News: Leaked key visual shows new Ash design as well as new character (Confirmed)

Yo I wouldn't be mad about that! Ash-as-a-mentor is a concept I really like, and they got close to that in prior seasons. I just worry about what Ash's plots throughout the season will be in that case. What's his motivation for sticking with this kid? What will Ash be doing to further his own goals? I don't want to see our long term protagonist become a super flat side character.

The designs are a means to an end. A more simpler art style leads to easier and faster production, leading to more animated frames in an episode. And I will say that the new art style looks like Ken Sugimuras art from the games now.

OLM invested a lot of time and money to the new technology and animation techniques, this is going to be the look of pokemon moving forward.

They still haven't really confirmed how the anime is going to work, just Ash would be continuing while the other boy tries to catch every pokemon. I really hope it isn't a filler mess, traveling around with no real goal, it is what has turned me away from countless shows, but perhaps even if it is filler filled, it will be better since they aren't stuck to a very small island and they can expand on each region more.

Wish they would just give us an actual trailer to give us an idea on how this anime is going to work.

It is either going to be amazingly great or it will be a complete disaster. I am hoping it actually works out. Because I am loving the idea of Ash training his other pokemon to get ready for the Elite 4.

It will also give them a chance to introduce characters from the manga or games that weren't in the anime. If it isn't a reboot. Almost all of his friends are in Johto.