tentio
Junior Advancer
When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Posts: 88
Favorite Pokemon: Sceptile
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Post by tentio on Oct 21, 2023 15:51:19 GMT -8
Hi all, I'm a relatively new advanceshipper. I've been very much into Pokemon for most of my life and always preferred Ash and May's relationship, though I didn't link that to Advanceshipping until later. I've been an avid fanfiction reader for a few years now, and I've been sick for the past few days, so being cooped up in my room gave me the itch to read some again, which has led me down a rabbit hole of Advanceshipping. This included looking at many fanfictions, looking at forums (such as this one) and trying to find signs of life in this community.
And now.... is Advanceshipping dead?
From reading some fanfictions, rewatching the show and movies, and looking through old posts, I feel quite alone. It seems to have been years since Advanceshipping has had any real active popularity or discussion. It's kind of disappointing honestly. It made me feel a little depressed to not have been here when this place and others were active. I looked for awhile, and there really doesn't seem to be any active community/forum/group for Advanceshippers, and it genuinely makes me kind of sad.
And this doesn't just go for Advanceshipping, it goes for almost every AshxCompanion shipping (aside from Amourshipping probably). I did a little internet dive into Pearlshipping as well, and it provided some similar results.
It almost feels to me like a lost culture. Now with Ash Ketchum's journey having come to a definitive end, I really don't know if we are ever going to see Ash and May together ever again. The final episodes really failed to give me some closure on their relationship.
That's when reality kinda set in for me. It has been over 16 years since we last saw Ash and May on a journey together. Wow.
And now, it seems that Advanceshipping is all but dead. Needless to say, it's been a pretty depressing weekend for me.
Anyways, what are your guy's thoughts, to anyone who may find this?
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Post by Prismaric on Oct 21, 2023 18:02:30 GMT -8
Hello there. It's nice to meet a new face.
Much like you, I've been a Pokemon fan for years and I actually supported Advanceshipping since watching the previews for the first two AG episodes before learning about shipping in my mid teens. So I was shipping them before even realizing that was a thing lol. XD I get what you mean about being alone in shipping a pairing with not much of a fanbase as I have constantly been finding myself on the short end of the stick. It doesn't help that I wasn't really a social kind of person despite of being a member of ADV Proboards so I was really shy about engaging with other people during the height of its activity.
Now the thing about Advanceshipping is that it seems about any AshxMain Girl pairing aside from Pokeshipping and Amourshipping felt like it's merely like a product of its time, in this case during the AG era. Support for Advanceshipping has turned for the worse when the eng dub of Battle Frontier has shown more favorable support towards Contestshipping. The movies that took place during BF were really the only hints we have for Advanceshipping, the big one being Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea(Which I consider to be canon and probably the best Pokemon movie. Fight me). Outside of it, the only things we had gotten for the remainder of the series was May's return for the Wallace Cup in DP, one or two Terracotta ribbon cameos, and May's silent cameos in Journeys. On top of that, May's JP VA has been undergoing a terrible throat condition with no signs of recovery as Japan is rather strict when it comes to casting VAs so getting a replacement VA for May was not an option. The combination of these things, without a doubt, seem to have driven many Advanceshipping fans away as they simply moved on with their lives.
Honestly, I thought that my interest in Advanceshipping would remain no more than a distant memory as of sometime between Sun and Moon and Journeys until I saw some old Advanceshipping fanart on Twitter about a few months ago. Now here I am, in my own transitioning predicament, shipping a pairing that most people don't even care about in favor of more "canon" ships. Fan-freaking-tastic.
But, despite my grievances, I won't be giving up on Advanceshipping any time soon. Especially since I got a fanfiction story that desperately needs a rewrite and to be completed. I just don't know long I have when it comes to supporting Advanceshipping given how rough my life has been in this point of time. But I hope that with whatever I can do in providing support for the ship will have meaning in that it wouldn't be of any interference with my personal life. And whatever you got going on, try to cheer up and just focus on the things that make you happy about Advanceshipping rather than of what could have been. Don't let any negative things get to you for the time being. And I'm sorry to hear that you've been having a depressing time lately. Hope things will get better for you. There is a Discord server that is a bit more active but much like the site everybody is just vibing at this point.
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tentio
Junior Advancer
When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Posts: 88
Favorite Pokemon: Sceptile
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Post by tentio on Oct 21, 2023 19:04:01 GMT -8
Prismaric I'm happy to get a reply so soon. Just like you, I also don't plan on giving up on Advanceshipping in the foreseeable future. That is despite it being a little lonely supporting a ship that is all but forgotten. I guess it's just the fact that there's not many other people supporting this ship combined with the loads of archives of people talking about this shipping + making fanart/fanfiction over a decade ago compared to the very little amount now that makes it feels so lonely for me. As for that fanfiction, I encourage you to work on it! I've also been very close to trying to start a story, but I fear that I will end up copying elements from some of my favorite Advanceshipping fanfictions, so I've been holding it off. I hope life goes well for you!
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Hailey
Exceptional Advancer
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Posts: 1,184
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Post by Hailey on Oct 22, 2023 15:10:54 GMT -8
Hi all, I'm a relatively new advanceshipper. I've been very much into Pokemon for most of my life and always preferred Ash and May's relationship, though I didn't link that to Advanceshipping until later. I've been an avid fanfiction reader for a few years now, and I've been sick for the past few days, so being cooped up in my room gave me the itch to read some again, which has led me down a rabbit hole of Advanceshipping. This included looking at many fanfictions, looking at forums (such as this one) and trying to find signs of life in this community. And now.... is Advanceshipping dead? From reading some fanfictions, rewatching the show and movies, and looking through old posts, I feel quite alone. It seems to have been years since Advanceshipping has had any real active popularity or discussion. It's kind of disappointing honestly. It made me feel a little depressed to not have been here when this place and others were active. I looked for awhile, and there really doesn't seem to be any active community/forum/group for Advanceshippers, and it genuinely makes me kind of sad. And this doesn't just go for Advanceshipping, it goes for almost every AshxCompanion shipping (aside from Amourshipping probably). I did a little internet dive into Pearlshipping as well, and it provided some similar results. It almost feels to me like a lost culture. Now with Ash Ketchum's journey having come to a definitive end, I really don't know if we are ever going to see Ash and May together ever again. The final episodes really failed to give me some closure on their relationship. That's when reality kinda set in for me. It has been over 16 years since we last saw Ash and May on a journey together. Wow. And now, it seems that Advanceshipping is all but dead. Needless to say, it's been a pretty depressing weekend for me. Anyways, what are your guy's thoughts, to anyone who may find this? Hi! Honestly, I've been feeling the same way for a while now. While I didn't really watch AG growing up (I'm on the younger side and started watching around BW era), I found fanfiction later on, eventually leading me to find and get interested in advanceshipping. I wrote a few fanfics back in 2020 but nothing much since. I really do want to get back into writing advanceshipping stories, but for me its mostly a matter of time really. Like I COULD do it, but now that I'm in uni I have a lot going on that's simply more important. And it seems to be the same for a lot of other people as well. I know it was almost inevitable for advanceshipping to die eventually but its still sad to see happen. I do really hope I can find the chance to come back to writing someday though, and I'm glad that there are people like you who still care about advanceshipping :)
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tentio
Junior Advancer
When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Posts: 88
Favorite Pokemon: Sceptile
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Post by tentio on Oct 22, 2023 16:19:35 GMT -8
Hi! Honestly, I've been feeling the same way for a while now. While I didn't really watch AG growing up (I'm on the younger side and started watching around BW era), I found fanfiction later on, eventually leading me to find and get interested in advanceshipping. I wrote a few fanfics back in 2020 but nothing much since. I really do want to get back into writing advanceshipping stories, but for me its mostly a matter of time really. Like I COULD do it, but now that I'm in uni I have a lot going on that's simply more important. And it seems to be the same for a lot of other people as well. I know it was almost inevitable for advanceshipping to die eventually but its still sad to see happen. I do really hope I can find the chance to come back to writing someday though, and I'm glad that there are people like you who still care about advanceshipping I'm on the younger side as well, I didn't actually start watching Pokemon until XY, but I quickly backtracked and watched the previous seasons. I also began writing some fanfiction a few years ago, but didn't end up finishing anything (mostly due to my inexperience with story building lol). I think it's only a matter of time before I wake up with a creative itch and write something, time isn't a huge issue for me right now with fall sports ending (once I head off to college, that'll probably change). I think you're right with most people having just moved on from advanceshipping and pokemon as a whole. It definitely is sad to see it dying, but I don't plan on giving up on it any time soon. I hope you can find the chance to come back and write something though!
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Post by Aquadrop on Nov 1, 2023 14:33:27 GMT -8
Hi there!
Welcome~
I'm so happy to see a new face here!! I feel the same, we all either grew up with it or came across it, but given we haven't had any new content for years, it makes sense the community would slow down (but never die, we're still here ;p). I find Twitter does still have a few active advanceshippers - especially some Japanese accounts that still make fanart (I saw 4 yesterday for Halloween!). If only I knew Japanese. XD
Another thing is that most of the people that were super active are busy now. Adulthood sucks
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tentio
Junior Advancer
When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Posts: 88
Favorite Pokemon: Sceptile
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Post by tentio on Nov 1, 2023 18:25:59 GMT -8
Hi there! Welcome~ I'm so happy to see a new face here!! I feel the same, we all either grew up with it or came across it, but given we haven't had any new content for years, it makes sense the community would slow down (but never die, we're still here ;p). I find Twitter does still have a few active advanceshippers - especially some Japanese accounts that still make fanart (I saw 4 yesterday for Halloween!). If only I knew Japanese. XD Another thing is that most of the people that were super active are busy now. Adulthood sucks Hi! Thanks for the welcome, I'm glad to be here! As you said, it does make sense for the community to lose activity, and I don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon. I have stumbled upon active advanceshipping pages lately. (Some on youtube, some authors, etc.) But yeah, maturing and gaining responsibility really does tend to impede activity in communities like this. I'm sure that most people would still be active if it wasn't for real life responsibilities. Either way, Advanceshipping isn't going anywhere. I and many others still participate in the community. Recently I've rediscovered a love for writing and have been working on some fanfiction.
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Post by Aquadrop on Nov 2, 2023 6:21:46 GMT -8
tentio exactly!! That's why we need you young people who have more time than us, you keep the fandom going xD But yes, such is the life cycle of ships. They don't ever go away. And I'd love to read your fanfic (I saw you posted it here, yay!) so I'll get to it soon ❤️
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Post by Space Medafighter X on Nov 5, 2023 17:39:39 GMT -8
^ what Aqua said. Fandoms undergo generational rotations a lot, so it's up to the youths to pick up the baton.
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Post by Aquadrop on Nov 5, 2023 23:00:37 GMT -8
And we'll be here cheering you on and supporting you! And trying our best with new content, but it's a tall order for us oldies.
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Post by Sebastian on Dec 7, 2023 22:26:26 GMT -8
Shits ☠️
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Post by RuthlessDragon6 on Dec 26, 2023 3:09:44 GMT -8
Am I seeing a bit of activity? 👀 Anyways, glad to see some new people coming up and showing interest in stuff, I used to be a relatively hyperactive advanceshipper a few years ago with great enthusiasm of making advancers and the whole advanceshipping scean active again, but I did not get any people of the same generation back then who could support me, we had Hailey and Dark, and we three used to be the ones who had a significant contribution in reactivating the forum again sometime around 2020, but things went dull again after 2021 as all of us became busy again due to irl, and older fellas are well... Older fellas, so yeahh, as Aqua said, there weren't a lot of newer people to take up the baton, 3 people can't do a shit honestly. And at this point since Ash is gone, and someone like me, who used to be crazy for advanceshipping just a few years ago, has lost almost all interest in Everything, things seem a bit too dull now to be revived honestly...
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tentio
Junior Advancer
When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Posts: 88
Favorite Pokemon: Sceptile
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Post by tentio on Dec 26, 2023 12:48:23 GMT -8
Am I seeing a bit of activity? 👀 Anyways, glad to see some new people coming up and showing interest in stuff, I used to be a relatively hyperactive advanceshipper a few years ago with great enthusiasm of making advancers and the whole advanceshipping scean active again, but I did not get any people of the same generation back then who could support me, we had Hailey and Dark , and we three used to be the ones who had a significant contribution in reactivating the forum again sometime around 2020, but things went dull again after 2021 as all of us became busy again due to irl, and older fellas are well... Older fellas, so yeahh, as Aqua said, there weren't a lot of newer people to take up the baton, 3 people can't do a shit honestly. And at this point since Ash is gone, and someone like me, who used to be crazy for advanceshipping just a few years ago, has lost almost all interest in Everything, things seem a bit too dull now to be revived honestly... Yep. Interest in things tend to fluctuate over time. I used to read fanfiction a lot a few years ago before I took a huge break from the Pokemon fandom in general. After a few years, I'm back and as interested as ever. That's just the way things work, of course. It's definitely sad to see Advanceshipping community lose activity and discussion, but I know it's far from dead. Is it dying? Perhaps, but there's still plenty of life left in the community. I'm very interested in trying to revive the fandom, at least to the best of my ability. I've started writing fanfiction in the last 2 months, and I'll say that I've gotten a surprising amount of attention. There's still plenty of people interested in the fandom, and I've even had some people PM me to say they love how I'm trying to keep the fandom alive. I've even met a friend or two that I consistently talk to based on our mutual interest in the pairing. I've created a discord for Advanceshipping and gotten a few members, though I'm still trying to stoke some consistent discussion, but I think I'll get there eventually. Overall, there's still a decent bit of fanart, fanfiction, and AMVs being created (mostly by a few consistent people). And as long as I'm around and I have the time, the fandom is not dead. I'd like to see a little more life into it eventually, but I'll be patient, even if it gets a little lonely sometimes. I'm also still holding out a little bit of hope that we haven't seen the last of Ash (and perhaps May?!)
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KMT4ever
New Advancer
Experiencing what Kalos has to offer.
Posts: 14
Favorite Pokemon: Charizard, Swampert, Altaria, Glaceon, Lilligant, Mienshao
Mini-Profile Background: Red
Mini-Profile Name Color: Blue
Mini-Profile Text Color: Black
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Post by KMT4ever on Dec 27, 2023 6:04:25 GMT -8
Am I seeing a bit of activity? 👀 Anyways, glad to see some new people coming up and showing interest in stuff, I used to be a relatively hyperactive advanceshipper a few years ago with great enthusiasm of making advancers and the whole advanceshipping scean active again, but I did not get any people of the same generation back then who could support me, we had Hailey and Dark , and we three used to be the ones who had a significant contribution in reactivating the forum again sometime around 2020, but things went dull again after 2021 as all of us became busy again due to irl, and older fellas are well... Older fellas, so yeahh, as Aqua said, there weren't a lot of newer people to take up the baton, 3 people can't do a shit honestly. And at this point since Ash is gone, and someone like me, who used to be crazy for advanceshipping just a few years ago, has lost almost all interest in Everything, things seem a bit too dull now to be revived honestly... Yep. Interest in things tend to fluctuate over time. I used to read fanfiction a lot a few years ago before I took a huge break from the Pokemon fandom in general. After a few years, I'm back and as interested as ever. That's just the way things work, of course. It's definitely sad to see Advanceshipping community lose activity and discussion, but I know it's far from dead. Is it dying? Perhaps, but there's still plenty of life left in the community. I'm very interested in trying to revive the fandom, at least to the best of my ability. I've started writing fanfiction in the last 2 months, and I'll say that I've gotten a surprising amount of attention. There's still plenty of people interested in the fandom, and I've even had some people PM me to say they love how I'm trying to keep the fandom alive. I've even met a friend or two that I consistently talk to based on our mutual interest in the pairing. I've created a discord for Advanceshipping and gotten a few members, though I'm still trying to stoke some consistent discussion, but I think I'll get there eventually. Overall, there's still a decent bit of fanart, fanfiction, and AMVs being created (mostly by a few consistent people). And as long as I'm around and I have the time, the fandom is not dead. I'd like to see a little more life into it eventually, but I'll be patient, even if it gets a little lonely sometimes. I'm also still holding out a little bit of hope that we haven't seen the last of Ash (and perhaps May?!) Much appreciation for your efforts to keep Advanceshipping alive. Hopefully I can muster up the willpower to crank something out soon. I have quite a few more oneshot ideas of my own beyond the one I recently posted, but right now the games are taking up most of my free time. I dropped out of the series after Gen IV and I've been gradually working my way back up through the games with old and new Pokémon by my side. Right now I'm working on Y, and after that it'll be a return to Hoenn! As for the long-term survival of the community, I think Ash has been around for far too long to be forgotten so easily, and along with him his ships should be able to keep sailing for a while longer. We might see him again in specials or movies (if they ever bring those back), but I honestly have zero expectations of ever seeing May again. Of course, that's all the more reason for us to keep KAORI's legacy alive. As far as I can tell she's still proud of her work as May even this long after it ended. The official Pokémon Youtube channel is at least still posting clips from all of the seasons, so there'll be at least a trickle of official AG content to keep May present in the fandom's collective mind. Agreed that there are still a few committed content creators out there. I even saw an active Contestshipper Youtuber recently, and if that ship can still have dedicated fans I see no reason why ours can't.
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tentio
Junior Advancer
When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Posts: 88
Favorite Pokemon: Sceptile
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Post by tentio on Dec 27, 2023 9:54:34 GMT -8
KMT4ever Of course! As long as there's people to make some content, the ship will continue to sail. I've done various dives around different sites and though discussion is limited, it's far from over. I agree with you on Ash not being forgotten so easily. The Pokemon anime as a whole captured the hearts and minds of multiple generations and it will be a long time before that's forgotten. I encourage you to find the time to write something if you get a good idea!
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