On top of that, it also reveals the return of Cynthia who is revealed to be a member of the Masters Eight. "Ultra Exciting from the Shocking Start!" sees the return of Volkner who serves as his first Ultra Class challenger in the Coronation Series.Dawn reappeared again in "The Gates of Warp!", "Showdown at the Gates of Warp!", and the Arceus special, all as tie-in to the releases of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and Pokémon Legends: Arceus. In "Nightfall? Nightmares!", everyone reunites. During Episode 74, she only bumps into Chloe. "Nightfall? Nightmares!" and "A Midsummer Night's Light!" sees the return of Dawn."Advice to Goh!" returns to Oak's Lab, where a rather large bus comes back containing most of Ash's benched Pokémon, as well as Gary, whose previous appearance was during the Diamond and Pearl."Thrash of the Titans!" sees the heroes go to Unova and sees the return of Iris, now the Champion of the region.
To conclude a main game villain story arc less than halfway through the corresponding journey.In which two protagonists catch the same Pokémon, with Ash and Goh each catching a Farfetch'd, though Goh catches the Kantonian form, while Ash catches the Galarian form.In which a main character catches a Legendary Pokémon.
To feature a movie that is released outside of July, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.To feature an episode where Ash and Pikachu are completely absent.In which Team Rocket owns a Pokédex and only uses borrowed Pokémon instead of their own.Additionally, this is also the series where Ash does not own the region's starter Pokédex.In which a main character other than Ash catches all starter Pokémon of the current generation.In which one of Ash's male traveling companions owns a Pokédex.Chloe moves up from being a recurring character to a supporting companion 49 episodes into the series. In which Ash does not have a female traveling companion, at least initially.In which Ash only has one traveling companion, who is not just a traveling companion, but a secondary protagonist.In which Ash catches a Ghost-type, baby, and Fossil Pokémon.In which the first Pokémon Ash caught was fully-evolved, was not introduced in the current generation, and was a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, rather than a starter or regional bird.To be set in more than two game-original regions, and not to be totally focused on the region from the newest games.Breaking Old Trends: There are a LOT of changes in this series.Lisia, the Contest idol from Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, was also Adapted Out of the anime, but she makes an anime debut in this series as well.