Which earlier Pokémon games helped inspire Pokémon Pokopia’s habitat-building concept?

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire helped inspire Pokémon Pokopia’s habitat-building concept.

Shigeru Ohmori reflected on his earliest work in the Pokémon series, when he was a map designer for Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. That experience led him to think about how enjoyable it would be for fans to create and cultivate their own Pokémon habitats.

Pokopia develops that idea beyond the fixed routes and towns of a traditional Pokémon adventure. Players gather resources, construct buildings, alter the environment, and create spaces where Pokémon can live together. The result is a direct expression of the habitat-design idea that Ohmori associated with his earlier work.

This connection does not mean Ruby and Sapphire are direct story prequels to Pokopia. They are creative influences on the game’s environmental and world-building concept, not part of Pokopia’s narrative continuity.