SpecialShipping
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This article is about shipping. As hints and evidence for ships are mostly speculation, this page may contain personal points of view. |
SpecialShipping (Japanese: レイエ ReIe) is the belief that Red and Yellow belong in a romantic relationship. This pairing is one of the more popular ships; however, some consider it to be a one-sided canon on Yellow's part, since Red doesn't seem to recognize her feelings due to his slightly oblivious nature. The name is derived from Pokémon Special, the Japanese name of Pokémon Adventures. Its rivals include LuckyShipping and MangaPokéShipping.
Basis
From their first meeting, both Red and Yellow have shown signs of strong fondness for the other. Ever since Red saved Yellow's life when she was young, she's harbored a deep admiration for him, even drawing pictures of him in her notebook. Whenever Red and Yellow interact, Yellow usually blushes and gets flustered; needless to say, if Yellow doesn't have feelings for Red, she admires him more than the average fan. On the other hand, Red's feelings are a bit harder to decipher. Because Red doesn't seem to think about potential romances, it's certainly questionable whether or not Red has feelings for Yellow; however, of all the other girls in the series, Red is depicted as having a relationship that is notably closer to Yellow than anyone else, and generally gives her most of his attention whenever she is around.
Also, being one of the heroes of the manga, Red has a fierce desire to both protect and impress; while Yellow is by no means helpless or weak, she is sure to be content and pleased by her hero protecting/saving her (which Red has done numerous times). Both characters are shown to be more innocent and easygoing, characteristics that bind the two together in closeness, and as fans hope, as a possible couple. So, aside from the duo's obvious close relationship, Red and Yellow would treat the other how they'd prefer to be treated by a significant other, thus supporting the theory of the two growing together as a couple.
Evidence
Red, Green & Blue arc
- Round 36, Drat That Dratini!
- Red and Yellow first met in the third volume, when Yellow got lost in the Viridian Forest and was attacked by a wild Dratini. Red rescues her just in time, by shoving her out of the way and restraining Dratini with Saur's vines. Even though she was never really hurt, he repeatedly asks if she's okay and guides her in catching her first Pokémon, Ratty. After escaping from the forest, Red teaches her that Pokémon will always be their friends as long as they care for them with a kind and gentle heart. The background appears to glimmer, and such backgrounds are sometimes used to represent a type of passion in both the anime and the manga. If the same logic applies in this case, then it can be said that this is a special moment Red and Yellow shared.
- Round 38, Long Live the Nidoqueen!?
- Later, after his battle with Giovanni, Red was nursed back to health by none other than Yellow. She states that she found him at the edge of the forest and is about to express her worry and concern for him when he interrupts. Some believe that Yellow was about to say something along the lines of fearing that Red had died. Yellow tells Red that nobody around her hometown is very good with Pokémon, that they need somebody that can teach them. Red understands that she means him and promises her to be the best Gym Leader there ever was, even yelling as he departs, "Wait for me!"
Yellow arc
- In the fourth volume, taking place two years later, Yellow sets off on a mission to find Red—who is missing—assigned by Green.
- Round 46, Whacked by Marowak!
- When Erika receives news of a sighting of someone fitting Red's description on the western outskirts of Celadon City, Pika and Yellow immediately dash off to find him. This could be due to their eagerness to see Red again, though this may also count as a ShockShipping hint. Upon seeing 'Red', Yellow cries out in joy, "It is Red! It is!", and appears to be blushing slightly. After 'Red' assaults Erika, Yellow is greatly shocked, as if she never would have imagined Red treating others so harshly.
- Round 49, As Gastly as Before
- Just before Blue leaves, Yellow requests that he train her, stating that she will learn whatever she has to in order to save Red. This implies her strong devotion toward her quest to find Red, as well as Red himself.
- Round 56, The Coming of Slowpoke (Eventually)
- While aboard the S.S. Anne, Yellow reflects upon her training with Blue and how it helped to boost her confidence. She then thinks with a smile that maybe she would be bold enough to team up with Red at Vermilion City.
- Round 58, The Kindest Tentacruel
- When the Kanto Pokémon Fan Club Chairman relates the legend of the evolutionary stones beneath Vermilion Harbor to Yellow, her first reaction is to ask how it is related to Red. Even the chairman does a classic anime/manga fall and thinks, "Is Red the only thing this child thinks about?" After the chairman finishes telling the tale, Yellow doesn't seem to be listening to him and rushes off to find the stones, thinking that they might help her find Red.
- Round 65, Karate Machop!
- When Yellow sees the lump of ice cast in the shape of Red, she becomes so agitated that Blaine has to restrain her.
- Round 78, Victim of Venusaur
- When Yellow sees Red appear on the other side of the 'magic mirror', she instantly calls out to him, her eyes shining. She also appears to be tearing slightly as she and Pika frantically pound at the wall in a failed attempt to gain Red's attention. In fact, she is so preoccupied with yelling at Red that she does not hear Blaine's warning about the torrent and gets washed away as a result.
- Round 83, Bang the Drum, Slowbro
- It is shown in Green's flashback that when Green told Yellow Red was in trouble, Yellow appears very shocked and concerned about him. Green asks Yellow to search for Red, and she agrees immediately without much hesitation.
- Round 85, Gimme Shellder
- Red finds his Pokédex and Yellow's sketchbook, and is shocked to see a drawing of himself.
- Round 90 The Legend
- When Yellow finally defeats Lance, her powers sap at her strength, causing her to lose consciousness and fall. Red is shown to catch her in his arms.
- Upon waking up, Yellow blushes when she realises that she is right next to Red on his Gyarados, and again when Red pats her on her head and commends her effort. She subsequently discovers that a piece of her Caterpie's String Shot is tied around both her and Red's pinky fingers, causing her to blush (again) and freak out, as this is similar to the way lovers are often portrayed in some cultures as having red threads tied around their pinkies. (Since the manga is in greyscale, there's no way to conclusively know the color of the string, but it was probably white, like most String Shots.)
- At this point, Red suggests that he and Yellow actually live together, leading to another of Yellow's blushes. However, he still doesn't know Yellow is actually a girl. By the end of the seventh volume, everybody has figured this out except for Red. However, she makes no attempt to tell him the truth for a whole year, being too embarrassed and shy.
Gold, Silver & Crystal arc
- Round 114, Delibird Delivery - 2
- Daisy whispers to Yellow, wondering if she had told Red about her true gender. Yellow blushes in embarrassment, then quickly changes the subject by focusing on Red's hand. She expresses a lot of concern toward the injury, but Red reassures her that it is only a minor sprain.
- Round 115, Forretress of Solitude
- Yellow and Daisy are concerned about Red's health, but Red still doesn't give up the test to become Viridian City's Gym Leader. It may be because Red remembers his promise to the little girl (Yellow) before, or because he just wants to be a gym leader.
- Throughout the aptitude test, Yellow is shown to be very concerned about Red's condition. At the end of this round, when Red leaves for the springs in Mt. Silver to recuperate from injuries he suffered from being frozen by Lorelei's Pokémon during the Yellow chapter, she teams up with his Pika once again to investigate the big bird that appeared in the previous chapter.
- Round 180, The Last Battle XIV
- When Yellow's true gender is revealed to Red at the end of the chapter, he is shocked speechless, but seems to get over it quite quickly because of the current situation. At that point, Misty accidentally calls him, trying to reach Erika (since Erika lent her Pokégear to Red). Yellow is curious who to Red is talking to. To this, Green suggests in imitation of Red's earlier comment, "Why don't you all just live together?" This causes Red, Yellow, and Misty to all blush furiously.
FireRed & LeafGreen arc
- Round 287, Secrets from Sneasel
- Yellow tells Chuchu that she is nervous as she has not seen 'him' for a long time. However, it is unclear whether it is Red or Blue that she is referring to, as she is outside the Viridian Gym in the next scene while wondering if Blue is back yet, then talks about Red in the next. Fans tend to assume that it is the former.
- Round 298, Start the Countdown, Starmie
- In the storyline, after Red and Yellow have been trapped on Team Rocket's airship by Team Rocket's Beast Warrior Trio, Orm and Sird wonder whether they should lock the two up in one room, and laugh that it would make a very touching reunion. It brings up the "living together" comment once more except in a more serious situation.
- Round 299, Distant Relation Deoxys
- Round 301, Storming the Forretress
- Round 302, Phew for Mew
- When the Pokédex holders are frozen into stone, an unconscious Yellow is being held in the arms of Red.
PikaChuChuShipping
PikaChuChuShipping is the belief that Red's Pika and Yellow's Chuchu are in a romantic relationship, and is considered canon by some. Supporters of SpecialShipping or not, most fans of the manga have agreed that they have shown signs of affection toward each other throughout the Gold, Silver & Crystal arc. The situation escalated when the two Pikachu mated to produce an egg at the Goldenrod Daycare Center, which later hatched into a Pichu. This could be a sign that Red and Yellow will be in a romantic relationship in future, since in the anime, Professor Oak and Brock have said in the past that Pokémon represent the feelings of their masters and when two Pokémon fall in love, there is a good chance the Trainers will too. This is similar to how fans relate AdvanceShipping and VineShipping, or PearlShipping and LagomorphShipping to each other. However, the claim has also been refuted at various points of the anime, so the feelings of the Pokémon are not always definitive to the feelings of the Trainers; in addition, the anime and the manga do not always share the same logic.
Notable PikaChuChuShippers
Similarities
- As stated by Mewtwo in the 284th round, Red and Yellow are (or were) the only Trainers that it can (or could) trust other than Blaine.
- Both own a Pikachu.
- Both own a Water-type Pokémon formerly owned by Misty.
Alternate names
- CallabaroShipping - An unofficial, rarely used term. Its origin is unknown, but it is likely a corruption or misspelling of caballero, which is what Yellow is referred to as.
Trivia
- Yellow's Pokédex used to be Red's. During the Yellow arc arc, Yellow also kept it for him while searching for him. As Green and Blue's original ones were destroyed, technically, this makes Yellow the owner of the oldest Pokédex.
- At times, the ship can be similar to ApprenticeShipping or AdvanceShipping, with Red playing the part of the mentor and Yellow as the student.
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This article is part of Project Shipping, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each couple in Pokémon. |