Pokémon Go Blog Confirms Blanche Is Non-Binary

8.5
  • Android
  • iOS
  • Open World
2016-07-06
Professor Willow encounters the Team Mystic leader in the latest Pokemon Go report.
Professor Willow encounters the Team Mystic leader in the latest Pokemon Go report. Niantic

The recent Pokémon Go blog seems to confirm that Blanche, the leader of Team Mystic, identifies as non-binary. Interestingly, this is simply because of the use of gender-neutral pronouns.

In the latest report from Willow, where a log of his research concerning Team GO Rocket mentions Blanche, the professor refers to the leader with the pronoun "their." Below is the full report from the professor:

“We had our first encounter with a Team GO Rocket Team Leader today. Testing needed to be done on the Rocket Radar prototype. Blanche has been an integral part of its development so naturally I included the Team Mystic leader to assist. We set out in hopes of testing its tracking abilities, but the prototype kept malfunctioning, causing us to be led aimlessly to random PokéStops. Blanche became visibly upset, which tends to happen when things don’t go to their carefully curated plans.”

After Pokémon Go posted a series of tweets on its official Twitter page back in August that introduced players to Blanche, fans and players alike were quick to notice the absence of gendered pronouns in the character's description, especially compared with the rundown of Team Valor leader Candela.

Apparently, though, there has yet to be an official confirmation from Niantic or the game itself. However, considering the fact that it was posted on the official blog, fans cannot help but take joy over Willow's report.

While the blog post is enough to suggest that Blanche really identifies as non-binary, it is worth noting that not all non-binary individuals necessarily use the “they/them” pronouns. Consequently, not all of those who use these pronouns need to be identified as non-binary.

Team Rocket recently invaded Pokémon Go following the unearthing of mysterious files, revealing new characters with ties to the infamous group. While working on the Rocket Radar, both Blanche and Professor Willow ended up contacting Cliff, the leader of Team Rocket. In case you did not know, Cliff was among the many characters previously teased to join the world of the hit mobile game.

REVIEW SUMMARY
Pokémon Go
8.5
A Flawed But Magnificent Experience
Pokémon Go has swept the country but is the mobile game worth an install? Despite its flaws, Pokémon Go really delivers the Pokemon-capture experience.
  • As Close To Living Pokémon Fantasy As It Gets
  • Active And Engaging Experience
  • Lots Of Mon And Events
  • Battles Aren't What Fans Expect
  • Very Grindy
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