The latest Pokémon Pokopia trailer may have just revealed that it’s directly connected to a popular location in Pokémon Red and Blue. If the theory is true, it means the new spinoff title will take place after the events of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver (HGSS).
Pokémon Pokopia Might Take Place on Cinnabar Island from HGSS
Following the release of the Pokémon Pokopia extended trailer on November 13, players started to notice some interesting things about the Switch 2 title. For starters, the game’s map looks suspiciously similar to that of Cinnabar Island. Specifically, its mountain terrain is identical to how Cinnabar looked in the Gen 4 remakes HeartGold and SoulSilver.
Seriously, even the overall map layout is mirrored! However, the most compelling evidence is Pokopia’s Pokémon Center. In the spinoff, the iconic location is now crushed and abandoned by time. But when compared to side-by-side images taken from HGSS, the building is in the exact same location.
Interestingly, Cinnabar Island is technically located in the Kanto Region and made its debut in the 1996 Pokémon Red and Blue games. It could be found South of Pallet Town and East of Fuchsia City. However, the island saw drastic changes to its design in Gen 2 and 3 after a volcano erupted on it. So Pokémon Pokopia appears to take place after the events of the HGSS remakes. This makes sense, since the point of Pokopia is rebuilding an abandoned island.
Pokémon Pokopia Has Many Connections to Pokémon Gold and Silver Remakes
Eagle-eyed Pokémon fans also took to X, where they discussed even more connections Pokopia has to the Gen 4 remakes HGSS. One fan, for instance, pointed out that Tangela was originally found on Cinnabar Island by one of the lab’s scientists. And in Pokémon Pokopia, its evolution, Tangrowth, is now the game’s “Professor.”
“Tangela was found in Cinnabar Lab as a trade Pokémon belonging to scientists, explaining it mimicking a scientist as a Tangrowth. The TM for Metronome was found here, which might be the one on its head.” Another fan exclaimed, “Also has similar red road tile patterns to Fuchsia City!” One clever commenter even pointed out, “Wait, Cinnabar Island is also where Ditto was originally found, too. It could very well be.”
So yeah, Pokémon Pokopia certainly seems to be connected to HeartGold and SoulSilver. If not lore-wise, then the game is at least a direct homage to it. At least for me, the biggest evidence is the overall Pokopia map layout.
When you compare it to overhead shots of HGSS, everything lines up almost perfectly. Based on the Poké Center now being demolished, I believe the new Switch 2 spinoff takes place years after the events of HGSS. But I admit that’s just speculation.
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