Favorite Female Character?

There are currently four major female characters in the Pokemon anime . . .

But which one is the best?

Misty, May, Dawn, Iris . . . which one is the perfect female companion in Ash's journeys? It's quite a tough decision to make, especially since we've only known Iris for a couple of episodes. It's hard to judge something if you don't know what you're going to judge in the first place. So I thought of simply basing it on the character that we can all relate to the most.

Misty

If you're going to ask me, I think I'm a combination of all of them. I hold Misty's strictness when it comes to battling. I would never leave any lose ends while preparing for a big battle, and I have low tolerance for stupid mistakes when it comes to common Pokemon knowledge.

May

Then I have May's girly style. Almost 75% of my clothing are girl stuff, and even though I consider myself a Poke-Maniac and all, I know that I've still got a lot of things to learn. I also have only one younger sibling (only . . . I have a sister instead of a brother.)

Dawn

Next I have Dawn's somewhat boyish attitude. I can't really explain it, but she seems like the total opposite and counterpart of May. The only thing that I don't have, that they both have in common, is that I don't have an obsession with cute Pokemon. Sure, it's okay if you have an adorable little Pikachu in your party . . . . as long as it has good moves and good stats. I personally don't even bother training a Pokemon with low stats and weak attacks. For me, it's just a waste of time. I only put Pokemon in my party if they make it into my strict expectations of Party Pokemon, which are as follows:

• Good stats
• Good attacks
• Good evolutions
• Able to use other (preferably elemental) types of attacks
• Cry doesn't annoy me
• Awesome (or at least acceptable) physical appearance

Yes, I am a very strict Pokemon critic, and I don't care if it's cute or if it has an awesome background--if it doesn't live up to any of those expectations, then it's a big NO.

Iris and her Axew

And that's where Iris comes in! She's a hard girl to figure out, that I can tell you. And it's not just because I've only known her for a couple of episodes, either. Thing is, she's just a huge mix. At one point, she's calm and logical, then one second later, she's a know-it-all who doesn't know the first thing about Pokemon battling.

Drilbur

Excadrill

But those things aren't what caught my attention. It's her team. At first I thought she was just some wimp who only cared--yet again--about cute and irresistable Pokemon, but then I saw it. Her Excadrill. The first thing that entered my mind was, How could a girl like her think of raising an awesome Excadrill? That is insane! Then I did a little research and found out that she got the Excadrill from a Drilbur first, and that after befriending it, they battled alongside each other until Drilbur evolved into the mighty Excadrill. Now that's what you call awesome!

A newly-hatched Axew

Haxorus using Rock Smash

It takes a lot of courage and persistence to keep up on attempting to catch a Pokemon even after suffering many defeats, if you ask me. The fact that Iris stopped at nothing until she'd befriended the Drilbur is enough proof that she'd make an awesome trainer. Not only that, but she has true determination. When she was given the task to raise an Axew until it evolved into Haxorus, she eagerly accepted. Why? Because she has a dream. A goal. To become a Dragon Master.

Okay, I may not have the same passion for dragons as Iris has, but I can absolutely relate to her. I know what it's like to be having a dream and having to do something big to reach it. It seems almost impossible at times. But Iris . . . I don't think she's ever had that thought cross her mind once.

So if you're going to ask me, I'm going to vote for Iris as the best female character. Yeah, she wasn't in the anime for a long time like Misty was, and she's not as talented as May and Dawn, but she's got this glow. She's different. To me, she stands out.

Misty's only focused on water Pokemon, and honestly, I don't really think that her strategy's a good one. Okay, I'll give her credit for sticking to what she loves even if she knows it could be a great disadvantage for her. And I'll also praise her for training and training until she eventually became a tough and strong gym leader, but I just don't think she holds the same fierce determination that Iris does.

Two baby Mudkip

Soul sees Ash and Dawn fighting

May didn't even like Pokemon, to begin with. And when she commanded that Mudkip to use Water Gun, it's like she wasn't even into it. Meanwhile, Dawn's too much of a bossy gal. Did you notice how she almost always gets into an argument with Ash? Pathetic.

IRIS

So there you have it. Iris is my favorite Pokemon Girl! (Second only to me though, of course.)