r/pokemonanime

This is a comparison I see a lot, especially in defense of Penguinshipping, and I think it’s past time someone set the record straight. These two ships, although not without their similarities, are NOT the same and people need to understand that

To be charitable, I get why some people would believe that they are similar: the male rival acts somewhat antagonistic to the female companion, said antagonistic behavior being essentially to mask their true feelings for her. They share the same archetype, but there is a major difference between them that should not only make equating then next to impossible, but highlights a clear difference in why only one of them is straight up toxic

Kenny bullies his crush, Drew pushes her. There’s a difference

Both of them tease their crushes a lot, and there’s usually heat whenever they interact, but the difference is what this behavior actually does for them and what goes on underneath

When Kenny “teases” Dawn (and I’m using that term very loosely), it’s literally just a form of belittlement. He calls her “Deedee” as if it’s cute, but what it really did was contribute to her childhood trauma, which was at a point where seeing Plusle & Minun again basically gave her a panic attack, and belittle her in their interactions. It somewhat reminds me of that one scene from TAWOG when young Herald is saying mean things to young Nicole, and Nicole describes it as “that thing where guys say mean things to girls to lower their confidence so they’ll go it with them”, and while I wouldn’t necessarily take it far enough as to equate them, I do believe it is similar at the very least

Meanwhile, Drew does what he does because he sees the potential in May and wants her to get reach it. He gives her someone to strive against and pushes her in the right direction, as rivals are meant to do, and while Kenny literally does nothing for Dawn at all, Drew actually helps May on various occasions. For example: when Harley manipulates May into only relying on one move for her contest, Drew exposes him and tells May to quit relying on other people’s advice and just trust in herself and her Pokémon. Y’know, something that’s actually constructive and good for her development

The difference is that while Drew does what he does with May, it’s out of actual kindness, and I mean the real kind of kindness

He’s not always as nice to her as he should be, but he helps her progress as a coordinator and wants to see her succeed. Kenny just does and says whatever he thinks will give him “good points” with Dawn. Even when he actually is nice to Dawn, that’s all it is, niceness, it’s not out of genuine respect or care for her, because to him she’s just something he wants. It’s shallow and does nothing for her, and while I’m not saying that he shouldn’t be nice, there is a difference between that and actually going out of your way to help someone, which is what Drew consistently did for May

That’s just what I had to say though. I think equating these two ships is ridiculous, and comparing them reveals important differences between pushing someone and bullying them, and being kind vs being nice. Kenny and Drew may both tease a girl they like, but only one of them does it FOR her, and I hope I’ve made that difference clear

That’s all from me. Tootles

OC the majesty of Gogoat

OC

Made by u/Gyroscope

Now, there are obviously some clear distinct differences in how they're written, but I find it very funny and interesting about the Hypocrisy and Double Standards that some people in the fandom have

I really missed her. If her va wasn't sick she'd have been in Kalos for ORAS and obviously a reunion with Ash in Pokemon Journeys

He also sums up what Pokemon is all about and what truly matters right here.

Source: https://x.com/dwaewangmogi18/status/2104201322518216829

I mean it's not he's ever known her to be a pushover and he doesn't seem like the type to discourage people or think that someone can't and shouldn't do something? : (

Found this screenshot in a website. I checked Bulbapedia and the usual episode lists and found nothing. The animation looks like early 2000s Japanese broadcast quality. Was this a special, a late night segment, or something that never got an official release? Any info would help, I've been stuck on this for days.

Mega evolution is such a big and popular gimmick, it was revolutionary at the time and it was one of the best parts of Gen 6, both in the games and the anime. But when the time came to represent that gimmick, literally no one in the main squad got it

Ash didn’t get it because they had to give him all Kalos mons… when literally none of the Kalos Pokémon save for a literal mythical got a mega (that’s still bs even now), Serena only had 4 Pokémon and none of them could mega evolve, and Clemont didn’t get one either even though him getting one would’ve been obvious since he’s a gym leader, which is especially egregious since his arc was all about bossing up and he even gave himself a glowup before his gym battle with Ash. Korrina could’ve been the member with the gimmick, which would’ve been awesome for a lot of reasons, but instead they made her a temporary traveling companion instead of a main one

While I love Ash-Greninja, they could’ve had Korrina give Ash a Mega Lucario like she does the player character in the games. Clemont could’ve had a Mega Manetric, just swap out Luxray and give him the same origin story. Serena could’ve easily had a Mega for her showcases, that would’ve helped her a lot. All of these were options, but for some reason they just didn’t do that

Compare that to how Z-Moves were handled in Sun and Moon. Not only does Ash get a Z-Ring in the first episode, he also has a companion who doubles as a rival that has one too, and the rest of the Alola gang gradually get one as well. On top of that, the buildups some of them had to learning to use the Z-Moves were usually really good too, and they tie into their character arcs so neatly too. Ash with becoming one with Alola, Sophocles toughening up as a battler and trying to catch up to Kiawe, Lillie growing into a stronger person and battler and furthering her courage to do what she wants to do, Mallow connecting more with Tsareena and sharing their power together. All of this was great, and the XY gang could’ve had something just like this too with mega evolution

But that’s just my opinion. Enjoy