List of Continuity References

[Red]

Often people complain of the anime’s continuity references, especially since X&Y only carried a handful, with Sun & Moon picking it up quite a bit and Pokémon 2019 even further pushing the limits. I’m going to start with X&Y onward for now, but feel free to list any I’ve forgotten.

X&Y
- Ash references Dawn’s Piplup
- Ash questions himself to call Oak for reserve Pokémon before adding Goodra as his 6th for Kalos League

Sun & Moon
- Ash references his Taurus
- Misty & Brock appear, as well as flashback to Larvitar saga, Togepi appearing in flashback
- Misty referencing her sisters watching the gym and flashback to her sisters on vacation
- Brock referencing his brother Forrest as new gym leader and flashback to his siblings
- Brock continuing to study becoming a Pokémon doctor as seen in DP
- Misty having Gyarados from Advanced Generation series, Corsala from Johto & Psyduck/Staryu from Original series
- Brock has Sudowudo from DP (caught as Bonsly in Advanced Generation / Steelix from Advanced Generation series / Crobat from Johto / Geodude from Original series
- Ash having stared he entered the Indigo League and won 8 badges
- Ash’s Bulbasaur, Taurus, Totodile, Corphish and other reserves appear in Pallet episode
- Squirtle Squad appears with Ash’s Squirtle
- Jigglypuff appears on cast again
- James’ bottle cap collection

Pokémon 2019
- Badges from all regions, Alolan League trophy & other past achievements referenced on Ash’s dresser
- Flashback to Ho-Oh as seen in first episode
- Ash remembers his encounter with Lance (of Elite 4)
- Lance has his Gyarados from the Original season
- Flashback to all 8 gym leaders during Ash’s time challenging them
- Flashback to battle with Lt. Surge
- Korrina appearing with her Mega Lucario

 

[Pepsi_Plunge]

Pokemon 2019 - Satoshi remembers Lance and Lance is introduced as a G-Men

 

[nickdt]

Pokemon 2019: Lance has Shiny Gyarados.

Sun and Moon: Brock having Sudowoodo from DP, Brock using Countershield against Lillie, Sophocles and Kiawe. Ash using a variation of Rock Tomb Climb against Misty. Brock and Misty having Mega's, as well as Mega Aggron, used by Team Rocket Elite Gozu.

 

[SerGoldenhandtheJust]

Korrina returning with her mega lucario

 

[Bortgreen]

Idk if it counts but in the PM2019 BF tournament Ash uses the same electro web+iron tail strategy he used in Alola league

 

[Power Up]

X&Y- Alexa existing

 

[Tabasco Boshi]

XY
- Meowth tries to explain his backstory a couple of times but Bonnie interrupts him. (This one could be a stretch).
- Flashback of James as a kid and his bottle cap collection. James's mother can be heard.

SM
- Brock makes an indirect reference to the counter shield from DP.
- James still has his bottle cap collection.
- Ash mentions to young Kukui he used to battle gym leaders and enter leagues.

There are some easter eggs in SM like the Koffing/Ekans lures or the toys Jessie was playing with in the Drampa episode but I don't know if those would count.

There're also many basic ones like Meowth hating Persian in SM (which hadn't been mentioned since DP), Ash having seen a Pokémon Egg before the current series, Pikachu not wanting to enter his Poké Ball...

The one who won't make it to the list in XY/SM/PM19 so far is Tracey, and like the character or not, it's one of the worst continuity mistakes. Unforgiving I would say. If you don't want him to appear, at least mention he's out like in BW.

 

[Mew29240]

I get that Sun and Moon had a lot of continuity due to Kanto nostalgia, but did X&Y really have that little?

 

[Zoruagible]

The one who won't make it to the list in XY/SM/PM19 so far is Tracey, and like the character or not, it's one of the worst continuity mistakes. Unforgiving I would say. If you don't want him to appear, at least mention he's out like in BW.

Least they could do is just show him in the background of Oak's, he doesn't need to even say anything. They already did that and are doing it with Sycamore and Sakuragi's assistants in episodes

 

[Master Pikachu 11]

Often people complain of the anime’s continuity references, especially since X&Y only carried a handful, with Sun & Moon picking it up quite a bit and Pokémon 2019 even further pushing the limits. I’m going to start with X&Y onward for now, but feel free to list any I’ve forgotten.

X&Y
- Ash references Dawn’s Piplup
- Ash questions himself to call Oak for reserve Pokémon before adding Goodra as his 6th for Kalos League

Sun & Moon
- Ash references his Taurus
- Misty & Brock appear, as well as flashback to Larvitar saga, Togepi appearing in flashback
- Misty referencing her sisters watching the gym and flashback to her sisters on vacation
- Brock referencing his brother Forrest as new gym leader and flashback to his siblings
- Brock continuing to study becoming a Pokémon doctor as seen in DP
- Misty having Gyarados from Advanced Generation series, Corsala from Johto & Psyduck/Staryu from Original series
- Brock has Sudowudo from DP (caught as Bonsly in Advanced Generation / Steelix from Advanced Generation series / Crobat from Johto / Geodude from Original series
- Ash having stared he entered the Indigo League and won 8 badges
- Ash’s Bulbasaur, Taurus, Totodile, Corphish and other reserves appear in Pallet episode
- Squirtle Squad appears with Ash’s Squirtle
- Jigglypuff appears on cast again

Pokémon 2019
- Badges from all regions, Alolan League trophy & other past achievements referenced on Ash’s dresser
- Flashback to Ho-Oh as seen in first episode
- Ash remembers his encounter with Lance (of Elite 4)
- Lance has his Gyarados from the Original season
- Flashback to all 8 gym leaders during Ash’s time challenging them
- Flashback to battle with Lt. Surge

And now you should add the return of Korrina and her mega Lucario back in XY for Pokémon 2019. Ash remembering that her Lucario can mega evolve.
Ash has Pikachu stand on its tail just like Lt Surge battle against Visquez

 

[Tabasco Boshi]

Least they could do is just show him in the background of Oak's, he doesn't need to even say anything. They already did that and are doing it with Sycamore and Sakuragi's assistants in episodes

They literally did that in BW when Oak was talking about the Kanto starters in the Charizard return episode. It's funny how they treated Tracey in BW. He was about to talk with Ash in Nimbasa and then the blackout happened. And in the last episode, of course, the infamous "he went to the Cerulean Gym with Misty". Three different ways to avoid the character to open his mouth. But at least he appeared once.

I don't see how they couldn't show him when Oak gave Ash the Vulpix egg, when Oak was talking with Ash about Meltan (heck, even Muk appeared without saying a thing) in the last episode of XY in the call with Oak and Delia, etc. You don't even need him to talk.

But, of course, the Kanto episodes in SM are when this went too far. An entire episode taking place where he lives. Not even a mention.

 

[Dragalge]

SM had Ash knowing what Mega Evolution was and Pikachu remembering how to communicate with Dedenne.

 

[Soniman]

I get that Sun and Moon had a lot of continuity due to Kanto nostalgia, but did X&Y really have that little?

It was a shock while watching it as well. Gave the series a weird disconnected feeling no other saga has.

But you did miss Cilans cameo in XY OP as the other one

 

[Jibanyan]

Some of those feel redundant imo saying Brock and Misty appeared is enough because of course they are going to show some of their Pokémon and stuff. I feel like the list makes it seems we go more than we actually had because we still didn't get anything about Tracey even if he lives at Oak's, got nothing about Gary even if he is a classic character and Oak's grandson, nothing about Crogunk or Azurril, nothing about Misty and Brock's relationship with other characters like May or Tracey, etc.

 

[Tabasco Boshi]

In one of the very first episodes of Sun and Moon they referenced Lucario and the Mystery of Mew by having a guy sell the bow May was wearing. Not to mention during the Hala match they remixed the DP gym battle theme.

That remix was from Movie 17, it wasn't made for the series. And Sun and Moon's soundtrack library included Movies 15-20, XY's tracks and of course, its own new music.

 

[Red]

It still counts, they could’ve just showed Misty’s Psyduck and Brock’s Geodude, they went a step further

I added Korrina

 

[Tabasco Boshi]

Wouldn’t that still count considering the movie was apart of the time SM was still airing? Not to mention using the track would still be a call back to DP imo

That movie was from the XY era. The callback could be considered in the movie itself. Then the track was used once in the Kalos League and then in the Hala Battle. I wouldn't count it.

A true music callback from SM was the remix of the original Giovanni theme, which hadn't been used since DP. It almost sounded the same.

 

[Mega Altaria]

The Pokémon Performers Sara Lee and Concetta make a cameo appearance in SM when Ash goes together with his classmates to Kanto for the first time.

 

[RafaSceptile]

SM: Ash using Stone Edge with Lycanroc against Incineroar in a similar way than he used Stone Edge with Krookodile against Brycen's Beartic

 

[Bortgreen]

Along with OS, I wonder if the continuity of PM is going to focus on Kalos and Alola
With Korrina coming back and the regions taking a bit more time to appear, it seems likely