Pokemon Pokopia has seemingly settled a long-running question about one of Hoenn’s most recognizable protagonists. A newly discovered record in the Bubbly Basin DLC points to a female trainer having previously served as Hoenn’s Pokemon League Champion, strongly suggesting that May eventually claimed the title.
The discovery also strengthens Pokemon Pokopia’s connections to earlier games. Although the title already includes several references to past characters and locations, Bubbly Basin takes those connections considerably further.
May Appears to Be Hoenn’s Former Champion
Players exploring Bubbly Basin can discover a record discussing the history of the Hoenn Pokemon League. According to the record, the region’s previous Champion was a female trainer.
That detail immediately caught the community’s attention.
In Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire, players choose between Brendan and May as their protagonist. The character not selected instead becomes the player’s rival. However, Pokopia’s reference to a female Hoenn Champion appears to establish May as the trainer who completed the League challenge within this particular timeline.
As a result, May can now be viewed as a canonical former Hoenn Champion within the Pokemon Pokopia universe.
The game does not directly name her in the record. Still, additional references found throughout Bubbly Basin make the connection difficult to ignore.
May’s Hoenn Team Gets Another Reference
Players can also obtain decorations modeled after Pokemon associated with May’s Hoenn League team.
These objects can be placed inside a Secret Base, creating another direct connection to Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. Secret Bases were one of the most memorable features introduced during the Hoenn generation, allowing players to create personalized hideouts throughout the region.
Combining that feature with Pokemon linked to May makes the Champion record appear even more deliberate.
Pokemon Pokopia has increasingly positioned itself as more than a standalone spin-off. Instead, the game continues to acknowledge events, characters, and mechanics from across the wider Pokemon series.
Bubbly Basin Expands Pokopia Again
Bubbly Basin is the first of three planned DLC packs included with the Pokemon Pokopia Expansion Pass, which is listed at $34.99.
The expansion introduces the fifth town that players can rebuild and adds 31 new critters to befriend.
Accessing the area requires players to unlock Dive. Players can obtain the ability after befriending Manaphy in Bleak Beach.
The DLC arrived alongside Pokemon Pokopia update 2.0.0 on August 4.
Several quality-of-life improvements were included in the update as well. Players can now move multiple items between their inventory and storage simultaneously. Unwanted items can also be deleted through garbage bins, reducing some of the inventory management problems found in earlier versions.
Pokopia Is Filling Up With References to Older Games
May is far from the only character receiving attention.
Players have reported finding references to Trace, the rival from Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!, alongside callbacks involving Marowak’s famous story.
Misty also receives several references.
Players can obtain an outfit based on Misty’s appearance from the Let’s Go games. Her hairstyle had already appeared as an unlockable cosmetic after discovering a human record in the Withered Wasteland.
These references suggest that Pokemon Pokopia exists in a world heavily influenced by events from previous Pokemon adventures.
However, exactly how everything fits together remains unclear.
Pokemon games have always played loosely with timelines and continuity. Pokopia may therefore be establishing its own interpretation of Pokemon history rather than confirming one universal timeline across the entire franchise.
Hoenn References Arrive at an Interesting Time
The increased focus on Hoenn has also attracted attention because of ongoing rumors surrounding Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald.
Leaks have circulated claiming that the classic Hoenn games could eventually receive new Nintendo Switch releases.
Nothing currently confirms that the Bubbly Basin references are connected to those rumors. They could simply be nostalgic additions designed around the DLC.
Still, placing May, Secret Bases, and other Hoenn-related elements together has naturally encouraged speculation among fans.
If classic Hoenn games really are returning, the timing would certainly be convenient.
For now, however, players should treat any connection between Pokopia and potential Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald ports as speculation.
Feebas and Milotic Event Begins August 13
Pokemon Pokopia players also have another reason to return to the game.
A new Feebas and Milotic event begins August 13, giving players additional activities shortly after the release of Bubbly Basin.
With three DLC expansions planned in total, Pokemon Pokopia is clearly continuing to grow. More importantly, its increasing number of references to previous generations could make upcoming expansions particularly interesting for longtime Pokemon fans.
Bubbly Basin may have already delivered one of the biggest lore revelations yet.
Unless another future discovery changes the interpretation, May appears to have officially become a former Champion of the Hoenn Pokemon League.
