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AdvanceShipping

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370Luvdisc.png This article is about shipping.
As hints and evidence for ships are mostly speculation, this page may contain personal points of view.
Ash reassures May

AdvanceShipping (Japanese: サトハル SatoHaru) is the belief that Ash and May belong in a romantic relationship. This Ship is among the most popular of those based in the anime, along with Template:S, Template:S, and Template:S.

This Ship is considered by some to be similar to Template:S, with Ash in the role of tutor and May in the role of student.

Evidence

There are many points in the anime that seem to support AdvanceShipping. Below is a list of such points from the multiple sagas in which Ash and May appear.

Hoenn League saga

After Ash destroys May's bicycle accidentally, she angrily goes to tell him off while he is resting in the Pokémon Center. As she quietly opens the door, she sees Ash and Pikachu resting contently together, and she forgives him without telling him. Later on, May guilts Ash into letting her travel with him. Once he says that she could come along, May strikes a triumphant pose by the camera and yells, "YES!" to show her enthusiasm to the audience. This, coupled with the previous scene where she secretly spies on him and forgives him for his kindness toward Pikachu, shows that May might be taking a liking toward him.
During the middle of the episode, Ash is eager to ask a few other Trainers about the Petalburg Gym Leader. Hearing this, May desperately grabs Ash's hand and asks him if they could go eat instead, and if he could show her around the Pokémon Center so Ash wouldn't find out her dad is the Gym Leader; some say this is so Ash would not treat her any differently. Despite his earlier enthusiasm, Ash agrees and they eat. During their meal, Ash and May talk, and Ash becomes May's mentor for the very first time, teaching her how to capture and battle with Pokémon.
When Ash goes off to spy on Team Magma, May refuses to be left alone and goes along with him.
When Team Rocket steals May's Torchic, she falls to her knees in despair. Seeing this, Ash crouches down next to her and tells her not to worry, promising that he will get her Torchic back for her. Additionally, at the end of the episode, when Max voices his desire to travel with Ash and May, they both show a shocked expression on their faces, possibly implying that they wanted to travel together, alone.
Though this may have just been stubbornness, she grabs Ash's arm and asks him if they can eat. Though Max also grabbed onto Ash, May did it first. Later, she asked Ash where they're food was first, instead of asking Max. She took particular offense to Ash's mentioning of Brock, sarcastically apologizing for being useless compared to him.
When a group of Mightyena shows hostility towards the group, May hides behinds Ash for protection, even though Brock could provide protection as easily. However, Ash was also the closer of the two, so whether it is because of reliance or self-preservation is debatable.
When Ash and May discover that a Team Aqua intruder is in the building and Max could be in potential danger, she clasps her hands and asks Ash for reassurance and support. Once Ash comforts her, she is relieved. This is the first of many scenes where May continually looks toward Ash for support and reassurance, further expanding on the mentor/student dynamic.
On Dewford Island, May decides to strip into a bikini right on the beach. However, instead of just running down to the shore to take a swim, she purposely poses in her bikini in front of Ash and her brother and asks what they think. Ash appears to be embarrassed by the situation, but so is Max (who could arguably seem even more embarrassed), for understandable reasons.
When Drew was criticizing May's ability as a Coordinator, Ash stands up, the camera moving to show his face only, and he quickly went in May’s defense, clearly upset.
After witnessing May lose her first Pokémon Contest, Ash takes the blame for her loss. He says, "It’s my fault. I wish I’d spent more time with May, teaching her." Later, May cries backstage as everyone tries unsuccessfully to cheer her up.
When May wants to stay and help Swablu's injuries get better, Ash generously tells her, "You're going to take any time you need to help your buddy out," even though his first priority is making it to the Fortree Gym; however, some argue that Ash also cared about the Swablu. Also, when Max is saying, "Which reminds me of when she had a crush on this boy in school and she actually tried to--" she quickly cuts him off, saying, "I was such a child then!" This could suggest that she didn't want Ash to know that she had a previous crush.
When confronted by Max about whether she wants Ash to win over her Dad—Norman of the Petalburg Gym—or not, May gives flustered responses. While Max is quick to make up his mind and cheer for his father, May cheers for Ash. Max yells, "What, how can you want Ash to win over our Dad?" May blushes and says, "Well I want Dad to win...but I don't want Ash to lose!"
During the ending of the episode, May once again seems torn about whom should she cheer for in the upcoming gym battle.
Expanding on the previous hints, When Pikachu is hit by a Flamethrower from Norman's Vigoroth, May tries to help Ash by telling him to switch. Brock then says that it's not a good idea, causing May to hastily shut her mouth with her hands in terror. Moreover, at multiple points during the battle, May seems worried and terrified when Ash is losing and happy when Ash is winning. This behavior highly implies that May chose Ash over her own father, at least subconsciously.
Considered to be the first episode where the idea of AdvanceShipping was first introduced, Ash and May are confronted by Oscar and Andi, a young couple who are obsessed with the idea of love and romance.
When Oscar and Andi call Ash and May a "happy couple," the two of them quickly deny it and turn their backs to one another, crossing their arms. Ash says sarcastically, "That's a laugh!" and May adds, "Hardy har har!" Oscar and Andi do not stop there, and continue to call them a couple. Ash and May scream, "We're not a couple!" in unison, with the same body language, followed by, "And we're not happy either!" in the same tone in which Oscar and Andi state that they 'both answered together' further causing tensions between the two.
As the episode pours on, Ash and May continue to argue and bicker back and forth, presumably to get their minds off the idea of being called a couple by Oscar and Andi. After a Double Battle against Jessie and James at the end, Ash and May bashfully forgive each other for their argument, and apologize as they stare at each other while the sunset closes behind them.
When May is lost in the forbidden land of the Grass Pokémon, Ash once again steps in to save her despite the warnings. After his Tarzan-esque entrance to save May from the fierce and threatening Grass Pokémon that were about to attack her, he grabs her by the hand with an intense expression, and runs with her to clear a path to safety. Ash and May continue to hold hands as they are running away from the menacing Pokémon, a rare sight between them, despite being for safety reasons.
This episode further brings up the parallelism between Ash and May, by having their two Bulbasaur meet each other. Moreover, the two Bulbasaur show signs of liking one another, a ship that is called Template:S. Throughout the episode, May makes several comments about how their Bulbasaur are such a great team, and how they are, "Two peas in a Poképod." Before Ash sends Bulbasaur back to Professor Oak, it pats May's Bulbasaur on the head sweetly with its vine, saying goodbye.
May's Bulbasaur is impressed as Ash's Bulbasaur is sent back. Template:S is one of the parallels that is used to push Advanceshipping, as canon characters such as Professor Oak and Brock have said in the past that Pokémon represent the feelings of their Trainers, and that when two Pokémon fall in love, there is a good chance that their Trainers will as well. While the Bulbasaur haven't fallen in love with each other yet, it is the first step in their parallel romance. It can be noted that their respective Bulbasaur's seem to reflect the current relationship of their Trainers, with Ash's Bulbasaur as a guide and mentor to May's Bulbasaur. However, the claim has also been refuted at various points during the series, so the feelings of the Pokémon are not always definitive to the feelings of the Trainers.
May is sulking on a bench outside the Contest Hall because she lost her match. Ash comes alone to comfort her, cheering her up while patting her Bulbasaur on the head and sitting next to her on the bench. This is followed by a sheepish smile and a "Thank you Ash," from May.
Ash is known to be rash and short tempered, and is not one to apologize easily, yet, when he and May were arguing about contest/gym battles before, Ash never raised his voice at her. Afterwards, when confronting her about running from contest after losing to Savannah, his tone is both kind and compassionate; and says that he doesn’t blame her for yelling at him before. This is a side of Ash we rarely see.
When Ash is about to hop on top of Dragonite and go with Lance to save Pikachu from its bonding with the Blue Orb and Groudon, Ash says "Thanks, guys," but is only looking at May. May approaches Ash and says, "Don't do anything crazy Ash," in a concerned tone.
In another love-themed episode, Ash is confused about the concept of love. May teases him and says, "Spoken like a maaaaaan," in the dub while she says, "And he doesn't get it," in the original Japanese. As the episode continues, Ash says, "No sense in going out of your way just to make somebody like you," to which May responds, "And he still acts like a man," in the dub while in the raw, "And he reeeaaaally doesn't get it." This is the second episode in which May teases Ash about love.
May holds onto Ash's hat while he is lost with Snorunt in a blizzard, and continues to do so during the entire search, frantically hoping to find him again, which is seen as a romantic gesture. Once they meet up again, she says, "I believe this is yours!" and hands Ash back his hat.
In the middle of the episode, Ash and May are separated from the group. May does her expedition routine and thinks about the concept of being lost with Ash in the woods forever. This idea causes her to have little red blushes on her cheeks. During the last act of the episode, May misses her chance to catch the ferry to her final Contest. In despair, she starts to cry. Sensing her pain, Ash puts his hands firmly on her shoulders and and stares intensely into her eyes, giving her the courage to go on while he takes care of her little brother. Moved, May rejects Ash's offer of moving on without them, and tells him about the promise she made with her mother. As she talks, she gradually perks up and suggests that they go to look for Max and Brock. Touched, Ash agrees.
As soon as May finishes talking to Drew, Ash holds up an ice cream to her face and said he thought she may have wanted dessert. This shows the thoughtfulness Ash has for May.

Battle Frontier saga

May decides that she wants to continue traveling with Ash after Hoenn ends, which compels her to travel from the Hoenn region on her own to meet up with Ash in Pallet Town. This was before she found out there were Contests in Kanto, so she decided that she wanted to be by Ash's side even if it meant not continuing her Coordinator dream for the time being. When May shows up at Ash's house, Delia recognizes her on sight, even though she has never seen her before. This could suggest that Ash has told her a lot about May. When May sees Max, she seems surprised, then angry at him for coming. This could suggest that she wanted to travel with Ash alone. Ash and May share a scene on the couch together, where Ash asks her if she wants to come along with him through Kanto. May of course agrees, while Delia is watching them converse, and blushes, thinking, Ash has such good friends. This could possibly be due to how close she thinks the two are.
During the battle with Team Rocket, May can be seen glancing towards Ash's direction after her Bulbasaur used Petal Dance. Soon after, Ash used his Bulbasaur, to use SolarBeam, and blast away Jessie and James's Pokémon. It could suggest that May wanted Ash to battle with her.
When May steps on the Contest Stage, Ash is the only one (of the three) that cheers, saying, "Let's go May! All right!"
This is also reflected in all of May's other Contests, in which Ash always seems to be emotionally involved and always helping May when she is in a dilemma by shouting helpful advice to her, though being enthusiastic and supportive seems to be part of Ash's personality, as he has done that for pretty much everyone he has wanted to win a battle or contest.
When May hears sounds made by scary Ghost Pokémon, she frantically goes to Ash and tries to wake him up in his sleeping bag. She presses her hands desperately against his chest to wake him up, yet she didn't do the same to Brock, who could have come to her aid just as easily. This is another example of May choosing Ash over anyone else when she is in fear or doubt.
File:Ash May Sleep.png
May trying to wake up Ash
May falls off a rope bridge and clutches for her life. Once again she cries out for Ash several times, despite the fact that Brock is standing with Ash as well. Ash calls out May's name as he pulls her to safety, but not once does May give any gratitude toward Brock for saving her, only Ash (this does not occur in the English dub). In the English dub Ash calls out only May's name but Max was there as well. This could be taken that May relies more on Ash than the others to help her, but is not necessarily a romantic hint.
James says to Ash that they were helping his girl (May) in the Contest.
After setting up camp, May says that she'll go get them some water. Ash, instead of finding something else to do, or helping Max with the firewood, because that is arguably harder than getting water, offers to help May, saying, "I'll help with that." in a kind tone that he rarely uses.
While May worries about the contest, Ash volunteers right away that he “would be happy to help her train.” May looks at him gratefully and thanked him. Later, after being infuriated by Harley, May quickly says, “Ash! Want to train?” Ash quickly finishes his food and stands up, then replies, “Right behind you!” in a determined fashion. Later, after May barely makes it through the first round of the contest, Ash is seen staring at her with the brown in his eyes showing (which usually only happens when he gets very emotionally passionate about something), while saying, "You deserve it. You really turned it around, May."
After Ash's battle with Brandon and Ash returning to normal, he says to May, Brock, and Max, "You guys are the best." May replies, "Ash, if you keep talking like that, I'm going to blush."
Ash and May end the Terracotta Contest in a tie; there is only one ribbon, and they can't decide whom to give the ribbon to. May looks at Ash, Ash looks at May, and they nod at each other, and then Ash tells Sceptile to Leaf Blade the ribbon in half. This demonstrates that, occasionally, neither Ash nor May need to speak to know what the other is thinking because they share such a close bond, though some argue that this could also just be strong friendship.
In Mean With Envy!, Erica and Joshua were seen in a fantasy holding a split ribbon while Vivian was referring to a couple winning a Contest. Ash and May's victory and split ribbon parallel this.
In the Japanese version, when Haruka announces that she wants to go to Johto, Masato runs off. When Satoshi goes to comfort him, Masato asks, "Why is Onee-chan so happy? It's really fun when Satoshi and Onee-chan are together...." This could suggest that Masato wants Haruka and Satoshi to be together.

Diamond and Pearl saga

Ash and May with the ribbon halves
May joins up with Ash, Brock, and Dawn in Sinnoh. Later that day, in the evening, Ash and May both pull out their halves of the ribbon that they tied for, and hold the pieces together. May also says how the ribbon reminds her of Ash's encouragement, and how it has saved her numerous times in Johto.
Before May leaves to return to Johto, she and the rest of the group share goodbyes. She and Ash speak last, each telling the other to do their best in their respective paths. It is only when May is speaking with Ash (despite the fact she was exchanging farewells with everyone) that she holds her heart. Further indication is that when both May and Ash say their goodbyes, each of their eyes glimmer. In the anime, when a character's eyes glimmer it represents a type of passion.

Black & White

Ash Room.png
In Ash's room, along with his Orange League trophy and other objects, is the wooden Teddiursa doll that Ash recieved from May as a present in the Sinnoh region. It can be noted that, aside from trophies and various other awards, the doll is the only gift from one of his traveling companions that is visible (meaning that other gifts, such as Misty's special lure, are not visible). This could possibly suggest that May's gift was important to him, seeing as it was the only gift that he put next to his trophies and awards.

Movies

File:AS May Wish.png
May staring down at Ash and Max
On one of the nights when May folds a tab on the wishing star, she afterward looks toward Ash who is skipping rocks across a river. The camera then goes back to May, showing the very anxious look on her face. Because of this scene, many AdvanceShippers believe that May's wish involves Ash, although the nature of the wish is never confirmed. In this example, however, one must account for the fact that Max and Jirachi are skipping rocks with Ash, as well as the fact that nothing else is going on at the time. When she looks "anxious" after viewing the scene, it could be partially due to sadness, since she knows that her little brother and Jirachi have very few days left together and will never see each other again afterward. As she looks away from the scene, she glances back at her wishing star and views the final two leaflets, which remind her that the week is coming to an end.
It could be noted that May made the wish before Jirachi hatched, so it would be impossible have made the wish about Max and how he would miss Jirachi. Arguably, there is the possibility of the wish being a Top Coordinator, yet having her stare at Ash, and have her smile fall brings doubt on the theory.
File:Advance Shipping 2.png
Ash and May in Destiny Deoxys
Ash tries to pick a fight with Tory Lund. In order to stop him, May throws her body on top of Ash and pleas for him to stop. She places her hands on his shoulders and desperately tries to convince him to calm down. Ash is surprised by her action, and maintains a shocked expression as he quickly agrees, and calms down.
Ash once again loses his cool and is mad at Lucario. May quickly rushes down into the lake where Ash is standing and clutches his arm, trying to prevent him from getting himself in trouble. May holds onto him frantically until the situation is resolved. Afterward, May follows Ash around "mothering" him, telling him to get himself dry before he catches a cold.
As Ash and May go swimming with Manaphy, a school of Luvdisc, the Pokémon thought to symbolize love, follows and swims with them. This is accompanied by shots of Ash and May looking at each other and smiling, while still surrounded by the Luvdisc. It can be noted that, even though Dawn has seen Luvdisc with Ash as well, Ash and May were the only ones that swam with them, further encouraging the Ruby Pokédex description below.
It could be interesting to note that the Sapphire Pokédex has stated that "any couple" (suggesting even friends) "meeting" Luvdisc "is promised a loving relationship that never ends," whilst the Ruby Pokédex has stated that Luvdisc would "swim after loving couples it spotted in the ocean's waves." This could suggest that May and Ash have a deep connection with each other, romantic or not.
When Manaphy goes missing, May begins sobbing, heartbroken. Ash gazes at her with a pained expression and glistening eyes.
While Samiya is being flooded with water, Ash puts May, Pikachu, and Manaphy in a capsule left behind by The Phantom, allowing them to survive in the event that his plan to replace the crystal fails. Distressed, May calls out to Ash with tearful eyes, but Ash only asks her to remain safe in there, and leaves with the brown in his eyes seen; this usually happens only when Ash is very upset or very emotional. May continues to pray for Ash's safety and is nearly driven to tears by the thought that he may not return. Manaphy sends May's prayers to Ash using Heart Swap, and with these thoughts spurring him on, Ash recoveres from his near-drowned state and replaces the crystal, saving Samiya.
After Samiya is raised, May leaves the capsule, initially thrilled that the temple has been saved. (In the Japanese language version of the movie, she acknowledges that Satoshi is the one who saved the Temple by saying "This is Satoshi's doing, isn't it?") Her happiness, however, is quickly replaced by sadness and the fear that Ash will not return. "It can't be..." she says. "No way..." Her joy returns as soon as Ash flies up out of the water, chases down Captain Phantom, and saves the abducted Manaphy. In the manga adaption of the movie, when May and Pikachu are unsure of whether or not Ash survived trying to save the Sea Temple, she clutches Pikachu and is tearing up, but still retains hope in Ash by saying, "Ash wouldn't leave us like this..."
Additionally, at multiple points during the movie, Manaphy seems very happy around Ash, best exemplified by the fact that it seemed content and happy in Ash's arms, when it's seen to only to accept May's company, even using Heart Swap to switch between Ash and Jack Walker when the latter held it, immediately regaining its happiness after doing so. Many AdvanceShippers suggest that Manaphy has chosen Ash to be his 'father'.
When Ranger Jack moves to return into the Temple, Ash calls and warns him that it is too dangerous. Although, he submits when Jack tells him he will be fine. However, when May runs back into the Temple to follow Manaphy, Ash instinctively runs after her, presumably because, of everyone, he doesn't want to put her in danger.
It can also be noted that Jackie Walker recognized that Ash, not Max, was the closest to May and specifically asked him to separate May and Manaphy.

Similarities

  • They have both seen the same legendary Pokémon at different times:
Ho-Oh (Ash in EP001 and May in AG178)
Celebi (Ash in Celebi: Voice of the Forest and May in AG155)
  • They both have a particular fondness for food.
  • Both are the only main characters that received a Pokémon from more than one regional professor. Ash obtained Pikachu from Professor Oak and Oshawott from Professor Juniper while May received Torchic from Professor Birch and Squirtle from Professor Oak.
    • In addition, both have received a Pokémon from Professor Oak.
  • Both have competed in at least one Pokémon Contest (for Ash's first contest, see AG191-AG192).
  • Bulbasaur was the fourth Pokémon they caught.


Pokémon

Ash and May have caught members of several of the same evolutionary lines:

Alternate names

AdvancedShipping - the original name that became the parent to the variant Advance.
AaMayL - stands for "Ash and May Love".
MaSh - an uncommon, if not defunct term; stands for "May and Ash".
AS - an in-context abbreviation; stands for "AdvanceShipping".
ADV - another in-context abbreviation; comes from for "ADVance".
SatoHaru - refers to their Japanese names: Satoshi and Haruka.

Notable AdvanceShippers

AG072 - They believe that Ash and May are, in reality, a happy couple.

External links


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