Ash and Lillie could've had a Espeon story
(I don't know what to put as a flair for this proof)
I had a sudden realization and this is the perfect subreddit to post it: Ash should've had a Espeon in Johto because Gary had a Umbreon and GSC Red used one. Guess what? Lillie could've had a Espeon to contrast with her brother having a Umbreon and because Umbreon is the Moon Eeveelution and no one in Alola has the Sun one. Then the pieces started clocking together in my head one by one
This could've led to a interesting story: Ash catches a Eevee in Kanto/Orange Islands and it evolves to Espeon in Johto. Jumping all the way to SM, Lana's Eevee should've appear much earlier and go to Lillie instead of her. And as she learns to touch Pokemon again, her bond with this cutie deepens until the evolution happens. As the final piece, the episodes where the gang went to Kanto (those episodes were GOATED), the two Espeons could've met up
Seeing Ash and Lillie with the Espeons and Gary and Gladion with their Umbreons in one image would be difficult to happen unless Gary traveled to Alola too, but it'd also be fun and epic