I think the alola region has an overarching theme of 'invasion'. there's a strong presence of hawaiian culture, but so many of these outside influences are bleeding into it. like modernism, team skull's delinquency, the aether foundation's tech, western ranches, eastern architecture, regional variants. even with the ultra beasts being designed with the theme of invasive species in mind. gamefreak could have used these themes as a parody of sort on how tourism has impacted hawaii.
I feel like the invasion theme could come out again in an Australia themed region, as invasive species are serious business in Australia and Biosecurity is one of their main focus. So yeah, even a leaf stuck on the shoe you are bringing in is a no no.
Yeah to me it's always been about the pluses and minuses of 'invasion', considering you yourself are a kantonian coming to move to Alola, and lillie gladion and lusamine are likely not from here either, it shows how introducing new things to places isn't always a bad thing but more often than not it can destroy traditions and culture and such (like how Lusamine's family moving there wasn't inherently bad, but ultimately the aether paradise was very very harmful to Alola, how lusamine harnessed the power of nihilego, an invasive species, and destroyed her OWN traditions, as in her family) . and you can see how Hau and Hala honor traditions of Alola like the whole island guardian stuff whereas guzma finds the traditions of Alola to be stifling and forms team skull because he couldn't live up to the expectations of these cultural norms. and you yourself come here and you explore the culture and you're recruited in the end to help send ultra beasts back safely where they belong and show an example of someone being respectful of these cultures and traditions, while you also become champion in the end and help kukui establish the first kantonian gym, showing an example of positive changes to an ecosystem. and of course there are so many pokemon in the region that really show the differences between invasive species and native species etc, more than any other region before or after. you can really see that Alola is an ecosystem and that nature and the traditions surrounding it are important to uphold, while they still offer sympathy to those invasive species when it comes to the ultra beasts, which, rather than just defeating them in battle, you relocate, because they are just as lost and not meant to survive in this ecosystem, and can cause harm to it if they aren't controlled ... god I love Alola so much
The Galar game theme is so interesting considering its where the show also finished its story making ash champion and moving on to a new story/protagonist
Not Sure What is The Theme For galar. But galar is About Pokémon Turning into Giants & Kings & Knights ETC. Just Wish After This, We Get A Gen 8 Legends Treatment. To Give Us A Proper Theme For galar. That’s Why Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 Needs To Happen. The Focus is On eternatus 🐉💀, The Game Mascot For Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮. Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 is Set in galar, But galar From The Distant Past, it is Set in The 19th Century, Where The Humans & Pokémon Living in galar Haven’t 100% Coexist Yet. And eternatus 🐉💀 is Causing A Phenomenon Known As dynamax & gigantamax in Which Pokémon Turn Big & Go Rampage. Your Job is To Stop Those Gigantic Pokémons & Stop & Capture eternatus 🐉💀 & Save The Region. And You Can Now Use eternamax eternatus 🐉💀 in This Game 🎮. Just Wishes That This Came True. But There’s Going To Be Gym Leaders Here Too. So This Makes galar The First Region To Have Gym Leaders At The 19th Century, & Most Of The Gym Leaders Are Ancestors Of The Current Gym Leaders in galar. And The Main Antagonist is The Ancestor Of chairman rose, So This is A Trait Shared With The Descendant chairman rose. So chairman rose Turns Bad Runs From His Ancestor.
For Kanto, I think there's also a theme of loving Pokemon as opposed to using them as tools. Both Blue and Giovanni share the trait of seeing Pokemon's power as a means to an end, and at the end of the game, Oak praises the player for truly respecting Pokemon and criticizes Blue for his mindset. Mewtwo's backstory also ties into this: He was created by those who wished to use him as a weapon, thus he saw himself as a weapon only good for destruction, until a truly caring trainer (and Mew) was able to change his mindset.
I think the main alola's theme is 'Family' too. Every character knows each other and even you are the only one that is unknown because of coming from another region, they always treat you like one more of the family. Is similar how Hawaii culture is, or Lilo and Stitch's theme too.
while you did acknowledge it, I'd argue Kitakami's themes are more like a challenging of Johto's, recognising while traditions can be important, history isn't always accurate, usually being told in a biased manner by the winners and how prejudice can warp the truth, like how everyone felt about Ogerpon and then how we later felt about Pecharunt and the Loyal Three until that video revealed they simply wanted to please the old couple.
Mega evolution also fits with Kalos’s secondary theme of coexistence because of how the lore behind it emphasizes how the pokemon & trainer need a strong bond in order to make it work
I agree, I just think it would've been better thematically if that was reflected in the mechanic (like needing a full friendship rating to mega evolve).
@@VoidCael Oh, I absolutely agree. That was one problem I had with mega evolution in the games since the lore behind it was mostly for fluff. If anything, they should've had it so that your pokemon first needed max affection in pokemon amie in order to unlock mega evolving (at least then it'd be used for other stuff besides getting Sylveon)
Another thing about Sword and Shield's theme about passing down the torch. At the time of Sword and Shield's release, many of the millennials who played Pokemon since Gen I were starting to enter their 30s and become parents. So they are introducing the next generation to Pokemon themselves.
To me Alola has always been about Hawaii's problem with tourism and invasive species and the traditions that lie in its roots that must be honored for its survival. Lol not exactly a one word theme but it's basically in everything... You play as a kid from Kanto who explores the region's culture and traditions while still bringing your own home there as well. A lot of the native Alolans refer to you as something familial (Hau calls your mom auntie, prof Kukui calls you and everyone else on earth cousin), and in turn of course you take on the island challenge and meet all of the island guardians and learn more about their history and pokemon. You show that inviting new species/people is not always a bad thing, so long as you are respectful, and you take the time and care to learn about the culture. The pokemon reflect this as well; the animals the starters are based off of aren't native to Hawaii themselves, and I'm pretty sure every regional variant is from Kanto, yet they have still adapted to the region, just like yourself. Meanwhile, Lusamine is pretty obviously not from Alola... and she is basically an invasive species herself LOL. The aether paradise is clearly fairly harmful to Alola; there are very few boats in the game despite it being an archipelago yet most of them belong to Aether paradise, and that could be harmful to water pokemon; the aether paradise itself is literally a whole separate island...; and not to mention Lusamine is directly responsible for freezing pokemon and keeping them in containers, regardless of her personal motivations (which I am sympathetic to but like... jeez) . She & by extension aether paradise as a whole are examples of invasive species that can overwrite the traditions of the land, the ecosystem that was carefully built, essentially what has been happening to Hawaii itself for so long because at this point people go there for a culture they know nothing about outside of flanderizations made by tourist companies trying to sell an idyllic island getaway lol. This even happens in her personal life; while researching nihilego, an invasive species, her husband is taken from her, and in spite of everything else in her life, she dedicates all of her time to finding nihilego again, and ends up harming her own family. Aka she allows this invasive species to destroy her own traditions, as in her family. The ultra beasts themselves show a different side of the situation... they are literally meant to be invasive, but rather than killing them off or whatever, you safely relocate them back in their dimensions (unless ur keeping it lol that's how pokemon games work), because they are both harmful and not fit for the ecosystem as is. Overall so many pokemon in Alola reflect how much of a complex ecosystem there is, more than any other pokemon game, with stuff like Mareanie eating Corsola, regional variants coming from different places and adapting to the ecosystem through evolution (just like the player character, by the way...) or how the island guardians keep their islands safe from attacks. and then you have Hau (and Hala) who honors the traditions of Alola very well, even if he isn't planning on being the Kahuna at this time. I feel like a lot of people miss how good of a character Hau is not just because they skip all of the dialogue but also because they don't see the parallels between him and Guzma. Guzma grew up with a family that was implied to be abusive, and struggled with the societal norms of Alola's island challenge. He never had any way to resolve these issues, and ended up creating team skull because there are lots of kids who felt like they couldn't live up to the expectations of the people around them, finding the tradition to be stifling. Hau's father once had an argument with Hala because he didn't want to become the Kahuna, and ended up running off, leaving Hau all alone in Hala's care. Hala ended up realizing his mistakes after seeing how emotional Hau would get after yelling at him, and now he worries if he's being too soft on him. Now, after growing up with a guardian that supports him and doesn't push him into a role that he doesn't want, he is able to feel comfortable in his own skin and not feel pressured into expectations, like Guzma was. They even have a whole conversation with Hau saying that Guzma can be anything he wants to be, and that he wants to make everyone know that you don't need to do everything that's expected of you to succeed in life. Overall, this shows how tradition actually affects the people who uphold or try to uphold it. Sometimes these societal expectations can be impossible to live up to, and in Alola, where everyone is considered family, the disappointment is even more apparent. But Hau shows that you can go a more unconventional route without doing what is expected of you and still be great. I really feel like Alola has some of the strongest and most complex + well executed themes in the series. Everyone talks about BW, and I love those games too, but saying that there's a grey area to EVERYTHING can sometimes just be wrong. and also I've tried and tried but I don't get what truth vs ideals really truly means
Cool video! I'd argue that Alola's secondary theme isnt "space & aliens", but rather "life & adaptability". Ultra Beasts are life forms from other universes, Alolan forms are Pokémon that adapted to new environments, Oricorio's forms are also a variation on adaptation... Plus, I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere that the developers wanted the region to be "full of life", with its lush environments, routes that were more organic than the previously grid-based routes, the colorful and tropical Pokémon, etc.
the main character and their mum also moved from Kanto and had to adapt to a new life there, to add to that theme ! There's also Lily's story about adapting, Alola trying to adapt to the rest of the region's, etc...
I recall hearing that a big motif in Scarlet and Violet is Passion vs Obsession. We see many characters who clearly love certain things in the story, and that love pushes other people away from their lives whether they realize it or not. Nemona: She says she loves battling so much she became very good to the point she became Champion. Unfortunately for her, there isn't anyone who shares this battle drive and her constant insisting in battle has lead to other students to stay away from her because they have no chance of winning, so why try. Sada/Turo: Do i really need to get into detail with these two. Their obsession lead them to the basically ignoring their son that grew to resent them. If that's not bad enough, their obsession lead them to their own demise and even then, set up countermeasures to prevent anyone from stopping their research, even after death. Kieran: He starts off as a shy kid, but it's constantly said in the DLC that he enjoyed Pokemon battling more than anything. But, after The Teal Mask story, his love for battling shifted to an obsessive push to himself with his only goal being to defeat the player. After he loses again, his obsession reaches a breaking point where he thinks a Legendary Pokemon is the only way to defeat you, which in turn his actions lead to nearly ending everyone in the Area Zero Depths. There's other characters I can get into but I think these are the best examples to make the point.
I read that Sinnoh's theme was ultimateness and the concept of the absolute: Diamonds are generally believed to be the rarest and hardest-to-break gemstones, and Pearls are said to be among the most valuable, The main legendaries, depending on the legendary and the game, are fought at either the highest point in the region, the lowest, or the most far-removed, Arceus is said to be the absolute creator of everything and the Team Galactic aims to bring about the absolute end to everything, aditionally Hisui has another theme: The development of trust and how it can cause civilization to move forward. Alola is the role of family, and its influence on identity and one's potential. Galar is legacy, right, but also the worth and price of pursuing fame and/or recognition Paldea aside for the concept of treasures is the impact of the past and the potential of the future; moving forward from conflict and trauma through reflection, reinvention, and finding new meaning for oneself
I find the theme you landed on for Kanto to be too wide a scope but we’re onto something earlier. Nature vs technology is more accurate to what the Kanto’s theme represents. The monsters and humans coexisting despite the pollution, mutation, and technological advancements of the ever changing world are reflected in the designs of the monsters and the world you explore.
What's funny is the largest cities in Kanto and Johto are based on the modern and traditional capitals of Japan, respectively. Saffron City is based on Tokyo and Goldenrod City is based on Kyoto.
Goldenrod is based on Osaka, but the basic idea of modern (Kanto) vs traditional (Kansai) are still there. Real life Kanto region has Tokyo and Yokohama, two very "modern" feeling cities, while the Kansai region feels much more like "traditional" Japan.
Solid video! I think you hit the nail on the head on most of these… aside from Alola. I think the theme you gave it is a bit too messy and redundant with other reasons. Instead, the theme I’d say actually represents the region is: Family. Specifically the role of family, and its influence on identity and one's potential. There’s the whole deal with the Aether family, Guzma's deal with his family, Team Skull acting like one big family, characters close to you using various familial terms, and a bunch of extra lines from major and non-major characters about family.
Thought the same. Alola's theme is definitely family. You see it also in the anime, with Ash going to school and having Kukui has his true father figure (especially at the ending). In the games not only the story of Lillie, but also the general very tight community of Polynesian island, the way the characters are connected and they all know each other since kids, it's about the family you have, the family you choose and the community being your family.
Also like how everyone helps each other out in Hawai'i, you help people out and they help you in return in Alola. Plus one of the main plot points was Lillie finding people who cared about her after leaving her abusive mother
Kanto’s theme is change, both good and bad. Yes, growing up. But also genetic mutations, both natural and unnatural. From Eevee’s natural adaptation in different environments, To man’s intentional genetic modification of Mew’s clone. Also Weezing and Muk showing manmade pollution still fits the theme of change. Lt. Surge is about how war changes a region and its people. Lavender Town is about the effects of death, another major change. And the cherry on top, what does Pikachu refuse to do? Change into something it doesn’t want to be.
Not Sure What is The Theme For galar. But galar is About Pokémon Turning into Giants & Kings & Knights ETC. Just Wish After This, We Get A Gen 8 Legends Treatment. To Give Us A Proper Theme For galar. That’s Why Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 Needs To Happen. The Focus is On eternatus 🐉💀, The Game Mascot For Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮. Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 is Set in galar, But galar From The Distant Past, it is Set in The 19th Century, Where The Humans & Pokémon Living in galar Haven’t 100% Coexist Yet. And eternatus 🐉💀 is Causing A Phenomenon Known As dynamax & gigantamax in Which Pokémon Turn Big & Go Rampage. Your Job is To Stop Those Gigantic Pokémons & Stop & Capture eternatus 🐉💀 & Save The Region. And You Can Now Use eternamax eternatus 🐉💀 in This Game 🎮. Just Wishes That This Came True. But There’s Going To Be Gym Leaders Here Too. So This Makes galar The First Region To Have Gym Leaders At The 19th Century, & Most Of The Gym Leaders Are Ancestors Of The Current Gym Leaders in galar. And The Main Antagonist is The Ancestor Of chairman rose, So This is A Trait Shared With The Descendant chairman rose. So chairman rose Turns Bad Runs From His Ancestor.
Kanto: Japan. Johto: Japan. Hoenn: Japan. Sinnoh: Japan. Unova: New York City. Kalos: France. Alola: Hawaii. Galar: United Kingdom. Hisui: Ancient Japan. Paldea: Spain.
I think that while Hoenn surely does have a theme of ambientalism and balance, another aspects that is linked to these themes is that of dualism and rivarly. The third generation was the first to introduce double battles, two rivals, two villain teams, two pseudo-legendaries, and the two box legendaries directly fight eachothers unlike any other legendary duo before or after them (I mean there are Reshiram and Zekrom, but they don't directly fight eachothers on a natural basis, they end up fighting while following their trainers adventures. Xerneas and Yveltal are natural opposite but they don't fight eachothers, they just keep the balance between life and death doing their own things... which is mostly sleeping for thousands of years). It also introduced a set of pokémon that are related to eachothers but that aren't part of the same evolutionary families: Plusle and Minun, Illumise and Volbeat, Solrock and Lunatone, the iconic rivals Zangoose and Seviper, and of course the legendary duo of Latios and Latias. It also introduced a parallel/alternative path to that of the standard pokémon trainer, that of the coordinator (a feature present in all the futures games even though in a sighty different form, and that disappeared exactly after the hoenn remakes sadly. Well technically it returned with the Sinnoh remakes but it never returned to the main games after gen 6)
I would argue that Johto's theme isn't simply tradition, so much as the passage of time and the old meeting the new. They're sequels to the immensely popular original games, and they run with it. As the theme song says, 'It's a whole new world with a brand new attitude, but you've still gotta' catch 'em all.' Examples: The starting town's slogan is 'where the winds of new beginnings blow,' signifying this is the turning point from Generation 1 into a new adventure. The comparisons of Goldenrod and Saffron being the old and new capitals of Japan were brought up, but now they're physically linked by the shiny new magnet train. The villains, Team Rocket, are trying to bring back their boss and get back to their old ways instead of moving on, clinging to the past. Jasmine was originally a rock type leader, but recently changed to the newly discovered steel type after her Onix evolved into Steelix. Her badge is literally a smoothed down Boulder Badge. The entirety of Kanto's inclusion in the game, letting you see firsthand how things have changed over the past few years. Lavender town is at peace, Koga has upgraded to E4 status and left the gym to his daughter, and no progress has been made on that building in Vermillion. Porygon evolving into the more advanced Porygon 2, giving a literal example of the evolution of technology. The final boss of the game is a surprise showdown with your own character from the original games rocking some of Gen 1's greatest hits. Also Espeon, a new alternate evolution to an old favorite. Unlike most other games that tend to force already existing species into the shadows of the new mons, Johto wasn't afraid to showcase the old favorites and the new guys alongside each other as equals. Gold and Silver know how to respect the legacy of the franchise while making their own contributions. With a few special exceptions, every old Pokemon could be caught in the wild in Gold and Silver.
This is a nice overview of the themes in each region. A deeper analysis & separate video on each region seems like a fun idea, but no pressure if you don’t want to do that.
I think it's odd that Gen 4 introduced the Pokemon of Space and Time, and a few Generations later, we get a region themed around Space (Alola) and one themed around Time (Paldea) yet Dialga and Palkia have no involvement in that.
I believe most of the games have larger themes that are guided by the smaller themes you stated in the video. In Hoenn and Unova the larger theme always felt like balance to me. I feel it’s shown very well in the Pokémon Adventures manga (Ruby and Sapphire arc) for Hoenn. Trying to not spoil it, but both the characters Ruby and Sapphire compete against each other to prove which is better, beauty or power. I’m the end they both realized they were wrong by believing only one was right. Balance could also just be a more basic form of environmental concern, as an ecosystem is all about balance. It is shown in how no matter which game you choose, the goals of the evil team never change. Both beliefs are flawed and the balance of both the land and water is what is needed. In Unova it’s be the balance between humans and animals/Pokémon. While humans can cause great harm to animals/pokemon, the two can also help each other. It takes a balance and understanding between the two to truly thrive. In Alola it takes both humans and pokemon working together to stop the ultrabeasts from invading and destroying alola. In Kalos and also Galar, the larger theme feels like how you should learn from the past to create a better future. In both regions you see the villains attempting to reproduce something from the past to form a new future, without taking into account or learning from the consequences that same action in the past caused. In the games, your protagonist learns about this past and works to stop the same mistake from being made once again. This is flipped on its head in Hisui though. Instead of learning from the past, you are guided by your knowledge of the future to help shape past events, and stop the villain from changing the future. Finally in Paldea I feel treasure is a very good overarching theme, but more metaphorical than real treasure like gold and jewels. The entire game shows how the “treasure” was never anything tangible, and it was the connections and friendships you formed throughout the journey. Even the legendary Pokémon you feel so much more connected to I feel. The line from the end credits “finding magic in all the smallest things” I feel sums it up. What you find joy in doesn’t need to be huge or flashy or expensive, as long as it means something to you. It feels like a great representation of pokemon in general. No matter how ugly people may find a pokemon, it is always someone’s favorite. The reason for may seem small to someone else, but to the person who loves that pokemon it isn’t. No matter how awful people say a game is, that game is always someone’s favorite. Sorry for the stupidly long comment that is probably confusing. This concept just got me thinking a ton and I wanted to share my thoughts.
Interesting takes, never really thought about the legacy aspect in Galar. I really enjoyed the views in this video. One thing I noticed is the volume or recording sounds changing throughout the video. Not a huge issue and I'm sure this was recorded over time, but something to keep in mind. Great video!
Not Sure What is The Theme For galar. But galar is About Pokémon Turning into Giants & Kings & Knights ETC. Just Wish After This, We Get A Gen 8 Legends Treatment. To Give Us A Proper Theme For galar. That’s Why Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 Needs To Happen. The Focus is On eternatus 🐉💀, The Game Mascot For Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮. Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 is Set in galar, But galar From The Distant Past, it is Set in The 19th Century, Where The Humans & Pokémon Living in galar Haven’t 100% Coexist Yet. And eternatus 🐉💀 is Causing A Phenomenon Known As dynamax & gigantamax in Which Pokémon Turn Big & Go Rampage. Your Job is To Stop Those Gigantic Pokémons & Stop & Capture eternatus 🐉💀 & Save The Region. And You Can Now Use eternamax eternatus 🐉💀 in This Game 🎮. Just Wishes That This Came True. But There’s Going To Be Gym Leaders Here Too. So This Makes galar The First Region To Have Gym Leaders At The 19th Century, & Most Of The Gym Leaders Are Ancestors Of The Current Gym Leaders in galar. And The Main Antagonist is The Ancestor Of chairman rose, So This is A Trait Shared With The Descendant chairman rose. So chairman rose Turns Bad Runs From His Ancestor.
The themes of tradition vs. modernization are also prevalent in Hoenn with the conflict between the Draconids and the Devon Corporation when it comes to how they're going to solve the meteor crisis in the Delta Episode. However, Hoenn has its own spin on it because it also tugs on themes of colonialism and the erasure of indigenous culture within this conflict, as the Draconids are an indigenous group. Interestingly, trauma and figuring out how to move on in the wake of it also seems to be a theme for many of Paldea's major characters.
I think the theme for Paldea, "treasure", was pretty good! Although it could be further expanded upon since it also has a metaphorical aspect. I think another subtheme thats really prominent is about "how far are you willing to go in search of your treasure?" It kinda falls in line with how each of your rivals have a goal that they want to achieve, and that theyre willing to go through a lot just to achieve it. For the main quest, its about how, if left unchecked, chasing after your treasure would result in changes and consequences that you never thought would occur. Both professors tried to chase after pokemon from different times, resulting in their death and forever changing area zero
This video is excellent. I may be giving Sword and Shield too much credit here, but the way you explained the themes of legacy and finding your place in the world through the past generation's mistakes really makes sense.
I would argue that Alola's themes are more about the bittersweet idea of life being always changing (the Tapu Ruins on Ula Ula specifically but also the first regional forms) and always beautiful (the beauty in garbage-eating Grimer or the beauty in untouched natural landscapes) with smaller themes of traditionalism (such as the island challenge or Poni island suffering due to the traditions of the island ) and invasive species (both things like Japanese culture changing what Hawaiian culture there already was, as well as Ultra Beasts, obviously)
The Japanese regions are the best for being big to see where you are, and small for the needed gameplay. Attractive sex dimorphism is iconic in those regions too.
I could argue that Alolas theme is perception what is perceived as such ultra beasts are known to be a threat but in actuality they are normal in the worlds they come from even ultra wormholes understanding that they are keyhole into other worlds we thought team skull was evil but it was actually Aether foundation
Your way of speaking and content of the information is so good, I want you to do other regions we've seen in other games(Orre, Fiore, Almia etc.) if anything to explore.
Not Sure What is The Theme For galar. But galar is About Pokémon Turning into Giants & Kings & Knights ETC. Just Wish After This, We Get A Gen 8 Legends Treatment. To Give Us A Proper Theme For galar. That’s Why Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 Needs To Happen. The Focus is On eternatus 🐉💀, The Game Mascot For Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮. Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 is Set in galar, But galar From The Distant Past, it is Set in The 19th Century, Where The Humans & Pokémon Living in galar Haven’t 100% Coexist Yet. And eternatus 🐉💀 is Causing A Phenomenon Known As dynamax & gigantamax in Which Pokémon Turn Big & Go Rampage. Your Job is To Stop Those Gigantic Pokémons & Stop & Capture eternatus 🐉💀 & Save The Region. And You Can Now Use eternamax eternatus 🐉💀 in This Game 🎮. Just Wishes That This Came True. But There’s Going To Be Gym Leaders Here Too. So This Makes galar The First Region To Have Gym Leaders At The 19th Century, & Most Of The Gym Leaders Are Ancestors Of The Current Gym Leaders in galar. And The Main Antagonist is The Ancestor Of chairman rose, So This is A Trait Shared With The Descendant chairman rose. So chairman rose Turns Bad Runs From His Ancestor.
Before watching, my interpretations of each region's theme: Kanto- Japan, adventure, companionship Johto- Japan, history, art Hoen- Japan, environment and weather Sinnoh/Hisui- Japan, big history, mythology Unova- New York State, unification despite differences Kalos- France, beauty and appreciation Alola- Hawaii, exploring culture and the cosmic Galar- UK, mythology (again) and generational change Paldea- Spain, culture, friendship/found family, found purpose
Cool cool cool. Only Alola is "wrong"😅 as many pointed out... But you got all other ones right.❤❤❤❤ The Treasure aspect of Paldea is the biggest surprise for me😮
mf mentions colonialism cause of spain and portugal but dosen't mention that with kalos or gaalr, you know, the representation of france and britain the 2 biggest coloniam empires of all time, the british empire being the biggest empire in history controlling more landmass than even the mongolian empire
Yeah, I know that. I only brought it up with paldea cause I think plays a part in the region’s theme of exploration. The british empire doesn’t really have much to do with galar’s theme of legacy for example. Also, although the british are known for their colonies, as far as I can tell, spain is more strongly associated with concepts of “discovery”/exploration probably because of columbus’ spanish ships, conquistadors etc. It’s more so about a connection we make between iberia and searching for treasure rather than iberia and colonialism I suppose.
The difference between Kanto and Johto is still amazing to me. While Kanto is based all around science and biology and studies, Johto is more about traditions and myths. Their legendaries exemplify this the best, with Mewtwo being a horrible scientific experiment which led to the destruction of an entire lab, meanwhile Ho-Oh and Lugia are treated as gods and people built towers for them, even as far as leaving the Burned Tower the way it is to not anger them. The same applies to the mythicals, whereas Mew in Kanto is only treated as a biological discovery, the ancestor who has the DNA of every Pokemon and people tried to clone it, Celebi on the other hand is treated as the guardian deity of the forest, people don't want to know how it controls plants or how it travels through time, they're just happy that Celebi will appear to bless their forests and even built a shrine in its honor.
I think it’s strange you recognize the “progress vs tradition” dichotomy of Kanto and Johto but don’t accept technology/progress as Kanto’s theme, despite overwhelming evidence: - Porygon - cloning - reviving fossils - pokeballs and the pokédex being new (at least as originally intended) - the storage system being new - Bill’s transportation mishap - construction site - Silph Co - power plant - pollution pokemon - a mausoleum being turned into a radio tower But stranger than that, I’m not sure why you didn’t point out the parts of the game that DO support your take, such as Mew and Mewtwo, Cubone’s mother, or even the concept of evolution.
It’s more like I don’t think tech is intended to be the main theme. I acknowledge the fact that the motif is present but I don’t necessarily see it as the main theme of kanto. Traditionalism is way more essential to johto than modernism is to kanto imo. Im not claiming that to be the definitive answer though.
Not Sure What is The Theme For galar. But galar is About Pokémon Turning into Giants & Kings & Knights ETC. Just Wish After This, We Get A Gen 8 Legends Treatment. To Give Us A Proper Theme For galar. That’s Why Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 Needs To Happen. The Focus is On eternatus 🐉💀, The Game Mascot For Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮. Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 is Set in galar, But galar From The Distant Past, it is Set in The 19th Century, Where The Humans & Pokémon Living in galar Haven’t 100% Coexist Yet. And eternatus 🐉💀 is Causing A Phenomenon Known As dynamax & gigantamax in Which Pokémon Turn Big & Go Rampage. Your Job is To Stop Those Gigantic Pokémons & Stop & Capture eternatus 🐉💀 & Save The Region. And You Can Now Use eternamax eternatus 🐉💀 in This Game 🎮. Just Wishes That This Came True. But There’s Going To Be Gym Leaders Here Too. So This Makes galar The First Region To Have Gym Leaders At The 19th Century, & Most Of The Gym Leaders Are Ancestors Of The Current Gym Leaders in galar. And The Main Antagonist is The Ancestor Of chairman rose, So This is A Trait Shared With The Descendant chairman rose. So chairman rose Turns Bad Runs From His Ancestor.
Kanto: Modernization Johto: Tradition Hoenn: Environmentalism Sinnoh: History Unova: Duality Kalos: Beauty Alola: Conservationism Galar: Legacy Paldea: Self-discovery Alola also has an argument to be made that the region itself bears some subtle similarities to 2010’s Oblivia region featured in Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs, a game that I’m especially fond of. Meanwhile, Galar’s theme of passing down the torch to the next generation seems incredibly fitting in hindsight given how rushed and unfinished the development and content of the Switch Pokémon games feels 😅
*seconds after talking about UK* "Basing Paldea in Spain meant they had to talk about a history of bloody colonialism" One braincell. Just enough to keep his pants half clean
The issue here is that you basically refuse to look into anything beyond the surface. The themes of the Hoenn games, for example, are very much tied to real world politics going on in Japan and failing to mention that has to be an inherent failure when trying to talk about the region. Similarly, talking about Alola without mentioning the themes of colonization is a failure. I'd argue there are similar mistakes on your readings of the other regions, but these are the two most stark.
Speak up. You are SO much quieter than the TH-cam ads so when I turn the volume up loud enough to hear you I have to deal with the ads blowing out my eardrums.
Since you mentioned the hispanic colonialist era I was wondering why did you skip on UK and France’s colonialist nature? Not saying one is worse than the other, all are bad and should’ve been mentioned.
I noticed it too, but I found it authentic and honest. I don't like when TH-camrs (especially the American ones) are too expressive. It sounds fake and forced. That annoys me. I just want to tell them: "wow! Calm down! Speak normally".
![ละลาย (LALALYE) - DAOU PITTAYA ต้าห์อู๋ พิทยา [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wo6r9TgausI/mqdefault.jpg)
I think the alola region has an overarching theme of 'invasion'. there's a strong presence of hawaiian culture, but so many of these outside influences are bleeding into it. like modernism, team skull's delinquency, the aether foundation's tech, western ranches, eastern architecture, regional variants. even with the ultra beasts being designed with the theme of invasive species in mind. gamefreak could have used these themes as a parody of sort on how tourism has impacted hawaii.
I was about to comment this.
I feel like the invasion theme could come out again in an Australia themed region, as invasive species are serious business in Australia and Biosecurity is one of their main focus. So yeah, even a leaf stuck on the shoe you are bringing in is a no no.
Hell they got rid of trials in favor of Pokémon battles, which sucks because trials were AWESOME!
“Diversity is not our strength” - Alola
Yeah to me it's always been about the pluses and minuses of 'invasion', considering you yourself are a kantonian coming to move to Alola, and lillie gladion and lusamine are likely not from here either, it shows how introducing new things to places isn't always a bad thing but more often than not it can destroy traditions and culture and such (like how Lusamine's family moving there wasn't inherently bad, but ultimately the aether paradise was very very harmful to Alola, how lusamine harnessed the power of nihilego, an invasive species, and destroyed her OWN traditions, as in her family) . and you can see how Hau and Hala honor traditions of Alola like the whole island guardian stuff whereas guzma finds the traditions of Alola to be stifling and forms team skull because he couldn't live up to the expectations of these cultural norms. and you yourself come here and you explore the culture and you're recruited in the end to help send ultra beasts back safely where they belong and show an example of someone being respectful of these cultures and traditions, while you also become champion in the end and help kukui establish the first kantonian gym, showing an example of positive changes to an ecosystem. and of course there are so many pokemon in the region that really show the differences between invasive species and native species etc, more than any other region before or after. you can really see that Alola is an ecosystem and that nature and the traditions surrounding it are important to uphold, while they still offer sympathy to those invasive species when it comes to the ultra beasts, which, rather than just defeating them in battle, you relocate, because they are just as lost and not meant to survive in this ecosystem, and can cause harm to it if they aren't controlled ... god I love Alola so much
The Galar game theme is so interesting considering its where the show also finished its story making ash champion and moving on to a new story/protagonist
Not Sure What is The Theme For galar. But galar is About Pokémon Turning into Giants & Kings & Knights ETC. Just Wish After This, We Get A Gen 8 Legends Treatment. To Give Us A Proper Theme For galar.
That’s Why Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 Needs To Happen. The Focus is On eternatus 🐉💀, The Game Mascot For Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮. Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 is Set in galar, But galar From The Distant Past, it is Set in The 19th Century, Where The Humans & Pokémon Living in galar Haven’t 100% Coexist Yet. And eternatus 🐉💀 is Causing A Phenomenon Known As dynamax & gigantamax in Which Pokémon Turn Big & Go Rampage. Your Job is To Stop Those Gigantic Pokémons & Stop & Capture eternatus 🐉💀 & Save The Region. And You Can Now Use eternamax eternatus 🐉💀 in This Game 🎮. Just Wishes That This Came True. But There’s Going To Be Gym Leaders Here Too. So This Makes galar The First Region To Have Gym Leaders At The 19th Century, & Most Of The Gym Leaders Are Ancestors Of The Current Gym Leaders in galar. And The Main Antagonist is The Ancestor Of chairman rose, So This is A Trait Shared With The Descendant chairman rose. So chairman rose Turns Bad Runs From His Ancestor.
@@kerrywien6775 galar theme is royalty
@@kerrywien6775why did you type your comment like that 😭
For Kanto, I think there's also a theme of loving Pokemon as opposed to using them as tools. Both Blue and Giovanni share the trait of seeing Pokemon's power as a means to an end, and at the end of the game, Oak praises the player for truly respecting Pokemon and criticizes Blue for his mindset. Mewtwo's backstory also ties into this: He was created by those who wished to use him as a weapon, thus he saw himself as a weapon only good for destruction, until a truly caring trainer (and Mew) was able to change his mindset.
I think the main alola's theme is 'Family' too. Every character knows each other and even you are the only one that is unknown because of coming from another region, they always treat you like one more of the family. Is similar how Hawaii culture is, or Lilo and Stitch's theme too.
not to mention how everyone calls you "cousin" in those games, just like they do in hawaii
while you did acknowledge it, I'd argue Kitakami's themes are more like a challenging of Johto's, recognising while traditions can be important, history isn't always accurate, usually being told in a biased manner by the winners and how prejudice can warp the truth, like how everyone felt about Ogerpon and then how we later felt about Pecharunt and the Loyal Three until that video revealed they simply wanted to please the old couple.
Mega evolution also fits with Kalos’s secondary theme of coexistence because of how the lore behind it emphasizes how the pokemon & trainer need a strong bond in order to make it work
I agree, I just think it would've been better thematically if that was reflected in the mechanic (like needing a full friendship rating to mega evolve).
@@VoidCael Oh, I absolutely agree. That was one problem I had with mega evolution in the games since the lore behind it was mostly for fluff. If anything, they should've had it so that your pokemon first needed max affection in pokemon amie in order to unlock mega evolving (at least then it'd be used for other stuff besides getting Sylveon)
Another thing about Sword and Shield's theme about passing down the torch.
At the time of Sword and Shield's release, many of the millennials who played Pokemon since Gen I were starting to enter their 30s and become parents. So they are introducing the next generation to Pokemon themselves.
To me Alola has always been about Hawaii's problem with tourism and invasive species and the traditions that lie in its roots that must be honored for its survival. Lol not exactly a one word theme but it's basically in everything...
You play as a kid from Kanto who explores the region's culture and traditions while still bringing your own home there as well. A lot of the native Alolans refer to you as something familial (Hau calls your mom auntie, prof Kukui calls you and everyone else on earth cousin), and in turn of course you take on the island challenge and meet all of the island guardians and learn more about their history and pokemon. You show that inviting new species/people is not always a bad thing, so long as you are respectful, and you take the time and care to learn about the culture. The pokemon reflect this as well; the animals the starters are based off of aren't native to Hawaii themselves, and I'm pretty sure every regional variant is from Kanto, yet they have still adapted to the region, just like yourself.
Meanwhile, Lusamine is pretty obviously not from Alola... and she is basically an invasive species herself LOL. The aether paradise is clearly fairly harmful to Alola; there are very few boats in the game despite it being an archipelago yet most of them belong to Aether paradise, and that could be harmful to water pokemon; the aether paradise itself is literally a whole separate island...; and not to mention Lusamine is directly responsible for freezing pokemon and keeping them in containers, regardless of her personal motivations (which I am sympathetic to but like... jeez) . She & by extension aether paradise as a whole are examples of invasive species that can overwrite the traditions of the land, the ecosystem that was carefully built, essentially what has been happening to Hawaii itself for so long because at this point people go there for a culture they know nothing about outside of flanderizations made by tourist companies trying to sell an idyllic island getaway lol. This even happens in her personal life; while researching nihilego, an invasive species, her husband is taken from her, and in spite of everything else in her life, she dedicates all of her time to finding nihilego again, and ends up harming her own family. Aka she allows this invasive species to destroy her own traditions, as in her family.
The ultra beasts themselves show a different side of the situation... they are literally meant to be invasive, but rather than killing them off or whatever, you safely relocate them back in their dimensions (unless ur keeping it lol that's how pokemon games work), because they are both harmful and not fit for the ecosystem as is. Overall so many pokemon in Alola reflect how much of a complex ecosystem there is, more than any other pokemon game, with stuff like Mareanie eating Corsola, regional variants coming from different places and adapting to the ecosystem through evolution (just like the player character, by the way...) or how the island guardians keep their islands safe from attacks.
and then you have Hau (and Hala) who honors the traditions of Alola very well, even if he isn't planning on being the Kahuna at this time. I feel like a lot of people miss how good of a character Hau is not just because they skip all of the dialogue but also because they don't see the parallels between him and Guzma. Guzma grew up with a family that was implied to be abusive, and struggled with the societal norms of Alola's island challenge. He never had any way to resolve these issues, and ended up creating team skull because there are lots of kids who felt like they couldn't live up to the expectations of the people around them, finding the tradition to be stifling. Hau's father once had an argument with Hala because he didn't want to become the Kahuna, and ended up running off, leaving Hau all alone in Hala's care. Hala ended up realizing his mistakes after seeing how emotional Hau would get after yelling at him, and now he worries if he's being too soft on him. Now, after growing up with a guardian that supports him and doesn't push him into a role that he doesn't want, he is able to feel comfortable in his own skin and not feel pressured into expectations, like Guzma was. They even have a whole conversation with Hau saying that Guzma can be anything he wants to be, and that he wants to make everyone know that you don't need to do everything that's expected of you to succeed in life. Overall, this shows how tradition actually affects the people who uphold or try to uphold it. Sometimes these societal expectations can be impossible to live up to, and in Alola, where everyone is considered family, the disappointment is even more apparent. But Hau shows that you can go a more unconventional route without doing what is expected of you and still be great.
I really feel like Alola has some of the strongest and most complex + well executed themes in the series. Everyone talks about BW, and I love those games too, but saying that there's a grey area to EVERYTHING can sometimes just be wrong. and also I've tried and tried but I don't get what truth vs ideals really truly means
Cool video!
I'd argue that Alola's secondary theme isnt "space & aliens", but rather "life & adaptability".
Ultra Beasts are life forms from other universes, Alolan forms are Pokémon that adapted to new environments, Oricorio's forms are also a variation on adaptation... Plus, I'm pretty sure I've read somewhere that the developers wanted the region to be "full of life", with its lush environments, routes that were more organic than the previously grid-based routes, the colorful and tropical Pokémon, etc.
the main character and their mum also moved from Kanto and had to adapt to a new life there, to add to that theme ! There's also Lily's story about adapting, Alola trying to adapt to the rest of the region's, etc...
I recall hearing that a big motif in Scarlet and Violet is Passion vs Obsession.
We see many characters who clearly love certain things in the story, and that love pushes other people away from their lives whether they realize it or not.
Nemona: She says she loves battling so much she became very good to the point she became Champion. Unfortunately for her, there isn't anyone who shares this battle drive and her constant insisting in battle has lead to other students to stay away from her because they have no chance of winning, so why try.
Sada/Turo: Do i really need to get into detail with these two. Their obsession lead them to the basically ignoring their son that grew to resent them. If that's not bad enough, their obsession lead them to their own demise and even then, set up countermeasures to prevent anyone from stopping their research, even after death.
Kieran: He starts off as a shy kid, but it's constantly said in the DLC that he enjoyed Pokemon battling more than anything. But, after The Teal Mask story, his love for battling shifted to an obsessive push to himself with his only goal being to defeat the player. After he loses again, his obsession reaches a breaking point where he thinks a Legendary Pokemon is the only way to defeat you, which in turn his actions lead to nearly ending everyone in the Area Zero Depths.
There's other characters I can get into but I think these are the best examples to make the point.
I read that Sinnoh's theme was ultimateness and the concept of the absolute: Diamonds are generally believed to be the rarest and hardest-to-break gemstones, and Pearls are said to be among the most valuable, The main legendaries, depending on the legendary and the game, are fought at either the highest point in the region, the lowest, or the most far-removed, Arceus is said to be the absolute creator of everything and the Team Galactic aims to bring about the absolute end to everything, aditionally Hisui has another theme: The development of trust and how it can cause civilization to move forward.
Alola is the role of family, and its influence on identity and one's potential.
Galar is legacy, right, but also the worth and price of pursuing fame and/or recognition
Paldea aside for the concept of treasures is the impact of the past and the potential of the future; moving forward from conflict and trauma through reflection, reinvention, and finding new meaning for oneself
I find the theme you landed on for Kanto to be too wide a scope but we’re onto something earlier. Nature vs technology is more accurate to what the Kanto’s theme represents. The monsters and humans coexisting despite the pollution, mutation, and technological advancements of the ever changing world are reflected in the designs of the monsters and the world you explore.
What's funny is the largest cities in Kanto and Johto are based on the modern and traditional capitals of Japan, respectively. Saffron City is based on Tokyo and Goldenrod City is based on Kyoto.
I might be wrong but I think it's Ecruteak City that is based on Kyoto, while Goldenrod is based on Osaka?
I need them to make another region based on Japan. With the modern technology a lot of the region can look more realistic to Japan
Goldenrod is absolutely based on Osaka, Ecruteak is based on Kyoto. I see where you're coming from though.
Goldenrod is based on Osaka, but the basic idea of modern (Kanto) vs traditional (Kansai) are still there. Real life Kanto region has Tokyo and Yokohama, two very "modern" feeling cities, while the Kansai region feels much more like "traditional" Japan.
goldenrod is osaka
Solid video! I think you hit the nail on the head on most of these… aside from Alola.
I think the theme you gave it is a bit too messy and redundant with other reasons. Instead, the theme I’d say actually represents the region is: Family. Specifically the role of family, and its influence on identity and one's potential. There’s the whole deal with the Aether family, Guzma's deal with his family, Team Skull acting like one big family, characters close to you using various familial terms, and a bunch of extra lines from major and non-major characters about family.
Thought the same. Alola's theme is definitely family. You see it also in the anime, with Ash going to school and having Kukui has his true father figure (especially at the ending). In the games not only the story of Lillie, but also the general very tight community of Polynesian island, the way the characters are connected and they all know each other since kids, it's about the family you have, the family you choose and the community being your family.
Also like how everyone helps each other out in Hawai'i, you help people out and they help you in return in Alola. Plus one of the main plot points was Lillie finding people who cared about her after leaving her abusive mother
Came here to post the same, Alola’s theme is obviously family
Treasure is a metaphor for self discovery
Kanto’s theme is change, both good and bad.
Yes, growing up.
But also genetic mutations, both natural and unnatural.
From Eevee’s natural adaptation in different environments,
To man’s intentional genetic modification of Mew’s clone.
Also Weezing and Muk showing manmade pollution still fits the theme of change.
Lt. Surge is about how war changes a region and its people.
Lavender Town is about the effects of death, another major change.
And the cherry on top, what does Pikachu refuse to do?
Change into something it doesn’t want to be.
Tech
History
Nature
Myth
Truth vs ideals
Life and death
Invasive species/celestial bodies
Sports, energy crisis
Culture,exploration,self discovery
Not Sure What is The Theme For galar. But galar is About Pokémon Turning into Giants & Kings & Knights ETC. Just Wish After This, We Get A Gen 8 Legends Treatment. To Give Us A Proper Theme For galar.
That’s Why Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 Needs To Happen. The Focus is On eternatus 🐉💀, The Game Mascot For Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮. Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 is Set in galar, But galar From The Distant Past, it is Set in The 19th Century, Where The Humans & Pokémon Living in galar Haven’t 100% Coexist Yet. And eternatus 🐉💀 is Causing A Phenomenon Known As dynamax & gigantamax in Which Pokémon Turn Big & Go Rampage. Your Job is To Stop Those Gigantic Pokémons & Stop & Capture eternatus 🐉💀 & Save The Region. And You Can Now Use eternamax eternatus 🐉💀 in This Game 🎮. Just Wishes That This Came True. But There’s Going To Be Gym Leaders Here Too. So This Makes galar The First Region To Have Gym Leaders At The 19th Century, & Most Of The Gym Leaders Are Ancestors Of The Current Gym Leaders in galar. And The Main Antagonist is The Ancestor Of chairman rose, So This is A Trait Shared With The Descendant chairman rose. So chairman rose Turns Bad Runs From His Ancestor.
Kanto: Japan.
Johto: Japan.
Hoenn: Japan.
Sinnoh: Japan.
Unova: New York City.
Kalos: France.
Alola: Hawaii.
Galar: United Kingdom.
Hisui: Ancient Japan.
Paldea: Spain.
I think that while Hoenn surely does have a theme of ambientalism and balance, another aspects that is linked to these themes is that of dualism and rivarly. The third generation was the first to introduce double battles, two rivals, two villain teams, two pseudo-legendaries, and the two box legendaries directly fight eachothers unlike any other legendary duo before or after them (I mean there are Reshiram and Zekrom, but they don't directly fight eachothers on a natural basis, they end up fighting while following their trainers adventures. Xerneas and Yveltal are natural opposite but they don't fight eachothers, they just keep the balance between life and death doing their own things... which is mostly sleeping for thousands of years). It also introduced a
set of pokémon that are related to eachothers but that aren't part of the same evolutionary families: Plusle and Minun, Illumise and Volbeat, Solrock and Lunatone, the iconic rivals Zangoose and Seviper, and of course the legendary duo of Latios and Latias. It also introduced a parallel/alternative path to that of the standard pokémon trainer, that of the coordinator (a feature present in all the futures games even though in a sighty different form, and that disappeared exactly after the hoenn remakes sadly. Well technically it returned with the Sinnoh remakes but it never returned to the main games after gen 6)
Alola was misrepresented. It’s just Hawaii in the eyes of tourists.
I would argue that Johto's theme isn't simply tradition, so much as the passage of time and the old meeting the new. They're sequels to the immensely popular original games, and they run with it. As the theme song says, 'It's a whole new world with a brand new attitude, but you've still gotta' catch 'em all.' Examples:
The starting town's slogan is 'where the winds of new beginnings blow,' signifying this is the turning point from Generation 1 into a new adventure.
The comparisons of Goldenrod and Saffron being the old and new capitals of Japan were brought up, but now they're physically linked by the shiny new magnet train.
The villains, Team Rocket, are trying to bring back their boss and get back to their old ways instead of moving on, clinging to the past.
Jasmine was originally a rock type leader, but recently changed to the newly discovered steel type after her Onix evolved into Steelix. Her badge is literally a smoothed down Boulder Badge.
The entirety of Kanto's inclusion in the game, letting you see firsthand how things have changed over the past few years. Lavender town is at peace, Koga has upgraded to E4 status and left the gym to his daughter, and no progress has been made on that building in Vermillion.
Porygon evolving into the more advanced Porygon 2, giving a literal example of the evolution of technology.
The final boss of the game is a surprise showdown with your own character from the original games rocking some of Gen 1's greatest hits. Also Espeon, a new alternate evolution to an old favorite.
Unlike most other games that tend to force already existing species into the shadows of the new mons, Johto wasn't afraid to showcase the old favorites and the new guys alongside each other as equals. Gold and Silver know how to respect the legacy of the franchise while making their own contributions. With a few special exceptions, every old Pokemon could be caught in the wild in Gold and Silver.
This is a nice overview of the themes in each region. A deeper analysis & separate video on each region seems like a fun idea, but no pressure if you don’t want to do that.
I think it's odd that Gen 4 introduced the Pokemon of Space and Time, and a few Generations later, we get a region themed around Space (Alola) and one themed around Time (Paldea) yet Dialga and Palkia have no involvement in that.
Bc Solgaleo/Lunala are cosmic entities from Space and Koraidon/Miraidon are literally past/future forms 😂
we passing 6th grade language arts with this one
I believe most of the games have larger themes that are guided by the smaller themes you stated in the video.
In Hoenn and Unova the larger theme always felt like balance to me. I feel it’s shown very well in the Pokémon Adventures manga (Ruby and Sapphire arc) for Hoenn. Trying to not spoil it, but both the characters Ruby and Sapphire compete against each other to prove which is better, beauty or power. I’m the end they both realized they were wrong by believing only one was right. Balance could also just be a more basic form of environmental concern, as an ecosystem is all about balance. It is shown in how no matter which game you choose, the goals of the evil team never change. Both beliefs are flawed and the balance of both the land and water is what is needed. In Unova it’s be the balance between humans and animals/Pokémon. While humans can cause great harm to animals/pokemon, the two can also help each other. It takes a balance and understanding between the two to truly thrive. In Alola it takes both humans and pokemon working together to stop the ultrabeasts from invading and destroying alola.
In Kalos and also Galar, the larger theme feels like how you should learn from the past to create a better future. In both regions you see the villains attempting to reproduce something from the past to form a new future, without taking into account or learning from the consequences that same action in the past caused. In the games, your protagonist learns about this past and works to stop the same mistake from being made once again. This is flipped on its head in Hisui though. Instead of learning from the past, you are guided by your knowledge of the future to help shape past events, and stop the villain from changing the future.
Finally in Paldea I feel treasure is a very good overarching theme, but more metaphorical than real treasure like gold and jewels. The entire game shows how the “treasure” was never anything tangible, and it was the connections and friendships you formed throughout the journey. Even the legendary Pokémon you feel so much more connected to I feel. The line from the end credits “finding magic in all the smallest things” I feel sums it up. What you find joy in doesn’t need to be huge or flashy or expensive, as long as it means something to you. It feels like a great representation of pokemon in general. No matter how ugly people may find a pokemon, it is always someone’s favorite. The reason for may seem small to someone else, but to the person who loves that pokemon it isn’t. No matter how awful people say a game is, that game is always someone’s favorite.
Sorry for the stupidly long comment that is probably confusing. This concept just got me thinking a ton and I wanted to share my thoughts.
Interesting takes, never really thought about the legacy aspect in Galar. I really enjoyed the views in this video.
One thing I noticed is the volume or recording sounds changing throughout the video. Not a huge issue and I'm sure this was recorded over time, but something to keep in mind. Great video!
Not Sure What is The Theme For galar. But galar is About Pokémon Turning into Giants & Kings & Knights ETC. Just Wish After This, We Get A Gen 8 Legends Treatment. To Give Us A Proper Theme For galar.
That’s Why Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 Needs To Happen. The Focus is On eternatus 🐉💀, The Game Mascot For Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮. Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 is Set in galar, But galar From The Distant Past, it is Set in The 19th Century, Where The Humans & Pokémon Living in galar Haven’t 100% Coexist Yet. And eternatus 🐉💀 is Causing A Phenomenon Known As dynamax & gigantamax in Which Pokémon Turn Big & Go Rampage. Your Job is To Stop Those Gigantic Pokémons & Stop & Capture eternatus 🐉💀 & Save The Region. And You Can Now Use eternamax eternatus 🐉💀 in This Game 🎮. Just Wishes That This Came True. But There’s Going To Be Gym Leaders Here Too. So This Makes galar The First Region To Have Gym Leaders At The 19th Century, & Most Of The Gym Leaders Are Ancestors Of The Current Gym Leaders in galar. And The Main Antagonist is The Ancestor Of chairman rose, So This is A Trait Shared With The Descendant chairman rose. So chairman rose Turns Bad Runs From His Ancestor.
The themes of tradition vs. modernization are also prevalent in Hoenn with the conflict between the Draconids and the Devon Corporation when it comes to how they're going to solve the meteor crisis in the Delta Episode. However, Hoenn has its own spin on it because it also tugs on themes of colonialism and the erasure of indigenous culture within this conflict, as the Draconids are an indigenous group.
Interestingly, trauma and figuring out how to move on in the wake of it also seems to be a theme for many of Paldea's major characters.
I personally believe that science is the theme of Kanto, what with all the Pokémon directly or indirectly born due to human influence.
I think the theme for Paldea, "treasure", was pretty good! Although it could be further expanded upon since it also has a metaphorical aspect. I think another subtheme thats really prominent is about "how far are you willing to go in search of your treasure?" It kinda falls in line with how each of your rivals have a goal that they want to achieve, and that theyre willing to go through a lot just to achieve it.
For the main quest, its about how, if left unchecked, chasing after your treasure would result in changes and consequences that you never thought would occur. Both professors tried to chase after pokemon from different times, resulting in their death and forever changing area zero
@hiddenpowerpodcast you guys should bring this dude on the show! Very insightful and the idea for the episode was solid. 👏🏼
I’d argue that the theme of Alola draws heavily from the concept of family and interpersonal relationships
This video is excellent. I may be giving Sword and Shield too much credit here, but the way you explained the themes of legacy and finding your place in the world through the past generation's mistakes really makes sense.
I would argue that Alola's themes are more about the bittersweet idea of life being always changing (the Tapu Ruins on Ula Ula specifically but also the first regional forms) and always beautiful (the beauty in garbage-eating Grimer or the beauty in untouched natural landscapes) with smaller themes of traditionalism (such as the island challenge or Poni island suffering due to the traditions of the island ) and invasive species (both things like Japanese culture changing what Hawaiian culture there already was, as well as Ultra Beasts, obviously)
Alola’s theme is very clearly: family *insert fast and furious meme here*
The Japanese regions are the best for being big to see where you are, and small for the needed gameplay. Attractive sex dimorphism is iconic in those regions too.
I could argue that Alolas theme is perception what is perceived as such ultra beasts are known to be a threat but in actuality they are normal in the worlds they come from even ultra wormholes understanding that they are keyhole into other worlds we thought team skull was evil but it was actually Aether foundation
Your way of speaking and content of the information is so good, I want you to do other regions we've seen in other games(Orre, Fiore, Almia etc.) if anything to explore.
I agree with Kalos being the most beautiful region is terms of aesthetics. You used the exact word: picturesque.
I would say a theme of Galar is recreation, you see that in the way the gyms are set up, the evil team, and the starters
Not Sure What is The Theme For galar. But galar is About Pokémon Turning into Giants & Kings & Knights ETC. Just Wish After This, We Get A Gen 8 Legends Treatment. To Give Us A Proper Theme For galar.
That’s Why Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 Needs To Happen. The Focus is On eternatus 🐉💀, The Game Mascot For Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮. Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 is Set in galar, But galar From The Distant Past, it is Set in The 19th Century, Where The Humans & Pokémon Living in galar Haven’t 100% Coexist Yet. And eternatus 🐉💀 is Causing A Phenomenon Known As dynamax & gigantamax in Which Pokémon Turn Big & Go Rampage. Your Job is To Stop Those Gigantic Pokémons & Stop & Capture eternatus 🐉💀 & Save The Region. And You Can Now Use eternamax eternatus 🐉💀 in This Game 🎮. Just Wishes That This Came True. But There’s Going To Be Gym Leaders Here Too. So This Makes galar The First Region To Have Gym Leaders At The 19th Century, & Most Of The Gym Leaders Are Ancestors Of The Current Gym Leaders in galar. And The Main Antagonist is The Ancestor Of chairman rose, So This is A Trait Shared With The Descendant chairman rose. So chairman rose Turns Bad Runs From His Ancestor.
Great video. Kinda makes sense about the kanto part because That's always going to be the first step.
I think the themes of unova really tap into the polarization of politics and the 2 party system in America really well
I’d say a better way of phrasing a theme for Alola is about invasive species and how to deal with them.
Video went harder than a Shuckle!!!
Before watching, my interpretations of each region's theme:
Kanto- Japan, adventure, companionship
Johto- Japan, history, art
Hoen- Japan, environment and weather
Sinnoh/Hisui- Japan, big history, mythology
Unova- New York State, unification despite differences
Kalos- France, beauty and appreciation
Alola- Hawaii, exploring culture and the cosmic
Galar- UK, mythology (again) and generational change
Paldea- Spain, culture, friendship/found family, found purpose
Theme is supposed to end with an E!
@Amelia4111 sometimes people make mistakes when typing
What region and themes does CVN TY REGIROCK WITH A HANDBAG hails from and explores?
Cool cool cool. Only Alola is "wrong"😅 as many pointed out... But you got all other ones right.❤❤❤❤
The Treasure aspect of Paldea is the biggest surprise for me😮
Great video. Quite peak if i do say so myself
mf mentions colonialism cause of spain and portugal but dosen't mention that with kalos or gaalr, you know, the representation of france and britain the 2 biggest coloniam empires of all time, the british empire being the biggest empire in history controlling more landmass than even the mongolian empire
Yeah, I know that. I only brought it up with paldea cause I think plays a part in the region’s theme of exploration. The british empire doesn’t really have much to do with galar’s theme of legacy for example. Also, although the british are known for their colonies, as far as I can tell, spain is more strongly associated with concepts of “discovery”/exploration probably because of columbus’ spanish ships, conquistadors etc. It’s more so about a connection we make between iberia and searching for treasure rather than iberia and colonialism I suppose.
The difference between Kanto and Johto is still amazing to me. While Kanto is based all around science and biology and studies, Johto is more about traditions and myths. Their legendaries exemplify this the best, with Mewtwo being a horrible scientific experiment which led to the destruction of an entire lab, meanwhile Ho-Oh and Lugia are treated as gods and people built towers for them, even as far as leaving the Burned Tower the way it is to not anger them. The same applies to the mythicals, whereas Mew in Kanto is only treated as a biological discovery, the ancestor who has the DNA of every Pokemon and people tried to clone it, Celebi on the other hand is treated as the guardian deity of the forest, people don't want to know how it controls plants or how it travels through time, they're just happy that Celebi will appear to bless their forests and even built a shrine in its honor.
good job buddy i enjoyed this video
Excellent video!
Underrated video frfr
I think it’s strange you recognize the “progress vs tradition” dichotomy of Kanto and Johto but don’t accept technology/progress as Kanto’s theme, despite overwhelming evidence:
- Porygon
- cloning
- reviving fossils
- pokeballs and the pokédex being new (at least as originally intended)
- the storage system being new
- Bill’s transportation mishap
- construction site
- Silph Co
- power plant
- pollution pokemon
- a mausoleum being turned into a radio tower
But stranger than that, I’m not sure why you didn’t point out the parts of the game that DO support your take, such as Mew and Mewtwo, Cubone’s mother, or even the concept of evolution.
It’s more like I don’t think tech is intended to be the main theme. I acknowledge the fact that the motif is present but I don’t necessarily see it as the main theme of kanto. Traditionalism is way more essential to johto than modernism is to kanto imo. Im not claiming that to be the definitive answer though.
Not Sure What is The Theme For galar. But galar is About Pokémon Turning into Giants & Kings & Knights ETC. Just Wish After This, We Get A Gen 8 Legends Treatment. To Give Us A Proper Theme For galar.
That’s Why Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 Needs To Happen. The Focus is On eternatus 🐉💀, The Game Mascot For Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮. Pokémon Legends: Eternatus 🎮 is Set in galar, But galar From The Distant Past, it is Set in The 19th Century, Where The Humans & Pokémon Living in galar Haven’t 100% Coexist Yet. And eternatus 🐉💀 is Causing A Phenomenon Known As dynamax & gigantamax in Which Pokémon Turn Big & Go Rampage. Your Job is To Stop Those Gigantic Pokémons & Stop & Capture eternatus 🐉💀 & Save The Region. And You Can Now Use eternamax eternatus 🐉💀 in This Game 🎮. Just Wishes That This Came True. But There’s Going To Be Gym Leaders Here Too. So This Makes galar The First Region To Have Gym Leaders At The 19th Century, & Most Of The Gym Leaders Are Ancestors Of The Current Gym Leaders in galar. And The Main Antagonist is The Ancestor Of chairman rose, So This is A Trait Shared With The Descendant chairman rose. So chairman rose Turns Bad Runs From His Ancestor.
Can you please not capitalize the first letter of every word? Nobody does that!
Nah, Gen 9, be it Paldea or Kitakami or BB Academy is all about friendship.
Well explained wow
Kanto: Modernization
Johto: Tradition
Hoenn: Environmentalism
Sinnoh: History
Unova: Duality
Kalos: Beauty
Alola: Conservationism
Galar: Legacy
Paldea: Self-discovery
Alola also has an argument to be made that the region itself bears some subtle similarities to 2010’s Oblivia region featured in Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs, a game that I’m especially fond of. Meanwhile, Galar’s theme of passing down the torch to the next generation seems incredibly fitting in hindsight given how rushed and unfinished the development and content of the Switch Pokémon games feels 😅
I was surprised by how similar cocona village and iki town are
Guardian Signs mention!!
Subbed
When i clicked on this video i expected it to be about MUSIC
Kalos in ancient greek means beauty
Tech vs nature for kanto for sure
Do you like the themes in the Pokemon games?
For the most part yes
Ironic that galar was legacy when its legacy is going to be shallow execution
*seconds after talking about UK*
"Basing Paldea in Spain meant they had to talk about a history of bloody colonialism"
One braincell. Just enough to keep his pants half clean
The issue here is that you basically refuse to look into anything beyond the surface. The themes of the Hoenn games, for example, are very much tied to real world politics going on in Japan and failing to mention that has to be an inherent failure when trying to talk about the region. Similarly, talking about Alola without mentioning the themes of colonization is a failure. I'd argue there are similar mistakes on your readings of the other regions, but these are the two most stark.
They had the uk now we need one based in Ireland (all 36 areas not just the south) 26+6=1
i'm really weary of people talking about pokemon regions and skipping orre. orre is the best of all of them.
orre was the first region to not be based in anywhere in japan, not unova. you lied.
Speak up. You are SO much quieter than the TH-cam ads so when I turn the volume up loud enough to hear you I have to deal with the ads blowing out my eardrums.
you get ads?
Thank you being so kind all mighty all knowing God help me and these people to better understand you
Since you mentioned the hispanic colonialist era I was wondering why did you skip on UK and France’s colonialist nature? Not saying one is worse than the other, all are bad and should’ve been mentioned.
10:37 I just wanted to watch a cool pokemon video 🙄
i would talk a bit slower
unova is pronounced "un-of-a" and kalos is pronounced "call-os"
Kalos gang like here
Funny how you mentioned colonialism for Spain but not for Japana, USA; France and UK ALL of them colonialist countries
your voice is too monotone, might as well use Text-to-Speech
I noticed it too, but I found it authentic and honest. I don't like when TH-camrs (especially the American ones) are too expressive. It sounds fake and forced. That annoys me. I just want to tell them: "wow! Calm down! Speak normally".
"Bloody colonialism" says the guy speaking English. Humm i wonder where all the navites in north America are 🤔🤔 (beaides from a couple reserves).
Would you rather have him do this video in 54 different languages so it satisfies your self-righteousness?
Blud is defending colonialism ☠️
It’s not his fault though. Get angry at the ones who actually committed atrocities.
I've heard it said that Unova's theme is actually extremism and compromise, as well as diversity.
This was an awesome video worth a sub love the thought put into each region thus was great