This was especially true when I was in Google Plus (r.i.p.) back in the mid-late 2010s. I've been seeing a lot of rivalries between ships, people calling others "traitors" for not supporting the "bring Serena to Alola" petition, and I remember when I used to seethe and block so many Amourshippers who kept bragging about Ash and Serena after the kiss scene (but then I realized I was in the wrong and apologized).

Aside from Giselle which was way early in the first season, Ash for the most part was a dense idiot who never ages and probably doesn't even know if women exist; the only thing he ever cared about was Pokemon this and that. Pokeshipping was just funny heated sibling banter with added 4kids dialogue, Pearlshipping was just a wholesome platonic friendship, and Amourshipping was just Serena blushing over a highly mature yet bland Ash 90% of the time. Does it just all come down to Pokegirl self-inserting, which was also part of all those Pokegirl fanwars? Can't a boy and a girl just be good friends?