Her character has been debated by members of the fandom over whether or not she is actually “meant” to be a transgender person, with some believing that this was just a translation error. In the English localization process, her dialogue was changed slightly to omit mention of her “transformation” being due to “the power of medical science”. She mentions to the player that, just half a year ago, she had been a Black Belt (an all-male trainer type in Pokémon).
In Pokémon X/Y, Beauty Nova (NPC encountered in the Kalos Battle Mansion) is believed by many fans to be a transgender woman.
