I think Horizons’ biggest flaw and blow to popularity is how much it distances itself from the previous series

Okay, I know i’m going to get a lot of hate for this, I expect to be downvoted but here’s what i think: Pokémon Horizons biggest problem is how hard it tries to be its own thing, Some people might like that change, but let’s be real, most of the fanbase doesn’t. Ash was the heart and soul of the anime for over 20 years, and cutting ties with him so drastically just doesn’t sit right with most of us.It doesn’t help that we got a rushed bs conclusion to Ash’s story, clearly no heart put into it. Like seriously, it felt almost passive aggressive how bad his conclusion was, it’s like the writers said “Okay you got your stupid ending, now leave us alone”. The series feels disconnected from the rest of the franchise, I don’t ever hear people talking about Horizons nearly as much as the other series, even in this very sub, there are a lot more posts about Ash and his series than the current and ongoing series. If they’d just made Liko Ash’s daughter or even tied her story to his in some way, I guarantee it would’ve brought in way more interest. Were like 80 episodes in and not a single deliberate reference to the last two decades of pokemon anime has been made. That’s what the majority of the fandom wants, some kind of connection to the character we’ve followed for decades. Instead, they’re catering to a smaller audience. I don’t hate Horizons, I think it’s pretty good, The series itself is not even bad, if the original pokemon series didn’t exist, I think it would be great. I just think the way it actively wants to distance itself from the previous series is bad for the popularity of the anime. I’m not saying they have to bring Ash back and replace the new MC immediately or any of that junk. But simple references or a plot that revolves around Liko meeting Ash and seeing how he has grown is a good idea. Giving him the conclusion he deserves after carrying the anime for 25 years. It would definitely bring back it’s lost viewers.