List of cross-canon references

This article contains fan speculation. There is no solid evidence for or against some parts of this article.

The Pokémon series is noted for having multiple, distinctly different canons. They often will make references to one another.

List of references

Game references

To anime

• Pokémon Yellow and its spiritual successors, Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, are direct tributes to the anime.
• Pokémon Puzzle League is also heavily based on the anime, with Ash Ketchum being the player character and all other characters coming from the anime.
• In Hey You, Pikachu!, Ash's outfit can be seen hanging on a coatrack in the bedroom. Pikachu also uses the hat in The Piñata Party to cover his eyes.
• Since Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen introduced sprites in the items, the Super Potion is depicted like it was in Here Comes the Squirtle Squad.
• In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, when Red was battled in Mt. Silver, Red's Pikachu's moves were changed from the original moves in Generation II to reflect Ash's Pikachu's moves in the Diamond & Pearl series.
• In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Clair has a Gyarados on her team, much like in the anime.
• The Jigglypuff with a marker appears in Pokémon Snap.
• Pokémon Channel uses the anime voices of Pokémon, including Maddie Blaustein's Meowth. It also features an episode exclusive to the game: Pichu Bros. in Party Panic.
  • After completing the main story, a Togepi will come to the player's house with a channel that contains a dub of "Pichu Bros. in Party Panic" with Misty as the narrator, a reference to her Togepi.
• In the Japanese versions of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, one of the default names for Barry is Shigeru. In the English versions, one of the default names for Lucas is Ash.
• Riley appears to be based on Sir Aaron, a character that appeared in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. Riley has a Lucario, a Pokémon Aaron also had, and they both are capable of using the Aura. However, he also appeared later in the anime.
• The mysterious GS Ball, a Key Item in Pokémon Crystal, was introduced during the Orange Islands arc.
• In Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, a female NPC near the Lake of Rage makes a reference to the Pink Butterfree, commenting "Come to think of it, I've seen a pink Butterfree."
• In Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, the Beauty at Mt. Battle Zone 35 states "I've heard someone has the same team combination as me. Do you know him or her?" With a team consisting of Cacnea and Chimecho, she has the same Pokémon that James has in the Advanced Generation series' Hoenn region arc.
  • In addition, she says, "What a horrible feeling!" after being defeated, a reference to how Team Rocket tends to scream "What a bad feeling!" while blasting off in the Japanese version.
• In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, a Pokémon Journal entry (which is registered in the Fame Checker) mentions that Misty worships the Elite Four member Lorelei, which may reference her interaction with Lorelei (identified in the dub as "Prima") in the anime. In addition, her message to the player mentions that she intends to use the Gym to get better, and once she does, she will hit the road and travel, which might allude to Misty's major role in the anime as one of Ash's traveling companions.
• In Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, an NPC named Luis will sometimes participate in Pokémon Super Contest with his Pikachu, nicknamed Sparky, potentially referencing Ritchie's Pikachu Sparky.
• In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, an Ace Trainer appears on Route 224 who analyzes battles using her laptop and uses a Metagross in battle. This is a reference to the movie character Rebecca (having the same Japanese name, ヒトミ Hitomi), but in the English versions of the games she is named Jamie.
• In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, the two Ace Trainers that appear on the southernmost part of Route 229 have their teams based on those of Butler and Diane from Jirachi: Wish Maker. In the Japanese version, they have the same names as Butler and Diane, but in English their names do not reflect this.
• In Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, Swimmer Katelyn on Route 220 is based on Lizabeth from Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea. In the Japanese version she has the same name as Lizabeth, but her English names does not reflect this.
• In Pokémon Stadium, Brock's team includes a Vulpix and Giovanni's team includes a Persian. In Pokémon Stadium 2, Misty's team includes a Togetic while Red's team contains a Tauros and the evolved forms of the three Johto starters (referencing Ash's Bayleef, Quilava and Totodile).
• In Pokémon Snap, Mew uses a bubble which acts like a shield. In Mewtwo Strikes Back, Mew were seen to create bubbles with it inside for the seemingly same reasons.
• The movie event Pikachu-colored Pichu and the Spiky-eared Pichu appear in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.
• In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, when the starter Pokémon is chosen, the desk will appear in 3D on the touch screen, resembling Professor Oak's desk with the starter Pokémon seen in Pokémon - I Choose You!.
• After getting his phone number, Brock may offer to trade a Rhyhorn that knows the Egg Move Thunder Fang in exchange for a player's Bonsly. This is a reference to Brock being a Pokémon Breeder in the anime at the time of these games' release.
• When a player enters Cerulean Gym with a Togepi as their walking Pokémon, it will start crying softly, making a reference to Misty's Togepi.
• In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, wild Stunfisk appear in Striaton City at night. This is a reference to Cilan's Stunfisk in the anime.
• The Super Smash Bros. series has various references.
  • All Pokémon are depicted with their anime voices, though the Western language versions of Melee and for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U keep Mewtwo's Japanese voice.
  • The Misty trophy depicts her in her original series clothes.
  • The Meowth trophy depicts Team Rocket's Meowth with the guitar from Meowth's Party.
  • The Pokémon Stadium stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee has four different terrain effects, corresponding to four different types: Fire, Water, Grass, and Rock, while the one in Brawl has a new set of four different terrain effects: Ice, Ground, Flying, and Electric. These reference the four fields of the Indigo Plateau Conference.
  • In Melee's 44th Event match, Mewtwo Strikes!, Mewtwo uses Princess Zelda to beat the player in the Battlefield, a stage that has a star background. The name, the fact that Mewtwo uses Zelda, and the stage setting are clearly based on Mewtwo Strikes Back.
  • In Brawl's 25th Event match, "The Aura Is With Me", the player battles as Lucario against Ness and Sheik on Spear Pillar. This is a clear reference to Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, where Lucario was an ancient Pokémon that had slept in hundreds of years, and Ash Ketchum himself even said "The aura is with me!" when in the Tree of Beginning.
    • In the English version of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, Sean Schemmel, who voiced Lucario in the movie's English dub, returns to voice Lucario.
  • Pokémon Trainer's trophy in the English version of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS references the original Pokémon Theme, as well as Ash and three of his companions; Misty, Brock, and Iris.
  • The Zapdos trophy in North American version of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS states that children looking up at storm clouds wonder if the Pokémon from "the second Pokémon movie" is there. PAL region releases simply state that it is from "the latest movie".
  • In all Super Smash Bros. games thus far, Mew, upon being summoned, immediately flies away in a bubble. In Mewtwo Strikes Back, Mew was seen to create bubbles with itself inside, seemingly for protection.
  • Mewtwo's design in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U incorporates aspects of its design in the first Pokémon movie that differ from its in-game model in Generation VI and its trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, such as more angular eyes and flatter ears.
  • Mewtwo's reveal trailer for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U gives it the tagline "Mewtwo Strikes Back!"
  • Mewtwo's title in the Boxing Ring stage is "A Legend Reawakens", a reference to Genesect and the Legend Awakened.
• In the Japanese version of Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs, Rand has a line in which he notes that "someone said that dreams will someday become reality."
• A downloadable tournament made available for the Pokémon World Tournament is based on the anime's Vertress Conference.
• Since Generation VI, all the Pokémon Center Nurses are modeled like Nurse Joy.
• In Pokémon X and Y, on Route 22 a male Rising Star has a Pokémon nicknamed "Ash Ketchum" in the Spanish version and "Misty" in the German version.
• In Pokémon X and Y, Trainers named after Ash and his friends' Japanese voice actors from the Best Wishes series can found in various locations in Kalos, each of them using the signature Pokémon of the character played by their namesake voice actor:
  • Lass Anna, named Rica in the Japanese version, is named after Rica Matsumoto, the voice actress of Ash. They both use a Pikachu.
  • Youngster Keita, named Mamoru in the Japanese version, is named after Mamoru Miyano, the voice actor of Cilan. They both use a Pansage.
  • Rising Star Paulette, named Aoi in the Japanese version, is named after Aoi Yūki, the voice actress of Iris. They both use an Axew.
• In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, if the player has Steven's Shiny Beldum in their party at a certain point during the Delta Episode, Steven will mention the player how he once, long time ago, fought against Mega Rayquaza alongside with a young man and his black Charizard, referring to the events of Mega Evolution Special II.
• In Pokémon GO, if the player nicknames their Eevee after one of the Eevee brothers (excluding Mikey), it is guaranteed to evolve into that brother's respective Eeveelution. In every other case, the form Eevee evolves into in Pokémon GO is random.
  • Once Generation II Pokémon became fully available in the game, it also became possible to guarantee Eevee's evolution into Umbreon or Espeon by naming it after Tamao or Sakura, respectively.
• In Pokémon GO, an exclusive Pikachu form, Pikachu wearing Ash's hat, was introduced for a period of three weeks in July 2017 to celebrate the anniversary of the game.
• In the Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon Special Demo Version, the player receives a special Greninja from a certain Trainer.
• In Pokémon Sun and Moon, a new event-exclusive Pikachu form, Pikachu in a cap, was introduced to commemorate the anime's 20th anniversary. In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, an additional form was added.
• In Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, a blurry picture of Pikachu riding on Ash's shoulder can be seen during the final part of Acerola's trial at the Thrifty Megamart.
• In Pokémon Duel, before the start of The Volcano's Stage 17, Luca's Device, Another, tells him "I'm like you, pal. I'll battle every day to claim my rightful place" and "Ya wanna be the very best, don't ya?" This is a reference to the lyrics of the Pokémon Theme song.
• In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, at the Malie Community Center, a Punk Girl sells an article called "Hero Cap", which resembles Ash's hat from the Sun & Moon series.
• In Rowlet's Pokémon Ultra Moon Pokédex entry, it is stated that Rowlet has been known to use its Trainer's pocket or bag as a nest, referencing Ash's Rowlet's habit to sleep in Ash's backpack.
• In the Spanish version of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the first Team Rainbow Rocket Grunt faced at Aether Paradise recites a part of Team Rocket's original motto.
• In Detective Pikachu, when Tim and Detective Pikachu encounter a regular Pikachu, the two Pikachu have a short talk, during which Detective Pikachu tells the other Pikachu and his partner to become "the very best, like no one ever was", referencing the lyrics of the Pokémon Theme song. The other Pikachu could potentially also be a reference to Ash's Pikachu.
• In Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, the three Beauties at the Cerulean Gym are named after Misty's sisters from the anime.
• In Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, not only does Brock repeat his reference of wanting to become a Pokémon Breeder from Pokémon Yellow, but when he's met in Celadon City, he mentions how all the girls at the Celadon Gym turned him down, referencing Brock's habit of hitting on pretty girls in the anime.
• In Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, there is a book in Professor Oak's Laboratory that contains poems written by Oak himself. Also, when the player visits Oak's Laboratory close to the end of the game and receives a Key Stone from Blue, Oak recites a short poem about Mega Evolution. These poems are a reference to Professor Oak's habit of making senryūs in the anime, which are referred to as poems in the dub.

To TCG

• Pokémon Trading Card Game and Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Team GR! are directly based on the TCG.
• In Pokémon Colosseum and XD, the Shadow Pokémon (known as Dark Pokémon in Japanese) are similar to the Dark Pokémon from the TCG, including the fact that most Shadow Pokémon are evolved forms.
• Pre-release versions of Super Smash Bros. Melee's Pokémon Stadium stage originally featured the Fire, Grass and Water Energy symbols. The reason for their removal was likely because there are also Normal and Rock variations, and no Energy symbol that represents the Rock type.
• In Pokémon X and Y, the artwork from the cards Town Volunteers, Mr. Briney's Compassion, Forest Guardian, and Fossil Excavator appear as paintings in the Lumiose Museum.

Anime references

To games

Original sketch of Silver

• All anime canon is based on the world and events of the main game series.
• Ash's original clothes are almost identical to the original clothes of Red, while Gary's outfit is taken directly from Blue's; the Generation I one during the original series, as well as the Generation III clothes during the Advanced Generation and Diamond & Pearl series. Ritchie, in spirit of being designed to bear a resemblance to Ash, who was based on Red, also has clothes that are somewhat similar to Red's Generation I clothing.
• The beginning of Pokémon - I Choose You! was based on the intro of Red and Green.
  • Similarly, the beginning of Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin! is based on the intro of X and Y.
• Todd Snap, the protagonist in Pokémon Snap, has accompanied Ash for two short periods of time, although the first occasion was before the game was released.
• In The Battle of the Badge, Mewtwo's sprite from Japanese Blue can be seen on the wall of Giovanni's office.
• The special Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Team Go-Getters out of the Gate! is based directly on Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. Another episode was produced for the game's sequel.
• Green Guardian, Pokémon Ranger - Deoxys Crisis! Part 1 and Part 2, Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, and Pokémon Ranger and the Kidnapped Riolu! Part 1 and Part 2 are based on Pokémon Ranger, with Solana playing a large role in the two Advanced Generation series episodes and making a cameo in the movie and DP episodes, and Kellyn playing a large role in the Diamond & Pearl series episodes. The plot of each is based on a mission from the games.
• Brendan, the male protagonist in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, makes cameos at the beginning of Jirachi: Wish Maker, Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, and Giratina and the Sky Warrior. In the third cameo, he is shown battling Lucas, the male protagonist of Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum.
• Several similarities between Paul and Silver have been noted, such as Paul's positioning in his stock art being almost identical to Ken Sugimori's original sketch of Silver. The character of Trip also bears similarities to Cheren, although a direct counterpart of Cheren later appeared in the anime.
• In The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon, the password Professor Oak enters for Dr. Yung is REDGREEN, referring to the original pair of games in Japan.
• In Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, Meowth states that "diamonds" and "pearls" would be great names for games. He is scolded to wait until next season.
• In The Brockster Is In!, when Team Rocket see what seems to be treasure, they reference every game from Gold and Silver to Black and White, only missing Emerald and Crystal. However, the Black and White reference is only made in the dub.
• In the Best Wishes series, prior to the Best Wishes! Season 2, no pre-Generation V Pokémon appeared in the flesh (excluding Pikachu, Meowth, Giovanni's Persian and Roxie's Koffing). This is based on the fact that in Black and White, no Pokémon from previous generations can be caught in Unova itself until after the National Pokédex is obtained. In Black 2 and White 2, as well as Best Wishes! Season 2, this is no longer the case.
• In Drayden Versus Iris: Past, Present, and Future!, Drayden says that he wants Iris to become the next Opelucid Gym Leader, referencing her role in Pokémon White.
• In Till We Compete Again!, Team Rocket drops Solrock and Lunatone keychains while rushing to catch their flight, representing the then-upcoming Pokémon Sun and Moon games.
• In A Crowning Moment of Truth!, a Hiker photobombs Ash and company's picture, a reference to the Wela Volcano Park trial in Pokémon Sun and Moon.
• In Why Not Give Me a Z-Ring Sometime?, the man who has his Nugget stolen by Gengar bears a strong resemblance to the Man of Mystery from Pokémon: Magikarp Jump.

To manga

• The episode Lights, Camerupt, Action! shows a clip of a movie based on the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga. The title, "The Gluttonous Visitor, Clefairy", is a parody of the title of the seventh movie "The Sky-Splitting Visitor, Deoxys".
• In the episode Our Cup Runneth Over, Wallace was confirmed to be a Contest master, a title achieved by him in the latter part of the Ruby & Sapphire arc of Pokémon Adventures.

To TCG

• James, known for his collecting habits, identifies Pokémon using cards instead of a Pokédex. Dark Primeape appears in James's possession in the Japanese version of Bad to the Bone.
• Lawrence III has an Ancient Mew card.
• The Energy symbols were featured on a poster for the Indigo League in Showdown in Pewter City and are used to demonstrate the various terrain effects during the Indigo Plateau Conference. They also make appearances in Showdown at the Po-ké Corral and Showdown at the Oak Corral.
  • Additionally, the first Japanese opening theme Aim to Be a Pokémon Master shows the seven (at the time) Energy symbols circling the Pocket Monsters logo.

Manga references

Pokémon Adventures references

To games

• This series is based on the world and events of the main game series.
• Pokémon Pinball appears in the Goldenrod Game Corner.
• Surfing and Flying Pikachu appear, both of which are derived from Pokémon Yellow.
• A disguised Grimsley is seen playing card flip with Workers in the Desert Resort.

To anime

• Red's French (Sacha), German (Ash), Korean (지우 Jiu) and Chinese (小智 Xiǎo Zhì) names are the same as Ash Ketchum's names in the same languages.
• Misty's crush on Red is similar to the one the anime's version of the character has been suspected to have on Ash.
• Red's Pikachu also acts in a similar fashion to Ash's Pikachu from the anime.
• Mewtwo's armored suit appears in the fifth chapter. However, the armor (called "M2 Bind" in this canon) was designed in order to restrain Mewtwo, rather than concentrate its power.
  • Mewtwo has also since gained the ability to communicate telepathically by this chapter, like its anime counterpart.
• The Team Rocket airship, which was also seen in the fifth chapter, greatly resembles the airship used by Giovanni in Mewtwo Returns.
• Latias has a human form who looks a lot like the one from the fifth movie.
• Latios and Latias have the ability of sharing their visions with one another and anyone near them, similar to the "Sight Sharing" power that Latios and Latias had in the fifth movie.
• A Jirachi is used to summon a fake Groudon in the sixth movie, while a Jirachi is used to summon a fake Kyogre in the Emerald arc.
• Deoxys has an ability to duplicate itself, much like in the seventh movie. The duplicates look like those from anime.
• Johanna appears in a Pokémon Super Contest video where she has a Glameow.

To TCG

• Sabrina's Kadabra disguises itself as Professor Oak and looks like Impostor Professor Oak.
• The Pokémon Trading Card Game appears in the Goldenrod Game Corner.

The Electric Tale of Pikachu references

To games

• Gary's sister's existence (in the anime he was never revealed to have one).
• May gives Ash a town map, much like her game counterpart does to Red.
• TMs (which come from games and have never appeared in the anime) are shown in this manga.

To anime

• This series is loosely based on the anime.

Pokémon Zensho references

To games

• This manga is the most direct adaptation of Generation I games. It shows some events from games, which were omitted in other canons (e.g. Brock having a Jr. Trainer♂ as an apprentice, S.S. Anne's captain's sea sickness, the hunt for the Safari Zone Warden's dentures).
• The main characters' names are Satoshi and Shigeru, rather than Red and Green, however it's likely that these names are directly taken from optional names of the game characters, rather than the anime.
• When Brock's apprentice mentions the Elite Four, they appear as shadows in the same poses they had in their Generation I sprites.

To anime

• Satoshi without his hat looks a lot like Ash.
• Satoshi has a Pikachu, it however doesn't seem to be an intended reference, as this one wasn't Satoshi's starter and it eventually evolved.
• The Cerulean Gym building has a picture of Dewgong on the outside wall.
• Satoshi gets the Rainbow Badge from Erika, rather than winning it in the battle.

To other manga

• This manga adapted several things from Pokémon Adventures (see-through Poké Balls and Mr. Fuji's appearance).
• Bill's last name being Sonezaki was also mentioned in The Electric Tale of Pikachu. (This only occurs in the Japanese variation.)

Magical Pokémon Journey references

To anime

• Several bonus chapters feature Ash, Misty, Brock, and Tracey visiting the MPJ universe.

To other manga

• Pokémon Chamo-Chamo ☆ Pretty ♪ is written by the same author and set in the same world.

Pokémon Chamo-Chamo ☆ Pretty ♪ references

To other manga

• Magical Pokémon Journey is written by the same author and set in the same world.

Pokémon Pocket Monsters references

To games

• This series is based on the world and events of the main game series.

Aim to Be a Card Master!! references

To TCG

• The main goal for the manga's main character Kenta Minamii is to become a great TCG player.

TCG references

To games

• Many locations and characters from the games appear on different cards, particularly Trainer cards.
• Many backgrounds for Pokémon cards are closely based on game locations, especially in the BW era.

To anime

• Several anime characters, such as Jessie and James, appear on different cards, particularly Trainer cards.
• The pairing of Rayquaza and Deoxys on Rayquaza & Deoxys LEGEND (Undaunted 89) may be a reference to the movie Destiny Deoxys.

TFG references

To games

• All Trainer figures are based directly on game characters.

To TCG

• This game uses the same rarities as the TCG, with the exception of extra rare figures.
• This game has Trainer cards like those in the TCG, though their incorporation and usage is different.

Related articles

• List of cross-generational references
• List of references to Pulseman
• Cross-canon counterpart