>>52669783If Riko and Ash aren't blood related at all, Pokeshipping still has a good chance of it being canon. Two big reasons:
1. It's Ash's final season and his journey is concluding. Who did the writers pick as his last female companion to join him at the end? Misty.
2. The announcement trailer has one big hint. In her reintroduction, Misty "catches" Ash again, just like the first episode. Not only that, her fishing string and lure are wrapped around Ash's right hand. This is heavily alluding to a popular Japanese romance imagery, the red string of fate (see attached image). Not to mention before Ash and Misty parted, he said to her that he didn't believe it was a coincidence that they met - it was fate.
It's all coming together, Pokeshippingfam
