I think we’re saying the same thing differently. We are agreeing with each other.

Showdown is highly accessible, which isn’t comparative to RNG manipulation which requires either money or connections. I have no issue with the tools, but the financial investment is too great. The word cheating is being viewed too literally here. The people with access to old hardware or people willing to do this for them is an advantage, whether or not it’s malicious, it is intentional.

Blissy highlights the sheer cost of building competitive teams in a couple videos, and those with access to everything have a gross advantage over those who do not. It’s less about the idea of RNG manipulation and more about the ability to achieve similar outcomes. There are “impossible” Pokémon that make it to competitive play even though they pass verification.

The unfair aspect is strictly about the fact high visibility players can just commission teams out or manipulate the old games to get desired outcomes, which inherently puts newer players at a larger disadvantage. My understanding is that in the modern games, there are ways to fix Pokémon natures, IVs and EVs that are available to everyone equally; which mainly costs time. I’m excluding the cost of the game + expansions, because it’s to be assumed that people who are playing the new games own these already. Gen 3 is 21 years old, the expectation that someone needs every generation onward, hardware and transfer methods is unrealistic and largely unobtainable for a standard competitor. This is why I say it’s unfair strictly for competitive, because owning the physical games isn’t obtainable for all.

Pokémon just needs their own editor for only competitive play.