STORYTELLING: The same old-school formula of Ash finding out a region, meeting new friends & rivals and aiming to conquer its league. Except, this time he deservedly got too close. But don't let this mere description fool you. Even if it was the generic system of storytelling, the tone & intensity the series carried throughout made it the greatest ever Pokémon anime series till the date, at least for me. Though, most of the fillers were forgettable while many are too memorable. The ending, however, made me forget every complaints I had.
PACE: This is the weirdest part. In early XY S1 & XYZ, there were bunch of annoying and boring fillers that actually hindered the pace of the series as a whole that caused the series to be rushed significantly towards the absolute end (though, it was still great). Storyboarding was something that needed to be done way better than it was.
CHARACTERS: Every single characters were great & that's a major reason why I fell in love with Pokémon XY. The significance certain characters had, be it on plot or on the main characters, needs to be appreciated. Unlike its predecessor, none of the characters were "boring" but rather enjoyable! Alain, Serena, Sawyer, Clemont & Ash (despite being a bit static at times) were the ones who stood out the most for me! Serena's character in arc in particular was the most realistic I've ever seen in Pokémon, while Sawyer was the most unique kind of rival Ash has ever had. Whereas Alain's story was totally not so Pokémon-ish with the dark turn of events here & there that developed Alain into the one we know today.
POKÉMON: The introduction to Kalos Pokémon & Mega Evolutions were great throughout. The Pokémon of Ash's friends, rivals & companions were all interesting too. But for Ash, it was a different story with all the focus going into Ash-Greninja eventually for nothing significant. Overall, his team was undeniably the strongest he's ever had (alongside Sinnoh & Alola) but in terms of characteristics, the team wasn't really all great. Also, Team Rocket's Pokémon weren't that memorable either. Another minor complaint could be the no explanation behind Mega Evolution X & Y (like Charizard).
REGION PORTRAYAL: The modernism of Kalos & uniqueness of certain cities were captured magnificently in the series. There's no doubt that it was the best portrayal we've had until this point (alongside Alola, of course)!
TEAM ROCKET: Classic Team Rocket, nothing particular to say about them. At times, they were hilarious. But most of the time, they were boring & annoying. OS-AG-DP Team Rocket was creative, BW Team Rocket was terrible & XY Team Rocket was mediocre. But the role they played in Team Flare Arc was really great so there's that!
TEAM FLARE: Easily the best Evil Team till the date, with not so evil motive. But the threatening they looked & the devastation they caused ended up giving us one of the greatest Pokémon arcs ever, so I don't complaint much!
GYM BATTLES: Pretty much every single Gym Battles were great and with a lot of emotional values, with Viola, Korrina, Clemont, Olympia & Wulfric's battles being the greatest ever gym battles till the date. Every gym leaders were great too & the buildup we've had prior to the Viola, Korrina, Clemont & Wulfric's battles made the battles even more significant in solidifying their greatness! Moreover, Olympia's battle was the most significant of all in the larger picture to the plot while Wulfric played a key role in Ash's development. Whereas the battle of Clemont was pinnacle of friendly rivalry m In short.... Cinematography, choreography, writing, intensity, tone & direction, everything were just perfect!
LEAGUE: Even with the chopped off battles & all, the Kalos League was simply phenomenal with its intensity, tone, battle choreography and writing & animation. The significance it played to build up the final arc made it even better!
ANIMATION: A huge upgrade over its predecessor undeniably. But still not "great" for a 2013 show. Could've been way better. But the fantastic art-style, some brilliant background arts, the wonderful character designs & the phenomenal battles compensated the otherwise mediocre animation most of the time. Regardless, this is the kind of formula I still prefer for Pokémon than the new generation of style!
MUSIC: XY S1, my all time favourite Pokémon OP, had a phenomenal remake of the "Gotta Catch 'em All!". XY S2 OP, on the other hand, felt a little lackluster in composition but strong lyrically. XYZ OP was quite the opposite of XY S2 OP though. But in terms of background, the English Dub was really incompetent in replacing the Japanese OSTs. But question remains, was there any necessity even?
VOICE ACTING: The voice cast was something that isn't talked about enough. After Diamond & Pearl, I feel like this is the peak of Pokémon altogether from every aspect & rightfully so! Although, there's no doubt that Sarah Natocheny definitely could've done a better job than she did. I believe she was nowhere near her Diamond & Pearl or Black & White self this time around. The maturity she tried to bring in this time didn't quite suit Ash & actually made him feel static at times in the series.
OVERALL DIRECTION: Almost everything was just fantastic. Be it utilisation of the characters, to building up the final arc, to handling certain arcs, or the series' pace as a whole. There were a few flaws here & there though (like the Ash-Greninja, Filler Streaks & all) but in the end, it didn't really hinder the enjoyment I've had while watching the series weekly or rewatching it after 4 years. In the end, the old-school formula reached its peak with the near perfection direction!
MOVIES: Well... Probably the weakest point of the series but it doesn't really count as they're all non-canons. The last movie, however, was quite decent comparatively.
SPECIALS: Pretty mediocre & unnecessary even. Although, not particularly bad. Enjoyable somewhat, more so if you wanted more of XY content. But I'd rather suggest rewatching a few moments through the official Pokémon TV or YouTube.
FINAL RATING (FOR BOTH XY & XYZ): An unbelievable improvement over its predecessor(s). Even with its major or negligible flaws & rare inconsistencies, Pokémon XY (Z) will forever remain as the greatest Pokémon series ever with its unmatched legacy due to the way it perfected the iconic & classic formula of Pokémon. A solid 9/10!
NOTE: ALL THE RATINGS are given on the basis of POKÉMON ANIME STANDARDS. XY & XYZ are a 7/10 for NORMAL ANIME STANDARDS OTHERWISE, I believe. And I watched entirety of Pokémon XY, XYZ, Movies & Mega Evolution Acts in English Dub (with the notable exception of the Specials, that I watched in Japanese Dub with English Subs).
