The Orange Island adventures are a pivotal, but oft-forgotten part of Ash's journey through the world of Pokémon. Fans missed Brock too much to give Tracey a chance, no new Pokémon were introduced and it's by far the shortest arc of the entire series. Caught between the much-maligned Kanto arc and the fresh start in Johto, the Orange Islands don't get the credit they deserve for helping shape Ash into the trainer he is today.
The Orange Islands served as something of a palette cleanser after Ash's disastrous Kanto campaign. In the anime's second season, Ash no longer skates by on plot armor and charity badges. Instead, he finally grows up just enough that he dedicates himself to improvement in all aspects of being a Pokémon trainer, and his success in the Orange League rewards his efforts.
The Orange League Provides Ash with Fresh Challenges
In the Orange Island Gyms, trainers must complete a unique challenge alongside their Pokémon to earn a badge, rather than win an outright battle. Ash had never been a particularly skilled battler to this point in the series, but these challenges still taught him a lot about being a trainer. It's likely that this unorthodox Gym challenge is what later leads to Ash's penchant for outside-the-box thinking in his battles. Like with Kanto, Ash doesn't defeat many trainers to earn his badges, but this time around he actually benefits from the experience.
Ash Finally Earns Charizard's Respect
Possibly Ash's most iconic Pokémon after Pikachu, Charizard spent a long time refusing to heed Ash's commands in any scenario, battle or not. This development was extra heartbreaking after the strong bond the two shared when it was still a Charmander that Ash rescued from near death at the hands of an abusive trainer. As a Charmeleon and then Charizard, it (understandably) didn't respect Ash's skill as a trainer, refusing to battle for someone unworthy of its strength.
When an Ice Beam completely freezes Charizard, Ash stays up all night rubbing his hands raw on Charizard's skin trying to get it warm and nurse it back to health. Ash admits that all he wants is to be good enough for Charizard, indicating a surprisingly mature mindset that he doesn't resent Charizard for its disobedience. When Charizard notes his words and actions, it finally develops respect for him and becomes his most powerful and reliable Pokémon. Charizard might have the strongest bond with Ash of any of his non-Pikachu Pokémon, and it's all thanks to Ash's journey through the Orange Islands.
Ash Redeems Himself for His Humiliating Indigo League Exit
The Orange League is most overlooked as Ash's first regional championship because of its shorter Gym challenge and lack of a tournament before facing the champion. Whether or not his Orange League triumph deserves to be compared to his Alola victory, it was still a major redemption for his embarrassing elimination from the Indigo League. Only making it to the Top 16, Ash was disqualified when Charizard refused to battle, a soul-crushing end to a controversial journey.
The Orange League helps remedy this with Ash's indisputable success by collecting his four Orange Island badges and defeating the champion's previously unbeatable Dragonite at the end of a full battle. Ash was freshly bonded with his Charizard and closer than ever with the rest of his Pokémon and won with a full team effort. His victory in the Orange League finally transitioned him from a semi-lovable loser into a trainer with genuine skill.
