13/08/2015 12:40

Were you always a Pearlshipper?

Honestly, I was not even a shipper. It might be even surprising to some people that I hated Pokémon at first. I don't really know why I hated it, I just found it to be boring and uninteresting. Plus at the time I was only around 4 or 5 years old. Then about one and a half years later my older brother was watching the advanced generation on TV and I found myself glued to the television. Since then I never recalled anything about the anime so I was basically done with it. A couple of years later, around my first year in high school, my friends were talking about the latest episodes of Pokémon and that time the DP season was airing. So I became curious and began to search for Pokémon episodes and watched it from the very beginning. Misty was an intolerable orange-haired freak in my eyes so I never really fancied her; plus she was a little violent. May intrigued me much more than Misty and I liked how she became the "Princess of Hoenn" from a girl who was actually never interested in Pokémon whatsoever. To be honest, I liked Ash's and May's relationship, which in my opinion was much more subtle than pokeshipping. So I was not a pearlshipper at first but an advanceshipper.

If not, what made you change your mind?

Hoesntly, I couldn't bear the fact that Ash could be paired with someone other than May. To me, they were the perfect pair. Little did I know that I was terribly wrong. When May left the series, I was devastated and refused to watch Pokémon. A little later, I was curious to know what was going on with the show so I went back to it and found a new season: Diamond and Pearl. I watched all of it from beginning to end and I fell in love with Dawn and Ash. I literally squealed when they high-fived for the very first time. It's a memory that will always stay with me. But why did I like pearlshipping more advanceshipping? Well it was actually because of that very first high-five Dawn and Ash shared. My thoughts were, "Wow, no one else has that kind of bond like those two." These two have a much more informal relationship than with any other character at all. And that's what I love about it so much.

What were your first impressions of Pearshipping?

It's pretty darn cute but I have a more explicit explanation. As I said earlier, Ash and Dawn's relationship are unique and informal. Another proof which can be shown is when Dawn cheered for Ash's gym battles three times. I believe that with Dawn's cheering and support, Ash made top 4 in the Sinnoh League. They barely argue and when they do, they apologize in the end and accept their mistakes. They work great as a duo most of the time, they stand up for each other, cheer for each other when one falls down and lets the other stand up again. I think "High touch" is a perfect song explaining the significance of Dawn and Ash's relationship.

Why are you a Pearlshipper?

I mentioned it before but it's because of the bond that these two have. I don't even think any shipping can be compared to what these two have. Not even Amourshipping, no matter how much of a canon crush Serena has on Ash-he has yet to show his feelings, in fact there are no feelings from Ash's side. Everyone thinks Pearlshipping lacks romantic hints which is why Pearlshipping would never work. Well, I disagree with that. At some point, love starts with friendship. Does anybody just randomly walk to a girl or boy and demands you to be the person's boyfriend/girlfriend? I think not, if anything the person gets to know the other and then starts to develop into something more. Just because Serena has a crush on Ash doesn't mean that they would end up together in a relationship; as a matter of fact I think they are only going to be friends (even if Serena magically admits her feelings to him.) I am also a pearlshipper because of Dawn. If you haven't noticed, Dawn is my favourite character throughout the whole series. She's cheerful, friendly, a little sassy as well but she's a nice character. I loved how Dawn has a lot in common with Ash and I thought they would make a great couple one day. And no she doesn't have everything in common with Ash, but that's the beauty of the whole relationship and why it works so well. One would get bored if they have nothing to disagree with. There needs to be a balance out there.

How long have you been a Pearlshipper?

I have been a pearlshipper for about 3 years now and I AM PROUD! And I'm really glad to have left Advanceshipping for such a great ship as Pearlshipping.

What would you advise potential Pearlshippers?

Although it may seem like Pearlshipping is sinking and Amourshipping is sailing now, it doesn't change the fact that Ash and Dawn are truly meant to be. It doesn't mean we can't ship them together but rather hold onto it and possibly bring it back. Personally I think Amourshipping will eventually burn down, because really, what's the point of this ship if Ash doesn't even return Serena's feelings? So in conclusion, don't lose heart and always stay true to your shipping! PEARLSHIPPING FOREVER!