AmourShipping: Difference between revisions

This article is about shipping. As hints and evidence for ships are mostly speculation, this page may contain personal points of view.

AmourShipping (Japanese: サトセレ SatoSere) is the belief that Ash and Serena belong in a romantic relationship. The name AmourShipping comes from the word amour, which is French for "love". The name was chosen since the XY series, like the games it is based on, is set in the Kalos region which is based off France. Though it is a recent pairing, it is becoming popular abruptly since it is revealed that Serena and Ash met before in their childhood, and Serena apparently has a crush on him. This makes some people in the fandom believe that AmourShipping will actually become canon.

Anime evidence

Serena's hints

• Lumiose City Pursuit

• When Serena sees a live news report of Ash trying to calm a rampaging Garchomp on Prism Tower, she silently looks on, seemingly in awe at Ash's bravery. When Ash jumps off the tower to rescue Pikachu, she gasps in fear for his safety. However, this may have been merely general concern, since the news camera never showed Ash's face in full until he was safely on the ground.
• Upon seeing Ash's face on TV, she ponders whether she recognizes him, having a flashback scene of a younger Ash at the end of the episode.

• XY003

Serena decides to begin her journey after seeing Ash on TV. Upon arriving at Professor Sycamore's laboratory, and before choosing her starter Pokémon, Serena tells the professor that she is looking for the boy who was on the news. Her eyes seem to light up considerably when Sycamore identifies him as Ash.

• XY005

• When Serena is walking down the steps in Santalune City, she thinks about how she can't wait to see the look on Ash's face when he sees her. Then, she has a flashback of a young Ash extending his arm, as if he was offering her his hand. When the flashback ends, she is seen blushing slightly.
• When she sees Ash battling Viola, she seems so overcome with happiness that she runs toward the battlefield, seemingly planning on going directly on there to greet Ash without noticing that the battle is still in progress. Then, as she watches Ash battling Viola, she seems really impressed.
• Later, when Ash loses the battle, Serena is obviously remorseful and attempts to speak to him, but is further saddened when he runs past her without noticing her, since he is concentrating on his injured Pokemon.
• When she searches the city, looking for Ash so she could return his backpack, which he left behind at the Gym, she is holding it tightly. Then, once she returns his backpack to him, she starts to ask Ash something while blushing a little, only to be interrupted by the Pokémon Centre bell.
• When Ash is on the ground from the intense training, dirty after falling to the ground while catching Pikachu and Fletchling, Serena walks up to him and hands him a handkerchief to clean himself up with, showing her thoughtfulness towards him.
• Serena looks evidently nervous before she asks him if he remembers her. It is interesting to note that when she is seen interacting with her mother, Serena has a sassy and rebellious attitude towards her, but whenever she is around Ash, she seems to be extremely hesitant and nervous, contradicting the personality that viewers have seen from her in prior episodes.

• XY006

• After she asks Ash if he remembers her, she mentions that they met in Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp in Pallet Town. When Ash remembers attending the camp, she is overjoyed and tells him that she went there as well. However, when he says that he doesn't remember her specifically, she is visibly disappointed, but instantly cheers up, obviously not wanting to be upset or angry with him.
• Serena quoted a sentence Ash once said in his childhood, about "never giving up". Ash responded with a laugh afterwards because he has forgotten the fact of saying this phrase.
• When the group is having dinner after the training session, Serena is shown glancing at Ash and smiling at him while he is eating. Since this is directly after him saying that he is sure to win the rematch, this strongly implies that she is admiring his determination and is impressed by it.
• Throughout the entire Gym battle, her cheering for Ash seems to be in a more enthusiastic way than Clemont and Bonnie. She also keeps reassuring Clemont, Bonnie, and Alexa that everything is going to be okay and that Ash would win, showing that she strongly believes in him. Later, when Ash becomes overwhelmed by Viola's new battling strategies, Serena cries out to Ash that he shouldn't give up. The emotions of the scene seemingly being emphasized by that moment of encouragement. This snaps him out of his panic and helps him win the battle.

Ash's hints

• XY005

When Ash meets Serena, he happily thanks her for returning his backpack to him and apologizes for not seeing her while he was battling. He also thanks Serena when she gives him a handkerchief after the previous training session with Alexa.

• XY006

• When Serena asks Ash if he remembers her, he has a puzzled look on his face and apologizes for not remembering her at the Pokémon Summer Camp.
• At the end of the episode, Ash asks Serena what she is going to do now, showing that he is interested in what Serena's goal is.

Other hints

• On the second promotional poster for the series, it depicts Serena blushing while looking at Ash.
• Ash and Serena met before when they were young children, prior to the start of the series.
• XY006

• After Serena asks Ash if he remembers her, Ash's Pikachu and Fletchling run to Clemont and Bonnie in response, implying that the two Pokémon sensed that this was a sensitive moment between only the two of them and that they should be left alone.
• As Serena and Ash talk, Alexa is seen smiling at the two of them, suggesting that she enjoys seeing the two of them together and even senses a spark between them. However, she could've also smiled as a response to Serena restoring Ash's motivation to train, by quoting a sentence he once said in his childhood, about "never giving up".
• Before the start of the rematch between Ash and Viola, Alexa tells Serena: "I knew Ash needed a trigger (something to cheer him up and motivate him), but I didn't expect it to be you." This sentence implies that Ash wouldn't have been as inspired and determined to win the battle if Serena hadn't appeared.