The four generations of Pokémon games, taking place in the same universe, have had multiple references to each other. Not only do the games reference their same-generation counterparts (with the player's default name being the version played and the rival's being the counterpart version in the first two generations), but games released later in the series typically will feature references to events of past generations.

Please note, of course, that this does not include Pokémon. While Pokémon released in previous generations will always appear, they are not a reference to the generation itself.

List of references

Generation II

To Generation I

• Not only is the Kanto region a playable area during the games, but several of the events of Generation I are spoken of as having happened three years previous. Many characters also reappear because of this, though some of them undergo design changes.
• Red, the player character of the first games, is found training in Mt. Silver and can be battled. His team is based on Pokémon found in Pokémon Yellow.
• Blue, the rival character of the first games, has become the Gym Leader of Viridian City. His team is based on the Pokémon he used in the final battle in Pokémon Red and Blue.
• A man in the Violet City Pokémon Center states that the former Team Rocket was broken up by a "young kid."
• The parents of the Copycat in Saffron City mention that her Clefairy Doll was given to her by a boy three years before.
• The Berserk Gene, a held item, is found near the former entrance of the now-collapsed Cerulean Cave, where Mewtwo once hid.
• There is a Pokémon doll of a Surfing Pikachu available to decorate the room, which references the special minigame in Pokémon Yellow.

Generation III

To Generation I

• Brawly is said to have once trained alongside Bruno, who is a member of Kanto's Elite Four.
• The Oceanic Museum in Slateport City has two water samples, one of which is from Kanto. Its background music theme is also an arrangement of the S.S. Anne theme.
• Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen in their entirety are a reference to Generation I's events, while the credit sequence references the version mascots of Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow.

To Generation II

• The player-controlled character of Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald is said to have moved at the beginning of the game with his/her family from the Johto region, the main setting of the Generation II games.
• The Oceanic Museum in Slateport City has two water samples, one of which is from Johto.
• A man in Mt. Moon says that Brock sometimes helps excavate fossils there. This explains how he acquires the Kabutops and Omastar which he uses in the second generation of games.
• At the Cerulean Cape, a dame says Misty has high hopes about the location, which is known as a famous dating spot. In the second generation of games, she is first encountered there with an unknown male character.
• Janine, Koga's daughter and future Leader of Fuchsia Gym, appears in Fuchsia City, and tells the player that she is training to use Poison Pokémon as well as her father. She is unfortunately misnamed as Charine in the English translation of FireRed and LeafGreen, however.
• The branch of Team Rocket in the Sevii Islands seems to be the same branch which attempted to revive Team Rocket during Generation II, with plans to use magnetic waves to evolve Pokémon. Their lead scientist also tells that Giovanni's son has red hair, a possible reference to Silver.
• One of Professor Oak's assistants will state that he is to get a radio show sometime in the near future.
• Celio mentions that Bill's family live in Goldenrod City.

Generation IV

To Generation I

• Professor Rowan is said to have developed the Sinnoh Dex with help from a Pokémon professor from Kanto.
• Professor Oak himself comes to Sinnoh to give the player the National Dex, and can always be found in a house in Eterna City thereafter.
• In the gatehouse east of Canalave City is a guard who complains that he is thirsty, like the guards in Kanto who will allow the player to enter Saffron City if they are brought a drink. Unlike those guards, however, this one does not do anything if brought a drink.
• A Ninja Boy near Celestic Town says he wants to train with a ninja Gym Leader in a faraway land.
• One of the Elite Four, Bertha, shares a similar name (in Japanese and English) and design to Agatha. It is possible they are related, or that Bertha was at least modeled after Agatha.
• Black Belt Eddie from Victory Road mentions that he trained in Fighting Dojo at Saffron.

To Generation II

• A news report of a red Gyarados begins the game. The cameraman who filmed the documentary appears at the Survival Area.
• A man, who gives the player a Happiny egg, says that Professor Elm recently announced that eggs kept with a trainer will eventually hatch.
• Jasmine, one of Johto's Gym Leaders, appears to give the player HM07 (Waterfall).
• A man in Valor Lakefront states that he would like to see a silver-colored Pokémon that resides in the Whirl Islands, a rainbow-colored Pokémon that resides in the Tin Tower, and Clefairy dancing in Mt. Moon sometime during his life.
• Dragon Tamer Hayden on Route 224 mentions that he left Dragon's Den several years ago.
• The Poké Ball design on the floor of the Sinnoh Pokémon Centers is colored gold and silver. Park Balls are also colored gold and silver, and the normally black stripe in the middle is actually a light blue, crystal-like color.
• Dragon Tamer Geoffrey on Route 225 mentions a Dragon Tamer Champion.
• The Eevee which Bebe gives to the player was obtained originally from her friend in Johto.
• Cynthia, who somehow was able to obtain it, gives the SecretPotion, the medicine from Cianwood City that cured Amphy in Generation II, to the player to cure the group of Psyduck blocking Route 210.
• In Stragazer Colosseum in Pokémon Battle Revolution, some of the Pokémons in the last battle depends on which game you have. If Pokémon Pearl, the Blue, line of games, is connected, one of the Pokémon in the battle is Lugia, and if Pokémon Diamond, the Red, line of games, is connected, one of the Pokémon in the battle is Ho-Oh. In Gold and Silver, Lugia is the version mascot of Silver, the Blue game in Generation II, and Ho-Oh for Gold, the Red game in Generation II.

To Generation III

• A man in Hearthome City, who says he is from the Hoenn region, will show the player to the Contest Hall, a feature originally introduced in Hoenn.
• A man in Valor Lakefront states that he would like to see a rocket launch from the Space Center in Mossdeep City sometime during his life.
• A Swimmer south of the Valor Lakefront says she would like to vacation in Hoenn because it has more routes on which to Surf.
• A woman west of Pastoria City used to work at the Weather Institute of Hoenn and will give out weather-changing TMs for Shards.
• An old woman living at the base of Stark Mountain acts in the same way that another woman does on Route 111 in Hoenn, insisting that the player keep healing his or her Pokémon with her in a creepy manner.
• A Swimmer north of Sunyshore City wishes to visit Hoenn's seas.
• A Socialite in the Valor Lakefront restaurant will occasionally mention the sauce of her dish was made from spicy Cheri Berries with a Hoenn-style recipie.
• Bird Keeper Audrey on Route 225 says she was born in Hoenn.
• A woman in the Battle Tower claims to have been from Hoenn, where another Battle Tower presides.
• In Stragazer Colosseum in Pokémon Battle Revolution, some of the Pokémons in the last battle depends on which game you have. If Pokémon Pearl, the Blue, line of games, is connected, one of the Pokémon in the battle is Kyogre, and if Pokémon Diamond, the Red, line of games, is connected, one of the Pokémon in the battle is Groudon. In Ruby and Sapphire, Kyogre is the version mascot of Sapphire, the Blue game in Generation III, and Groudon for Ruby, the Red game in Generation III.

Related articles

• List of cross-canon references