Pokémon universe

The Pokémon universe is the universe in which all Pokémon canon takes place.

Creation

It is said in many Sinnoh legends that the universe was created by a single Pokémon, Arceus. In a void of nothingness, a single Egg came into being, which then hatches into Arceus, the first Pokémon to be in existence. Arceus creates Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina and gives Dialga and Palkia the abilities to control time and space. Giratina vanishes into another dimension and controls antimatter. In this universe, Dialga and Palkia reside, and they have the ability to either save it or destroy it. According to Team Galactic leader Cyrus, anybody who possesses either of them can rule space or time.

With the creation of the Pokémon universe, many stars, planets, and other space bodies were formed. The Pokémon world was created along with many other planets. During very early formation of the world, possibly sooner, Arceus creates Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit to create willpower, knowledge, and emotion respectively, things that are in all modern humans and Pokémon.

Planets of the Pokémon universe

To date, there are only two known planets in this universe. One is the Pokémon world, along with its moon, which, according to legend, is where Clefairy came from. The other is the unnamed world from which Deoxys came. There is also at least one star known in the Pokémon universe, as it is seen in all of the episodes. The other planets and stars, if any, are unknown. It is noteworthy that occasionally during night scenes, animators will slip in constellations although this is more likely an inside joke.

Pokémon world

Main article: Pokémon world

File:PokemonWorldAnime.jpg

An orbital view of the Pokémon world

The Pokémon world is the main planet where humans and Pokémon live. The Pokémon world looks and acts like the real world in terms of geography. Each have landforms, oceans of water and temperatures to support life, meaning that the Pokémon world is about the same size and same distances from the sun as the real world. Humans and nature in the Pokémon world are linked to each other, as many towns are built around the natural environment. The Pokémon world is split into several regions, Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova among them. These regions are large landforms much like continents in the real world, that support a large political region. Off these regions are islands that are not part of any region. These islands are grouped together to create one small region like the Orange Islands and the Sevii Islands. Though there are many similarities between them, there are some major differences between the regions, such as what Pokémon are located there and what legends there are waiting to be uncovered.

The natural environment in the Pokémon world is much similar to the real Earth's environment. Areas with a high density of trees make up forests, landscapes that receive very little precipitation create deserts, while loose broken-up particles of rock make large coastal beaches attracting people and Pokémon alike. The Hoenn and the Sinnoh regions boast many dramatic environments ranging from rainforests to deserts. The Pokémon world is mainly green and lush, based on factors such as plant structures including trees, shrubs, and grasses. Grass is usually uncontrolled and makes tall grass patches that form prime habitats for wild Pokémon.

Unnamed world

Main article: Deoxys's unnamed world

Deoxys's unnamed world is another world. Deoxys had to hide here because of the force created by the meteor. The geomagnetic forces were too powerful for it to handle and caused it intense pain. Deoxys took Max to the other dimension to try to communicate with him about what was causing it pain. In order to do that though, Deoxys also kidnapped Meowth to speak with Max. To get Max back, Ash, Brock, May, and Solana fought Deoxys to get it back to its Normal Forme for Solana to capture it. After the meteor was destroyed, Solana used a Miltank's Heal Bell to heal Deoxys. After it was healed, it flew off and both Deoxys, and the unnamed world haven't been seen since.

Alternate planes of existance or dimensions

The universe is also connected to the Distortion World and the alternate dimension, which can sometimes be accessed by Pokémon, such as Dialga and Palkia.

Alternate dimension

File:Alternate dimension.jpg

Unown in the Alternate dimension

Main article: Alternate dimension

While researching ruins with depictions of the Unown, Spencer Hale was transported into this dimension. His daughter, Molly, inherited a puzzle box found there that gave her contact with the Unown, which granted her wishes. Such was the strength of the world she created, that an opening to the dimension appeared in the entrance hall of her mansion. During this time, the Unown gained powerful control over Greenfield, but all contact with the dimension ended after Molly wished for things to go back to the way they had been before. A portal to the dimension was opened above Mt. Silver some time later, and an Unown fell out, but it had no trouble returning when it was in good health. This dimension also became the battleground of Dialga and Palkia, before their battle moved to Alamos Town.

Ghost World

The portal to the Ghost World at the Summit Ruins

The Ghost World or spirit world is a location that is home to many Ghost-type Pokémon and ghosts. It is known to emit electrical or radio waves

It has not appeared in the games, but is mentioned in all of Dusknoir's Pokédex entries and the Japanese name of the Reaper Cloth (れいかいのぬの Spirit World Cloth).

In the anime an entrance to it appeared in Ghoul Daze!, where the Pokémon Summer Academy staff accidentally opened a portal to it when renovating the Summit Ruins. A ghost girl and Dusknoir were both let out, with the Dusknoir trying to take the ghost girl back to the Ghost World, while she was trying to abduct people and take them to the Ghost World. Another entrance appeared in Scare at the Litwick Mansion!, where the Litwick in Litwick Mansion tried to lead Ash and his friends there while draining their life energy.

Distortion World

The Distortion World seen above Mt. Coronet

Main article: Distortion World

The Distortion World is first accessed when the player reaches the summit of Mt. Coronet, the Spear Pillar, to stop Team Galactic's plot to control Dialga and Palkia. When the Lake guardians are unable to control both Dialga and Palkia, Giratina comes and swoops on Cyrus to stop him from destroying the world. After Cyrus is taken away by Giratina, the player must follow him, and with the help of the lake trio and Cynthia, navigate the area. The Distortion World is said to be another universe or world parallel to the Pokémon world. Two known gateways to it exist: one at the top of Mt. Coronet on the Spear Pillar, and another in Turnback Cave. It is a dark place with floor-like sections floating at many different angles. The world disobeys the normal laws of physics, allowing the player to walk and surf on walls in any direction. The only Pokémon known to inhabit the Distortion World is Giratina.

In the anime it is referred to as the Reverse World.

Temporal World

This dimension was mentioned in Arceus and the Jewel of Life. It is the home of Dialga, and began to converge with the Spatial World during the events of The Rise of Darkrai.

In Diamond and Platinum, Cyrus summons Dialga from there. In Platinum, when the player battles Dialga after entering the Hall of Fame, it comes through a dimensional rift created by Cyrus's original summoning of it.

Spatial World

This dimension was mentioned in Arceus and the Jewel of Life. It is the home of Palkia, and began to converge with the Temporal World during the events of The Rise of Darkrai.

In Pearl and Platinum, Cyrus summons Palkia from there. In Platinum, when the player battles Palkia after entering the Hall of Fame, it comes through a dimensional rift created by Cyrus's original summoning of it.

Arceus's World

Arceus was said to have its own dimension in Arceus and the Jewel of Life. The Hall of Origin is located there.

This article is part of Project Locations, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on every location in the Pokémon world.