Can we take a moment to appreciate the Pikachu? And if you haven't visited Pikachu valley in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, please do. you will never want to leave. And play with the sound on, it enhances the experience.

Before we move in to Iris, and my final statements, I'd like to talk about why Ash seems so dense.

From what I have found, there are several good theories. One is that he is simply too young. Girls start to mature about 3 to 4 years before boys. So while every girl he travels with may have a thing for him, he doesn't care simply because he isn't old enough to care. His brain hasn't matured enough to feel the same way or even understand it if he did; not to mention that there are no adults for him to ask. Another is that he just doesn't feel the same way, or is truly dense. There isn't much to back up, since there is no way to prove it without him actually showing feelings, which would make him not dense. Finally, my reason is that he doesn't have a reason to notice. He had his own adventure, and Pokémon to keep him company. He had goals to look forward too. He didn't have a reason to love anyone. His life was full enough.