List of cross-canon references

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

In the core series

 * and its spiritual successors, Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, are direct tributes to the anime.
 * In, 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."
 * The mysterious GS Ball, a Key Item in, was introduced during the Orange Islands arc.
 * Since introduced sprites in the items, the Super Potion is depicted like it was in Here Comes the Squirtle Squad.
 * In, 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 the Japanese versions of, one of the default names for is Shigeru. In the English versions, one of the default names for  is.
 * Riley appears to be based on Sir Aaron, a character that appeared in Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. Riley has a, a Pokémon Aaron , and they both are capable of using the Aura. However, he also appeared later in the anime.
 * In, an NPC named Luis will sometimes participate in Pokémon Super Contest with his , nicknamed Sparky, potentially referencing Ritchie's Pikachu Sparky.
 * In, several Trainers the player can battle are named after characters from Pokémon movies in the Japanese version, although the translation team missed these references and gave the characters new names that don't match their names in the anime:
 * On, there's an who analyzes battles using her laptop and uses a  in battle. This is a reference to the movie character , who first appeared in Destiny Deoxys.
 * On the southernmost part of, there are two s that appear have their teams based on those of Butler and Diane from Jirachi: Wish Maker.
 * Katelyn on is based on Lizabeth from Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea.
 * In, when Red was battled in Mt. Silver, 's moves were changed from the original moves in Generation II to reflect Ash's Pikachu's moves in the : , , , and.
 * In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Clair has a on her team, much like in the anime.
 * The movie event Pikachu-colored Pichu and the Spiky-eared Pichu appear in.
 * In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, when the starter Pokémon is chosen, the desk will appear in 3D on the touch screen, resembling 's desk with the starter Pokémon seen in Pokémon - I Choose You!.
 * After getting his phone number, Brock may offer to trade a that knows the Egg Move  in exchange for a player's . This is a reference to Brock being a  in the anime at the time of these games' release.
 * When a player enters Cerulean Gym with a as their walking Pokémon, it will start crying softly, making a reference to Misty's Togepi.
 * In, the that can be encountered in Lostlorn Forest by bringing one of the  there will always be female, a reference to the female  from Zoroark: Master of Illusions.
 * In, wild appear in Striaton City at night. This is a possible reference to Cilan's Stunfisk in the anime.
 * A downloadable tournament made available for the Pokémon World Tournament is based on the anime's Vertress Conference.
 * In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, if Memory Link is used in Opelucid City, Drayden will mention how he first met Iris at the Village of Dragons, which is also 's hometown in the anime.
 * Since Generation VI, all the Pokémon Center Nurses are modeled like Nurse Joy.
 * In, on a male  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 ' Japanese voice actors from the can found in various locations in Kalos, each of them using the signature Pokémon of the character played by their namesake voice actor:
 * Anna, named Rica in the Japanese version, is named after Rica Matsumoto, the voice actress of Ash. They both use a.
 * , named Mamoru in the Japanese version, is named after Mamoru Miyano, the voice actor of . They both use a.
 * , named Aoi in the Japanese version, is named after Aoi Yūki, the voice actress of . They both use an.
 * In Pokémon X and Y, an in the Lumiose City  mentions the Village of Dragons.
 * In Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, if the player has in their party at a certain point during the Delta Episode,  will mention the player how he once, long time ago, fought against  alongside with a young man and his black, referring to the events of Mega Evolution Special II.
 * In the Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon Special Demo Version, the player receives a special Greninja from a certain Trainer in the mail.
 * In Pokémon Sun and Moon, a new event-exclusive Pikachu form,, was introduced to commemorate the anime's 20th anniversary. In , an additional form based on the twentieth movie was added.
 * In Pokémon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, and Ultra Moon, a blurry picture of riding on Ash's shoulder can be seen during the final part of Acerola's trial at the.
 * In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, at the Community Center, a  sells an article called "Hero Cap", which resembles Ash's hat from the.
 * In '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 faced at Aether Paradise recites a part of Team Rocket's original motto.
 * In Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, Sam's sketchbook from Celebi: The Voice of the Forest can be seen on top of a bookshelf in Professor Oak's Laboratory.
 * In Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, the three 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, Oak recites a short poem about Mega Evolution. These poems are a reference to 's habit of making senryūs in the anime, which are referred to as poems in the dub.

In the side games

 * In 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, Brock's team includes a and Giovanni's team includes a . In Pokémon Stadium 2, Misty's team includes a  while Red's team contains a  and the evolved forms of the three Johto starters (referencing Ash's,  and ).
 * In Pokémon Colosseum, Zalla's team at Mt. Battle Zone 77 in the Single Battle Battle Mode is based on the main Pokémon of Jirachi: Wish Maker:  was the main focus of the film;, , and  were owned by Butler; and  and  were wild Pokémon that served notable roles for the plot.
 * In Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, the 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  and, she has the same Pokémon that James has in the ' Hoenn region arc.
 * In addition, she says, "What a horrible feeling!" after being defeated, a reference to how tends to scream "What a bad feeling!" while blasting off in the Japanese version.

In spin-off games

 * A appears in Pokémon Snap.
 * In Pokémon Snap, Mew uses a bubble which acts like a shield. In Mewtwo Strikes Back, were seen to create bubbles with it inside for the seemingly same reasons.
 * is 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 its eyes.
 * Pokémon Channel uses the anime voices of Pokémon, including Maddie Blaustein's . It also features an episode exclusive to the game: Pichu Bros. in Party Panic.
 * After completing the main story, a will come to the player's house with a channel that contains a dub of "Pichu Bros. in Party Panic" with  as the narrator, a reference to.
 * 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."
 * In Pokémon GO, if the player nicknames their 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 or  by naming it after  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 Pokémon GO, the Medal players can get for trading a lot of Pokémon is named after the Trainer class, doubling as a reference to the Gentleman  temporarily traded his  to in Battle Aboard the St. Anne.
 * 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, when Tim and 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.

Super Smash Bros. series

 * All Pokémon are depicted with their anime voices, though the Western language versions of the game keep 's Japanese voice.
 * The  in Super Smash Bros. Melee depicts her in her original series clothes.
 * The trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee depicts 's  with the guitar from Meowth's Party.
 * The stage introduced in Super Smash Bros. Melee has four different terrain effects, corresponding to four different types: Fire, Water, Grass, and Rock, while the  introduced in Brawl has a new set of four different terrain effects: Ice, Ground, Flying, and Electric. These reference the changing fields of the Indigo Plateau Conference.
 * In Melee's 44th, ', uses  to beat the player in the ', 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 player battles as against  and  on . This is a clear reference to Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, where  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 all its Japanese appearances, Lucario shares its voice actor with the aforementioned movie's Lucario, Daisuke Namikawa. In the English version of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U onwards, Sean Schemmel, who voiced Lucario in the movie's English dub, returns to voice Lucario.
 * 's trophy in the English version of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS references the original Pokémon Theme, as well as and three of his companions;, , and.
 * The 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.
 * '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.
 * 's reveal trailer for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U gives it the tagline "Mewtwo Strikes Back!"
 * Mewtwo's title in the stage is "A Legend Reawakens", a reference to Genesect and the Legend Awakened.
 * Pikachu's scenario in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is titled "I Choose You!", referencing the first episode of the anime and the movie of the same name.
 * In the same scenario, one of Pikachu's fights is against two at, a reference to the Pichu Brothers and the city they live in, Big Town.
 * Mewtwo's Classic Mode route is called "Psychic Control". In it, after Mewtwo completes a round, one of its opponents joins it as an ally in the next fight in an alternate costume. This ally is often one, or represents one, that has been brainwashed in their series, and is likely a reference to Mewtwo Strikes Back, where controls a Nurse Joy to act as a proxy.
 * In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, transforms into Ash-Greninja when performing its Final Smash,.
 * One of Pichu's alternate palettes in Ultimate makes it resemble the Spiky-eared Pichu from Arceus and the Jewel of Life.

To

 * From onward,  has used a  as a part of his team, just like  from Pokémon Adventures.

To

 * and Pokémon Card GB2: Here Comes Team GR! are directly based on the TCG.
 * In and, the Shadow Pokémon (known as Dark Pokémon in Japanese) are similar to the TCG Dark Pokémon from the TCG, including the fact that most Shadow Pokémon are evolved forms.
 * Pre-release versions of Super Smash Bros. Melee's stage originally featured the TCG Fire, TCG Grass and TCG Water TCG Type (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, , , and appear as paintings in the Lumiose Museum.

To

 * All anime canon is based on the world and events of the main game series.
 * 's original clothes are almost identical to the original clothes of, while 's outfit is taken directly from 's; the Generation I one during the original series, as well as the Generation III clothes during the and . 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.
 * Similarly, the beginning of Kalos, Where Dreams and Adventures Begin! is based on the intro of.
 * Todd Snap, the protagonist in Pokémon Snap, has accompanied 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 '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, with Solana playing a large role in the two episodes and making a cameo in the movie and DP episodes, and Kellyn playing a large role in the  episodes. The plot of each is based on a mission from the games.
 * , the male protagonist in, 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 , the male protagonist of.
 * Several similarities between Paul and 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 enters for Dr. Yung is, referring to the original pair of games in Japan.
 * In Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea, states that "diamonds" and "pearls" would be great names for games. He is scolded to wait until next season.
 * In Giratina and the Sky Warrior, Newton Graceland describes the Reverse World as a "distorted world", referring to its counterpart from the games, the Distortion World.
 * In The Brockster Is In!, when Team Rocket see what seems to be treasure, they reference every game from to, only missing  and . However, the Black and White reference is only made in the dub. They do this again in Mystery on a Deserted Island!, referencing all the games from Gold and Silver to , except for Crystal.
 * In the, prior to the Best Wishes! Season 2, no pre-Generation V Pokémon appeared in the flesh (excluding , , Giovanni's Persian and Roxie's ). This is based on the fact that in , no Pokémon from previous generations can be caught in Unova itself until after the National Pokédex is obtained. In , 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.
 * In Till We Compete Again!, Team Rocket drops and  keychains while rushing to catch their flight, representing the then-upcoming  games.
 * In A Crowning Moment of Truth!, a photobombs Ash and 's picture, a reference to the Wela Volcano Park trial in.
 * In Why Not Give Me a Z-Ring Sometime?, the man who has his Nugget stolen by bears a strong resemblance to the Man of Mystery from Pokémon: Magikarp Jump.

To

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

To

 * James, known for his collecting habits, identifies using cards instead of a Pokédex.  appears in James's possession in the Japanese version of Bad to the Bone.
 * Lawrence III has an 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.

To

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

To

 * '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.
 * Red's Pikachu also acts in a similar fashion to Ash's Pikachu from the anime.
 * 's armored suit appears in . 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.
 * has a human form who looks a lot like the one from the fifth movie.
 * have the ability of sharing their visions with one another and anyone near them, similar to the "Sight Sharing" power that and  had in the fifth movie.
 * A is used to summon a fake  in the sixth movie, while a Jirachi is used to summon a fake  in the.
 * 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.

To

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

To

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

To

 * This series is loosely based on the anime.

To

 * This manga is the most direct adaptation of Generation I . It shows some events from games, which were omitted in other canons (e.g. Brock having a 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 and, rather than  and , however it's likely that these names are directly taken from optional names of the game characters, rather than the.
 * When Brock's apprentice mentions the Elite Four, they appear as shadows in the same poses they had in their Generation I sprites.

To

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

To other

 * 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.)

To

 * Several bonus chapters feature, , , and visiting the MPJ universe.

To other

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

To other

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

To

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

To

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

To

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

To

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

To

 * All s are based directly on game characters.

To

 * This game uses the same rarities as the TCG, with the exception of extra rare figures.
 * This game has TCG 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

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