Best spot to watch movies 20, 21 and 23, thematically?

[Nicolas721]

Hi guys. As we know from 2017 onward the movies have taken place in what fans call an "Alternate Universe" as they no longer follow the main path from the anime. However, I began to wonder that if one were to rewatch all the anime including the AU movies, there had to be an spot where watching them would be quite fitting thematically than the usual "whenever it premiered on Japan" rule. So I'd like to hear your thoughts about that, here I present some examples regarding my opinions.

If you want to discuss whether these movies take place on the same AU or not, please do it in another thread. Thanks.

M20: I Choose you

• Between Unova League and Episode N: I didn't wanted to place this movie so far in the past so I initially looked for XY episodes that focused on Ash & Pikachu's relationship but none of the options convinced me, but in the previous there's the Team Plasma climax where Ash has to stop Pikachu's brainwashing. Said arc also features Charizard, and Butterfree is featured shortly afterwards, so watching the movie here can remind viewers of their significance.
• Before XY121: I've always felt that XY121 and the movie make a good duo about explaining Ash's motivations and goals, so what's better for that than watching them together. However, in order to not interrupt the pace of the Greninja arc you could watch the movie before it starts.

M21: The Power of Us

• Between XY finale and SM start: The movie could foreshadow SM having a larger cast and the relationship between Pokemon and people becoming a relevant theme, and it being placed between series means that the story flows naturally.
• After Necrozma Arc: Foreshadows Eevee and Zeraora having some relevance.

M22: Secrets of the Jungle

• Before (or after) SM125: Paternity is a theme of the movie and this episode explores Ash and Kukui's relationship, so it's somewhat relevant. This arc also takes place on a forest and features Celebi.
• Between JN032 and JN033: The intended premiere date, as it features Celebi and the next episode takes place on a forest too. You could make the headcanon that the movie is actually canon and that it shows what Ash was doing while Goh was away.
• Between JN005 and JN006: The movie could take place in Galar due to the background Pokemon shown, so it could be placed after he region's introduced and before another forest episode.

 

[PaperSplash]

I'd watch M20 and M21 back-to-back between XY and SM. M23 between JN032 and JN033 as you said.

(Edit: Before or after SM020 could also be a good time for M20.)