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Even with Paul's first appearance in DP and Gengar learning Will-o-Wisp, the production team chose Oshawott for the eye catch. As it should be. I miss that little guy more than I miss some dead relatives.
I'm glad they capstoned everything leading into the M8 with Paul's return. He is still Ash's best rival. It was nice seeing them train his other Pokemon for the M8. That's the type of thing I'd have loved to see in the downtime episodes up to this point. I wish they had leaned into the idea that Ash's former Pokemon were "returning characters" throughout the series. Seeing Greninja was cool, and seeing Butterfree in the future will be nice, but there was so much opportunity for more.
Anyway, enjoy the new episode in a few hours. I won't be able to see it until long after it's subbed, but hopefully the clash is a good one.