Ash Ketchum and Serena are two of the main characters in the Pokémon anime series. They have developed a close friendship throughout their journeys together in the Kalos region, leading many fans to want them to become a romantic couple. This has resulted in fans creating a “ship name” for them, which combines parts of their names to create a new word to refer to them as a potential couple.
What is a ship name?
A ship name, or portmanteau, is created by combining parts of two character’s names to refer to them as a romantic pairing. This trend started amongst fans as a way to succinctly refer to popular fictional couples in TV shows, books, movies, etc. The ship name is a shorthand way for fans to talk about wanting two characters to end up in a relationship without having to spell out their full names each time. Ash and Serena’s ship name allows fans to easily discuss their hopes for them to become a couple.
The most common ship names for Ash and Serena
There are a few predominant ship names that fans use for Ash and Serena:
- AmourShipping
- Asheria
- SatoSere
Let’s take a closer look at each of these ship names for this popular Pokémon pairing.
AmourShipping
The most commonly used ship name for Ash and Serena is AmourShipping. This name combines “amour,” the French word for love, with the English word “shipping,” which in fandom refers to wanting two characters to be in a relationship. So AmourShipping translates to meaning a love relationship between Ash and Serena.
AmourShipping is popular because it neatly encompasses the hoped for romantic dynamic between the two characters. The use of the French word “amour” references Serena’s French origins in the Pokémon X and Y games and anime series.
Asheria
Another ship name that combines parts of their actual names is Asheria, using “Ash” and part of “Serena.” This is a simpler portmanteau that joins their names without adding an extra word like “shipping.”
Asheria is a natural sounding ship name that rolls off the tongue easily when discussing the potential relationship between Ash and Serena. While not as common as AmourShipping, some fans prefer using this shorter nickname.
SatoSere
SatoSere joins together Ash’s Japanese name “Satoshi” with part of Serena’s name. This ship name originated amongst fans familiar with the Japanese version of the Pokémon anime.
The use of “Sato” references the original Japanese portrayal of Ash’s character. Meanwhile, “Sere” keeps part of Serena’s universal name. Together, SatoSere is a ship name that honors the characters’ Japanese origins.
Origin of Ash and Serena’s relationship
To understand why fans came up with ship names for Ash and Serena, it helps to know how their relationship developed within the Pokémon XY anime series.
Ash and Serena first met as young children at a summer camp in Pallet Town. Ash helped defend Serena when she got lost in the forest and hurt her knee. This marked the start of Serena’s crush on Ash.
Years later, they reunited when Ash arrived in the Kalos region and Serena joined him on his journey. Throughout their adventures, it became clear Serena had feelings for Ash. She blushed around him, got jealous when he interacted with other girls, and cared for him when he was sick or injured.
While Ash remained oblivious to Serena’s crush, he depended on her support and cared about her in return. Their close friendship provided a foundation for fans to imagine them taking the next step into a romantic relationship.
Evidence of a potential romance
Beyond their friendship origins, several key moments in the Pokémon anime led fans to believe Ash and Serena might have mutual romantic feelings:
- Serena made Ash a present before his gym battle as a sign of affection.
- When Serena cut her hair, Ash told her how nice she looked, causing her to blush.
- During their first dance together, Ash and Serena gazed into each other’s eyes meaningfully.
- Ash and friends supported Serena through her Pokémon Showcase performances.
- Serena kissed Ash on the cheek when she had to leave, hinting at hidden feelings.
These tender and emotionally charged moments encouraged fans to imagine a love story between the two characters. The ship names gave people a way to articulate their support for an Ash and Serena relationship.
Popularity of Ash and Serena as a couple
AmourShipping, Asheria, and SatoSere have resonated with Pokémon fans, making Ash and Serena one of the most popular anime ships. On fanfiction sites, they are often the most written about couple from the Pokémon fandom. On social media, fanart and discussions about their possible relationship abound.
Part of the appeal comes from fans seeing their close friendship as a natural foundation for romance. Ash and Serena already care deeply about each other from their journey together. Supporters of AmourShipping, Asheria, or SatoSere simply hope this caring evolves into overt romantic affection.
The subtle hints of Serena’s feelings for Ash also fuel the popularity of these ship names. Fans pick up on moments the dense Ash misses and imagine what an actual love confession from Serena might be like someday.
Rival ship names
Like many fictional characters, Ash and Serena also have some rival romantic pairings that fans support:
PearlShipping
This refers to a relationship between Ash and his previous female companion Dawn from the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl anime series.
PokéShipping
One of the longest running ship names in Pokémon fandom, PokéShipping pairs Ash with his very first travel companion Misty.
AmourPearlShipping
This three-person ship envisions Ash with both Serena and Dawn as romantic partners at the same time.
NegaiShipping
Meaning “wishful” in Japanese, this ship name pairs Serena up with Clemont, another companion from her Kalos journey with Ash.
Of course, fans are free to support any couples they wish. But AmourShipping, Asheria, and SatoSere have emerged as the dominant ship names for Ash and Serena amongst Pokémon fans.
Usage in fan culture
Fans use Ash and Serena’s ship names in a variety of creative ways, including:
- Fan fiction stories depicting romantic scenarios between the two
- Fan art illustrating them as a couple or sharing a kiss
- Fan videos setting scenes of them together to love songs
- Discussions on forums and social media debating evidence of their feelings
- Fan polls and rankings of the most popular Pokémon ships
These ship names are an integral part of Pokémon fan culture. They represent the enthusiasm many fans have for seeing two of the main characters, who clearly care so much for each other, become an official romantic couple.
Conclusion
AmourShipping, Asheria, and SatoSere provide a concise and catchy way for fans to refer to a relationship between Ash Ketchum and Serena. These ship names originated because of evidence for Serena’s crush on Ash in the Pokémon XY anime and the pair’s close friendship. Ash and Serena have emerged as one of the most popular potential couples in the Pokémon fandom.
The use of ship names like AmourShipping allows fans to easily imagine and discuss their hopes for a future romantic dynamic between the characters. Although Ash and Serena are not an official couple as of now in the anime, these creative ship names capture fans’ passion for the two to end up together.