PalletShipping
Involves: Ash and Gary
Reaction: Yup. Palletshipping.
You're probably like "Elemeno, how come PalletShipping has a solo page? Are you gonna do this with all major ships? Hey! How come you didn't give Amourshipping/Advanceshipping/Negaishipping its own page?"
Well...allow me to answer that...even if you probably never asked them in the first place.
Contestshipping is my OTP, and it also has a lot of hints.
Also, I've mostly watched the first nine seasons of the anime. I'm not too familiar with the events of the DP series, and I remember only a few things from BW and XY.
So forgive me for that. You guys probably think I'm a genwunner now, which I totally am not if you look into my work.
Anyway, let's just get to the ship.
The reason why Palletshipping gets its own page is because of the hints.
Now, Gary isn't a travelling companion, as you all probably know. He was Ash's very first rival. They've known each other since they were kids. Sure, Ash didn't like him, and Gary thought he was a loser.
But throughout their battles against each other, they have found a sense of respect, and soon friendship.
In fact, Gary might even be a more special friend to Ash than any of his travelling companions.
Who was the person he really wanted to beat from the start? It was Gary Oak.
This desire to beat him has become a drive for him to become better.
Gary is an egoistic guy who didn't see Ash as an equal. He thought he was better because he thinks he's smarter and because he is the grandson of Professor Oak.
But in spite of that, when Ash defeated him, he didn't feel sad at all. He saw his rival in a different light. He saw Ash as a strong and creative trainer. He believed in him, and he saw him as a friend.
And yeah. He called him Ashy-boy.
But wait! According to bulbapedia, the ship is a bit more evident in the Japanese version compared to English dub.
4Kids, why?
I still love you guys because I honestly still prefer you over the newer dub people.
Moving on.
Yes. I'm not freaking done yet. Let's get to specific episodes.
Bulbapedia, I need your assistance.
Hey. At least the ship has a bulbapedia page. Some of these were not mentioned in the page, though. And these might be spoilers, so if you don't want spoilers, you might as well skip to the author's note.
- Pokémon, I Choose You! – The very first episode of Pokémon didn't show a lot of hints. It simply introduced us to the two characters. However, it is important to note that when Ash saw Gary, he asked about what he got, but Gary didn't mind him and even asked what his business with him was. This part seems to point out that Gary doesn't know Ash, but it obvious in latter episodes that the two are very familiar with each other. This isn't much of a hint, but it's something I guess worth pointing out.
- Clefairy and the Moon Stone – Just that one memorable line: "Gary was here! Ash is a loser!"
- The Battle of the Badge – Gary Oak decided to battle the Viridian City Gym to get his 11th badge. Where the heck did those other 4 badges come from? Even Arceus doesn't know. After Gary got his butt whooped by Mewtwo...literally (he was even wounded, and so were his cheerleaders), Ash ran to him and showed concern. He was freaking concerned about this guy he was supposed to hate.
- Showdown at the Po-ke Corral – Professor Oak tells the two to get along. They also did some teamwork in beating Team Rocket. I just love it when rivals decide to team up and whoop some butt.
- A Tent Situation / The Rivalry Revival – After his absence in the Orange Islands arc, Gary Oak makes his return. He helps defeat Team Rocket, and Ash and Gary have a battle. When Professor Oak told Ash that Gary was headed to Johto, Ash decided to follow. What is up with people following their rivals to Johto?
- Power Play – Again, more teamwork and stuff. They save the day, and Gary even compliments Ash's efforts.
- The Ties That Bind – In this episode, we find out about that rusty Pokeball they fought over before starting their journey. This was considered a tie since the ball broke in half, but Gary sees this as a defeat since it was against Ash. They both kept their half. Also, this episode was the first part of their battle, and both were determined to win. Also, Gary has become less cocky.
- Can't Beat The Heat! – Ash actually defeats Gary, and Gary doesn't seem to mind. Professor Oak even mentions that even though Gary would never admit it, Ash is his most important friend. But seriously, who the heck is a true friend to Gary? Anyway, they meet up and Gary gives his half of the broken Pokeball to Ash. They actually held hands.
- Gotta Catch Ya Later! – Ash got sad because everyone left. However, after hearing what Gary did, Ash became determined once more and he wanted to be like Gary and start fresh by going to Hoenn with only Pikachu by his side.
- The Unbeatable Lightness of Seeing – Although Gary didn't have a physical appearance in this one, he helps Ash get over his defeat against Brandon. Ash got a postcard of Sinnoh from Gary, and he imagined him and Gary talking about not giving up. This inspires Ash to do even better in his training, and he gets over his sadness. The magical power of rivals, which is the unbeatable lightness of seeing. Bravo, rivals!
- Home is Where The Start Is – After four seasons, Gary Oak finally makes an appearance. After the two had a battle, Ash decided to follow Gary to Sinnoh.
- Ill-Will Hunting – Gary gives Ash all the credit in saving the Shieldon. And that line: "Bye Ash. Best of friends until the end." – Gary Oak. And Dawn thought it was a poem.
- Fighting Fear with Fear – Gary helps Ash and his Gligar. He's also the one who gave Ash the Razor Fang to evolve Gligar into Gliscor.
*Also, in 'Lights! Camerupt! Action!', it was seen that a young Gary and Ash watched a movie together once.
Overall, these two helped each other grow. They have mutual respect.
I really want Gary to return to the anime now.
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Okay...that's it.
What ship mentioned in this part is your favorite?
Oh wait...
Anyway, that's it for now. This is my last post for 2015.
Happy New Year!