With the second round concluded, and a Leon versus Diantha match scheduled for the semi-finals, the third round match between Iris and Cynthia gets underway. Ash roots for his friend up in the stands while the aspiring Dragon Master of Unova takes on the Queen of Sinnoh. But will Unova's newly minted champion hold her own against the seasoned pro?
This episode contains the following tropes:
- Already Met Everyone: Lampshaded by Hop when Goh mentions that Ash knows both Iris and Cynthia, after having already met all the previous contenders in the Masters Eight.
- Call-Back:
- Meowth recognizes Iris from their time in Unova.
- Steven Stone mentions he heard a rumor that Cynthia and Iris trained together, which there's a brief flashback towards of said training.
- The Cameo:
- On the Unova side, Bianca, Stephan, Georgia, Trip, and ex-champion Alder are seen watching Iris battle Cynthia.
- Over in Sinnoh, Volkner, ex-Masters Eight participant Flint, as well as Paul and his brother Reggie, all tune in to watch their Champion battle. Flint's Infernape and Volkner's Electivire are also seen with their trainers.
- Cathartic Crying: After losing to Cynthia and Garchomp, Iris starts wailing and crying in despair over her loss against Cynthia.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Downplayed with Cynthia's Milotic against Iris's Excadrill, but Played Straight against Iris's Dragonite. Milotic one-shots Excadrill with Hydro Pump (though it took plenty of damage against Gastrodon already), then hits Dragonite with Disarming Voice, wraps itself around it, then one-shots the brute with Iron Head.
- Foreshadowing: Cynthia seems almost disappointed that she won. Later episodes reveal she was actually on the verge of retiring after the tournament, disappointed that she was always winning, and Iris came pretty close to reinvigorating her battle spirit again.
- Inelegant Blubbering: When Iris breaks down crying upon losing to Cynthia, she starts loudly bawling her eyes out. She eventually cheers up however.
- Makeup Weapon: Cynthia's lipstick contains her Key Stone which she uses to Mega Evolve her Garchomp.
- Stealing the Credit: Team Rocket claims credit for Iris having made it to the Masters Eight. Sure, it's not like she actually trained herself up to get stronger.
- Tender Tears: When Ash goes to comfort Iris after her loss, she starts tearing up, then begins bawling before composing herself.
- Took a Level in Badass: Last time Iris and Cynthia fought, the two were leagues apart. Now, Iris manages to give Cynthia the battle of her life and keep up enough to draw the match into a one on one. Unfortunately, for all that badass grinding, it's just not enough, as Haxorus falls to Cynthia's mega evolved Garchomp.
- Wham Shot: Cynthia pulls out some lipstick, puts it on, gives a Pre-Asskicking One-Liner...then shows that lipstick has a Key Stone.
- The Worf Effect: Downplayed as while Iris does lose, her Excadrill and Haxorus take down Gastrodon and Milotic and the latter puts up an even fight against Mega Garchomp. Dragonite, however, still can't beat his opponent.
