A month has passed since Brenda began living as a girl and traveling alongside May through the region. Compared to her previous dull life, every day was full of new experiences and things to enjoy. Not onlly she felt more comfortable to explore new things like clothing, she was more open, making it easier to interact with other people. She was reasonably nervous at first, but thanks to her friend’s help, she could talk with random people they met at Pokémon Centers, especially other girls and women who she could share her new interests with.

This also brought along new things to learn. May was right about there being other girls and women just like Brenda, as the girl learned about ‘transgender people’. She was surprised to know there were much more people who shared the very same feelings she always had. There were all sorts of people, and while some of them faced the same struggles as her, others could enjoy their true lives from much sooner. The fear she always had for being rejected was usual in trans people, and now that she was aware of her true self, having new experiences meant there were new fears. The first time she went with May to the women’s bathroom, she was scared of the worst-case scenario, but that was something every other trans girl lived. And thanks to her friend, she quickly learned there was nothing to fear: everybody was accepting and kind to her.

However, even though all the steps Brenda had taken so far, there was still one wall she still hesitated to climb: coming out to her family and friends.

She had no problem meeting new people because they didn’t know about her past. However, it was already hard to tell May in the first place, and luckily, her friend was really supportive. How could she tell her family? What about all the people she already met, like the Gym Leaders, Steven or Wally? On her part, while she understood her fears, May was worried. That was the only thing left for Brenda to live her life with no restraints and she believed her friend had to tell them. Still, she didn’t want to pressure. Brenda was still learning a lot of things and enjoying her time. She believed there was still some time to officially come out. Or that was what they thought because, while they were enjoying all those new experiences, a lot of people had one big question in their minds.

Where was Hoenn’s hero?

Brenda was quite a popularity prior to her transition. Everywhere she went, people recognized her, especially when she visited the Gym Leaders for a quick rematch. However, her sudden change had an unexpected outcome: people noticed ‘Brendan’ was no longer seen around. At first it was just small gossips, but the more time passed, the more people worried, to the point they began talking about ‘the disappearance of Hoenn’s hero’. Those crazy theories spread across the region as fast as Latios and Latias racing each other, and it didn’t take much time to reach the ears of Trainers she fought before… and her family.

“No, mum, I’m fine, really!”.

It was one morning, while they were trekking the hillside of Mt. Chimney, that Brenda received a sudden call from her mother. It was unusual, given her mother never had any reason to worry during her previous journey. But her frantic and anxious voice showed how desperate she was, and thus, she had to stop at a clearing to talk to her.

“No, mum, I’m not doing anything dangerous”, insisted Brenda. After hearing her mother’s complaints with tired face, she continued: “Don’t believe those gossips! Just… I’m taking a break from all that. I’ve been… exploring new options”.

It was not a lie, but Brenda couldn’t tell about her transition through a PokéNav call. Or rather, she still wasn’t sure about telling her parents about her new life. She didn’t expect for things to escalate in such a way! She kept talking to her mother until her face froze and turned pale.

“Me? Visiting you two?”, murmured Brenda, looking at May in shock. May, who had been listening the whole time, just looked at her back the same way. “Uhm… I’m not sure, I mean… I have things to do and… you know, let me check and I’ll call you back! Okay, bye!”.

Brenda hang up without giving any chance to her mother to say goodbye, but she went quickly from nervous to anxious. She tried not to lose her cool, but her breathing turned slightly erratic. She tried to look for comfort from her friend, but May could only give her a strange face for a smile.

“Ups. That doesn’t sound good…”, said May.

It wasn’t good, at least for her. Getting back home for a visit meant two possible options: boymodding again and hide her true identity, which she didn’t want to, or telling them everything… whatever happened after that. Her legs felt weak and her head was a mess, so she sat down on a log, putting her hands on her head, as if thinking. Feeling sympathy, May sat down next to her and put her arm over her friend’s shoulder.

“Relax. Don’t think, just… calm down first”, suggested May with calm voice.

It was easier said than done though. Brenda had a hard time, but eventually, by taking deep breaths and feeling her friend’s hand caressing her back, she calmed down, even if just slightly. However, that didn’t take her fears away.

“What… what do I do now?”, asked Brenda with trembling voice.

“Well…”, said May while sighing. She wasn’t sure about saying it, but at that point, she didn’t have much option. “I know it’s hard, but… maybe it’s time you tell them?”.

“It’s… it’s not that easy”, murmured Brenda. “I… I don’t know how they’ll react”.

“They’re your parents, they love you! I mean, they always seemed really nice to me. Do you think things can go wrong?”, asked May.

May couldn’t believe her parents could be bad. Brenda’s mother always seemed caring and she treated her nicely. And Norman, the Gym Leader, was quite cheerful and outgoing, which made him quite popular in Hoenn in a short time. But seeing Brenda closing her eyes and taking another deep breath, it seemed there was more than meets the eye.

“I never told you about our old place”, said Brenda, making May look at her confused. “We came from a small town in a far region. And it was… weird”.

Crossed arms, fingers pressing onto her own skin. Memories that she always wanted to forget, bringing them back was painful.

“I was already different back then, even before knowing I was a trans girl, and… everybody mocked me. Literally ‘everybody’. Other kids, but grown-ups too. They made comments and looked at me weirdly. And my parents… they always looked sad. I always thought it was my fault, for being… different”, explained Brenda with sadness. “And one day, just like that, we just moved here. I didn’t want them to feel bad anymore, so… I tried being the ‘son’ they always wanted me to be. And… you know everything else”.

While May expected Brenda’s past to be hard, she never expected something like this. The rejection and mockery from a whole town was too much for a single child to withstand. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how traumatic that experience could be, but it sure explained why it was so hard for her friend to come out in the first place: trusting others was a huge ordeal for her.

“You’re right, my parents are nice since we came here, but… I always feared they are just like everybody else in that town, deep inside. That they’ll be disappointed with my true self and I… I’ll lose them”, added Brenda.

Even May felt a chill on the back of her neck when she heard those words. Never in her life had she thought about the idea of losing her parents or them throwing her away. But Brenda… For how long has that fear roamed her mind? No child should go through something like that.

“I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t want to pressure you”, apologized May. A bit more relaxed, Brenda held her hand, as if telling her not to feel bad. However, May added: “But…”.

Confused, Brenda looked at May at her eyes, those shiny eyes that always showed her so much love. And while that shine was still there, they also showed some worrying.

“You’re scared of losing them, I get it. That would be horrible, but… what’s your alternative? Never coming back home? Never seeing them again? Isn’t that… losing them in some way?”, asked May.

Brenda gasped, her eyes wide open, upon that realization. By avoiding them and not seeing them again out of fear, she was already losing them. A contradiction so confusing and painful at the same time, wanting her parents to remain in her life while keeping distance with them. And still, the fear of them rejecting her was as strong that no option seemed right. At least May could read her train of thoughts through her tearful eyes.

“Brenda, it’s simple… and sad in some way. Do you want to have your parents in your life?”, asked May, to which Brenda just nodded in agreement. “Then you have to show them who you are”.

“But… what if… they don’t like me? What if they… don’t want to see me again?”, asked Brenda between sobs.

May never had enough of how expressive Brenda’s eyes were. At any moment they could reveal the brightest happiness, and just like that moment, the most fearful sight ever. If there was anybody who couldn’t appreciate such an expressive person, they didn’t deserve to have them in their lives.

And thus, holding her friend’s hands with kindness, she asserted:

“I’ll be by your side forever”.

Brenda stopped sobbing, overtaken by the surprise. May looked so sincere, so amazing, whenever she talked like that.

“If your parents end up being jerks, you won’t be alone. I’ll be with you”, insisted May. “And not just me. There’s Lisia and lots of people you already met as yourself. They accept and love you. Sure, not having your parents will be painful, but we all will share that pain with you and help you find happiness. Isn’t that better than always living with the doubt?”.

Closing her eyes, Brenda thought, repeating May’s words in her mind. And just like other times before, she was right. Her fear was born out of ending up alone, without nobody caring for her. However, she finally had people that appreciated her just the way she was. Losing her parents was not desirable, but if there was a slim chance of a happy ending, the only way to get it was being honest. And if that happy ending never happened, she had friends who supported her. With trembling hands, she took the PokéNav again and, with one last look to May, one that show the slight courage she could gather up at that moment, she opened it. It only took one second to hear something through the phone.

“Hey, mum. When… when are you free? I’m going home”.