Pokémon fans appear to have hit the nail on the head with a huge fan theory regarding Pokémon Pokopia, with leaks confirming the speculation.
Pokémon Pokopia releases on March 5, 2026, putting players in control of a playable Ditto that has transformed into a human, with the game’s setting showing islands filled with Pokémon but no humans in sight.
That has led to intense speculation that Pokémon Pokopia takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, and a fresh leak seems to confirm that environment.
Leaked Pokémon Pokopia Map Shows Post-Apocalyptic Kanto
Posting on X, CentroLeaks shared what is claimed to be the Pokémon Pokopia map, and the translation shows that a post-apocalyptic adventure through Kanto is on the cards.
Areas on the map include Fuschia, with “dried up and unfertilized fieldland,” Pewter, “an abandoned mine covered by rocks,” and, perhaps the most telling of them all, the Viridian Area with a “never-ending burning forest of ash.”
All of those areas are well known in the Kanto region, with Fuschia City being the home of the Safari Zone, Pewter City presenting the first gym badge test against Brock, and Viridian Forest being one of the first areas players explore in the world of Kanto.
Additional content, reportedly arriving in DLC or as part of post-launch updates, includes areas for Cerulean, Cinnibar, Lavender, and Celedon.
Ever since the first trailer of Pokémon Pokopia appeared, fans have theorized that the game’s setting would be a post-apocalptic version of Kanto, with major hints including a destroyed first-generation Pokédex and the remnants of buildings like Pokémon Centers.
Fans have also theorised that Peakychu, the mysterious ghost-like version of Pikachu, is the deceased version of Red’s partner Pokémon Pokopia, and Mosslax, a Snorlax covered in greenery, is the same Snorlax that players in the Kanto region are tasked with waking up by using the Pokéflute.
It remains to be seen whether those theories are true, and it could be that Pokémon Pokopia takes place in an alternate universe away from the main franchise.
While this may seem far-fetched, Pokémon has blown open the doors to craziness with the likes of time-travelling in Pokémon Legends: Z-A and wormholes in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon.
What secrets do you think Pokémon Pokopia has in store? Share your theories in the Insider Gaming Discord.
For more Pokémon, check out the secret rare cards revealed for the Ascended Heroes TCG set, and take a look at how the franchise is breaking the level 100 cap for the first time.
