>>49946198DESU if you skip BW, there's actually a decent progression
>OS: Top 16 >Johto: Top 8>Hoenn: Top 8, but his opponent becomes Champion >Sinnoh: Top 4, they have to write a bullshit last minute OC using two Legendries>Kalos: 2nd Place, they have to dedicate an entire side series to produce a character who can beat Ash>Alola: ChampionBW just sticks out like a sore fucking thumb in this line up, otherwise it makes a decent bit of sense. Sure you can argue Sinnoh/Kalos were dragging it on too long, and Kalos should've been the win (It fucking should have been), but at the very least he's always improving.
I still argue heavily that Ash should've won Kalos, and then the entire SM season is him on fucking vacation after finally winning, just in time for PM, where the new angle of Ash's research fellowship and the big tournament make way more sense with an Ash that finally blew his load in Kalos, had a long vacation in Alola, and is ready to get back into it. 