HOLY SHIT. IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW. ASH'S HAT IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT'S TECHNICALLY A DIFFERENT ASH. BECAUSE THEY'RE FINALLY TYING THE SPLIT-TIMELINE THING FROM THE GAMES INTO THE ANIME.

UNIVERSE A ASH IS THE ASH WHO EXPERIENCED THE ANIME-VERSE WORLD OF R/B/Y, G/S/C, R/S/E, D/P/PT, AND B/W/B2/W2. BUT CANONICALLY THERE ARE TWO TIMELINES. UNIVERSE B ASH IS THE ONE WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING THROUGH THE ANIME-VERSE WORLD OF X/Y AND NOW S/M. AND THIS NEW MOVIE WILL BE THE ORIGIN STORY OF UNIVERSE B ASH.

FUUUUUUUCK.