Go For It! Ash x Goh (2024)

So episode 69 of Pokémon Journeys once again has people comparing Goh to Serena since Goh wears some of Ash's clothes in this episode just as Serena wore Ash's clothes once. This has led some to joke/hope for a scene where Ash and Goh dance together, like Ash did with Serena on one occasion, or perhaps even a scene where Goh kisses Ash, just as Serena did. I once thought there was zero chance of either happening for a couple of reasons (for one, Pokémon is closely associated with Nintendo, and Nintendo is known to steer clear of potentially controversial issues and yeah, while the idea of two gay characters in love shouldn't be controversial, it still is). I've come around to thinking one of the two could happen without much controversy... and I'm actually not talking about the dancing, either.

So... how do you have one boy kiss another boy and not trigger those that are against such a thing (as well as fans of others ships/those that stand by their opinion that Ash is straight)? I think you handle it the same way... wait for it... as Ash and Serena's kiss was handled. Ok, but everyone knows Serena kissed Ash, so everyone would know Goh did as well in a similar scene, and that would still cause an uproar among certain groups, so what you have to do is tweak the scene a bit and make it more subtle, yet still make it fairly obvious what is happening.

First, it has to be a scene where Goh, for whatever reason (we'll go with an easy one, like a departure episode even though none of us want that to happen), is focused solely on Ash and has a reason to be more emotional than usual.

Second, the two boys have to be... close. Such as this scene from episode 28:

Third, the focus needs to (at first) be on Goh's eyes because stuff like facial expressions (as well as the sound/tone of his voice) is going to be important in conveying just how much he's come to admire, respect, and yes, love (even though that word won't be used at any point) Ash.

Fourth, at some point, the camera has to cut to their lower bodies/feet, because just like with Ash and Serena, the kiss itself can't be shown. At Ash and Goh's feet will be Pikachu and one or more of Goh's Pokémon. Goh will still be talking about how much he's learned from Ash, all the good times they've had together, how proud he is of Ash and how much he hopes he achieves his goal, etc... but the focus will be on Pikachu and the other Pokémon either playing, or saying their own goodbyes. While the Pokémon are talking/doing stuff, Goh will briefly stop talking, maybe take a step forward (maybe even show his hands go up so they are resting on Ash like Ash's are on him in the above screenshot), and then after a few moments, the camera cuts back to the boys' faces and Goh is blushing before he finishes saying what it was he was saying. Ash can either briefly appear surprised, then smile (like with Serena) or he can just be outright smiling.

By mirroring how it was handled with Serena, and considering it's canon Goh blushes on a regular basis and that he admires Ash, the scene can be interpreted either as no kiss took place (after all Goh blushing/admiring Ash is nothing new) or one did.

The tipoff will be though that Goh briefly stops talking at some point and there is some body movement (again, either he steps forward, or his hands/arms are animated to show he's nervous/excited/on Ash in the way I suggested above).

I feel like, if the writing staff really wanted to, they could do something like this and it would pass approval. The Pokémon games after all have become more friendly toward the LGBTQIA+ community, and Ash and Goh certainly have a special bond where the writers have given both their friendship - and Goh himself - more effort and work than the average human-human relationship in the anime.

And hey I could be totally off here, and people are free to disagree - that's cool - but I think it's not actually outside the realm of possibility that Goh could kiss Ash in the anime. Now dancing, that definitely is (unless it's played as a gag like Gengar forcing the boys to dance together as a trick/punishment... hmmm?). 🤣