I get the feeling that Ash doesn't even realize romance is something that exists. XD

I wonder, in retrospect, if the creators ever really thought of the possible implications of that all the way through?

I've been watching the Indigo League episodes with a friend who only started playing Pokemon recently, and has never seen the anime, and all of her observations have basically blown my mind, because they're like this:

"Wait, these kids just wander around eating wild fruit?"

"So adults just hang out with these ten year olds and it's fine, nobody minds...wow, the Pokemon world is so positive. Pedophiles just don't exist."