Do you think these characters are just going to be one-region characters who will depart at the end of Best Wishes? The only other characters who only lasted one region was Tracey and Dawn, but in Dawn's case DP went on a long time so it didn't matter.

I don't think we'll ever see characters travel with Ash for more than one journey anymore. Characters seem to be dropped very soon now after they're introduced.

Misty, Brock, May and Max are the only characters to get at least two regions traveling with Ash. I wonder what will become of Iris and Dento after the Isshu region.

Personally I hope Dent is only a one journey character, as in as soon as Ash completes the Isshu league he returns back to work at the Gym. His character type is sorta like Tracey's and unlike Iris I really cannot see too much growth in his character.

Iris on the other hand seems to already have a backstory where she is to travel with her new Kibago and to train it well. A journey away from the Gym seems to be her only option and who better to travel with than Ash. Obviously the climax to her story will be revealing to Ash that she is the 8th gym leader, similar to how Misty 'revealed' it, by not telling Ash initially, though Misty's "secret" didn't last that long.

Yeah, I kinda think both Iris/Dento will depart after Isshu ends.

I guess at this point the writers will just keep replacing Ash's travel companions till whenever the show ends.