25 Times the Pokémon Games Referenced the Anime!

The Pokemon anime and games are probably the two biggest pillars of the Pokemon series, and while most of the time they both do their own separate thing, they will reference one another on occasion! In today's video, I am going to be highlighting 25 times the Pokemon games referenced the anime, including a bunch you probably don't know about!
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#Pokemon #PokemonAnime #PokemonTrivia

[@MrNetWraith]

Surprised you didn't mention that the entire reason Pokemon Yellow only lets you catch Caterpie and not Weedle is in homage to how that stupid bug-catching samurai messed up Ash's attempt to catch a Weedle in the anime.

[@stel_stela]

So true

[@pumpkin6192]

Probably cuz it's already obvious

[@midnightgamer2158]

Lol

[@Yerba1909]

What I don't know how he didn't mention was Red's HG/SS Team being a reference to Ash's Team through the Orange Islands.

[@elijahpadilla5083]

@@Yerba1909 Because Red's team composition is also, famously, based on Pokémon the player is forced into contact with in R/B/G/Y. The four total starters available in Gen 1, given Pikachu is your starter in Yellow, plus all three Kanto starters. Snorlax, who roadblocks the player regardless, and must be awakened with the Poké Flute. In G/S/C, Espeon, the gift Eevee. In HG/SS, Lapras, the gift Pokémon you can get your hands on right before taking on Giovanni. I assume they switched from Espeon to Lapras to not presume what the player might have evolved Eevee into, which also explains the lack of a Fossil or Hitmon, the other potential gift Pokémon; they require the player making an active choice in which Pokémon to pick.

[@bowtiesrcool86]

In Alola there's a trainer who shares her name with Pikachu's VA and she has a Pikachu.

[@ryanbaker7434]

You forgot about the route 9 trainer that uses a sandshrew which is a reference to aj

[@OmegaX5000]

He even goes on about how you'll be the 100th trainer he's won against before battling him, just like AJ does in the anime.

[@IAmMissingnoMaster]

@@OmegaX5000 And to top it all off, the Sandshrew knows Fissure.

[@OmegaX5000]

@@Alexdluffy2451 This was for Pokémon Yellow, which took massive inspiration from the anime, which already is loosely based off of the games to begin with. It's the whole reason why your starter in Yellow is a Pikachu and you can pick up a Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle at roughly similar points that Ash did in the anime, as well as why there are wild Pidgeotto in Viridian Forest.

[@ryanbaker7434]

Also you can get muk at the power plant

[@PokemonMasterRyan2]

@@IAmMissingnoMaster t

[@sakurabiskuit]

When Alolan Raichu was revealed I immediately remembered Puka from the anime. It's a shame that they didn't make an Alolan Pikachu with blue eyes.

[@nickdentoom1173]

Or a Gigantamax one.

[@benedictdakirby9919]

@@nickdentoom1173 poor raichu he has an regional form and pichu and pikachu but they don't :(

[@smashbrosguyt915]

I used to think mimikyu was alolan pikachu

[@kannan07]

@@smashbrosguyt915 lol

[@chapthanthunderkid1235]

They lost potential but it’s nice that Raichu got more than it’s evolution line being that Raichu’s less popular

[@incineroar9933]

The rocket grunt in Gold and Silver also has Jessie's earrings

[@fatuusdottore]

And she looks like Cassidy. :P

[@TheAnalyticalEngine]

Isn't the the Gen 2 Ariana sprite at least somewhat based off of Jessie as well?

[@championlillieslovablelife8866]

I like Incineroar can I catch u?

[@shinydecidueye9593]

What. The. *Hell*

[@kannan07]

Fun fact Ash's mom's Mr. Mime aka Mimey is actually Ash's,he caught it for her and he uses it now

[@sandgrunge]

Not his actual father?

[@kannan07]

@@sandgrunge nope

[@kannan07]

@@sandgrunge he caught it for her

[@tamamo3964]

YOOOOO

[@kannan07]

@@tamamo3964 yooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[@GarlicConnoisseur]

Him: Brock always gets rejected By Girls. Olivia: A FOOLISH MISCALCULATION

[@periandirep]

There's an NPC in SU/MO who uses a Pikachu and is named after the Japanese Voice-Actor. There's an NPC in Let's Go! Who uses an Eevee ( One of the 150/151 Trainers ) that's named after Eevee's Japanese Voice-Actor, as well. :)

[@zeldaenby224]

The pikachu girl is named Ikue, you can find her in the graveyard

[@kevinmyers8606]

I feel like you've been working hard with the content lately man, keep up the good work

[@slevinchannel7589]

Yeah, but no Mystery Dungeon Content. And no Pokemon Ranger Content. That aint good.

[@sykrae]

Thank you kevin myers

[@zoelindwall637]

What about Pokémon super mystery dungeon Easter egg where the tree of life is a Easter egg of the tree of beginning in the lucurio and mystery of Mew movie

[@kannan07]

Really? Which game?

[@zoelindwall637]

@@kannan07 Pokémon super mystery dungeon

[@kannan07]

@@zoelindwall637 oh I have never played it that's why

[@slevinchannel7589]

2:30: OR its not a reference but its really just all of them. Get what i mean?

[@zoelindwall637]

@@slevinchannel7589 yes

[@Povejmikatrina]

The moment I saw the title I immediately thought of Pokémon Yellow which is basically a giant reference to the animes, and the Ash Greninja from Sun and Moon.

[@commandixnostalgia2321]

VolknerIsAMood Pokemon Yellow techinally IS based on the anime.

[@thecommentato4]

@@commandixnostalgia2321 Pokemon yellow is basically the anime

[@devonteedwards2093]

Seeing the games referencing the anime is really cool to see

[@That_Epseon99]

In fire/red there is a lass trainer named dawn in the S.S Ann

[@devonteedwards2093]

Really,that's interesting

[@nightflame389]

Alternate title: 25 times Pokemon referenced Pokemon

[@manegameryt2390]

*Insert Obama giving reward to Obama*

[@nikhilmwarrier7948]

@@manegameryt2390 lol

[@DestructX]

4:04 Sepultura is also a metal band

[@mrdilonemusic]

The most metal trainer in pokemon

[@dawtoloo]

Doesn't anyone love that a mankey is named GotYourHat

[@midnightgamer2158]

Ikr hahahahaha

[@KawaiiHippityHop-cl5bb]

Togepi isn’t crying softly in the anime picture. She looks more like “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! I WANT CANDY!”

[@joanhill4666]

What about in Detective Pikachu when the titular character talks to Ash's Pikachu and says "Go tell him to be the very best, like no one ever was"?

[@zeldaenby224]

Because its just a spin off game, and very obvious

[@WarmLillie]

So many many wonderful moments that can be done in game. ^^ It really makes me feel like an anime protagonist / nostalgia and surprise when I see it.

[@Xytler2]

ok was the rowlett one REALLY an anime reference or was just ash's living up to its dex entry?!

[@elijahpadilla5083]

I mean, it's an entry specific to the Ultra games, which came out *after* the Alola anime started. They could very easily have written the entry after the anime team wrote that gag in.

[@DannyRFN]

The Sun and Moon demo letter was super cool and 100% my one of my favourite references in the series!

[@ayushnayak8746]

Funfact: Cilan's Japanese VA is also the VA of Light Yagami in Death Note. Also Clemont's Japanese VA is also the VA of Eren Yeager in Attack on Titan.

[@hobbysaur7884]

4:07 maybe the name sepultura, can be a reference to a Brazlian rock band which has the same name

[@patinhoquemoralogoali9280]

Sepultura significa "Grave" pros americano Sepultura means Grave

[@emanuellgabriel]

Take me with a blast of Eternabeam to watch this!!! I love your video Hoops. Thanks again for this video!

[@Mario87456]

You forgot the trainer in the gen 7 games who is named after Pikachu’s voice actress and even has the same name in English not to mention she uses a Pikachu as well.

[@BBMacsWorld]

I never realized how many references there were to the anime in the game. I knew about the kangaskhan ome and the photo of Ash in Totem Mimikyus lair

[@Jt123w]

Out of all of the 25 game references to the anime well the first one was the one that I totally forgot about.😂

[@wiibrockster]

I greatly prefer the Games and Manga over the Anime,I do appreciate the little cross canon references.

[@brandi3981]

all the ash hat pikachu also which BTW in the main series games you can't evolve but you can in GO (i have 2 ash hat riachu so far)

[@Sinamuna]

You know what they should've done, or should do in a future event sorta thing? Kangaskahn with a Pichu in its pouch to reference Ash's Pikachu's backstory. ;w; That would be so cool to see in-game.

[@Pika250]

And Puka may somehow have evolved into an Alolan Raichu off-camera, maybe on a world tour and it just happened to come across Alola? A region that's absolutely well known for its surfing?

[@kaq466]

You should make a part 2 of this. I like watching these references. It's really fun to watch.

[@SkyDragoon]

Pretty neat video Hoops! I didn’t know I knew so few of them!

[@khazm2451]

Ooooh that music went so well with the opening!

[@thefirespecialist9007]

I think my most favorite Pokemon Anime reference in the Pokemon Games is in ORAS, during the Delta Episode, when Steven talked about battling along side a Trainer with a Black Charizard, that being Alain, from XYZ, in reference to The Mega Evolution Special Part 2, and Part 3! I freaked out when playing that part, loved it!

[@KawaiiHippityHop-cl5bb]

I love Aoi Yuuki, she is one of my idols! She voices Cure Grace from Healing Good PreCure. ^w^

[@Lyokoheros-KLPXTV]

"if the world of pokemon in the anime and the games might actually be one and the same somehow" - actually I would like that. And even more I would like a theory on HOW it would be...

[@tahairfan4630]

You forgot about Jessie James meowth and AJ appearing in Pokémon yellow

[@Joe_334]

Brendan appearing at the start of one of the gen 3 movies, with an aggron.

[@auditect950]

3:00 This is a common misconception, but the female G/S rocket grunt is not, in fact, based on Cassidy. This design was originally made for the Pokémon Trading Card game and both Cassidy as well as the G/S grunt were based on that design. A third Team Rocket member with a similar design (albeit with brown hair and a purple outfit) is seen in Pokémon Stadium. bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Rocket%27s_Sneak_Attack_(Team_Rocket_16)

[@wolfie7051]

In the Detective Pikachu game, Pikachu talks to another Pikachu that, due to the conversation, is obviously Ash's Pikachu.

[@patrickkh1245]

10:26 omg What If puka came from alola. The trainer found her lost in the ocean didnt he?

[@masterblockplayz]

What about Ash's Pikachu? It can be seen in the Sun and Moon episode where he battles Lillie's mom. Pikachu is wearing Ash's hat, and you can get Ash's Pikachu in the games.

[@eden5767]

Brock never actually was rejected by the girls he hit on, Misty, Croagunk and Max(🙄) always stopped him by dragging him away

[@fsanmiguel666]

Sepultura is also a reference to a famous Brazilian thrash metal band from the 80s!

[@dashawnjennings9357]

I love cool references like these 🥰

[@justinarney3050]

Yeah the anime and the games are definitely not "one in the same". I mean its quite clear that the anime and games are separate/alternate universes. Now there could be "an Ash" in the games who has a pikachu but it wouldnt be the same Ash from the anime kind of like how the new Movie Ash isnt the same character from the main show. (or Ash in the manga)

[@missplayer30]

I wonder how long until Gamefreak is gonna add Ash himself into the core games. Or even Pokemon Masters. I mean they did put his Greninja into the game (Heck, it's also called Ash-Greninja too), by doing so, they just opened a floodgate. Apparently, Ash and Red can in fact coexist in the same universe. All this time I thought they were supposed to be stand-in to each other's (Not quite the same characters tho) universe.

[@oscarisaksson5553]

Also brock even mentions in pokemon yellow that he aspires to become a breeder instead of a trainer

[@timr.3311]

I love how near the ending you played a remix of Bedes battle team music. Can you maybe do Klaras next video?

[@itzfrluas]

You forgot to touch the Ash Hat reference in SwSh, where the Isle of Armor Pokédex lady mentions Ash.

[@jakeriese4862]

Really? What do they say?

[@itzfrluas]

@@jakeriese4862 something about a boy who wore the hat that's awarded to you, and how he met many different Pokémon. Pretty sure no other famous trainer other than Ash wore that hat.

[@jakeriese4862]

@@itzfrluas thanks. Yep that's true

[@AshKetchum442]

Oh. I thought Sepultura was a reference to the metal band

[@christianlorre]

Also in pokemon go if you do the quest for shiny mew, the professor was reading old material that gave hints to finding mew, and he says it says something about wanting to be the very best, searching far and wide.

[@patrickkh1245]

The thing that shocked me the most was the refrence to Alain! He is one of my favourite characters. That is so cool! I hope he gets added to masters ex or something like that.

[@youraveragephesh3173]

“Togepi suddenly begun crying softly” relatable bro. i cri evrytiem.

[@nurcirino]

Nice video idea man, solid work!

[@jolokko3090]

I don't know if this counts but didn't Ash' Pikechu have a little cameo in the detective pikachu game.

[@thevintagevaluesexperience4302]

Interesting that Sun & Moon just happen to be the games Ash appeared in. Keep in mind that Sun & Moon revolve around the multiverse. What if Ash is just Red from another universe?

[@commandixnostalgia2321]

again,the Black and White game came before the anime.

[@LegendStormcrow]

I think Ash exists in the games, but not THE Ash we know from the anime.

[@somebody8432]

"which is a *direct* reference to..."

[@brycevo]

this is very amazing

[@thebandanadee8265]

Ah yes, and this video is a direct reference to- directly.

[@KogawaYuri-ENVtuber]

For some reason I was interested in the fact that the trainer in the Aloan raichu fact was wearing a pikachu top and jacket and I want one for myself lol

[@arcuscotangens]

If memory serves, the japanese name Shigeru was first used as a default name for the rival in Red / Green. So Gary being called that in the japanese anime is not original but a reference to the games to begin with. Later games using the name for other rivals would then be either a reference to the first games, or a reference to the anime's reference to the first games.

[@akarimoone661]

There was also a reference to the anime in Detective Pikachu(The game) where Tim will confuse Ash's Pikachu with Detective Pikachu, it's proved after that as he says "The Pikachu's trainer want's to be the Very Best, like no-one ever was" (That was paraphrasing but it's there in a cutscene)

[@kooka9734]

Me seeeeees thumb Me: Well what do ya think? Topgepi began crying hardly?

[@WarmLillie]

*Lillie has Rowlet and Nebby in the bag*

[@commandixnostalgia2321]

Warm Lillie That was Ash's bag. Not Lillie. And later on,we had Meltan in the bag.

[@WarmLillie]

@@commandixnostalgia2321 That the joke

[@LloomiDreamz]

fun fact: version exclusives and titles like sword and sheild are just a way for Nintendo to make more money

[@LloomiDreamz]

lol just figured it out :)

[@abhaydaga7107]

U do really superb editing

[@Pixie_Shmixie]

Aoi is pronounced “ow-E”, by the way!

[@melkhiordarkfell4354]

Not sure if you know but another anime reference for Misty is in Let's Go Pikachu/Eevee, the first Pokémon she sends out is Psyduck, a reference to the anime Psyduck always coming out by himself before Misty can use the Pokémon she actually wanted.

[@Taydar]

You could say that the anime is more important than the games, as that is many people's introduction to Pokemon.

[@Countcomfortable]

You are not the circus. You are the entire concept of comedy.

[@MasterArchfiend]

By “implied” you mean confirmed as soon as you check the OT of that demo Greninja. Of course we have also had a number of event Pokémon based on ones owned by characters owned in the anime with the most recent batch being Ash’s Journeys team.

[@skylineaudio7141]

I’m actually surprised that no one has pointed out the obvious reference from Black and white. I cannot remember where, and I cannot find the reference, but I remember watching an early Pokémon episode. In this episode there was a person I can’t remember if he was a professor trainer or what but when Pikachu is harmed, this man helps ash misty and Brock out. The funny thing about this guy, is that he could speak to Pokémon. And I feel that n, from Pokémon black-and-white one is a direct reference to this individual.

[@crazymario125]

5:23 I did not want to be reminded of that episode

[@comics4556]

Same i kinda hated that episode

[@hajisaiku]

See me the way I think it's all connected is the games are literally happening almost at the same time as the anime either right before the anime, right after or somewhere right along side the anime where each in game event happens either before ash or after ash

[@Treesarewoke]

Im pretty sure they are separate universes

[@tylernorris812]

Who Noticed That Sun, In Pokemon Sun And Moon Wears The Same Clothes As Ash Does In The Sun And Moon Anime? Reference? I Dunno.

[@keifujitora6587]

Pokemon Sun and Moon came before the anime, so it's obvious Ash wears the same clothing as Sun/Elio

[@nickdentoom1173]

Wasn't Gary being a researcher mentioned in XY as well.

[@jakeriese4862]

He is. In Sinnoh he was Rowan's assistant

[@fatuusdottore]

This is sooooooo cool! Edit: I’m not sure how it could be the same world when Ash didn’t stop, for example, Team Galactic in the games. And Giratina was not involved in Cyrus’ destruction, it was Palkia and Dialga who killed my boy in the anime. :( We could go on, like Steven not being in X and Y, etc. I think they’re just fun Easter eggs.

[@katherinemckenzie7788]

Idk about some of them, but most of these are awesome.

[@Satans_Little_Helper]

How about a video on all the game systems found in game?

[@TsuriaDragon]

10:35 I don't know why when I saw this picture of the little girl made me think of Molly from Pokemon 3 with Entei

[@Gimas96]

Same,I saw that little girls and I said to myself:”oh,there’s Molly too,cool”.

[@justintimes3265]

It might also be connected to the Smash games, since Ash-Greninja got an invitation.

[@Levi_The_One_The_Only]

Thumbnail: "Togepi began crying softly!" Togepi in the thumbnail: 😫😰😢😢😪😭😭😭

[@jayden2669]

Truely an underrated channel

[@commandixnostalgia2321]

No,the Rowlet sleeping in Ash's bag IS a reference to its pokedex entry. Not the other way around. The game was released before the anime.

[@originofcomics4973]

You r best love your videos 👍🏻😎👍🏻

[@VictorHernandez-nj2lo]

Next to the female jr trainer is a male jr trainer w/a weepinbell which also references that episode

[@Thedragonlover95]

The things you can find in these, are fun

[@Pikachu-zt9qw]

No one's gonna talk about munchingorange's Pokemon X and y playthrough clips

[@McChanTheCuteSheepie]

Fun fact: every Pokémon game is set a small while after the anime so they’re pretty much intended parts of the game telling you that you are the epilogue

[@theinsanegamer1024]

Ah yes I loved the part of platinum where cyrus reappeared from the dimension he disappeared into in the anime and redid his entire plan and making the same mistake of underestimating an 11 year old after breaking his admins out of jail.... and when team magma and team aqua both failed to ash and retried their plans in the exact same way and not learning from their past at all nearly dooming the planet again in the process... or when N rebuilt his kingdom and unlearned his lessons... or when team flare went public and failed but everyone just forgot lysander was a mad man. (To be fair, seeing how no one reacted to his obviously evilness, I wouldn't be surprised)... wait what was I talking about again...? Doesn't matter anyway, it's just what I think and it's not like there is story elements and known canonical occurrences that could disprove it.

[@StraightestManAlive]

Bruh I still need to get the let's go games at some point

[@shinyhunteralana2297]

The one about Ash & Pikachu in Alola I think is true about them being connected

[@luissantiago5163]

Awesome vid!

[@dontmindme5879]

Pokemon snap 2 coming out. You should do a video on photogenic pokemon. The anime has shown pokemon can love to be on camera or be actors/tresses in the universe

[@sweetieheartmlp655]

And I was waiting to hear that you would say all the Eeveelutions' "name trick" in Pokémon GO is a reference to the anime. For example, if you name your Eevee "Sakura" it will evolve into an Espeon, which is a reference to the Espeon trainer, Sakura. Also, one of Sakura's sister is named Tamao, and that's also a reference, if you name your Eevee Tamao, it'll evolve into an Umbreon. Linnea and Rea are also references. I'm not sure if you already mentioned that, 'cause I'm new to your channel.

[@maganhassan2627]

I think he's just focusing on main series games

[@hlgm64]

I thought that shigeru thing was about shigeru miyamoto who created Mario and helped make Pokémon red and green

[@ishtar3676]

I was expecting Youngster Joey to be on list.

[@metaalboekee665]

Wow cilan and iris have some voice actors who are very prominent on the anime scene. For reference cilan's va also is dazai from bungo stray dogs and aoi yuki is mostly known for her roles as madoka from madoka magica and tachibana from symphogear. But u personally knw her as cure grace from precure

[@keifujitora6587]

Aoi Yuki is also big in Fate series as Okita Souji, Karigiri Jinako, Shuten Douji, and more She's also Futaba in Persona 5

[@metaalboekee665]

@@keifujitora6587 wow she is very talented

[@keifujitora6587]

@@metaalboekee665 you'll be surprised how many of them are like that Otani Ikue, Hayami Saori, Shitaya Noriko... you'll find their names in most anime and video games. Like I'm surprised that Shitaya Noriko voices Candice(Sinnoh), Viola(Kalos), and SPOINK the pig pokemon! They all sound different. Then we have Kyoko(Is This A Zombie) and Moegi(Naruto), also by her.

[@mcguirek16]

10:44 How did I miss that?

[@npq433]

Fun fact but theory :v That's actually a part of anime and game story that happen in different universe. From alola eps 108 theory of Parallel universe canon.