Pokemon X/Y director Junichi Masuda recorded a message for fans attending the Japan Expo in France this week. The video goes into detail regarding the game’s connection to France and how the country provided inspiration for the project. A roundup of what Masuda shared can be found below.
– Monorparle is said to be an ancient soul that presents itself in sword form
– The team decided early on to go with the theme of “Beauty” for the sixth generation
– This is also the meaning of “Kalos” in Ancient Greek
– France was decided on as Kalos’ inspiration because during the brainstorming period, the staff wanted to go with a country that boasts some of the most tourists; a fashionable country with a sophisticated culinary taste and linguistics
– France was considered to be a perfect fit for what was in mind for Kalos
– Masuda traveled to France in 2011 with some of the team to collect material for Pokemon X/Y
– Lumiose City was inspired by France
– Lumiose City includes a large tower similar to the Eiffel tower
– Inspired by other cities as well such as Lyon and Reims
– Players will see similar areas in the Kalos region
– Not only is the region inspired by the larger cities that France is known for, but also the smaller areas that often go unnoticed by many outsiders
– Ex: far-west part of the map has an area with various standing stones
– Masuda added the stones after getting the idea from visiting the Neolithic menhir collections located in Carnac of north-western France
