Everybody knows Pokemon Sword and Shield is heavily influenced by the UK and its culture but a new official expedition guide explores the real-world areas that inspired the Galar region.
The Pokemon Company has released an adorable brochure called the Galar Expedition Guide, and it's considered the official location guide of the IRL places that inspired Pokemon Sword and Shield. The villages and farm towns of Postwick and Wedgehurts are inspired by the towns in the Lake District, Tuffield's stone structures are a nod to Stonehenge, and Circhester steaming baths reference, well, Bath.
Again, we all knew the Galar region heavily references the UK (there's English slang, footy references, and you make curry ffs), but it's lovely to see them all spelled out so clearly in this guide. While my feature about Pokemon Sword and Shield's love letter to British culture guessed most of the geographic references correctly, I did miss that Pokemon dens are a nod to Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland and that The Crown Tundra is Edinburgh. Considering I was the coldest I've ever been in my life during Hogmanay up there, I should have gotten that last one.
The expedition guide also features a handy map of England that features locations you can tick off as you travel to them, but considering that may not be entirely plausible right now, you can watch episodes of the Pokemon Bus Tour on YouTube. Yes, this is just making me pine for my second home even more.
If this has got you pining for more Pokemon Sword and Shield, don't fret, as Pokemon Sword and Shield The Crown Tundra release date is set for October 23.
