Serena (Pokémon)
Among fans, the romantic relationship between Serena and Ash is known as "Amourshipping", and it's indirectly acknowledged by The Pokémon Company staff. Serena is the first female traveling companion to kiss Ash on the lips. It was later revealed that this storyline was planned by Tetsuo Yajima, the director of the Pokémon XY anime, along with producer Shukichi Kanda. However, since the primary target audience for the Pokémon anime is children, the kissing scene couldn't be shown openly. It was intentionally made ambiguous, with Serena's lifted foot and a surprised expression on Pikachu, Clemont, Bonnie, and Dedenne's faces. A online petition was created by fans in Japan and the United States with the hope of having Serena continue her journey with Ash to the Alola region in the Pokémon Sun & Moon anime. However, this petition didn't ultimately influence the producer's decisions. A fan-made imaginative poster went viral on the internet in early 2020, portraying Serena and Ash as adults who are married and have two children.