The “Pokémon” series was inspired by its originator’s passion for insect collecting as a child. The hobby made him appreciative of the abundant pleasures and treasures of the natural environment. Now, to provide fans of Pokémon with that same appreciation, a wooded area in the outskirts of Tokyo has been transformed into a lush setting where adventurers of all ages can search for Pokémon in a forested wonderland appropriately named “Pokémon WONDER.”
Participants play the role of Pokémon researchers. Here, in the 4,500-square-meter “Inagi Forest” they explore for Pokémon of many different kinds lurking in the trees, hiding in the vegetation, waiting in the undergrowth. Clues are provided along the way to help, but even so the targets of the search aren’t always easily spotted.
One researcher, for example, noted that he discovered a line of purple-colored traces and followed it, only to find that the traces ended just before a thicket of bushes. The hint itself didn’t reveal where the Pokémon was hiding, or even which Pokémon was waiting to be found. It remained for the researcher to actively keep up the search, walking all around the area, on occasion making way through dense vegetation, or looking for further clues in watery spaces.
In all, Pokémon WONDER is home to more than 50 different types of Pokémon. In searching for them, participants become intimately familiar with the forest and its natural environment.
In developing Pokémon WONDER,the greatest challenge was to make the search for Pokémon in Nature – the real world – both exciting and fun.
Developing the clever clues that lead researchers toward the various Pokémon lurking in the forest was made possible through the dedicated collaboration of partners who wholeheartedly supported Pokémon WONDER’s creation. Ryogo Matsumaru, together with his amazing team of mystery creators at RIDDLER, Inc., contributed the core ideas. Keiichi Motoyama, the creative director behind Pokémon GO trailers and so many other Pokémon-related visuals, added his brilliant creativity to the mix.
The Pokémon Company’s own Akiko Tsuda, who was in charge of project planning, said the entire development operation, from start to finish, was an ongoing process of trial and error:
The point most exhaustively discussed and debated was deciding how to depict the different Pokémon in a real world setting that would be most in keeping with their character. One consideration was that all living creatures have their own ecology, so while it would be entirely natural for some Pokémon to be found in a forest, for other Pokémon this would be completely unnatural. So no matter how clever the riddle or clues developed for a specific Pokémon might be, we rejected the idea if it was unnatural. In all, the team came up with well over a hundred proposals.
At the same time, we had to make sure what we developed would be fun. As a producer, ideally what we should aim for is to make each Pokémon as appealing as possible. But if the Pokémon characters themselves stand out too much, the fun of finding them would lose out. On the other hand, if the Pokémon blend into their natural surroundings too much, they wouldn’t be “in character” anymore. So ultimately, through repeated testing and adjustments, what we aimed for was a perfect balance between making Pokémon WONDER appropriate as an authentic Pokémon adventure and offering an amusement that would be fun to play.
An exhaustive process of trial and error was used to decide where to conceal each Pokémon and how best to depict them in a natural setting.
I was convinced our plan was successful when I saw the changes that occurred in the children who took part in the test play. One child, for example, who had been completely afraid of insects, ran gleefully into the forest, making his way excitedly through buggy grass, aiming for a place he was sure he’d find a Pokémon. Later, he said he’d been so engrossed in looking for Pokémon that he forgot his fear of bugs. It was then that I felt certain that the power of Pokémon could bridge the gap between children and Nature.
Pokémon WONDER opens the door to rediscovering the ageless enjoyment of playing in natural surroundings – which was the starting point for creating the entire world of Pokémon. For youngsters, it will be a formative experience to shape a lifetime of outdoor pleasure. But Pokémon WONDER isn’t just for children. It’s also a great place for the young-at-heart to commune with Nature, and have lots of fun, too.
