most.

But we're talking about the Anime, not the games here. And when it comes to the number of appearances in the show, Iris has got much more focus so far considering that she used to be Ash's companion throughout BW.
So if anything, the main focus should be on Cynthia this time and not on Iris once again. Heck, that girl even got her own Super Class battle/episode ...

I am told though haven't seen it for myself that a Taiwanese Twitter user has revealed the Pokémon used in the battle between Iris and Cynthia, if this is the case Gastrodon will be on Cynthia's team

Of course we never know until we actually see it, but from my point of view that wouldn't make too much sense, because Cynthia has already been confirmed to use Milotic, so another Water-type Pokemon would be surprising.

 

[FinnishPokéFan92]

But we're talking about the Anime, not the games here. And when it comes to the number of appearances in the show, Iris has got much more focus so far considering that she used to be Ash's companion throughout BW.
So if anything, the main focus should be on Cynthia this time and not on Iris once again. Heck, that girl even got her own Super Class battle/episode ...

Cynthia has gotten plenty of focus in the anime too.

 

[Chilon]

In the Trailer we see Iris in rain. Rain-Dance Gastrodon will be nice. I dont know how they will use that but weather effects are most nice. When its NOT Gastrodon than is a swift swimmer like Drednaw good: a nice challenge for Iris before she goes. BT Milotic can use also Rain Dance. But why it should do? It has no use for Garchomp or Milotic. Mmmhh... Very susy. Eventually he uses it only to minimize the Fire moves from Iris Pokemon?

Thats why i think Iri will use a Dragontype thats not Dragonite and because its boring

Drampa comeback???????

 

[Die-Hard Dragon Devotee]

Cynthia has gotten plenty of focus in the anime too.

The most of any champion (besides Ash,) as a matter of fact. (Not counting Iris because we've only seen her after she became a champion a few times.)

 

[Ghost Diplocaulus]

But we're talking about the Anime, not the games here. And when it comes to the number of appearances in the show, Iris has got much more focus so far considering that she used to be Ash's companion throughout BW.

Obviously. Iris is a (former) main character and Cynthia is a supporting character. Of course the former is gonna get more focus; main characters getting more focus than supporting ones is Story and Narrative 101. Iris is the character who still has room to grow whereas Cynthia is a mentor type character who clearly reached her zenith years ago in-universe. Obviously the former is going to need more focus than the latter.

Besides, it's beyond obvious that Cynthia is going to win the battle anyway, so it all evens out.

 

[Unovia]

Cynthia is going to beat Iris, imo. It might have been one thing if Iris still had "Plot armor" being a main character, but she does not. We know from the preview that Cynthia will have Mega Garchomp & Milotic, but what other Pokemon will she have? I suspect it will be Kommo-o, especially since she only recently revealed it. Cynthia knows far more about Dragons than Iris does, so even though Iris loses, I think she will learn a lot from Cynthia.

Personally, I want Iris to use Excadrill.

 

[Queen Cynthia]

whereas Cynthia is a mentor type character who clearly reached her zenith years ago in-universe

Oh you're being a bit "rude", aren't you? Cynthia isn't that old after all! And who says that she won't or can't grow any further off-screen ?

 

[Daren]

Oh you're being a bit "rude", aren't you? Cynthia isn't that old after all! And who says that she won't or can't grow any further off-screen ?

It's not about her age, it's about her narrative role. She's a mentor figure/final boss (in the games); her job isn't to keep improving and remaining on top forever but to eventually be surpassed as the protagonist comes into their own. That's what happens with champions in the games, but the show's pacing issues meant her and the others remained the strongest in their own series' until Sun/Moon came along.

 

[Queen Cynthia]

It's not about her age, it's about her narrative role. She's a mentor figure/final boss (in the games); her job isn't to keep improving and remaining on top forever but to eventually be surpassed as the protagonist comes into their own. That's what happens with champions in the games, but the show's pacing issues meant her and the others remained the strongest in their own series' until Sun/Moon came along.

Yeah I can't even disagree here, but at the same time that's pretty sad and something I simply can't accept that easily.
Hope they'll at least give us some Cynthia Special after the PWC is all over.... Considering that, no matter how much I think about it, I can't see a reasonable role for Ash in the show after winning the PWC, I think it would be a great opportunity to give us more specials focused on other characters. (But that's a different story)

 

[Chilon]

What if Cynthia lose? I think thats not the case. But when i think soo...
Please answer:
Why whe see Iris in rain and then this! He is shown with Haxorus in a victory pose of Friendship

 

[Ghost Diplocaulus]

Oh you're being a bit "rude", aren't you? Cynthia isn't that old after all! And who says that she won't or can't grow any further off-screen ?

Excuse me, when and where did I ever call Cynthia old?? I called her a mentor archetype, something that any person of any age can be, with the only requirement being that they need to be older and more experienced than whoever they're mentoring: Brock himself was a sort of mentor for Ash in the early series, and he's only 15 years old.

Please don't go and put words in my mouth.

 

[Mew2]

For Ash to look like he has a legitimate chance against Leon, assuming he's just using his Journeys Team and not his Reserves, I think that Cynthia has to at the very least beat Iris convincingly, if not outright curbstomp her. Leon trounced Alain, who managed to beat Ash with a Mega Pokémon that was beaten soundly by Leon's normal Charizard. It's almost certain that if, or rather when, Ash faces Cynthia, it will come down to his last Pokémon. If Cynthia has a lot of trouble with Iris, an opponent that Ash has already beaten, then he won't look all that strong going into his eventual battle with Leon unless he decides to go back on his current plan and call in some reserves, preferably Infernape, Charizard, and/or Snorlax (mainly to deal with Rillaboom and a likely Dragapult in the event of a 6-on-6). Now, if Cynthia has trouble against Iris, it is possible for Ash to later beat her convincingly but I don't think the writers will give him that type of victory against her. As such, in my view, she needs to at least have more than one Pokémon able to battle by the end of her battle against Iris for Ash beating her to make it look like he has a legitimate shot at beating Leon rather than it looking like a victory due to plot and only plot. Of course, this is all dependent on Ash sticking with his Journeys team exclusively. If a Pokémon or two get hurt or worn out from over battling and Ash has to call in some reserves, a win with them will look far more realistic even if Cynthia does still have trouble with Iris, especially if members of the GPICSS squad or Incineroar or Lycanroc are used.