EPISODE CONTEXT

Sitting at episode 135 of 136, this arrives after the culmination of the series' two biggest storylines — Ash's Masters Eight Tournament victory and Goh's fateful encounter with Mew — meaning the major goals have been achieved and this episode exists to process those triumphs emotionally. It serves as a bridge between the climactic payoffs and the final episode, giving the trio space to reflect before the series closes the book on this generation of Pokémon storytelling. Everything here is setup for an emotional landing in the finale.