Shipping:LeagueShipping

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LeagueShipping (Japanese: サトヒロ SatoHiro) is the belief that there are romantic feelings between and Ritchie in the Pokémon anime. The name comes from them having competed in the Indigo League against each other.

Evidence
The following list is a summary of points from the anime that the majority of LeagueShippers believe to mean there are possible romantic feelings between Ash and Ritchie.


 * A Friend In Deed
 * When stole their Pokémon, the two followed them to get them back. When Ash decided to run down the mountain, Ritchie, even though he didn't know Ash, throw his own body over him in order to stop him making a huge mistake.
 * Later when it turns dark, Ash and Ritchie are talking and discovers that they have a lot in common. When they go to bed, Ritchie loans Ash his sleeping bag instead of borrowing his extra.
 * When they have gotten all the Pokémon back, Ash and Ritchie shakes hands and looks happily in each others eyes. In the end of the episode when they discover that they will face each other in a League Battle, they looked in each others eyes, in a more desperate way.


 * Friend and Foe Alike
 * In the beginning of this episode, Ash and Ritchie promised that their battle would be the best battle they'd ever had. When Ash got kidnapped by Team Rocket, all Ash was thinking about was the promise he and Ritchie gave each other, rather then thinking about himself.
 * When the referee was going to declare Ritchie as the winner, because that Ash wasn't there, he refused him to, explaining that he was sure that Ash would come.
 * After their battle, Ash became sad because he lost so easily. Ritchie noticed it and ran over to Ash. When Ash re-confirms that he won, Ritchie seemed more sad then happy about it, probably because he felt sorry for Ash.


 * ''Friends to the End
 * Before Ritchie's battle against Assunta, Ash and wished him good luck and Ash personally says that he knows Ritchie will win.
 * After Ritchie's loss against Assunta, he stood, with Sparky in his arms, near a lake when Ash appears and says that he's sorry for the other's loss. Ritchie looks at the bright side and says that now they have another thing in common. While they're letting their Pikachu play with each other, Ash and Ritchie are seen sitting near the lake talking about losing. Ritchie later comes up with another promise that they will become Pokémon Masters no matter what.
 * When they say good bye, Ash reminds Ritchie about the promise. Ritchie responds with a thumb up and walks away. Ash smiles after him as he walks off.

Similarities

 * Ash and Ritchie are of similar age and wear similar clothing such as hats, vests, and gloves.
 * Both of them own a Pikachu.
 * After meeting Ash, Ritchie begins to keep his Pikachu Sparky outside of its Poké Ball like Ash does his Pikachu.

Alternate names

 * MouseShipping - Both of them own a, which is the mouse Pokémon.
 * YaoiShipping - Yaoi is a Japanese term used by Westerners to indicate a gay couple in an anime within a fictional work of writing or art.