>>53356355I feel you're overstating the impact the anime has on the brand as a whole. Way more people buy the games than watch the anime. It would be fascinating to see just how many people that play Pokemon GO and/or the Switch games would even recognize Ash. Ho-oh has reappeared in the past, most recently JN136, and it had very little impact on the story or Ash. The TRio episode, for me, is the big test. If it's handled really well, and we get some big resolution out of it, then I'll say there's a chance Misty/Brock are going to get some big moments as well, and that Pokeshipping has a chance. Otherwise, if the TRio episode amounts to nothing, then I expect the same will be true for the final two episodes.
