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The day in Sinnoh's Jubilife City was like any other, a beautiful morning with a clear sky. The town was busy with people entering and exiting, moving up and down the street with their Pokémon. However, for two young women, what was enjoyable the most, was just sitting together outside a cafe, spending time with each other.
There was Dawn, a native of the Sinnoh Region and one of its Top Coordinators, a star that is known by many not just bounded to her own region. And across from her, was her girlfriend, one of her favorite people in the world, the maroon-haired young Chloe. She was a well-known writer who researched the theories of Pokémon Evolution alongside one of her childhood friends at his lab, Goh, and inspired by her partner Eevee.
But together, they were just Dawn and Chloe, nothing more, nothing less.
"So Wallace said that this year's Grand Festival is projected to be one of the biggest in Sinnoh's history" Dawn took a sip from her tea. "And it's funny, I heard from Serena that the circuit for Pokémon Showcases is as popular as ever over in Kalos, probably since she became the Kalos Queen that is"
Chloe nodded. "Well look how popular Pokémon Contests have become recently when you've become a Top Coordinator. Obiviously they were popular beforehand, but people see you as the next person to take the region by storm!"
"Hm..." Dawn looked to the side bashfully. "I guess so..."
"No, don't guess" Chloe placed her hand on top of Dawn's. "Tell yourself that you'll be the next person to take Sinnoh by storm!"
Dawn looked at her surprised, before laughing. "I guess we've switched roles since we first met, you were all shy and reserved and I was the one telling you to have confidence!"
"Yeah, because you taught be all that stuff" Chloe tapped her hand on Dawn's.
Dawn blushed, taking another sip of her tea. Chloe laughed at this. "Don't try and hide it, I can see you!"
Her girlfriend shook her head, as if to deny what Chloe was insinuating. However, the latter then kissed her girlfriend's hand, which caused her face to flare up even more, and Chloe laughed once more while Dawn almost dropped her tea.
"Now you're doing it on purpose!" Dawn exclaimed, her fully red face revealed.
Chloe smiled, sighing. "I know, but you look so cute when you're embarassed"
She then leaned over and kissed her on the lips, before sitting back in her chair with a smug face. Dawn was looking at her confused, before accepting defeat, slumping into her chair with a smile. But as she did, the sound of another chair scraping against the ground could be heard, as an older couple got up from their chairs quickly and walked over to one of the waiters who was walking around.
"Excuse me, is this really appropriate to allow at your establishment?" the woman asked.
The waiter looked confused, gazing left and right, before re-establishing eye contact with the woman. "I'm...not sure what you mean?"
She nodded her head towards Dawn and Chloe. "Them...and their offensive public displays"
"I'm still not sure what you mean ma'am, those two young ladies aren't doing anything warranting that" the waiter said.
"Are ya deaf ya stupid kid?!" the man stepped forward, before lowering his voice. "They're...they're dykes"
The waiter, as well as Dawn and Chloe, went wide-eyed. Things just went from ten to one hundred in a matter of seconds.
"Excuse me?!" Dawn exclaimed. "What did you just call us?"
"Hush little lady, the grown ups are talking" the woman said, before turning back to the waiter. "Now that things should be a bit more clear, I think it is only appropriate that they are moved elsewhere, preferrably to somewhere more private"
"With all due respect-"
However the waiter was interrupted as Dawn stormed over to them. "I want to know here and now why you think we need to be 'moved' somewhere else"
The man scoffed. "Arceus, first you try and gross everyone out then you start demandin' stuff from us, you really are far gone!"
Both Dawn and Chloe knew that the word 'dyke' had become increasingly more popular among lesbians who have used it instead to be empowering, stripping it of its offensive meaning. However, they heard the way that the man used it, and knew that he was trying to insult them for their sexual preferences.
"That didn't answer her question, why do you want us removed?" Chloe asked.
"Do you think you're accepted in Arceus's eyes?" he asked. "Willingly going against the natural order of things just to get weird with another woman?"
Dawn and Chloe both looked disgusted at the man's wording, and were about to argue back, until they heard a voice.
"Dawn, Chloe, we're back!" Ash called out. "Sorry we took so long!"
Ash, Goh, Gary, and Paul made their way over to the couple. Ash and Paul had been taking part in a tournament to train their Pokémon, and ended up running into Goh and Gary who were on research business, so they had all decided to visit Dawn and Chloe who were also together in the Sinnoh Region. The four boys had headed off to do their own thing, and agreed to meet back in an hour, and that hour was now up.
As they arrived, they looked between the two girls, the waiter, and the older couple.
"Is something wrong?" Gary asked.
"Yes, these two young ladies were making everyone here uncomfortable with their...queer behavior" the woman explained.
"Quite frankly it is offense and I think they should be moved somewhere else" the man added. "And in Sinnoh of all regions, the one that Arceus watches over frequently, he would not be happy with you two"
"Woah woah woah, first of all literally no one was having a problem with us except for you, so don't try and make this out bigger than it really is" Chloe pointed at them.
"And secondly, get that 'Arceus would not be proud' shit out of here" Ash stepped in. "Because you know what?" he asked. "I literally met Arceus in Alamos Town, and Arceus is someone who accepts all people and Pokémon for who they are"
"Tch, I don't wanna hear it ya fuckin' fairy" the woman scoffed. "'First openly bisexual World Champion', you really wanted to disgrace Leon's position that badly, huh?" she asked. "Maybe you can fool everyone else with your outlandish stories, but not us"
Ash and Goh looked horrified, now they were being brought into this? And on top of that, Ash was being called a liar!
"And you" the man pointed to Dawn, getting right up in her face. "You're that Coordinator girl, yeah?" he asked, tapping her chest with his finger. "What, are we going to get 'First openly lesbian Top Coordinator'? Get that nonsense out of here! It's weird and unnatural, and if the kids know about you, which they would because a whole lotta kids watch Contests, they'll be indoctrinated into this madness!"
Chloe noticed that Dawn actually looked worried. She hadn't publically come out, because she was worried how people would see here, considering that there is a lot of homophobia that makes its way around Sinnoh.
So, she slapped the man's hand away. "Don't talk to my girlfriend that way you freak!"
His wife looked mortified. "You dirty little-"
She reached her hand out towards Chloe, however Paul walked over and grabbed her wrist very tightly, looking her directly in the eyes. "Lay a finger on her, I dare you"
"You fuckin' faggots think you can just do what you want!" the man shouted, about to slap Paul's hand away, until Gary walked over right in front of him.
"Buddy, just...don't" he shook his head. "Unless you want to leave here in an ambulance, I'd walk away right now. Just one call it would take and a notification of street harassment. Because I don't know if you know this, but Sinnoh has very specific laws regarding stress harassment"
"And don't forget, you touched Dawn first" Chloe mentioned. "So there's no option where you win this"
The man and woman looked left and right, realizing that everyone was watching them, and there really was no way out of this. So the man grabbed his wife's hand and began to walk away.
"I don't care how many times you try to convince yourself it's empowering!" the man stopped in his place and turned around. "But you two are dykes and it's wrong!"
With that, the two were gone. Things were left in silence, until Dawn collapsed into her chair, a few tears welling up at her eyes.
She sniffled. "H-He's right! How am I going to come out to the p-public, everyone'll h-hate me!"
"No no!" Chloe exclaimed, wrapping her girlfriend in a hug. "Don't even think for a second that he was right, it's not true at all!"
"They're lucky I have no interest in getting in trouble with the police, because if I didn't give a shit about that..." Paul stopped, shaking his head. "I won't even say..."
Gary put his hand on Dawn's shoulder. "That's what people like them try to do. They try and get you to believe in what they say and think that your own values are wrong. Don't let them do that, you are perfect just the way you are, and I'm sure that you'll find the right time to come out"
"In situations like that, you just have to realize that they're sense of reality is warped because they feel they should police other people's lives" Goh explained. "There have been some nasty things said to Ash and I, but at this point, we just realize that that kind of stuff should mean nothing to us, because we know what is best for ourselves and no one else"
Dawn stood up and hugged Chloe, leaning her head on her shoulder. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to start crying...I'm better than this"
"You don't have to be sorry about anything Dawn, everyone cries" Ash said.
Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder to Dawn's to comfort her, as did Grookey and Eevee. Meanwhile the waiter apologized to the other people at the cafe for what happened, and tried to get things back to normal.
"Look, I don't know a lot about relationships, but..." Paul stopped for a second. "Just listen to each other. There's a reason you two are dating, and it's because you have trust in each other. So, worry about the people you have trust in, and not random strangers"
"Heh" Dawn chuckled, wiping her eyes. "I never thought I'd see the day where Paul gave dating advice"
"It's not dating advice" Paul asserted, rolling his hand. "I'm just trying to be...y'know, helpful?"
Gary put his hand on Paul's shoulder. "You're doing just fine, thank you"
"Now, I think we should do something to get this off our minds" Ash said, pulling out his phone and pointing to it. "Those poffins that Serena makes?" he asked. "I told you she sent me the recipe!"
There was a collective groan heard among them, knowing that Ash was suggesting that he bake.