>>50343384There's probably a couple of reasons they're aprehensive about retiring Ash.
Firstly, he's a self-insert of sorts for the creator of Pokemon, so I can see how his removal might be seen as in bad taste (at least in Japan where this is more obvious)
Secondly, the original plan was for the show to end with Ash winning the Johto league after losing in Kanto, since that was also the point at which the games would end. It's why Kanto to Johto is the only time they kept Ash's design and companions the same. Of course, once plans changed for the franchise they had to course correct, and by having Ash lose Johto too they pretty much doomed him to his fate.
