I played Sword and refused to buy a second version, so I never got to see in-game Allister. I assume, like Bea, he plays a relatively small role in the game despite his popularity. But anime!Allister helps Ash along on his quest for all of the power ups. The haunted train was also a nice turn around on the haunted house genre of episode as well.
>>54454795The TRio varies based on the season. I watched XY first and hated them. They don't show up every episode, but they take up so much screen time when they do. There'd be a filler episode or a low-key canon one that I'd be enjoying, then they'd show up in the background and I'd just get frustrated. They show up less often in BW but with a big personality change, and not for the better. SM and Journeys Team Rocket only show up when they have something to do, and they don't always try stealing Pikachu, which is a much needed change of pace. Also seconding
>>54454825 about enjoying the Explorers by contrast. I'm sure Zir and Conia will have a funnier low-stakes dynamic, but having Amethio and the others to keep them grounded should balance things out.
