Many of Ash Ketchum's traveling companions throughout the Pokemon anime have been powerful trainers in their own right. However, none of Ash's friends have been as accomplished in terms of their battling strength as Iris. Appearing as one of the lead characters in Pokemon the Series: Black & White, Iris has an interesting journey.
Alongside fellow Unovan Cilan, Iris is one of the Gym Leaders in Pokemon Black & White, which was released for the Nintendo DS in 2010. She shares the title of Opelucid City Gym Leader with Drayden, who also appears in the anime. Her time as Ash's friend shows how she becomes a masterful Dragon-type user, such as these phenomenal episodes.
10 Emolga The Irresistible!
Despite her desire to be a Dragon Master when she joins Ash's travels, Iris's team is not limited to Pokemon of that type. This is further proven in the episode "Emolga the Irresistible" which finds Iris, Ash, and Cilan traveling to Nimbasa City with Bianca. There, Ash plans to challenge the city's Electric-type Gym Leader, the supermodel Elesa.
Preceding Ash's battle against Electric-types, the group encounters a wild Emolga, who Bianca wants to catch. However, Iris comes to the rescue with her Excadrill to rescue the Emolga from a pack of Swoobat. Bianca fails to catch the Electric/Flying-type, but after Iris's experience with Emolga, the Pokemon allows itself to be caught by her.
9 Best Wishes Until We Meet Again!
The end of every journey Ash embarks on can be bittersweet. The aspiring Pokemon Master gets to go on to new adventures in new regions (that align with newly-released games), but he must say goodbye to that region's traveling companions. In "Best Wishes Until We Meet Again," Ash separates from his Unova companions, Iris and Cilan.
The episode does also find Iris and Cilan arriving in Ash's home region of Kanto for the first time. This trip is not without its conflict, however, as Iris must help Ash and Cilan thwart another typical Team Rocket scheme. In the end, she says a heartfelt goodbye to Ash as she travels to Johto to meet up with Clair, a Trainer she met earlier in the series.
8 A Pokemon Of A Different Color!
This episode is the first meeting between Iris and Clair, a Dragon-type Gym Leader from the Johto region. She and Ash have a history together after Ash won the Rising Badge from her thanks to his Charizard. It's therefore interesting to see Iris get to interact with a seasoned Dragon Master, someone she can aspire to as a role model.
Iris and Clair get to bond in this episode over their shared love of Dragon-type Pokemon. Iris also gets to impress Clair with her Dragonite, which Iris uses to help Clair find and catch a shiny Druddigon. This also allows Iris to face her fear of Druddigon after a traumatic childhood incident in the Village of Dragons before Clair succeeds in her goal.
7 Iris And Excadrill Against The Dragon Buster!
Clair wouldn't be the only Dragon-type user that Iris interacts with throughout the anime. In the Pokemon the Series: Black & White episode titled "Iris and Excadrill Against the Dragon Buster," Iris, Ash, and Cilan meet Georgia for the first time. From this appearance onwards, Georgia would become a tough rival for Iris, for one very specific reason.
Georgia calls herself the "Dragon Buster" out of determination to be stronger than any Dragon Master in Unova. This obviously comes at odds with Iris's desire to become a great Dragon-type specialist. The two have several battles within the episode, but neither Iris's Axew nor Excadrill are a match for Georgia's powerful Ice-type Pokemon Beartic.
6 The Bloom Is On Axew!
"The Bloom Is On Axew" occurs early in Black & White, in the season's first ten episodes. The episode opens with Iris training her Axew with Cilan's Pansage. However, Axew's powers are out-of-control, causing a huge explosion that covers the group and their Pokemon in soot. This lack of mastery by her Axew causes Iris some serious frustration as a Trainer.
However, this episode also allows Iris to offer some backstory between her and the Axew. Apparently, the Dragon-type was gifted to her by an elder from the Village of Dragons. Iris is determined to raise her Axew into a Haxorus, and she manages to gain some control over its strength during another Pokemon battle against Ash and Pikachu.
5 Iris And The Rogue Dragonite!
Of course, later episodes in the anime would continue to test Iris's commitment to becoming a Dragon Master. This episode, for instance, takes place during Dawn's return to the group in Black & White while the gang stays in Cynthia's villa. However, their vacation is cut short when a Dragonite attacks a local power plant, forcing the group into action to catch it.
Eventually, with the help of Dawn, Officer Jenny, and some Undella Town trainers, Ash and his friends manage to corner the Dragonite. However, Iris defends the Dragon-type, taking it to a Pokemon Center. There, Dragonite allows Iris to catch it as a token of thanks, and as a result, Iris adds this powerful pseudo-legendary Pokemon to her team.
4 A Village Homecoming!
Oftentimes, the Village of Dragons is depicted in flashbacks delivered by Iris. The group finally visits the town of Dragon-type trainers in "A Village Homecoming." There, they learn a lot about Iris's backstory, including meeting her childhood friend Shannon. However, this visit home also leads to a pretty harrowing confrontation for Iris and her friends.
At the Village of Dragons, the group is introduced to Drayden for the very first time. Previously, Drayden had been mentioned by Iris as a source of frustration in her battling career, as she failed to defeat the Opelucid City Gym Leader previously. However, at the end of the episode, Drayden sees Iris's potential and offers her a chance to redeem herself.
3 Drayden Versus Iris: Past, Present, And Future!
Iris's rematch with Drayden takes place only an episode after "A Village Homecoming," in "Drayden Versus Iris: Past, Present, and Future." This episode takes Ash and his friends to Opelucid City, which will be the site of Iris's long-awaited redemption. However, the visit to Opelucid City gives Iris a moment to reflect on her past and her failures as a Trainer.
All of this introspection from Iris leads to her long-awaited battle with Drayden. Her Excadrill and Drayden's Haxorus knock each other out simultaneously, seemingly even-matched. However, Iris's Dragonite is no match for Drayden's Druddigon, and Iris loses again. She's comforted by the fact that Drayden wants her to take over as Gym Leader someday.
2 Thrash Of The Titans!
Iris is mostly unseen after she and Ash part ways at the end of Pokemon the Series: Black & White. Fortunately for fans of the character, she makes a big return in Pokemon Journeys: the Series, which often finds Ash retracing his past as a Trainer. Additionally, Iris's appearance in this episode shows a similar growth seen in Pokemon Black 2 & White 2.
Ash and his traveling companion Goh visit Opelucid City, where Iris has invited Ash for a reunion. There, Ash learns from Drayden himself that Iris has become the reigning Champion of the Unova Pokemon League. Of course, Ash takes this opportunity to battle his former friend, and subsequently defeats her with his own Dragonite.
1 The Path That Leads To Goodbye!
Throughout their journeys together, Iris proved to be one of Ash's most argumentative traveling companions. In "The Path That Leads to Goodbye," however, their friendship is put to the test after a fight leaves them on non-speaking terms. This puts Cilan in the awkward position of playing mediator in their conflicts, which doesn't go so well.
However, when Ash's Pokemon go off on their own to find a lost Iris and Axew, they are predictably captured by Team Rocket. Ash and Iris eventually have to team up to rescue their Pokemon and send Team Rocket blasting off again. As a result, Ash and Iris's friendship is restored, and they sincerely apologize to each other, a rare sight for these two.