In the games, Iris is a young, nature-loving girl and Unova's eighth Gym Leader in Pokémon White. Her specialty is Dragon-types, and she is Drayden's apprentice. Her main Pokémon is Haxorus. She returns in Pokémon Black and White 2 as the new Champion of the Unova region.
In the anime, she is also one of Ash's former companions. She has a Axew that lives in her hair. Like Misty, Iris is frequently critical of Ash's actions as a trainer, calling him childish. She aims to be a master of Dragon-type Pokémon, and must evolve her Axew into it's final stage, Haxorus to be considered one. She is also known for being the first naturally dark-skinned main character in the Pokémon series. She returns in Pokémon Journeys in her capacity as Champion of Unova, and battles Ash as he climbs the ranks of the World Coronation Series. Eventually, she joins Ash in the Masters Eight.
