Pokémon: Every Real-World Country That's Technically Canon

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The vast world of Pokémon draws a lot of inspiration from the real world, and while many of its locations are based on real places, several real-world countries are canonically part of the Pokémon universe as well. While many games distance their fantastical worlds from the real world, a lot of what makes Pokémon so special is its familiarity, and the closeness of the Pokémon world to the real one makes it feel like a home away from home. Game Freak’s attention to detail makes its worldbuilding incredibly deep as well, and even the smallest references and recreations of the locations thePokémon world is based on make this fictional universe almost as dynamic as the real one.

Every region in the Pokémon universe is based on a location in the real world, and each game incorporates the geography and culture of the location that inspired it. Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh are all based on various regions of Japan, and Unova took players to a “far-away” region for the first time with its American inspiration. The Kalos region of Gen 6 was inspired by France, Alola’s archipelago was based on Hawaii, and Galar is the Pokémon equivalent of the United Kingdom. Pokémon Legends: Arceus, on the other hand, takes players back to the ancient Sinnoh region, then known as Hisui, and the two are both inspired by the Hokkaido region of Japan at different points in history.

Related: All Pokémon Legends: Arceus Endings Explained

However, in addition to regions inspired by real-world locations, the Pokémon franchise actually makes direct references to several real-world countries. While players never visit these locations themselves, various Pokédex entries and NPCs in Pokémon mention them throughout the series, which confirms that they