Who conceived Pokémon Pokopia as a spin-off about creating Pokémon habitats?

Shigeru Ohmori conceived Pokémon Pokopia as a spin-off about creating Pokémon habitats. His idea grew from thinking about new directions for the franchise and the appeal of letting players shape environments for Pokémon.

Ohmori had worked as a map designer on Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, and that earlier experience influenced the concept. Rather than focusing only on routes, battles, or collecting, Pokopia turns the landscape itself into something the player can design and improve.

Ohmori later served as the game’s concept and senior director. He is also known for directing Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, but Pokopia’s creative origin is specifically linked to his interest in player-created habitats.

The idea required a development team comfortable with sandbox systems. Game Freak therefore partnered with Omega Force, whose prior work included Dragon Quest Builders 2. The resulting game combines Pokémon characters with crafting, construction, environmental restoration, and social simulation.