I didn't want to finish today with just an update.

For a long time, I've always found Ash frustrating to like although rarely do I find the main protagonist to be the best character anyway, but it's not like I hate them, maybe it's their try hard tenacity or their wide eyed outlook on life or they just look like they are actually enjoying life and for Ash and Pikachu they are living their best life.
I think Helluva Boss said it best
"I'm hard on you, because I know what you're capable of"
I can think of many famous protagonists who I would apply this to, Ash is no exception, for every dumb decision he made there is a triumph that follows whether it be a Gym battle or a league battle, it's that kind of storytelling that also makes us like Goku, Naruto, Monkey D Luffy and even Sailor Moon.
Our favourites may not be the lead characters but they are the ones who make us stay.
Liko and Roy will take the baton from Ash in April, the shoes they're filling are massive, it's the single biggest risk in the entire franchise and it's off the back of a game that has a fantastic narrative but piss poor performance.
I wish them luck.