Iris is a character originally introduced in the Unova based Pokémon games. She is a Gym Leader in Pokémon White Version, and the Unova Champion in Pokémon Black Version 2 and Pokémon White Version 2.
Pokémon the Series
While traveling in the Unova region just outside of Kanako Town,
Ash Ketchum mistakenly thought
Iris was a Pokémon and threw a Poké Ball at her.
Ash Ketchum thought she was an Axew as the Pokédex displayed the data for it. Her Axew appeared out of her large hair moments later though. After learning that
Cilan was going to be traveling with
Ash Ketchum through the Unova region,
Iris decided that she would travel with them as well but she said that her goal on this journey was a secret.
Displeasure of Ice Pokémon
Just before
Ash Ketchum and
Trip's three-on-three battle,
Iris encountered
Trip's Vanillite. She instantly tried to avoid it and started to shiver. She explained that since Dragon types have a disadvantage against Ice types, she disliked the cold that Ice Pokémon create.
Trip tried to confront her about her dislike of Ice Pokémon by telling her that Dragon Pokémon are also strong against Dragon Pokémon but she only reluctantly apologized to
Trip's Vanillite and her mind wasn't truly changed.
Making up with Excadrill
Excadrill didn't always want to obey
Iris when its asked to do something. For a while, it was stubborn but
Iris' Excadrill was able to overcome the feelings of resentment and lost of trust it felt from the battle against
Drayden's Haxorus. After relating her experience to
Ash Ketchum and
Cilan, it became more clear to
Iris that she was not fully understanding her Excadrill's feelings.
Iris apologized to her Excadrill as she finally realized that her Excadrill knew after the first hit during the battle against
Drayden's Haxorus that they couldn't win against it. The two of them then practiced all through the night until Excadrill was finally able to successfully launch the
Focus Blast.
Rival: Dragon Buster Georgia
While on route to Nimbasa City,
Iris encountered
Georgia, a Dragon Buster who once had a battle in the Dragon Village and lost, so she now had it out for anyone from the village.
Georgia managed to coax
Iris into a battle but
Iris' Axew was no match for
Georgia's Beartic.
Georgia ended up intimidating and angering
Iris by saying the victory was easy and boring.
Iris though was determined to defeat her new rival and during the rematch battle she managed to end it in a draw.
Club Battles
Iris entered the Club Battles, a battle tournament to be held in Nimbasa Town, with her friends and rivals.
Jimmy Ray was easily defeated in the first round by
Iris.
Stephan's Sawk battled against
Iris' Emolga in the second round of the Don George Battle Tournament in Nimbasa Town but Emonga's Static ability proved to be the deciding factor in the match. The Static ability ended up paralyzing
Stephan's Sawk and it was then a sitting target for
Iris' Emolga's
Volt Switch which knocked it out.
Iris' Emolga's win eliminated
Stephan from the tournament.
Iris' Axew and
Luke's Golett were matched up in the semi-final round of the Don Battles in Nimbasa Town.
Luke's Golett dominated most of the battle and just as
Iris' Axew was about to be defeated, it learned the move
Outrage.
Outrage was able to do significant damage to
Luke's Golett and it knocked it out which eliminated
Luke from the tournament.
In the finals,
Iris battled against
Ash Ketchum and though it was a close battle,
Iris' Excadrill had the type advantage against
Ash's Pikachu and she won the tournament. For winning,
Iris received the beautiful seven-feather "Top-Class Driftveil Wing Set," containing Health, Muscle, Resist, Genius, Clever, Swift, and Pretty Wings which she sent to Dragon Village via Pidove Shipping Service.
Day Care Deino
In
BW58, befriended a shy and lonely Deino that was waiting for its Trainer to return. As Deino are a Dragon Type Pokémon,
Iris was instantly excited to spend time with it. It took her awhile to gain its trust though.
Iris recalled an event to Deino that she witnessed in the Dragon Village where she saw
Elder befriend a Druddigon that got lost and somehow found its way into the Village. The Druddigon absolutely refused to get along with other Dragon types and the people of the Village. For days and days, the Druddigon wouldn't come out from deep within the cave. The
Elder waited for Druddigon at the entrance of the cave the whole time and she tried to make the Druddigon open its heart to her, by talking to it like the way
Iris was talking to Deino to gain its trust and friendship. After several days had passed, Druddigon came out of the cave. All the
Elder had done was talk to it and still, she managed to free it from its insecurities.
Iris uses the same technique that
Elder used and the shy Deino became more open with
Iris and the two of them became friends.
Iris spent a few days with the Deino as they awaited the Trainer to return. At one point,
Iris suggested to the Deino if its Trainer didn't return that it could come with her. The Trainer did return though and Deino left with it but not before it gave
Iris its biggest smile.
Mistralton Tower Wishing Bell Festival
Stephan met up with
Iris and her friends and informed them of the Mistralton Tower Wishing Bell Festival that he was going to participate in. After hearing from him that it was an awesome event held once a year at the Mistralton Tower,
Iris and her friends decided to enter the tournament with
Stephan.
Iris and
Iris' Axew paired up for the tournament. In the scavenger hunt,
Iris asked
Cilan to lent her his fishing rod so she could advance to the next round. In the tub race,
Iris' Axew used
Dragon Rage on the surface of the water to propel them to the next round. During the imitation competition, iris was forced to dress-up as
Professor Juniper and
Miles thought she did quite well and he advanced her to the next round. In the forest of trials,
Iris thought she had won but Chandelure's
Confuse Ray affected her and she was in the middle of the forest for the entire race and was therefore eliminated from the tournament.
Rematch Battle against Drayden at the Opelucid Gym
Having accepted the challenge to battle at the Dragon Village,
Iris met up with
Drayden to have a rematch battle. He heard about
Iris getting into trouble again by climbing the Opelucid Tower but told here to eat something and have a rest while he had a school meeting and then they would have their battle.
During the battle,
Drayden was evaluating how much
Iris had grown and he noticed that
Iris' Excadrill power certainly seemed to have improved. The matchup between
Iris' Excadrill and
Drayden's Haxorus ended up in a draw as the two of them knocked each other out. In the matchup between,
Drayden's Druddigon and
Iris' Dragonite,
Drayden noted that
Iris' Dragonite had had an interesting life during its past.
Iris' Dragonite wanted to fight under the same conditions as
Drayden's Druddigon, who cannot fly. Everyone thought that
Iris was doing well in the battle but
Drayden's Druddigon proved to be more powerful than they had anticipated.
Drayden's Druddigon knocked out
Iris' Dragonite with a powerful
Dragon Tail attack to give
Drayden the victory in the rematch battle.
Cilan thought
Iris had cornered him, but
Drayden was still a few steps ahead.
Drayden was trying to get a clear picture of
Iris by drawing out their power.
Drayden complemented
Iris on making good friends and he realized that sending her off on a journey was the right thing to do. He could tell that she had grown up but standing still wasn't good for her. He told her to strengthen herself even further, become stronger and grow and then visit him again.
Pokémon World Championships Battle Vs Ash
After concluding her journey with Ash, Iris continued to study, fighting Dragon Trainers in various places and meeting Dragon Pokémon. Believing in her Pokémon, she then ascended all the way to the position of Champion.