Here are just some of my thoughts on some Palletshipping-related topics ^_^. Remember, like the rest of the site, my opinions ≠ fact, and I've missed many episodes, so these are based on what I've seen.

On Ash

I like that he's matured over the series (shows some character development), but I wish he'd screw up (in non-pokémon matters) and act childish a little more, seeing as how he's (supposedly) still a kid and all XD. I mean, even adults have their less-than-grown-up moments. I also wish he'd use his old pokémon more, but that definitely won't be happening, haha. I'm glad that his outfit has changed - I never liked his first one, at least with the vest (reminded me of stereotypical-nerd math teachers for some reason XD).

On Gary

As long as I've watched the show, Gary's been my favorite character, though lately Dawn is a close second XD. As an overconfident brat, he was hilarious, and a great antidote to the 'younger' Ash's frequent (and sometimes annoying) rah-rah, can-do, goody-goody attitude. I was a little too old and cynical (even for that age xP) to totally buy the lessons/morals the creators were trying to teach with Ash, so to see his efforts thwarted and/or his mood deflated was funny.

His new(er) personality is interesting too - like Ash, I'm glad the creators have developed his character, though I wish it could be more fleshed out (i.e. give him more screen time TPTB!). I love his new outfit too, but I wish the creators had kept his old hairstyle, reddish tint and all :(. What would be even better would be if the creators did that AND have him wear his lab coat all the time. Very snazzy :D

On Misty

I actually don't mind Misty that much, and think she could've played a great role had she not been saddled with the stereotypical motherly/bitchy girl sidekick role much of the time she was traveling with Ash. If I remember correctly, her goal was to be a water pokémon master - the creators could've had her training and battling alongside Ash, as well as participating in water-pokémon specialty things (which would also further flesh out the Pokémon world itself). And it would've been awesome to see her and Ash battle each other in the Indigo league! :D. Naturally though, that would've taken away from the Ash/boy-centered idea of becoming a pokémon master, so a greater focus on Misty was pretty much an impossibility, especially early on in the franchise's history. Romance-wise, I feel a little sorry for her xP. She does seem to have feelings for Ash, but he doesn't seem to feel the same way.

On palletshippy fan works

I'm so picky and hypocritical when it comes to fan art and fan fiction XD. I'm not much of a fan of mpreg, crossdressing, and OOC-ness, though I'll bear them if everything else about the work is good. Often, though, one or more of those things is the "main attraction" of a Palletshipping work, at least in my experience. For example, some of the best-drawn (in my opinion) Palletshipping fanart I've seen features Ash dressed as a girl or a really, really little boy. I don't mind if others like that kind of characterization, but I personally don't ^^. I'm even pickier with fan fiction. In addition to not really liking mpreg, crossdressing, and OOC-ness, I don't like pure fluff or pure angst. Especially the kind of angst that really shoves the "homophobia is bad!" idea down your throat. I know homophobia is bad, and most Palletshippers feel the same way (I think...), so authors who go this route without adding some nuance to the message (like realistic thinking and responses from a supporting character) or more to the story (good characterization, a good story, good writing, good humor, etc. obvious things) are just preaching to the choir.

Also, one thing that I've also seen a lot is the sporadic use of Japanese words in fics where everything else is in English. For example, I've read in a few fics certain moments where Ash or Gary suddenly call each other by their Japanese names, and the author describes how they haven't called each other that since they were children. For some reason, I don't like it. Maybe because sometimes I get the feeling the author is trying to make the fic deeper than it really is. But unless Japan actually existed in the Pokémon world, which I'm pretty sure it doesn't except in Alternate Universe fics (I figure the references to Japanese culture in the anime are a part of the Pokémon world itself), and/or other names, places, creatures, etc. in the fic go by their Japanese names, it doesn't make sense to me.

On Poké-Palletshipping

A Misty-Ash-Gary love triangle. I wish more fan works featuring this ship existed, with all three characters staying in character. I think, done right, some really interesting things would result, especially in the normal Pokémon context of training and battling. It's kind of funny how, like in real life, people often forget about bisexuality - they either think Ash could be gay or straight. But I would think anyone who's been exposed to a reasonable amount of life experiences and other people could imagine otherwise if they really thought about it :p

On Palletshipping itself

Naturally, my views of this ship are pretty favorable ^_^. I don't think it would be too out there at all if TPTB paired Ash and Gary together, though there are some things that might prevent that from happening:

1) the fact that Pokémon is a show primarily aimed at kids. Pretty big reason there XD

2) the demographic Pokémon appeals to. Primarily again, kids, who like action-y things and not romance so much

3) the fact that some (but only some...-_-;) not-so-tolerant people might go nuts

4) the fact that Gary hardly appears in the show anymore (though that would be a relatively easy problem to solve for TPTB ^_^)

In any case, if TPTB wanted to put Ash and Gary together, I'd guess that they wouldn't flat-out show it, but maybe imply it (like have the two go off on a "quest" together where research was involved or something). And I'd really hope that they'd keep everyone in character. Flat-out confessions would be out in that case, unfortunately xP. There's also the issue of The Great Schism - i.e., why did Gary start being mean to Ash? A popular theory in fanon is that he did it because he couldn't handle his more romantic feelings. This might make sense in real life - when I was younger I sometimes hid my feelings for boys by trying to act nonchalant around them and would accidentally wind up giving off the impression that they annoyed me. However, in the show, I can't see it being handled very well, especially when characters are usually pretty upfront about their feelings. As ShigeSato, a member of the Bulbagarden forums, explained, it would be best to to draw on material that's already been revealed and build on that. Using that idea, that same person suggested the idea that Gary distanced himself from Ash because the latter, rather than patiently reading up on pokémon as the former would, had a tendency to go out and (try to) haphazardly play with pokémon.

So basically, I would love for Ash and Gary to get together, but the chances of that happening are very small. If they did get together, I'd want for them and everyone/thing else to stay in character, and not have things be totally out of the blue. Though if I were in some fantasy world and I absolutely had to choose between keeping them in character and getting together, the latter would win out (at least until I stopped my fangirly screaming XD).

On Cavaliershipping (Gary x Dawn) and Dreamershipping (Ash x Gary x Dawn)

Gary and Dawn would definitely be my next favorite Gary pairing after Palletshipping :D. Dawn and Gary complement each other pretty well - Dawn is the hyper, excited, (relatively) newbie adoring fan, and Gary is the calm, collected, knowledgeable good guy. With Gary largely being a nice guy at this point, he and Dawn start off well (unlike Gary with Brock and Misty, who are initially greatly annoyed with his earlier egotistical antics) and seemingly stay on good terms, despite Dawn's fangirling. And "Ill-Will Hunting," in which Gary and Dawn meet, shows (at least in my mind), a number of hints for the ship coming from Dawn's side. However, hints from Gary's side are not so obvious...

The palletshipper in me has a tendency to drift back to that shipping, and in works concerning Gary and Dawn as a couple, I love (or would LIKE to see, since it hasn't been done yet to my knowledge :p) a certain formula: Dawn likes Gary and tries to "grab" him for herself, but he gravitates toward Ash. I see a lot of comedic potential there, while still having some one-sided (but possibly two-sided!) Cavaliershipping. However, I try to keep an open mind and actually appreciate Cavaliershipping for the Dawn x Gary pairing itself. Or would, if I could find any Cavaliershippy fics XD

What would be pretty awesome too would be if Ash, Dawn and Gary ALL ended up in a relationship with each other, if only for the crack-ish hilarity that would (hopefully?) result xP

On shipwars/flamewars/ship bitchery in general

Some people in the fandom often seem to forget that Pokémon is a kids show (despite the claims of such sites as Pokémopolis ^_~), and as such that The Powers That Be primarily aim the show towards kids. They also often seem to forget that it's a fictional show about children skipping school, going off on their own, capturing animals, and training said animals to compete in tournaments. Finally, they forget that Pokémon isn't high art...it's largely formulaic, often employs stereotypes, and often serves to highlight features of the Pokémon video games and therefore tries to get people to spend money on the franchise. So when those same people start lording their opinions over others with opposing views and viewing themselves as superior because of said opinions, it doesn't reflect well on them. This especially applies to older shippers. There are many more important things in life than arguing about whether or not certain underage fictional characters in a children's show that's not even of the highest quality will get together or not. And the older you get, the more important it is to remember that, because unless you live in a bubble, responsibilities, knowledge, and life experiences start adding up. Unfortunately, from what I've seen, it's often the older shippers proclaiming their superiority and ruining other people's fun.

Really, if you're an older shipper (or any age shipper, but especially older) and you feel the need to put down other shippers to feel like you've done something worthwhile, you must not be accomplishing much in the real world, and you might need to get your priorities straight and start taking advantage of your resources to do something more productive with your life. It's one thing to joke around, another to have ("heated") debates and try to prove your point(s), and it's another to outright diss others on something as subjective as shipping hints. Naturally, I couldn't care less if different people have conflicting shipping interests and/or want to create different things about it (fan art, sites, etc.). As long as they're not hurting anyone (or themselves, in extreme cases), I'm fine with a lot of things that people do in life. But as I think I've made clear, shipwars have proven to hurt feelings and ruin people's enjoyment of a shipping and the fandom itself, even if the one doing the hurting thinks it's all in good fun. When you hurt someone, you (for the most part) obviously cross common moral lines, and with a subject like this, it's extremely ridiculous and pathetic to do so.

On the English VAs

I love Gary's voice, especially when Gary is being obnoxious. It's very distinctive and fitting x). However, it's always been awfully low for sometimes who's (also supposedly) still ten years old xp. Also, is it just me, or does his voice sound similar to the guy who sings the first English opening? o_O

Like most people, I also really liked Ash's old voice - the acting was great -, but sometimes I wish his VA had made the voice a little lower, or just kept it at the same level as the first few episodes. Ash's new VA, acting-wise...is too inconsistent for me to make a judgment yet, if ever XD. It's painful to listen to sometimes, but I think the 'deepness' of his voice is better than before. Now he actually does sound like a boy going through puberty. How intentional that is is unknown...

- 1/20/08