Anybody else believe in the red-ash, blue-gar doppleganger?

I'll explain.

For those of you like myself who played the games and watched the show, we assumed trainer red was ash. Pokemon 2nd Gen games had you fight both blue and red. BUT.... I recently read the original Pokemon manga, not based off ash, but red ketchum and blue oak of pallet town.
remember ash waking up late and finding out the 3 starters had been taken early? Well in this manga, green stole squirtle, blue got charmander, and red received bulbasaur. Which, in Pokemon yellow version, "ash" gets pikachu and "Gary" gets eeve. Continuing on with the manga, red reaches viridian city. Remember ash reaching the Pokemon center, fighting team rocket, ans wrecking the center? Well in the manga, red travels to the center and there is a sign saying it was destroyed the night before by unknown vandals...

Any comments?
Coincidence? You tell me what YOU think.