Personally i never thought Johto was worst saga, so even if it was on poll my vote would either go to AG or DP.
If anything because while JOhto may had many fillers, many of them were usually highly entertaining episodes containing aspect of adventure and friendship promoted in Kanto with interactions between Ash, Misty and Brock being full of life.
That said while i liked plot episodes from Hoenn and Sinnoh, most of their fillers usually lacked comedy , vibrant dynamic between characters and all those funny, unexpected tantrums which would make you stay interested wanting to watch it until very end. Whether its episodes like "Caterpie Big Dilemma" , "Training Wrecks", "Pearls are Spoink Best Friend", "Steamboat Willies", "Leading a Stray" dealing with stuck Wailmer etc.
Officially some of worst episodes i have ever seen in my honest opinion dealing with same plots we get chance to see numerous times, lacked tension, humor and level pf unpredictability required to make something amusing.
Arguably il admit how in Hoenn fillers at least group dynamics ad May funny quirks liking to eat, go to shopping etc or Brock interactions with her or Max saved several episodes from turning into irredeemable disaster.
While on other hand in many DP ones lack of chemistry between Dawn and Brock took away from group interactions on good part, making tone of episodes often one note and uninteresting.
Although interacting between Ash and Dawn was good.
Needless to say i was never fan of all those extra training episodes too, instead of using extra focus for development of more neglected characters. But i guess learning of new attacks of perfection of techniques turn them in last sec into non fillers.
No, its still that a lot of them weren't very good, especially the ones in the middle during, "Johto league Champions.
Ok they were boring to you, doesn't mean they will be boring to everyone else. Remember each person has different tastes and criteria to go by when judging if episode will or wont satisfy their expectations.
Just because misty is there does not save an episode from being terrible.
No one said that. However i can say without doubt how many of otherwise mediocre episodes in Johto were saved thanks to characters like Brock, Misty or TR which thanks to their personalities, various antics and humor they brought made many of them truly enjoyable.
Whether its "Tunnel Vision"being fun to watch tension between Misty who bragged over water types clearing path from Onix and Jessie jealousy bursting out from her for not having cute pokemon too . "Sick Daze"where Ash stupidity taking care of Brock pokemon in wrong manner or Misty annoyance over his mistakes and crazy antics such as trying to cook, Brock fantasizing about girls delirium at end saving their friends butt only enriched content of episode with more comedy and fun dynamics.
"Will Real prof. Oak stand Out" where we had chance to see James masking himself as professor trying to beat him at pokemon quiz being interesting to see other side of him and knowledge applied about pokemon, haiku etc, etc.
Character quirks and appeal can count as well, when determining if episode will be good or not.
What does she have to do with anything? The plot of the actual filler has nothing to do with the human characters involved. Usually in most fillers Ash is the only character who does anything anyway.
It often has because interactions and dynamic humans produce in episodes, or thir involvement playing subrole in plot of episode can make episodes more enjoyable and engaging to follow.
Speaking of fillers, many of them and resolution of mini stories came out as nus product from actions made by his companions or through their help as well.
Ash isn't always the "one" which saves the day.
p.s. Its sad how topic about fillers excluding Johto turned again into "Johto discussion".