Overview
Pokemon Pokopia is set in a post-apocalyptic version of the Kanto region, the setting of the original Pokemon Red and Blue. Because of this, the game is filled with references, callbacks, and easter eggs that connect to the original games and the broader Pokemon franchise. This page catalogs the confirmed discoveries.
Kanto Town References
Each of Pokopia's five areas is based on a specific Kanto town, as detailed in the Kanto Setting article. Beyond the obvious geographical connections, each area contains environmental details that reference the original towns:
Withered Wasteland (Fuchsia City): The ruins of what appears to be the Safari Zone fence line can be found in the far corners of the area. Broken enclosure gates and old feeding stations are scattered among the dried vegetation, referencing Fuchsia City's most famous attraction.
Bleak Beach (Vermilion City): The S.S. Anne is docked at the harbor, partially submerged and covered in barnacles. This is the same luxury cruise ship that players explored in the original Red and Blue to obtain HM01 Cut from the ship's captain.
Rocky Ridges (Pewter City): Crumbling display cases and fossilized exhibits can be found in cave areas, referencing the Pewter Museum of Science that was a landmark of the original Pewter City.
Sparkling Skylands (Celadon/Saffron Cities): The huge building that players rebuild across four floors is implied to be the former Celadon Department Store, once the largest shop in Kanto. The rooftop where you find the Master Ball mirrors the rooftop vending machine area from the original games.
Palette Town (Pallet Town): The name itself is a double reference. "Pallet" refers to both the original town name and an artist's palette, reflecting the area's creative sandbox nature. Professor Tangrowth's research station contains remnants of a Pokemon lab that resembles Professor Oak's original laboratory.
The Machop Construction Easter Egg
In the Bleak Beach ruins (based on Vermilion City), players can discover a worn plaque on a building that reads something to the effect of a man named Kenzo completing its construction with the help of a Machamp. This is a callback to a piece of lore from the original Pokemon Red and Blue, where an NPC in Vermilion City mentions that his Machop is helping with construction work. The Pokopia plaque reveals what became of that construction project decades later, providing a satisfying conclusion to a detail fans had wondered about for nearly thirty years.
Team Rocket Hideout
The Team Rocket Hideout is a secret area that can be discovered through exploration. In the original games, the Team Rocket Hideout was located beneath the Celadon City Game Corner. In Pokopia, the hideout exists as an abandoned underground complex. Since there are no humans left in the world, there are no Team Rocket members inside; instead, players find remnants of their operations including the Rocket Hideout CD, which can be played in your CD player. The hideout serves as a piece of environmental storytelling about the world that once was.
The S.S. Anne
The S.S. Anne is one of the most recognizable locations from the original Pokemon games. In Pokopia, the ship sits at the Bleak Beach harbor in a state of disrepair. Players can explore parts of the vessel to find materials, Human Records, and references to the ship's storied past. The ship's captain's quarters contain items that reference the original scene where the captain teaches you HM01 Cut after you cure his seasickness.
Pokemon Name References
Several special Pokemon in Pokopia have unique names that reference the broader Pokemon universe. Mosslax is a Snorlax with moss growing on it, referencing both the passage of time since humans left and the tendency of Snorlax to sleep so long that things grow on them. Peakychu is a Pikachu variant with the Illuminate specialty, and its name combines "peak" with "Pikachu." Smearguru is a Smeargle variant whose name combines "Smeargle" with "guru," reflecting its mastery of the Paint specialty. Chef Dente is a Greedent variant whose name plays on "al dente," an Italian cooking term, fitting its role as the game's cooking instructor.
Pokemon Winds and Waves Reference
Players have discovered what appears to be a reference to the upcoming Generation 10 Pokemon titles, Pokemon Winds and Pokemon Waves. The exact nature and location of this reference has been discussed in the community, though the details are subtle enough that they could be coincidental. This discovery generated significant discussion among fans who view it as an early teaser planted by Game Freak.
Mystery Gift Firsts
Pokopia is the first Pokemon spin-off game to include the Mystery Gift system. In the mainline Pokemon games, Mystery Gift has been a staple feature since Generation II (Pokemon Gold and Silver), used to distribute event Pokemon and special items. Its inclusion in Pokopia, adapted to deliver furniture and decorative items rather than Pokemon, is both a reference to the mainline tradition and a milestone for the spin-off series.
Japanese Title Etymology
The game's Japanese title, "Poco a Pokemon" (ぽこ あ ポケモン), shortened to "Pocopoke," derives from the Italian and Spanish musical term "poco a poco," meaning "little by little." This reflects the game's gradual rebuilding theme where players restore the world one habitat at a time. The English title "Pokopia" blends "Pokemon," "copy" (referencing Ditto's transformation ability), and "utopia" (the paradise players create). This multilingual wordplay is a reference to the Pokemon franchise's tradition of naming games and regions after real-world concepts.
The Pokedex
The Pokedex that Ditto finds and uses belongs to its former trainer, who left it behind when humans evacuated into space. This mirrors the original Pokemon games where players receive a Pokedex from a professor at the start of their journey. In Pokopia, the Pokedex serves the same cataloging function but in a world without a professor to give it to you; instead, Ditto finds it on its own and Professor Tangrowth helps explain its purpose.
Game-Key Cards
Pokopia is the first Pokemon game to use game-key cards for physical distribution, replacing traditional game cartridges. While this is a hardware change related to the Nintendo Switch 2 rather than an in-game easter egg, it marks a significant milestone in the franchise's history. Physical copies come with a card containing a download code rather than a cartridge with game data.