#but i think ash wouldnt think much about it especially with misty always right next to him and everybody telling them girl + boy = date

[puhpandas]

I've barely ever seen anyone expand upon this if at all but like guys the original pokemon anime 100% took place in the 90s like the original episode aired in 1997. in a palletshipping context this is so important like. there was so much social construct shit going on in the indigo league era like so many people were mean it was normal to argue and back and forth there was a social standard. in this context in the NINETIES it would be so unheard of and not even a blip of a possinle concept in everyones minds that they could be gay because of heteronormativity

there would be a whole nother brick wall between ash and gary. first they have all this rivalry and almost bullying and randomly ruined childhood friendship and mutual respect to repair and it only happens near johto but also this is the 90s!! even after theyd have their bitter rivals to respected friends arc it wouldnt be as simple as "now they start pining" there would be so much tension for a different reason.

one part of gary starting to be so mean to ash would definitely have to be some kind of internalized homophobia! he doesnt know but he does deep down and he gets so defensive of himself when hes around ash that he lashes out. he feels different around ash and not girls but he doesnt know what that means but subconsciously he knows that whatever it is isnt allowed and he ISNT that. whatever that is. so hes just. mean to him. and he drives a convertible full of girls around to make up for it