Irida
| Irida カイ Kai | |
 Art from Legends: Arceus | |
| Age | Unknown |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Eye color | Blue |
| Hair color | Blonde with lighter highlights |
| Hometown | Pearl Settlement |
| Region | Hisui |
| Relatives | Unnamed mother (deceased) |
| Trainer class | Clan Leader |
| Generation | VIII, IX |
| Counterpart(s) | Irida (Masters) |
| Games | Legends: Arceus, Masters EX |
| English voice actor | Maureen Price[1] (Masters EX) |
| Japanese voice actor | Mikako Komatsu[2] (Masters EX) |
| Member of | Pearl Clan |
| Rank | Leader |
| Anime series | Pokémon: Hisuian Snow |
| Debut | Two Hues |
| English voice actor | N/A |
| Japanese voice actor | N/A |
Irida (Japanese: カイ Kai) is a character introduced in Pokémon Legends: Arceus. She is the leader of the Pearl Clan. She has a rivalry with Adaman, who leads the opposing Diamond Clan.
In the core series games
Character profile
Irida is often seen playing her Celestica Flute, something she does to center herself in the vast space of Hisui she worships dearly. Irida is able to also summon Ride Pokémon, although she is not seen doing so directly. She has an aversion to much warmer areas, preferring the colder areas such as the Pearl Settlement where she lives, located in the Alabaster Icelands. As the Pearl Clan’s leader, Irida values caution and foresight, leading to her initial disbelief in the player. She often bickers with Adaman, the leader of the Diamond Clan, disagreeing over the true nature of the almighty Sinnoh and whether it rules over time or space. Irida can put this rivalry aside when Hisui’s future is threatened, however.
Though Irida takes pride in her role as the Pearl Clan’s leader, she worries about her lack of a vision on what the Pearl Clan should be, initially sticking to old traditions and customs before changing thanks to the player, as she wishes to achieve the same feats they have to understand more about the world. Irida initially disagrees with the act of catching Pokémon and putting them into Poké Balls but learns to understand that they are not a means to restrict Pokémon and their relationship with their human partners after the player defeats her in battle for the first time.
Irida often calls Palina “Lina”, an old nickname, much to the other’s dismay.
Background and pre-game
Website Blurb: "Irida serves as the leader of the Pearl Clan, and her partner Pokémon is Glaceon.
As a leader, she feels it is important to have the courage to face the vast Hisui region without quailing before it. Though she is suspicious of you when you first meet, she will come to trust you thanks to the help you provide in quelling the noble Pokémon."
Prior to the events of the game, she competed with Palina to become leader of the Pearl Clan. She was brought into the role at a young age. As seen in Two Hues’ end credits, Palina was the one that gave her the headpiece she now wears.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Irida is first encountered inside Galaxy Hall when both clan leaders speak to Commander Kamado, the boss of the Galaxy Team, to discuss the matter of the frenzied Noble Pokémon Lord Kleavor, the Lord of the Woods. She initially shows distrust in the player, not believing their story of coming out of a space-time rift. While Adaman is on board with Commander Kamado’s suggestion to send the player to study Kleavor, Irida shows hesitation, believing that sending a stranger with no experience would be a poor decision. Despite her objections, the player is sent to investigate and study Lord Kleavor to find a way to quell his rage, as she simply warns the player to be careful of Lord Kleavor’s strength.
At Grandtree Arena, once the player has defeated Warden Lian, Irida shows up to convince him to allow the player to assist with quelling Lord Kleavor’s frenzy, stating that although she would prefer the Pearl Clan to be able to deal with the situation on their own, that the severity of the issue requires outside help, and instructs the player to find a way to stop Lord Kleavor’s frenzy.
Once the player returns from Jubilife Village, Irida insists on battling the player to have them prove their worth to her, still feeling uneasy about leaving the situation to an outsider. When she is defeated, she recognizes that the player treats the Pokémon they’ve caught as partners, being able to put faith into the player before they go to fight Lord Kleavor with the balms that the Galaxy Team produced. Afterwards, Irida recognizes that quelling Lord Kleavor’s fury was something that needed to be done, standing up for the player when Lian worries about if doing so was to go against almighty Sinnoh. She thanks the player for their help, apologizing for her lack of faith in them earlier.
After the player has stopped Lady Lilligant's frenzy in the Crimson Mirelands, Irida requests the Galaxy Team’s help in the Cobalt Coastlands after reports of unknown figures and ghostly figures being present on Firespit Island, the former home of the Pearl Clan’s Lord Arcanine, showing faith in the player’s skill after they helped stop Lord Kleavor’s frenzy. When the player arrives at the Crimson Mirelands, Irida requests a battle with the player, and afterwards explains the circumstances surrounding the coastland’s warden, Palina, and how she will not raise a successor to the Lord of the Isles out of concern for the young Growlithe that watched his parent die. Irida asks the player to help Palina raise the late son of the former lord, having faith in asking them because of their assistance with quelling Kleavor’s frenzy.
Later, when the late child of the former lord evolves into Hisuian Arcanine and becomes frenzied due to the space-time rift, Irida arrives on Firespit Island to explain how to create the balms necessary to calm the new Noble Pokémon’s fury, assisting in the process. However, when Arcanine’s frenzy is finally quelled, she expresses concern at how much she was able to contribute in dire circumstances, stating that all she did was sit on the sidelines. Feeling guilty for previously pushing Palina too hard to raise a successor, Irida states that she now has a better understanding of what she wants to do, wishing to protect the land of Hisui, not only to help the player, but to broaden her own horizons and understandings of the world and people within it.
Once the player has received clearance to head to the Coronet Highlands, Irida introduces the player to Warden Ingo, who she says is not unlike the player themselves. Stating that he has lost his memory, she believes that having the player travel with him will allow him for parts of his missing memory to return.
Irida and Adaman meet the player after they have quelled Lord Electrode’s fury, as they request the player to head to Galaxy Hall to meet Commander Kamado. When he gives the player the mission to quell Lord Avalugg’s frenzy, she plans to meet them all in the Alabaster Icelands. Once the player arrives, Irida states that they will be meeting her teacher at Avalugg's Legacy. Once they arrive, Irida introduces the player and Adaman to Gaeric, who is Avalugg’s warden as well as Irida’s teacher.
When Gaeric shows frustration at quelling Avalugg’s fury as the noble Pokémon has not caused any problems, Irida says that it is still their responsibility to make sure that the people there do not live in fear of the Lord of the Tundra causing chaos at any given time. After a battle with the player, Gaeric agrees to allow the player to assist with quelling his fury, with Irida stating that she will vouch for the player regardless of doubts.
After Lord Avalugg’s frenzy is quelled, Gaeric questions the status of the player, feeling uneasy at seeing the Noble he tends to be defeated by a mere child. Irida, however, states that the player is the one who risked their lives to quell the suffering nobles. She says that there is much to learn from the player, someone who has overcome many obstacles with Pokémon at their side, and that seeing what they have done has inspired her to become even stronger, as well as to understand more of the world around her.
When the player is being exiled by Commander Kamado due to the red sky, Irida lambastes the Galaxy Team’s boss for being heartless, stating that nobody can prove that the player was responsible for what happened. However, he does not listen, and the player is sent out of Jubilife Village. Eventually, her and Adaman find the player with Volo at the Ancient Retreat. They both wish to help the player, but Irida states that going against Kamado’s direct orders would strain relations with the Galaxy Team. As a result, the player chooses one of the clan leaders to go with the player to assist in gathering the materials needed to create the Red Chain.
Choosing Irida
Irida joins the player on the Trial of the Lakes, helping them gather the necessary materials to create the Red Chain. Once the player arrives at the Temple of Sinnoh atop Mount Coronet, she once again states her disappointment in the Commander, stating that doubting the player as he does makes him a fool as they are also putting their life on the line to protect Jubilife Village and its people, just as he is. Despite her claims, Kamado battles the player.
Once the player reaches the end of the temple, however, she hears the voice of almighty Sinnoh, Palkia, speaking to her. It tempts the player to try and catch it, stating that it will be ‘for the fight to come’. Once the player has caught Palkia, it speaks to Irida once more as she states that the frenzied one has come to fight, which is why it arrived and challenged the player in the first place.
Choosing Adaman
With the player going with Adaman to take on the Trial of the Lakes, Irida keeps an eye on Kamado, hoping to gather useful information from him. Later, once the Red Chain has been assembled, Irida shows frustration at Kamado’s plan to go to the space-time rift himself and plans to stop the commander by heading to the Temple of Sinnoh. Once there, she expresses amazement at Adaman being spoken to by Dialga, and gathered the parts of the Red Chain once it was used by the player and rendered useless.
Regardless of who was chosen to assist the player during the Trial of the Lakes, she retreats with the rest to the Summit Camp once the situation has worsened. Irida suggests bringing Lian to assist in finding the “stone of creation”, citing his knowledge of stones and minerals as a valuable resource. When they agree to seek his assistance, Irida brings him to the Summit Camp, as they head to the Primeval Grotto to seek out what they need. As they find the Origin Ore, she expresses surprise at seeing Coin once more, stating that the Miss Fortunes were perhaps worried about them.
After the player has caught the rampaging legendary in the Origin Ball, Irida expresses amazement at the player’s feat. When Adaman suggests that the feud between the Diamond and Pearl Clans is no longer necessary due to them worshipping different gods, she states that while their ancestors may be shocked, this is likely to be the best path forward for the future of Hisui.
Irida can be seen in the post-credits image present at the festival in Jubilife Village, performing with Warden Melli.
After the main story has been completed, Irida meets the player at the Cobalt Coastlands with Palina to discuss an issue on Firespit Island. While she initially shows hesitance to go due to her aversion to heat, she goes with the player regardless, though she shows discomfort in the volcanic area of the Lava Dome Sanctum.
When Heatran appears, she warns the player to be careful. Once the player has caught Heatran and retrieved the Iron Plate, she asks Iscan if there was a purpose for her to be there, feeling as if it is Palina’s revenge for how Irida pushed her to train the young Growlithe harder, something which he confirms by saying Palina mentioned that Irida needed the “tough love”.
Sometime later, when the player accepts Request 90 – “The Pearl Clan’s Treasure”, she meets the player at the Pearl Settlement. Irida requests the player to fight her using only Palkia, the mighty god that the Pearl Clan worshipped, wanting to achieve feats like the one the player achieved atop Mount Coronet. After she is defeated, Irida wonders if there are people with Pokémon even stronger than the player’s out in the world, wishing to find out for herself. She gives the player the Lustrous Globe, thanking them for everything they have done.
In the Daybreak update’s storyline, Irida appears after the player has completed their investigation in the Crimson Mirelands regarding massive mass outbreaks, offering to lend a hand. When Mai shows confidence that the Pearl Clan’s leader would be able to help, she not only states that the mysterious events going on catch her interest, but that Mai is a friend to her, and that she will always come if she asks for help. When the player asks about their friendship, Mai states that they spoke more during the Harmony Festival that took place after the player stopped the red skies, finding many things they agreed upon, such as their views on how Adaman performs his role as the Diamond Clan’s leader. Irida then mentions becoming involved in the Cobalt Coastland’s investigation, stating that Iscan and Palina mentioned similar oddities occurring in that area. Irida wonders if these massive outbreaks are caused by Palkia, and while she believes having more Pokémon will help Hisui flourish, she recognizes the danger in having hordes of strong Pokémon, saying she will warn Palina.
She later appears in the Alabaster Icelands after the investigations done there, pondering if the massive outbreaks are a message that the people of Hisui must understand the Pokémon they share the land with better, a sentiment Adaman says he can agree with.
Afterwards, her and Adaman bring the player and Mai to Deertrack Heights in the Obsidian Fieldlands as they watch the sunrise. She states that she has warned her people to be careful of massive mass outbreaks during rainstorms. If the player answers that the future people of Hisui will battle in gyms with Pokémon, Irida expresses interest in the concept, stating that she would like to be someone who deems a challenger worthy.
In Request 107 – “Irida’s Wish”, Irida meets the player at the Diamond Settlement in the Crimson Mirelands, playing her Celestica Flute for the Diamond Clan’s members to share the songs that the Pearl Clan holds closely. She requests to fight Origin Forme Palkia, stating that she wishes to prove to herself that the Pearl Clan worshipping Palkia as the almighty Sinnoh was a belief that they can hold true.
Once the player defeats Irida, she shows amazement at the Diamond Clan’s members praising Palkia’s strength. Wanting to take the spirit of respect and cherishment that she witnessed and spread it across Hisui, she resolves to do so through battling. She states that she will bring these battles to Jubilife Village’s training grounds, which opens the Pearl Clan’s Path of Tenacity route where she and the other Pearl Clan members can be fought.
Pokémon
Irida sends out all of her Pokémon at once against the player. Like most members of the Pearl Clan, she does not keep her Pokémon in Poké Balls.
First battle
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Second battle
Eevee has effort level 2 in its Defense and Sp. Defense stats.
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Third battle
Espeon and Flareon have effort level 3 in their Defense and Sp. Defense stats.
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Fourth battle
This battle was made available in version 1.1.0. It is a one-on-three match where the player must only use Origin Forme Palkia.
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Path of Tenacity
These fights are made available in version 1.1.0 after clearing Request 107: "Irida's Wish".
First clear
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Second clear
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Third clear
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Fourth clear
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Subsequent clears
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In the spin-off games
Pokémon Masters EX
- Main article: Irida (Masters)
Irida forms a sync pair with Glaceon, Flareon, and Hisuian Zoroark in Pokémon Masters EX. Irida became a playable sync pair on June 2, 2023.
In this game, Irida arrived on Pasio by traveling through a space-time rift. Irida first appeared as an NPC during the story event Travelers from a Distant Past.
An audio drama, acting as a prelude to the Travelers from a Distant Past story, was recorded and posted on social media. The synopsis revolves around how Irida and Adaman arrived at Pasio.
| Sync Dex | Trainer | NDex | Pokémon | Type | Weakness | Role | Base Potential | Availability | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #167 | 
|
Irida | #0471 | 
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Glaceon♀  |
Ice
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Steel
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★★★★★☆EX | Master Fair Sync Pair Scout |
| #167 |
|
Irida | #0136 | 
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Flareon♀ |
Fire
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Water
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★★★★☆☆EX | Trainer Lodge Friendship Level 100 |
| #167 | 
|
Special Costume Irida |
#0571 | 
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Zoroark♀  Hisuian Form |
Ghost
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Dark
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★★★★★☆EX | Costume Sync Pair Scout |
Quotes
- Main article: Irida/Quotes
In the TCG
- Main article: Irida (Astral Radiance 147)
Irida was introduced as a Supporter card in the Pokémon Trading Card Game during the English Sword & Shield Series (the Japanese Sword & Shield Era). It was first released in the Japanese Space Juggler expansion before debuting in English in the Astral Radiance expansion, with artwork by kirisAki. A Full Art ultra rare and a rainbow rare version of the card with artwork by the same illustrator were included in these expansions as well. The Crown Zenith expansion (VSTAR Universe in Japan) included a Galarian Gallery ultra rare print of the card, featuring Irida with other members of the Pearl Clan. The card allows the player to search their deck for a Water-type Pokémon and an Item card, reveal them, and put them into their hand. Afterwards, the player shuffles their deck.
Irida is also featured on the ultra rare print of Friends in Hisui from the Crown Zenith expansion.
Gallery
- For images on Irida in Pokémon Masters EX, see: Irida (Masters)
Artwork
Standard
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| Artwork from Legends: Arceus | Key art for Legends: Arceus |
Concept art
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| Concept art from Legends: Arceus by take |
Game animation
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| Illustration from Two Hues |
Merchandise
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| Artwork for the Pokémon Trainers plush merchandise line |
Illustrations by Hitoshi Ariga for the Hisui Days merchandise line |
Raw TCG artwork
- For all images and products relating to this character in the TCG, see their In the TCG section
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| Artwork for the Friends in Hisui full art illustrated by Kinu Nishimura for Crown Zenith |
Trivia
Names
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | カイ Kai | From 真珠貝 shinjugai (pearl oyster) |
| English, Brazilian Portuguese | Irida | From iridescence, a phenomenon of structural coloration that appears on the surface of seashell nacre |
| German | Perla | From Perle (pearl) |
| Spanish | Nákara | From nácar (nacre) |
| French | Nacchara | From nacchara (Medieval Latin for nacre) |
| Italian | Perula | From perula (Latin for pearl) |
| Korean | 주혜 Juhye | From 진주 (眞珠) jinju (pearl) |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 珠貝 / 珠贝 Zhūbèi | From 珍珠貝 / 珍珠贝 zhēnzhūbèi / jānjyūbui (pearl oyster) |
| Chinese (Cantonese) | 珠貝 Jyūbui | |
| Russian | Ирида Irida | Transcription of her English name |
References
- ↑ Maureen Price confirming her role on Twitter
- ↑ 【公式】『ポケモンマスターズ EX』「セキ＆リーフィア」「カイ＆グレイシア」が登場！ The Official Pokémon YouTube Channel (Japanese)
- ↑ Tweet about designing Adaman and Irida
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This game character article is part of Project CharacterDex, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each character found in the Pokémon games. |