Despite being one of the most favorite ships of fans in PokemonAsh and Misty have proven not to be one of the series' long-term couples. Over the years, the anime has presented the main hero with many companions. Of all the girls Ash was friends with, however, none were as close to a potential relationship as Serena.
Pokemon It began airing in 1997 in Japan, with the English release a year later. From the beginning, fans have had a number of ships they've cheered on. One of the most popular varieties in the US Pokemon Anime series was Ash and Misty, his long-time traveling companions. Considering the age of the characters (Ash is consistently said to be 10 years old in each Pokemon season) and the audience, it makes sense that there would be no official relationships early on. However, after twenty-five years, there still haven't been many romantic developments for the series' longtime hero, except for one particular character: Serena.
Serena is Ash's true love in the Pokemon anime, not Misty
Pokemon is produced by OLM and based on the video game franchise by Game Freak
Several moments and songs from the series and associated films have implied that Misty has romantic feelings for Ash. Misty's feelings are teased at Pokemon the movie 2000And the episode Misty meets her match! in Pokemon: Adventures in the Orange Islands, As well as in the songs "Misty's song" (Pokemon: 2.BA Lord) And "He drives me crazy" (totally Pokemon), which are sung from Misty's perspective and discuss the feelings she cannot openly share.
However, the hints of romance were never fully developed, and many of the hints towards a romantic Ash and Misty relationship were added through the dub. Misty would eventually leave the show as a regular, to be replaced by other female leads like May, Dawn, Iris, and eventually, Serena, a new romantic "rival" of sorts. Pokemon XYThe sixth generation series. As such, fan ships are typically split into two groups: PokéShipping (Ash and Misty) and AmourShipping (Ash and Serena).
An implied kiss between Ash and Serena happened when the XYZ The seasons with Serena ended and the two said goodbye to each other.
Serena is unique among Ash's female traveling companions in that she met Ash before the series when the two were younger; He helped her at a summer camp after she got injured. throughout XYIt is clear that Serena has a crush on him, to the extent that it is even discussed by others. While the two never had an official relationship, an implied kiss between Ash and Serena happened when the XYZ Seasons starring Serena ended and the two said goodbye. This gives her a leg up on Misty, who has never kissed Ash.
Did Pokemon ever hint that Ash and Misty were a potential couple?
Many of the hints at an ashy/foggy romance are dubbed originals
The Ash/Misty ship in particular is more common in the Western fandom than it is in Japan, though it obviously has its fair share of supporters there as well. This is partly due to some of the changes that the Pokemon Anime dub made to dialogue, trying to make Misty's feelings for Ash into something more open. There are of course moments in the original that are not changed, such as Misty blushing when you think of Ash, but these are often turned around when translating to make them more obvious, implying an intensity that is absent in the Japanese versions .
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One of the most infamous examples of how the dub changed Misty's dialogue to suggest a relationship between them is in "Brock's Heartbreak," where Misty comments about marrying Ash, a line that was not in the Japanese version. Additionally, it was the "2B A Master" music CD that was released in support of the anime and featured a song entitled "Misty's Song", which sings about her feelings for Ash and how she wants to confess them. The song was also featured in the "Pokemon Live!" stage play, but is entirely the creation of Western companies like 4Kids.
Although Misty clearly has some feelings for Ash, even in the Japanese version, the idea of a full romance blossoming is largely due to changes in the dubbing process. There is no indication that the original anime ever planned to canonize Ash and Misty, though the manga adaptation The electric part of Pikachu Does hint at a relationship fairly difficult. Still, this manga represents a distinctly different continuity than the anime, so it can't really be used to support plans for the anime itself.
No romance for Ash Ketchum
Despite the teasing and many other potential romantic interests along the way (Melody in Pokemon the movie 2000Latias/Bianca in Pokemon HeroesRent in Pokemon XY/XYZ), Ash did not disclose romantic feelings for any of his companions. It is known that he respects his companions, as well as the time he spent there. Ash once expressed that he misses them or carries with him memories of them, like Misty's fishing lure. It is fair to point out, however, that Ash also has a crush on Cilan, another traveler with whom he had no romantic ties.
When it was announced that Ash Ketchum would be leaving the series, many fans hoped that a romance would finally be established for Ash. Hopes grew even stronger once it was clear that Misty and Ash would reunite for Ash's final 13 episodes, offering a chance to provide a capstone to their relationship. However, the series once again ignores Ash and Misty's potential romance; Their interactions in the final episodes were no more romantic than in early episodes, and she played a relatively small role in the finale.
Even Ash and Misty's final goodbye was disappointingly casual, putting the last nail in the coffin for a canonical Ash and Misty romance. Serena herself saw one last comeback appearance late in the Pokemon Journeys As well, but in this episode, she and Ash only see each other momentarily and don't get a chance to talk, leaving their potential romance unresolved.
Serena may not be as prominent as Misty in these Pokemon franchise as a whole, but she was the girl who came closest to declaring her feelings for AshAnd even took a step further in revealing them, which gives her more claim to the title than Misty.
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