I will start by stating that I was an OrangeShipper last year. The reason I turned away was because I got to see that the actual facts were not the assumptions other people initially made. And so I went towards the ships that I saw in the episodes.
I now present a complete list of all reasons that I do not believe that Misty and Tracey have any romantic feelings towards each other. So feel free to debate them if you wish. I may update later.
The reason Tracey is at the Gym
That Tracey is at the Gym a lot does not mean anything. For one thing, we can only count four times that he canonically visits. And even then, Misty never invites him. The first visit is due to the concern of Professor Oak, (who’s motives are unknown.) The next visit, (which we don’t see,) is to deliver some food that Professor Oak wants to test on the Gym Pokémon. The next visit is to deliver some more, since a second test is natural for scientists to undertake, (whether the food is the same or different is unknown.) These two visits can’t be more than a few weeks apart, as he meets Daisy who has only been back for a couple of weeks at the start of the episode of his third visit. The fourth time, he is invited by Daisy.
Reactions to Sakura/Casey
Denying that someone is your boyfriend/girlfriend can be done in a shippy way to show the audience that there are feelings. But these denials are just plain truthful. The look of surprise when Sakura first brings it up makes it clear that that the two have never even considered it. When Casey brings it up, the tiny blush is expected for someone wondering why people “jump to that conclusion”. It’s hardly comparable to her reaction to PokéShippers.
"I didn't know you had a boyfriend, Misty"
"Oh, it's not like that."
"Is he your boyfriend?"
"Why is it everyone I introduce him to always jumps to that conclusion?"
The "someone else"
It has not yet been confirmed who Misty was referring to, and there is a possibility that it is not Ash. Yet Tracey is actually the least likely person for this to be.
Her reactions are very different to those explained above. She is coy and hesitant before going into a bigger blush than that over Tracey earlier. This is increased when Psyduck turns up and adds to the interrogation as Casey had earlier. In fact, Casey asks the same question, (just with no one specified the second time,) and gets two different responses.
Before Psyduck pops out:
After being aggravated:
Daisy’s daydream
Daisy is stereotyped as someone who would like romance. And the Gym has just received two Luvdisc. So cue the housou answer to the Meowth fantasy: Daisy uses the Pokémon of the day in the best way she knows. And she uses the two people that she can convince to do it, (who refuse anyway.) This is the one thing that Tracey will not do for Daisy in the entire two episodes.
That it is a fantasy not made by Misty or Tracey is enough to make it void as an OrangeShipping hint.
The reality
The show goes ahead with a different cast and the Luvdisc raise the love in the air. Yet Misty and Tracey are the only 'couple' not affected.
Azurill
The reason for this Pokémon’s existence is unknown. However, Tracey works for “the foremost authority on Pokémon”. Professor Oak does experiment, and we know that an Azurill is only produced in special circumstances. So it is only natural that he would have been intrigued. Add that Tracey’s Marill is so handy, Professor Oak has experimented on Misty’s Pokémon before, and knows her to be a good Gym Leader, and you have the best explanation for it. Besides which, Misty is the best person to raise it that they know.
Togetherness in Oak’s Lab
Misty spends a whole evening with Ash, then five minutes with Tracey while he goes to show May and Max his Pokémon. They have seen the Pokémon before and, unlike May and Max, it is not a novelty to them. Tracey is still Professor Oak’s assistant, and Misty is the kind of friend who would help. It certainly explains why they are back outside when the Pokémon have only just arrived.
The problem
What OrangeShipping lacks is any kind of confirmation that the two actually like each other beyond being friends. There is no real OrangeShipping scene, besides Daisy's fantasy which doesn't count.
Other ships
Tracey is one of the few characters to notice PokéShipping and he is hardly the kind of person who would take advantage of the lack of Ash's presence. Add the continued presence of PokéShipping and new threat in HandymanShipping, and this ship really doesn’t have much going for it.
I now present a complete list of all reasons that I do not believe that Misty and Tracey have any romantic feelings towards each other. So feel free to debate them if you wish. I may update later.
The reason Tracey is at the Gym
That Tracey is at the Gym a lot does not mean anything. For one thing, we can only count four times that he canonically visits. And even then, Misty never invites him. The first visit is due to the concern of Professor Oak, (who’s motives are unknown.) The next visit, (which we don’t see,) is to deliver some food that Professor Oak wants to test on the Gym Pokémon. The next visit is to deliver some more, since a second test is natural for scientists to undertake, (whether the food is the same or different is unknown.) These two visits can’t be more than a few weeks apart, as he meets Daisy who has only been back for a couple of weeks at the start of the episode of his third visit. The fourth time, he is invited by Daisy.
Reactions to Sakura/Casey
Denying that someone is your boyfriend/girlfriend can be done in a shippy way to show the audience that there are feelings. But these denials are just plain truthful. The look of surprise when Sakura first brings it up makes it clear that that the two have never even considered it. When Casey brings it up, the tiny blush is expected for someone wondering why people “jump to that conclusion”. It’s hardly comparable to her reaction to PokéShippers.
"I didn't know you had a boyfriend, Misty"
"Oh, it's not like that."
"Is he your boyfriend?"
"Why is it everyone I introduce him to always jumps to that conclusion?"
The "someone else"
It has not yet been confirmed who Misty was referring to, and there is a possibility that it is not Ash. Yet Tracey is actually the least likely person for this to be.
Her reactions are very different to those explained above. She is coy and hesitant before going into a bigger blush than that over Tracey earlier. This is increased when Psyduck turns up and adds to the interrogation as Casey had earlier. In fact, Casey asks the same question, (just with no one specified the second time,) and gets two different responses.
Before Psyduck pops out:
After being aggravated:
Daisy’s daydream
Daisy is stereotyped as someone who would like romance. And the Gym has just received two Luvdisc. So cue the housou answer to the Meowth fantasy: Daisy uses the Pokémon of the day in the best way she knows. And she uses the two people that she can convince to do it, (who refuse anyway.) This is the one thing that Tracey will not do for Daisy in the entire two episodes.
That it is a fantasy not made by Misty or Tracey is enough to make it void as an OrangeShipping hint.
The reality
The show goes ahead with a different cast and the Luvdisc raise the love in the air. Yet Misty and Tracey are the only 'couple' not affected.
Azurill
The reason for this Pokémon’s existence is unknown. However, Tracey works for “the foremost authority on Pokémon”. Professor Oak does experiment, and we know that an Azurill is only produced in special circumstances. So it is only natural that he would have been intrigued. Add that Tracey’s Marill is so handy, Professor Oak has experimented on Misty’s Pokémon before, and knows her to be a good Gym Leader, and you have the best explanation for it. Besides which, Misty is the best person to raise it that they know.
Togetherness in Oak’s Lab
Misty spends a whole evening with Ash, then five minutes with Tracey while he goes to show May and Max his Pokémon. They have seen the Pokémon before and, unlike May and Max, it is not a novelty to them. Tracey is still Professor Oak’s assistant, and Misty is the kind of friend who would help. It certainly explains why they are back outside when the Pokémon have only just arrived.
The problem
What OrangeShipping lacks is any kind of confirmation that the two actually like each other beyond being friends. There is no real OrangeShipping scene, besides Daisy's fantasy which doesn't count.
Other ships
Tracey is one of the few characters to notice PokéShipping and he is hardly the kind of person who would take advantage of the lack of Ash's presence. Add the continued presence of PokéShipping and new threat in HandymanShipping, and this ship really doesn’t have much going for it.
