>>47187045This meme is dead
They acknowledge the passing of time in the anime (no exact measurements, but they do said stuff like it's been a "long time")
Kukui and Burnet had a baby, so more than 9 months have passed since Ash left Alola. It's always been the case that time does pass in the anime, the characters just don't age.
Combined with the fact that Pokemon Leagues happen once a year, it's canon that Ash has been a trainer for years
