Pokémon: Is Lt. Surge Still An American

Lt. Surge from Pokémon Red and Blue was an early example of the games being set in the real world, as he was originally described as coming from America. It seems that The Pokémon Company has changed its mind, as references to Lt. Surge’s nationality has been removed from more recent games in the Pokémon franchise.

The regions in the Pokémon world are all based on places in reality. The first four regions were based on parts of Japan, Unova from Pokémon Black and White was based on New York, Kalos from Pokémon X and Y was based on Paris, Alola from Pokémon Sun and Moon was based on Hawaii, and Galar from Pokémon Sword and Shield was based on the United Kingdom. It’s even possible to trace which cities in the Galar region are based on ones from the UK. The developers of the games put a lot of work into researching the locations used as a basis for each region, so that they can be properly reflected in the Pokémon world.

In the early days of the Pokémon franchise, the developers only established that the Kanto region existed. The rest of the world was a mystery that was waiting to be fleshed out. There were numerous references to the real world, such as Mew coming from Guyana in South America, suggesting real countries existed. The Pokémon Company has gradually phased out references to real-life animals and locations, and the lore of the series has expanded to include more regions.

Pokémon’s Lt. Surge – The Lightning Unovan

One of the most direct references to real-life locations in the Pokémon franchise happened near the beginning of Pokémon Red and Blue. The Gym Leader of Vermilion City is Lt. Surge, who uses Electric-type Pokémon in battle. The sign outside of the Lt. Surge’s Gym describes him as “The Lightning American.” It’s also revealed that Lt. Surge was a pilot during a war and that his Pokémon saved his life in battle. This is a major component of the Pokémon War theory, which talks of an armed conflict before the events of Pokémon Red and Blue. The Lightning American title was kept in every remake of Pokémon Red and Blue, as well as in the Kanto sections of the Johto games, until a few years ago. In the Pokémon: Let’s Go games, the sign outside of the Vermilion City Gym now refers to him as The Lightning Lieutenant.

It’s possible that the developers want to remove all references to real-world locations, as they no longer make sense in the context of the lore. It’s surprising that the sign in the Let’s Go games wasn’t changed in a way that reflects the other games in the series. In Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, the player can battle against Lt. Surge during the World Tournament. The commentators of the World Tournament wonder if Lt. Surge is from Unova, as that region is based on part of America. It would have made more sense for the Pokémon: Let’s Go games to confirm that Lt. Surge comes from Unova.

About The Author

Scott Baird
(2507 Articles Published)

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Scott has been writing for Screen Rant since 2016 and regularly contributes to The Gamer. He has previously written articles and video scripts for websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, and TopTenz.
A graduate of Edge Hill University in the UK, Scott started out as a film student before moving into journalism. It turned out that wasting a childhood playing video games, reading comic books, and watching movies could be used for finding employment, regardless of what any career advisor might tell you. Scott specializes in gaming and has loved the medium since the early ‘90s when his first console was a ZX Spectrum that used to take 40 minutes to load a game from a tape cassette player to a black and white TV set. Scott now writes game reviews for Screen Rant and The Gamer, as well as news reports, opinion pieces, and game guides. He can be contacted on LinkedIn.

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