Maybe the cart boy film was set before they really met each other?

I'm quite sure that all the stuff that comes before the official first episode is non-canon...it was just "pilots", ideas for the real deal (the tv show). yes even the 1999 first movie

While the movies are non Canon I have notices that most of the plot in cart boy was an episode in TPB. The episode where Ricky gets a job as a security guard at the mall. The 1999 movie had bits and pieces spread out through a few episodes. There's a few more that clash just can't remember them at the moment but they definitely reused/revamped a decent amount of ideas through the shows lifespan

TPB is simply not a continuation of The Cart Boy. Period.

Animated was MADE in 2017. It refers BACK to 1995 when they were all young.