>>53907871I think most fans who grew up with OS Pokemon were Pokeshippers just by default. Even if they weren't heavily invested in the fandom part of the shipping, they'd still consider that the default, and seeing Ash with another girl was a huge no-no itself. I can see people thinking May is shallow and not as cool or competent as Misty (because she is, at first). I'd still argue that May is as platonic a ship with Ash as you can get, but the power of one's first ship is pretty overwhelming.
Of course, it could all be cyclical. I wonder if people reacted to May leaving for Dawn with the same amount of antipathy, or if by that point they had been trained to expect a new girl every series.
