The Pokémon anime missed out on adapting the epic Rainbow Rocket story from the video games Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. In this storyline, an alternate universe version of Giovanni gathers leaders of past villainous teams to threaten the Alola region. The games feature battles against these powerful foes, but the anime could have put Ash in the spotlight, facing off against these dangerous villains he has encountered before. The adaptation could have spotlighted some of Ash's underused Pokémon and included characters like Gladion and Kukui. However, the anime quickly moved on from Sun & Moon to Journeys, leaving behind the opportunity to explore the intriguing Rainbow Rocket arc. Despite potential reasons for not adapting the dark storyline, fans will always wonder what could have been.