Nevermet shippings

This article is about shipping. As hints and evidence for ships are mostly speculation, this page may contain personal points of view.

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A nevermetship, while the specific term might be a lesser used alternative for Template:S, in the general sense is a denotation of a couple who have not canonically met each other (interaction-wise, or even simply being on-scene together) in a specific medium, be it game, anime, or manga.

History and Recent Connotations

The very Ship it was originally named for was one of the best examples of a true nevermetship back in the day, when there hadn't been any main characters that hadn't met prior to the Orange Islands. However, by the end of the third season, the application of the term was nullified (Brock and Tracey did then meet), but never stopped being about how people could 'ship two people together if they hadn't been acquainted (in relation to people 'shipping Brock and Tracey, when there was little to go by). It's notable that this was early in the series by today's standards, when the likes of Template:S, Template:S, and Template:S were the three biggest Ships of the time, and even the lesser Ships that ultimately mattered (such as Template:S, Template:S, and Template:S) were still based on something in the minds of its fans, and romantically pairing two people who hadn't had that chance likely seemed strange.

People 'ship nevermets for various reasons, and mostly comes down to one excuse: "Because they'd be cute together." Little else is seldom expanded upon past answering why, basing their decisions on looks or how personality might affect the other character they wish to involve. It's this mindset that does divide the fandom sometimes, with people who don't like nevermetships because of what they are and people who don't think of them as a problem.

There are isolated cases where nevermets are created solely to appease one or a small group of people's love for one character wishing to pair them with everyone (or simply as many people as possible). This can actually result in a major influx of pairings with names that only a few people enjoy, which others occasionally see as a waste toward a coined name that could be "better used" for an actual met pairing.

Nevertheless, there are also cases similar to ThirdWheelShipping, of Ships that eventually stop being nevermets in the long run, but these are predictably few. Template:S had a moderate fan-following before May's three-episode excursion in Sinnoh, where she finally meets Dawn and creates evidence of believed mutual attraction in one go.

Nevermetships that are crafted around related-version game characters with inevitable anime counterparts are not considered true nevermets, such as Template:S and Template:S. This is because the characters interact on occasion through-out their game storyline, and serve as undistinguished terms for both the game and anime counterparts.

Ships involving members of the Pokémon League (Gym Leaders, Elites, and Brains) are also not majorly considered nevermets by the fandom as a whole, but if they aren't shown to have met in the games, anime, or even the mangas (examples of Ships that aren't are Template:S, Template:S, and Template:S), they are technically so. Regardless, Ships involving League members are generally not called out on being nevermets, so aren't usually included within the bounds of what "purists" consider to be fangirl whim.

List of nevermetships

In general

RubyShipping

Lucas ♥ May (コウハル KouHaru)

Similarities They are both main characters in the Pokémon games (May is the female playable character from Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, while Lucas is the male playable character from Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum). Both wear red headgear branded with the Poké Ball logo (Lucas' cap, May's bandana). Both sport predominantly red tennis shoes (in DP only, for Lucas). Both wear other red items of clothing (though Lucas only wore a red scarf in DP). Both use yellow packs to store their belongings.(RS/DP only) Name origins Ruby comes from their debut color schemes of both Lucas and May's outfits, as both wear some amount of red in their first publicized game versions. Trivia Lucas makes a cameo appearance in Giratina and the Sky Warrior, in a battle against Brendan, May's rival in Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald.

In the anime

AdvanceCloneShipping

Ritchie ♥ May (ヒロハル HiroHaru)

Similarities Both May and Ritchie own a Template:Type2 starter Pokémon: Blaziken and Charmeleon, respectively. However, it is still unknown if Ritchie actually started with Charmeleon. Also, they both own Bug/Flying Pokémon that happen to be based on butterflies: Beautifly and Butterfree, respectively. Both traveled through time and changed the course of the future and for someone else by altering the past. Interestingly, both met an elderly female character in the present time who had lost a male love interest in the past because of an accident that happened when they left the female characters. Both went back in time and saved the males' lives and they were able to live and have a relationship with the females they had left behind in the past. In a sense, they helped turn tragic love stories into happy endings.

BeamShipping

Tracey ♥ Dawn (ケンヒカ KenHika)

Similarities Both are big fans of Professor Oak, albeit for different reasons. They are the only ones of Ash's friends who are only children*. They are the only ones of Ash's friends not to be part of a Gym Leader family*. Both have been shown to have artistic skills: Tracey draws Pokémon while Dawn designs clothes. Both have used a Dodrio at one point. *This is only an assumption as there is no information on Tracey's family. Alternate names OrangepearlShipping (unofficial) Name origins Beam is derived from Dawn's Japanese name and Tracey's personality. Hikari means light, relative to the term "beam of light," and Tracey is a positive person who smiles to the point that he often 'beams'.

BrunettShipping

Gary ♥ May (シゲハル ShigeHaru)

Similarities Both Gary and May received a Squirtle from Professor Oak, although Gary received it as his initial Pokémon while May didn't. Both have each obtained an Eevee along their journeys. Following, both Eevee evolved into an evolution that would debut the generation after its Trainer did. Gary (I) evolved his Eevee into Umbreon (II) and May (III) evolved her Eevee into Glaceon (IV). Alternate names ShellShipping (unofficial; official name for Blastoise/Wartortle/Squirtle) Name origins Brunett is a misspelling of both 'brunet' and 'brunette', disallowed to be corrected to the latter when it was pointed out it wasn't spelled correctly, because BrunetteShipping was listed as Delia Ketchum and Jasmine prior, and the acknowledged misspelling went through. Shell is the prefix used for the shipping of Squirtle/Wartortle/Blastoise. In connection but not relation, all three were shown in the on-screen ownership of both Gary and May as of DP077: Blastoise for Gary and Wartortle for May. Trivia In the Japanese opening High Touch!, Gary and May are standing near each other.

CheekyShipping

Max ♥ Mira

Similarities Both appear to have an affinity for Psychic-type Pokémon: four of the Pokémon Max befriends are either Psychic-types themselves or are capable of Psychic attacks, and Mira not only owns the entire Abra line between the anime and games, but more than not, the Pokémon she uses in the games fall under the same specialties. Both initially tricked Ash when he first met them: into thinking Max was the Petalburg City Gym Leader, and to helping Mira out for something that was essentially a fib. Name origins Cheeky is derived from both having a mischievous personality trait.

EgoCentricShipping

Harley ♥ Ursula

Similarities Both are Coordinators and hold grudges against their rivals. Both own a member of the Jigglypuff line. Both used a traumatic event from their rival's past involving a Pokémon against them. Both were defeated in their episode debut where their rival earned their fourth Ribbon in their home region. They were also both were defeated by their rivals' Pokémon that had stage fright in a previous Contest, as well as during the first Double Performance round of a Grand Festival. Name origins EgoCentric is derived from both being self-centered.

NovelShipping

Paul ♥ Misty (シンカス ShinKasu)

Information A surprisingly popular nevermet of moderate following, NovelShipping appears to have the same charm as Template:S without the hints, or Gary's suave arrogance, when it comes to its support. Misty's temper in the face of stubborn obstacles is key to her character, and where Gary and Paul are the types that make Ash mad (demonstrating their affect on him), it's theorized by supporters that Paul is the unmovable type (unlike Gary, who has shown to be capable of setting aside hard feelings early on in the series) that would incite the same kind of reaction in Misty that Ash often times does to her. Triggering that sort of response is also part of the Template:S appeal as well, rather leaving a fine line between particulars with the interconnections. Name origins Novel comes from the belief of the coiner that the couple was, at the time, a "novel idea". Retroactively from the coiner, one can say the characterizations between Misty and Paul are some of the same types to be found in romance novels, and would take a similar plot to get them together.

OutcryShipping

Paul ♥ May (シンハル ShinHaru)

Information Another surprisingly popular nevermet, seemingly more so than NovelShipping, OutcryShipping is heavily seen in AMVs and artwork across the net. Otherwise, there is little basis aside from, "They're so cute together," or they're the "ideal couple" from supporters. Alternate names FarawayShipping (unofficial; the majority name) Name origins Faraway is likely derived from the two either coming from distant regions compared to Johto or Kanto, or it refers to the two characters being far away: Paul in Sinnoh and May in Johto.

OysterShipping

Misty ♥ Dawn (カスヒカ KasuHika, ヒカカス HikaKasu)

Similarities In the beginning of the Diamond and Pearl series, two of Dawn's Pokémon were Template:Type2 Pokémon. Also for a while, she was the only one in the group who owned Water-types. Misty's Pokémon are mostly Water-type and she was the first of the original group to have them. Both have owned a member of the Togepi evolution family. Hints In Buizel Your Way out of This!, Dawn was interested in Misty and her lure and seemed annoyed when Ash didn't let her use it. Name origins Oyster is derived from the fact that, not only are oysters aquatic creatures, akin to the type Misty trains, but oysters produce pearls, a word that is related to Dawn throughout the Shipping fandom, instigated by the christening of Template:S.

TeenrocketShipping

Mondo ♥ Domino

Similarities They are both members of Team Rocket. They have both met Jessie, James and Meowth. Alternate names TeenagerocketShipping (derivative) NeoNeoRocketShipping Name origins Teenrocket and Teenagerocket are from the original belief that both Domino and Mondo are in their teens. NeoNeoRocket is the newer-newer version of RocketShipping, following NeoRocketShipping.

This article is part of Project Shipping, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each couple in Pokémon.