PariGing

PariGing is the slash ship between Pariston Hill and Ging Freecss from the Hunter x Hunter fandom.

13th Hunter Chairman Election Arc
Ging and Pariston are seen interacting for the first time during a meeting of the Zodiacs. The purpose of the meeting is to the discuss the vacancy of the Chairman's position within the Hunter Association. When Pariston shows up, he announces his intention to run for the position and because of this, he asks the others, "So how about we skip the election?" This is poorly received by everyone in the room, besides Ging who remains impassive. Pariston states that, unlike the late Chairman Netero along with everyone else in the room, he is weak and will run an administration which is more sympathetic to Hunters like himself. At this, Ging suddenly announces his own intention to run for Chairman, stating that he will directly oppose Pariston's campaign by aiming to carry on Netero's will. In response, Pariston asks Ging about his son, who is incapacitated at the hospital. Pariston suggests that he might pay Gon a visit and Ging offhandedly remarks that Gon would like that. Pariston tries to rile Ging up by pointing out that Gon is near-death and that, "If I went and he died, it'd be a waste of time, right?" However, Ging remains unperturbed and confidently replies with a smirk, "Go, he won't die."

To decide on the rules of the upcoming Chairman election, each Zodiac comes up with their own set of rules and then lots are drawn by a third party (Beans) to determine whose rules will be used. When Ging's lot is drawn, Pariston states that he will concede to rules 1-4, but not the fifth (which would effectively let Ging manipulate the election all he wants). To everyone's surprise, Ging accepts Pariston's terms.

In a flashback, it is revealed that Ging actually rigged the lottery to his favor. Meeting with Beans two days before to drawing lots, Ging had predicted that the terms of the election would come down to a draw, due to the fact that if left to a vote or discussion, it would take too long because of Pariston's involvement. Ging had claimed that Pariston would ultimately agree to drawing lots, even with a 1/12 chance of winning because it was favorable enough to the vice-chairman. All of his predictions turned out to be true, revealing how well Ging understands Pariston.

As the first two rounds of the election are held and then nullified due to insufficient voter turnout, Pariston attempts to manipulate the rules of the election during another meeting with the Zodiacs. Ging happens to be absent from this meeting and Cheadle finds herself wishing that Ging was there, due to the fact that Pariston's intentions are not clear to her. She realizes that Ging is the only one among them who can match Pariston, who is otherwise "an unrestrained beast."

To address the issue of increasing abstentions in the election, the Zodiacs decide to hold a public forum open to all members of the Hunter Association. In his welcoming speech, Pariston dissuades people from abstaining their vote, gesturing to Ging who sits beside him and making an example out of him, stating that Ging has broken more Association rules than one can count. However, even he is "falling in line with the Zodiacs" on a matter as important as the election. Pariston further jokes that, "If you'd go as far as abstaining, why don't you cast your vote for him instead?"

After the 7th round of voting, only four candidates are left, Cheadle and Pariston among them. Cheadle meets Ging outside of the forum and asks him for advice on how to beat Pariston, stating that, "I don't know what's going on in Pariston's head..." Ging agrees to explain Pariston's psychology to her, stating that Pariston is so powerful precisely because he neither cares about winning nor losing. On the other hand, Ging explains that Pariston can read Cheadle easily. Ging predicts that in the subsequent rounds of voting, Cheadle and Pariston will be the only candidates left, and then the election will continue on indefinitely with the two of them trading places. Ging claims that Pariston will use his influence over the Temp Hunters in the association to manipulate the quorum of the vote. When Cheadle asks why Pariston would do this, Ging replies that, "I told you, he has no intention to win or lose. He just wants to enjoy himself." Ging even compares Pariston's behavior to his own, albeit admitting that Pariston is more extreme. Ging also states that out of the remaining four candidates, the closest one to carrying on Netero's will is Pariston. Ging offers Cheadle a final remark about Pariston's actions regarding the unborn Chimera Ants left in NGL, stating that Pariston will probably get bored of the election and move onto other matters on the day of the next Hunter Examination. In the 8th round of voting, while listening to Leorio's speech, Cheadle realizes that Ging had set Leorio up to be the candidate to defeat Pariston. This was done at the moment when Ging allowed Leorio to punch him during the first forum, showing that while Ging had given up on his own candidacy, he'd still been thinking of how to influence the election against Pariston's favor. Ironically, Ging is seen sleeping through Pariston's final speech.

After the 8th round of voting has finished, a ripple of aura goes through the forum when Alluka heals Gon. Upon feeling this, Ging and Pariston share a look, implying that both have realized the outcome of the election in that moment, with Ging closing his eyes in defeat while Pariston smiles. When Cheadle asks Pariston how he managed to win so decisively, Pariston replies that he had already imagined this scene playing out when Ging told him that Gon wouldn't die. But in Pariston's mind, it had been him and Ging as the final two candidates with Ging ultimately winning the election. However, a path to victory had presented itself when Ging dropped out of the election and then aided Leorio in becoming a top candidate. Pariston's victory hinged entirely on Gon's recovery, since Gon's recovery would strip Leorio of his entire basis for running. Incredulous, Cheadle asks Pariston how he could put full trust in someone he'd never met to heal Gon. Pariston replies, "I trust Ging as a worthy enemy. This was a friend who Ging thought was 'good enough' to trust his son to, correct? I believe in him! Of course I do!"

When Pariston becomes Chairman after the 9th round of voting, he immediately makes Cheadle his vice-chair, then subsequently resigns from his position. Ging remarks, "Oh... I didn't calculate that far..."

Dark Continent Expedition Arc
Pariston and Ging both withdraw from the Zodiacs after the election's end. Beyond Netero announces that he will lead an expedition to the Dark Continent, and Pariston joins his team. Soon after, Ging arrives at the expedition team's whereabouts and confronts Pariston, asking to join the team as well. Pariston is shown to be surprised yet pleased by Ging's request, telling Ging, "Wow, this is a surprise. I thought for sure you were coming to stop us." Ging confirms that this is his intention. Knowing that the Zodiacs have been forced into accompanying Beyond to the Dark Continent, Ging immediately suspects Pariston of being the mastermind behind this forced choice. Ging further presses Pariston, guessing that if the Zodiacs failed to comply with Beyond's wishes, then Pariston would send in the Chimera Ants he had harvested from NGL to wreak havoc on the Association. Ging tells Pariston to keep his hands off the Association, stating that he has done enough damage and that, "I'll play with you personally from now on. Until you beg me to stop." Pariston says, "So you're finally going to pay attention to me?" and Ging responds that his motivations are less about Pariston, and more about having fun himself.

When Pariston casts doubt on Ging's suspicions against him, Ging quickly ascertains that Pariston has no interest in negotiating with the Association but is rather playing with it for his own personal reasons. Ging remarks on the strangeness of Pariston's actions, asking him, "Why are you trying so hard to destroy it if you're obsessed with it? Quite a twisted form of love." Ging admits to Pariston that they are similar in the fact that they both think in unorthodox ways, then concludes by calling Pariston a bastard.

Pariston says, "Wow, you really know how to lay into someone. That was harsh. But you were totally spot on, so no hard feelings..." Pariston confides in Ging that he is unlike most people who feel happy when they are loved and love in return. Instead, Pariston feels happiest when he is hated by others, and feels the urge to destroy the things he loves most. When Pariston turns the question on Ging, asking whether this mentality is really so strange, Ging coldly replies that it is and that in this respect, he and Pariston are nothing alike.

When Ging surveys the rest of Beyond's team and asks who is second-in-command, Pariston states that it is himself. Ging remarks, "So then it's not ranked by physical strength, I take it," and Pariston accuses Ging of looking down on him. Ging replies that he could easily best Pariston in terms of physical strength and could even kill him with a single, serious blow. However, Ging admits he wouldn't do this unless he was in a terrible mood and moreover, that beating Pariston up would not constitute a true victory over him. True victory could only come from breaking Pariston's spirit. Pariston smiles at this, and Ging announces that he will take over Pariston's spot as second-in-command.

Ging negotiates with the other members of the expedition team, stating that as second-in-command, he will double their current salaries and pay them up front. There are no other conditions. When he asks Pariston if this is okay, Pariston readily agrees, stating that, "Having you as number two would be a tremendous asset to us." Ging asks Pariston for his financial information, intending to fulfill his side of the bargain with Pariston. However, Ging then states knowingly, "If my calculations are correct as I expect them to be... no matter how many times you double zero, it's gonna be zero, right?"

After the other members of the expedition team attempt to deceive Ging both about their abilities, and their true functions on the team and within the greater Hunter Association, Ging sees through their lies immediately. Among other things, Ging understands that one of their duties was to shift the power of balance within the Association to keep Pariston as vice-chairman. While listening to Ging discredit their lies one by one, Pariston thinks to himself that Ging is troublesome, and he finds himself agreeing with Ging in believing that their minds think alike. Pariston realizes that Ging is ruining everything by seeing through him so easily, and that he probably hates Ging because they are so similar. He finds himself looking forward to the unprecedented challenge Ging presents to him, wondering "what I will want to do to the person I've come to hate." Ging suspects that there are more Temp Hunters under Pariston's command, being used for the same purpose as the members of the expedition team. Ging asks Pariston to pass on the message that he is now number two, along with the terms of this arrangement to the others, stating that "this isn't an order." Pariston agrees to inform everyone.

One month later, Pariston informs Ging that they failed to pass any of Beyond's men through the Hunter Exam. Pariston introduces Ging to one of the failed applicants, Muherr, who questions Ging's loyalty to Beyond. Ging corrects him by stating that he only desires the freedom to do whatever he wants on the Dark Continent, which makes him more sympathetic to Beyond over the Association. His only other goal is to stop Pariston because "what he wants is destruction disguised as perverted love." Muherr is unable to accept this, though Pariston tries to defend Ging's loyalty to Beyond. Pariston and Ging are then given the ultimatum that one of them must leave the team. Neither man is willing to accept this, with Ging giving a third option of Muherr and his henchmen leaving, while Pariston gives the fourth of killing them. The henchmen open fire on Pariston and Ging who turn tail and escape to the basement. Ging complains about the short tempers of their assailants and Pariston mocks Ging for being hypocritical. Ging tells him to shut up and that it was Pariston's fault for getting them into this mess, while Pariston maintains that he was just going along with Ging. They decide to fight back against the henchmen, and Pariston asks whether or not it is okay for him to see Ging's ability, to which Ging replies, "No problem." Pariston is amazed when Ging uses Leorio's nen ability to attack their assailants, and he asks Ging if his ability is one that copies others'. Ging replies that he can recreate any punch that he has been hit with before, but it's only a talent of his. He uses a similar technique, also based on Leorio's Remote Punch, to take out the remaining henchmen. Knowingly, Ging turns to Pariston and states that he knew the attack was a setup from the start and that, if Pariston really wants to see his nen ability, then he'll have to fight Ging directly himself.

After the skirmish is over, Ging has a lengthy conversation with Muherr while Pariston is on the phone. Ging mentions at some point that, "My relationship with Paris is... complicated to say the least, but I'm not trying to stir anything up here. I was absolutely serious when I said I wanted to take him out of his number two position, in order to stop his schemes." When Pariston returns from his call, he tells Ging that the rest of Beyond's men have agreed to accept Ging as second-in-command, and congratulates him. Ging argues that his inauguration is in name only, and that Pariston is always welcome to take the lead. Pariston replies, "I'll have to refuse on that. I want to see how well you handle things," to which Ging acquiesces, "I see. Then I won't hold back."

Fanon
PariGing is a popular ship within the Hunter x Hunter fandom. However, it lacks some popularity due to the fact that many of Ging and Pariston's interactions occur post-anime, along with the fact that Pariston was introduced during the final anime season. This means that only manga readers will have seen their interactions during the Dark Continent Expedition Arc. Some fans who support this pairing enjoy the tense and complex relationship shared between the two characters, feeling that the unresolved tension between them would make for a good romantic conduit. This ship is especially interesting when considered from Pariston's point of view, since he himself has stated that he wants to destroy the things he loves. However, it is implied that Ging is the first person Pariston has ever truly hated and that Pariston himself does not know what he wants to do to someone he hates so much. This has led some fans to speculate that, since Pariston hates the things he loves, perhaps he will come to love Ging whom he hates.

On AO3, PariGing is the most written ship for both Ging and Pariston.

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Trivia

 * When the Zodiacs wait for Pariston to arrive to their first (shown) meeting, Saiyuu makes a comparison, stating that, "Even Ging, who's always shirking on his responsibilities showed up... the Rat [Pariston] really is scum."
 * Interestingly, Ging and Pariston are noted to have been the only two Zodiacs who did not dress and behave as their animal personas. (This was prior to Leorio and Kurapika joining the organization.)
 * There is a small gag at the end of chapter 343 in the manga where Ging says, "Pariston, you're out of it!" and Pariston replies, "I think you're the one who's out of it (as a parent)."
 * In one panel from manga chapter 344, Pariston is seen looking at Ging's backside while he walks by. Whether or not this was intentional is unconfirmed, though the mangaka of Hunter x Hunter is known for drawing his series with great attention to detail.