Is Pokemon Scarlet and Violet based on Spain?

Is Pokemon Scarlet and Violet based on Spain?
Si Yan Updated on by

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Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is the newest installment in the main line of Pokemon games. Scarlet and Violet will be the first two games of Generation IX, which takes place in the wonderful expansive region of Paldea.

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Some fans speculate that Spain served as the inspiration for this beautiful and sunny region. Even though there is no official statement from Game Freak regarding this matter, such a thing isn’t unprecedented because the regions in Game Freak’s prior games have all been modeled after specific locations in the real world.

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Let’s take the regions from Generation XIII and XII for examples. The Galar region in Sword and Shield was modeled after the United Kingdom, and the region of Alola in Sun and Moon was modeled after Hawaii. Many of the locations in-game prominently featured the similarities between the locations and their real world counterparts.

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There are a lot of things that are similar between Paldea and Spain, such as locations that resemble those of the real world, Pokemon with Spanish words incorporated into their names, and even the physical shape of the region itself! There is a plethora of evidence that supports the claim that Pokemon has been inspired by Spain.

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First off, the shape of the Paldean landmass (pictured above) is strikingly similar to that of the Iberian Peninsula, which is home to the countries of Spain, Portugal, and Andorra. This is reminiscent of the fact that the map of Galar had a shape that was similar to the United Kingdom’s when flipped upside down.

In addition, several of the Pokemon that are now known to be native to this region have names and appearances that are influenced in some way by Spanish culture or language.
For example:

  • Fuecoco’s name can be interpreted as the combination of the words “fuego” (Spanish for fire) and “cocodrilo” (Spanish for crocodile)
  • Sprigatito’s name  is a combination of the words “sprig” and “gatito” (Spanish for kitten) 
  • Lechonk resembles the Black Iberian Pig in appearance, since it is a little pig with a black coat and black eyes. In addition, its name is a portmanteau formed by the words “lechon” (which is Spanish for suckling pig) and “chonk”, to denote his hefty nature.

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A great number of the cities and buildings in Paldea are modeled after their real-life counterparts in Spain. There are only currently three settlements revealed in the game, Mesagroza, Levincia and Artazon.

The biggest city in the Paldea region is Mesagoza, which has an appearance and architecture that is comparable to that of Barcelona. It would appear that the Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona was the architectural source for the Pokemon Academy located here.

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Levincia takes inspiration from the city of Valencia, a coastal city famous for its futuristic looking museums and institutions. The buildings found in Levincia definitely have a futuristic style to them. Levincia is also the residence of the Electric-type gym Leader Iono!

Artazon resembles Murcia and Cartagena, both of which are located in the Murcia area of Spain. These cities play a vital part in Spain’s horticulture. The similarities are reinforced by the fact that Artazon is also focused on agriculture and even has a Grass-type gym leader, Brassius!

Following all of this supporting evidence, it is safe to state that Pokemon indeed has shown some love to Spain by modeling Paldea after it. 

Is Pokemon Scarlet and Violet based on Spain – FAQ

What country is Scarlet and Violet based on?

Both versions Scarlet and Violet were inspired by Mediterranean Spain.

Is there a region in Scarlet and Violet based on Spain?

Yes, Paldea has been created and styled on Spain