Pokémon world in relation to the real world: Difference between revisions

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This article contains fan speculation. There is no solid evidence for or against some parts of this article.

The map of Japan showing the four main Japanese Pokémon regions.

The designs of eight of the major Pokémon regions—Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Galar—are strikingly similar in geography and demographics to regions in the real world, and they are sometimes even officially stated to be based on certain locations. The first four regions are based on smaller regions in Japan, Unova and Alola are based on parts of the United States, Kalos is based on France, and Galar is based on the United Kingdom. It is said the inspiration for Orre is Phoenix, Arizona.

Core regions

Kanto

The Kantō region of Japan is not only identical in name to Kanto in the Pokémon world, it is also very similar geographically; however, the western part of the game map corresponds to eastern Chūbu.

Sevii Islands

The Sevii Islands are based on two archipelagos off the coast of Tokyo: the Izu Islands (伊豆諸島) and the Bonin Islands (小笠原諸島).

Johto

In Japan, the Kantō region is often contrasted with the Kansai region, which like Johto is to the west. However, Johto is geographically more similar to the Kansai region and the western Chūbu region combined, as well as a small part of eastern Shikoku.

Hoenn

Hoenn is based on the southernmost parts of Japan—Kyūshū and surrounding islands, with its main island flipped counterclockwise ninety degrees with the smaller islands circulating around its southern side.

Sinnoh

Sinnoh has been said to be an island like Hoenn, rather than a peninsula. It is based on the northernmost major island of Japan, Hokkaido. Part of Kunashir Island (Japanese: 国後島 Kunashiri Island, Russian: Кунашир Kunashir), which is in dispute between Russia and Japan, is also included.

Battle Zone

The Battle Zone is based on Sakhalin (Japanese: 樺太 Karafuto, Russian: Сахалин Sakhalin), a Russian island that used to be claimed by Japan (some parts of Sakhalin are still in dispute, but none of them are the basis for the Battle Zone).

Unova

A comparison of Unova to New York City and parts of eastern New Jersey

Unova has been said to be significantly distant from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. Instead of being based on an area of Japan, Unova is based on New York City, which is located between two states of New York and New Jersey. Both states are part of the United States.

Kalos

A comparison of Kalos to France

Kalos is based on the northern half of Metropolitan France and Alderney, one of the Channel Islands which are self-governing crown dependencies of the United Kingdom.

Alola

A comparison of Alola to Hawaii

Alola is based on Hawaii,^[2] one of the states that is a part of the United States.

Galar

A comparison of Galar to the United Kingdom

Galar is based on the United Kingdom,^[3] with the region focusing heavily on the island of Great Britain, flipped upside-down as if being viewed from the north. The main region itself is based mostly on England and Wales, while the Crown Tundra is based on Scotland. The Isle of Armor is based on the Isle of Man, which is a self-governing crown dependency of the United Kingdom.^[4][5]

Side regions

Orre

Comparison of Orre to Phoenix, Arizona

Orre is based on Phoenix, Arizona, United States.^[7]

Spin-off regions

Fiore

Comparison of Fiore to Okayama and Hyōgo Prefectures, and Shōdo Island

Fiore appears to be based on Okayama and Hyōgo Prefectures, as well as Shōdo Island in Kagawa Prefecture, in Japan.

Almia

Comparison of Almia to Oshima and northern Honshu

Almia appears to be based on Oshima and Hiyama Subprefectures within the Oshima Peninsula in Hokkaido and the very northern part of Honshu in Japan.

Oblivia

Comparison of Oblivia to the Oki Islands

Oblivia may be based on the Oki Islands in Shimane Prefecture.

Landscape

This section is incomplete. Please feel free to edit this section to add missing information and complete it. Reason: Missing notes

While the above locations are meant to correspond to the different regions around the world, great liberties were taken with the design of their landscapes. Some of the designers have admitted to drawing inspiration from real-world locations outside their stated real-world counterparts, especially with locations depicted in Pokémon movies.

Pokémon world		Inspiration		Notes
	Porta Vista	Acapulco	Guerrero, Mexico
	Neon Town	Las Vegas	Nevada, United States
	Hollywood	Hollywood, Los Angeles	California, United States
	Whitestone	Ostuni	Apulia, Italy	The white façade of Whitestone's buildings is reminiscent of the medieval town of Ostuni. Domed buildings in the background draw inspiration from Byzantine architecture, and flat-roofed structures mirror those of the city's real-world counterpart.
	Alto Mare	Venice	Italy	Venice's canals were likely an inspiration for the canals of Alto Mare.
	Forina	Wulingyuan	Hunan, China	Wulingyuan is famed for its karst formation of quartzite sandstone pillars. Along with its ravines and gorges, the site also features a lush forest, several caves, natural bridges, and waterfalls.
	LaRousse City	Vancouver	British Columbia, Canada	Vancouver is the city with the best quality of life in Canada and like the movie, it is a very ecological city with many scientific facilities.
	Sootopolis City	Santorini	Greece	Like its name suggests, Sootopolis City was created in the wake of a volcanic eruption (per Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald). Similarly, Santorini, Greece, was formed as a result of the Minoan eruption, which left a large caldera that filled with water and became the current bay in the center of the island of Santorini (Thera). Both cities boast landscapes dotted with vivid blue domed roofs.
	Cameran Palace	Neuschwanstein Castle	Bavaria, Germany
	Samiya	Atlantis
	Solaceon Ruins	Ziggurat of Ur	Dhi Qar Governorate, Iraq
	Alamos Town	Barcelona	Catalonia, Spain	The Space-Time Towers are based on the uncompleted church of Sagrada Familia.
	Ten'i Village	Geiranger	Sunnmøre, Norway	A village that was nearly destroyed by a glacier. It is based on a town in Norway, which is threatened by the possibility of the mountain Åkerneset eroding into the fjord, causing a landslide-induced tsunami.
	Michina Town	Meteora	Thessaly, Greece	Its landscape, which is filled with towering rock formations, resembles Meteora. Also, the architecture of the temples resembles that of ancient Greek temples.
	Crown City	Amsterdam	The Netherlands	Its modern buildings are based on the many new buildings in parts of Amsterdam, and the Pokémon Baccer stadium is based on the Arena, the city's local football stadium.
	Area 28	Area 51	Nevada, United States
	Eindoak Town	Gourdon, Tourrettes-sur-Loup and Mont Saint-Michel	France
	Roshan City	Shinjuku, Shinagawa, and Tennouzu Isle	Tokyo, Japan	The Roshan tower is inspired by the Tokyo Skytree.
	New Tork City	New York City	New York, United States	A giant sprawling city with many skyscrapers, a large park in the middle of the city resembling Central Park, and a similar name. New Tork City as seen from above also resembles New York City's shape.
	Kalos Canyon	Grand Canyon	Arizona, United States
	Avignon Town	Avignon and Quebec City	France and Canada	A city in the south of France. The castle of Avignon Town, however, is based on the Château Frontenac, a large hotel that overlooks Quebec City much like Avignon Town's castle overlooks the town.
	Orsay City	Toronto	Ontario, Canada	A city in southern Ontario famous for its port and city skylines. Like Toronto, Orsay City has a large port as well. The large mall in the city is based on the Toronto Eaton Centre, a large mall in the center of city.
	Diamond Domain	Naica crystal cave	Chihuahua, Mexico	Colossal cave of several white crystals of Selenite in Chihuahua, and many of them are the largest in the whole world.
	Allearth Forest	Golden Horseshoe, Niagara Falls, and Niagara Escarpment	Canada and United States	Like several elements of the movie based in Canada, the design of the waterfalls is quite similar to the Niagara Falls which are recognizable as vertical falls and two large walls of water.
	Dahara City	Dubai and Abu Dhabi	United Arab Emirates	Dubai is located within the Arabian Desert and houses some of the world's tallest skyscrapers. The highest skyscraper is based on the Burj Khalifa.
	Gloire City	Menthon-Saint-Bernard	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France	A coastal city located on Lake Annecy, famous for its medieval Château perched above on a 660-foot-tall rock.
	Azoth Kingdom	Carcassonne	Occitanie, France	Occitanie is an ancient city famous for being the meeting point between the Mediterranean and the towns of the Massif Central (the inspiration for the Nebel Plateau). It is also recognizable by its enormous walls of the citadel.
	Nebel Plateau	Massif Central and Chaîne des Puys	France	This area is similar to the Auvergne volcanoes in the Massif Central, which is a highland region containing large mountain ranges and vast plateaus full of greenery and rich biodiversity.
	Fula City	San Francisco	California, United States

Real-world locations mentioned

Mewtwo overlooking a "faraway city" at the end of Mewtwo Returns

Chinese noodles

• Prior to Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Lt. Surge was known as "The Lightning American!". In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Pokémon Journal entries state that he "is rumored to have been a pilot while home in America."
• Game Freak's offices are present in the Celadon Condominiums, the equivalent location of their former real-world office in Carrot Tower. Likewise, they have a building in Castelia City, and are found on 22F, the same floor that their former offices were on in Carrot Tower.
• In the Generation I games and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, Scientist Taylor in the Silph Co. building mentions an international branch of Silph Co. In English, he states that the Tiksi branch of the company is "in Russian no-man's-land". In the Japanese version, he states that the Ponaya Tunguska (Japanese: ポナヤツングスカ) branch is located "deep in Russia". Ponaya Tunguska appears to be a shortened form of the transliterated name of Podkamennaya Tunguska in Japanese (ポドカメンナヤツングースカ).
• Mew was originally discovered in the jungles of the South American country Guyana. This is mentioned in logs inside of Cinnabar Island's Pokémon Mansion.
• Articuno, Beartic, Arctozolt, and Arctovish's names are derived from a real-world location, the Arctic.
• In School of Hard Knocks, Misty fantasizes about Paris and the Eiffel Tower.
• In The Ninja Poké-Showdown, James says that the Fuchsia Gym looks like a Japanese restaurant.
• In the English dub of The March of the Exeggutor Squad, Melvin says he wanted to make it to Las Vegas. In the Japanese version, he said that he wanted to make it to Broadway.
• Arcanine's Pokémon Yellow, Stadium, Gold, FireRed, and HeartGold Pokédex entries state that it is mentioned in Chinese legends.
• In The Evolution Solution, Meowth says, "Keep digging till you hit China!" to Jessie and James, who were digging for clam shells.
• Parasect's Stadium and FireRed Pokédex entries mention that its spores are used in medicine in China.
• Ponyta's Stadium Pokédex entry mentions that it can clear the Eiffel Tower (Tokyo Tower in the original Japanese version) in one leap. Also, its FireRed entry says that it can clear Ayers Rock in one leap.
• In the William Shakespeare-inspired episode Wherefore Art Thou, Pokémon?, Misty described the town as like being in "merry old England".
• In Mewtwo Strikes Back, Team Rocket are disguised as Vikings. In the English dub, Brock says that he didn't know that Vikings still existed and Ash replies that they "mostly live in Minnesota". This is a reference to the Minnesota Vikings, a football team in the area.

• In the Swedish dub of the movie, Ash says that they come from Norway, a reference to the Norse Vikings who lived from the 8th to the 11th century.
• In the Danish dub of the movie, Ash tells Brock that the Vikings are mostly on trips in Sweden, again referring to the Norse Vikings, but may also refer to Vikingarna, a Swedish dansband.
• In the Finnish dub of the movie, Ash quips that Vikings still live in the Sipoo archipelago, referring to the fact that Sipoo was at the time mostly inhabited by Swedish-speaking Finns (another reference to Norse Vikings).

• In the first movie, Meowth mentioned that they lived on the same Earth (though he may have been referring to the soil rather than the planet Earth).
• In Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold, and SoulSilver, Webster, the guard in the gate north of Goldenrod City, will give the player a Spearow holding mail to deliver. The Spearow is nicknamed Kenya, the name of a country in Africa.
• Poliwrath's Gold, Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, Black, White, Black 2, White 2 and X Pokédex entries mention its ability to swim the Pacific Ocean. Also, the direction of a Poliwrath's spirals depends on its geographical location. In Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, it instead refers to "the ocean".
• Xatu's Silver, FireRed, and SoulSilver Pokédex entries mention that South Americans say that it can see both the future and past.
• In the TCG Lucky Stadium (Neo Destiny 100) card, there is a promotional New York City print with a Pichu and a Pikachu flying on a Charizard in New York City, with the Empire State Building visible in the background.
• At the end of Mewtwo Returns, Mewtwo is shown overlooking a "faraway city" that greatly resembles New York City. Buildings similar to the Chrysler Building and the MetLife Building are visible in the distance.
• In Pokémon Heroes: Latios & Latias, Misty makes a direct reference to the Earth, saying, "The Earth is so pretty." However, she may be referring to the landscape rather than the literal planet.
• In Can't Beat the Heat, Ash's Charizard uses Seismic Toss. Normally, a cloudy globe can be seen, but this time the Pacific Ocean and Australia are prominent. This also happens in Volcanic Panic and the introduction to Mewtwo Strikes Back.
• In the original Japanese version of FireRed and LeafGreen, Blaine refers to Kyoto.
• Delibird's Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald Pokédex entries explain that a Delibird helped a famous explorer reach the top of Mt. Everest. In Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, it instead refers to "world's highest mountain," which is what Mt. Everest is to Earth.
• Regice's Emerald Pokédex entry mentions Antarctic ice.
• In the English dub of The Scheme Team, Jessie talks about Antarctica, the place where their next assignment is located.
• In Pasta La Vista!, an ad in May's food guidebook mentions "Chinese noodles".
• A Guitarist that can be battled in the Battle Frontier mentions that his guitar is actually a Japanese instrument.
• Upon defeating Fisherman Bronson in the Sinnoh Battle Tower, he will say, "Why the emperor of fishing? It's an ancient Chinese legend...".
• In the Hindi dub of Oshawott's Lost Scalchop!, while Ash's Oshawott was perfecting Aqua Jet, Cilan states "जाना था जापान पर पहुंच गए चाइना" (lit. Jānā thā Japan, par pahunch gaye China), which refers to the real-world countries of Japan and China. The phrase itself can be interpreted roughly as "The aim and the result were different".
• In Movie Time! Zorua in "The Legend of the Pokémon Knight"!, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe were seen on a movie poster.
• In the Hindi dub of Mega Revelations! , Meowth says "हम सब जानते हैं कश्मीर से कन्याकुमारी तक" (lit. Ham sab jānte hain, Kashmīr se Kanyākumāri tak). This is a common Indian saying, roughly translating to "Our knowledge is supreme", which refers to the Indian subcontinent's northernmost region, Kashmir, and its southernmost city, Kanyakumari.
• Among the exhibits of the Nacrene museum, there is an African mask, referring to a place in the real world, in addition to being different from other exhibitions, which are related to the history of the Pokémon.

Real-world people and cultures mentioned

• Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan are explicitly named after martial artists Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, respectively. In other languages where their names are different, those names are likewise derived from real people.
• Snorlax's Japanese name Kabigon is the nickname of Game Freak programmer Kōji Nishino.^[8] This is referenced in Black 2 and White 2, in which Nishino appears as a battleable NPC and his highest-leveled Pokémon is Snorlax.
• The core series games have featured staff members of Game Freak that typically reward the player for completing the National Pokédex, or occasionally through alternative methods. Shigeki Morimoto can be battled in the Generation V, VII, and VIII games; in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, he is fought in a Double Battle that also features director Kazumasa Iwao.
• In Pokémon Shipwreck, Brock directly refers to the tale of Noah who sent a dove to find dry land after a great flood, according to most Abrahamic religions.
• The Japanese version of the song Team Rocket Forever includes the lines 「ムサシ!/コジロウ!/関門海峡/門司/下関」"Musashi!/Kojirō!/Kanmon Straits.../Moji.../Shimonoseki...", referencing the famous duel that Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojirō (the name basis for Jessie and James's Japanese names, Musashi and Kojirō) fought on an island in the Kanmon Straits, which is located between Moji and Shimonoseki.
• The Japanese holiday Hinamatsuri (means Doll Festival, but sometimes referred to as Girls' Day) is featured in Princess vs. Princess (dubbed as the Princess Festival).
• The Japanese holiday Children's Day (Kodomo no Hi) is featured in The Purr-fect Hero (dubbed as Kids Day).
• Christmas is mentioned several times in the anime and manga. Santa Claus is a recurring character in the Pokémon anime who first appeared in Holiday Hi-Jynx. In the dub, Santa's home is called the North Pole.
• In The Art of Pokémon, James mentions the presence of Picasso and Rembrandt's paintings at his home.
• In Celebi: The Voice of the Forest, Meowth asks if they saw the Iron-Masked Marauder in a Mexican wrestling movie.
• In A Bite to Remember, Jessie says that Albert Einstein created the light bulb. Max corrects her, saying that Thomas Edison was the creator.
• NPCs in the core series games are regularly named after real-world people.
  • In the Generation IV Battle Frontier, one of the potential NPC opponents is Guitarist Iggy, a reference to Iggy Pop.
  • Johto Route 35, Connecting Cave, Hau'oli Cemetery, and Viridian Forest (in Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!‎) each contain a Trainer whose Japanese name is Ikue (in the latter two cases, this name was preserved in other languages as well) and who uses a Pikachu. Ikue Ohtani is the voice actress for Ash's Pikachu.
  • Alola Route 5 contains a Double Battle against trainers named Isa and Nico, named in honor of the daughters of Eric Medalle, a Pokémon creative director who was killed in an accident during the time Pokémon Sun and Moon were in development.^[9]
  • In Pokémon Crystal, several Trainers in the Battle Tower are references to people involved in the creation of the game.^[10]
    • Guitarist Masuda is a reference to Junichi Masuda, Crystal's music director.
    • Bug Catcher Tajiri is a reference to Pokémon's creator, Satoshi Tajiri, and his childhood fixation with bug catching.
    • Scientist Mori is a reference to Akito Mori, who is listed under "special thanks" in Crystal.
    • Teacher Kawakami is a reference to Naoko Kawakami, who is listed under "special thanks" in Crystal.
• In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, a Team Rocket Grunt mentions the hula dance to a Kimono Girl while in the Kimono Dance Theater.
• In Pokémon Black and White, six of the Seven Sages quote proverbs from several Chinese philosophers.
  • Zinzolin quotes a proverb from Mencius and a line from Tao Te Ching at N's Castle.
  • Gorm quotes a proverb from Sun Tzu's The Art of War in Pinwheel Forest, and a line from both The Analects and Huainanzi at N's Castle.
  • Bronius quotes another line from Tao Te Ching at N's Castle.
  • Giallo quotes another line from Mencius at N's Castle.
  • In the Japanese version, Ryoku quotes a line from Zhuangzi at N's Castle. In both versions, he also quotes a proverb by Song Dynasty philosopher Hu Yin at N's Castle.
  • Rood quotes another proverb from the Analects and made a reference to a Chinese idiom at N's Castle.
• In Black, White, Black 2, and White 2, the woman in Mistralton City who normally gives a Heart Scale in exchange for ten Sweet Hearts will trade a Heart Scale for only five Sweet Hearts on Valentine's Day and White Day.
• Archeops's name is possibly derived from Cheops, the Greek name for Egyptian pharaoh Khufu.

Other references to the real world

• In all of the core series games and some side series games, there is a Nintendo gaming console in the player's bedroom. This is a reference to the real-world gaming company that owns the franchise.
• An old man at the Pewter Museum of Science says that the first manned flight to the moon was in 1969, same as in the real world.
• Raichu and Gastly's FireRed Pokédex entries mention both Pokémon being able to easily knock out an Indian Elephant, an actual animal.
• The Arceus event that takes place in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver includes real life pictures in the game.
• In Beheeyem, Duosion, and the Dream Thief!, a painting within the resort created by Beheeyem bears a striking resemblance to Relativity by M. C. Escher.
• One of the hotels Ash and his group tried to stay at and ultimately failed to do so in the episode Riddle Me This! featured a painting of a tiger near grass, mirroring a similar painting found at Azuchi Castle.
• The nameless movie May describes in Lights, Camerupt, Action! is a reference to the movie Titanic.
• In I Choose You!, Ash dreams about being in an alternate reality where no Pokémon exist and children attend regular school.
• Multiple references to the geographical relations between the real world locations the in-game regions are based on have been made throughout the games; for example, a Swimmer on Galar Route 9 says people have successfully swum between Kalos and Galar.

References