The Masters Eight lineup features a hodgepodge of nostalgic characters, but their inclusion adds nothing to the Pokemon Journeys storyline, while other Trainers would have fitted much better.
The Masters Eight lineup has an odd assortment of trainers and while they are all skilled, they don’t represent the best of the best in the eyes of some fans. Leon and Cynthia have proven their worth as powerful pokemon trainers with an extensive fan base and their inclusion in the top two of the Masters Eight, while Alain represents the anime-only aspect of the lineup and brings out the back. Ash’s inclusion is a no-brainer, and his fight against Steven Stone has been anticipated for quite some time, but the rest of the top contenders have provided food for thought.
The expendables
Iris (#7 Rank)
Of all the female Trainers during Ash’s travels, Iris has received the least amount of attention from the Pokemon community, and if she’s ever mentioned, it’s generally not in a positive light. Her character design was meant to be edgy and fun, like a disorderly princess-type who grew up in the Village of Dragons among the wild pokemon (sound familiar? Tommy, Koko…), who added a bit of variety to the relatively whitewashed cast. Unfortunately, Iris is more successful at irritating viewers than Ash, and her forgetful Axew leaves a lot to be desired. Perhaps her reintroduction to the Masters Eight was an attempt at redemption, but Iris’s infamously annoying “You are such a kid” phrase is inadvertently ingrained in fans’ minds.
Diana (#5 Rank)
Another oft-overlooked and often forgotten Trainer is Diantha, who arguably plays a bigger role in the pokemon video games than making significant contributions to the anime. Although she is present during the very first Ash-Greninja transformation, everyone is well aware that Diantha is first and foremost a movie star and that pokemon Exercising is not her top priority in life. More of a showpiece, Diantha ups the aesthetic factor along with an interesting team of strong Pokemon, but adds little to the whole Pokemon Travel storyline.
Lance (#4 Rank)
Another Master of Dragons joins the top eight contenders and saturates the variety pokemon even further with more wyvern-inspired creatures. Lance has also played and lost to Leon, and while everyone deserves a second chance, does that justify receiving such a prestigious position in the World Coronation Series? He hasn’t left much of an impression on fans since Team Aqua and Team Magma’s Arc (in Ruby & Sapphire), and his previous Kanto/Johto championship title was conspicuously absent from his Masters Eight inaugural speech, suggesting that Lance isn’t as proficient as he once was.
The Substitutions
Serena: (Possible #7 Rank)
While it’s unlikely that Serena would be skilled enough to make it past the semifinals, creating additional opportunities for Ash and this lovely lady to interact would be satisfying enough on its own. While fans recently enjoyed spotting Serena in pokemon travel, her contribution to the storyline has so far had a bigger impact on Chloe than on Ash, leaving many fans begging for a proper reunion.
This pair of future lovebirds could be cheering each other on from the sidelines of the Masters Eight tournament, eventually even going into battle, potentially posing a moral dilemma. Processing the emotions of fighting such a dear friend would be the perfect, seamless opportunity for Ash and Serena to finally declare their feelings for each other. Sure, it might not be what the writers want, but as one of the most lengthy romance stories in anime history, it’s time to give the fans what they need.
Gary (likely #5 ranking)
Although Gary appeared in episode 68 of Pokemon Travel, he is also pledged to Ash’s companion, but this time with Goh on the receiving end (as if fans had forgotten that he is Ash’s first and most infamous rival). It seems that Gary is now more interested in Project Mew than the World Coronation Series, which instead adds to Goh’s rather trivial storyline (many more fans discuss the Masters Eight than Professor Oak’s passion project.)
Yes, Gary has officially retired from Training in “Johto Photo Finish”, but Pokemon Travel offers so much fan service that it seems like a missed opportunity not to rekindle this rivalry in an epic, absolute final stalemate. Gary’s skills obviously haven’t gotten rusty as he practically stole the show fighting the legendary Moltres in “The Road to Mew!!” Looks like the ruthless Gary trained against Ash’s fire type pokemon (left in Professor Oak’s care) for some time now, with visible improvements.
Gladion (Potential #4 Rank)
Although Gladion is a relatively new character in the pokemon franchise, he has left quite an impression as a relatively well-rounded individual with a rich backstory and a mysterious aura that leaves viewers begging for more. The main antagonist of the Sun Moon series can have a serious attitude but is still considered one of the best game-to-anime crossover characters. And it seems that representing the video game counterparts was a major priority for the Pokemon Travel writers, leaving little reason why Gladion should not be included.
Gladion has a gift for pushing Ash beyond his limits and encouraging him to improve his skills at every opportunity. His life lessons could be a crucial part of Ash’s potential success, propelling him to the Monarch title, in that underhandedly friendly way Gladion does so well. The added interpersonal competition would also add drama to the Masters Eight tournament storyline (which has already received some criticism from fans).
Regardless of any Masters Eight recasts, the entire World Coronation Series seems to be geared up to gear fans up for the highly anticipated battle between Ash and Leon. Cynthia has a good leg to stand on regarding her claim to the Monarch title, but everyone else seems to be filling in the gaps for the sake of fan service, as they try to establish the link between the pokemon video games and anime.
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