An upcoming Pokémon game may have a darker story than you’d expect given its cheerful look and typical Nintendo vibrancy. With links to the original Pokémon game trilogy and hints at older lore, what appears to be a quirky spin on the franchise might actually have a sadder side if fan theories are spot on.
That game, for those not tuned into all things Pokémon, is Pokopia. This is an Animal Crossing style game in which you play a Ditto, morphed into human form, and find Pokémon spread around the island in order to restore some life to the place. Cool right?
Well, the extended trailer The Pokémon Company released earlier this month does offer some hints at a more dire tale hidden beneath the surface. First of all, while a Pokémon Centre is present, there are no other buildings. Ruins, sure, but no sign of human life. This is stated explicitly by your in-game guide Professor Tangrowth, who hasn’t seen a human in a long time.
So what’s happened? Well, there are some clues hidden fans believe which point to an important link to early Pokémon games. For one, the Pokédex seen at the start of the extended trailer is a generation one Pokédex, which offers a good starting point for where Pokopia takes place. Secondly, the game is set on an island, a key detail to the puzzle.
Pokémon fans believe the game may be set on Cinnabar island from the Kanto region. This location was a key spot where the fire gym was located in the first generation Pokémon games: Blue, Red, and Yellow. However, by the time Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal takes place, the volcano on the island erupts, leaving only the Pokémon centre standing – just like the starting town we see in the Pokopia trailer.
Following this eruption the entire island is evacuated, explaining the lack of people present on the island despite clear evidence of buildings, roads, etc. In case you think this isn’t enough evidence, there’s actually more proof Pokémon Pokopia takes place on a post-eruption Cinnabar. Ditto, who you take control of in Pokopia, can only be found in one spot in the generation one Pokémon games: Pokémon Mansion. If this games does take place between the generation one and two Pokémon games, where else could a Ditto come from?
If we accept Pokémon Pokopia is set in Cinnabar Island it explains a lot of the new Pokémon we see in the trailer too. Pokémon Mansion is where a lot of experiments on Pokémon took place – it’s where Mewtwo was created – so it’s not out of the question to say other tinkering may have happened.
Failing that, the new Pokémon like Mosslax could simply be a Snorlax left in the same spot mid-sleep, uninterrupted for a super long time. Without people around, it’s not out of the question. Maybe Smearguru is what happens when Smeargle is left alone to paint without interruption. Cinnabar may also explain the ghostly Pikachu we see: Peakychu. If there was a volcanic eruption then, well, maybe they got wiped out? A sad possibility.
There are alternate theories out there that are equally tantalising. Some believe this could be some alternate spin on early Pokémon games where Mewtwo removed humans from the Kanto region. Not entirely off the cards, given alternate realities is something the Pokemon franchise has arguably embraced over the years. In the Mystery Dungeon series there are no humans whatsoever, so anything is possible.
It’s something fans of the franchise will surely be digging into come March 2026 when Pokémon Pokopia comes out on the Nintendo Switch 2. Until then, theories and speculation run amok. Or perhaps, a-Muk.
