The girls had all slowly gotten up and migrated into the dining room. They still wore their sleep attire as they ate a delicious breakfast of oatmeal and berries. Nova noticed that it was once again Erika who made the meal for all nine of them. She had finished her breakfast earlier and presumably went back to sleep. She didn’t think this was necessarily right, and she wanted to pay back Erika in a way. She told Lori, “Hey, while we’re at the department store today, could we pick up some groceries. I wanna make something.”
Lori was interested. She leaned in and said, “Ooooo, Kalosian cuisine!” She licked her lips and then added, “Y’know what, we should all go on a little shopping trip today. Yeah, let’s all go to the store together. We can pick out more clothes for you now that we know your style. We can make a real day of it.
Nova nodded at this offer. Lori stood up and clinked her glass of water. She announced, “Attention everyone, we’re going on a shopping trip today. We’re picking up some groceries, clothes and a few other things for Nova. Who wants to come?” Everyone raised their hands. Nova smiled from ear to ear knowing she had such good friends.
She remembered something important however. She added, “Oh, I gotta pick up my stuff from the hotel, could we make a stop there first.” Everyone agreed and after finishing breakfast, they all went off to get ready. Nova still needed some help picking clothes, doing her hair, and applying makeup, but she was improving. Some of the girls took out their Pokémon to walk with them. After they were all looking fantastic, they headed out.
The walk back to the hotel, despite only occurring a day ago, was so much better for Nova. The flowers smelled sweeter, the sun shone brighter, the birds sung more melodiously. She looked around and saw smiling faces. A day ago, she may have assumed they were smiling at the other pretty girls she was with, but those doubts were greatly muted.
After everyone withdrew their Pokémon, they entered the hotel. Nova was standing confidently with her friends instead of hiding underneath her hood. She approached Bea at the front desk. Bea noticed Nova’s new look and new friends and remarked, “I see my recommendation worked out for you.” She stepped out from behind the desk to give Nova a hug and told her, “You look lovely, dear.”
Nova was overjoyed, saying, “Thank you so much for everything you did for me.” She hugged her for a long time before remembering why she came there. She told Bea, “I’m living somewhere new now, I need to check out and grab my stuff.”
She smiled and returned behind the desk saying, “I’ll check you out, you just go and grab your things.” She waved them off, and the girls went up to room 113.
Getting her things was easy enough. There weren’t really many things Nova was interested in getting. She planned on disposing of most of her old clothes, but she didn’t exactly feel ashamed of some of her old things. Letting the girls see her gi did clue them in on her past, but she didn’t mind that anymore. She was comfortable with her past. It was not the past of a boy, it was the past of Nova who was and always will be a girl.
They left the room and saw a familiar face. The tormentor from yesterday was standing in the same hallway. Nova felt hesitation, but the knowledge that she had so many friends with her gave her confidence. She decided she could be the bigger person and offer an olive branch to Joan. She said, “Hey, I’m sorry that you got kicked out the other day. I hope you have somewhere to go.” She noticed that the dry skin cracks had all but disappeared. She was astounded and wanted to know if she could treat her own skin that way. She asked, “I see your skin cleared up. What moisturizer do you use?”
Joan scoffed at this. She sneered, “I don’t have anything else to say to the likes of you, gutter trash.” Nova stepped back but still felt resolute. The sound of a tea cart’s wheels rolling on hotel carpeting began growing as Joan began another tirade. She yelled, “And the rest of you! You should be ashamed of yourselves! Placating this freak’s sick perversion! I thought I joined a gym of real women, but it turns out you were all traitors to your gender! You are all disgusti-- AAHHHHHHHHH!”
Hot steamy water poured on top of the woman as she stopped her rant and ran back into her room to get a towel and cool water. As she ran, she revealed to the girls a tall woman in a maid outfit who was standing behind her holding up a teapot. The maid cried out, “Sorry Miss, my hand slipped.” It was clear to the other girls though that this was said in jest.
Nova realized who this maid must be. Her resemblance to her grandmother gave it away. She stepped forward and said, “You. You’re the maid. You’re the one who’s… like me.”
She smiled and put her teapot down before saying, “I know Miss Nova, Grandma told me all about you.” She offered a hug and Nova dove right into it. She whispered to Nova, “If you ever need any help with anything, feel free to call on me, Elizabeth. Think of me like your new big sister.” She looked around at the other girls and added, “One of your many new sisters.”
Nova was so happy. Not only was she accepted by those who were born women, she also found someone like her. She was not alone in this world, she never would be.
The girls all left the hotel, but before they could make it down the street they heard a commotion. Luggage was being thrown out the front door as Bea screamed, “AND STAY OUT!”
Worried there may be a fracas, Nova acted quickly. She told Lisa, Tina, and Kay, “Girls, I need you to take my stuff back to my room at the gym. Meet us at the department store after.” After sending them off, Nova readied herself to utilize her years of martial arts training. Out of habit she reached for her Primeape. She stopped herself as she remembered she no longer had him with her. She realized in the moment how silly she seemed yesterday. Her wanting to fight to protect was not detracting from her femininity. She would be just as much of a woman with Primeape as without. She resolved to bring Primeape back after dealing with this.
As she approached the door, Joan left in a huff. Bea continued to yell at her, “AND DON’T YOU EVER, EVER THINK ABOUT TALKING TO MY GRANDDAUGHTER THAT WAY AGAIN!”
Joan grabbed her bags and shouted back, “FINE, I’M GOING BACK TO GALAR WHERE THERE ARE NORMAL PEOPLE!” She left in a steaming rage.
Nova was glad that she didn’t have to resort to violence, but she still was concerned. She asked Bea, “What happened? What did she say to Elizabeth?”
Bea paused for just a moment, realizing the assumption Nova had made. She corrected her, “Elizabeth? No dearie that was for what she said to you.”
Nova was stunned, stammering, “But I’m not --”
Bea cut her off with a pat on the head. She said, “You and Elizabeth have a lot in common. When I told her about you she had the same excitement that you had. You two are going to be good friends, I can tell. A friend of Elizabeth is just as good as another granddaughter to me.”
Nova hugged her goodbye and left happily. She told the girls she needed to pick something up at the Pokémon center. The girls went to meet up with Lisa, Tina, and Kay, and said they’d wait for her outside the department store. At the Pokémon center she swapped Quiladdin for Primeape. Outside she took Primeape out. She gave him a big hug. For the first time she really noticed how fluffy and warm he was. She told him, “I’m sorry for leaving you. You’re my Pokémon, no matter how I want to look, or how I feel.” Primeape made happy noises. Nova walked with Primeape up to the department store. After getting compliments on him and his soft fur from the girls, they all sat down around the fountain and waited for the three younger girls.
The girls rejoined the group shortly. Tina had her hand in her basket and said “Erika made lunches for all of us.” The girls all sat around the fountain and enjoyed their lunches of lettuce wraps and apple slices. The lettuce wraps had corn, black beans, rice, tofu, and guacamole. After they all ate this delicious meal, Nova withdrew Primeape back into his Pokéball so they could enter the store.
It was a huge building. When she used to go shopping with her mom it would be a miserable experience. She was surrounded by stuff she wanted, but she knew she couldn’t get. The mall was a tower to everything that she felt was wrong with her. Now, it was a whole new world. A plethora of combinations, clothes, accessories, and looks. With her friends by her side, this was going to be amazing.
As they entered, Nova noticed a series of payphones on the wall. These served as a rather grim reminder of a phone call she knew she still had to make. She didn’t let this get her down though. The girls got in the elevator and started at the top.
There was a pharmacy on the top floor. The girls fanned out and looked for hormones. Nova suddenly realized something and asked Lori, “Hey, don’t things like these typically require a prescription?”
Lori responded while searching another shelf, “Kanto is an informed consent region.You just have to sign a paper saying you know all the effects. If you still want an official prescription you could probably ask your new maid friend how she got her’s, if that’s what she did of course.”
This made sense enough to Nova. They found bottles of Estradiol 2 mg, Spironolactone 100 mg, and Progesterone 10 mg, with 90 tablets in each. Nova was very excited as they checked out. The pharmacist handed her a paper that explained all the wonderful effects this would have on her. After Nova gleefully signed, the pharmacist added that some women like to take these pills under the tongue rather than swallowing them. With all of her delightful new pills bagged, Nova and her friends moved on to the next section of the store.
The next hours were much like the hours yesterday trying on clothes, but better. Now that her style was known many more clothes looked great on her. She had a whole new wardrobe by the end of it. Bridget took her over to the makeup counter and found her perfect foundation color. She then proceeded to get Nova all the makeup she could ever need with the promise that she’d teach her everything about it. Nova was a little worried about the price, but the girls assured her this was their gift to her.
After she was finished getting gifts from the girls, it was time for her to give them a gift. They entered the grocery section of the department store. Nova asked the girls, “Did you ever see that animated movie ‘Ratattatouille’? It’s that one with that little Ratatta that wants to be a chef.” The girls all nodded. Nova continued, “Well, I’m going to make you all the dish from that movie, my mom used to make it for me all the time.” Nova’s voice wavered a bit as she finished that sentence. She kept remembering the call that was still waiting for her. She refocused and continued, “I’ll need red pepper, yellow pepper, orange bell pepper, olive oil, minced garlic, yellow onion, tomatoes, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, kosher salt, zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash, roma tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar.” She knew this off her head from shopping for the same ingredients several times with her mother. With the list divided up, the girls went off. It was a surprisingly quick trip as so many hands made finding all the ingredients a breeze.
They returned to the gym heavy with bags. The girls helped Nova put all of her new stuff away in her room before they all went into the kitchen.
It was in the kitchen that Nova had a terrible realization. She hung her head in shame and pressed it against the counter top admitting, “I don’t actually know how to make this.”
The other girls were surprised. Nova had to explain. She said, “I remember shopping with my mom for these exact things when she would make it, but I can’t remember how she put them together.”
Lori came up to Nova and patted her on the shoulder. She consoled her saying, “It’ll be okay.”
Luck shone upon Nova once again. It so rarely did for her previously so perhaps it was making up for it now. Erika yawned as she entered the kitchen. She asked, “What are you all doing in here?”
Lori spoke up, “Nova wanted to cook some special Kalosian food for us, but she doesn’t know the recipe.”
Nova muttered, still ashamed, “It’s not that, it’s just… I don’t really know how to cook.” Nova was never really given cooking lessons from her mother. She could watch her cook but never knew exactly what she was doing or why.
Erika looked over all the ingredients and asked, “Oh! Are you making confit byaldi? I love that dish. I could teach you how to make it.”
This offer delighted Nova. She replied, “Really? Of course you can help me!” She then realized she should add, “Could you um… also teach me how to cook in general.”
Erika was flattered. She put a hand on Nova’s shoulder and said, “Of course dear, now let’s get started.”
After four hours of cutting, mixing, and baking, which was some of the most fun Nova ever had, the confit byaldi was ready. The plates were served and everyone sat down. It was delicious. The bouquet of flavors danced across Nova’s palette. She was taken back to her childhood, where her mother would make her this after a long day. Perhaps on that day she was bullied by the school boys for wanting to play with the girls instead. She thought at that time that the solution was to toughen up, but she learned recently why that may not have been the case. Still, the aroma of the meal reminded her of her mother’s warm accepting eyes. She kept remembering her mother today.
Nova decided it was time to stop running from this. She spoke up over the chorus of mmms from the girls enjoying their meal. She said, “I need to make a call… to tell someone about me.” She admitted to herself and the other girls that, “I am really nervous because… I don’t know if this person will accept me. It would really mean a lot for me if I could make this call with you girls around so -- so I know there are people that accept me.”
All of the girls were flattered. Rounds of “of course” and “you can do this sweetie” floated around the room.
Nova pulled out her phone from her new purse and dialed. After a click that the call had begun. She said, “Hey mom.”
Back in Kalos, Nova’s mother was thrilled to finally be hearing from her son. She turned off the burner she was using to make lunch and replied, “Bonsoir sweetie, ‘ow are you doing?” She spoke with a Kalosian accent, which is why she did not pronounce the letter “H”.
Nova was really glad her mom didn’t call her [DEADNAME]. Hopefully she never would again. She continued, “Mom, I gotta tell you something important.” She couldn’t quite spit it out.
Nova’s mother became a bit concerned over her son’s safety. She answered, “Of course sweetie, what do you ‘ave to tell me?”
Nova took a deep breath and dove into deep water. “Mom, I’m transgender. I’m a girl. My new name is Nova, and my pronouns are she/her.”
There was a pause of less than a second, but for Nova it felt like a year had passed. Her mother finally replied, “Oh that’s perfectly fine darling. I was worried you were ‘urt or injured. I will always love you and respect you no matter ‘ow you ‘ave to live your life.”
Nova felt like bursting out in tears. She was able to manage saying, “Thank you so much mom. It really means so much for me to hear you say that.”
Nova’s mother decided she wanted to know more about her daughter. She asked, “So, Nova, I do like the sound of that actually, ‘ow did your application to that fighting gym go? Are the boys there respecting you?”
Nova had almost forgotten why she got on the S.S. Anne to begin with. So much had changed in that time. “No mom, that gym actually got shut down, but I found a new gym. It’s this all girls grass gym in Celadon City. The girls here are really nice to me.”
Nova’s mother beamed, “That’s great to ‘ear sweetie. I’d love to ‘ear ‘ow you’re coming along as you go. Be sure to call me often.”
Nova would normally roll her eyes, but she was too full of love right now. “Yes mom.” she answered.
Her mother acknowledged, “Good, I love you sweetie. ‘ave a great time with your new friends. Goodbye.”
“Bye Mom.” finished Nova before hanging up the phone. She took a moment to take this all in. Her mother loved her and who she will become. She was surrounded by a bunch of new friends eager to help her become the woman she wants to be. She has a friend like her who can guide her through the unique complexities of trans womanhood.
The nightmares of the past were gone. The fantasy of the future is coming. Right now in the present, Nova was living her rainbow dream.
Epilogue
Half a year had passed. Nova was more beautiful and confident than ever. She felt that the time had finally come for her to return home. She packed her several very heavy luggage trunks with most of the clothes and products she would need. Erika promised to mail the rest to Kalos for her. She had learned so much from her and all the other girls. She was sad to leave, but it was time. She had a plan to apply at the Battle Maison and Erika promised to write a flowery recommendation for her. Nova hugged everyone and went off.
Primeape and Cacturne helped wheel her luggage away. She was very proud of both of them. She had seen Cacnea grow into Cacturne as she was growing into herself. Her past with Primeape didn’t cause her shame anymore. She knew who she was and who she is now. Primeape never left her, and she would never leave him.
She began walking to Vermillion City to board the S.S. Anne back to Kalos. She waved goodbye and turned around. When she turned she noticed a red flash in the sky. It was Ho oh, the Rainbow Pokémon. It looked like a mixture between a phoenix and a peacock. It had red wings with white and green feathers at the end. It had lovely orange and cream tail feathers. It had a white underbelly and dark talons. It was incredibly rare to see it and legend said that you could wish upon Ho oh and your wish would come true. Nova remembered reading this in a book as a child and wishing so hard that she would become a girl. She supposed that wish must have come true. She decided to wish again. She closed her eyes and said, “I wish for happiness for Erika, Lori, Bridget, Mary, Tamia, Tina, Lisa, and Kay.” She paused before adding, “And I wish that that Galarian woman can learn to accept people.”
Nova looked ahead to see Cacturne making a funny face at Primeape. She and Primeape both laughed at this. She remembered how really close she was to him. A few months ago, this would’ve disgusted her to act like Primeape. Now, it made her recall a quote from a Galarian Science Fiction show. She thought it went something like, “We all change. When you think about it, we’re all different people throughout our lives and that’s okay, that’s good, you’ve gotta keep moving, so long as you remember all the people you used to be.”
