Being a children's series with characters who don't seem to ever age, Pokémon has almost completely stayed away from making love stories a canonical feature. Still, there have been enough hints and teases for fans to consider some pairings as romances.
Over time, these couples have grown on to develop fans of their own, while some other implied romances haven't set the stage on fire. As the anime is set in a different universe than the manga and video games, only those shown in the films and shows are a focus. That said, not every fan gets behind every potential Pokémon ship.
|
Beloved Pokémon Relationships |
Rejected Pokémon Relationships |
|---|---|
|
Ash & Serena |
Brock & Misty |
|
Brock & Lucy |
Ash & Melody |
|
May & Drew |
Ash & Latias |
|
Ash & Sam |
Jessie & James |
|
Ash & Misty |
Professor Oak & Delia Ketchum |
Beloved Pokémon Relationships
Ash & Serena
Within canon, Serena's the closest Ash has ever come to having a real girlfriend, and she most certainly has made her interest in him clear. Her entire run in the series was based on her crush on Ash, and each season seemed to bring them closer.
Eventually, her exit saw her even kiss Ash goodbye, which was met with a unanimously positive response from the fanbase. If the show were to ever decide on giving Ash a permanent love interest, then Serena's a lock-in to fill that role.
Brock & Lucy
Out of the many women Brock has fallen for, Lucy was the one person who returned his feelings. Rather than be annoyed by him, Lucy would always blush each time Brock proclaimed his love for her. It ultimately didn't go anywhere since Brock had to continue with Ash for the Battle Frontier, but fans enjoyed seeing a girl who didn't reject Brock.
Lucy's shy personality also came across as very becoming, providing a good contrast to the loud and proud Brock. Their goodbye is another well-liked moment for fans, as it leaves things for interpretation whether these two could get together in the future — an idea most will agree sounds great.
May & Drew
It's always fun to see a relationship blossom between characters who used to be rivals, and the constant headbutting that May and Drew had with one another was something fans never got tired of. Due to being around May, Drew started to shed his rude behavior, ending up as her friend instead.
Following this, fans liked how May and Drew started to have an understanding, and their interactions were filled with chemistry. Of course, being Pokémon, their transition to friendship meant Drew was written out, but there's no doubt that many fans will favor a romance.
Ash & Sam
A fair amount of fans feel it's time for an LGBT angle in the series, with some pointing out that this might have been hinted as far back as Pokémon 4Ever. In this movie, Ash became friends with the time-displaced Sam and was completely shattered and in tears when Sam went back.
Ash and Sam's budding friendship — combined with their heartbreaking separation — has been a topic of intrigue, with fanfiction being based around a possible attraction. Those who've seen the movie will most certainly agree that there was something there, an idea that has been met with enthusiasm among viewers.
Ash & Misty
There's no doubt by now that there's never going to be another pairing in Pokémon that will reach the level of fans Ash x Misty did. After all, the first several seasons of the show had the "will they/won't they" relationship of Ash and Misty as the main hook. Even after several years of absence on Misty's part, fans still wait for her to reunite with Ash.
Unlike other romances, which are mainly up to interpretation, this one was heavily implied several times. Their progressively strengthening relationship from initial hostility to mutual respect is the best bit of character development from the show. No matter what happens in the future, you can best the Ash and Misty pairing will remain just as popular.
Rejected Pokémon Relationship
Brock & Misty
While their friendship remains one of the most liked ones from the series, the idea of romance between Brock and Misty isn't acceptable to many fans. At one point during the original seasons of the show, Brock and Misty seemed to get closer, especially due to her habit of pulling him away from his crushes.
However, things didn't go further than that, mainly due to fans not being on board with the idea of Ash's pals becoming an item. By the end of Misty's run as a main character, she was back to having most scenes with Ash while her relationship with Brock remained strictly on friendly terms.
Ash & Melody
The second film in the series brought the character of Melody as a foil for Misty, being a very forward girl who didn't waste time in flirting with Ash. He himself was rather taken aback by her candor, which showed fans that his awkwardness didn't go well with Melody's outspoken nature.
In any case, Melody's role was clearly meant to elevate Misty's relationship in the eyes of the viewer, meaning the flirtatious interactions with Ash were never going to go anywhere. An attraction this shallow was doomed to fail anyway.
Ash & Latias
The Pokémon Latias used the appearance of a girl named Bianca to integrate herself among people and developed a crush on Ash. Despite being from another species, it was clear she had a soft spot for him and kissed him on the cheek in farewell.
The film tried to bring up the idea of a romantic story between the two, but the fact that Latias is still a Pokémon is something that gets in the way of fan approval. Most consider Bianca herself as a viable love interest over Latias, and interspecies romance hasn't turned out to be a popular idea.
Jessie & James
When the show started, the idea of Jessie and James being together was generally accepted. However, fans have changed their opinion over the years. Jessie and James' goofiness and partnership with the equally kooky Meowth has meant that the fanbase considers them to be a family of sorts, and adding an attraction between the two would interrupt this image.
Fans most certainly consider their platonic relationship to be a highlight, but their romance in the manga, which ended with Jessie becoming pregnant, wasn't as well received. In terms of the show, most fans are content with their usual relationship.
Professor Oak & Delia Ketchum
It's been a running gag among older viewers that Professor Oak might be secretly seeing Ash's mom behind his back, considering they always seem to be together. However, barely anyone views it as anything other than a joke, with the idea of making this canonical strange.
The notion hasn't been met with positive feedback, as fans are still wondering what the deal with Ash's real father is. Also, seeing as Professor Oak was Sam as a boy, the pairing of the younger Sam with Ash is preferred over a secret relationship between Oak and Delia.