It's always nice to see what they're up to now and again, but I don't find it incredibly necessary. However, I really didn't like how they skipped out on Tracey's appearance at the end of DP.
I really want to see what Misty's up to right now. We haven't seen here in a while. I've always wondered if Max ever became a trainer, despite it being evident that time doesn't flow in the Pokemon world. There's Gary, but that's a given.
Ash's Pokemon are a different story. I'm not very fond of how the writers completely shun all of Ash's old teammates once their time is up. The thing is, I don't know how they could possibly incorporate them, especially since he's has built up quite the team other the years. I guess Pokemon Chronicles was a cool idea. I wouldn't mind seeing an old team member pop into the group from time to time either, like in Johto or the Battle Frontier.
Butterfree, Pidgeot, and Primeape need to appear.
At least Tracey got a mention when they were in Nimbasa I believe.
Out of his former companions I'd most like to see Misty as well, and see how there chemistry if at all would change. Especially since neither has really "grown up" or "aged". Which is also sad cause it gives Max less of a change on having a journey with Ash or for that matter battling him.
I don't think they are completely shunned, but we probably won't get to see them until stuff like leagues, return visits, filler post main story arcs.
In this BW2 scenario if he some how loses the league or it gets interrupted by Plasma he can always bring some of his old pokemon along such as I feel Gible should be incorporated within the team.
I'm extremely interested in seeing Misty again. I miss her so friggin much, I want them to kick out Iris and put Misty back in. Misty personality was unique, not even Iris can be compared with her. I miss the way Misty would always pick on Ash!
I'm curious to what she's up to right about now. Tending to the gym must get boring after awhile, and I want to see her catch some Unova water pokes.
I also wanna see Brock again...his Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny look so different now... 0_0
And Iris doesn't have any unique traits about her? Actually they can be compared, but why do we need too since this is about returning characters that we like too see.
Kind of doubt she will appear in Unova, seems like the Shizui guy has more of a chance at this point then she does.
I'd most like to see Max join the current group so we can see how he can progress and it would be interesting to see how he would build his team. With past companions there has always been a pattern; Misty with the water types, Brock with Pokemon he can care and nurture; Dawn/May getting Pokemon that can look good in contests. The current companions don't seem to have a pattern so it'd be cool to see Max and his more thought out captures and I think he'd learn alot from Cilan like he did with Brock but he never had much chance to learn about Brock in his use of Pokemon in battleswhereas Cilan has a lot more battling oppurtunities.
In terms of rivals I think a few from Johto would be cool like Harrison and Ritchie. More Ritchie because he was the more important rival and it would be interesting to see how his team has developed and which Pokemon they choose to give him out of Ash's current team.
Then with Pokemon I do think he needs to go back to Pidgeot and tell him/her how proud he is of her and how sorry he is he hasn't had a chance to see him/her. Butterfree isn't really a concern as it was an official release but Primeape needs to be told as well that he isn't needed.
I think the best way to get some use out of alot of old friends/rivals/Pokemon would be to have another sort of filler series but instead of a tournament like the Orange Islands have a tournament where it's like the Conferences and is only 6 on 6 battles. That way alot more Pokemon can be used as he can't go tiring out his team too much and gives more chance to use his Pokemon. They can invite Professors and Champions from each region to come spectate as it could be a special tournament that is only held once every 10 years or something and some of the major rivals he has had can come back like Gary, Paul and Tyson. Also due to the fierceness of the tournament it makes it more likely that Pokemon will evolve like Bayleef, Corphish and Buizel.
It is a bit of a crazy idea that would probably never happen but it's probably the easiest way to get him to interect with his old friends/pokemon for a longer period of time than the one episode a few of them get at the end of each series. It's what I'd like to see because the Pokemon Conferences always get me excited but only happen once a series so it's a shame although all these Don Battle Tournament things in Unova are pretty cool and give me a similar excitement.
Well he wouldn't need to learn from Cilan, if they decided to have Ash actually maintain progression for once and may him a mentor.
Ritchie I'd like too see return cause he parallels Ash so much. I thought he was a good league rival, and I was hoping for more of him in Chronicles, but we all know how that ended up... Harrison I'd love to see again, and actually win that time around. Love too see Paul return as well. I want to see his change if any after the loss in the league to Ash.
He did promise Pidgeot he would return... So I think he at least owes him a return visit. He was his second capture after all, that has too have some meaning to him since he caught him not too long after Butterfree.
I don't think we really need to see Butterfree, but then again Lapras did make a cameo in Johto showing us it is doing alright with its family, so they could do the same for Butterfree.
Primeape, up in the air as what they should do and what they should have do. For me he had a lot of potential as an obedient poke like Char to be a good powerhouse at least at the time. I would like to think they revisit him as well, so I don't see why they would revisit the first two and leave him out of the picture.
I've thought of tournaments like this, but the plausibility is extremely unlikely. Closest thing I can think of is a Champions league Cynthia mentioned. Which would all hinge on Ash actually winning for once. Or there would be like a gather of the best per region representing each region in a regional team battle tournament or something.