Was 4Kids the only one to blame for “Pokeshipping”

[Sham]

A lot of fans say Misty and Ash were never attracted to each other and that 4Kids made the whole thing up. Unfortunately I didn’t start watching the sub until BW so I’m not sure if the subbed version OS had any hints but it’s always been something I’ve been curious about especially since episodes like Ash vs Rudy heavily implied they liked each other. 4Kids is knowing for adding a lot of stuff that the original never had but I’m oblivious to this particular subject.

 

[Kintaro]

Misty did still canonly have a crush on Ash in the first few seasons, although 4kids generally embellished it. But it is there in the original, all the blushes still exist, etc. The writers did it because back then Pokemon was intended to be a short-lived series and most kids cartoons have a romance between the male/female lead.

Once Johto came along the shipping dried up because the writers realized the show was going to go on forever, so that's why it came to a hold. They gave some throwbacks to it in Misty's goodbye ep and then dropped it, hence why during Misty's AG cameos there's no shipping hints at all.

Then of course with XY they made Serena's crush a big thing, so that's something they actively put into the show.

 

[Shadao]

A lot of fans say Misty and Ash were never attracted to each other and that 4Kids made the whole thing up. Unfortunately I didn’t start watching the sub until BW so I’m not sure if the subbed version OS had any hints but it’s always been something I’ve been curious about especially since episodes like Ash vs Rudy heavily implied they liked each other. 4Kids is knowing for adding a lot of stuff that the original never had but I’m oblivious to this particular subject.

Well, the original Japanese version did hint of a special relationship between Kasumi and Satoshi. I wouldn't say it's obvious; it was more ambiguous as to what Kasumi was thinking about Satoshi. Instead of the typical "Likes Satoshi?", it is simply "?" for the anime relationship tree in one of the early promos of the anime (which I can't find for some reason).

This means it can either be interpreted as a romance or just plain friendship. After all, the focus isn't really on romance, just Pokémon.

What 4Kids did was amplify the subtle Pokeshipping hints to be far more obvious, even going as far inventing new ones. And since the English dub was what most Pokémon fans (at least here in west) saw, this consequently created a hype dissonance when people found out about the original Japanese version and that the anime's path was determined by whatever folks at Japan were dictating. So when it turned out that a good chunk of the Pokéshipping were English-exclusive additions, it deflated a lot of people's belief in Pokéshipping. If Japan wasn't that obvious with shipping hints compared to 4Kids (and this was happening when it became clear only Satoshi/Ash Ketchum and Pikachu would be the only consistent characters of the rotating cast), what hope there could be for any relationship for our main character, let alone Pokéshipping?

Which is why Serena gained a lot of traction with the shipping fans. Unlike with Kasumi, the majority of the ship teases was from the Japanese version and they were less subtle.

 

[Kintaro]

It also didn't help matters 4kids added Misty references in AG. In the Jirachi movie when Ash tells Max he "misses an old friend everyday" implying Misty, that wasn't in the original at all. In Japanese there's no references to her at all.

I think when AG was airing 4kids thought Misty would eventually come back to the series like how Brock did after Tracey replaced him, hence why they put in Misty references throughout AG thinking she would come back after it ended. Little did they know they would lose the entire license by the time hoenn ended...lol

 

[Pokegirl Fan~]

Not really but they really pushed it.

 

[Kintaro]

They also pushed it with stuff outside the anime like, "Misty's song," and "Under the Mistletoe" they put on the U.S. CD's back in 1999-2000. A lot of people thought those songs were official by the Japanese, so of course they wound up thinking Pokeshipping was a bigger deal than it was.

Honestly, Misty's crush was treated as pretty much a running gag. She did like him, but it never gave me the impression it was supposed to go somewhere unless the anime really did end by the end of Johto. Serena's crush felt more like a running storyline, and even that had to end when Serena had to leave.

 

[UltimateNinja]

Yes they did. Shudo even confirmed himself that they never intended to make Misty a love interest for Ash. The only canon hint there was for a potential romantic relationship between those two was pretty much the second movie and maybe that heart card from Spurt. Outside of that, it was 4Kids dub who wanted to force PokeShipping into many interaction between Ash and Misty and made it seem like it was a hint for a romantic relationship.

In the original Misty pretty much thought of Ash as a close friend, which may develop into romantic feelings for him, but her having a crush on him was never case. And yeah I actually think one of the reasons why Orangeshipping actually exist is to prove that it was never intended that Misty was crushing on Ash.

As of now I can't remember exactly if there was any Pokeshipping hint in those SM episodes she appeared him so I need to rewatch that part of SM to see if the writer actually care for that shipping or not.

 

[Kintaro]

Most shipping was probably in Orange Islands, with Movie 2, the Danny and Rudy Gym battles, and "A Scare in the Air" on the blimp when TR accused Ash and Misty of liking each other after Brock left.

 

[Kutie Pie]

I consider it similar to how Saban zoned in on the Tai/Sora pairing in Digimon when in actuality, it was Matt/Sora. The problem was, it was too subtle in the original Japanese to where even the voice actors expressed surprise Sora ended up with Matt. This was done to subvert the expectations that the main girl would fall for the main hero and not the lone wolf.

I do believe in the original there was chemistry between Ash and Misty just because the animation shows it. The voice actors cemented that further, however; as I've not watched much of the original subbed, I'm going off the assumption the original Japanese voice actors worked off each other very well likewise how Veronica Taylor and Rachel Lillis worked off each other well as the characters. I don't know why 4KIDS insisted they were an item (albeit one-sided, Ash was always portrayed as oblivious), but I think it was honestly inevitable that we'd get your PokeShippers, and your PalletShippers, and your OrangeShippers, et cetera, et cetera.

RocketShipping is all but officially/explicitly confirmed, so if you're looking for some kind of romance in Pokemon (prior to XY), that was your go-to pairing. Though funnily enough, I don't think 4KIDS pushed Jessie/James as much as they did Ash/Misty. Just kinda something I've noticed.

 

[Kintaro]

I don't know why 4KIDS insisted they were an item (albeit one-sided, Ash was always portrayed as oblivious), but I think it was honestly inevitable that we'd get your PokeShippers, and your PalletShippers, and your OrangeShippers, et cetera, et cetera..

It's as I said, when the anime first started people didn't think it would go on forever, the anime was originally going to end in Kanto, or at the most, people assumed it would end by Johto. Most kids shows have a romance between male and female leads, so it was the norm for the time. It's only when Pokemon became this huge fad and overwhelming success when they realized the show would go on for decades, and that Misty would be expendable for new female companions while Ash could not, that it was essentially dropped.

Also when Hoenn was originally airing, a lot of people wrongly assumed Misty could come back because Brock did when Tracey replaced him. But this time around the original character stayed gone and May and all the following female companions became popular to move on from the original trio forever. In retrospect all those Misty vs. May debates from the early 2000's would have likely never happened (or at least, not as much), if everyone knew from the start Misty would never return to the cast and we'd get new female leads every series.

 

[Moonlight Starlight]

Ash in the first few seasons, although 4kids generally embellished it. But it is there in the original, all the blushes still exist, etc. The writers did it because back then Pokemon was intended to be a short-lived series and most kids cartoons have a romance between the male/female lead.

I started to realize beside not having just Pokeshipping being the hit off pairing but realize that the writers like to add other girls liking Ash. Having a harem series going on just adding the chosen girls going on like Fireshipping Ash x Macey, Abilityshipping Ash x Anabel, Morepheusshipping Ash x Angie , Kissshipping Ash x Melody and Amourshipping Ash x Serena. I give my respect to these shippings people like. And not just liking Pokeshipping forever bit these others shipping on top I mention too.

 

[Kintaro]

To be fair the writers throw in subtle ship teases between Ash and all his female companions, the writers probably do it because they know everyone ships Ash with every main girl each gen.

 

[Moonlight Starlight]

Yes they did. Shudo even confirmed himself that they never intended to make Misty a love interest for Ash. The only canon hint there was for a potential romantic relationship between those two was pretty much the second movie and maybe that heart card from Spurt. Outside of that, it was 4Kids dub who wanted to force PokeShipping into many interaction between Ash and Misty and made it seem like it was a hint for a romantic relationship.

In the original Misty pretty much thought of Ash as a close friend, which may develop into romantic feelings for him, but her having a crush on him was never case. And yeah I actually think one of the reasons why Orangeshipping actually exist is to prove that it was never intended that Misty was crushing on Ash.

As of now I can't remember exactly if there was any Pokeshipping hint in those SM episodes she appeared him so I need to rewatch that part of SM to see if the writer actually care for that shipping or not.

They would make Misty be just one of Ash's main harem like they did with other girls liking Ash not making Pokeshipping fade or never happen.

 

[Doppelgänger]

Was 4Kids the only one to blame for “Pokeshipping”

Misty did still canonly have a crush on Ash in the first few seasons, although 4kids generally embellished it. But it is there in the original, all the blushes still exist, etc. The writers did it because back then Pokemon was intended to be a short-lived series and most kids cartoons have a romance between the male/female lead.

It looks like you answered your own question.

 

[Redstar45]

Yes they did. Shudo even confirmed himself that they never intended to make Misty a love interest for Ash. The only canon hint there was for a potential romantic relationship between those two was pretty much the second movie and maybe that heart card from Spurt. Outside of that, it was 4Kids dub who wanted to force PokeShipping into many interaction between Ash and Misty and made it seem like it was a hint for a romantic relationship.

In the original Misty pretty much thought of Ash as a close friend, which may develop into romantic feelings for him, but her having a crush on him was never case. And yeah I actually think one of the reasons why Orangeshipping actually exist is to prove that it was never intended that Misty was crushing on Ash.

As of now I can't remember exactly if there was any Pokeshipping hint in those SM episodes she appeared him so I need to rewatch that part of SM to see if the writer actually care for that shipping or not.

Not really as she still tease him but it is more like a female friend play joke on their male counterpart not a crush tease .
@Kintaro they played it in most manga with mangapokeshipping and the electric tail of pikachu manga deal with that as well .

 

[Moonlight Starlight]

To be fair the writers throw in subtle ship teases between Ash and all his female companions, the writers probably do it because they know everyone ships Ash with every main girl each gen.

I'm fine with few chosen girls liking Ash especially Misty too. Melody, Macey, Anabel, Angie and Serena too.

 

[Redstar45]

They would make Misty be just one of Ash's main harem like they did with other girls liking Ash not making Pokeshipping fade or never happen.

That sound too fan fiction to me .

 

[Kintaro]

I think the other problem is everyone wrongly assumed every reference to Misty is a "hint." The Misty fishing lure appears, people immediately consider it shipping. The animators put hearts in a scene Misty is in during the background, people immediately jump to shipping, (even though they do the same thing with every other girl).

Most of this stuff is just fun references. For example Ash referenced Dawn's Piplup in that early XY filler, nobody jumped to the conclusion of Pearlshipping.

 

[Aduro]

I think we've all seen shippers makemore of less than the orginal anime gave Ash and Misty. Even characters who have never come into context can get a lot of shipping. Maybe a few extra bits were implied by the dub. But honestly I don't think Ash has shown definite physical attraction to a girl since Giselle back in early Kanto.

 

[Moonlight Starlight]

I think we've all seen shippers makemore of less than the orginal anime gave Ash and Misty. Even characters who have never come into context can get a lot of shipping. Maybe a few extra bits were implied by the dub. But honestly I don't think Ash has shown definite physical attraction to a girl since Giselle back in early Kanto.

I remember that episode way back in the Kanto that Ash did show attraction to Giselle because she pretty that means Serena can't beat her. Lol
And also I don't want to be off-topic when this is about Pokeshipping were talking about.