My first is Jessie as a character. She's come a long way in her Performer sub-plot and was entertaining and mature (When not bragging) throughout her showcases. I absolutely adore cheering James, such as when he failed to whistle in the Masterclass, made me chuckle. But seeing Jessie not get upset but acknowledge how far she had come at the end of the Masterclass, that just really stood out to me for some reason. She may not be Kalos Queen but she's definitely Team Rocket's Queen.
Don't forget the team glomp at the end of it (loved they bothered to bring out Inkay just for that moment as well, the whole roster feels like a family this region).
I should probably add the first few episodes of the series. Let me explain in more substance. While it was neat they established Ash as more competent this season, they went far above that. They demonstrated just how much experience he had gained and made it proportionate to his treatment. After a less than fanfared entrance, he greets some of the locals and then Team Rocket often bursts in. Unlike most regions where they are just a nuisance (par Unova of course), the Trio are proving intimidating and fearsome, even taking out police forces, only for Ash and Pikachu through remarkable perseverance and resourcefulness, to always stop their plots. Nearly everyone is dumbfounded by what a supposedly normal young trainer is capable of. This is a really cathartic treatment of the old rivalry, after years and years of Ash and the trio being treated as nothing more than amateurs, all their experience is finally acknowledged and put on display. Not to mention how exceptionally more actionized these first few episodes feel. It's almost like a true superhero vs supervillain rivalry.
Other minor moments I forgot to note before:
* Meowth's culinary chekhovs skill put into use again in the showcases (boy does he feel in the zone here, such a nice change).
* Meowth successfully Fury Swiping Pikachu for the first time (yeah it was a curb stomp cushion, but at least he finally broke Pikachu's humiliating flawless streak over him).
* Inkay stays with James.
* As does Wobbuffet with Jessie.
* Oh and she's keeping Gourgeist too.
* For some reason, while it's not fully developed, there's something endearing about Clemont's friendship with Ash, especially in those first few episodes where he wants to help out in his own way. He's essentially the geeky sidekick of the admired jock, but he has his own abilities and Ash very much appreciates that.
* Any big brother moments between Pikachu and the Kalos Pokemon, most often Dedenne (say that double team Nuzzle wasn't adorable).
* While it's not a really eventful short, there were lots of cute trainer-less interactions in 'What's this Key for?', Pikachu babysitting Dedenne, befriending the Tyrunt, Meowth, Wobbuffet and Inkay walking off into the sunset.
* Roaring All Stars. Pokemon does Glee.
* While it signs a brief downward spiral for Ash, there's something cute about Sawyer's overjoyed reaction to defeating his idol. Even his Sceptile smiles for him.
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