The Crown Tundra DLC expansion has only been out for a short time for Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield players. However, many gamers that are part of the LGBTQ+ community have become very attached to one of the new characters that part of the DLC.
In Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield, players will find that their newest guide character is a man named Peony upon entering the Crown Tundra. He is the younger brother of Chairman Rose from the main game and was both a gym leader and Galar's champion before the events of Sword and Shield.
While many of the Pokemon series' older characters are popular with adult players for their looks, personalities, and roles in the stories, Peony has a little something that makes him stand out from other characters. He isn't confirmed to an LGBTQ+ character, but there is a detail in Peony's league card that stuck out to members of the LGBTQ+ community.
On Peony's rare league card, it is said that he has many fans "especially among men." Many Pokemon fans and players have taken this quote as meaning that Peony is seen as attractive by many men in the Pokemon world. This may not seem like anything involving attraction, but men are usually seen as a default, with some seeing it as an unnecessary detail unless there was something more behind it.
Whether or not there is a deeper meaning, the LGBTQ+ Pokemon fans have taken this and ran with it. Many are considering the trainer to be an in-game gay icon, as well as very attractive for various gay Pokemon players. This is likely due to his talk height and clear muscular strength. Him also being a caring father for his daughter Peonia also likely touches the hearts of those wanting both a man who is strong and kind.
Since the discovery was made, there has been a large influx of Peony fanart on websites such as Twitter and Tumblr. Many of these, however, are to be considered NSFW, with others just appreciating the steel-type trainer for everything about him. Considering that there haven't been any open LGBTQ+ characters in the Pokemon series since Beauty Nove, who was a transgender woman, in the Japanese version of Pokemon X and Y.
It will be very unlikely for Game Freak or Nintendo to acknowledge this recent love from the LGBTQ+ community for Peony. However, he will likely be cherished for quite some time.
Pokemon Sword and Shield are available on Nintendo Switch.
Source: Polygon