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I've seen this idea before, and do find it interesting even if it ends up being incorrect.Just a thought, but maybe this whole dual protagonist thing is them setting up a major generation shift. They tested the waters with Alain, saw that a (pretty-boy) traditional shounen protagonist worked, and decided to bring in Gou. But since they can't replace Ash immediately, they are going to build up Gou's popularity and then when the time comes, Ash will finally retire and the anime will shift over to either Gou or another protagonist.
Ash was designed back when they thought the series would end after a year or two, so he was given a goal; become a Master. Note that in the first gen games Lance specifically says you're a Master when you beat him--if the anime had ended on schedule I suspect Ash would have been called a Master for winning the league/defeating the Elite Four.
This led to the twenty year long struggle where since his team keeps being replaced he never feels like he's making steady progress since he sometimes stalled out or even fell backwards. Eventually they specified beating a League isn't enough to be a Master then had him win one.
Now, Gou is new. He was made with them understanding that the series doesn't have a set end but is going to go as long as it sells merchandise and advertises the games. His wish to capture every Pokémon is impossible as long as they keep making new Pokémon, but he can make steady progress without the issue where you can only increase a League standing so many times before either getting stuck at runner up or winning. Sure, Mew could be his "League", but considering how much the advertising has mentioned Gou's catching goal I think it'll end up taking precedence.
It's too early to say anything for sure, of course. Could just be a coincidence.