Pokémon: How Iris' Goal is a Step Back for Anime

This is how Iris wanted to be Dragon Master which is a setback from the goals of her predecessors and how she could have been better handled.

For a while, the Pokémon anime did a great job of highlighting the role of Ash’s female companions. They went from people who wanted to master a certain type of Pokémon to those who wanted to be the Top Coordinator, the Competition equivalent of the Champion. Then, Iris came along.

One could argue that her wanting to become a Dragon Pokémon Master like Misty is a return to anime form. However, the anime has shown just how much the role of the female companion can be stepped up. If Iris were somehow more like May or Dawn, that could make her a much more interesting character.

How have the goals of Ash’s female friends evolved over time?

Misty’s goal of becoming a Water-type Pokémon Master is simple, but that’s all it takes. Back in the early days of the franchise, the main goal was to catch and fight Pokémon, both of which were handled by Ash. With this, his companions will need goals that are not set by the games. Since Brock wanted to be a Pokémon Breeder, Misty was free to master her type of Gym.

When Ash arrived in the Hoenn region, a potential new goal was set up for his companions—Competitions. This is why May was included in the series to replace Misty. Technically, she was supposed to challenge the Alliance just like Ash, but she chose to become the Coordinator as soon as she was introduced to the wonders of the Competition. Thus, when Ash fights in the Gymnasium of the Hoenn region, May will perform the same in its Exam Hall.

Being a Coordinator is a step up from a Water Pokémon Master for a number of reasons. For one thing, it was easier to define. The thing Misty can seem to do the most to master Water Pokémon is capture and train them. For May, her progress can be tracked and quantified by the number of Ribbons she needs to compete in the Grand Festival. The closest thing Misty had ever had to the Great Festival was the Whirlpool Cup, which was not given equal importance. With the Grand Festival equivalent of the Pokémon League, fans have a better understanding of what May is all about and can get excited as she gets closer to her goal of becoming a Top Coordinator.

The goal of becoming a Top Coordinator was rightfully transferred to Dawn in the Diamond and Pearl anime. Just as Hoenn’s heroine will compete in the Great Sinnoh Festival, so will the Sinnoh heroine compete in her local Grand Festival. These two have goals, milestones, and even rivals to make their personal journey more engaging.

How is Iris’ goal a step backwards?

Compared to her stated goal of becoming a Top Coordinator, Iris’ goal of becoming a Dragon Pokémon Master is a step backwards. Again, as a type expert, no clear target points are saved for the occasional category themed tournament, of which there are no tournaments in Unova. Not only that, half of her team during her time with Ash consisted of Pokémon of a different type than Dragons. This works for Coordinators because they need to add variety to their performances, but for an aspiring professional, it seems odd.

If Iris had a more specific goal like becoming a Champion or even defeating Drayden, that could at least be more appealing. She could have caught some more Dragon Pokémon, fought more Trainers with related objectives, and done more work related to that particular target, that could put her on par. with May and Dawn. She even has a rival in Georgia to push her, which is a step up from Misty. She ended up being the Champion in the games, so making her want to be one in the anime would be an ideal logical step.

Iris turned out to be good enough for what she was supposed to be, but she could be so much more. All she needs are some clear goals and ideas on how to get there. Thankfully, the anime will continue to thrive again with Serena and even becoming Iris Unova’s Champion. Still, it’s great to see Iris actively working towards becoming a Champion while she’s still traveling with Ash.

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