I think I finally understand what bugged me so much about XY Ash. He just never seemed like he was having as much fun as he said he was. He lacked the infectious excitement he has in every other gen. How am I supposed to feel hyped for a person who isn’t hyped themselves?
It’s like if you threw a birthday party for someone and they didn’t actually want a party but they pretended to be having fun so they didn’t hurt your feelings. That’s the vibe XY Ash gave off.