Shudo had a more cynical outlook for the 'Pokemon Master' agenda really, and hell the whole Pokemon TRAINER agenda as a whole. His original plan was to have Ash merely acknowledge the title was merely a silly pipe dream with no real meaning, as the Pokemon of the world were given independence from their trainers. Naturally this led to awkwardness when the series continued and the writers were left trying to keep what was meant to be a fake goal ongoing.
I don't think it was fake. The anime ending as Shudo implied would suggest he had no plan for how to conclude the show, and from testimony we know that isn't the case. Realistically, you can't have a highly motivated child like Ash chasing a literal fantasy. It would be like a normal human boy named Peter Pan devoting his life to brute force his way to a nonexistant Neverland. A tad delusional.
I think XY and SM kind of toyed with this idea palpably since the emphasis on Ash as a character seemed less on him becoming a master and how he'd developed into an accomplished person as a by product of trying to reach that undefined goal. I know people were sour about the Kalos loss, but it was poetically handled, that Ash failed at his pipe dream but was still the moral victor in terms of heroism (even if XY kinda tried to have its cake and eat it too with all the league hype beforehand, likely why so many felt ripped off).
SM actually asking 'and then what?' in one episode I think kind of plays on how the role of Master isn't really the endgame for Ash, he doesn't even know what comes next. SM definitely feels like the series he is noticing there is more to life.
I don't think Kalos had a specific meta narrative around the franchise goal. Both the in-universe and meta appeal of that series revolved around
esteem. Cringeworthy though it may be, people
like the idea of Ash as a larger-than-live chosen hero, with a special Greninja transformation only
he can unlock, and an entourage of adoring fans and enemies who rely on him to solve problems.
That's the superhero mythos that was not coincidentally saturating popular culture during XY's airing. That's also the time period where social media like Reddit (with like/dislikes) overtook forums and imageboards in popularity. People find solace in adolation, so it's easy to see why the Kalos League loss was so catastrophically traumatizing for many people. Their safe space wasn't just invaded, it was bombed and set on fire.
For all the "lower stakes" and grounded growth in SM, it's actually
more over the top than Kalos:
-XY Ash wasn't a chosen hero; SM Ash was chosen by a deity (Tapu Koko) in the
first episode
-XY Ash saved the world once; SM Ash, as part of the Ultra Guardians, does it every Tuesday
-XY Ash had a special Greninja; SM Ash had a special Lycanroc, a Mythical, Legendary, Ultra Beast and exclusive Z-Crystal
-XY Ash participated in the Kalos League; SM Ash practically co-founded the Alola League
SM casually does a lot of ridiculous things but doesn't make a big deal about it. The legendary island guardians make regular appearances, trainers are raising Mythicals like ordinary pets, Ultra Beasts and legends travel to Alola's forests and oceans just to hang out...it's rather funny when you think about it.