Misty is one of the most popular Pokémon characters out there. The orange haired Pokémon trainer has been a part of the show since its inception but despite all the other female characters that have become part of the Pokémon franchise, Misty has remained one of the most loved characters. Out of all of Ash's ever changing companions, Misty is the only one who is a fully three dimensional character. She isn't only ambitious and smart, but also quick to take her chances when she can. She's also the female character who has appeared in Pokémon the most, which has really allowed fans to understand her character and what really makes her special.

Her determination and energy have made her a force to be reckoned with and gained her such a huge following that she is still remembered by Pokémon fans to this day. Misty's departure also made many Pokeman fans sad and they still wish to see her as Ash's companion once again. And it's easy to understand why given how complex her character was compared to others on the show. With that in mind, Here Are 20 Dark Secrets You Never Knew About Misty.

20. Misty's Parents Abandoned Her

Misty may seem cheerful and optimistic most of the time, but in truth there's more to the tough young girl. In Pocket Monsters: The Animation (a novelization of the anime by the writer of the anime series), it was revealed that Misty's parents abandoned her and her sisters when they were very young. This was apparently due to the harsh Gym duty regulations. Thus, it's Misty and her sisters who are left to run the Gym on their own. This is why Misty's parents, unlike Brock and Ash's, were never shown in the anime. In fact looking back at the series, it is strange that the show never tried to explore her back story but it may very well be that such heavy themes were not fit for a show meant for kids.

19. Misty's Real Age

There's no doubt that Misty is easily the most level headed of the trio. The aspiring Water Pokémon Master seems the more mature one compared to Ash, who acts quite rashly from time to time, and the girl crazy Brock. However it is said that Misty is only 10 years old when the series begins. Given her young age, it's surprising that she was allowed to travel the world in the first place. There's also the fact that Misty, Ash and Brock have often been involved in life threatening situations and Misty's decision to stick with the pack and not return home is uncharacteristic of a 10 year old. Her age also highlights just how smart she is compared to the rest of her friends.

18. Creepy Men Who Had It For Misty

There have been a number of Pokémon episodes that have been banned for a number of reasons. "Beauty and The Beach," the series' 18th episode, was the first Pokémon episode that was banned in all countries outside. The reason for the ban was James, a member of Team Rocket, cross dressing and wearing inflatable breasts in a scene. But apart from just this, there was another awkward moment that created a lot of buzz. In the episode, an old man named Moe is trying to save his failing restaurant and after damaging his property, Ash, Brock and Misty agree to help him host a beauty contest to attract customers and save his restaurant. Sadly, things turned creepy when Moe tells Misty that he'd like to meet her when she's of legal age. Luckily, the English dubbed version of the anime edited the line to him saying that she reminded him of his granddaughter.

17. Misty Wants To be Treated More Like A Lady

Despite being the only girl of the trio, Misty's never been treated any different than one of the boys and, while this is certainly good, Misty secretly wishes that she was treated more like a lady by her friends. In the Ash and Pikachu manga, Misty talks about wanting to be treated more like a lady and admits she's upset about their treatment to her.

Fans of the anime would never suspect that the character feels this way given how headstrong she is. In the Pokémon anime, Misty is also shown as a tomboy, but it's nice to see that there's another vulnerable aspect to her. This only makes Misty's character more complex and three dimensional.

16. Misty Is A Picky Eater

In the series Misty, Brock and Ash have travelled to different parts of the world and tried different foods from all around the world. With that, there are two things Misty just can't eat: peppers and carrots. Despite the character's carrot colored hair, she simply doesn't like the vegetable and dislikes them almost as much as she fears Bug Pokémon. Misty also doesn't care for peppers, which makes one think that her dishes of choice must be really bland. What's interesting to note is that a lot of the dishes that Misty is seen eating in Pokémon simply can't be eaten without a little spice, so her avoidance of pepper is quite odd. Hopefully someday, us Misty fans will get an explanation for why Misty's so anti carrots and peppers.

15. Misty Is Scared of Bug Pokémons

Many of us are quite fearful of some insects like Killer Bees, Ants and Beetles, but Misty fears all of the Bug Pokémon. This was revealed in the early episodes of the show, when the aspiring Water Pokémon Master came across a Caterpie. Misty got so frightened that she wasn't able to move from her spot until Ash decided to catch the Pokémon. Even in later seasons, her fear of insects hasn't lessened. In fact, she's actively tried to stay away from Ash's Caterpie and not befriend him. Her dislike of insects is even greater than her disgust of carrots and pepper. That said, Misty does like the Bug Pokémon that don't resemble insects and are especially cute such as Ash's Heracross and even the Pokémon Pineco.

14. She Has Anger Management Problems

Fans of the original Pokémon anime know that Misty is not once to hold back if she's ever mad at anyone. Whenever Misty is upset at anyone, she's shown to be very aggressive. Most of the time, her anger is directed towards Ash and she's seen yelling at him. A lot of times though, she's not afraid to use her fists to her advantage. In fact Misty has hit Ash so many times during the course of the original series that the English dubbed version of the Pokémon anime decided to cut some of the footage out. And while Ash isn't the smartest guy out there (he usually always gets the group lost), Misty's anger towards him just seems a little too much.

13. Misty Might Be Secretly In Love With Ash

Legions of fans have always believed that Misty and Ash are in love with each other, with many going as far as to say that they are end game. While the two clash on multiple occasions, they also understand each other very well and it's strongly implied that the two are attracted to each other. Misty's rage at Ash is also considered by many to be her way of coping with her feelings for him. In the (non canon) musical stage show Pokémon Live! that toured around the US, Misty's feelings for Ash are made very clear in a heartfelt ballad. Fans of the Misty and Ash relationship have adopted the song as their shipping anthem.

Aside from the play, there have been fanfics devoted to the relationship between the two characters. And, to this date, it is one of the most shipped relationships from the show.

12. She Was Almost Taken Out By Squirtles

Squirtle was one of the Generation 1 Pokémon available to young Pokémon trainers. The adorable blue skinned Pokémon became part of Ash's team in the episode "Here Comes The Squirtle Squad." In the episode, Meowth convinces a gang of Squirtles that Ash and his friends are actually bad people. So the Squirtles kidnap Ash, Brock and Misty. Trying to fight for their survival, Pikachu ends up getting hurt. Ash convinces the Squirtles to let him get medicine for his hurt Pokémon. The Squirtles agree, but state that if he doesn't come back by noon, they will eliminate Misty. Considering Squirtles are shown to be lovable creatures, this is certainly very jarring. So it makes sense that the English dubbing would change that to the Squirtles threatening to dye Misty's hair a different color rather than killing her if Ash came late.

11. She Gets Jealous Quickly

Fans of the show know that Misty is never one to back away from a challenge. While she is extremely smart and mature in the way she approaches things, Misty's competitive streak allows her to feel insecure and even jealous of other people at times. Mostly, this jealousy is directed at other female characters in the Pokémon world, who openly admit that they like Ash. Often times she is seen getting angry when Ash starts mooning after some girl. Her dislike for other girls who like Ash is made very clear in the Japenese anime Pokémon: The Movie 2000 when Misty is shown visibly sulking after a resident of Shamouti Island (where Misty and Ash have arrived for the Annual Legend festival) decides to welcome Ash with a kiss.

10. She And Jessie Have Something In Common

Misty and Jessie have never been on the best of terms. With Team Rocket trying to thwart Ash and his friends at every possible turn, it's impossible for the two to be anything but enemies. But a little known fact about Misty is that she and Jessie are both voiced by the same person in the anime. Rachel Lillis voiced both characters for almost eight years, starting from the first episode of the show to Season 8's "Pasta La Vista" episode. The reason for the change was due to Pokémon's declining popularity in the US and it led to the producers deciding to replace the original actors with cheaper, similar sounding actors. Considering most of us didn't spot a difference, it wasn't too bad of a decision to make.

9. In The Japanese Anime, Misty Never Became A Gym Leader

After Ash, Brock and Misty decide to split up in Season 5's 63rd episode "Gotta Catch Ya Later!," it is then that Misty decides to return to the Cerulean City Gym. Fans may remember that the Gym of Cerulean City is home to all Water-type Pokémon and is owned by Misty, at least in the Japanese version of Pokémon. While Misty is seen taking control of the Gym from her sisters in Season 5's season finale, it isn't made clear whether or not she has become the Gym Leader.

However much later, in the episode "Cerulean Blues," the answer to this perplexing question is finally given. The original anime explained that while Misty was in control of a lot of aspects of the Gym, she wasn't the leader yet. However the English dubbed version that aired in the US and internationally, changed Misty's fate, giving her the much deserved role of Gym Leader.

8. Her Appearance Has Been Altered In The American Pokémon Cards

Misty's treatment in the Pokémon anime makes it hard to believe that the character is intended to be 10 years old. Her smarts and rationality separates her from other characters on the show. Still, it's important to keep in mind the character's young age. Those of us who collected Pokémon cards would know that the Japanese cards and American cards were quite different in their appearance. While both cards were a hit with fans, there were some Japanese cards that didn't see the light of day because of them being not kid-friendly in the US. A few Misty related cards in particular even went far as showing her nearly nude, which is pretty sick if you think about her age.

7. She & Ash Have The Same Number Of Water Pokémon

While Ash's goal is to be the best Pokémon Trainer out there, Misty just wants to be a Water Pokémon Master. Most Pokémon gym leaders only to try to get particular types of Pokémon and Misty is no exception. The aspiring Water-type Pokémon Master has been filling up her team with members like Psyduck, Azurill, Starmie and Goldeen, but strangely enough she doesn't have more Water Pokémon than Ash.

Considering that Ash wants to be the best Pokémon Trainer out there, it's not surprising that he has a lot of Pokémon, including plenty of Water Pokémon. However, Misty has shown herself to be extremely capable, so her having the same number of Pokémons as Ash is a little mystifying.

6. She Feared Gyarados

Misty is one of the best Pokémon Masters out there, but one of her biggest fears is something that severely hindered her in her path to becoming a Water-type Pokémon Master. When Misty returned to Cerulean City ,she learnt of an angry Gyarados who was causing a havoc in the Cerulean City Gym. Up till this point, Misty had been scared of the powerful Pokémon species because she had almost been swallowed by a Gyarados as a kid when she had crawled into the mouth of a sleeping Gyarados. However, because the Pokémon was making the Gym earn a bad rep Misty had to overcome her fears and try to gain his trust. Her attempts at befriending him worked and she caught the Pokémon by the end of the episode.

5. She And Ash May Be The End Game

As we've previously established, Ash and Misty may not have ever been declared as a couple but their relationship to each other may not be strictly platonic. And if you think it's just your shipper heart misleading you, here's something to give you hope: Ash and Misty may be the end game. A long while back, there were talks of ending Pokémon. In fact, Pokémon Gold and Silver was meant to be the natural end to the series. However, the revenue the series began generating ultimately changed the creators' minds and they held back on releasing the movie which could have possibly explained Misty's fate. In a leaked trailer for the film though, a girl looking just like Misty is given Pikachu, which made many fans believe that Ash had decided to transfer his beloved Pokémon to his daughter. While definitive proof of this has never been obtained, the footage found is enough to make us Ash-Misty shippers very happy.

4. Her Reason For Being On The Show

Here's something disturbing to know about Misty: Misty was introduced in Pokémon for the sole purpose of attracting boys. Despite Misty being one of the best written, most complicated characters on the show, the ten year old girl was introduced by the show runners as eye candy. Masamitsu Hidaka, the director and story board artist, also explained that this was why she was one of the original three to depart for good and why Pokémon keeps changing up its slew of women. Honestly, hearing that young girls in the Pokémon world were brought in just to keep male viewers entertained is pretty gross. However, there's no denying that without Misty's amazing wit and charm Pokémon wouldn't have been half as interesting as it is now. Hopefully, the writers bring back Misty to the show.

3. Misty's Relationship With Her Siblings

While there isn't much known about Misty's parents apart, from how they mistreated their daughter, we do know significantly more about their daughters. The sisters have looked out for each other ever since they decided to become gym leaders (which made their parents turn their backs on their children) and her three sisters Daisy, Violet and Lily. However, their relationship with Misty is somewhat strained. Violet, Daisy and Lily are all birds of the same feather, and their looks and lifestyle reflect that. They are also far more feminine than Misty, who is a somewhat of a tomboy, so it's easy to see why this would make Misty feel like an outsider. One has to imagine that things were truly bad at home for Misty to go off into the sunset with Ash and Brock without even a second glance.

2. Misty Has Been Made Adult In Japanese Manga

As if it wasn't bad enough that Misty's purpose of the show was little more than to lure in teenage boys, the character has also been treated badly in Japanese manga. In The Electric Tale of Pikachu, Misty is seen in various stages of undress throughout the series. Firstly, she is shown in a swim suit that is far too revealing. This scene was altered in comics, with Misty being given a fuller bathing suit. Another scene that was completely cut off in the American print showed Misty taking a bath in a hot spring alongside Pikachu and commenting on her burgeoning cleavage. What's worse is that she is also ogled by Ash, Brock and Mikey while she is washing herself. Mangas have never stopped themselves from being a little dirty every now and then, but considering Misty is just 10 years old, it doesn't feel right.

1. Misty Will Never Come Back

A sad fact that has been established by the Pokémon anime writing team is that Misty will never come back to the show. The future Water-type Master has appeared in 282 episodes of the series and while she's always been cared about by fans, the anime writers of Pokémon have no interest in having her return. According to them, Misty appeared simply as eye candy and to bring a feminine touch to the show, so after her journey came to an end, other female characters have been brought in to fill the void. Sadly, replacing her character is really not a big deal for them. In fact, they've stated that there isn't much purpose in giving her a full time role again which is really sad considering that having Misty back on the show would reignite interest in the series for older fans of the anime. Aside from cameos and guest appearances, Misty is sadly not coming back to Pokémon anytime soon.

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