Thread: Is shipping among the main cast decreasing with each passing generation?

And I am speaking of in-show shipping, not fandom shipping where any character can be paired up with anyone including nevermet shippings.

Even though its still very early, I doubt Iris or Dento will have any shipping subplot in Pokemon. Dento is already a ladies man but goes no further with it, and Iris just seems like the kid to be uninterested in romance altogether.

Likewise Dawn seemed completely oblivious to romance, and in a way only focused on her Pokemon/battles, similar to Ash. We know both Conway and Kenny definitely liked her, but the first was mostly played for lol's and Kenny just got a, "We'll be friends," kind of message to it.


Do you think the writers have moved away from shipping amongst the main cast?

Yeah, pretty much. There was kinda some Dawn/Kenny and Dawn/Conway stuff, but the last time we really got any shipping was with all the May/Drew stuff back in AG. They don't really seem to care about shipping anymore.

Originally Posted by Gliscor'd

Do you think the writers have moved away from shipping amongst the main cast?

Hasn't it been established that not every region trip needs some sort of overt romance?

So May had one and there was something vaguely stitched together in DP, while Kanto through Johto was on-off, and it was occasionally the focus of an episode no matter where you went, but it's never been made a big deal before, aside from May's subplot. Strike through, Takeshi! And they certainly should not be obilged to have such a plot every single region.

It's not a big deal. Considering the point of changing regions now is to try and be different from what they've done previous, how is it this topic exists? For this region, they so far haven't done anything. That's cool. Will they? Dunno. Will they return to it? Dunno? Are they moving away from it?

Impossible to tell, because "moving away from it" implies "forever" and not "temporary." For this region? Yeah, they seem to be moving away. In the next? It could come back full force, or remain dormant.

There's no answer, if you're thinking long term. I hope you aren't.

Hey, what the heck? Why can't Ash and Dento develop a romantic relationship?

Shipping has never been a huge part of the pokemon canon. The only blatant and ongoing main romance they've had going for them was Contestshipping. However, you can't forget that Ash is still often subject to onesided fangirly love.

I will however, wait until BW019 to see if Dento will have anything going with his new rival (If they're even reoccurring...). :P

Ignoring ContestShipping, I think yes, they...Really are moving away from romance. I think it's because they've seen what happened from the past, and it wasn't pretty. Learning from their mistakes is all what I can say.

I have often wondered about why the writers do things like Pokemon 2000 with the entire sub-plot about Misty being in love with Ash. Then there was the abundance of May, and Drew instances. Dawn really didn't have any.

Every girl that has traveled with Ash sans Dawn has had some sort of crush. I don't know what will happen with Iris, but I won't be surprised one way or the other if she does/doesn't fall into that category.


I have to assume ship teasing in this show is just tossed in there to make character dynamics more interesting.

Good question but if the writers add some sort of love interest in a chararther then i don't think they are. i mean Lyra thought Ash was Dawn's boyfriend.

I guess there really isn't a correct answer to this. we just have to keep watching and be the judges ourselves.

Yes Dawn never had any romantic interest in Ash she just thought they were friends. sarcasm so why does Pearlshipping have so many fans?

But aside from Contestshipping they've run away from it, but the games could show some fluffy shipping hints like Barry and Dawn. Or the time in HGSS when Silver was angry that he lost to Kimono Girls in Ecruteak it looked like a call for Lyra to hug him lol

Originally Posted by Gliscor'd

And I am speaking of in-show shipping, not fandom shipping where any character can be paired up with anyone including nevermet shippings.

Even though its still very early, I doubt Iris or Dento will have any shipping subplot in Pokemon. Dento is already a ladies man but goes no further with it, and Iris just seems like the kid to be uninterested in romance altogether.

Likewise Dawn seemed completely oblivious to romance, and in a way only focused on her Pokemon/battles, similar to Ash. We know both Conway and Kenny definitely liked her, but the first was mostly played for lol's and Kenny just got a, "We'll be friends," kind of message to it.


Do you think the writers have moved away from shipping amongst the main cast?

well pokemon main includes one-sided shipping with the main cast. misty,and may obviously had a crush on ash. then drew, and sid had a crush on may. kenny and conway had a crush on dawn.

Lol, May never had a crush on Ash.

I think she means a friendly crush, strictly friends kind of thing

To simplify the plot and character development, i dout there will be any more romance undertone between characters. I blame it on the anime being a little bit "dumbed down" each season.

Originally Posted by WingullStrike

To simplify the plot and character development, i dout there will be any more romance undertone between characters. I blame it on the anime being a little bit "dumbed down" each season.

I don't think that adding romance to a series makes it any more mature or intelligent I mean, look at 90% of all shoujo! XD Perhaps the writers felt like their audience didn't care much for it, so they left it out. And, really, it doesn't really move the plot or anything, so why bother?

_{I don't see what's wrong with them implementing a few side character hints though...}

Originally Posted by CommanderPigg

I don't think that adding romance to a series makes it any more mature or intelligent I mean, look at 90% of all shoujo! XD Perhaps the writers felt like their audience didn't care much for it, so they left it out. And, really, it doesn't really move the plot or anything, so why bother?

_{I don't see what's wrong with them implementing a few side character hints though...}

Well its nice to see the charathers mature in different areas, like they wrtiers have done a great job on how they raise their pokemon, how their pokemon react to one another, so why not their love interest? i personally think it will give a new side to pokemon. making it interesting to watch. i mean even teenagers watch the show. they should at least try to make the show both for childern and teenagers.

Originally Posted by battlefreak602

Well its nice to see the charathers mature in different areas, like they wrtiers have done a great job on how they raise their pokemon, how their pokemon react to one another, so why not their love interest? i personally think it will give a new side to pokemon. making it interesting to watch. i mean even teenagers watch the show. they should at least try to make the show both for childern and teenagers.

Yea just minus down the swear words such as the f bomb.

But even if they made it TV-14 it'd go on adult swim like other japanese anime