I completely agree. XY has been top notch. Ash hasn't been an idiot, and is actually generally badass. The supporting characters are great. Team Rocket are back to their classic selves, but don't appear every episode now.
But the battle animations, that is where it signs. In past sagas, they often used that cut to the Japanese anime style background while it used the move and had that as stock footage, but now they very rarely use that. You see the moves in context, and well animated. Then there's the whole Mega Evolution arc
Incidentally, and semi related, the Pokémon Symphonic Evolutions concert is in London Eventim Apollo on Decmeber 20th at 7:30pm