List of major anime ships: Difference between revisions

Evidence

• Throughout their time together, Max has always shown great admiration for Ash. But he has also took pleasure out of taunting him for not knowing something.

• There's No Place Like Hoenn

Max was extremely excited to meet Ash, whom he recognized from watching the Silver Conference on television.

• Home is Where the Start is!

Max is so upset by Ash leaving that he runs off by himself. When Ash finds him, he reassures him that they will always be friends and promises to battle him someday after he becomes a Trainer. This makes Max happy leading him to accept the separation.

Name origins

• Alf comes from Max incorrectly referring to Ash by this name when they first met.

Similarities

• Both own a male walking Pokémon that has not evolved yet and can evolve twice.
• Both own an Electric-type, squirrel-like Pokémon.
• Both own an evolved dual Ground-type that used to disobey them.
• Both have taken extra measures to cheer for Ash during a Gym battle. Dawn dressed up like a cheerleader for some of Ash's Gym battles while Iris played a drum during his battle with Homika.

Name origins

• Annemae is derived from the assumption that the name Annemae roughly means "rebellious pearl", but a closer breakdown puts it more at "favored pearl".

Evidence

• The Right Place and the Right Mime

Max is thoroughly impressed by Tracey's artistic skills and refers to him as sir. Tracey thanks him and says he could just call him by his first name. Max then imagines drawing Pokémon like he does. A bit later, Max asks Tracey if he could return the Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle that Professor Oak is giving to starting Trainers to their Poké Balls which Tracey lets him do.

Similarities

• Both wear a similar attire, including a green shirt and shorts. They are also the only male protagonists to wear shorts rather than pants.
• Both are the only main protagonists not to have an official in-game counterpart.

Trivia

• DebateShipping is also used for Tracey and Gilbert.

Evidence

• Pikachu Revolts

Misty is seen bandaging James's wounds after he and Jessie had lost their Pokémon to Butch and Cassidy.

• Forest Grumps

Misty gets separated from Ash and Brock and ends up with James and Meowth. Feeling sorry for the both of them, she gives some of her lunch to them. Later when everyone escapes the raging Ursaring, James and Misty are seen holding each other in happiness.

Alternate names

• AlternaShipping - Alternate name for James and Cassidy
• AlternateShipping - Alternate name for Butch and Cassidy
• OpressionShipping (misspelled)
• RomeoShipping
• TwerpyShipping
• WhinyShipping

Name origins

• Greeneye refers to James and Misty's eye colors.

Evidence

• Scare at the Litwick Mansion!

A group of Litwick and their Lampent leader open a mysterious vortex that nearly sucks in James, Jessie, and Meowth. Cilan is nearly sucked in as well after being hit by a Shadow Ball that knocks him off of his feet. He would have been sucked in completely but he is saved by James who grabs his arm. Earlier, James's life force had been drained by the Litwick who were accompanying him and his friends. Despite that and his feelings towards Ash and his friends, James decides to put his own safety aside and use what strength he has left to rescue Cilan. Some might argue, however, that he only rescued him as a return favor for Ash saving Jessie from the same fate. Others note that James chose to help who he may consider an enemy but did not attempt to try and save his friends before hand.

Alternate names

• GundamShipping

Name origins

• GundamSeiyuu refers to James and Cilan's voice actors, Shin'ichirō Miki and Mamoru Miyano, respectively, who both voiced characters in the Gundam anime franchise.

Hints

Max shows that he admires Misty, and he adopted her ritual of pulling Brock's ear whenever he goes overboard in flirting with a girl.

A Real Cleffa-Hanger

• Max and Misty are separated from the rest of the group. During this time, they had a bonding moment through discovering common ground, namely their annoying older sisters.
• What is most interesting is that Misty's return at the end of Hoenn appears to have more contextual MasumiShipping than the two other popular Misty Ships - Template:S and Template:S.

Names origins

Masumi is derived from a combination of their Japanese names: Masato and Kasumi

Similarities

• Both have or have had fear of a certain Pokémon. Dawn was afraid of Plusle and Minun while Cilan is afraid of Purrloin. They also had to battle these Pokémon at some point.
• Dawn is the first of Ash's female friends to obtain an Electric-type type while Cilan is the first male.

Evidence

• Normally, Zoey is rather composed when faced with someone who puts down her friends, but with Paul she became more flustered than she usually would. Dawn is seen having to physically restrain her. Many would say that this would disprove the ship, but fans see it as Zoey becoming more emotional about what Paul thinks as compared to other people.

Similarities

• Both were the main rivals of the main protagonists during the Diamond & Pearl series.
• Both own a Gastrodon.

Trivia

• Paul and Zoey have a few Pokémon that are considered counterparts of each other:
  • Paul owns a Honchkrow while Zoey owns a Mismagius. Both evolved from Generation II Pokémon with the Dusk Stone and became a Generation IV Pokémon. They are also exclusive to some games.
  • Paul owns a Froslass and Zoey owns a Gallade. Both species evolve from a Generation III Pokémon with the Dawn Stone as a part of a branched evolution.
  • Paul owns an East Sea Gastrodon and Zoey owns a West Sea Gastrodon.

Name origins

• Against comes from Paul and Zoey's nature as rivals: both are essentially against Ash and Dawn respectively, despite the bonds (or lack thereof) they have with each other.

Evidence

• A Connoisseur's Revenge!

Despite there being a long line of people waiting, Burgundy specifically calls on Ash to visit her shop. She also puts her hands on his shoulders several different times.

• The Clubsplosion Begins!

Burgundy appears concerned when Ash's Scraggy's Hi Jump Kick misses Simisage during the Clubsplosion tournament, enough to declare it a "bad taste".

Similarities

• Both own or have owned an Oshawott.
• Both battled more than one of the Gym leaders at the Striaton Gym. In addition, they both used their Oshawott to battle Cilan.
• Both have crossdressed in order to enter a facility that they were denied access to. Ash disguised himself as a girl named Ashley to get into the Celadon Gym in Pokémon Scent-sation! while Burgundy desguised herself as an S-class Connoisseur named Taverne to get into Mr. Hattori's mansion in Clash of the Connoisseurs!.

Their entire interaction takes place during the episode All in a Day's Wurmple.

Hints
May's

• When Forrest tells May that she's "independent" and "self-sufficient", she begins to blush.

Forrest's

• Forrest comes to May's rescue when she is being double teamed by Team Rocket.
• When May says that she's trying to capture a Wurmple, Forrest offers to help her. He also gives her advice on how to catch one and what attacks it knows.
• While May and Forrest are scaling a cliff, a rock breaks under May's foot and she almost falls. Forrest catches her by putting his hand around her waist.
• Forrest told May that she was "independent" and "self-sufficient".
• Forrest considered traveling with May. He stated that he always wanted to travel, but was afraid to. He ended up not going with her, but he still overcame his fear of traveling thanks to May.
• When Team Rocket steals May's newly caught Wurmple, he sends his Heracross to stop them.

Name origins

• Bug is derived from Forrest helping May catch her Wurmple, as well as after Forrest's own Heracross.

Trivia

• Forrest was May's first tag battle partner.
• May brings a Pecha Berry to Forrest to snack on. Fans of the Ship note that the Pecha is in the shape of a heart.

Evidence

• Both Iris and Georgia seem to enjoy teasing one another often.
• Though Georgia is Iris's rival, she really wants Iris to succeed in becoming a Dragon Master and those become a more worthy opponent. Though it's common among the "friendly" rivals, it far exceeds what is expected for an "unfriendly" rival who usually expect little of their rival (ex: Trip and Ash) or wish for them to fail (ex: Burgundy and Cilan).
• Search for the Clubultimate!

Georgia is confident that Iris has the skill to defeat Burgundy in the first round of the Clubsplosion and also notes that she is a lot stronger than the last time she saw her. After Burgundy loses to Iris she declares that she will get her revenge on her and Georgia immediately confronts her about it saying that she is the only one that will defeat Iris. Later on when she battles Grace, Georgia waves her arms to get Iris's attention on the sidelines wanting her to watch her battle.

• A Clubsplosion of Excitement!

Georgia is disappointed when Iris loses to Montgomery in the second round.

Name origin

• Buster is derived from Georgia's Trainer title, Dragon Buster.

They knew each other in their younger years, and were rivals during their time as Coordinators. Their entire interaction takes place during the episode Battling the Generation Gap!.

Hints
Johanna's

• Johanna seemed disappointed when Lila lost against Dawn in the final round.

Other hints

• At the beginning of the episode, it shows a flash-back in which Johanna and Lila shake hands, smiling at one another. Another flash-back also shows Lila and Johanna eating lunch together and discussing strategies, showing their close friendship/rivalry.
• When Dawn later enters the room, Lila and Johanna are smiling and laughing through the screen.

Name origins

• ContestCat is derived from both of them participating in Contests with feline-based Pokémon: Delcatty and Glameow.

Evidence

• The Club Battle Hearts of Fury: Emolga Versus Sawk!

After Iris defeats Stephan in the second round, he asks her to do her best in the semi-finals for him.

Similarities

• Both have won a Battle Club-related tournament; Iris won the Club Battle while Stephan won the Clubsplosion. Also, they placed top 8 in each others winning tournament.

Despite the lack of evidence, this pairing has quite a large number of supporters, originally being an alternate to Template:S.

Similarities

• On several occasions, Misty and Gary first kiss their Poké Balls before calling out their Pokémon.
• They both have the habit of teasing Ash.
• Both of their parents were never revealed in the series.
• They both don't really like Ash in the beginning, but become friendlier towards him later on (more in Misty's case, but Gary does warm up to Ash later).

Hints

Dig Those Diglett!

• This marks Gary and Misty's first meeting. Misty describes what she thinks of Gary, but Brock finishes her sentence for her, leaving her initial thought incomplete. Fans like to believe she intended to say something indicating the start of an attraction.

Riddle Me This

• In the early days, Misty usually made up for Ash's lack of wit against Gary's taunts. For example, when Gary mocks Ash by saying, "Ash, I've never seen anyone so pathetic!", Misty retorts by telling him, "Have you looked in a mirror?" Gary is used to being admired by girls, but he didn't get mad at Misty for saying that, implying to supporters he likes her enough to get away with it.

Illusion Confusion

• Misty asks Gary why he still wasn't out of the forest despite the fact he had a Hoothoot with him. Gary states that he's been so busy catching Pokémon, he lost track of time. Fans see this as an attempt to show off, and some believe it's specifically for Misty's benefit.

Extreme Pokémon

• While they were at the restaurant, Misty hopes Gary will win the race. But once Ash enters, she cheers for him instead.

Name origins

• Ego is derived from both having high-esteem of themselves.

During the events of Love, Petalburg Style!, Carolina believed Norman was having an affair with Petalburg City's resident Nurse Joy, around the time of Carolina and Norman's anniversary. It turned out to be a big misunderstanding in the end.

Hints

• Norman spent a lot of time with Nurse Joy, as she was helping him put together a surprise for his wife. However, the secretive nature that they went about gave Carolina the wrong impression in the first place, believing they were, in fact, having illicit relations. The fact she suspected it validated this pairing's possibility.

Name origins

• Fireworks is derived from the very display Norman and Nurse Joy were cooking up for him and Carolina.

Trivia

• The validity of this premise was suspected in canon and then later disproven in the same episode.

This is one of the few ships involving Gym Leaders that is comprised of minor characters (who aren't Gym assistants) and isn't a nevermetshipping. Their entire interaction takes place during the episode The Grass-Type is Always Greener!.

Hints
Gardenia's

• Gardenia expresses genuine interest in Cheryl's "mission" to find the enchanted honey, and offers her services to help without any invite. She also uses the article 'we' instead of 'you', cementing herself to Cheryl's cause, never mind all the helpful advice that give the group a destination to head for. She even admits to wanting to help, using her impulsive request for Ash to battle her as an example, when Cheryl says she doesn't want to be a bother to Gardenia.
• Gardenia is still bespelled by James's Pokémon when Cheryl mentions her Mothim, temporarily confusing her into assuming James had one too. She reacts to the confusion the same way she does Grass-types (infatuation), despite Mothim being Bug/Flying.
• She also admits to being happy to help treasure hunters, after rescuing Mothim, making it sound like those are the kind of people she likes compared to many other types of people.

Cheryl's

• Upon meeting Gardenia and Ash challenging her to a battle, Cheryl is nonplussed by the idea when Dawn reminds Ash they were already on a task: to help Cheryl. In fact, Cheryl even says it "might be fun" and wishes them to have a nice time.
• Cheryl spends her shot during Ash's introduction to Gardenia looking in Gardenia's direction. There's also no reason for her to be standing there, as she says nothing (Brock and Dawn weren't in the shot, and the situation wasn't anything special). She also only comments on Gardenia's Turtwig during the battle, and spends the rest of her time on the sidelines appearing engrossed in the action, saying nothing of Ash at all.

• She falls back on a quote her grandfather said later that evening in regards to Gardenia volunteering to help her out: "Witness a good Pokémon battle and something good always happens." She is likely implying that the "something good" that occurred is likely Gardenia herself joining them.

• After the battle, Cheryl personally introduces herself and tells Gardenia she was impressed with her battling, while only telling Ash she was sorry he lost.
• Mothim takes an instant liking to Gardenia after a compliment, perhaps reflecting Cheryl's own feelings, as she doesn't sound overly worried or chiding when she tells him not to get "too close to strangers." Given Cheryl's docile personality, it might indicate she's already comfortable with Gardenia and not simply being flighty.
• She voices self-doubt and concern of being a "bother" when Gardenia volunteers to show the group the way to the Combee wall; this is something she didn't do when Ash and his friends volunteer to help her with her Burmy, another just-as-daunting task, or when they joined her quest to find the Amber Castle themselves the the episode before.
• Cheryl expresses gratitude for Gardenia's supposed attempt at personally protecting her Mothim from Carnivine.
• Cheryl cries out, "Gardenia!" immediately after Mothim is freed from Team Rocket's robotic arm, even when Gardenia wasn't the one placed in harm's way. She then personally, much like her introduction, thanks Gardenia for saving Mothim.

Name origins

• Gaia is derived from their association with nature and Mother Earth, Gardenia being a Grass-type Trainer and Cheryl with her overall arboreal clothing scheme and gentle personality.

Trivia

• Both can also be found in Eterna Forest during various parts of Diamond and Pearl gameplay, and it is where they meet in the anime.

An early jump in on the Shipping game, GoggleShipping launched the currently dubious validity of characterization that Ash does, in fact, notice pretty girls, an argument used even today for various debates, which aren't limited to Shipping. Their entire interaction takes place during the episode School of Hard Knocks.

Hints
Ash's

• Giselle so far is the only girl that Ash displayed his affection for saying that she was "really pretty" and acting in a similar manner that Brock does when he sees a pretty girl. Anti-GoggleShippers often argue that this was because Ash's normally oblivious character wasn't developed that early on.

Alternate names

• SchoolShipping (another name for Joe/Giselle)

Name origins

• Goggle is derived from Giselle being the first and only girl Ash has ever ogled.
• School is derived from the setting of the Pokémon Tech, a Pokémon academy.

Hints
Gardenia's

The Grass-Type is Always Greener!

• Gardenia spends a lot of time fawning over Carnivine and Cacnea. She never spent anytime fawning over Ash's Turtwig. She also doesn't believe James is evil, claiming Grass-type Trainers cannot be evil.

James's

Once There Were Greenfields

• He battles alongside her. When she offers to train Cacnea, he's a lot nicer to her. He agrees to let her train Cacnea, despite his devoted attachment, and trusts her to train it well.

Name origins

• Grass is derived from both being seemingly Grass-type predominant when it came to their Pokémon partners.

Similarities

• Both own an Eeveelution from Generation IV. Zoey has a Leafeon and May has a Glaceon.
• Both own a Normal-type cat-like Pokémon with a two-stage evolutionary line. Zoey has Glameow and May has Skitty.

When they met, Ritchie and Misty actually get along well and they both like and respect each other. Since Ritchie is often seen as a clone of Ash, some people see this couple as another kind of Template:S, with less arguing.

Hints

Friend and Foe Alike

• When Team Rocket calls on Ash's hotel phone, disguised with Ritchie's voice, Misty answers. Jessie insults her calling her a "big mouth". Misty, who thought it was Ritchie, becomes really mad. When she hands over the phone to Ash she, notably, calls "Ritchie" Prince Charming instead of calling him something insulting, although this is probably nothing more than sarcasm. Ash asks who it is, but instead of answering she says angrily, "I knew that kid was too good to be true!" This could point out that Misty felt something for Ritchie, however it's more likely that she thought he was nice.

Name origins

• Indigo is derived from them having met at the Indigo League.

Hints

Riding the Winds of Change!

• Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy work together to get the Gligar back to the forest.

Alternate names

• CloneShipping (another name for Professor Westwood/Officer Jenny)
• LesShipping
• PublicServantShipping

Similarities

• Both have used a bicycle-powered generator to charge up their Electric-type Pokémon.

Name origin

• Mustard refers to the color yellow which represents the Electric-type, referring to the fact that the first Pokémon seen in their possession was an Electric-type.

Evidence

• The Club Battle Hearts of Fury: Emolga Versus Sawk!

After Cilan reminiscences about Ash and Georgia's battle, he turns to Stephan, staring wide-eyed at him, then asks if he felt the spiciness of the battle. A little bit later Stephan becomes very interested with the food that Cilan makes for Ash's Snivy and asks if he could make food for his Pokémon too. Cilan happily agrees to it.

• Battle Club Finale: A Hero's Outcome!

Stephan named himself the judge of Cilan and Burgundy's Connoisseur battle. Before there battle even began, Stephan gave Cilan the win for the pre-game battle because he gave some wise words of wisdom. Later on his is greatly impressed by Cilan's evaluation of Ash and Iris's battle, not even bothering to judge Burgundy's skills, and said that it was no wonder that he was named an A-class Connoisseur by the Connoisseur's Association.

• A Clubsplosion of Excitement!

After Cilan tells Stephan that he has raised Sawk well at the Pokémon Center, Stephan blushes heavily.

• Commanding the Clubsplosion Crown!

Cilan prepared a special meal especially for Stephan and Sawk after he had made it to the final round of the Clubsplosion. He also smiles brightly at him before telling him to enjoy his meal.

Similarities

• Their eyes lack sclera.

Name origins

• Pers is derived from the French pers, which means blue-green and generally refers to eye colors, which are Stephan and Cilan's eye colors respectively.

Main article: Shipping:PokéSilverShipping

Evidence

• An Egg Scramble!

Lyra admires Ash's courage and tells Khoury that he should be more like him.

• Gone With the Windworks!

While waiting to be rescued, Lyra wonders who she would most like to marry out of Ash, Khoury, and Brock. Lyra believes that Ash is the best candidate and then asks Dawn if she and Ash are a couple. This event can be interpreted two ways. Either she supports Ash and Dawn as a couple or she has a romantic interest in Ash and wonders if he has a girlfriend or not.

• A Rivalry to Gible On!

Lyra attempts to pair Dawn and Khoury together as a couple. Ash decides to go with Lyra to search for the Gible instead of going with Dawn.

Similarities

• Both own or have owned a Chikorita.

Evidence

• Reunion Battles In Nimbasa!

Bianca instantly took a liking to Luke's Zorua and later admired Luke for having her. Throughout the entire Club Battle she'd often kept close proximity with Luke. Luke also comments about Bianca's energy saying that she must take a lot of vitamins.

• The Club Battle Finale: A Heroes Outcome!

Luke trusts Bianca to film his battle with Iris despite letting Ash handle filming his battle with Cilan earlier, for him and when he finds out she missed the battle, filming Zorua instead, he shrugs it off pretty quickly.

The next day, Luke wished to get closer to the action as his position in the stands did not capture the action. He wanted a much lower angle to make the battle appear more dramatic. Bianca then suggests that Luke go onto the battlefield and film but he says that they are not allowed to go down there. She starts taunting him afterwards saying that he wouldn't become a great film director if he wouldn't take the chance. Wanting to prove that he could take the chance, he ventures on to the battlefield with Bianca happily following from behind. She even holds the boom microphone for him while filming. At the end of the episode, Bianca leaves with Luke to help him make his documentary and spend more time with Zorua.

Name origins

• Raimon Town is where Bianca and Luke originally met.

Similarities

• Both are from Twinleaf Town.
• Both own an Empoleon.

Hints
Barry's

Stopped in the Name of Love!

• Barry explains that he quickly became friends with Kenny because they are both from Twinleaf Town. However, when Barry learned that Dawn was from Twinleaf Town as well, he didn't show the same enthusiasm.
• Barry casually throws his arm on to Kenny's shoulder to emphasize their friendliness with one another. Even when Barry begins rummaging his pockets for the Ping Pong Tournament poster, his arm stays on Kenny's shoulder, despite his point having been made.

Old Rivals, New Tricks!

• When Kenny is leaving, Barry complains about the other's impatience to go. Barry is usually not one to question hastiness, so there is the possibility that he did not want Kenny to leave because he wanted to spend more time with him.

Kenny's

Stopped in the Name of Love!

• When Barry tells the others that Kenny is his best friend, Kenny confirms it, despite the fact that they only just met. That he doesn't contradict Barry might indicate Kenny already feels a close bond with him, or that he aspires to actually have a close relationship with him.
• When Barry has an arm around him, Kenny appears completely unfazed by the other's familiarity.
• Kenny chooses to go with Barry when searching for Piplup instead of staying with his childhood friend, Dawn.

Other

Old Rivals, New Tricks!

• During the Contest, Barry and Kenny are seen having a conversation by themselves, standing separate from the rest of the group.

Alternate names

• PingpongShipping (unofficial; official name for O/Dawn's Ambipom)

Name origins

• Sakugo is derived from the Japanese characters 錯誤 sakugo (mistake). The name itself was coined prior to the knowledge Barry would exist in the anime, and prior to Kenny's dubbed premier, likely assuming that, despite there being no evidence of Barry's existence, if Barry did exist, they might know each other by local proximity. The exact relation to the name itself is unknown.

Evidence

• Emolga the Irresistible!

Bianca states that Cilan's food is delicious and that she gives it "five stars" to which Cilan is grateful for.

• Emolga and the New Volt Switch!

Bianca takes an interest in Cilan's catchphrases and begins to use them for herself. Later when Bianca leaves the group, Cilan promises to make her a meal the next time they meet.

• A Fishing Connoisseur in a Fishy Competition!

When the group decides they will enter a fishing competition, Cilan picks out a fishing rod for Bianca without even being asked to. A while later, Cilan briefly leaves the group to turn in his catch to the judges. When he exits the building, he sees Bianca struggling to hold on to something that she hooked. Immediately he runs to her side, even instructing Ash and Iris to move aside, and holds on to her fishing rod. While she was in charge of the reel, Cilan was the one to pull her catch, a Frillish, from the water.

• The Club Battle Hearts of Fury: Emolga Versus Sawk!

Bianca is clearly the most excited when Cilan announces "It's Evaluating Time!" during his battle with Luke.

Evidence

• All for the Love of Meloetta!

When Iris first meets Cynthia, she can be seen blushing heavily. Iris also had a hard time working up the nerve to ask Cynthia if she could have a battle with her.

Similartiies

• Both have a Dragon-type as their main Pokémon.
• Both are the only female Champions, excluding the female player character, in the games.

Name origins

• Shenlong is derived from the spiritual dragon of Chinese mythology.

Hints
Todd's

Pokémon Paparazzi

• Todd sacrificed his camera to save Ash's life, even though earlier in the same episode he'd established that he cared more about his pictures than the feelings of Pikachu.

Name origins

• Snap is derived from Todd alternate name/surname, Snap, as well as their meeting over Todd 'snapping' a few pictures of Pikachu.

Evidence

• It was revealed in The Clubsplosion Begins! that Bianca likes muscular Pokémon. This might also apply to humans and it's a build that Stephan fits.
• Reunions Battles In Nimbasa!

Upon meeting Stephan, Bianca asks him how his name pronounced which is something no one else has done. Both of the ways she asked, however, were incorrect although Stephan did not bother to correct her.

• The Clubsplosion Begins!

After knocking tripping and knocking Ash into a body of water as she usually does, Bianca collapses on to Stephan and keeps her face planted against his chest for a few moments. Later on after Stephan passes to the second round of the Clubsplosion tournament, Bianca becomes enamored with his Sawk then asks if she could poke his muscles. He agrees and after she's finished she says that Sawk is the greatest. Stephan looks extremely confident and flattered after Bianca says that.

• Search for the Clubultimate!

During the intermission of the Clubsplosion tournament, Bianca jumps on top of Stephan for a brief moment and wraps her arms around his neck. She then proceeds to squeeze his arms and his midsection in order to feel his muscles. Afterwards she grabs his arm and raises it in the air before announcing he is the winner of her "Macho Pokémon" contest.

• A Clubsplosion of Excitement!

Stephan shows noticeable excitement when he learns that he will face Bianca in the semi-final round of the Clubsplosion. Bianca also winks at him later on.

Similarities

• Both are rivals of Ash that he met in Unova.
• Both are part of a running gag. Bianca's is always knocking Ash into a body of water and Stephan's is no one being able to pronounce his name correctly.
• Both own a Fighting-type Pokémon which tends to be the powerhouse of their teams.
• Both at times display the similar personality traits of stubbornness and impatience.

This pairing is primarily considered taboo due to the visible age difference between the characters. Regardless, it has its fans, age difference a matter of issue or not. What it lacks in romantic hints, however, it does have events which fans use to turn-about their relationship.

Hints

A Cacturne for the Worse

• Harley tricks Max into telling him something he can use against May in the upcoming Contest by adopting a kind facade and treating him to ice cream. While not a hint, his willing to be generous with Max in attempt to get something from him is notable, as it did not automatically mean Harley would get the information he wanted. Fans tend to build off this as a platform to a future relationship, since his aim was to hurt May and not necessarily Max, but since Harley has also been 'kind' to May earlier in the episode, 'being nice' is not an inherent trait Harley only shows Max.
• Harley's plan does bear fruit, but only when Harley claims to be afraid of Pokémon, prompting Max to tell Harley the story of May and the Tentacool. The fact that Max tries to console Harley, a virtual stranger, after believing him suggests a casual acceptance of Harley, though argument stands that Harley's tactic of ice cream bribery worked and it lowered Max's guard to be wary, because children are more honest.

Throughout the remaining course of the Advanced Generation, Max continues to be weary of Harley's actions, even when everyone else, May included, chooses to trust the man. While his personal guilt over having May almost lose the Izabe Island Contest is a factor in Max's continual distrust, it can be taken as slightly more personal, as if he felt overly used and humiliated by his decision to open up to a man who actually had no intention of befriending him. When Harley is around, Max's attention is often on the man, and he later states that he'll never forgive Harley for what he did to his sister even when Brock and Ash seem convinced Harley has changed for the better.

Harley, on the other hand, is quite nonchalant about the fact he used Max, and other times, seems amused to the point where he's comfortable playfully teasing him. On two separate occasions, when Max questions Harley's motives, the man roughly slaps him on the back, as if to let out his frustration that Max has caught onto his antics and is able to read him better than May and her friends.

Name origins

• Sundae is derived from the ice cream sundae Harley treated Max to.

Evidence

• Iris and Excadrill Against the Dragon Buster!

Georgia calls for Cilan's attention before she leaves and demands that he make her a delicious meal the next time they met.

• The Club Battle Hearts of Fury: Emolga Versus Sawk!

When Burgundy begins to mock Cilan after his loss to Luke, Georgia is clearly annoyed by her behavior. She then remarks sarcastically to Burgundy that she's "about as nice as they come". Fans see this as Georgia's way of defending Cilan.

• A Clubsplosion of Excitement!

Again, Georgia looks annoyed when Burgundy keeps bashing on Cilan after he had lost to Stephan in the Clubsplosion. She then replies to her rantings with "What did he ever do to you?".

• Commanding the Clubsplosion Crown!

Georgia holds her own Connoisseur contest similar to the one Cilan and Burgundy had in Club Battle Finale: A Heroes Outcome! and declares Cilan the winner of it during Montgomery and Stephan's battle.

Name origins

• Tarragon is derived from a plant commonly called a "dragon herb".

Similarities

• Both are Coordinators.
• Both are rivals of May.

Alternate names

• UnrelatedShipping

Name origins

• Tension is derived from the apparent tension between the two.

Evidence

Similarities

• Both are Electric-type rodents that can store electricity in their cheeks.
• Both are in the Field Egg Group and, if Pachirisu is female, would be able to breed.
• Both have received the same sickness that caused electricity to build up in their cheeks.
• Both frequently electrocute there Trainers.

Trivia

• Pachirisu was the first Electric-type to be obtained by a main character since Pikachu.
• Pachirisu was shown with balloons tied to its waist in Steamboat Willies! similar to the "flying Pikachu".

Name origins

• Electrocute is derived from the act of electrocuting, as well as a pun on the word "cute".

Evidence

• Cilan refers to Pansage as his "premium brand" Pokémon which means that he is his most trusted partner.

• Dreams by the Yard Full!

Cilan begins to gloat how perfectly compatible he is with Pansage while battling Ash and his Oshawott.

• Ash and Trip's Third Battle

Pansage tries to comfort Cilan after he inadvertently knocked over the pot of soup he was making for lunch caused by Ash and Iris's goofing off.

• Facing Fear with Eyes Wide Open!

Cilan is seen holding Pansage after he is poisoned by group of wild Foongus. He does not do the same for his Dwebble who is also poisoned.

Name origins

• Iwazaru refers to 言わ猿 meaning speak-not monkey referring to the three wise monkeys motif that the elemental monkeys are suspected to be based on. In relation, there is KikazaruShipping for Chili and his Pansear and MizaruShipping for Cress and his Panpour.

Evidence

• Due to their experience levels, the two are often sparring partners with one another. However, Axew is considerably more experienced than Scraggy is.

• Scraggy - Hatched To Be Wild!

Even before Scraggy's hatching, Axew took interest in his egg and liked to watch out for it. Later when Scraggy runs off in the middle of the night, Axew is the first to notice and alerts everyone.

• Scraggy and the Demanding Gothita!

Axew and Scraggy are shown to have a strong and friendly relationship in this episode. After their sparring match they are seen playing and splashing each other with water. Later when a Gothita takes a liking to Scraggy, Axew becomes almost jealous of it. He then becomes upset when Gothita's Trainer says that if she defeats Ash in battle that she will take Scraggy for herself. So much so that he has a nightmare about it later in the night. Once again, he's one of the first to notice Scraggy's absent but this time goes off by himself to try and stop Gothita.

• The Clubsplosion Begins!

Axew was pained to see Scraggy being mercilessly kicked by Angus's Simisage during the Clubsplosion tournament to the point where he had to put his hands over his eyes. However, he was very proud that Scraggy learned Focus Blast shortly after.

• Battling the Leaf Thieves!

Scraggy was the first to notice that Axew was missing after it was taken by a couple of Durant. Aside from Iris, he was clearly the most upset about Axew being missing. After they had found Axew, Scraggy gave him a light scolding for worrying him so much.

Similarities

• Both have had a member of the Gothita family taken likings to them. Katharine's Gothita liked Scraggy and Lewis's Gothorita liked Axew.
• Both are part of the Dragon Egg Group.
• Both learned a new move while participating in one of the Battle Club's tournaments.

Name origins

• Kyoudai is derived from 兄弟 (siblings), referring to their kin-like relationship.

Oshawott's hints

• Emolga the Irresistible!

Oshawott is immediately smitten with Emolga upon first seeing her. Also, Oshawott interrupts her battle with Bianca's Minccino by jumping in front of the Attract meant for the other Pokémon.

Later on when Emolga is surrounded by a group of wild Swoobat, Oshawott lets himself out of his Poké Ball in order to protect her. He was hit by a Swoobat's Charge Beam forcing Ash to recall him to his Poké Ball.

• Emolga and the New Volt Switch!

When Emolga wanders off on her own while the others are sleeping, Oshawott and Axew follow after her. When they find her she lies to them in order to get some apples by telling them that she was ambushed by a group of wild Watchog. Angered, Oshawott fights valiantly in order to protect her and retrieves an apple for himself, Emolga, and Axew. Oshawott continues to protect Emolga even standing up to an enraged Simisear. However, he was easily defeated by the angry Pokémon.

• Crisis at Chargestone Cave!

At the Pokémon center, Oshawott continued to flirt with Emolga, much to her dicomfort.

Emolga's hints

• All for the Love of Meloetta!

When Emolga discovered Oshawott fawning over Meloetta, her reaction seemed uneasy. When flying down to them, she crashed into Oshawott and the two squabbled very imaturly.

• Piplup, Pansage, and a Meeting of the Times!

When Oshawott met Dawn's Buneary and welcomed her with wide spread arms, Emolga's mouth was wide open, seeming suprised.

Name origins

• LethalAttraction comes from the fact that Oshawott usually ends up getting hurt while trying to protect Emolga. It also could be from the fact that Water-types are weak against Electric attacks.

Trivia

• Oshawott and Emolga are both part of the Field Egg Group and therefore can breed.

Evidence

• Sticking with Who You Know!

Pikachu and Piplup spent nearly the whole episode hugging each other with hearts in their eyes. Even when Dawn returns Piplup to his Poké Ball, he lets himself out and goes back to hugging Pikachu. Of course, this was all a result of Professor Kodama's affinity machine which made pure Electric and Water-types inseparable.

• Memories are Made of Bliss!

Piplup becomes emotional knowing that the group is going to go their separate ways. He was hoping that Dawn would go with Ash and Brock to Kanto so that he could stay with Pikachu. When she decides she's going to stay in Sinnoh, Piplup runs off into the forest alone. Fans also note that even though Pikachu is Buneary's object of affection, she did not appear upset at all over the news of Pikachu leaving unlike Piplup. Pikachu becomes concerned and runs off too to look for him. When he finds Piplup, he latches on to him and starts crying. This causes Pikachu to also start crying.

Later on when they accept that they are going to separate, Pikachu and Piplup high five each other before hugging again.

Similarities

• Both were unwilling to obey their Trainers at first, but became friends after saving them from a group of attacking Pokémon. Pikachu saved Ash from a flock of Spearow, while Piplup saved Dawn from a swarm of Ariados.
• Both are actively kept outside of their Poké Balls.
• Both have expressed reluctance to evolve and prefer to remain in their current forms.
  • Both have battled against their evolved forms.

Name origins

• LightningPearl comes from Pikachu being an Electric-type and Pearl, under the basis that Pearl is relative to Dawn as a name and symbol. Also may be related to Template:S.

Evidence

• Excadrill's refusal to battle on Iris's command wasn't an act of disobedience but was more about shame and distrust. He refused to battle for Iris because he was afraid to lose again after the humiliating loss to Drayden years earlier. This differs from Ash's Charizard and Dawn's Mamoswine who simply wanted to do what they pleased.
• Iris and Excadrill Against the Dragon Buster!

Excadrill shows some reaction to Iris's crying after his loss to Georgia's Beartic earlier. As such, he left the to the forest in order to work on Focus Blast and become stronger. Later, he agrees to rematch Beartic and listen to Iris's commands after regaining his confidence. After the second battle with Beartic, Iris hugs Excadrill and tells him that she loves him.

Name origins

• Taladradora is Spanish for drill.

Evidence

• Axew is never seen in a Poké Ball unlike Iris's other Pokémon an prefers to travel inside her hair showing a close bond. Axew also tends to impersonate some of her actions, such as backing her up when she refers to Ash as a kid.
• The Bloom Is on Axew!

When Iris becomes upset that she can't help Axew perfect Dragon Rage, he goes off and finds an apple for her to help her feel better. Later when Excadrill refuses to help Iris rescue Axew from a wild Scolipede, she takes it upon herself to save him without the aid of a Pokémon.

• The Dragon Master's Path!

After Axew uses Dragon Rage perfectly for the first time, Iris begins to smother him with affection.

Name origins

• TwinApples refers to how Axew uses his tusks to carry apples to Iris.

Evidence

• Marill is Tracey's most recurring Pokémon.
• In the Pink

Marill becomes frightened when called upon to battle the pink Nidoking and jumps into Tracey's arms for protection. In response, he hugs it back.

• The Power of One

While Tracey recalls Scyther and Venonat to their Poké Balls, he clenches Marill to his side during the storm that Maren's boat got caught in.

Name origins

• Watcher is derived from Pokémon Watcher.