A personal reflection on finding comfort, customization, and the strength to heal through Nintendo’s latest world.
This isn’t meant to be a formal game guide; think of it more as a quick journey through how Pokémon Pokopia made me feel while playing, along with a brief, cozy overview of the different areas you’ll encounter in the game!
This past March, a game I had been eagerly anticipating finally hit the shelves—so much so that I even pre-ordered it: Pokémon Pokopia. My excitement stemmed from the perfect blend of two things I love: a gameplay style reminiscent of Animal Crossing: New Horizons (a game that deserves its own post, as it truly was my lifeline during the 2020 lockdown) and Pokémon, creatures I’ve been head over heels for since they first arrived in Italy back in the late nineties.
Beyond my personal taste, the game’s release coincided with a crucial turning point in my life. It was during this time that I began to understand the path forward regarding a health issue I’ve dealt with for years, but which was only uncovered in 2024 through routine blood tests.
Because of this, Pokémon Pokopia became more than just a source of entertainment or a distraction from the whirlwind of daily life. It became my safe harbor—a place to take refuge when the weight of waiting for further medical tests and results became too much to bear.
Pokémon Pokopia arrived in my life tucked inside a Nintendo box, accompanied by a super cute and spacious beauty case, and it immediately whisked me away to so many different places.
The first place Pokémon Pokopia whisks you away to is the Withered Wasteland. Here, you’ll meet Professor Tangrowth, with his glasses askew and a CD clinging to his vine-like hair.
Your mission is to breathe life back into this place and find a way to make the rain fall upon the parched earth once again. You’ll learn moves from the Pokémon you encounter, and bit by bit, as you make the area livable, rebuild the Pokémon Center, and finally bring back the rain, you’ll unlock access to two brand-new areas.
Bleak Beach is one of the next two areas you’ll explore. I believe it’s inspired by Vermilion City, both in its color palette and the presence of a massive shipwreck reminiscent of the S.S. Anne.
Once again, your general goal is to make the city livable again. You’ll be busy restoring electricity and helping a weary Pikachu regain its strength to light up the area, a task that eventually wakes up a Snorlax who has been slumbering for so long that he’s completely covered in moss!
The other area unlocked after your hard work in Withered Wasteland is Rocky Ridges. In my opinion, this is one of the most fun zones to restore. You’ll discover how to cook meals that boost your moves, and you can even build tracks to ride around in minecarts with your Pokémon friends.
The most fascinating part is unearthing the remains of the museum and finding the little Gimmighoul. I also think turning Rotom into a stereo is a stroke of genius! I absolutely love being able to change the music by inserting different CDs, and the way other Pokémon interact with him is just precious. Some of them, like Volbeat and Ludicolo, can’t help but start dancing when they’re nearby!
Finally, a massive celebration organized with Greedent’s culinary expertise leads to the reactivation of the volcano. As lava begins to flow down the slopes once more, the final gameplay area is finally revealed.
The final area unlocked during gameplay is the Sparkling Skylands.
To be honest, this was my least favorite zone. Unlike the others, the Pokémon here feel a bit confined to their specific spawn areas unless you manually move them yourself. I also found the gear mechanics with Tinkmaster to be a bit of a stretch, whereas Conkeldurr’s contribution, creating cement for the restoration, felt much more authentic and satisfying.
In this area, you’ll work on rebuilding a massive, multi-story building. Once the construction is complete, a Master Ball appears at the very top, ready for you to interact with it.
I want to point out that I haven’t gone into too much detail regarding the plot or the specific Pokémon you’ll encounter, I really wanted to avoid spoilers for anyone who hasn’t experienced the game yet!
The area I’m most attached to is definitely Palette Town, simply because you can customize it from scratch. You can even unlock habitats to find all the Eeveelutions, and honestly, I think that’s more than enough to make it the absolute best part of the game!
In Palette Town, creativity truly knows no bounds; it’s not just about placing furniture, it’s about giving the village a soul. I love how you can map out paths and choose exactly where your favorite Pokémon get to settle down. There’s something incredibly therapeutic about watching the town grow day by day, transforming from a blank canvas into a vibrant, living paradise. It’s the perfect place to unwind after a long day, perhaps just sitting on a virtual bench, watching an Eevee play nearby.
Lastly, there’s the optional area: Cloud Island. This is a space where every player can work alongside friends, and you can even visit other players’ islands to snap photos of their decorations. These photos can then be used in a reconstructed Medical Center to replicate those items and place them in your own areas! This blueprint mechanic is essential for completing your catalog and really encourages multiplayer interaction.
As you can see, my Cloud Island is still a bit of a mess! When I first unlocked Palette Town, I poured my heart and soul into making it beautiful, mistakenly thinking that was my Cloud Island. Discovering that I actually had to start from scratch, finding all the Pokémon again, rebuilding the Medical Center, and so on, was a bit discouraging at first. However, it eventually gave me the spark I needed to aim for 100% completion of the game’s offline areas.
Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll share my Cloud Island code with all of you!
Exploring all these new places through the eyes of a Ditto, and meeting so many Pokémon as if for the very first time, moved me deeply. It kept me occupied during a period when I was (and still am) constantly on edge, with a heavy heart and anxiety that felt like it was tearing me apart. Within the gameplay of Pokémon Pokopia, I found a gentle slowness that allowed me to stay afloat, a way to keep from being overwhelmed by the negative emotions fueled by the toxic routines we are all forced to endure, and that work-life cycle that drains all our energy.
It kept me from spiraling into my worst fears every time I went for a medical test. Who knows? Perhaps this flicker of positivity in my mindset even shielded me from something far worse.
But I don’t want to see Pokémon Pokopia as just an escape from my problems: I want to heal, and to be able to play it as a healthy person, someone enthusiastic and with one less weight on their heart and mind.
Return to Cozy Island 
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