PenguinShipping

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

---

Dawn flirting with Kenny

PenguinShipping (Japanese: ケンヒカ KenHika) is the belief of a romantic relationship between Dawn and Kenny. Kenny and Dawn are childhood friends, who are now Contest rivals. This Shipping is called PenguinShipping due to the fact that both of them have members of the Piplup evolution family. Even though not many hints exist due to Kenny's lack of appearances, it has been shown that he and Dawn know each other well. As a running gag in the series, Kenny calls Dawn Dee-Dee (Japanese: ピカリ Pikari). It can be considered to be one-sided canon on Kenny's side.

Evidence

Kenny's hints

• Settling a Not-So-Old Score

Kenny seems jealous of Ash and Dawn supposedly Template:S. He promises to Dawn after Jessie's appeal that he would make "that Seviper lady look bad."

• Journey to the Unown!

When Dawn is being lifted into the Solaceon Ruins due to the confused Unown, Kenny calls out her name. He does this again when Dawn falls, later in the episode. He is the only one who does this on both occasions. Towards the end of the episode, he wants to make sure Dawn did not find out how scared he was inside the ruins. When Brock says, "Everyone has secrets hidden in their closet," Kenny gets embarrassed.

• Team Shocker!

When Dawn doesn't make it through the appeal round, Kenny says, "Oh, c'mon!" indicating that he wants Dawn to be there with him in the Contest. Also, when saying goodbye to her, Kenny shouts that he won't let Dawn quit Contests no matter what; when walking away, he sees that Dawn isn't waving goodbye like the rest, and looks upset.

• Stopped in the Name of Love!

Kenny tells Dawn that her Piplup began to evolve because of what a great Trainer she is. When Piplup runs away, Dawn runs over to Kenny and the rest of the group, and Kenny is the one to ask her what is wrong.

• Four Roads Diverged in a Pokémon Port!

Kenny wants Dawn to travel back to Twinleaf Town with him so that they can start training for the next Grand Festival together. But Dawn's not sure about going with him because she wants to root for Ash in the Sinnoh League. Kenny then tells her that he will battle Ash, and if he won, she would have to travel back home with him. He also says, "I just had to tell you how I feel." Even though Kenny won, he lets Dawn go with Ash, thinking that she would be happier that way.

Brock approaches Kenny when Kenny wanted to have Dawn go on a journey with him, and offers to tell Kenny the secret of love. Even when Kenny said he isn't interested, Brock tells him the secret anyway: to keep putting his heart on the line. Kenny then admits Brock has given him hope.

Dawn's hints

• Old Rivals, New Tricks!

Kenny, after making his appeal, talks alone with Dawn about watching her at the Wallace Cup and how he's going to follow, win, and get ahead of Dawn. In response, she blushes, holding her heart, and says, "Please, you're embarrassing me!" Also while waiting for the results of the appeal rounds, Dawn is nervous and tells Ash about her worries about Kenny. She blushes while doing this.

• Four Roads Diverged in a Pokémon Port!

When Kenny tells Dawn that he wants to go on a journey with her, he says, "I know this is a bit sudden, but I had to tell you how I feel!" He then runs off, and Dawn seems to be conflicted about Kenny's offer to go back to Twinleaf Town with him or going to the Sinnoh League with Ash. When Dawn sees how upset Kenny is after agreeing to let her go with Ash, she becomes saddened. Later, she leaves a note—as well as a Piplup figurine—behind at the Vista Lighthouse, wishing Kenny luck in the future. She then waves goodbye to Kenny while she's on the boat heading to Lily of the Valley Island as he stands at the lighthouse.

At the end of the letter she left at the Vista Lighthouse, it reads, "P.S: One more thing, and I hope you don't mind, you looked kind of handsome when you beat Ash."

Other hints

Kenny blushing

• Getting the Pre-Contest Titters!

When Kenny sees Dawn in her Contest dress, he is momentarily speechless. She starts flirting with Kenny and asks him if he thinks she's pretty. (Though she may have done this to make him embarrassed or was just playing around.) He blushes and quickly tries to change the subject.

• Last Call, First Round!

At the end of the episode, Dawn seems concerned about Kenny leaving the Grand Festival so soon. Kenny then tells her, "Make sure that you don't lose to that girl with the Plusle and Minun, 'kay Dee-Dee?" Dawn replies, "It's Dawn", smiling then giggling. Kenny responds with, "Finally, a smile," and she laughs some more.

Similarities

• Both have Pokémon of the Piplup evolution line.
• Both have known each other since they were young.
• Both are Coordinators.
• Both have owned a member of the Buizel evolution family.
• Both have won one Ribbon in the other's defeat.

Notable PenguinShippers

• Brock -

DP180 - Brock actively tries to give Kenny love advice directly related to Kenny's crush on Dawn.

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