PJ117: The Fiery Road to Mastership!

is the 27th episode of , and of .
==Synopsis==
The third match of the Masters Eight Tournament is Sinnoh Champion Cynthia versus Unova Champion Iris. They already know each other well—Cynthia has been a helpful mentor to Iris for some time. The first win goes to Iris and Excadrill, using a powerful Horn Drill move on Cynthia’s Gastrodon. That’s followed by a victory for Cynthia’s Milotic, giving both sides one loss! Iris brings out Dragonite, who is defeated, so she calls on Haxorus, who eliminates Milotic. That leaves both sides with one Pokémon each! The last bout is Garchomp versus Haxorus, and the Dragon-type matchup is ferocious. But Mega Garchomp proves too much for Haxorus, and Cynthia wins!
==Episode plot==
Picking up from the previous episode, Iris is revealed to have sent out Excadrill while Cynthia had sent out Gastrodon as their first Pokémon. Team Rocket recognizes Iris from the previous travels, while their Rotom Phone falls asleep and James' Morpeko still eats away. Gastrodon starts off with Rain Dance, while Excadrill uses Metal Claw, but the attack fails to deal any damage as Excadrill is sent back. Back in Unova, Iris' friends spectate the match.
Gastrodon uses Muddy Water to sweep Excadrill away just as he tries to use Focus Blast, soaking him. It then tries to use Acid Armor, but Excadrill cancels it with a well-timed Drill Run. Gastrodon then uses another Muddy Water, but Excadrill lands a Horn Drill, knocking Gastrodon out. Iris and Excadrill cheer for their win. Cynthia then sends out Milotic. Iris orders another Drill Run, but Milotic dodges it and retaliates with Hydro Pump, sending Excadrill flying into the wall and knocking him out.
Iris then sends out Dragonite, who proceeds to use Thunder Punch and hits Milotic several times. To her surprise, Cynthia has Milotic use Disarming Voice, incapacitating Dragonite due to it being a move. Milotic then suffocates Dragonite with its mass to knock him out.
Iris decides to send Haxorus as her final Pokémon as Ash and Pikachu are delighted to see him again. Milotic uses Disarming Voice again, but Haxorus cancels it with Psycho Cut. Milotic then tries Hydro Pump, but Haxorus uses Breaking Swipe to power through it and hit Milotic, knocking it out in a single blow.
As her final Pokémon, Cynthia sends out her signature Garchomp. Garchomp starts with Draco Meteor while Iris orders Outrage as the two -types clash in melee combat. Like match with Ash, he becomes confused but cancels it by slamming his head into the ground. Cynthia is left impressed but reveals that she had acquired a Garchompite, Mega Evolving her Garchomp. Garchomp rushes at Haxorus with Dragon Claw, who counters with Psycho Cut and lands Dragon Pulse on her. Iris connects with Haxorus' thoughts before he uses another Dragon Pulse while Garchomp uses Draco Meteor, enveloping the arena in dust. As the dust settles, the two Pokémon are initially seen standing, but Haxorus collapses afterwards, leaving Cynthia the winner of the match. Cynthia thanks Iris for the battle, who likewise returns the remark. Team Rocket is left moved by Iris' near-win.
As Iris returns inside, she cries a bit about how Cynthia was a good battler. After she finishes up, she decides to cheer on Ash in his upcoming match. Ash then heads to the arena grounds to begin his match against Steven Stone.
==Debuts==
===Pokémon===
*Cynthia's Milotic
*Cynthia's Mega Garchomp
==Trivia==
*This episode marks the first physical appearance of several human characters in the anime after long absences:
**Reggie, whose last appearance was in , 548 episodes earlier.
**Georgia and Alder, whose last main series appearance was in , 452 episodes earlier.
**Trip, whose last main series appearance was in , 441 episodes earlier.
**Bianca and Stephan, whose last main series appearance was in , 437 episodes earlier.
*As of this episode, all of Ash's main rivals have appeared during Pokémon Journeys.
**In addition, as of this episode, every regional Pokémon Champion, current or former, has appeared during this series as well.
*Iris and Cynthia's battle in is featured as a flashback, having been redrawn to match the style introduced in Pokémon Journeys: The Series.
*This episode marks the first time at least one of Cynthia's Pokémon is defeated in an onscreen battle.
*As of this episode of the English dub, Cynthia's Garchomp is voiced by an English voice actor.
==Gallery==
==Notes==
Category:Episodes with World Coronation Series matches
Category:Episodes featuring Champions
Category:Episodes featuring Mega Pokémon