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Should Ash battle Iris at the 8th Gym before Drayden?

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Cybersai

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Most likely when we hit the 8th Gym there will be a big reveal that Iris wants to become Drayden's apprentice and take over the Gym once she gets more experience. Ash will likely battle Drayden for the badge, but should he battle Iris beforehand?

Not only would it allow Drayden to see Iris test her abilities on her then hopefully fully evolved Axew, but it would also give Ash a rematch again her, in which he would hopefully win this time.

I really think they're building up to have Ash beat Iris at the end of the region, therefore she can finally accept how strong he is as a trainer. Drayden will also see Iris has much to learn, etc.

What do you think?
 
Building up? You make it sound like she's a rival..

I don't see them building up to anything. That could change, but right now...I don't see it. Iris is not a character that Ash has expressed a desire to prove himself to. I don't get the impression that their relationship is founded solely on that principle. Her "kid" thing isn't limited to just Ash anyway.

At any rate, I would prefer him to battle Drayden, and be done with it. Ash, and Iris can battle again at other points in the series. I imagine by the time Drayden rolls around Iris will have already faced the facts about Ash's strength (if she hasn't started to already), given the fact she'll probably be more mature by then.
 
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The only way I could see it happen would be if Drayden loses to Ash and then Iris steps up to try and prove herself/defend the honour of dragon masters.

I don't think the way anime Iris has been developed can associate her with the 8th Gym, much less as a near equal Gym Leader. The anime Iris has been established as a fairly well developed trainer (with Excadrill), but lacking the maturity and focus that would allow her to master dragon Pokemon, her attacks on Ash for being 'such a kid' are in my view more a characterisation of her uncertainty in her own skill and the elements of herself and her training methods that she sees in Ash. Because of that I predict that one of the characters Iris will meet when she gets to the village of dragons (or Opelucid City) will say the exact same thing of her.

That would at the very least further foreshadow a showdown with Ash, but I don't think it would be in the Gym setting, much less done so beforehand. Seeing Ash be successful against Drayden where she failed is more of a justification for developing the rivalry further than simply wanting to prove herself in front of Drayden.

Iris battling Drayden for a Gym Badge would be good though - even if Iris has shown no real care for gym battles - getting the badge of the dragon gym would be a large demonstration of her powers, and also allow Excadrill the second chance he really needs. I'd suggest she would fail still, but the mid-battle evolution of Axew along with her demonstration of her improved skills would make the impression on Drayden (and the village elders watching on).

However either storyline would be difficult to then have Iris continue with Ash, even a 'I have more to learn travelling with Ash' won't work because she would do even better to stay in Opelucid or the Village of Dragons to further develop herself. That said it isn't like the Anime hasn't ignored the character development of the travelling partners to have them stay with Ash to the end of the season before - just I think Iris has even less of a justification.
 
I believe it should be the other way around; that Iris should battle Drayden in a rematch instead before Ash has the chance to challenge Drayden himself. The writers seem to like having a secondary character battle the gym leader first (i.e. Paul against Roark or Bianca against Elesa), and then for that gym leader to battle Ash in the next episode. Iris's goal is directly connected to Drayden; her desire to become a Dragon Master has stemmed from battling him, an existing Dragon Master.

Iris may have won against Ash in the Don Battle tournament, but by no means does Ash strive to beat her in battle. We might get to the point when Ash and Iris do fight again in a rematch, but I believe it wouldn't be suitable in the eighth gym.

Of course, it is still too early to tell. Ash has just gotten his fourth badge, and who knows how long it will take for him to get his next one.
 
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No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. NO.

They don't seem to be building up to anything at the moment.

Ash lost to Iris in a one-sided single battle, so it wouldn't even be much of a rematch.

I'd probably believe this if the battle was them using three Pokemon...
 
No. Satoshi should battle Shaga for the badge, period. This is the last gym in the region, this is the last hurdle before the League, but more than that it's where we see where Satoshi's at in terms of battling. After battling Ibuki, Adan and Denzi for the last three "eight gym" to have him go from that to battling Iris would just be incredibly underwhelming and wouldn't really build up Satoshi as a potential League contender.

As for Satoshi battling Iris prior to that... Honestly, I don't want to see it happen. The writers would make it a close battle, which based on the minimal amount of training and battling we've seen Iris do and her lack of anything that remotely ressembles growth as a trainer throughout her journey, it'd just make Satoshi look really really weak in comparaison, which in turn would cheapen his win against Shaga and would pretty much write him off as a contender for the League. I'd rather see Iris get destroyed by Shaga in a curbstomp battle and then see Satoshi win against Shaga and do what she couldn't. But in the end, if it means Iris stays in Souryuuu while Satoshi and Dent go to the League, she can get beaten by Satoshi, Shaga, Langley, anybody really... :)
 
In the games, Iris was Drayden's protoge. In the anime, we have yet to see her connection with him beyond her battle against him as a kid. Ash has had "battles" with her, and he knows her Pokemon, so he'd know what to expect if she did battle him later on. So I don't really see that happening.
 
Haha...no.

It will be like the Don Battle Tournament, crappy writing, no sign of development of any sort and plain boring in contrast to storyline. I would rather see Iris battling Drayden than Ash.
 
As a adamant Iris fan, I gotta say no. I would prefer Satoshi and Shaga go head to head for the Legend Badge, not only because I think Shaga would be a better match but, because Shaga is a Gym Leader Dragon Master. He will have a team of Dragon Types for Satoshi to face, I like Shaga as much as I do Clair, Drake, and Lance other "Dragon Masters" I guess xD Dragon Types in the games are a pretty overpowered type only two weaknesses and a plethora of resistance and powerful attacks and they can learn moves from a lot of other types. Dragonite and Dragonair were pertraid as Pokes who can control weather itself. Dragons are power houses and very big and strong. If Shaga is going to be sticking with nothing but, Isshuian Pokes then that means for him to have a full battle against Satoshi he'd have to use. Sanzandora, Ononokusoo, Onnonndo, Jiheddo, Kurimugan, and I guess a Kibago or Monozu? Or they could have him use a reptile Poke like how Gyrados was considered a Dragon, he could use a Zuruzukin with Dragon Attacks. And that would be a hard match for Satoshi's team to take on, obviously.

I could see Satoshi and Iris battling at another point though, maybe like someone mentioned. Shaga is beaten then Iris steps in to defend him, by battling Satoshi for the sake of Shaga's name. A one on one battle where Iris win and therefores "indirectly" beats Shaga and Shaga sees a spark in Iris or something. Or Iris could battle Shaga before Satoshi in a rematch so her Doryuuzu can get it's revenge. Obviously beating Ononokusoo in a one on one battle or Kibago using Legendary Wrath to take on Shaga's opposing Kibago.

I couldn't see Iris staying in Souryuu City. Iris has been with Satoshi since the beginning of the journey. She's been helping and supporting him along the way. Healing Zuruggu, saving Pikachu from falling from that skyscraper, and her Kibago and his Zuruggu being brothers, and her Emonga and his Tsutarja being bitchy to each other. I see her supporting him in the League and I possibly couldn't see things any other way, and her realizing Satoshi's true strength. Dento and Satoshi going to the league together would be extreme shoddy writing :p 'Specially when Satoshi and Iris's Pokes are both developing and growing, granted neither of them has done any real training outside of Mijumaru, Kibago, and Doryuuzu. Sadly I could see them having Satoshi and just Dento go to the league with the amount of hype behind Dento's character, thanks to Mamoru Miyano. Popularity equals getting whatever you want :p
 
So in other words, nobody wants to see an Ash Vs. Iris match at the end of the region, when both their teams will be at their strongest?
 
Gliscor'd said:
Most likely when we hit the 8th Gym there will be a big reveal that Iris wants to become Drayden's apprentice and take over the Gym once she gets more experience.
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What?

I don't think she "wants" to be his apprentice. Either she is already his apprentice or she isn't ... and I don't think she is. :/
From what I gather her going on a journey is what's needed for her to reach her goals. Experience pretty much. She seems to already know the technical side of dragon knowledge along with how to battle with Pokemon so I don't see what he would tell her other then to go out and explore the world like she is doing. It's kinda like Ash finding a "Pokemon Master" to train under ... sure, it makes sense in RL but the massage the anime says is "you have to walk your own path and experience the world if you want the best out of your journey to become w/e".

Anyway, the only way I could see Ash vs Iris for the 8th gym is when Iris battles Drayden in a grudge rematch and she beats him leading him to say something like "Hahaha! Seems like she might be a better challenger for you than I! mind battling on my behalf, Iris?". I would prefer that they both battle Drayden as I'm sure that they will have another battle before that.
 
Gliscor'd said:
So in other words, nobody wants to see an Ash Vs. Iris match at the end of the region, when both their teams will be at their strongest?
Click to expand...

Not really. It hasn't been set up properly. If they had more of a Ash/May type relationship, then we'd be seeing both of them improving and learning along their respective journies, with a bit of competition thrown in. Then when it comes time for the 8th gym battle they'd have some groundwork set for it and the battle would mean more. It would show how far they've coem together. AS it is now, as it would do is shut Iris up. SMH, as fun as that'd be i'd rather see Ash go up against a real Dragon Master.

As it is, she'll probably battle Drayden herself to prove herself to him and he'll make her his apprentice after. She'll go to the League with Ash and then go back and start training with Drayden after.
 
Yes. That would be too awesome an opportunity to miss. Iris hasn't been portrayed as a bad battler either so it could be done quite plausibly depending on how she is shown from here.
 
Ash, and Iris can battle again at any other point in the series. As said, after Claire, Juan, and Volkner it would seem underwhelming to have him battle Iris, regardless if it would be "more emotional". Having them both battling Drayden would be a more significant test of their skills, rather than battling each other. It would be more beneficial to each of their goals as well. Ash would be able to face another Dragon Master, and Iris would do so as well culminating into her being his apprentice.
 
I don't know how things will go down, the fact he battled all three GL's from the first gym does make me believe he'll likely end up fighting both of them somehow.

Either he'll beat Drayden, then Iris will pull a Max moment out of anger and take his badge, thus challenging him for it. (given her character I could see her doing this. )Or both face him and lose, he sets up a battle between them for his badge, or Iris fights him and barely wins, where as ash loses and we get a similar result.

either way i don't see things being good when we get there...
 
Chaosblazer said:
I don't know how things will go down, the fact he battled all three GL's from the first gym does make me believe he'll likely end up fighting both of them somehow.

Either he'll beat Drayden, then Iris will pull a Max moment out of anger and take his badge, thus challenging him for it. (given her character I could see her doing this. )Or both face him and lose, he sets up a battle between them for his badge, or Iris fights him and barely wins, where as ash loses and we get a similar result.

either way i don't see things being good when we get there...
Click to expand...

I wouldn't mind her pulling a Max. Gives Ash the chance to put her in her place.
 
To be honest I see Iris doing the same thing Misty did when they got to Cerulean. Iris will get all nervous when they get near the 8th Gym and run away for a bit. Then as Ash is about to challenge Drayden she comes shouting from the stands or something.

With BW trying to be like Kanto, it wouldn't surprise me if Iris winds up acting like Misty did back in the Cerulean Gym ep.
 
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