Pokémon XY enhanced an essential part of the previous seasons with Brock and Misty, making the plot more engaging despite its faults. For those who grew up when Pokémon's anime debuted
in the US, the Indigo League is all that mattered. Part of their reluctance to embrace new seasons is due to Ash's "static" immortality, where he retains the same age in mind and body after almost 20
years and suffers from a special form of amnesia when he enters a new location. Add in cliches like Team Rocket's Jesse and James failing to capture Pikachu, and
it's easy to understand why traditional fans find the anime monotonous. XY made a modest yet significant modification.
Ash and his new trip partners let all their Pokémon to spend more time outside of their Poké Balls, including Ash's Pikachu. During meals, viewers may observe their Pokémon interact.
This has led to Ash and his friends' Pokémon creating more complicated and nuanced connections than in past seasons.