PearlShipping

Pearlshipping (known as SatoHika in Japan) is the belief among fans that Ash (Satoshi) and Dawn (Hikari) belong together as a couple. Within the anime fan base this is one of the most popular shippings. The name came from the thought that Dawn may be linked the the Pokemon Pearl Version's female character.

Dawn's Hints
When Pokemon Worlds Collide When Ash is hit by Team Rocket, Dawn displays a worried face, even though she had just met him. Later, she asks in a straightforward manner to come along, and claims that she want to spend more time with Pikachu. She could've used this as an excuse to get to know Ash better.

Dawn of a New Era Ash and Dawn get into fights throughout, but when Nando proves to them that their fighting is stupid, Dawn first apologizes, and Ash accepts her apology. Notice how they are in front of a campfire when she does this.

Setting the World on its Buneary During a bad hair day, Dawn refuses to let Ash or Brock see her. When the problem is solved, she asks Ash if he would like his hair done, too.

Mounting a Coordinate Assault Ash and Dawn share their first high five, and Dawn is very eager to give him one. Note that its in a white background.

Wild in the Streets When Ash is about to get injured, Dawn and her Pokemon protect him and specifically asks him if he's okay.

O'er the Rampardos we Watched Dawn cheers Ash on with a cheerleading outfit. No one went so far to do so, but Iris did cheer him on with a drum once.

Settling a Not-So-Old Score Ash and Dawn share their second high five.

The Champ Wins Dawn volunteers to be Ash's tag partner, and when they lose, they argue once more. Dawn is the first to apologize, and when they win, they give a double high five.

One Big Happiny Family Dawn doesn't mind Ash when Pikachu burned her bike, and quickly gets over it.

'''Tag! We're It...''' Dawn lost a contest, but Ash gives her an invitation to a tournament to make it for it. Dawn accepts.

The Keystone Pops Dawn is visibly worried when Ash goes to fight the Spiritomb, and warns him to be careful.

Tanks for the Memories Dawn is found inspired by Ash's training, but reflecting upon her recent loss, begins crying. Ash cheers her up, and Dawn takes Ash out for ice cream.

A Triple Fighting Chance Dawn cheers Ash on for the second time.

Enter Galactic Ash owns his victory to Dawn, and she blushes.

Our Cup Runneth Over Dawn states that Ash is incredible and when Wallace states the love between trainers and Pokemon, she agrees and looks at Ash.

Staging a Heroes' Welcome Ash and Dawn once again share a high five.

Chim-charred When Ash gets bitten by his Chimchar, Dawn tries to help, only to be stopped by Brock. She then protests.

Cream of the Croagunk Crop! In another scene, Dawn becomes so frightened by the numerous advancing Croagunk that she clutches Ash's arm and hides behind him.

Hungry for the Good Life! Dawn tells Monica that Ash "won an amazing victory at the Pastoria Gym" and how she admires all of his success as a trainer.

Dealing With Defensive Types! When Byron's Gym assistant exclaims that Byron has the upper hand during Ash and Byron's gym battle, Dawn angrily objects, "I am telling you you're wrong! Ash is going to win it for sure!" thereby revealing how confident she is in Ash's abilities.

Hold The Phione! When Ash asks Dawn which Pokémon she will use in the upcoming Pokémon Contest, Dawn responds with a wink, slyly asking him, "Well who do you think I would use?"

Old Rivals, New Tricks! Dawn states that she wants to enter Ambipom in the Sandalstraw Contest so that she might win for both her and Ash.

To Thine Own Pokémon Be True When Ash gets nervous during the Ping Pong competition, he grabs a fan instead of a paddle to which Dawn informs him "ASH THAT'S A FAN!" Dawn ran into the room at the Pokémon Center, on the verge of crying, and Ash questions "Dawn, what's the matter?" When the group finds Ambipom she's hitting a ping pong ball against the building, and Dawn explains that O offered her that he'd train Ambipom to become a Pokémon Ping Pong player, and since Ash went through a similar situation before having to decide whether to trade her for Dawn's Buizel she asks Ash "What would you do if you were me, Ash?"

Uncrushing Defeat! Ash, upset over his Pokémon team's injuries, runs off. Dawn, concerned, attempts to follow but is stopped by Brock. Nevertheless, Dawn later puts on a complex show for Ash, trying hard to improve Ash's mood and self-confidence. While Ash is initially oblivious to the Dawn's motivations, Nurse Joy soon informs him that Dawn went through so much trouble solely on behalf of him and his Pokémon.

Gone With the Windworks! When Ash, Dawn, Brock, Khoury, and Lyra are trapped in a storage room at the Valley Windworks, Lyra asks Dawn if Ash is her boyfriend. Dawn quickly denies this, expressing not only bewilderment but shock and defensiveness as well. Lyra nevertheless continues drilling Dawn on the subject, pointing out what she believes constitute Ash's strong points. Dawn appears to ponder some of Lyra's statements, perhaps realizing that Lyra has put him in a light she hadn't contemplated before. A Rivalry to Gible On!

After Ash falls into a Trapinch's Arena Trap, Dawn becomes worried and scolds him for endangering himself. While the two argue, Lyra looks on and thinks to herself how nice it is that both Ash and Dawn care for one another as much as they do. Later, Dawn is once again startled by Lyra's talk of romance, although this time Lyra discusses the possibility of dating Khoury herself. Mastering Current Events!

During the night, while Ash is training Gliscor for the Air Battles, Dawn wakes up and reaches him, giving him some shredded tin foils she prepared to help them in the training. Apparently, Ash never asked her to do that, so she projected the thing herself. She also spends the whole night outside with Ash (they're seen to stop training at the sunrise).

Yes in Dee Dee, it's Dawn! When Ash gives Dawn a cup of hot milk after her fainting, she seems surprised, and gently smiles at him telling it's been a very nice gesture from him. Probably, because of Ash's usual denseness, Dawn didn't expect him to be that tender with her. She thanks Ash, but doesn't say anything to Brock also when Ash tells her it's been Brock's idea. Later in the episode, after the appeal round, she has a high-five with Ash.

A Grand Fight for Winning! After the conclusion of the Grand Festival, Zoey asks Dawn if she would like to accompany her back to Snowpoint City. Dawn declines, saying she has something to do. Zoey assumes that this "something" is cheering for Ash in his upcoming battles, an assumption that Dawn soon confirms is correct.

The Eighth Wonder of the Sinnoh World! Dawn again cheers for Ash and his Pokémon in her cheerleading costume for the third time.

Four Roads Diverged in a Pokémon Port! Kenny invites Dawn to a journey together, but she's unsure about her future; she tells Jasmine that the only thing she's sure of is that she wants to support Ash during the Sinnoh League, without knowing what to do after that. When Ash and Kenny are battling, Dawn is supporting Ash as she used to do in every battle, and she looks sad when Kenny wins. Later, even if Kenny insisted, Dawn decided to stay, at least temporarily, still with Ash at the Sinnoh League. However in the last episode she will tell Ash she wants to come to Kanto with him, indicating that maybe she had already made that decision after the Ash-Kenny's battle.

Familiarity Breeds Strategy When Ash and Paul find Dawn and Paul walking together, Dawn looks awkward for a moment, and then runs to Ash's side as if embarrassed to be caught by Ash talking with another boy.

Memories are Made of Bliss! As Ash and Brock prepare leave the Sinnoh region, Dawn initially proclaims that she would like to accompany Ash to his hometown in Kanto now that her Contest run has concluded. This plan is quickly derailed, however, when an opportunity for Buneary in Sinnoh presents itself. Near the episode's conclusion, as Ash and Brock walk away, Dawn calls out for Ash one last time, prompting a startled Ash to turn around and see her right arm raised high above her head. The two high-five for the last time ((in the DP series) this seems to be the first time that's Dawn "asking" for the high-five). The camera pans down to show Pikachu and Piplup high-five and then hug one another. Dawn begins to cry as the boat departs but, upon hearing Ash yell words of encouragement, regains composure, quickly running after the boat and waving alongside a tearful Piplup.

Piplup, Pansage, and a Meeting of the Times! When Ash enters Cynthia's villa in Undella Town, Dawn playfully hides behind him while giggling when he cannot find her. She then surprises him with her appearance. Some moments later, she winks and raises her arm to propose Ash a high-five, like they used to do in Sinnoh. Later on, during her battle against Cilan's Pansage, Dawn also makes Piplup use Ash's old Counter Shield, a move they developed together.

Expedition to Onix Island! Dawn begins to mimic Iris in calling Ash a kid in order to tease him. When Iris and Dawn get separated from Ash and Cilan, Dawn seems worried about Ash.

Ash's hints
Dawn of a New Era! Just like Dawn, after Nando told them that their arguing was baseless, Ash apologizes to Dawn, saying he hasn't been very nice with her.

Mounting a Coordinator Assault! After his performance Ash meets Dawn in the hallway, and wishes her good luck giving her their first high-five. O'er The Rampardos We Watched Dawn dresses in a cheerleading outfit and cheers for Ash. Ash notices this and, with a grin on his face, remarks,”thanks Dawn."

'''Sticking with who you know! '''Ash holds Dawn’s hand when her Piplup and his Pikachu are stuck together.

Settling a Not-So-Old Score! Ash calms Dawn's nerves after she makes what she thought had been a bad appeal and consoles her through the use of Dawn's frequent catchphrase, "No need to worry!" (Japanese: "Daijōbu!"). While doing so, Ash expresses an encouraging look.

A Maze-ing Race! After Paul tells Ash that he has not seen either Brock or Dawn, Ash wonders if his friends have gotten lost in the maze. He then imagines Dawn yelling, "No need to worry!" while being binded by an Onix and immediately yells out, "That's when I worry the most!" In the original Japanese episode, Hikari/Dawn yells painfully, "I'm all right! I'm all right!" while Satoshi wryly says "You're not all right at all!" He quickly tells Pikachu that they need to go find everyone. '''Tag! We're It...!'''

Ash enrolls Dawn in the Hearthome Tag Battle Tournament in an effort to cheer her up following a recent Contest loss. Informed of this, Dawn objects on the basis that she won't do well, but Ash counters with his belief that she will do great and asks her to simply try her best. Dawn agrees, and Ash, with a big grin on his face, raises his hand for a high five. Team Shocker!

Ash is deeply saddened when Dawn loses in the appeal round for the second time. After the loss, "Jessilina" walks up to her and tells her to leave. Dawn refuses, telling "Jessilina" that she wants to stay, while the camera focuses on Dawn's slightly shaking fist. The camera then cuts to Ash's face. The brown in Ash's eyes can be seen; this usually happens only when Ash is very upset. Ash lowers his head and hides his eyes behind his hat.

Enter Galactic! Ash credits the training Buizel underwent with Dawn while still in her possession for his recent earning of a badge from Maylene. Dawn blushes and replies, "Thanks, but it was all worth it to see an amazing battle between you and Maylene, Ash." Ash smiles widely at her.

Cream of the Croagunk Crop! Ash asks Dawn to dance during the Croagunk Festival. Hungry for the Good Life!

Ash and Dawn climb onto Team Rocket's robot, but Ash falls off. As he does so, Ash yells Dawn's name twice, once while falling and again after losing sight of her.

Fighting Fear With Fear! Dawn infuriates Ash by suggesting that Ash treat his Pokémon as Gary does. Some PearlShippers consider that to be jealousy over Dawn's supposed feelings for Gary. Arriving in Style!

Dawn becomes frustrated while designing outfits for the collection. Ash assures her that all of her designs are good and tells her to just do her best. Camping It Up!

When Brock comments on how great Conway is with his Venonat, Ash begins to worry and yells, "'Kay Dawn, hang in there!" Later, Ash is happy to see Dawn win the prize for being closest to her Pokémon.

Another One Gabites the Dust! Ursula insults Dawn, angering her. Dawn prepares a retort but Ash beats her to the punch, yelling to Ursula that Dawn is a much better Coordinator and Trainer than she is.

Trials and Adulations! Ash discovers that Dawn has fallen into the river and thus becomes worried. He continues to express concern over her well-being until she is found. Meanwhile, Brock does not show nearly as much concern.

Uncrushing Defeat! Dawn puts on a show for Ash and his Pokémon, but Ash does not know why. Nurse Joy informs him that it Dawn is trying to cheer up not only his Pokémon but him as well. Ash quickly gives Dawn a weird look as if to say, "Is this true?" Dawn responds with a smile and a wink and starts the show. Ash and his Pokémon enjoy themselves.

An Egg Scramble! When Lyra invites Dawn to battle with her Chikorita, Ash exclaims, "Yeah, go Dawn!" and pushes her to the podium by the shoulder.

A Rivalry to Gible On! Lyra tries to play matchmaker with Dawn and Khoury as the target couple. Later, Ash and friends are separated by a flock of Zubat while exploring a cave. Dawn is shown alone and scared with her Piplup, but, soon after, Ash is shown running up to her and calling out her name.

Dressed for Jess Success! In this episode, Ash states Dawn is awesome and "number one."

Yes in Dee Dee, It's Dawn! In this episode, Ash is seen giving Dawn many kind gestures. First, after Dawn faints, Ash gives her some warm milk to make her feel better—though it is revealed Brock told Ash to go get it—and comments on how worried he is about her well-being. These kind words touch Dawn, prompting her to note that he is being really, almost uncharacteristically, nice to her. Later, during the Contest, Brock worries aloud that Dawn's performance might not go well; Ash objects and tells Brock that he thinks Dawn will be fine. Finally, after the first round of the Contest, Ash runs into the contestant area (Brock behind), telling Dawn that she was awesome and complimenting her Pokémon pair. Dawn is touched and she and Ash high-five. At the episode's end, Ursula comments on how close Ash and Dawn have become.

Dawn of a Royal Day! Dawn tries on a princess outfit leaving Ash with a visibly stunned face (though some say it's because she looks so much like Princess Salvia). Ash praises Dawn, commenting that the dress looks good on her.

Memories are Made of Bliss! Throughout the episode, Ash was constantly joking around with Dawn. Some PearlShippers think that this was his way of making the goodbye not as heartbreaking. At the beginning of the episode, Ash tells Dawn's mother that traveling with Dawn was a lot of fun and that he enjoyed her around. At the end of the episode, Ash becomes worried about Dawn when she was crying as he left so he yells her catchphrase and cheers her up.

Piplup, Pansage, and a Meeting of the Times! After meeting Dawn again in Cynthia's villa, Ash exchanges a high-five with her, in sign of their old habitude in Sinnoh. Later he loudly declares he wants to be the first to battle with Dawn, and when Cilan anticipates him, he looks very disappointed.

Expedition to Onix Island! Ash gets discouraged when it's Dawn specifically who teases him; this can suggest that Ash seeks Dawn's approval.

Going For The Gold! While Ash and his friends were at the aquarium they see Piplup and Serena say they're really friendly and Ash replies by saying they know a Piplup that's really something else which he is referring to Dawn's Piplup.

Other hints

 * Unlike Misty, May, Iris, and Serena, Dawn asks in a straightforward manner to come along with Ash in When Pokémon Worlds Collide! rather than coming up with some reason to hide her intentions. In return, Ash accepts her request. While Ash felt some obligation to Misty and May due to Pikachu ruining their bikes, Iris invited herself, while Serena was invited by Ash to travel with him, Clemont and Bonnie.
 * Since Mounting a Coordinator Assault!, Ash and Dawn are often seen exchanging high-fives whenever one of them accomplishes something, which might possibly portray a special friendship.
 * Ash and Dawn are the only main characters to trade Pokémon with each other: Ash's Aipom for Dawn's Buizel. This may symbolize they highly trust in themselves.
 * Dawn's Buneary has a crush on Ash's Pikachu. This could be a sign that Dawn may have a crush on Ash, since 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.
 * Ash has watched all of Dawn's Contests. He did not do this with May because he would sometimes be training his Pokémon instead of watching her.
 * Dawn is the source of some of the moves and strategies used in battle by Ash, which include Ice Aqua Jet & Spin. Ash watching Dawn's Contest may (in part) be so he can learn new things to apply in battle, though some say this is because of advice given to him by others.
 * One of the movie posters for Giratina and the Sky Warrior depicts Pikachu and Piplup sitting on Ash's and Dawn's heads, respectively. Some fans have pointed out that the distance portrayed between Dawn and Ash is very low.

High Touch!
The opening is sung by Ash and Dawn. The lyrics show how close their friendship is to each other and their Pokémon. But, mainly to each other. On High Touch! / Surely Tomorrow's Japanese album, only appears Ash and Dawn with Pikachu and Piplup on the CD's cover so close each other giving a high five.

Wild in the Streets!
While Dawn battled a revived Aerodactyl, Ash is fascinated with Piplup and Buneary's new dodging tactic that he asks Dawn to help him practice for his rematch. He then has Pikachu, Aipom, and Turtwig use them in O'er the Rampardos We Watched in his rematch with Roark, again in Getting the Pre-Contest Titters in his match against Kenny, and a few other times since, the tactic becoming a regular (if not frequent) feature in Ash's strategy.

Hold the Phione!
When Ash and Dawn were in the submarine, they saw a school of Luvdisc. Some PearlShippers consider this a hint because Luvdisc's Pokédex entry says if two people see a school of Luvdisc, they will be blessed with eternal love.

Dawn's hints
The Rise of Darkrai When Darkrai first appears in front of Ash and company, Dawn runs over to Ash's side. At one point as they are climbing the Space-Time Tower staircase, Ash almost falls off, and Dawn catches him. When they do fall out of the staircase and land safely, she holds his hand for a brief moment and smiles. When Ash begins to cry, believing he lost Darkrai, Dawn looks at him with a worried expression and begins to cry as well.

Arceus and the Jewel of Life In the beginning part of the movie, Ash playfully splashes water on Dawn, then she does the same. When Ash tries to defeat Marcus, he has trouble beating Heatran and Bronzong. As soon as they both attack Pikachu, Dawn and her Piplup protect Ash and Pikachu, and help him fight. During this time, Brock is not with Dawn and Ash but with Sheena and Damos.

Zoroark: Master of Illusions When Ash became electrocuted, Dawn right away comes to his side to comfort him and make sure he is okay.

Ash's hints
The Rise of Darkrai When both Ash and Dawn are falling off the hot-air balloon because of Dialga and Palkia's moves, he grabs her hand, trying to save her; some moments later she falls anyway, and when she lands safe, Ash is relieved. When both Ash and Dawn are falling off the tower together, Ash holds Dawn tightly so that she doesn't fall. When they land, he shows a relieved smile.

Giratina and the Sky Warrior When Dawn gets sucked into the Reverse World, Ash yells, "Dawn!" and runs after Dawn into the portal. Brock does not follow Ash's lead. When Shaymin says that Dawn’s Poffin was okay, Ash rushes to Dawn’s defense and says ”HEY!!!!!”

Arceus and the Jewel of Life At the beginning, when Ash and Dawn are in the river, he playfully splashed water on her, causing the same reaction. During the opening music, when they battle against Kato and Kiko, Ash's Pikachu protect Dawn's Piplup from an attack, then Ash makes an "okay" sign to Dawn. Later they exchange another high-five, too; noticeably it happens while High Touch! is in the background, in the Japanese version.

Movie Posters
Throughout most promotional posters of Diamond & Pearl movies, Brock seemed to be excluded, leaving only Ash and Dawn in them.

Similarities

 * Also, Dawn is the only pokegirl for Ash to relate too such as in the Rise of Darkrai, he follows Dawn when she says she is exhausted.
 * Both Dawn and Ash saw a legendary Pokémon at the beginning of their journeys (Ash saw Ho-Oh in Pokémon - I Choose You! and Dawn saw Mesprit in Following a Maiden's Voyage!).
 * They have both seen a lake guardian: Dawn and Mesprit in Following a Maiden's Voyage!, and Ash and Azelf in Pruning a Passel of Pals! (eventually, Brock saw Uxie as well).
 * Neither Ash or Dawn's fathers have ever been acknowledged on-screen in the anime, and the pair appear to have been predominantly raised in a single parent household. They are both only children with no siblings.
 * The pair come from almost identical backgrounds having both grown up under the care of their mothers (Delia and Johanna), in small towns within travelling distance of their regions main pokemon professor, Oak and Rowan respectively. Both also knew what path they wanted to pursue at the start of their journey and shared the same determination to be the best at their respective goals.
 * They both have childhood rivals: Ash's is Gary Oak and Dawn's is Kenny. In addition, Gary and Kenny have a fully-evolved Water-type starter Pokémon from their respective regions: Empoleon for Kenny and Blastoise for Gary.
 * The rivals of their game counterparts (Gary and Barry) have appeared in the anime instead of making a cameo, as Silver and Brendan have.
 * He first participated in an official Contest at the same time as Dawn.
 * They are the only main characters that have battled members of the Elite Four.
 * Just like Ash's Pikachu, Dawn's Piplup was not ready to obey her when they first met. Eventually, they became friends.
 * Pikachu saved Ash from Spearow in the beginning of his journey while Piplup saved Dawn from Ariados.
 * Both Dawn and Ash's first Pokémon have refused to evolve.
 * Both of their starters were able to defeat their evolved forms: Pikachu beat Lt. Surge's Raichu and Sho's Raichu, while Piplup beat Kenny's Prinplup.
 * As of Journey To The Unown!, Dawn's Piplup seems to have become an "out of the ball" Pokémon, as it rarely stays inside its Poké Ball anymore, and is often seen being carried around by Dawn just as Ash carries around Pikachu on his shoulder.


 * Both Ash and Dawn have owned Pokémon that refused to obey them at one point (Ash's Pikachu, Charizard, and Primeape, and Dawn's Buizel and Mamoswine).
 * Both also have a Pokémon they caught in its earliest form, which began to disobey them after evolving once, which in turn then evolved again rather quickly. Eventually, both Pokémon started obeying their Trainers (however, it took Ash's Charizard much longer to obey than Dawn's Mamoswine).
 * They both released the second Pokémon they caught: Ash released Pidgeot and Dawn released Pachirisu. However, Dawn recaptured Pachirisu and Ash promised that he would come back for Pidgeot (though he has yet to do so).
 * In Doc Brock!, Pachirisu becomes ill from having too much electricity, which also happened to Ash's Pikachu between Hoenn Alone! and Get the Show on the Road!.
 * Just like Ash's Bulbasaur, Dawn's Piplup stopped evolving in the middle of the evolution process.
 * Both own a Quilava.
 * Both released a fully evolved Pokémon from their current team for training during the the Diamond and Pearl saga.
 * Both are part of a two-evolution family and their base forms relate to Generation II.
 * In Camping It Up!, Dawn rented an affectionate Grimer whose behavior is similar to that of Ash's Muk.
 * In Get your Rotom Running, while communicating with Professor Oak, Grotle and Piloswine tackle Ash and Dawn down with affection.
 * These two are newly evolved Stage 2 Pokémon.
 * Both Ash and Dawn have a primate Pokémon in training. Ash's Primeape is training for the Pokémon Grand Prix, while Dawn's Ambipom is in training for Pokémon Ping-Pong.
 * Dawn and Ash both owned a Cyndaquil that knew Flame Wheel, SmokeScreen, Swift, and Flamethrower. Both of their Cyndaquil evolved into Quilava and learned Eruption right after their evolutions.
 * Both Ash's Oshawott and Dawn's Piplup fell for Meleotta in Piplup, Pansage, and a Meeting of the Times!.

Alternate names
AADL - occasionally used, standing for Ash And Dawn Love ShinouShipping (please note that this name conflicts with FortuneShipping, the pairing of Lucas and Dawn in the games, also referred to as ShinouShipping) Sakari - also occasionally seen, a name taken from Satoshi and Hikari SatoHika - often used, this name is taken from Satoshi and Hikari.

Links
PearlShipping Vault