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Gou’s always been different from the other kids, in more ways than one.
It was bad enough that he was an introvert who struggled to pick up on social cues and who’s interest in Pokemon didn’t usually align with the other children.
Because apparently deciding you want to research Pokemon from a young age wasn’t cool. And that’s a job for grandpas, Gou. Be a trainer, Gou. Be a breeder, Gou. Be a coordinator, Gou.
It was infuriating. So what if Gou just wanted to obtain every Pokemon in the world and research them and be their friend? Why was that bad?
But that wasn’t Gou’s only difference from the other kids.
There used to be a time when he wore the female uniform to school.
And every time, he hated it.
“I don’t want to wear a skirt!” He’d shouted at Koharu once after school. He’d gotten detention that day for wearing pants.
Koharu sighed. “All the girls have to wear a skirt, Gou.”
“Well maybe I’m not a girl!”
He hadn’t really understood what he was saying until he said it. Koharu didn’t really know either.
He tried to tell his parents, and they took him to therapy. Not because they thought anything was wrong with him, but because they didn’t know how to help him work out what he was feeling without influencing him.
And it was in therapy that he was able to properly explain what he’d been feeling. How he didn’t belong with the girls. How he was supposed to be with the boys.
Transgender. That’s what he was.
His parents avoided using the world while he was growing up, but they allowed him to dress freely and referred to him as a boy instead, and when Gou turned twelve, he finally began to understand what was happening.
Then there was puberty. Man, what a rollercoaster that was. Still is.
Now, at sixteen, Gou had a better handle on everything. He was trans, he was a boy. And he took measures to appear as such.
He wore a binder most days to flatten his chest, he kept his hair short, and he wore more masculine clothing.
It wasn’t nearly enough to stop the voices pecking at the back of his head, the ones that told him to stop kidding himself because he was never going to be who he wanted to be and no amount of effort would change that, but at least to the outside world…he was male.
It was a start. When he was an adult, he’d get surgery and fix his body to be what it was supposed to be.
Still, as confident as Gou was in who he was, telling people never got easier. It wasn’t really a secret, but he didn’t like to announce it if he didn’t have to.
Koharu was easy, since she grew up with him and was there to support him every step of the way. He never had to come out to her. She knew who he was from the start.
Satoshi…was harder.
Normally, Gou couldn’t care less what people thought of him. He was used to being the black sheep of the group. He was used to not fitting in.
But Satoshi was different. From the moment they met, there was an undeniable connection. Something more than friends, but Gou never dared to call it romantic.
Satoshi was open, and honest, and bright, and he loved Pokemon. And when Gou told him his dreams, he didn’t laugh or scoff or doubt him, he supported him and stood by him.
When Gou told him he was trans, Satoshi had been surprised and admitted he honestly couldn’t tell, and Gou nearly burst into tears.
It was incredible. Gou had never met somebody so understanding. He didn’t even bat an eye when Gou admitted he also liked boys.
So maybe Gou should’ve realized earlier, that it was obvious he and Satoshi would end up together. It happened so naturally, it hadn’t even felt like a big change. It was like one day they were friends, and the next they were boyfriends, and it was great. It was everything Gou could’ve hoped for.
So yeah, after years of only having Koharu by his side, Gou finally had someone else. Someone he could trust and rely on.
But that didn’t mean he always remembered that fact.
“Ugh…” Gou clutched his stomach, hunching over as a sharp pain jabbed him from the inside. Raboot looked up at him with concern. He was just writing up a report on their findings from their latest Johto trip when it hit him.
Raboot came closer. “Raboot?”
“Ah, I’m okay, I just- AHH!” Gou cried out, nearly falling out of his seat. The pain was stabbing. Like a knife being jammed into his lower stomach over and over again.
Almost like-
The realization hit Gou like a truck and he groaned. “Oh no…”
He quickly got up from his chair and saw blood. Crap, he was already bleeding through is clothes.
“Raboot!?” Raboot saw the blood and grew alarmed. “Raboot, Raboot!”
“Ah, I’m fine, Raboot…” Gou grimaced, stumbling over to his bag. “This is normal, I promise. I just need to-“ He froze, hand digging through his bag.
He was out of tampons.
“Crap crap crap!” Gou grabbed his Rotom Phone and called Koharu, but she wasn’t answering.
Gou let out a noise of frustration. Of all times…
He hesitated, seeing Satoshi’s contact info. He could…no.
No. He was not going to ask his boyfriend to get him…feminine products.
Gou was willing to tell people he’s trans, but this is where he draws the line.
It’ll be fine, he’ll just go to the bathroom, stuff a bunch of toilet paper in his underwear and go to the store. While having cramps. This is fine.
Gou made it about five steps before collapsing, scaring Raboot badly. “Raboot!”
He groaned, curling up on the floor in pain. “Raboot…I need…go get Satoshi.” He choked out. At the very least he needed pain meds.
Raboot was quick to take off out of the room, rushing to get help. Gou laid there, groaning in pain as the stabbing feeling continued in his ovaries.
Not even five minutes later, he heard rapid footsteps and then Satoshi was in the room. “Gou!? Gou, what happened? Oh Arceus- we need to get you to a hospital-“
Gou would’ve laughed at Satoshi’s panic if he wasn’t in so much pain. “No, no hospital…ugh, it’s just cramps.” He managed to get out between hisses of pain.
Satoshi was briefly thrown, before understanding washed over him. “Ohhh. Okay, um…” He wracked his brain, before snapping his fingers. “Right. Wait here.” He got up and ran out of the room.
Gou rolled his eyes. Where else would he go? He was literally on the floor in pain.
Raboot still looked worried, so Gou weakly spoke. “Raboot, go play with the others, okay? I’d rather have some privacy.”
Raboot obviously wasn’t happy about it, but Pikachu said something to him and managed to convince him to leave with him, giving Gou the privacy he requested.
Quickly as he left, Satoshi returned with meds and water. He helped Gou sit up against the wall. “Here, take these.”
Gou was quick to swallow the meds. “Thanks…” He managed.
Satoshi nodded, before seeing the blood on the chair and floor, growing worried. “Do you have tampons?”
Arceus, how could Satoshi ask something like that so casually? Gou could barely talk about feminine products, and he’s the one who used them.
“Ran out.” Gou muttered. “I’ll go get some when the meds kick in.”
Satoshi looked at him like he was crazy, and then he looked stern. “You’re not going around like this. Hang on, maybe…” Satoshi grabbed his backpack off the top bunk bed and dug around. He beamed. “Ah, here!”
He held out a tampon.
A tampon.
Gou stared at it, and then at Satoshi.
“You…why do…what?”
Satoshi chuckled. “I’ve traveled around with a lot of different girls. It’s just a curtesy thing, be prepared and all. I didn’t think I had any left from my time in Alola but I guess I did.” He smiled. “I should probably restock though, for times like this.”
Gou felt a rush of gratitude and affection as he slowly took the tampon from Satoshi. He thought it was sweet that Satoshi would carry around products like that in case any of his friends needed them, and now he was saying he wanted to carry them around for Gou too…
Quickly, he swallowed down the lump in his throat. He was not about to cry over a tampon. “I-I’ll be back, then.” He told Satoshi softly as he managed to stand up. The meds were beginning to kick in.
Satoshi nodded with a smile. “I’ll be here.” He said.
Gou’s heart fluttered as he headed to the bathroom. After he took care of business, he came back to their room and was confused to see Satoshi wasn’t there.
Hadn’t he just said like two minutes ago that he’d be there?
But before Gou could worry, he heard footsteps and turned to see Satoshi come back in the room with a heating pad. “Sorry, I just thought you’d want this.”
Gou’s eyes widened in awe. “You…got me a heating pad?”
“I figured there’d be one in case Koharu had cramps, so I asked Professor Cerise.” Satoshi explained with a smile. He plugged it in and set it up on the bed. “It helps, right?”
Gou’s eyes watered. Satoshi was so considerate…so kind.
Satoshi saw his tears and grew worried. “Is the pain picking up again? Come on, lay down.”
He couldn’t bring himself to reply, merely laying down on his bunk. Satoshi set the heating pad over his lower stomach and Gou let out a sigh of relief.
“Better?” Satoshi asked.
“Perfect.” Gou whispered.
Satoshi smiled, looking relieved. “Do you need anything else? I think chocolate’s supposed to help, right? Or water?”
Gou let out a teary chuckle. “Just come here.” He pleaded, opening his arms hopefully.
Satoshi’s smile widened and he carefully laid down beside Gou and wrapped his arms around him. Gou hugged him tightly, letting out a shaky sigh as he tried not to completely break down from how perfect his boyfriend was.
“I can’t believe you carry tampons.” Gou murmured.
Satoshi shrugged. “Whatever I can do to help, right? I want the people I travel with to be comfortable. I want you to be comfortable.” He squeezed Gou gently. “I know I can’t change your body but…I’m here, you know? You can still lean on me, when you need it. I’m your boyfriend, it’s what I’m for.”
Gou was definitely crying. He didn’t acknowledge it and neither did Satoshi, much to his relief. He kissed Satoshi’s cheek. “I love you; you know that right?”
Satoshi let out a breathless laugh and kissed his forehead in return. “Of course I know that.”
Because he always knew. He always knew what Gou was thinking and feeling.
Even when Gou didn’t always know how to tell him.