Thread: Eldershipping Discussion = Fun for All

OH, WOW, IT'S BARB! Barb is one of us, too. She's a good writer, and we love her. (So yes, you do need to start writing again I remember that fic you started... sad, but so well-written.)

Bringing up the hints really makes me wonder--when were they last in an episode, anyway?

I did catch a few of the Chronicles eps (mainly because parties who knew I was interested let me know that they were coming up), but I can't remember when they were last in the show. Did they show up at all in Advance? DP? Any of those later movies? Man, I am behind. I would assume that they're about to make a cameo with this new season coming up.

If they haven't shown up for a while, that makes sense. Ash is growing up and changing and not wanting/ needing to check in with the parent. (That also means we can just read it as "Having Uninterrupted Potential Love Nest, Yahoo" for a while and go from there.)

I dunno, I kept switching usernames a lot. The Eldershippers showing up is kinda a blast from the past though - I wasn't a real part of the group (never was much into shippings, and back then it was the argument of the day instead of just which main girl is most feminist or whatever the hell).

And yeah, Barb can write quite well. Anyone know when Ilex bowed out of here? She wrote a LOT.

Oh, my word. Ilex bowed out around 2004, I think? (Which really is EONS ago--this stuff seems like yesterday.) I was always the one who gathered the stuff, but she was really the one who got people into the fold because she just wrote it that well. Around that time, she had mentioned that she wanted to start writing children's books. I wonder if she ever did? Her first name was Holly, but I don't think I ever knew her last name, so I can't look her up that way... Maybe I ought to try dropping her an email and see if I get a response.

You're always welcome here, Solomon! As far as I can tell, we still automatically assume our people are feminist (I guess?), and we just come out from our hideyholes every so often, check out the scene, and go back into hiding. I hope we all stick around this time, though--everybody seems pretty chill.

Sorry; I hope I'm not violating the no double posts rule, but I figure a few days have passed...

I tried to find Ilex at her ilexshipper email address, but alas, no good. It said that email didn't exist. :( So if anyone has any contact with her at all that I don't have, please tell her we love and miss her and hope she is doing well.

Next, I just wanted to point out that we do have the Compendium over at ff.net, in case you're really jonesing for something to read. Nothing really new there (except I found some fics by someone named Solent--anybody know her?), but at least it's something. Remember, reviews are love, so leave some for fics you enjoy today!

I'm still not quite sure where I'm going with this revitalization thing, but I guess I'll keep you posted. :D?

Originally Posted by lmao

As a kid I always thought Delia and Professor Oak would get together, lol.

This ship has been around for as long as I can remember. It makes sense but has anyone thought that maybe Mrs. Ketchum was married to someone? Since they call her Mrs. as a sign or being married.

Originally Posted by Caseydia

but has anyone thought that maybe Mrs. Ketchum was married to someone? Since they call her Mrs. as a sign or being married.

Here are all the different ways I've seen this handwaved away:

1) Mr. Ketchum is just no longer in the picture, having given up his family for:
a) Team Rocket (see: Diamondshipping)
b) his pokemon training career
c) another woman
and therefore, they are now divorced.

2) Mr. Ketchum is no longer in Poke-earth, having died off or been killed by
a) Team Rocket
b) some Pokemon attack
c) Mystery Disease

3) The Mrs. is just a coverup! Her name is actually something else, but she has to be Mrs. as a front for:
a) a secret pregnancy from
1) Giovanni
2) Professor Oak
3) Spencer Hale
4) "Joe Schmoe" Ketchum
5) Sir Aaron
6) Ho-oh
b) her secret past as a Team Rocket operative (usually in tandem with a1 above)

4) Screw the husband! It's just Mrs. because she's still married, and no idea where the husband is, but there are certainly adulterous shenanigans happening over in Pallet Town. (OK, I have never seen this one in action. But it's still an option.)

Revolutionary Girl! Wow, there's a name I hadn't seen in ages. You'll want to fix that link in your sig, I think we deleted that ages ago after we thought you'd vanished.

Looks like Isshu has a lot going for Eldershippers. Ookido goes to Isshu in the first episode together with Satoshi and Hanako, from the looks of the sneak peak they showed on TV Tokyo tonight.

What's up! I'm still around. I sort of did vanish thanks to having to be a grownup, although I think we'd all hit a creative lull and just died off from there. This is an attempt to cast the nets and see who's still around and who's newly interested...

OH, HOORAY! I'd been wondering since the ep. speculation thread if he'd show up.

I was reading all the talk of Satoshi and Hanako potentially moving away and was ready to start writing breakup fic. Good that I can put it away... FOR NOW. *horror*

I've really got to get on board for figuring out how to watch these eps as they happen (when they come on, what's the legal way, etc.). Please keep us abreast of things that happen! :D

Oh, get Keyhole TV. It's a legal program that lets you watch live Japanese TV. Problem is the image quality sucks.

Uhhh, does any of you remember what Delia mentioned about Ash's dad by : He's a traveling trainer" and that as far as he went, he stopped in Viridian City ? I mean, c'mon guys, you know what I'm talking about. There's an 87% chance that Giovanni is Ash's dad ( Hence my name. ) . Who would've even thought about Oak being Ash's dad in the first place? ;)

Originally Posted by Giovanni Ketchum

Uhhh, does any of you remember what Delia mentioned about Ash's dad by : He's a traveling trainer" and that as far as he went, he stopped in Viridian City ? I mean, c'mon guys, you know what I'm talking about. There's an 87% chance that Giovanni is Ash's dad ( Hence my name. ) . Who would've even thought about Oak being Ash's dad in the first place? He's an old fart.

1) This has nothing to do with Eldershipping and 2) how many Eldershippers actually believe Ash is Oak's son? I'm pretty sure most support the idea Delia and Oak would get together long after Ash was born.

Seconding Roronoa Zorua's comment. 95% of us actually agree with you, Giovanni; there's a 98% chance we'll never know, though, so that way lies folly.

Anyway. I found a screenshot from the preview, and I am delighted to share it with you.

So no need for breakup talk just yet, it seems. It's nice to see that they're still traveling together in some form. FOR NOW.

Hanako looks lovely as always, but... Yukinari, honey, what are you wearing? Then again, he's liked those loud shirts since Acapulco.

If you ship this, what do you like about it?
They're cute together <3
It also explains why they are often seen in each other's company (There's other explanations, but I personally like this one the best.) Plus I find the age gap between them interesting. It's not unheard of for people two decades apart to fall in love, but it isn't very common either (For the record I think Delia is about 32 and Oak is in his fifties.)

How did they meet?
I have a bunch of theories that I switch off on, but the one I usually go with is that Delia was a student of his in her early teen years along with Prof. Hale. Some family issues came up, and in a fit of rebellion she ran away from home and joined Team Rocket. There she met Giovanni, and the two fell in love. Madame Boss wasn't happy about this, but she didn't really do anything about it, figuring that her son was just in a phase. About a year after this her health declined and she died, leaving Gio in charge of Team Rocket. Obviously it was a very demanding job and this took him away from Delia. He was far from a saint before taking over, but as time went on he became even more ruthless and cunning. Delia became pregnant with Ash sometime during this, but didn't want to raise her child in that environment, so she faked her death on one of her missions with the help of some of her friends on the team. She returned to Pallet and initially her parents wanted nothing to do with her, so Prof. Oak took her in. Once Ash was born her parents realized how stupid they were being and forgave her for everything she had done, but they died shortly afterward, leaving her with the house she currently resides in. Prof. Oak took it upon himself to help them out, and little by little they ended up falling for each other.

As for why she's called Mrs. Ketchum, she changed her last name to a random one on the off-chance that Team Rocket might be looking for her and to keep the gossips in town from bugging her.

Sorry for the overly long explanation ^^;

Anyways, originally I thought we were just going to get a flashback of the Prof. telling Ash about Isshu from the earlier previews. Now that I saw the new one I'm even more excited for Best Wishes knowing that they're both going with Ash to this new region (what a nice family outing.) I am a little sad that we didn't get to see them at the lab with all of the Pokemon Ash didn't use in the Sinnoh, along with Tracey and Gary, but I'll take what I can get.

Originally Posted by Revolutionary Girl

Seconding Roronoa Zorua's comment. 95% of us actually agree with you, Giovanni; there's a 98% chance we'll never know, though, so that way lies folly.

Anyway. I found a screenshot from the preview, and I am delighted to share it with you.

So no need for breakup talk just yet, it seems. It's nice to see that they're still traveling together in some form. FOR NOW.

Hanako looks lovely as always, but... Yukinari, honey, what are you wearing? Then again, he's liked those loud shirts since Acapulco.

Hmm, I've seen the preview too. Oak must've been there to meet Yararagi or something XD

Originally Posted by Kakuna Matata

If you ship this, what do you like about it?
They're cute together <3

Haha, Delia is my age in your headcanon. We're both getting old.

Re: the age gap issue: Add to that the whole power dynamic (he was in charge of her somehow once upon a time), and it all could be fairly creepy. But he never seems to lord anything over her, she seems OK with speaking her mind around him despite his age and position, and it's nice just seeing that they're being totally chill. (None of that angst we always want to give them over it visible, thank heavens.)

How did they meet?
<some awesome backstory that I follow as well, depending on the day>

That's fantastic, and I think you'll find that we theorize that same way (with subtle variations). But I'm interested in hearing your other potential theories, too.

Although another interesting thing that I'm noticing (thanks for stirring the pot, Giovanni) is that everyone pretty much presumes it's all Giovanni in the past, all the time. I wonder what keeps Spencer Hale from being a viable romantic option? Surely Diamondshipping is win for all sorts of badassness, and we've got a semi-canon nibble (as much as Live can be considered a canon, anyway), but Spencer's an option too (after all, she's concerned enough to demand to go along at the beginning of 3--of course that's her friend, but what can she do?).

(I guess what I'm really trying to say is, where my Elder/Haleshippers at? Do they even make y'all any more?)

I am a little sad that we didn't get to see them at the lab with all of the Pokemon Ash didn't use in the Sinnoh, along with Tracey and Gary, but I'll take what I can get.

I know, right? We need our extended family fix! :( At least they know they can leave everything in Tracey and Gary's capable hands...