Beauty Nova in Pokémon X/Y

In Pokémon X/Y, Beauty Nova (NPC encountered in the Kalos Battle Mansion) is believed by many fans to be a transgender woman. She mentions to the player that, just half a year ago, she had been a Black Belt (an all-male trainer type in Pokémon). In the English localization process, her dialogue was changed slightly to omit mention of her “transformation” being due to “the power of medical science”. Her character has been debated by members of the fandom  over whether or not she is actually “meant” to be a transgender person, with some believing that this was just a translation error. However, it is important to note that the “female versions” of the Black Belt characters are called are called Battle Girls, and the game text specifically uses Black Belt to reference who she was previously.

The dialogue piece is below in full.

Literal Japanese > English Translation

“I was a Karate King just half a year ago; the power of medical science is awesome, wouldn’t you say?!”

 Localized English Translation

“Yes, a mere half year ago I was a Black Belt! Quite the transformation, wouldn’t you say?”

Citations

  1. Clyde Maldin. (2014, January 3). Is this character in Pokemon X/Y transgender? Legends of Localization. Retrieved from http://legendsoflocalization.com/qa-is-this-character-in-pokemon-xy-transgender/
  2. Brian Ashcraft. (2014, January 6). Pokemon X/Y might feature a transgender character. Kotaku. Retrieved from http://kotaku.com/pokemon-x-y-might-feature-a-transgender-character-1495358387
  3. Various. (2014, January 11). Trans Girl Character in Pokemon X and Y. Reddit forum post. Retrieved from https://www.reddit.com/r/GirlGamers/comments/1uyb95/trans_girl_character_in_pokemon_x_and_y/
  4. Bunnysuit. (2014, January). There is a transgender character in Pokemon X/Y. Tumblr blog. Retrieved from http://bunnysuitwrites.tumblr.com/post/72962892500/there-is-a-transgender-trainer-in-pokemon-x-and-y
  5.  Bulbapedia. (n.d.) Beauty (Trainer class). Bulbapedia Pokemon Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Beauty_(Trainer_class)#cite_note-2