OrangeShipping

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

OrangeShipping (Japanese; ケンカス KenKasu) is the belief in a romantic relationship between Misty and Tracey.

Misty and Tracey first met in The Lost Lapras. Tracey is a vocal fan of Professor Oak, and after realizing that Ash knows him quite well, decides to join the group in the hopes of meeting his idol. At first, Misty didn't like the thought of a complete stranger simply inviting himself to their group, but soon they develop a great friendship while traveling the Orange Islands.

There are many who will contend that the Orange Islands (the only series at present in which Tracey was part of the main cast) was more suggestive to a romantic relationship between Ash and Misty, and will state that Tracey even hinted at the relationship itself. Other people believe differently. When Ash finishes the Orange League, the group returns to his house. Here, they reunite with Brock, and Tracey stays with Professor Oak as Ash, Misty and Brock travel the Johto League.

Misty and Tracey only meet again after the Johto League, when she receives word that she needs to return home to the Cerulean Gym. Though no longer traveling in the main cast, there are a series of side-episodes called Hosos which give details about Misty's activities as a Gym Leader. With Tracey and Misty now being allowed to interact with each other much more easily due to proximity, their friendship has been allowed to grow, and it is these episodes which many shippers will use to argue the plausibility of a romantic relationship developing between them.

Hints

Misty's hints

• Fit to be Tide

Misty seemed annoyed, even jealous, that Tracey was drawing pictures of the Mikan Island Gym leader, Cissy.

• In the Pink

Misty comments how much Tracey knows about Pokémon and then tells Ash, "He knows a lot more than you do." In an almost jealous reaction, Ash confronts the Rhyhorn that Tracey was watching which makes it angry. Misty took shelter in Tracey's arms when the Rhyhorn threatened to charge them and Ash off a cliff.

• Viva Las Lapras

Misty warns Tracey to be careful when he decides to alert Officer Jenny about the Lapras poachers.

• The Rivalry Revival

Tracey announces that he is going to stay in Pallet Town and become Professor Oak's assistant. Misty is happy for him but also wished that he would come with her to the Johto region.

• A Date With Delcatty

After Misty receives a letter from Georgio, she states she would like Tracey to come with her so she would feel more safe. However, Daisy stated that Misty couldn't go anywhere because she needed to do her chores. Misty then asks Tracey nicely if he could do her chores for her and that Casey would accompany her. Later on the episode, in the Japanese version, Misty turns down Georgio's request to be his girlfriend saying, "There's someone else..." However, other Shippers argue that it is a reference to Template:S, Template:S or another character.

Tracey's hints

• Bye Bye Psyduck

Tracey becomes impressed by Misty's battling skills.

• A Ship Full of Shivers

Tracey uses Marill to help find Togepi.

• The Mystery Menace

Tracey becomes worried about Misty when she is kidnapped by the "sewer monster".

• Misty Meets Her Match

Tracey is somewhat disappointed that Misty would rather leave with Rudy than spend time with him and Ash.

• Charizard Chills

Tracey offers Misty some cocoa after he sees her becoming tired.

• The Pokémon Water War

Tracey doesn't want Misty to battle the warehouse fire because he is afraid she would get hurt. Later on in the episode, a second fire starts and Misty offers to go and help fight it. Tracey then lends her his Scyther and Marill to help out.

• Pokémon Double Trouble

The group is offered to stay in Luana's hotel until Ash is ready for his gym battle. Tracey then comments, "This works out perfectly. Ash can have his battle and we can have a good time." By "we" he could have meant himself and Misty.

• The Stun Spore Detour

Tracey thanks Misty for helping him and Ash recover from the Stun Spore.

• A Date With Delcatty

Misty asks Tracey to do her chores for her so that she could confront the person who wrote the letter she received. Tracey, not being able to say no to her, agrees.

• The Scheme Team

Misty's Azurill is introduced. Misty explains that Tracey gave it to her when it was an egg. This hint remains the strongest one to this day.

Movies

• The Power of One

When Misty tells Melody that Ash isn't her boyfriend before she runs ahead, Tracey runs up soon after, asking if Misty was talking about him.

Chronicles episodes

• The Blue Badge of Courage

Sakura meets Tracey for the first time, and asks if he is Misty's boyfriend.

• There's a similar case with Casey in A Date With Delcatty. Interestingly enough, there are people who will contend that Misty is, in fact, blushing a little in the this case. There is also the scene in which Misty is asked by Georgio whether or not she 'likes someone else' - This has been a matter of great debate between Shippers. There are many who will contend that the line is a reference to Misty's 'feelings' for Ash, while others believe otherwise, stating that it is far too ambiguous, and given the previous blush, may refer to Tracey, or simply embarrassment over being asked such a personal question.

• Interestingly, in the dub of Luvdisc is a Many Splendored Thing, (which can, admittedly, be considered pretty non-canonical), the narrator opening lines are:

"Well, here we are at the Cerulean Gym, where love is in the air, a love so true and so powerful that nothing can stop it. No, this love isn't between Misty and Tracey. This love is not even between two people!"

Again, different interpretations have arisen. While there are some who have taken the line to have a somewhat Anti-Orangeshipping connotation, there are people who believe otherwise. In any case, the lines are different (and spoken by Tracey) in the original.

Other hints

• Tracey has spent more time with Misty then he did with Ash despite being categorized as one of his friends. Tracey is also the only one of Ash's friends to spend more time with another member of Ash's group than with Ash. The only other exception would be May and Max who are siblings.
• A Way Off Day Off

Tracey's Marill and Misty's Togepi play together. They are first seen playing in the ocean. Later on, Marill lets Togepi play with its tail.

• The Blue Badge of Courage

Sakura mistakes Tracey as Misty's boyfriend. In another episode, A Date With Delcatty, Casey makes the same mistake.

• Luvdisc is a Many Splendored Thing

Daisy would like Tracey to play the prince in her water ballet. The prince is the object of affection for Misty's character, the mermaid. There is even a scene in Daisy's fantasy of Misty and Tracey as their characters holding hands with hearts dancing around them.

• The Right Place and The Right Mime

Misty and Tracey are in almost every scene together. At the end of the episode, Misty and Tracey use Azurill and Marill (respectively), together to attack Team Rocket with Water Gun.

Similarities

• One notable similarity between the two is the fact that they are the only main protagonists never to have their parents revealed.
• They are the only two of Ash's friends whose debut episode didn't really focus around them.
• Misty and Tracey were the only two characters to own Generation II Pokémon prior to the Johto series.
• Both are avid fans of Prima as seen in The Mandarin Island Miss-Match.

Trivia

• While Tracey seems to have a love for Template:Type2 Pokémon, as seen in Tracey Gets Bugged, Misty has a morbid fear of them.

Alternate names

• OrangeIslandShipping - much like the original name but with Island added in.

This article is part of Project Shipping, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each couple in Pokémon.