Ash's Relationship with his Traveling Companions

[interxavier]

What do you think is his relationships with his traveling companions like? Are they sibling-like, fatherly, motherly, etc.?

My takes are:

Misty - This is easy. She's the only main character who had no clear goals. She simply wanted to travel with Ash until the end of the original series when the calling of being a gym leader was given to her. She definitely fits as Ash's future fiancée.
Brock - no doubt an older brother.
May - Advanced Generation was my favorite series and I can safely say that May is more like a younger sister than a love-interest.
Max - obviously like a little brother.
Dawn - This is quite hard for me. Often times, the role of the main character is interchanged between her and Ash. I see her most of the time as Ash's twin but I have my doubts.
Tracey - It seems like an ordinary friendship to me.
Cilan - not sure (I haven't watched the B&W series that well to make any conclusions)
Iris - same with Cilan

What do you guys think the writers really intended?

 

[AmusedMilk]

I think this should go in the shipping section.

 

[interxavier]

I think this should go in the shipping section.

I have no problems with that.

 

[NorthernLord]

That was a good summary there. Although I (unfortunately) did not see that many episodes with misty, I agree with all your conclusions.

 

[CyberCubed]

Iris role is the same as Misty's.

 

[Salamandre]

Iris role is the same as Misty's.

pretty much but misty's more of the older sister type with the lecturing..alot more lecturing but thats what made her great.

 

[CyberCubed]

pretty much but misty's more of the older sister type with the lecturing..alot more lecturing but thats what made her great.

Misty didn't lecture Ash that much, Brock did.

 

[Swagga09]

Iris role is the same as Misty's.

Is there a love connection between Ash and Iris?

 

[Salamandre]

Misty didn't lecture Ash that much, Brock did.

Well what i mean is giving advice ash doesn't listen too lol i didn't wanna use the word scowl or the b word but back in indigo league she would do it alot i don't remember how it was in orange isles and jhoto but she might have tuned down since then

 

[BlueVapor]

Misty - This is easy. She's the only main character who had no clear goals. She simply wanted to travel with Ash until the end of the original series when the calling of being a gym leader was given to her. She definitely fits as Ash's future fiancée.

Umm...? Last time I checked, Misty's goal was to become a strong water Pokemon trainer.

 

[CyberCubed]

Umm...? Last time I checked, Misty's goal was to become a strong water Pokemon trainer.

Well he meant she hardly worked toward her goal with the exception of a handful of eps. She was perfectly content just watching Ash get stronger.

 

[\Mightyena/]

Misty and Ash seem to close to not be romantically involved, but then again this is a kids show, and I would LOVE to see her come back

 

[BlueDragonfangirl]

Dawn had the strongest connection with Ash FYI.

 

[poizonsting]

Whoa, a lot of people are jumping the shipping boat here. Take such things to the shipping forum >.< Anyway, all of Ash's travelling partners are his friends, probably with the exception of Brock. He's more like Ash's older brother and a mentor.

 

[pokemon fan 132]

Speaking of Ash relationship with others he was good friend with everyone with different type of chemistry being present between them.

With Misty relationship was mostly love-hate starting out as small kids with low tolerance being present with both characters developing strong friendship with time becoming more opened toward each other with her character serving like mentor pushing him forward.

With May it was reversed situation with Ash becoming more mature being ready to take mentor role helping her about contest career allowing character to start developing its own style.

In Dawn case Ash seemed to argue the least with both characters getting along giving each other moral support and help when it came to gyms and contests.

While with Brock their friendship was portrayed as being like older brother to Ash traveling with him for longest period of time becoming great friends.
It was noticeable how much Brock was familiarized with his character on several occasions with strong bond being present between them.

Talking about romance this is mostly kids show with such things being reduced to minimum but there were some hints thrown in there with some characters like Misty having romantic affection toward Ash judging by some episodes and list of hints which are mentioned in bulbapedia.

Misty - This is easy. She's the only main character who had no clear goals. She simply wanted to travel with Ash until the end of the original series when the calling of being a gym leader was given to her. She definitely fits as Ash's future fiancée.

Mistys goal was to become water pokemon master.

Iris role is the same as Misty's.

Not really.
Mistys role was more along the lines of being like coach and mentor along with Brock from Kanto to Johto,something which Iris isnt exactly doing.
She also served as motivation for Ash pushing him to try his best with some of notable examples being when they strived for same thing like in "Totodile duel"from Johto or when Ash managed to turn situation in his favoir with Squirtle learning hydro pump vs gym lader Rudy,etc.

With Iris situation is vastly different teasing him mostly in friendly manner.
At start due to Ash not being familiarized much with Unova customs doing some questionable moves(usual thing whenever he starts out new journey)Iris started to question his skills as trainer,but as time went on we can notice how she started to acknowledge Ash abilities as trainer realizing how he knows more than she thought at start.

With Misty and Brock they had to correct his mistakes giving him advices pretty much during whole run of original series having more active role when it came to Ash growth as trainer.

Iris and Cilan mostly act like some sort of evaluators putting Ash skills to test already acknowledging how much he knows starting toi admire his style and unorthodox tactics being a lot more experienced compared to his Kanto rookie days not needing anymore so much coaching and help like he used to.

Well he meant she hardly worked toward her goal with the exception of a handful of eps. She was perfectly content just watching Ash get stronger.

Reason why she didnt do more about her goal is coming out from lack of screen time writers delivered to her.

 

[streetlightdsb]

Whoa, a lot of people are jumping the shipping boat here. Take such things to the shipping forum >.< Anyway, all of Ash's travelling partners are his friends, probably with the exception of Brock. He's more like Ash's older brother and a mentor.

Vehemently disagreed with the last part; if anything, Brock is Ash's best friend IMO.

But yeah shippers can gtfo.

 

[Simon Alexander]

Is there a love connection between Ash and Iris?

There doesn't need to be a love connection for Iris to fill the same role as Misty. Her role at the beginning was to be Ash's sort-of mentor and give him advice, which Iris also does. The love thing actually came later, starting in the "Ghost of Maiden's Peak" episode and then quietly growing with the fanbase.

And while pokeshipping just tends to piss me off (no offense to pokeshippers), I feel that a little romantic subplot between Ash and Misty in the first season wouldn't have been bad. BUT THAT'S OT

Anyways, it seems to me that Ash tends to get along better with girls his own age. He was kind of bratty towards Misty at times, and he gets so pissed off at Iris at times (though, how old is she supposed to be? She looks younger than Ash but I have no idea). May and Dawn, however, he got along with swimmingly. And when it comes to guys, he's just cool with them right off, really.

 

[pokemon fan 132]

There doesn't need to be a love connection for Iris to fill the same role as Misty. Her role at the beginning was to be Ash's sort-of mentor and give him advice, which Iris also does.

Just to add,Misty was acting like Ash mentor in Orange Islands and Johto too.Like when she helped him to beat Rudy or Danny motivating him,when they battled for same thing pushing him to go forward in Whirl Cup or for Totodile giving him advice how ground types are weak against ice types when he battled gym leader Pryce etc with Misty herself stating in some episodes from late Johto how she is Ashs coach.
Granted she coached him more often along with Brock in Kanto but in later regions they still provided help acting like Ash mentors in some occasions.

With Iris Ash doesnt need much mentoring or help like he needed in original series considering how he isnt complete rookie like he used to be becoming better in strategy and battling.

 

[Simon Alexander]

Just to add,Misty was acting like Ash mentor in Orange Islands and Johto too.Like when she helped him to beat Rudy or Danny motivating him,when they battled for same thing pushing him to go forward in Whirl Cup or for Totodile giving him advice how ground types are weak against ice types when he battled gym leader Pryce etc with Misty herself stating in some episodes from late Johto how she is Ashs coach.
Granted she coached him more often along with Brock in Kanto but in later regions they still provided help acting like Ash mentors in some occasions.

Okay, thanks. I haven't seen much of Orange Islands or Johto ^_^

With Iris Ash doesnt need much mentoring or help like he needed in original series considering how he isnt complete rookie like he used to be becoming better in strategy and battling.

He may not need mentoring in the rookie-trainer type way, but doesn't she help him with the nuances of Unova? Correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't seen much of BW but that's what it felt like to me from what I saw

 

[pokemon fan 132]

He may not need mentoring in the rookie-trainer type way, but doesn't she help him with the nuances of Unova? Correct me if I'm wrong, I haven't seen much of BW but that's what it felt like to me from what I saw

Yeah but thats mostly because Ash is unfamiliar with Unova customs and pokemon with Cilan pointing out in some episodes how Ash isnt from there when Iris used to tease him about his lack of knowledge.

That and writers usually do semi reset with his Pikachu at start of every new region making Ash seem weaker than he really is.By time Best Wishes reach middle he will probably go back to its normal status seeing how same thing happened in Hoenn and Sinnoh too.