I am not big into Pokemon, but I’ve always been fascinated with how Game Freak decides which setting they should take inspiration on.
Pokemon has always been a game made better with the regions it’s trying to set. Next to its roster of pocket monsters, what players crave for is what new world we are exploring next.
The first Pokemon entries have delighted us with its Japanese-inspired settings (Kanto, Sinnoh, etc) with its lush glades and idyllic towns populated with its adorable NPCs. Pokemon Legends Arceus takes it a step further by going back through time and takes us to pre-modern day Sapporo with its gorgeous vistas and snow-capped mountains.
Other Pokemon entries like Sun and Moon and Black and White took us to the U.S. States of Hawaii and New York City respectively. And let’s not forget about Pokemon’s venture into European settings with Galar and Paldea. Given all these examples, it’s weird that Pokemon never considered making a game set within South East Asia… until now, that is.
Pokemon’s Popularity in Southeast Asia
Pokemon Wind and Wave’s SEA setting is a breath of fresh air. This is the series’ first venture outside of their familiar Japanese, European and American settings. This was a long time coming, as the archipelagic islands of South East Asia have always adored the Pokemon franchise, with some even considering it as a household name.
Countries like Indonesia even had airplanes with iconic Pokemon plastered all over it, as well as marathons called Pokemon RUN to maximize Pokemon GO’s pop culture phenomenon back in the days. It’s not only Indonesia that was affected with this massive cultural zeitgeist about a Pokemon pedometer game, countries like Philippines and Malaysia have joined in on the trend too.
As someone living in Southeast Asia, Pokemon Wind and Wave might just be the first Pokemon I’m excited to buy. I’d love to see how Game Freak adapts our archipelagos into the game. Considering the Philippines has one of the most abundant displays of rainforests in the world, we could see Pokemon devs translate it to videogame form, where lush jungles would fill the screen as we take a random stroll with our Pokemon.
How Folklore Could Play a Role in Evolution
Southeast Asian folklore is also a thing to expect with Wind and Wave, and it might even affect some of the existing Pokemon’s evolution. We’ve already seen how Pokemon can adapt based on their environments with the Alola region in Sun and Moon, and Wind and Wave might take it a step further by turning everyone’s favorite Pokemon into creatures of myth. For example, Pikachu could evolve based on the Cambodian Thunder God Ream Eyso or the Philippines’ Ribung Linti, which is often considered as the Deity of Thunder.
Better yet, we might even see new Pokemon based on existing mythologies from Southeast Asian countries. Maybe the game’s iconic legendaries will be based on Indonesia, Malaysian or Philippine mythologies.
Pokemon Wind and Wave’s rumored open-world and procedurally generated feature could also make things even better here. Instead of Pokemon taking inspiration from each of the South East Asian countries, they would only need to take notable biomes and create randomly generated islands we can explore.
This is a tall order for The Pokemon Company, but this is already shaping up to be an ambitious Pokemon title. Not only will this invite new Southeast Asian fans into the franchise, it will also appease longtime fans of the series who have lived their lives in these countries. And to see their regions being represented in Wind and Wave, it’s going to be a very special moment for fans.
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