Kalos here we come.
Ash and Pikachu are set to explore the Kalos region on Pokemon TV with Season 17 of the anime returning to the streaming service after previously being housed on Netflix.
The arc beginning with this season–and concluding two seasons later, though those seasons aren’t yet back on the service–is arguably the best Pokemon has to offer, with Ash forming a powerful team, taking battling seriously, and engaging with his friends more as a mentor than mentee.
Two other through-lines make this season and the overarching arc more enjoyable: Clemont, the electric type gym leader, creates a series of gadgets that don’t work as intended, with hilarious results; and a mind-controlling Pokemon named Malamar is perhaps more evil than any other villain in the series.
There are subtle tonal shifts from even the XY arc, where the focus on Clemont et all gets a bit kiddie, to a maturing storyline with a maturing central protagonist.
If you started watching Pokemon in its Indigo League days but fell off somewhere later, this is the storyline you’ve been waiting for, we assure you.
–with files from Evan McIntosh from the GoodGamesWriting archive.
Top image: The Pokemon Company