Did you ever think the anime was going to adapt Iris’s game plot line prior to JN?

[AshxSatoshi]

So now that

Spoiler: JN spoilers

Iris is revealed as apart of the Master Class

did it ever cross any of you guys mind that she would become the Champion of Unova because Game Freak made the decision of making a companion regional Champion?

 

[Psajdak]

No.

 

[Sham]

Yes

 

[SerGoldenhandtheJust]

Honestly I think they themselves werent sure, obviously they were aiming to make her gym leader at first considering BW but then B2W2 happened plans changed and Iris staunchly refused to be Gym leader
Ig they wanted her to be champion but didnt really know how to go about it as BW didnt give a good enough foundation for it to happen in the series, until ofc JN which was a perfect opportunity. I dont buy the theories that Iris being champion wasnt supposed to happen in JN and was a last minute mandate by the uppers

 

[Sham]

Honestly I think they themselves werent sure, obviously they were aiming to make her gym leader at first considering BW but then B2W2 happened plans changed and Iris staunchly refused to be Gym leader
Ig they wanted her to be champion but didnt really know how to go about it as BW didnt give a good enough foundation for it to happen in the series, until ofc JN which was a perfect opportunity. I dont buy the theories that Iris being champion wasnt supposed to happen in JN and was a last minute mandate by the uppers

Yeah, I think the writings were on the wall about this once Ash decided to challenge Roxie instead of Drayden/Iris. Tomiyasu had an idea that he wanted to do for this awhile and as you said the seeds were planted in BW as soon as she said no to becoming Gym Leader.

There probably was some hesitation since unlike Wallace/Steven there was no incentive for the switch and they could of ignored her role like Gary with Viridian Gym/Champion. I also don’t believe they did this because younger audience are more familiar with Iris. BW and BW2 are not far apart games from each other and Alder was in BW so if they’re familiar with Iris then they’re familiar with Alder.

Although they did seem to imply she’s been training with Drayden since she called him “Sensei” (which the dub completely ignores) so that’s probably how she upped the ranks as well.

 

[AshxSatoshi]

Honestly I think they themselves werent sure, obviously they were aiming to make her gym leader at first considering BW but then B2W2 happened plans changed and Iris staunchly refused to be Gym leader
Ig they wanted her to be champion but didnt really know how to go about it as BW didnt give a good enough foundation for it to happen in the series, until ofc JN which was a perfect opportunity. I dont buy the theories that Iris being champion wasnt supposed to happen in JN and was a last minute mandate by the uppers

People thought it was a last minute thing to make her a Champion?

 

[Sham]

Honestly I think they themselves werent sure, obviously they were aiming to make her gym leader at first considering BW but then B2W2 happened plans changed and Iris staunchly refused to be Gym leader
Ig they wanted her to be champion but didnt really know how to go about it as BW didnt give a good enough foundation for it to happen in the series, until ofc JN which was a perfect opportunity. I dont buy the theories that Iris being champion wasnt supposed to happen in JN and was a last minute mandate by the uppers

Actually

Spoiler: Spoiler kinda?

A person just posted this video earlier actually but it actually makes sense how Iris became Champion. Apparently a Gym Leader has the right to challenge a Champion whenever they choose to which is confirmed in Let’s Go by Brock. Assuming that Drayden did actually groom Iris to taking over his spot or Gym Leader adjacent that would explain how she was able to skip obtaining all of the badges and entering the Unova League. We know she’s been training under Drayden hence her calling him “sansei” so yea that would explain how she got in the Master Class as well. This is also confirmed that in DP how the Elite Four have tried to take Cynthia’s spot but was able to directly do so.

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

When she started teasing Ash, showed knowledge of the outside world, had no respect for Alder, how the anime actively denied her any other Unovan Dragon-type (and still does, apparently), and her first Pokemon was a Ground-type whose Japanese name was a play on the word "dragon" just so she could have one for some reason...

Hecks no. Never crossed my mind with this one. And even then, how it was adapted left out crucial details.

 

[satopi]

I didn’t think so and I kind of didn’t want them to since an original goal suited her better than the predestined path made for her in the games.

Loved and knew they would make her a Champion though.

 

[Sham]

I didn’t think so and I kind of didn’t want them to since an original goal suited her better than the predestined path made for her in the games.

Loved and knew they would make her a Champion though.

This. I kinda had a theory they’d do it (especially after we found out she’d be returning in that dress) and although the games obviously influenced her path you could see she was talented in battling way before the sequels came out. It’s just after BW Drayden trained her and helped cultivate her skills

 

[AuraChannelerChris]

She was talented buuuuuuuuuut she just kept bumping into people superior than her and Ash's Krookodile.

 

[DayQuil95]

Ash's Krookodile.

That Krookodile is built different.

 

[Sham]

This isn’t discussed enough but I’m happy that she got a Haxorus because people have ALWAYS been speculating did she actually ever catch Axew and JN is the first time his Pokeball was seen

 

[bmw9413]

I'd like to think Iris re-traveled Unova by herself to earn badges after returning from Johto/Hoenn and won the Unova League while Ash was either traveling Kalos or stationed away in Alola.
And possibly took a field trip to Kalos (like Cilan did) at some point and obtained Goodra.

 

[Sham]

I'd like to think Iris re-traveled Unova by herself to earn badges after returning from Johto/Hoenn and won the Unova League while Ash was either traveling Kalos or stationed away in Alola.
And possibly took a field trip to Kalos (like Cilan did) at some point and obtained Goodra.

I think it could of been more easier than that. Gym Leaders have the right of challenging the Champion whenever they feel like and Iris was suppose to inherit the Opelucid Gym which would explain how she defeated Alder

 

[AshxSatoshi]

She was talented buuuuuuuuuut she just kept bumping into people superior than her and Ash's Krookodile.

Well Ash Krookodile did attack her when Dragonite was on a rampage. It’s not like she lost because he was stronger because we don’t know how it would of turned out otherwise.

 

[Lord Godwin]

I'd like to think Iris re-traveled Unova by herself to earn badges after returning from Johto/Hoenn and won the Unova League while Ash was either traveling Kalos or stationed away in Alola.
And possibly took a field trip to Kalos (like Cilan did) at some point and obtained Goodra.

Didn't the flashback of her becoming champion show her owning a Goodra?

 

[Sham]

Didn't the flashback of her becoming champion show her owning a Goodra?

Not really. Kinda ambiguous

 

[Lord Godwin]

Not really. Kinda ambiguous

So do you understand it as just meeting a Goodra or Clair getting it?

Bear in mind it's shown next to Iris Gible.

 

[Sham]

So do you understand it as just meeting a Goodra or Clair getting it?

Bear in mind it's shown next to Iris Gible.

It his next to her Gible (if they didn’t retcon it out since she’s also in Masters with Cynthia). When Drayden was explaining it he basically was saying she was fighting Dragon trainers far and wide and learned more about Dragon types.

So she could possibly own it or it a visual what he was saying. Not sure if that makes sense.