>>56935275He still earns badges, just through nontraditional ways. People think XY anime was shonen when the original was just far superior and more reflective of those types of anime. Ash is unconventional and weak, using pokemon that aren't fully evolved, however it's shown they're like that because they DON'T want to evolve, and he forms strong bonds with them because of that. So the way he earns some badges may not be through traditional fights but they showcase how adaptable he is and suit his varied team.
>was Fighting Misty, but didn’t finish the match and was going to accept it without a fight anyways from her sisters This is a good point actually against badges. It's unknown how much worth they even have in the anime. I mean, how do you even accurately define them and their strengths? Gary had like 12.
Also, although it didn't want to fight Misty, he would have easily destroyed the water type gym leaders with pikachu anyway. So he actually has a more serious fight.
