JAKARTA: A trailer for the next mainline Pokemon games, released on Feb 27, has ignited speculation across South-East Asia that the franchise’s next adventure could be set in the region – and fans here are convinced they have spotted the clues to prove it.
The reveal trailer for Pokemon Winds and Pokemon Waves, dropped by Japanese developer Game Freak, showed sweeping tropical landscapes: terraced rice fields, coastal villages, mangroves and islands surrounded by blue seas.
The Pokemon Company has not commented on the regional inspiration behind the games, which are not due for release until 2027.
But that has not stopped fans in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines scanning every frame, comparing maps and trying to turn speculation into certainty.
A question has since been raised, dominating gaming forums, Reddit threads and X timelines: Could this be home?
Of the many scenes in the 3½-minute trailer, one of the most-talked-about shots is a sweep across what appears to be terraced rice fields, which many fans have likened to those found across the region.
On March 1, Singapore-based international gaming outlet GosuGamers said the imagery – together with the broader tropical setting of islands, mangroves and coastal villages – was among the clearest reasons fans in the region began connecting the dots.
Filipino news outlet ABS-CBN said in an article on the same day that the terraces resembled the famous Banaue Rice Terraces in the Philippines.
Beyond the landscape, some viewers have begun analysing the architecture shown in the footage.
ABS-CBN noted that buildings resembling Pokemon Centers and Poke Marts – in-game hubs where trainers heal their creatures and buy items – bear similarities to neighbourhood sari-sari stores, the small convenience shops commonly found across the Philippines.
Indonesian fans have drawn parallels as well, with some saying the buildings resemble warung, the small family-run stores commonly found across the archipelago’s 17,000-plus islands.
Other eagle-eyed netizens have zoomed in on the same scene to highlight decorative motifs on one building.
Some said the patterns resemble songket, the traditional woven textile associated with parts of Indonesia and Malaysia. Others compared them with batik designs widely found in Indonesia, particularly on the island of Java.
Filipino gamer and live streamer @sevyplays added to the discussion on Feb 28 with a post on X that has been viewed nearly 2.5 million times as at March 9, showing a shot-by-shot comparison of scenes from the trailer.
The video highlights details such as homes built on water, lush islands surrounded by blue seas, and small coves and beaches, with the caption suggesting the setting looks like the Philippines.
She was not the only one parsing the footage. Indonesian netizens have also been analysing the trailer frame by frame.
One widely discussed scene focuses on a house painted in a shade of green that viewers – including Indonesian content creator Ryo Adidharma, writing on Instagram on March 7 – say resembles the bright tones often seen in Indonesian homes.
Even the titular “pocket monsters” have become part of the debate.
In the trailer, the first creatures to be seen include Gloom, a first-generation Pokemon whose drooping flower resembles the Rafflesia, and Tropius, a dinosaur-like Pokemon known for the bunch of bananas that grows from its neck.
Fans quickly pointed out that both the Rafflesia flower and bananas are closely associated with tropical South-east Asia.
Rumours circulating in gaming circles for months had already suggested the next generation might feature a large archipelago-style map, with islands linked by sea routes.
In its 30-year history, Pokemon has often drawn from real-world locations when designing its regions. The earliest games were set in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh, each inspired by different parts of Japan – the Kanto, Kansai, Kyushu and Hokkaido regions respectively.
Later titles looked farther afield. Pokemon X and Pokemon Y in 2013 introduced Kalos, inspired by France.
Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon from 2016 brought players to Alola, based on Hawaii. Meanwhile, Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet, released in 2022, introduced Paldea, widely seen as modelled on Europe’s Iberian Peninsula.
South-East Asia and pop culture
South-East Asia’s growing cultural and commercial profile has drawn the attention of not just Pokemon fans, but also global entertainment companies.
The 2018 Hollywood hit Crazy Rich Asians, set largely in Singapore, brought the region into the global pop-culture spotlight, while Disney’s 2021 animated film Raya And The Last Dragon drew inspiration from South-East Asian cultures and mythology.
Brands have taken note as well. Japanese retailer Uniqlo has released Pokemon T-shirts in Indonesia featuring Pikachu in batik motifs and Pokemon set against well-known Indonesian landmarks, reflecting the franchise’s efforts to localise its appeal in the region.
Recent localisation efforts have included “Pikachu’s Indonesia Journey” events in Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Bali, which drew tens of thousands of fans.
The events featured special versions of Pokemon GO, the popular augmented-reality mobile game where players capture virtual creatures in real-world locations. One event in Bali generated about US$13.6 million in economic impact, according to the game’s developer Niantic.
The interest also reflects South-East Asia’s growing importance in gaming. The region ranked as the world’s second-largest market for mobile game downloads in the first quarter of 2025 – behind only India – recording 1.93 billion installs, according to mobile analytics firm Sensor Tower.
Gaming revenues across the region’s six largest markets reached about US$12.8 billion in 2024. The figure comes from a report on regional trends by Antom, the payments arm of Singapore-based fintech company Ant International, which China’s Ant Group owns.
Against that backdrop, the idea that the next region could draw from South-east Asia has not seemed entirely outlandish to fans in the region. Many said they would welcome the chance to see familiar landscapes reflected in the game’s world.
For fans who grew up with the franchise, the commercial logic feels secondary to something more personal.
Indonesian freelance media professional Sophian, 34, grew up playing Pokemon when it first became popular in the late 1990s.
“When I started playing as a kid, I never imagined the games could come this close to home,” said Sophian, who goes by one name.
“There’s so much here in the region – the islands, the forests, the wildlife. It’s about time they did a game here.” - The Straits Times/ANN
