JN115: Difference between revisions

==Plot==

No sooner have {{Ash}} and [[Goh]] arrived at [[Wyndon Stadium]] for the long-awaited [[World Coronation Series|Pokémon World Coronation Series]] [[Masters Eight Tournament]] that a boy runs up to them and demands a {{pkmn|battle}} with Ash, despite being fully aware of his status as a member of the Master Class. Not one to turn down a challenge, Ash immediately accepts, but the match ends up being short-lived, as {{AP|Pikachu}} defeats the boy's {{p|Wooloo}} with a single {{m|Iron Tail}}. To Ash and Goh's surprise, the boy reveals that he's {{an|Leon}}'s younger brother, [[Hop]]. Having sworn to be the one to defeat his big brother, Hop challenged Ash to test out the strength of the person his elder sibling is always talking about. Hearing that Leon talks about him makes Ash super excited. Nearby, {{TRT}} is hosting a live stream of [[JN106|their radio show]] to cover the tournament, although their main goal is to scout out strong Pokémon for them to steal.

After reuniting with {{an|Iris}} on his way to the locker room and the rest of the Master Class in said room, Ash joins them for the opening ceremony. One by one, the [[announcer]] introduces the Masters Eight to the audience: Ash, the first {{pkmn|Champion}} of [[Alola]]; Iris, an aspiring [[Type expert|Dragon Master]] and the young Champion of [[Unova]]; [[Alain]], a [[Mega Stone]] excavator and the winner of the [[Lumiose Conference]]; [[Diantha]], a world-famous actress and the Champion of [[Kalos]]; {{an|Lance}}, a member of the [[Pokémon G-Men]] and the newly crowned Champion of [[Kanto]] and [[Johto]]; {{an|Steven Stone}}, the heir of the [[Devon Corporation]] and the Champion of [[Hoenn]]; {{an|Cynthia}}, the world's renowned authority in Pokémon archeology and the Champion of [[Sinnoh]]; and finally Leon, the undefeated [[Galar]] Champion and the reigning Monarch. Leon invites all the other competitors to face him with their full strength, declaring he and his team will battle anyone and emerge victorious. With the introductions done, the matchups of the first round are selected via random shuffle. In the first battle, Leon will battle Alain; the second match will have Lance and Diantha facing each other; Cynthia will face Iris in the third match, much to the latter's worry; and Steven is pitted against Ash for the fourth match. Steven expresses positivity at the chance to finally have a battle against Ash. While the other Champions return to the locker room to wait for their respective turns, Ash joins Goh and Hop in the stands to experience the atmosphere of the battle first-hand. When questioned by Cynthia why she doesn't join them, Iris reveals her hopes to take a [[Photography|picture]] with her and Diantha, a request both women are fully happy to oblige. Lance and Steven, meanwhile, discuss the latter's familiarity with Alain. Though Steven acknowledges that Alain is a strong {{pkmn|Trainer}}, facing Leon in the first round could be overwhelming for him.