How to refer to a "talking" Pokemon?

[Anti-Jarron7]

Hey guys, I have this little problem where I want to refer to a certain Pokemon from my Fanfic, but I have the problem of its gender is unknown. So I can't say "He" or "She" when it talks... It is okay to just put "it"? I'm not a native English speaker, so I always have this problem when referring to a character whose sex is unknown, like a shadowy figure in the darkness who is talking, or something like that.
He, she, it, they. Please help me (;-_-)ノ

 

[CupcakeNinja]

Hey guys, I have this little problem where I want to refer to a certain Pokemon from my Fanfic, but I have the problem of its gender is unknown. So I can't say "He" or "She" when it talks... It is okay to just put "it"? I'm not a native English speaker, so I always have this problem when referring to a character whose sex is unknown, like a shadowy figure in the darkness who is talking, or something like that.
He, she, it, they. Please help me (;-_-)ノ

Doesnt matter. Call it he, she or it interchangeably until the sex becomes known. Or if your character FEELS it's a he, or she, that's what they can decide it is and call it as such until someone says, "hey, that Pikachu is a female...why are you calling it a he?"

 

[tiaf]

Just use the name of the pokemon until the gender is clear?

It or they, both should go grammar-wise.

 

[ConansWitchBaby]

Pokemon tend to be default animals in their world. In our world we tend to say it, the [insert species] or a given name if it had one.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

Have you ever seen a penis on a pokemon? They're all female.

However, gender is a cultural construct. A pokemon can be masculine regardless of biological sex.

 

[BenJepheneT]

Just say "they". It feels weird to say it, but canonically, in the Englishverse, that's how you refer to someone whose sex you don't know.

 

[Anti-Jarron7]

Have you ever seen a penis on a pokemon? They're all female.

However, gender is a cultural construct. A pokemon can be masculine regardless of biological sex.

Sure thing...

 

[Jemini]

Just use the name of the pokemon until the gender is clear?

It or they, both should go grammar-wise.

I back this notion entirely.

Stick to gender neutral terms, such as the pokemon's name, the pokemon's species, "it" or "they" until the gender is known. Once the gender IS known, then stick to the proper gender.

 

[Andrew_Udell]

"It" or "they" would be acceptable gender-neutral terms. Don't overthink it.

 

[SakeVision]

"this little fucker", "the talking rat", "my slave", "boytoy", "the stomping pillow", "unvaccinated mobile health hazard", "it", "something", "bun", "lumpy"(after it gets trashed real badly and only a lump of flesh remains), "monster", "the creature", "being of extraterrasial origin that is an adversary of human race", "the thing", "living weapon", "biohazard", "wtf is this even", "monstrum", "obluda", "my insurance", "aaaaaaaaa"

 

[BearlyAlive]

Nobody made the obvious "How do you call a talking Pokemon? A Talkemon" joke. Not sure if I should be proud or disappointed.

Anyway, stick to their names and neutral pronouns until further proof or just describe 'em. "'Pika-fuck-you', the yellow rodent said."