As Ash fights his way into the Master Eight in Pokemon Journeys, viewers begin to question if Leon's #1 title could be at risk, and upon closer inspection of the potential line-up, those fans may have a point. However, as much as everyone would love for Ash to win the World Coronation Series, it looks like Cynthia has a better chance of swooping in to claim the crown.

Sitting pretty at the #2 position, the Sinnoh Champion needs only to defend her honor from the lower-ranking trainers and end the infamous Leon's impeccably winning streak which, for Cynthia's skilled squad, might be easier than fans think.

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Cynthia's Pokemon

Pokemon Journeys Masters Eight Cynthia's Pokemon Kommo-o, Glaceon, Gastrodon, Togekiss, Garchomp

Out of all the Masters Eight, Cynthia arguably has the biggest selection of Pokemon to choose from; not necessarily in terms of volume, but certainly regarding variety. Cynthia prides herself in collecting the most beautiful Pokemon specimens, which subsequently also means some of the rarest breeds, and has inadvertently landed herself with the perfect Pokemon selection to battle pretty much anything that's thrown at her. Cynthia is, after all, the only member of the Masters Eight who can fill all three slots with perfect Dragon-Type counters for the World Coronation Series Finals, and, considering how many wyverns are on the horizon, this advantage is invaluable.

Cynthia's Options

Type

Garchomp

Dragon/Ground

Gastrodon

Water/Ground

Glaceon

Ice

Kommo-o

Dragon/Fighting

Roserade

Grass/Poison

Togekiss

Fairy/Flying

Eelektross

Electric

Spiritomb

Ghost/Dark

Braviary

Normal/Flying

Milotic

Water

Lucario

Fighting/Steel

Legendary Pokemon aside, the strongest Pokemon are generally considered to stem from the Fairy, Ice, or Dragon variety, and Cynthia clearly has options there! When it comes to Dragon-Type Pokemon there is no guarantee of a win as they are both super effective and weak against other Dragon-Types. Their major vulnerability, however, is Fairy and Ice-Types, so Cynthia stands a good chance of defeating any of the scaled beasts who defy her. Cynthia is #2 on the Masters Eight Ranking (as of episode 109 of Pokemon Journeys), however it is unclear which opponents she will be up against in the finals. However, it seems that regardless of what the other Masters Eight throw at her, Cynthia has several foolproof counter-type Pokemon with which to dominate the competition.

Cynthia and the Unbeatable Champion

Pokemon Journeys Masters Eight Cynthia vs Leon Masters Eight World Coronation Series

It is almost guaranteed that Charizard will be at Leon's side during the final matches, and it would liley be between Corviknight, Alcremie, Rilloboom and Dragapult for the final two spots on his team. If Cynthia chooses her Pokemon well, this battle should be a walk in the park, as yet again, the stunning blonde trainer has the perfect counter for each potential attack. With the help of Milotic, Eelektross, Roserade, or Spiritomb respectively, Leon will certainly have a hard time keeping his composure as he (is it too soon to say inevitably?) loses his first match in Pokemon history, and to the one and only Cynthia no less!

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Despite his undefeated title, Leon has not shown much flexibility when it comes to his battle style and has only shown his skills with Charizard and Dragapult so far. Because Charizard has access to a Gigantamax form, he won't be easy to defeat, and Cynthia would likely need at least two Pokemon to take the formidable dragon down. Unlike other Dragon-Types, however, Charizard does not submit to Fairy or Ice attacks, so Cynthia needs to approach this situation with a clear head and is expected to utilise a Key Stone of her own. The teaser trailer for the final Masters Eight match-ups depicts Cynthia alongside a Mega Garchomp, suggesting that she finally joins the other trainers in the Mega Evolution trend. Both Milotic and Eelektross could also provide quite useful against Leon's fiery force and, once Charizard is out of the way, countering his other Pokemon should be a piece of cake.

Defensive Maneuvers

Pokemon Journeys Masters Eight VS Cynthia Masters Eight World Coronation Series

Diantha, Lance, and the rest of the Masters Eight might need to get though Cynthia before they can claim the Monarch honours, so the #2 trainer certainly has some work in store for her! Lance does not seem to pose much of a threat to Cynthia, who has Eelektross to elegantly eliminate his Red Gyarados and/or Seaking from the running, and Glaceon and Togekiss are unlikely to even break a sweat against the rest of Lance's dragon-dominant team. Iris' attacks can be dealt with using pretty much the same formula, which will be an easy win for Cynthia's first official Masters Eight match-up.

If Cynthia and Steven Stone come face-to-face, the Sinnoh Champion should ensure to keep her Roserade out of play because Steel-Type Pokemon are resistant to Poison, which would undoubtedly give Steven the upper hand. Cynthia would need the help of her Water, Fighting and Ground-Type Pokemon for this match (with several to choose from), and Spiritomb could prove to be her secret weapon against Steven's Mega Metagross with its super effective Dark/Ghost attacks.

Defeating Diantha will take some careful planning, but there shouldn't be much trouble for the Sinnoh Champion, whose Pokemon can easily neutralize the opposition. Cynthia's Roserade would be perfect against Gardevoir, whereas her icy Glaceon efficiently counters Goodra. Togekiss is likely to overpower Diantha's Hawlucha, who is weak to both Fairy and Flying-Type attacks and stands little chance against the adorable Pokemon. Diantha's new Aurorus is unlikely to feature in this match up, as the Ice/Rock-Type is vulnerable to most of Cythia's Pokemon's assaults.

With a Mega Charizard X in toe, Alain should not be taken lightly, but fortunately for Cynthia, she has the ideal counter Pokemon for the black-and-blue dragon, which is particularly vulnerable to Ground-Type attacks. Cynthia's Gastrodon or Grachomp are the best options to overpower Alain's Mega Charizard X, particularly since she seems to have some experience fighiting with her Key Stone in play, no longer easily bulllied by the bulky OP Pokemon. Spiritomb, Togekiss, Lucario, or Glaceon would be highly effective against the rest of the Pokemon in Alain's team for the remainder of the battle, solidifying Cythia's chances of winning the championship.

Does Ash Stand a Chance?

Pokemon Journeys Masters Eight Cynthia vs Ash Masters Eight World Coronation Series

Unfortunately, Ash will also be unable to avoid Cynthia's counterattacks, as she has a suitably effective opponent for each of the Pokemon on his team. The only way that Ash could defeat the Sinnoh Champion at this point is through his impeccable batting skills or somehow gaining the upper hand with his Dynamax Band. Utilizing Lucario would probably be Ash's best bet as a possible counter to several of Cynthia's Pokemon, however, having one of her own, she might know some insightful ways to defeat the Fighting/Steel Pokemon. Many fans wouldn't bet on Ash walking away from this fight victoriously, but who knows what the young Pokemon Trainer could pull out of his sleeve to tip the tables in his favor for the World Coronation Series.

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