Today, fans got an extended look at the next game in the Pokémon franchise, Pokémon Legends: Z-A. That included details about the setting, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City, a peek at the Pokémon players will encounter there, and plenty of characters old and new that will shape their journey.
That includes new rivals for the player, named Urbain and Taunie. The rival you get depends on your gender choice for the player character, getting masc Urbain if you play as a girl or femme Taunie if you play as a boy.
But fans have a theory about the two characters. They look strikingly similar — identical, in fact, apart from a set of lower lashes, a hairstyle change, and a difference in wardrobe. Urbain and Taunie seem less like two different people, and more like one genderfluid individual bringing some nonbinary representation to the world of Pokémon. “i love that the legends ZA rivals are actually just one enby genderfluid person that dresses more femme or more baggy and butchy depending on which character you choose,” one viral post quipped.
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I know it says they're separate people on the website (apparantly) but I really like this headcanon. It's way different to previous gendered rivals, they straight up look identical! You could totally believe that same body build is under the baggy clothes.
— Bonnford (@twumblunni) February 27, 2025
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“Wooper threw the first brick at Stonewall,” wrote one commenter.
Some of us are on the hunt for more elusive game: the Pokemon zaddy.
Even the characters’ official description on the Pokémon website describes Urbain and Taunie as a single individual with gender-neutral pronouns. “You’ll make a friend who lives and works at Hotel Z, supporting the owner however they can,” reads the blurb. “They may come on strong at times, but they like helping people and Pokémon. They’re quite skilled at Pokémon battles too.”
For now, Urbain and Taunie’s genderfluidity is only a headcanon — but it’s one we’ll be riding all the way to release day. Pokémon Legends: Z-A is set to come out in late 2025. Check out the trailer below.
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