View source for List of cross-generational references

The four [[generation]]s of [[Pokémon games]], taking place in the same [[Pokémon world|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.
* {{ga|Red}}, the player character of the first games, is found training in [[Mt. Silver]] and can be battled.
* {{ga|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 Versions|Pokémon Red and Blue]].
* A man in the [[Violet City]] Pokémon Center states that the former Team Rocket was broken up by a "[[Red (game)|young kid]]."
* The parents of the Copycat in [[Saffron City]] mention that her Clefairy Doll was given to her by [[Red (game)|a boy]] three years before.
* The [[In-battle effect item#Berserk Gene|Berserk Gene]], a held item, is found near the former entrance of the now-collapsed [[Cerulean Cave]], where {{p|Mewtwo}} once hid.
* There is a [[Pokémon doll]] of a {{m|Surf}}ing {{p|Pikachu}} available to decorate the room, which references the special minigame in [[Pokémon Yellow Version|Pokémon Yellow]].
* A man in [[Cerulean City]] says there used to be [[Cerulean Cave|a cave near the city with powerful Pokémon]].

===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 Versions|Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen]] in their entirety are a reference to Generation I's events, while the credit sequence references the [[version mascot]]s of [[Pokémon Red and Green Versions|Red, Green]], [[Pokémon Blue Version (Japanese)|Blue]], and [[Pokémon Yellow Version|Yellow]].
* On [[Faraway Island]], a series of smudged messages, which may have been left by [[Mr. Fuji]], appear on a [[signpost]].

====To Generation II====
* The player-controlled character of [[Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire Versions|Ruby, Sapphire]], and [[Pokémon Emerald Version|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 [[fossil]]s there.  This explains how he acquires the {{p|Kabutops}} and {{p|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 [[Gym Leader|Leader]] of [[Fuchsia Gym]], appears in [[Fuchsia City]], and tells the player that she is training to use {{t|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 (game)|Silver]].
* One of [[Professor Oak]]'s assistants will state that he is to get a [[Professor Oak's Pokémon Talk|radio show]] sometime in the near future.
* [[Celio]] mentions that some members of [[Bill]]'s family live in [[Goldenrod City]].
* A woman on [[Boon Island]] in [[Bruno]]'s section of the [[Fame Checker]] mentions the [[Ragecandybar]].
* [[Whitney]], [[Jasmine]] and [[Pryce]] alikes appear as audience members in {{pkmn|Contest}}s.

===Generation IV===
====To Generation I====
* [[Professor Rowan]] is said to have developed the [[Sinnoh Dex]] with help from [[Professor Oak|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. He gives the player an [[Evolution-inducing held item#Up-Grade|Up-Grade]], which was sent to Oak by his acquaintance from [[Kanto]].
* 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 character|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]] on [[Route 210]] near [[Celestic Town]] says he wants to train with a [[Koga|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 (trainer class)|Black Belt]] Eddie from [[Victory Road (Sinnoh)|Victory Road]] mentions that he trained in [[Fighting Dojo]] at [[Saffron City|Saffron]].
* In [[Amity Square]], some Pokémon may be let out out of their [[Poké Ball]] to follow their Trainer around. One of the few available is {{p|Pikachu}}, which did the same (however, throughout the game) in [[Pokémon Yellow]].
* Much like the [[Viridian Gym]], the [[Hearthome Gym]] isn't accessible when the player first arrives in its home city.
* [[Bebe]]'s buddy [[Bill]] is mentioned to have developed the basic storage system.
* [[Veilstone City]] is many ways like [[Celadon City]] of Kanto, both of which are the largest city in their [[region]].  Both have a Game Corner ([[Rocket Game Corner]] in Celadon and [[Veilstone Game Corner]] in Veilstone), a prize exchange shop to accompany the Game Corner, and a [[Department Store]] ([[Celadon Department Store|Celadon Dept.]] in Celadon and [[Veilstone Department Store|Veilstone Dept.]] in Veilstone).  The [[Villainous teams|villainous team]] of the region has two headquarters in the city: [[Team Rocket]] has [[Rocket Game Corner]] and [[Rocket Hideout (Celadon City)|Rocket Hideout]] and [[Team Galactic]] has [[Galactic Veilstone Building]] and [[Galactic Warehouse]].
* One of [[Lucas (game)|Lucas]]'s alternate names was Ash in the English versions of [[Pokémon Diamond and Pearl Versions|Pokémon Diamond and Pearl]]. This is one of the default names of [[Red (game)|Red]] in the games [[Pokémon Red and Blue Versions|Pokémon Red, Blue]], [[Pokémon Yellow Version|Yellow]], [[Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen Versions|FireRed and LeafGreen]]. It may even be a reference to the [[Pokémon anime|anime]]'s [[Ash Ketchum|main character]].

====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 {{p|Happiny}} [[Pokémon egg|egg]], says that [[Professor Elm]] recently announced that eggs kept [[party|with a Trainer]] will eventually hatch.
* [[Jasmine]], one of Johto's [[Gym Leader]]s, appears to give the player {{HM|07|Waterfall}}.
* A man in [[Valor Lakefront]] states that he would like to see a [[Lugia (Pokémon)|silver-colored Pokémon]] that resides in the [[Whirl Islands]], a [[Ho-Oh (Pokémon)|rainbow-colored Pokémon]] that resides in the [[Tin Tower]], and {{p|Clefairy}} [[Days of the week#Monday|dancing]] in [[Mt. Moon]] sometime during his life.
* A [[Ninja Boy]] on [[Route 210]] near [[Celestic Town]] says he wants to train with a [[Janine|ninja]] [[Gym Leader]] in a faraway land.
* [[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 [[Lance|Dragon Tamer Champion]].
* The {{p|Eevee}} which [[Bebe]] gives to the player was obtained originally from her [[Bill|friend]] in [[Johto]].
* [[Cynthia]], who somehow was able to obtain it (possibly from Jasmine, since she is in Sinnoh), gives the [[SecretPotion]], the medicine from [[Cianwood City]] that cured [[Amphy]] in [[Generation II]], to the player to cure the group of {{p|Psyduck}} blocking [[Route 210]].
* In Stargazer Colosseum in [[Pokémon Battle Revolution]], some of the Pokémon in the last battle depend on which game is linked to the Wii. If Diamond is linked, one of the Pokémon is {{p|Ho-Oh}}, Gold's [[version mascot]], and if Pearl is linked, one of the Pokémon is {{p|Lugia}}, Silver's version mascot.
* The idea of splitting [[Sinnoh]] into two halves may have come from how [[Kanto]] and [[Johto]] were divided in [[Generation II]].
* When a {{shiny2}} {{p|Clefairy}} appears during a slot game in [[Veilstone Game Corner]], a remixed version of [[Mt. Moon Square]] music from [[Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions|Gold, Silver]] and [[Pokémon Crystal Version|Crystal]] is played.
* [[Maylene]]'s Japanese name, スモモ (''Sumomo''), is coincidentally shared by Kuni, a [[Kimono Girl]].

====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 woman in Valor Lakefront claims to have lost her Suite Key. If the player finds it near the [[Hotel Grand Lake]] using the [[Dowsing Machine]], she will offer a reward of one [[Lava Cookie]], a specialty of Hoenn, possibly implying that her home is in that region.
* A [[Swimmer]] south of the Valor Lakefront says she would like to vacation in [[Hoenn]] because it has more routes on which to {{m|Surf}}.
* A woman west of [[Pastoria City]] used to work at the [[Weather Institute]] of Hoenn and will give out [[weather conditions|weather]]-changing [[TMs]] for [[Shard]]s.
* 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. Strangely, they both also live just north of a sandstorm-ridden desert.
* 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 Berry|Cheri Berries]] with a Hoenn-style recipe.
* [[Bird Keeper]] Audrey on [[Route 225]] says she was born in [[Hoenn]].
* A woman in the [[Battle Tower (Sinnoh)|Battle Tower]] claims to have been from Hoenn, where another [[Battle Tower (Hoenn)|Battle Tower]] presides.
* A catalog in [[Rad Rickshaw]]'s Cycle Shop in [[Eterna City]] advertises the [[Mach Bike]] and [[Acro Bike]].
* In Stargazer Colosseum in [[Pokémon Battle Revolution]], some of the Pokémon in the last battle depend on which game is linked to the Wii. If Diamond is linked, one of the Pokémon is {{p|Groudon}}, Ruby's [[version mascot]], and if Pearl is linked, one of the Pokémon is {{p|Kyogre}}, Sapphire's version mascot.

==Related articles==
*[[List of cross-canon references]]

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