>>44447047Ash's Pikachu never actually began to evolve, though. It was offered the thunderstone and never touched it. There was never a fake-out, just a suggested possibility that never amounted to anything.
Obviously it's not going to evolve now, but they're leaning into it way harder by actually portraying it like Pikachu is already in the process of evolving, rather than just asking if it wants to.
