The World Coronation Series has tested the skills of over 10, 000 Pokemon Trainers, and the time has finally arrived to see who is the best of the best. As the Masters Eight compete for the Monarch position, Leon must fight to keep his title of the undefeated champion, while the other seven trainers try to survive a presumably single-elimination event with three Pokemon in their arsenal.
The Quarter-Finals line-up feels relatively unbalanced, as the top four face off against the bottom four, but nevertheless, fans can anticipate some interesting battles in Pokemon Journeys.
Leon vs Alain: Episode 115
The first round between the Masters Eight is a strange one, as each trainer does not appear to be playing to their best advantage. According to the teaser trailer, this epic round involves the battles of two Grass-Types followed by a Charizard match-up, with some Dynamax transformations thrown into the mix. As a dual-type Pokemon, Chesnaught might give Alain the advantage by utilizing his Fighting-Type attacks such as Hammer Arm, or even accessing his poisonous Sludge Bomb for an effective strike against Leon's Rillaboom. It seems that Leon has more faith in his partnership with Charizard because he opts to use his Dynamax band to initiate Rillaboom's powerup, thus eliminating a potential Mega Charizard from competing. This calculated choice is probably Leon's best bet, seeing as Chestnaught has a wider range of attack abilities.
If Alain resists the urge to Dynamax his Chestnaught, then he will have the opportunity to call his Mega Charizard X onto the field, which, on paper, could easily defeat a regular old Charizard. Leon is not some random opponent, however, and even with a Dynamax advantage, it seems impossible to beat the undefeated champion. In the Pokemon Journeys teaser trailer, viewers catch a glimpse of Leon's Charizard accessing his Ancient Power, a move so rare and powerful that it can only be achieved through breeding.
Lance vs Diantha: Episode 116
Lance's Dragonite has become quite infamous as possibly the strongest of his kind (along with Iris') as the pair have been working together since the original series. Diantha does not appear to be phased as she calls her Aurorus onto the field, confident in her Rock/Ice Type moves, which are expected to be super effective against the dragon. Lance is seen with a Gigantamax Pokeball in his hand, although it is unclear as to when he plans on using it, however, Diantha favors her Mega Gardevoir in battles, so the smart choice would be to save it for the next round.
Diantha's Mega Gardevoir is up against an unknown opponent, however, Leon's Red Gyarados is most likely to make an appearance. Gardevoir does potentially have access to some Electric-Type moves that should be super effective against the Water/Flying Type, although any of her Fairy-Type attacks are likely to put Gyarados in his place. Interestingly enough, Mega Gyarados displays a vulnerability to Fairy-Type attacks more than a regular Gyarados does, so if Lance has any foresight, his advantageous transformation should maybe be used for Dragonite instead.
Cynthia vs Iris: Episode 117
In another battle of the dragons, Cynthia's Garchomp is set to face Iris' Haxorus in the girl-fight of the century and while Cynthia is expected to pull a Key Stone out of the works, it is uncertain whether Iris will do the same. Even though she may be a Dragon Master, Iris has significantly less experience with Pokemon battles than the Sinnoh League Champion does, and it seems implausible that Cynthia will be defeated.
Cynthia's Milotic is seen making the rounds in the teaser trailer, also battling against Iris's Haxorus and likely chosen for its super-effective Ice attacks. The impression is given that Garchomp finishes off what Milotic had started, however, Iris' other Pokemon are not revealed. Generally speaking, the Unova League Champion relies on her Emolga, Excadrill, or Dragonite in battle, so it's safe to say that one of these three will be making an appearance. To counter the Dragon Master, Cynthia's best choice would be to rely on her Fairy and Ice Type Pokemon, such as Togekiss and Glaceon, or shake things up a bit by adding Lucario or Gastrodon to the mix.
Ash vs Steven: Episode 118-119
There is a significant amount of controversy surrounding this match-up, as fans have been dying to see Steven Stone and Ash battle for some time now. In the teaser trailer, Steven Stone's Cradily and Mega Metagross are seen valiantly attacking Ash's Pikachu and Gengar, although the exact couplings are unconfirmed. It would make sense if Steven calls upon Metagross to challenge Gengar as his attacks are particularly strong against Ghost Type Pokemon, but Ash is definitely going to Dynamax something, so to level out the playing field better, his Gengar should receive the empowering treatment.
That would leave Cradily against Pikachu, which will be an interesting battle, to say the least. Cradily has displayed resistance to electric attacks in the past, whereas Pikachu is vulnerable to Grass-Type Pokemon, so it seems that Steven could have the upper hand after all. Not many trainers can say that they have defeated Ash's Pikachu though, due to his intense resolve and dedication to helping Ash achieve his dreams.
Semi-Final Predictions: Leon vs Diantha
Fans doubt that Diantha will make her last stand without bringing Hawlucha into the fold, and her Tyrantrum and Goodra definitely deserve their moment in the spotlight. Leon rarely battles without his Charizard, however, it is unclear if there will be much time separating the quarter- and semi-final matches, and the dragon might need some rest after fighting against Alain. The undefeated champion will probably want to show off his Dragapult and Aegislash for a change, to add some variety to the line-up and throw his opponent off thier game.
When assessing Leon's Pokemon team, it becomes evident that the Galar Champion is particularly weak against Dark or Fairy Type Pokemon, so hopefully, Diantha's Gardevoir is up for another fight. However, despite her best efforts, it seems unlikely that Leon would not make it to the final round, as many fans would be dissatisfied by their undefeated champion being knocked off their pedestal by a 5th-ranking Masters Eight trainer. If anyone deserves to defeat Leon, it's Cynthia, unless she is somehow knocked out of the running. At the end of the day, Diantha is better known for her acting career than her fighting skills, and it would border on the offensive if a less-dedicated Pokemon Trainer destroyed the great Leon's reputation.
Semi-Final Predictions: Ash vs Cynthia
Ash's Pokemon team may be relatively limited for the World Coronation Series, however, he has some strong options available to him. Cynthia's team, on the other hand, is comprised of a selection of rare and powerful Pokemon, and it will need some careful planning on Ash's part to take this opponent down. Sirfetch'd, Dracovish and Dragonite should probably sit this one out, (having a vulnerability to Fairy-Types) which leaves Gengar, Pikachu, and Lucario for the pickings.
Lucario is the obvious choice seeing as he is super-effective against Fairy-Types, however, it will not be an easy win for Ash considering that Cynthia has a Lucario of her own and is therefore familiar with the Pokemon's capabilities. Hopefully, fans won't get another double-vision match-up involving both Ash's and Cynthia's Lucarios, as some variety would be greatly appreciated. As much as fans would love to see Ash win another Championship, it seems that Cynthia has the stronger team overall. Consequently, many fans anticipate the undefeated Leon to face the stunning Cynthia for the World Coronation Series finale in Pokemon Journeys, but who knows, the Alola Champion may add another title to his belt.
After a two-week hiatus, Pokemon Journeys is set to return on 8 July 2022 in Japan.