14/03/2015 21:34

Once again, I will be tackling a dub song from a Pearlshipping point of view, showing how it shows the romantic relationship between Ash and Dawn. This time, at the suggestion of one NovaStorm, I will be analyzing "I Believe in You": the end song of the final DP Movie, (Goodbye Dawn, you'll be missed!).

Let's begin

1st Verse:
Who do I turn to when things are broken?
Where do I go when I'm feeling alone?
Who's always there with arms wide open, it's you.
Yeah, it's you.

I'd like to remind everyone that, like 'I'll Always Remember You", this song is sung by a woman, again most likely about someone very close to her heart. So, it is probably Dawn singing about Ash and how important he has become to her. 

The first lines, paraphrased, asks "Who is it that I turn to when there is no light, when all seen lost?" Which is answered by the next two lines, saying that it's a person whom the singer cares very much about, presumably Ash. Why? Because, as every Pokémon fan knows, Ash is a person who will comfort his friends and loved ones whenever they needed it, despite what he's doing. The first two lines are, in a Pearlshipping sense, a reference to Dawn's struggling beginning in her journey, where something seemed to go right. "The broken thing?" her appeals. "The lonely feeling?" Her depression. Though Zoey and Brock did help her, the one who started to truly pull her out of her own darkness is one Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, the one with open arms.

2nd Verse:
Where do I hide when it's dark and stormy?
Where do I run when it's all too much?
Who gives me hope when I wake each morning, it's you.
Yeah, it's you.

Yeah yeah

Once more, this is a reinforcement of the first verse with a few more hints. The first line is your basic "Girl gets scared of storm, Runs to Crush" Scenario on the surface, but it has a deeper meaning: Who will Dawn go to when a Crisis is happening, when the danger seems too great to overcome? Just as Who will she turn to when the pressure of the world is too much for one who is just beginning to learn how to transverse it? The person whom she sees every morning, whose very sight gives her new joy and hope with each awakening: Ash.

Now, the repetition of 'It's you. Yeah, its you." can also be interpreted as Dawn trying to get the message through that thick skull we all know and love "The person I sing of, as well as the person I love, is you." Let's face, even a Bastiodon couldn't compare with Ash's head.

3rd Verse:
When I stumble and fall, you take my hand.
When I don't have a clue, you know what to do.
When nothing makes sense, you help me to understand. 
It's true.

This verse shows us, again, another distinctive part of Pearlshipping: The Teacher and The Student part. Whenever Dawn falls, before figuratively and literally, the first to offer a hand to help her up, to make order out of the chaos in her life, to provide teachings when she needs the is Ash. Throughout this journey, Ash as acted not only as Dawn's friend but also as a mentor, giving her the knowledge and encouragement she needs to prevail and do her very best. This verse reflects on only a tiny part of that, a pale shadow if you will

4th Verse:
It seems like forever, it's been you and me.
I know who you really are.
Sometimes I wonder where would I be without you?

Yeah yeah.

This Verse is the shortest so far, and yet it's perhaps the most important piece of all. She's had Ash along with her since the very beginning. They had been through some of the most hectic adventures to date, shared the highest and lowest points in their careers. So, Dawn must've asked herself at some point: Where would she be, both in her career, life experiences, and location if it had not been for that encounter with Pikachu in the forest and the confrontation with Team Rocket oh so long ago? Would she have made it so far without him by her side, guiding and encouraging her? I think we all know that answer. 

The middle line stands out above the others: "I know who you really are." Only a handful of people can say this truthfully about a person: Those who truly love and care about the person so much, those who are so close that their emotions are as clear as crystal and their thoughts as readable as an open book. This six letter phrase, so short, proves how close and how much Dawn loves him: So much that shew can see through any mask or facade that Ash has or tries to put up and see who he really is and what he feels. It has another interpretation: "I know who you really are to me" Like all people who fall in love, they don't know who the object of that affection is to them anymore; the feeling of love distorts and changes that. Dawn has most likely been fighting with her emotions, trying to find out who Ash is to her: Teacher, friend, comrade, or something much more. Now, as they reach the end of this journey, she finally does.

5th Verse:
You were there for me in my darkest days,
You cared for me when I lost my way,
My guiding light, you always pulled me through,
Yeah, you gave me strength when I was weak,
You were my voice when I could not speak,
One ray of hope that I could hold onto,
Yeah, I believe in you. 

Yeah, I believe in you.

This recalls what I have stated earlier: Ash comforted Dawn while she was doubting herself, pulling her out of the darkness and into the sunlight. He is also shown to be a great inspiration for her: He gives her strength when she has none left. He gives her the ability to speak out against her opponents, even after her spirit is crushed. And when she cannot, he will speak for her. Through all the murk and muck of life, Ash is always there to guide her on the right path, leading her to victory. Because of this, she believes in him no matter what, like a spouse that supports their partner with every ounce of their being.

I'd also like to point out that this verse shares some similarities to one in "I'll always remember you." Both use the phrase "Guiding light" to refer to Ash and the repetition of a single sentence that sounds like a promise: I'll always remember you with every fiber of my being and you’ll always have my faith where ever you go. Considering that Ash had just lost his fourth league, the latter can also be seen as a way of cheering Ash up just as he did for her.

Now I leave you with one and a half repeats of the 5th verse:
You were there for me in my darkest days,
You cared for me when I lost my way,
My guiding light, you always pulled me through,
Yeah, you gave me strength when I was weak,
You were my voice when I could not speak,
One ray of hope that I could hold onto,
Yeah, I believe in you.

You were there for me in my darkest days,
You cared for me when I lost my way,
My guiding light, you always pulled me through,
Yeah, I believe in you.

Yeah, I believe in you.

 

- Analysis by knightofbalance