Pokemon Evolution: A fanfic for older Pokemon Fans

Chapter 45: The Showstopper

Author's Note: It occurred to me that my series features several LGBT characters that willingly come out, and many that are out by the time the story takes place, but never an instance of an 'accidental outing' so to speak. I wanted to experiment with that a little in this episode.

Pokémon Evolution Chapter 45: The Showstopper

Four months. Ryanne and Mallow had finally selected a date, and now they only had to wait four months. There was a lot to do in that time, but luckily Ryanne was fairly patient, and they both wanted something simple.

As Fleet and Zossie aided the young couple make wedding invitations, each Trainer set to a different task. Fleet's precision and high attention to detail made assembling the design of the cards a breeze, and Mallow's careful handwriting supplied each one with the message of when and where the ceremony would take place. Ryanne and Zossie passed the time together by making up random songs. The duo took turns, one humming the tune while the other created the lyrics as they both addressed envelopes, folded and inserted the invites, and sealed them to send out later that day.

"How many more of these are we making?" Fleet asked, "my hands are starting to get sore from all this papercrafting."

Mallow glanced over towards the guest list, counting the remaining names. "We only need eight more!"

"Five," Ryanne corrected, prompting the other three Trainers in the room to look at her in puzzlement. "Fleet and Zossie are already here, and Kira should be coming in this evening. Do we really need to make invitations for you all?"

Zossie nodded, "Oh definitely! My world never had big parties like this. Even the anniversary of one's birth was only celebrated until we reached adulthood. Since this is my first wedding in your world, I would very much like to have an invitation, even if it's just for a keepsake."

"Don't worry Zossie, we'll make sure you get one," Mallow smiled. "Fleet, did you want a physical invite?"

The Chatelain waived the offer. "I appreciate it, but you know me. I don't have any interest in romance."

Mallow angled her head slightly to the side. "You'll have to forgive me, I don't know you as well as Ryanne or Zossie. What do you mean by that?"

Zossie giggled, "Because he's Ace!" she laughed.

"Zossie!" Fleet snapped, "what did I tell you about outing people? It's rude!"

The girl from Ultra Space shrugged slightly, "I don't understand why it's such a big deal. Everyone knows Ryanne is Trans, and that's okay to talk about. Mallow has dated men and women, and that's okay to talk about. Why isn't it okay for us to talk about you?"

Ryanne cleared her throat slightly to draw attention, "Zossie, I know it can be confusing sometimes, but that kind of information shouldn't been shared unless the person says it's alright first. Mallow is publicly open about being Bi, but that doesn't mean you should flaunt that information. I really can't hide that I'm Trans, but it's still something you should let me share, rather than assuming it's okay. Same goes for Fleet, maybe he didn't want that publicly known."

Fleet gave Zossie a fraternal rustle of her hair. "It's alright Zossie, I'm not mad at you. You just have to be careful."

"Careful of what?" the periwinkle-skinned girl asked. The three older Trainers exchanged looks, trying to decide who would be the one to break the news to her.

Ryanne let out a disheartened sigh. "Most of the people you've met have been good people. People who acknowledge, accept, and love the differences that make us unique. That's one of the reasons I love the Alola region so much. In my travels across the islands, I didn't meet a single person who referred to me by the wrong gender or pronouns. Everyone here is so accepting that it made me want to stay... but not everyone is like that. When I met my friend Kale in Laverre City, there was a clerk who was going to force me to use the men's changing room because I hadn't had my Trainer ID changed to say 'female' yet. That's not too bad by comparison, but she is a relatively tame example. I've cut ties with my mother because she treated me like a child, insulted the people I love, and constantly acted spitefully and malicious to me because she didn't accept that I'm a woman. My sister, Jeanette, informed me that after I came out, my mother threw out all of my old things at their home. I literally have nothing left there now but sour memories. Those are just examples of rude or closed-minded people, but it can be much worse." Ryanne gestured to herself, Mallow, and Fleet. "There are terrible people out there who hate the thought of our kind in this world to the point where they might try and hurt us, maybe even attempt to take our lives. I know Fleet's been trying to shelter you from a lot of that, but it's a horrifying truth that many of us have to deal with."