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So hear me out on this: the Orange League doesn’t exactly follow along with the others, but Ash would be its Champion if it did. So what if there’s an episode where his new friends are talking about past achievements, and he brings that up? And a few episodes after that, there’s a cutaway to a scene in the Orange Islands, where some unseen figure is challenging Drake? And said figure wins, and Drake remarks that only one other person has beat him, and the figure says “I know?” Then a few episodes after that, the figure shows up, face covered, and challenges Ash “to really win the Orange League?” And of course Ash is up for it, and it’s a really tough battle, and Ash starts to get suspicious when his opponent uses a Gyarados, but what really gives it away is when Psyduck pops out and greets Pikachu instead of fighting, and the figure groans “Psyduck, you ruined the surprise!” Because of course it’s Misty, on leave from gym duty, and she’s decided to up her game and have fun with Ash at the same time by taking his “title.”