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| Season | Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series (Season 25) · The Masters Eight: quarterfinals arc (JN115–JN120) |
| Episode | Season 25, episode 27 · English episode 1197 · Japanese episode 1203 · Bulbapedia code JN117 |
| English title | The Fiery Road to Mastership! |
| Japanese title | VSシロナ！アイリス、ドラゴンマスターへの道！！ Tai Shirona! Airisu, Doragon Masutā e no Michi!! — “VS Shirona! Iris’s Road to Dragon Master!!” |
| First aired (Japan) | 15 July 2022 · TV Tokyo |
| First aired (US) | 24 February 2023 · Netflix |
| Screenplay | Atsuhiro Tomioka |
| Opening / ending (Japan) | Wan, Tsū, Surī (One, Two, Three) – Satoshi & Go (Rica Matsumoto and Daiki Yamashita) · Batsugun Taipu (Supereffective Type) – Pokémon Music Club |
| English opening | With You – Echosmith |
| Previous episode | Pride of a Champion! (JN116) |
| Next episode | Battling as Hard as Stone! (JN118) |
Plot episodeCynthia vs Iris
The Fiery Road to Mastership! is the 27th episode of Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series, the twenty-fifth season of the Pokémon anime, and the 1197th episode of the English dub overall (Japanese episode 1203, Bulbapedia code JN117). It first aired in Japan on 15 July 2022 and in the United States on 24 February 2023. It falls within the season’s The Masters Eight: quarterfinals stretch (EP115–EP120).
Released on Netflix in the US on 24 February 2023 with the second part (JN103–JN117); Teletoon had premiered it in Canada on 10 December 2022. The last episode of Netflix’s second part.
Synopsis
Iris pushes her former mentor Cynthia to her limit in the third Masters Eight match, but Cynthia’s Mega Garchomp defeats Iris’s Haxorus to send the Sinnoh Champion into the semifinals. As the battle begins, Hop is amazed to learn from Goh how many Champions Ash knows, Team Rocket recognise the stylish Unova Champion as the “Unova twerp,” and Steven notes that Iris and Cynthia know each other’s styles from training together. Gastrodon summons rain with Rain Dance and shrugs off Excadrill’s Metal Claw, and Iris thanks Cynthia for the advice that helped her become Champion, while Cynthia says that here they are simply Trainers aiming for the top. Muddy Water makes Excadrill’s Focus Blast fail, and Acid Armor blunts Drill Run. Trapped by a stronger Muddy Water, Excadrill stakes everything on Horn Drill and wins with a one-hit knockout just as the rain stops, while Team Rocket try to claim credit for Iris’s strength.
Cynthia’s Milotic easily dodges Drill Run and knocks Excadrill out with Hydro Pump. Iris’s Dragonite lands a super-effective Thunder Punch, but Milotic replies with Disarming Voice, coils around the dazed Dragonite and knocks it out with Iron Head. Iris’s last Pokémon is Haxorus, the ace that won her the Unova title. Its Psycho Cut shatters Disarming Voice, and Breaking Swipe cancels Hydro Pump and sends Milotic flying out of the battle. Cynthia calmly sends out her ace, Garchomp, whose Draco Meteor is answered by Outrage, and Haxorus plows through the meteors to trade blows. When Outrage leaves it confused, Haxorus snaps out of it by slamming its head into the ground, a plan Iris made in advance. Impressed, Cynthia uses the Key Stone hidden in her lipstick to Mega Evolve Garchomp.
Mega Garchomp’s Dragon Claw meets a string of Psycho Cuts, and Iris draws it into close combat for a point-blank Dragon Pulse. Sensing that the next exchange will decide everything, Iris and Haxorus give it all they have as Cynthia orders another Draco Meteor. Haxorus’s Dragon Pulse splits apart and destroys many of the falling rocks, but there are too many, and when the dust clears the two dragons glare at each other until Haxorus collapses. Cynthia wins, and both Trainers thank their partners and each other. Ash slips out of his seat and finds Iris in the hallway, where she tries to praise Cynthia cheerfully but breaks down in tears when Goh arrives. Wiping her eyes, Iris promises to cheer for Ash with Goh, and Ash thanks his friends and heads to the field to face Steven, wearing his Z-Power Ring, Dynamax Band and Mega Glove.
Major Events
- Cynthia vs Iris. Quarterfinal: Cynthia’s Gastrodon, Milotic and Mega Garchomp beat Iris’s Excadrill, Dragonite and Haxorus
- Excadrill learns Horn Drill and knocks out Gastrodon, the first of Cynthia’s Pokémon defeated on screen
- All of Ash’s main rivals and every Champion have now appeared in Journeys
Trivia
- The screenplay is by Atsuhiro Tomioka.
- This is a plot episode: it advances the Kanto, Galar & beyond storyline.
Part of our Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: The Series guide. Browse every season of the Pokémon anime.