I was watching the anime a few hours ago and I just realized something. Does it seem like nowadays the anime is, as the title says, focusing more on Dawn and the Contests now?
In the earlier episodes, well duh they couldn't do any contests because they DIDNT EXIST. Unfortinatly I never watched any of the Advanced Battles, so I'm not sure about that.
But it seemes like in the new episodes every other episode focuses on the Contests, either training for them, or IN the contest. It's like Ash trying to get 20 gym badges (ok maybe not 20, but it seems like it).
And now very few episodes are about Ash getting badges or the gang's misadventures.
Sadly because of this, and because all they show these days is the new episodes, I've stopped watching it. And the only times I will is when they do some special with old episodes.
) It's just their way of adding variety to the show...and appeal more to girls. Like you said, it used to be more Ash, and the others had nothing better to do than stand in the background and watch Ash battle ^_^