Shipping:WishfulShipping

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WishfulShipping (Japanese: デンアイ DenAi) is the belief that and  belong in a romantic relationship. This Ship can be considered akin to GymShipping, as there have been comparisons made between not only the characters, but with the relationship itself. The name was coined after the Japanese name of the series, Best Wishes, as well as hopeful intentions for the future.

Iris's hints

 * has been shown to treat Cilan with more respect than she does Ash.
 * Triple Leaders, Team Threats!
 * Iris was extremely pleased with what Cilan had to say about her and as partners and thanked him.


 * Snivy Plays Hard to Catch!
 * Though unsure about it first, Iris appears to love Cilan's cooking after she tries some of it and compliments it. She also states, "If I can eat like this everyday, traveling together won't be so bad," and then giggles afterward.


 * The Bloom Is on Axew!
 * Iris chooses to battle Cilan rather than Ash because she knew Ash would be too hasty and might hurt . This shows that she felt much safer battling Cilan. She later says that he and adjust to her and Axew like "gentlemen."


 * A Night in the Nacrene City Museum!
 * Iris becomes frustrated when Cilan refuses to believe her hunch that a demon resided inside the Museum. Later, Iris becomes concerned over 's mask possessing Cilan, attempting to help remove it.


 * Scare at the Litwick Mansion!
 * When Cilan gets hit by a and nearly falls into the vortex created by  and, Iris screams his name in concern with an obvious strain in her voice.


 * The Beartic Mountain Feud!
 * As the group watches a sleuth of from behind a bush, Iris is a bit nervous and keeps her hand on Cilan's shoulder.


 * The Mighty Accelguard to the Rescue!
 * When the henchman's uses  to freeze the floor, Iris hides behind Cilan for protection due to her fear of s. She does this again later on when she thinks a  is about to appear.


 * Rocking the Virbank Gym! Part 2
 * When Iris wants Cilan to cheer on Ash with her, she drags Cilan away to paint his face. As Iris puts facepaint on Cilan, she pulls him very close to her. Later on, after Ash's victory against Roxie, Ash asks Iris and Cilan why they're wearing facepaint. Iris and Cilan look at each other and laugh, while blushing.


 * Survival of the Striaton Gym!
 * Cilan does a self-evaluation and mentions Iris as someone along his journey who taught him about bonds between Trainer and Pokémon. This, during Cilan's flashback, causes Iris to nervously laugh and say "aw come on now".

Cilan's hints

 * Triple Leaders, Team Threats!
 * As a Pokémon Connoisseur, Cilan notices right away that Iris is a good match for her Axew stating that it was "the perfect Pokémon for a young lady that seems to be at one with nature."


 * Dreams by the Yard Full!
 * When Cilan joins on his journey, he asks Ash where Iris went. Cilan is visibly pleased when she reappears and is the first to suggest that they travel together as a group.


 * Snivy Plays Hard to Catch
 * When Iris says, "Your cooking is delicious," he replies back, "Your compliment means a lot. Thank you."


 * The Bloom Is on Axew!
 * Cilan battles Iris in order to help her Axew gain some battle experience, and he asks his to weaken his attacks to 20% of their original power so that Axew will have a fair chance at Iris's request. He later tells her that it is a pleasure to take orders from her. He also teases her about her 's  attack, calling it "Dragon Sneeze." However, he apologizes when Iris looks upset. He later gives her some reassuring words after he sees that she is worried about  obeying her and Axew's mastering Dragon Rage.


 * A Home for Dwebble!
 * In the middle of the night, Cilan wakes up to see watching over Pansage who is suffering from a fever. Cilan assures Dwebble that because of Iris's medicine, he would be fine by morning. This shows that Cilan has great confidence in Iris's abilities.


 * A Night in the Nacrene City Museum!
 * Cilan seems to enjoy teasing Iris with his skeptical attitude towards her apparent "sixth sense".


 * Cottonee in Love!
 * Cilan seemed bothered that Iris kept speaking about romance while eating. Fans interpret this as him wanting her to treat romantic situations with more respect for personal reasons. At the same time, Cilan smiled nervously at her rather than being truly offended.


 * Purrloin: Sweet or Sneaky?
 * Though Cilan shows no reaction when Ash and the Pokémon leave to help "find its friends," he's visibly stunned when Iris decides to help Purrloin as well instead of staying behind with him.


 * Explorers of the Hero's Ruin!
 * When Iris got captured by Cofarigus, Cilan is seen to be in distress and breaks open Cofarigus releasing Iris and Axew. He is the first to notice that Cofarigus has released her.


 * The Mystery of the Missing Cubchoo!
 * Cilan sulks when Iris refers to him as a pain after his detective skills fail to be of any use. He later cheers up considerably when she calls out to him and says that though friends can sometimes be a pain, that's what makes them fun.


 * A Village Homecoming!
 * As Iris is attempting to calm Hydreigon, which is newly evolved and acting rather destructive, Cilan has an instinctive reaction to help her. He pulls out a Poké Ball in preparation to protect and help her.


 * Cilan and the Case of the Purrloin Witness!
 * After seeing Mrs. Ripple's Purrloin Cilan hides behind Iris due to his fear of Purrloin.

Other hints

 * Promotional artwork for the Pokémon Musicals depicts Iris and Cilan holding hands. It may also be useful to note that Cilan's eyes are directed towards Iris.

Similarities

 * Iris and Cilan were both revealed in silhouette on July 1, 2010 during a preview for after the airing of DP183 then were officially revealed to the public on August 1, 2010 during Pokémon Sunday.
 * Both are known Gym Leaders in . In addition, they also share their gym with at least one other leader under different circumstances.
 * Both are shown to have a special skill that Ash's former traveling companion,, also had. Cilan knows how to cook and Iris knows how to make medicine.
 * Both are shown to have some knowledge in treating Pokémon ailments.
 * Both have caught a dual-typed Electric Pokémon with no evolutionary relatives from Generation V. Iris has and Cilan has.
 * They both have female rivals, Georgia for Iris and Burgundy for Cilan.

Trivia

 * The version of It's Always You and Me is a duet between Petrus Kähkönen and Saara Aalto, the Finnish voice actors of Cilan and Iris respectively.