>>21968453Alternate universes have been canon, since the beginning of the franchise.
Every save file of every game constitutes its own reality, with the player being the "wild card" - we're all living out the same story under similar conditions, but the decisions we make and the Pokemon we choose affect each individual outcome.
Also, in the Battle Resort the leader of the other team remarks about how easy it could have been to jump off the deep end and seize control of the other version mascot...contemplating that they might have done so, in another reality.
