The Official Popular Ships Survey Study (RESULTS ARE IN~!)

[RocketToTheMoon]

RocketShipping (I voted for Contest, Ikari, Poke and Wishful, too...but I just wanna blab about this right now.)

Why do you support this ship?
I honestly can't think of any reason not to! They've been through everything together, the ups and (mostly) downs, and are always helping one another out.
The feels I get from this couple, I just askjanfkjsf.
Seriously.
When did you start shipping it?
I'm not really sure when. As a little kid, growing up watching early-AG, I had automatically assumed that they were already a couple; but they were antagonists, and therefore they ranked far below the dashing and heroic Ash Ketchum. -_-;;
I became seriously involved in this ship about a year ago. It was like I'd been hit with a train of passion for this ship and scoured the internet for every single RS fanfic I could find. I spent days pent up in my room, doing nothing but reading fics and looking at fanart.
Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship?
Without a doubt. I have no doubts in my mind that these two will not get together at the end of the show. Their entire relationship is and has been building up to that since the very beginning, and I'll stay with the series for as long as it goes on, even if only to see this through.

Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes?
(in no particular order)
-Electric Tale of Pikachu (just bought volume 4 for $70 last week!)
-"Holy Matrimony" (episode 48) Hopefully, we'll see some flashback of what happened in the balloon after we saw them fly away at the end of the series (make of that what you will).
-"Training Daze" (Chronicles 13) Shows how quick they were to forgive eachother after whatever caused them to split apart after the bike gang (plus the whole scene in the Snorlax room...EHEH)
-About a million other episodes, including "Noodles! Roamin' Off", plus most of the movies.
All in all, this is and always will be my OTP.

 

[Estellise]

Woo ContestShipping!~ (For the record, I voted for RocketShipping too, but I'm not as attracted to RocketShipping, sooooo...)

1 - Why do you support this ship?
Well, when I first re-watched the AG episodes (around the December-January time), I noticed things that I didn't notice as a child. For example, how weak Ash and Pikachu are - but more importantly, May and Drew's actions. I'm not sure why, but something just sorta... clicked. I'm not sure; maybe it was how they acted on-screen or something; who knows? Artwork and fics also attracted me to Contestshipping. Around the same time frame, I went on a craze looking for fanart/fics of popular ships... ContestShipping was one of the first ships I looked into. I guess other people's love rubbed off on me. xD

2 - When did you start shipping it? Was it during its run or after it was over on-screen?
Like I said above, around Dec 2012 or Jan 2013, because that's when I re-watched the AG season and lurked for fanart.

3 - Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship? Why or why not?
Of course! Drew and May just seem fitting together... I can't picture May or Drew being with anyone else.

4 - Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes?
The episodes Now That's Flower Power! , Who, What, When, Where, Wynaut?, and especially A Fan with a Plan (dat blushing). :3 For some reason, they stick out to me the most...

 

[Flame_22]

Hi guys! Well I'm both an advanceshipper and pearlshipper!
1) Why do you support this ship?
Advance: Being ash, we know him as one who has bad temper and tend to be reckless. But in some episode, we actually see a different side of ash, such as when ash was commenting on one of may contest and may sort of ask ash him to but off, he completely didn't argued back with her, and there are still a few other episodes that we see that completely transformed ash.

Pearl: Apart from dawn being extremely cute and gorgeous? Let me see.. There appears to be quite a few hints between those 2. And among all female companions, dawn is the only one that cried when ash set sail, hence showing that there is something more special, prehaps a much more special and closer bond/relationship between ash and dawn.

2)When did you start shipping it?
Advance: Call me paranoid but I started shipping it when may silently forgave ash and pikachu for frying her bike. Although it may not be much of a hint but one person wouldn't just forgive another for property damage without a reason. Furthermore when max wanted to travel with them, both may and ash gave a rather stunned expression.

Pearl: Well pretty much when dp started..

 

[cellophanerose]

wishfulshipping!
1 - Why do you support this ship? (For instance, is it just the fanart that captures you, or is it the undeniable chemistry between the couple? Are they adorable together? Do you believe the writer's intended it to be canon? Is it the hints?) Hm... A lot of reasons! Their dynamic in the show is really fun to watch, for one. Their teases and jabs at each other are really cute. They obviously don't go so far as to hurt each other's feelings and support each other. One of my more favorite moments is when pansage was sick and iris made medicine. cilan was very thankful and had faith in iris's skills. another plus is that the couple is aesthetically attractive. purple/green is a great color combination and the whole nature/technology clash is great. They are overall a cute, likable, funny couple. (fanart is adorable, as well!)

2 - When did you start shipping it? Was it during its run or after it was over on-screen? (For example, Contestshippers may find that they only recently started shipping it, when they hadn't thought much of it while May and Drew were on-screen. An Advanceshipper may find they've loved AS since AG001. Like that.) I can't even remember, to be honest. Jeez, there doesn't seem to be a definitive moment, cause I can't remember not shipping it...

3 - Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship? Why or why not? (With this question, I aim to demystify what makes a ship last so long, even after it's dead in the anime, so being truthful and specific is KEY.) It's been over a year now, I'm not too invested in the plot of the anime anymore (sorry ash, you aren't gonna become a pokemon master) and I haven't been since the OS, and I still ship them. Their characters were what drew me back into the show (which is a little pathetic oops)

4 - Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes? them hiding behind each other, iris painting their faces, the cottonee in love episode, All for the Love of Meloetta!, them always hanging around each other. I'm not sure if these are hints rather than just really cute scenes. :?

 

[Joltik-Kid]

Interesting... if anything I'm pretty shocked by Pearlshipping's results ^_^

Why do you support this ship?
It's hard to say... I feel it just clicks. It's not too often friends who are that close stay as just friends, but since this is a more child-oriented television series, that's the way it goes ^^;

People tend to call this ship more of a sibling like pairing, but that just shows how functional the two really are together. Even though the old saying goes "opposites attract", that's not really the case in true matters. Sure you need to be a little different so the relationship (hypothetical in this case) isn't bland, but at the same time you need to have something in common too so it's not a mess trying to plan something. Dawn loving contests but willing to cheer Ash on from the sidelines and Ash willing to do the same during Dawn's contest just makes it an all around likable pairing.

When did you start shipping it?
I'd have to say around what I believe was the 6th episode of DP, the one where Ash and Dawn were arguing about the basics of being a trainer (or Nando's debut to be easier). Anyway after that the two were basically in perfect sync from then on minus the (what feels like) mandatory dispute between friends episode, but even there they solved their issues pretty quickly.

Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship?
Well if I'm still supporting it now, I'm pretty sure I'll always feel this way about it ^_^

Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes?
I think the fact that they made physical contact (High Five) often is a valid hint, not to mention the two got their own song together. While not much of a canonish hint, they also appeared together in a Pizza (I think?) commercial (still a commercial none the less). The movies had them co-staring a lot and together most of the time. The DP movie trilogy is even suggested to be canon. There's probably more hints that others have or will mention, but these were the bigger ones for me

 

[Quantum1024]

I designate PearlShipping (Ash/Dawn or サトシ/ヒカリ) to be my favorite ship.

Why do you support this ship?
I support this ship because of the great rapport between Ash and Dawn throughout the DP arc (I have not watched the BW arc yet, sorry!). There are way too many instances between the two to ever deny this possibility: for instance, Dawn is the only traveling partner who had no reason to go with Ash other than just going with him from the start. Dawn had absolutely no reason otherwise to change into cheerleader outfit and cheer for Ash during his gym battles, and neither did Ash have any reason to cheer for Dawn during all her Contest runs, but they still did so. To sum it all up, a sentence directly lifted from my earlier post in the Pearlshipping thread: No other travelling companion girl has shown this kind of dedication and support for Ash during his travels.

I am also a sucker for great music, and with this, the song High Touch! wins all my points for PearlShipping. Even if there was no other strong reason in the anime, the song rounds up all the reasons why I support Pearlshipping. The lyrics clearly suggest something between them that is beyond just being friends. On another note, I think that the DP arc had the best theme songs for the Pokemon anime (High Touch!, 君のそばで-Hikari's Theme).

Of particular note was the fanart. I do not create my own, because the product would look like something worse than Badly Drawn Pokemon, but I must commend the people of Pearlshipping to have great artists that create some nice fanart. With that, I end this question with my favorite fanart of Pearlshipping (the one that made me want to shred my man card):

http://endless-summer181.deviantart.com/art/Pearl-Ash-Carrying-Dawn-94805985


When did you start shipping it? Was it during its run or after it was over on-screen? (For example, Contestshippers may find that they only recently started shipping it, when they hadn't thought much of it while May and Drew were on-screen. An Advanceshipper may find they've loved AS since AG001. Like that.)

Strangely enough, I did not start with PearlShipping. I actually started with Advanceshipping after lurking around the Shippers Community, but then I realised there is a stronger case for Pearlshipping than AdvanceShipping once I watched the DP arc. Due to my busy schedule, I only took some episodes to watch, not all of them (AG: 72, 114, 117, 192; DP: 1, 2, 3, 25, 76, 145, M10). Furthermore, I chose the subtitled versions because I found Ash's dub voice to be very irritating. I also took to Pearlshipping once I heard the theme song High Touch! (the de facto anthem of Pearlshipping).

Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship? Why or why not? (With this question, I aim to demystify what makes a ship last so long, even after it's dead in the anime, so being truthful and specific is KEY.)

I will always believe that Pearlshipping is the best shipping for Ash. As I reiterate: No other travelling companion girl has shown this kind of dedication and support for Ash during his travels. Until there is a companion girl who shows more dedication and support for Ash, and Ash does the same, there is enough reason why Pearlshipping is the way to go.

Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes?

Well, there are way too many to count. Let's start with the most obvious one: High Touch! The lyrics suggest something way deeper than just plain platonic friendship, and it is very difficult to deny. There are many other examples in the anime, but it is the general interaction between Dawn and Ash that completely seal the deal for me.

You can ask me more questions if you like, but please note that questions regarding anime episodes I have not watched would need a lot of time to answer. My Chinese-subtitled anime episodes (because I can't find any English subtitles) take a long time to load during the only time I am free.

 

[IvanAipom93]

I choosed PearlShipping. While reading the "test" questions, I realized again how this ship is now part of my life. It's totally my OTP, I've written fanfictions (a thing I do very rarely), I know every damn hint and I rewatched not only episodes, but the whole generation more than one time, just to see them again! Not counting movies...

1 - Why do you support this ship?

Lots of reasons, not just one. The first is their chemistry. Ash and Dawn are on the same wavelenght, always able to support each other, always side by side. They showed this during their respective crysis (from DP060 onward for Dawn, and after the full battle vs Paul for Ash); they helped mutually just because they had to. I remember Dawn creating a circus - and I mean A WHOLE CIRCUS - just to cheer up Ash after that loss; and also in smaller moments, like Ash buying Dawn a ticket for the Hearthome Tag Battle Tournament when she was sad after a loss in the city contest. They just... care for each other. They live together, share everything, including battles and contests; Dawn convinced Ash to participate in 2 official contests - something he had never done before - and Dawn had a gym battle; let's also remember that even if Ash is a battle expert, Dawn taught him 3 moves (the spinning move, Ice-aquajet, and countershield), and similarly Ash helped Dawn with contest.

Dawn caring a lot for Ash is just the most obvious thing in the world... she's always worried, concerned, tells him to be careful EVERYTIME, dresses as a cheerleader just to cheer him during gym battles (nobody has done it before and she hasn't done it for anybody else), and an infinite list of things I'll take years to finish. Their bond is perfection, Dawn seems to be the female version of Ash, they have the same determination, reactions, faith, positivity; and they both grow and improve during the DP generation. And how to forget all the signs that show this bond? The High Touch song, for example; the first time ever someone in Pokémon said things like "doesn't matter what, I'm happy you're there FOR me" or "I have lots of things I want to tell you, but for now thank for being with me" (and this is by Dawn); maybe the best line is Ash's "there are lots of things I still can't understand but for now thank for being with me" or something very similar. Also Kimi no mune ni LaLaLa contains a "kimi ga suki" (I love you) said by Dawn, even if nobody notices.

I'll finish this chapter 1 saying PearlShipping's strenght is not in some hints but in every episode. That's the ONLY ship develops in every single episode of its generation, step by step, always side by side, always there for each other. To me it's the perfect relationship everyone is the world should have.

To me it's perfection.



2 - When did you start shipping it?

Pretty much for the beginning. I was sort of an AdvanceShipper before, but at the 2nd episode I was already ready, I felt something; Dawn was the best thing that could happen to Pokémon. Between DP003 and DP004 I was sure it was a gigantic shipping, and could have been epic. Episode after episode, finally exploding in DP011 with the firs High Touch, I convinced myself.
Best ship I've ever seen and instant OTP.
And that was only the beginning... the future strenghtened everything!



3 - Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship? Why or why not?

Always, and I'm 100% sure of what I'm saying. I love this ship since september 2007 (that's when the saga begun here in Italy) and I've never stopped feeling this way for a moment; always loved it. It fastly became a serious part of my life! I've cried a lot when DP finished and by a lot I mean about 30 minutes. This is not something temporary; it's something I've welcomed into my life. I supported the ship always, I created a Facebook Page right after the saga ending (it ended on may 2011 here) that now has lot of success, I can now talk with PearlShippers in the world and I feel satisfied every day. This is part of my life. And will always be. Why? Because I love it.



4 - Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes?

As I've already said, PearlShipping's strenght is not into the hints themselves, but in the continuity and progression of their bond. If I have to choose something specific, I'll pick these.

-The High Touch gesture, because it's a symbol of their bond. It's THEIR own symbol. It's special for them. And for me, now.
-The High Touch song. Shippiest thing I've ever heard; official; canon; DUET. Only duet in Pokémon history.
-Cheerleader Dawn. Aside of her terrible cuteness and kindness... that's just... to sweet from a girl to a boy not to melt in front of it. I'm sure Ash appreciated A LOT. That thing came from Dawn's heart and nowhere else.
-The Rise of Darkrai (movie). Some epic saving scenes, THAT epic saving scene, and the fact that the two were the absolute protagonists of the movie. And, that's the best movie ever from every perspective, imho!
-DP191. Dat goodbye. Just epic. Just... Dawn sad of saying goodbye to Ash. Comforting Piplup, saying him they'll see their friends again. The final HT was... epic. Dawn's going to cry when Ash leaves, but he screams out loud HER CATCHPHRASE to cheer her up. The kindest and sweetest thing our Ashy has ever done.
-The Lyra saga. Aka everyone notices they're perfect together. Except them, because they're too kind, pure, sincere, cute. Caring.
-DP029. Battling together; losing; arguing; understanding their errors; apologizing; battling again; winning with a perfect harmony; celebrating. 'Nuff said.
-DP062. Ash is cute even if he isn't cute. He's gentle and he wants to help, but he's a litttttttle dense. But... for Dawn, this doesn't matter.
-DP161. Just. Look. At. Dawn. When. Ash. Gives. Her. The. Warm. Milk. PRICELESS. She's like "you're the kindest in the world" while saying "thank you, it was a really kind gesture from you".
-BW2's Dawn's entrance. She does... a hide and seek with him. And then they high-fived for the 10th time. That... omg. That was... I'm speechless. I'm speechless from the cuteness...
They traded Aipom and Buizel. First main characters' trade ever in Pokémon, it showed they TOTALLY trust each other, so they haven't any fear in giving one of their Poké friends to the attentions of the other one. Total trust. Total synchrony, total harmony!



I could continue forever. I'll stop here because my work here is now done. PearlShipping is forever, I'll never stop supporting it, I'll always hope and work for it.
Like Quantum1024 a mention for the fanarts; Endless-Summer181 is the best, but not only her. PearlShipper artists are amazing and know what the PEARL SPIRIT means. I thank them (for the memories!) every day.



Post scriptum: I'm italian, not english, I've learnt english just by myself; so, eventually and previously sorry for some english grammar errors that may occur.

 

[sage striaton]

Wishfulshipping beacause this shipping have a lot evidence and cilan and iris are very good together
I M a wishfulshipper when on k2 started 5 episode of black and White
I M a wishfulshipping forever

 

[Silverscribe85]

-Have you done fanart of this pair? Answer: No, I don't have a fanfiction account
-Have you written fanfiction for this ship? Answer: No, I don't have a fanart account and can't draw that well
-Are you active in this ship's thread? Answer: this is my first time here
-Do you rewatch episodes that have hints for this ship? Answer: Yes
-Do you know all this ship's hints? Answer: only a few
-Do you go looking for fanart/fanfiction for this ship? Answer: yes
-Are you a part of any groups (anywhere) for this ship? Answer: Pearlshipping now but was once a supporter of Ash/Misty
-Do you consider this ship an OTP of your's? Answer, it's a new pairing I support. Many years ago, I was an Ash/Misty supporter.

But then I saw the strong devotion and support Dawn had been giving to Ash and considered her to be a finer match for him

 

[Hyuuga Neji]

1 - Why do you support this ship?

Negai - I like the growth seen in their relationship, namely Iris' view on Ash. If you look back at the early episodes and compare them to now, there's a real difference. While I like Ash's view of Iris has always been more or less positive you can easily tell how much he has grown on her to the point where it seems she still clearly still wants to journey with him.

Pearl - I'll admit to having a little soft spot for his ship. Their interaction and support for each other was very evident. The fan-art for this pair was very good too. Yes they had arguments, but they got along great and had their tag battle episodes were fun.

2 - When did you start shipping it? Was it during its run or after it was over on-screen?

Negai - During it's run, around the beginning. While people harked on her for always calling Ash a kid, there was already a chmesitry established, and it was made very apparent that Iris wanted his company even though she didn't come out and say it. Really it only improved from there.

Pearl - Midway through, to the end. I was extremely vested at first, but as time went on and I saw how they supported one another through Tag Battles, and their various gym/contest challenges it grew on me quite a bit.

3 - Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship? Why or why not?

Both - Sure, I think so.

4 - Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes?

Negai - It's the obvious progression of their relationship, and again namely Iris' view of Ash. Things early in when she made up excuses as to why she was traveling with him, and played the "tsundere" role after he got his first badge to recent things like her wanting to jump down a hole he fell in without knowing what was down there, or being the only one to react upon hearing him state he was returning to Kanto. Through these things you can clearly seen her potential growing affection for him.

Pearl - I think things like Lyra pushing the subject of her relationship with Ash, and things like her dressing like a cheerleader for him were sweet. I think High Touch is a great stepping stone for the start of a potential more serious relationship too.

 

[lokoduro]

Pearl :
1 - Why do you support this ship?

Because they had so many good interactions and they helped each other a lot.It really seemed like one cared a lot for the other and by the movies,it became pretty strong(like Darkrai one).

2 - When did you start shipping it? Was it during its run or after it was over on-screen?


Well,I noticed it since the beginning.Like "That's cool and all".But what turned me into a shipper was M10.Plus,I was watching in Japanese,so not much after came High Touch...

3 - Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship? Why or why not? ]

Yeah,99% sure of it.I am not as a anime fan as I was in the past,after the Bw-Season2 I lost my interest.But I rarely doubt even if I eventually watch XY that I will change my fav Satoshi's shipping.


4 - Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes?

I think more than the hints itself,was the constant caring they had for each other.They had that chemistry and similarities I didn't notice in any other couple involving Satoshi.And it was displayed like a story should:It had the beginning,the middle and the end.They progressively became closer,to a point that I only saw the oblivious boundary both that.(In a way I thought they just needed some push,and Lyra did that)

 

[brawlbankai]

1 - Why do you support this ship? (For instance, is it just the fanart that captures you, or is it the undeniable chemistry between the couple? Are they adorable together? Do you believe the writer's intended it to be canon? Is it the hints?)
**Truth matters here, as does a serious reason, but by all means, squeal and gush about your ship here. I can go through it later and consolidate the points you were trying to make.

2 - When did you start shipping it? Was it during its run or after it was over on-screen? (For example, Contestshippers may find that they only recently started shipping it, when they hadn't thought much of it while May and Drew were on-screen. An Advanceshipper may find they've loved AS since AG001. Like that.)

3 - Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship? Why or why not? (With this question, I aim to demystify what makes a ship last so long, even after it's dead in the anime, so being truthful and specific is KEY.)

4 - Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes?

1) The chemistry between Ash/Satoshi and Dawn/Hikari seems more legitimate to me than any other ship. The pairing itself and the fanart are adorable to me. Although I don't believe it will ever be canon, I still hope it will be one day.

2) I officially started pearlshipping in DP011 when they exchanged their first High-Five. I elevated to fan-boy status when Hi Touch! became the opening theme.

3) I cannot honestly say yes to this considering I was a pokeshipper in the past and no longer support it now. I hope I will stay loyal to pearlshipping but alas, I do not know.

4) Because of the vast number of hints pertaining to this ship, I will only answer with of few. As I stated earlier, the High-Five scenes and Hi Touch! Dawn/Hikari didn't use an excuse to travel together with Ash/Satoshi. Lastly, the scene in DP018 when Dawn/Hikari dawns the cheerleader outfit for the first time.

 

[HikariChan]

My dearest Pearlshipping (gonna make it short)

1 - Why do you support this ship?
I support them because of their chemistry, the way they interacted with each other was really a point of attraction to me, to the point that I've never had shipped anything on Pokémon before. I really like the way they support and understand each other, they have perfect synchro even... they sure had some quarrels like with all of the other companions that Ash have had on his journey, but they make up inmediately, because they really understand each other. They even had a sign to show their fondness and closeness (their hi-touch) and never once failed on support each other at important times. And, even after a while of not seeing each other they still were able to maintain their perfect synchro at battling together, they kind of grew up together and became better by the side of the other, is just like the song that they both sing says ~ (Hi-touch: Nice partner~ nice rival~)

2 - When did you start shipping it? Was it during its run or after it was over on-screen? mmm when I started to see the differences between the way they interacted with the others while watching the show, specially Ash, it was not something that I loved at first glance.

3 - Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship? Why or why not?
yes, because I still love them as if DP was still on tv, I just really like the couple, I still love every moment that they shared while the show was on and the way they interacted together has no equal to me, as I said, this couple is the first that I really noticed and shipped.

4 - Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes? There are many, as I said, the way they interacted, they always supported each other, Ash even was capable of noticing when something was troubling Dawn even if she herself didn't want to say it out loud, and Dawn went out of her way just to make Ash happy when she felt that he was feeling down (she even make a show specially for him, just to cheer him up after losing with Paul) and of course, is always special to me, their hi-touch, it was something of theirs. just theirs. everytime to cheer each other up or to say goodbye, they would do that, that's a very special sign of the couple, they even sing about it xD I love it, they did it even in BW (because to them the distance and the time is nothing ~ )

 

[idawnhikari]

I choose Pearlshipping:

1 - Why do you support this ship?
From the beginning Ash and Dawn had so much in common. They both saw Legendary pokemon at the start of their journey, they both keep Pikachu and Piplup
out their pokeballs and when you think about it their personalities are almost the same. Add the fact that they have a theme song"High Touch" that they sing together
as a duet describing their feelings for each other just furthers my reasons.

2-When did you start shipping it? Was it during its run or after it was over on-screen?
I started shipping it as soon as Dawn appeared in the first episode of DP. I just knew just by looking at her that she was perfect for Ash.

3 - Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship? Why or why not?
I'll always feel the same way about this shipping because for one I'm a HUGE Dawn fan(she's my favorite character of all time). I love how she actually showed
character development and had a lot of episodes solely dedicated to her. She was like a sub main protagonist and that was awesome considering how much screen time Ash gets.

4 - Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes?
There are so many hints but i'm not going to jump into them all, instead I'll just bring up the two that is best in my eyes. In the episode "Pruning a Passel of Pals" Ash could
not sleep so he attempted to sneak out for a walk Dawn followed him as he was about to go and she asked where he was going showing that she cares if Ash isn't with her,
also in the same episode Dawn makes Piplup use bubblebeam on Ash to tease him. The second one is in the episode "O'er the Rampardos we watched" Dawn dresses up as a
cheerleader to cheer for Ash in his rematch against Roark, claiming it was support for all the special training she did with Ash.

 

[Pearlover]

Well i will tell why i chose Pearlshiping at the poll

Why do you support this ship?
Because they feel so close to each other in many differents ways. Ash and Dawn take care of each other a lot and they complement each other almost perfectly, learning from each other new things and improving together, like a couple would do. Also they look great together and feels right.

When did you start shipping it?
I started at early DP, not as strongly as I actually do but i feel something special between them, in fact i dropped the pokemon anime in AG in Battle Frontier because it started to feel not that exciting or interesting, them i heard about the, at the time, new DP season and I wasn´t sure to give it a try but i do it in the end and i liked it a lot, Dawn feels diferent even from the first epidodes and when she meets Ash and started traveling with him, little by little but continuesly they friendship grows in truly shape and actually I returned to pokemon because of that they together were very interesting, close to each other and at the same level as co-stars of DP, even Brock looks like the third wheel of the DP trio a lot of times, and week after week i was more sure about the ship and I am, this is the first and only pokemon amine shipping that I have shipped ever, and I have watched it since OS to BW Da!, and it will likely remain like that because of their special and solid bound.

Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship?
Yes, I think i will always do it, it is unique in the pokemon anime and I think this ship is the closer we will get in the pokemon anime to a romance and love between characters until the end of the series. There are sometimes that i don´t feel like seeing or looking for pearl related stuff but them when i see one i remember what made me like it so much,their moments, their chemistry, and I continue like always supporting it.

Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes?
Well High Touch to me was like the cherry to the cake, the intro text of the japanese openings of DP also gives some hints, but the most important ones are the ones in the anime, their support, ash seeing all of Dawn contests and constantly supporting looking for her well being, in contrast to the May ones in wich he trained with his pokemon instead of seem some of them, and Dawn supporting Ash and traveling with him for all his journey even if Zoey and kenny wanted her to travel with them, she still wanted to be by his side, cheerleading for him at the gyms like she does,helping each other constantly like a couple would, not being a one sided ship at all the two of them have lot of memorable moments and hints, also the movie ones gives them even more consistency to their bound. All in all this shipping is one of the strongest ones in the pokemon anime to my eyes and i wouldn´t be surpriced at all if they end up together, that would be really good writing of the history and a nice and logic and cute clausure to them.

 

[AlotAAML]

Pokeshipping is my OTP

Why do you support this ship?
I support this ship because I LOVE Misty's personality, some might not like it but I like people like Misty, who are headstrong and stand up for what they believe in. Misty was also the first anime girl I have ever seen, ever. She was Ash's first travelling partner and I feel like that when she left, it was the most dramatic. I used to think Pokeshipping was canon but now that I think of it, in Japan, Pearlshipping is the most popular , but anyways, there is still a possibility it might be canon because in the Japanese trailer of the first Pokemon movie (The original trailer that was supposed to end the series), it showed Misty in the field with a child. In Pokemon movie 2000 (Pokeshipping movie 2000) there was the biggest Pokeshipping moment ever too. Also, May has Drew and Dawn has Kenny or Barry, while Misty has no one but Ash. I just really want to see these two together.

When did you start shipping it? Was it during its run or after it was over on-screen?
After it was on-screen. When I saw the original seasons (I was 6 at that time), I just assumed that Ash and Misty were a couple. After I stopped watching Pokemon, which was during Advanced Battles, I suddenly became curious if Misty really was Ash's girlfriend. After searching, I noticed that they weren't but there was a huge fanbase for Pokeshipping. At the same day, I had a DREAM about Pokeshipping. That dream was so vivid that I could still remember it. Ever since that dream, I became increasingly interested in Pokeshipping and am still very interested in it.

Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship? Why or why not?
I will always feel the same way about this ship because it's my OTP. The MAIN reason why I like the Romance genre (I'm a guy) is because of Pokeshipping. Whenever I read a book and the two main characters seem interested in each other, I substitute their names with Ash and Misty. This shipping never seems to lose its steam and even if its popularity dies down, I will always still love it.

Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes?
The Orange Island Arc was a dead giveaway. Also Pokemon movie 2000 had really great hints and the Chronicle episodes had some nice hints. The first trailer of the first Pokemon movie seemed very interesting too, I really wanted to read the original script to see why Misty is with a child. I also think this ship is canon because people like Brock and Tracey and Melody always tried to pair these two together. They always have their fights but they always resolve them and their relationship gets stronger too. Misty's cameo in AG didn't really show much hints but I love how the writers manage to cameo Misty in EVERY arc (From AG all the way to BW). It seems like the writers want to remind the viewers who Misty is. Also, in the AG opening, it showed Ash's mom AND Misty together in the queen of hearts card. I think this is a dead giveaway too.

 

[Midnightmoon6o2]

I support Advance, even though I have many ships I love dearly, Advance I think will always be ahead of them all, just a little.

1 - Why do you support this ship?


I ship them because of how refreshing their relationship was at the time. May was a completely different person to the tomboy Misty. Also the teacher and mentor relationship Ash and May had just turned my love for this ship on. It was all so new and plus, Ash and May had so much in common. It was if they had anything else in common, I would explode in happiness. And the way Ash would defend May to the extent of battling over one of her rivals to prove a point was cute. I had never seen Ash go so defensive to the point of battling that person that insulted his friends.

Ash was also more mature in this saga because of being a teacher to May. Even in the middle of the saga he never stopped teaching her and would blame himself for her lost. This, was just so new I couldn't help but ship them. Even when May returned in DP she always looked up to her ribbon and called it her lucky charm and would always remind her of Ash. Any shipper would smile after hearing May's words. Oh, good times.

On the terms of fanart and fan fiction they did not pull me in as much as AMV's. Just the happiness a single 2min music video can bring to the shipper is amazing. It can make them write and draw right after. I believe it was a Advanceshipping AMV that made me first consider to ship these two. I've been writing and drawing my OTP for the last five years. I believe this is proven that this one ship that isn't going to sink so easily.

So in other words, I ship them for their unique mentor x student relationship and how well they work together.

2 - When did you start shipping it? Was it during its run or after it was over on-screen?

I started shipping them when the Wallace cup aired in Japan. I was watching AG beforehandwhen it aired and well, I just fell in love.

3 - Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship? Why or why not?

Yes. My views have changed over the years but my feelings stay the same. I will continue to ship them even though I'll ship Ash or May with another character. My love for this ship might go under the radar from time to time but my love is still there.

If a ship has been part of you for a very long time it will take a long time to forget about it. Heck, a ship could be even part of your childhood making it twice as important to lets say, a ship you just started shipping. There is no value, there is no connection compared to a ship you have love so much during your years of growing up. Like as much I love Advanceshipping, Pokeshipping is just as important as my love for Advance.

4 - Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes?

Well, there was one where May nearly got hit by Donphans and Ash jumped to save her. First time touching a girl if I'm correct. Hehe. Also when May was trapped with all the grass type pokemon. I loved how far Ash went to save her. And the hints in the ninth movie was like so much to handle in one sitting I had to watch it again to understand the movie. That movie, was just so beautiful, it filled me so much joy. And it still does.

Just the way they work with each other and how well they blend together just gives me the sense that these two could (I stress the word could) get together but of course, if this was the way the anime was going to head they wouldn't say it in an obvious manner. They know there are lots of fans in the pokemon fandom, making one ship canon out of a million would break a lot of hearts.

 

[Adelaide1994]

Let me start off by saying that I am a proud member of the PearlShipping camp and it is one of the few ships that I patriotically support in anime.

1 - Why do you support this ship?

I support this pairing because of its coined romantic friendship and light harmony. In the eyes of this shipper, Ash and Dawn had the best chemistry in the whole series and were fully committed to each other. Be it what situation, both of the were side by side, on the same wavelength as Ivan stated. The things they did for each other despite not asking for it is what made smile despite Pokémon not focusing on romance as a whole. It shows that the pairing was based on companionship and selflessness. We saw Ash and Dawn alone in nearly every DP movie poster and except for the Zoroark movie were the ones who mostly took a stand against the villains. Dawn taught Ash the spinning technique which became a staple in his battling strategy. Selflessness was portrayed in my opinion by Dawn when she told Maylene how much she was worried that she was holding Ash back from his dreams(legit in both English and RAW). While May and Misty supported Ash to their fullest, Dawn in my opinion went the exta mile with her cute cheerleading(which Ash was appreciative of) and performing that circus JUST so that he(and his pokemon) wouldn't be depressed anymore after his crushing loss against Paul in the 6 on 6 battle. I remember in the same episode that she even wanted to follow him after he left the Pokémon center in pain. Dawn always wants Ash to be careful and was even angry that he put himself in danger's way(DP144). She went as far to say that he was "incredible" and still continues to believe so. Ash got emotional(hiding behind his cap) after Dawn lost in the first round at Solaceon. It was the first time I had seen Ash so upset(other than him separating from Brock and Misty in OS). To sum it up, the selflessness and companionship of the two characters in the pairing made me the never say die shipper I am today

2 - When did you start shipping it?

I started to first ship it when I saw the Bulbapedia hint list for the pairing. Many of the moments won me over, but I truly did not know that the shipping as popular or was promoted in Japan. Nevertheless, the ship magically came to me on its own. I began to feel won over by the purity of the pairing. I noticed that many people on different sites although, they did not support the pairing, found it cute. It also helped that we have one of the best artists in Endless Summer. Her work really inspired me to draw Pearl art. Another thing is that I fell in love with Dawn's character since her debut. She reminded me of Ash in his OS days and it gradually hit me that they would be a sweet and caring couple.

3 - Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship? Why or why not?

I can without a shadow of a doubt that I will always feel attached to PearlShipping as it has been a powerful imprint on my life as a Pokémon and DP fan. The reason why I will never be disappointed with it is because I have gained the "PearlShipping Spirit". In my definition, the PearlShipping spirit is a force which binds us PearlShippers together despite the good and the bad times. We feel attracted by Ash and Dawn's signature "Daijoubu" phrase and we have a tendency to never give up on the essence of the pairing. I will always remember the fantastic times reading the first Pearl thread created by DaniiPhantomHott and how the name PearlShipping was coined. We slowly built up to be a ship that became noticed and soon the reigns as thread leader became passed down to PKLegendHeroe. His thread oversaw what I like to call the greatest moment in PearlShipping History-High Touch. Soon, he gave way to our longstanding member Pokefan#493, who has overseen the greatest thread in our history here at sSrebii. Every member experienced the joys, the lows of this pairing. We laughed, we despaired and we stood together while watching the Trainer from Pallet and the Coordinator from Twinleaf form a great bond. We had great members who passed on the essence, or spirit of the pairing and I find myself a bigger PearlShipper in 2013 than I ever was in 2008 or 2009.

4 - Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes?

In my eyes, I believe that PearlShipping as a whole is our greatest hint and treasure. Like Ivan and Loko have stated before me, PearlShipping relied on the progression of Ash and Dawn's growing bond. The song "High Touch" portrayed in my opinion some of the most shippiest lyrics in Pokémon anime. For example the lyrics ""doesn't matter what, I'm happy you're there for me", "Protecting me", "Saving me", and "I have lots of things I want to tell you, but for now thank for being with me" in my opinion have HUGE romantic undertones and a deep friendship. This is why many of us coined the title "romantic friendship" for our beloved pairing.

 

[cellophanerose]

Oopsie, I forgot to type up my answers for pokeshipping.. here goes:

1 - Why do you support this ship?
I always loved watching them banter on screen, but then have tender moments later -it reminded me of how little kids made fun of the person they liked. There is a certain mutual respect for each other, especially in misty's cameos, that makes it obvious they care for each other deeply. I like to believe that they keep in touch with phone calls and letters because I can't see them not interacting with each other for long periods of time. I also have an affinity towards one-sided love being reciprocated, through means of internal struggle/revelation. It's very obvious that misty understands that she likes ash, but ash.. not so much. he's far too clueless to put 2 and 2 together when it comes to romance, so something happening to ash for him to see what his feelings are is what I'm rooting for!

2 - When did you start shipping it? Was it during its run or after it was over on-screen?
During its run when I was a kid. Even back then, I thought they would make a cute couple. I might have some crudely drawn pictures of them holding hands from when I was 7/8...

3 - Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship? Why or why not?
There will definitely always be a place in my heart for this ship, because there always has been. Even if I'm not actively supporting it, the feelings will remain unchanged because I've supported it for so long and found others who feel the same.

4 - Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes?
Orange Islands. Enough said.
But seriously, some of my favorite hints were from the OS, such as the tower of terror. isn't it weird that only misty could hear ash?? that still confuses me. Another one is ghost of maidens peak at the end where they're in their kimonos and it does a shoujo-styled bubbly background of misty from ash's viewpoint. I mean, when has ash EVER shown to look at someone like that, sans that one girl from episode the school of hard knocks? Even then it wasn't like he was entranced the same way he was when he saw misty and stared for a good 5 seconds, mouth agape. I'm probably over-romanticizing it, but it was still a great hint.

 

[lara lynx]

I voted a while ago, but didn't answer the questionnaire ^_^; so here goes
I'm a contestshipper.

Why do you support this ship?
I see it as one of the most plausible ships to maybe become canon one day (if pokemon were the kind of show to let relationships happen, which I'm not sure it is). I think Drew was written into the show with the purpose of being Mays love interest and rival. And its been almost confirmed to at least one-sidedly canon (in the dub Solidad states the Drew has feelings for her).

When did you start shipping it?
I stopped watching the show for a long time, and when I started watching again the first episode I saw was Drew's debut. I think I was drawn to the instant chemistry they had - the way he could so easily antagonize her - and that kept me watching them. I think I then properly shipped them in Drew's second episode, when he gives her the rose and starts taking an interest in her.

Do you think you'll always feel this way about this ship?
Yup. Like I said, its the ship that I feel is most likely to one day be resolved. And as long as there's a slim chance that they might have May in an episode again, I'll keep an eye on them

Which hint(s) make this ship canon or most plausible in your eyes?
So so many. The obvious ones like the roses, or the other characters who point out their feelings (Solidad, Brianna, Harley). And the way Drew seems to always be looking out for her. My favourite however is probably the way their relationship has developed over time. Towards the end they really respected each other and became much more confident and comfortable with one another.