‘Pokemon’ Anime Teases A Favorite LGBTQ Ship

In the world of Pokemon, romance isn't exactly its biggest focus. The franchise has its couples, yes, but the anime has kept guys like Ash Ketchum single since the very beginning. However, that does not mean the show can't dive into shipping culture every now and again.

After all, a new episode is coming for the Pokemon anime, and its teaser gives a shout out to a growing LGBTQ ship.

As you can see below, Pokemon the Series: Sun and Moon put out a teaser for its upcoming episode over the weekend. The reel shows Ash's gang putting on a play with their Pokemon, but it is Lillie and Mallow who fans can't look away from.

Pokemon Sun & Moon episode 93 preview#anipoke#アニポケ pic.twitter.com/UiYDS9cFw7

— moetron | pKjd (@pkjd818) October 14, 2018

If you watch carefully, you can see a short scene in the trailer featuring the girls. To the left, Lillie is seen with her long hair flowing, and she's dressed in a dark blue suit. The girl is seen across from Mallow who's got on a frilly dress, and her styled hair makes her hard to recognize at first. The short scene follows Lillie as she takes Mallow into her arms, and the intimate scene ends with a flowery look at the couple on stage.

For fans, the scene would be enough to make them coo, but there is more to it than meets the eye. Anime fanatics were quick to point out that the scene mirrors some used in Revolutionary Girl Utena. The iconic shojo series is a well-known one, and its rich history with LGBTQ themes has made it famous worldwide. The older anime follows a young girl who decides to become a mannerly prince, and she woos a classmate named Anthy once she enters her upscale high school. So, it's easy to see the parallels between Lillie and Utena here while Hallow follows after Anthy.

Of course, the anime easter egg doesn't solidify any sort of romance with the Pokemon heroines, but fans are happy to see the ship be acknowledged period. As you can see in the slides below, social media is beginning to buzz about the blink-and-miss-it moment. So, just imagine what will go down when this new episode finally goes live.

So, what do you make of this scene? Do you back any of the anime's fan-favorite ships? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!