ZA is officially the queerest Pokemon game ever

Pokemon Games like the iconic and equally awkward “Are you a boy or a girl?” have come a long way from Since Gen 1, the most recent games in the series have finally sported some queer representation, albeit muted. For example there are no characters who are openly gay, lesbian, transgender, or non-binary, but there are many ways in which they still have queer-coded experiences due to character models and dialogue, even Pokemon Legends: ZA. Considering how Gen 9 games were forward-thinking in queer representation, this might not be surprising to learn. Pokemon Legends: ZA A lot is queer-coded, but you might be surprised how it happens.

before Pokemon Legends: ZA came out (person intended), Pokemon Scarlet and Purple's LGBTQIA+ representation was seen as the pinnacle of the series, despite some issues. And for good reason. There are many examples of this:

Penny is very vested in liking girls. Not only that, but her ace is the famous trans Pokemon icon Sylvain, and her story is all about embracing who you are, no matter what.
Grusha wears the colors of the trans flag, and at first, it's hard to tell if they're male, female, or non-binary. She is revealed to use masculine pronouns, but her appearance is very feminine.
Rika from the Elite Four Inn Scarlet and purple Perhaps Geeta, Paldia's relationship with Champion is implicit in being non-binary.
Saguaro's story is perhaps a parable about coming out, as he is pressured by his friends to like foods other than the kind he likes, until he finally embraces the sweet taste he likes. All dressed in pink and using female Pokémon exclusively, including two Fairy-type Pokémon.

however, Pokemon Legends: ZA Potentially beats all of these in a variety of ways, including many queer-coded characters and even the Pokemon themselves.

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Pokemon Legends: ZAThe Mega Evolution list includes many new ones, both in the base game and DLC. Among them are two interesting examples: Mega Pyror and Mega Meostic.

Both of these are Pokémon with large gender differences, with the female Pyror's mane resembling long hair and the male Pyror's mane resembling a lion's, while the female Meostic is more elegant and has predominantly white fur and the male Meostic is more outgoing and has predominantly blue fur. Instead, their Mega Evolutions are the first-ever Bigender Pokémon in the series:

Mega Pyroar and Mega Meowstic each have only one form, rather than two different gender-based forms.
Mega Pyror has a large mane around its face, still executing the design of a female Pyror as the upper part of the mane is longer.
Mega Meostic is even more obvious in the way it implements this philosophy, as it is literally a mix of the gender-based differences between male and female Meostic, with its fur evenly split between white and blue.

Pokemon Legends: ZA's non-gender-locked clothing and rival dynamics

interestingly, Pokemon Legends: ZAis the first in the series to have clothing options that are not gender-locked. This means that you can choose a male-presented character model and still wear dresses, skirts, crop-tops, heels, and the like. Even makeup like lipstick, eyeliner and mascara. Likewise, female-presented character models may wear baggy dresses, suits, and ties.

This is particularly illuminating when considering Taunie and Urbain in Pokemon Legends: ZA Many are single characters, possibly non-binary, genderfluid, or both. Their main differences are the way they dress, their haircuts, and the pronouns they use. Taunie has a very feminine body type, but one could argue that Urban has the same body, just hidden under baggy clothes. Their story is the same, their behavior is the same, and they are presented with the pronouns they/them in official marketing materials.

Pokemon Legends: ZA's Queer-Coded Characters Explained (And Why There Are Two Gay Couples)

Perhaps the more interesting fact is this Pokemon Legends: ZA It has a few recurring characters in its cast, and two of them are potential same-sex couples. These are:

Jacinthe and Lebanon: Often seen as a toxic gay couple where Jacinthe holds power due to work in Lebanon, but also has genuine affection for her, and wants to leave Lebanon, but cares for Jacinthe and says she “already has a partner” when it comes to double fighting with the player, then looks at Jacinthe. The subtext is there, and if you play them Pokemon Legends: ZA In the DLC side missions, you'll get some dialogue that more definitely indicates that they aren't just work partners.
Gwynn and Canary: Gwynn and Canary are also seen either in a relationship or in a weird place where Canary feels strongly for Gwynn, and later unrequitedly loves her. Like Jacinthe and Lebanne's, the dialogue between Gwynn and Canari has a lot of queer-coding in the way it plays out, with the former often using heart emojis when talking about the Electric-type Pokémon trainer. Canary also has a special nickname for Gwynn, G-Volt.

The bright mega meganium petals are the same color as the lesbian pride flag.

It's also worth noting that Lebanon and Gwynn once paired up in a player-versus-doubles battle. PLZAhas a DLC storyline, and they're introduced as “sisters in distress”, which could allude to the fact that they're both in love with another woman who doesn't feel exactly the same, or at least isn't aware of it. There's no other specific reason why they're called Sisters in Sorrows, either, which makes it either a very random choice or intentional.

Unfortunately, nothing confirms the sexuality or identity of these characters, but there are so many clues that it's hard to ignore them or paint them as coincidences. Queer Pokemon Games and characters seem likely to be here to stay, and Pokemon Legends: ZA This is proof.