Basically, the POKÉMON LAB experience would be in the form of two continuously-presented mini-shows, where a few dozen guests are invited into what we might call a “preshow” space. There, a Pokémon Professor would lead a slideshow, introducing the basics of Dominio: how to access the Pokédex app with which to find, battle, and catch wild Pokémon and the spaces in Dominio to do it.

But surely, the Professor’s main job would be to use their slideshow to introduce the three Starter Pokémon of this Italian-inspired region. And yes, I am absolutely lost my mind and designed three brand new Starter Pokémon for this made-up, Blue Sky, Italian-inspired Pokémon theme park land that will never exist! As is tradition, there’s a fire, water, and grass-type starter (though I added a secondary type to each just to keep things interesting since theoretically everyone would start with one of the same three). Thank you for so kindly humoring me by letting me introduce them!

Pompeiiano (pom-pay-AH-no), the fire-type, is a volcanic goat Pokémon drawn from the Campania region of the real Italy. Inspired by real life mosaics of goats found in Pompeii and based on an Italian breed with spiral horns, Pompeiiano is a sturdy, dual fire- and rock-type who wears the mosaic tiles and tapestries of a town destroyed by volcanic activity.

Lontralier (lahn-tra-LEER) is Dominio’s water-type Starter, with dual fighting-type. Inspired by Venice in northern Italy, it’s inspired by real Eurasian otters that populate the town’s waterways. Its name is derived from lontra (otter) and gondolier – the profession that steers gondola boats down Venice’s iconic waterways. The red sash around its neck mimics those gondoliers wear on their hats, and as it evolves, the sash moves to its waist recalling not just gondoliers’ traditional outfights, but Karate belts as it gains fighting-type moves.

Finally, Aquilonico (ah-kwee-LO-nee-co) is Dominio’s grass-type starter, with secondary flying-type. A young eaglet, this Pokemon is adorned with ivy plumage that’s still growing in. In the meantime, its exposed gray skin is an advantage since it can roost at the top of Roman temple columns without being seen. The stone adornment it wears on its chest is actually pecked off of an ionic column to increase its camouflage. Its name is taken from the Italian word for eaglet (aquilotto) and ionic columns.

Having been introduced to these adorable little Starters on-screen, the Pokémon Professor would then explain your next steps: in the lab beyond, you’ll find all three Starters (in animatronic form!), with a circular array of pedestals around them. All you need to do is select which of the three Starters you want. Then, you can either place your phone on a corresponding pedestal around that Pokémon, or grab a Pokéball off the wall, link it to your app with a quick QR code scan, then use it on the pedestal to load your Starter.

Just like that, you’ll have your first Pokémon – either Pompeiiano, Lontralier, or Aquilonico – and conveniently pass into the Pokémart. There, you can purchase a Pokéball if you decided to use one for your Starter, as well as buy extra supplies – like leather Pokéball Straps to wear across your chest, Pokéball Slings to clip onto your bag, or shells to magnetically snap onto your Pokéball to create collectible and regional variants.

Which means it’s time to head out into Dominio to strengthen your Starter, build your party, and take on the Pokémon World!

Catching, Battling, and Healing

Hold your tomatoes, but let’s talk about the phone thing. Yes, if Universal Orlando is going to offer a land where you can battle and catch Pokémon, it’s pretty much certain it’ll involve smartphones. Niantec’s Pokémon Go app provides the perfect model for this, allowing users to “see” Pokémon in the real, built environment through their smartphone’s camera using augmented reality (AR).

So for this dreamy build-out of mine, instead of resisting that clear good fit, we’ll embrace it, imagining that Niantec were brought on to develop either a “Dominio Pokédex” functionality within the Universal Orlando app, or a standalone app able to connect to guests’ Universal Orlando account. I think the focused aspect of such an app to a relatively small physical space with built-in environmental props and hidden proximity markers would make this a really compelling combination. Imagine water Pokémon realistically swimming in the park’s lagoon; “ground” Pokémon leaning out from behind stalagmites in caves; “flying” Pokémon appearing to roost in physical trees, all seamlessly and accurately.

To that end, there are four specific spaces within the land dedicated solely to tracking down wild Pokémon: the Wild Zone (a forest of grass, poison, normal, and bug-type Pokémon), Costa Trails (with water, flying, and steel-type), Cavern Trails (with rock, dark, and fire type), and the Temple Trails (with ghost, grass, ground, and dark type), highlighted above. Ideally, I’d love to see these four areas filled with people finding Pokémon, like the heyday of Pokémon Go on steroids.

Once you’ve caught Pokémon, they all appear in your Pokédex, linked to your Universal Orlando account. The result is that when you go to battle other wild Pokémon, you’ll actually draw from your assembled party, using your smartphone to engage in battles just like on the beloved Pokémon games! You can defeat wild Pokémon to gain experience for your party working toward leveling up and evolving your creatures.

As anyone who’s played a Pokémon game will you, though, battling wild Pokémon is just the start. A major component of Pokémon is pitting your creatures against other trainers. And here in the Pokémon World at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, it’s possible thanks to a brand new invention: BATTLE PODS. There are 10 Battle Pods positioned around the land (six in the plaza leading to the Cipresso Pokémon Gym and four out near the Ruins).

Armed with either your smartphone or your Pokéball and a team, you’re ready for battle to test and strengthen your Pokémon. Here, you can really-for-real face off against a family member, friend, or virtual trainer with the Pokémon on your team in real-time battles.

As anyone who’s played a Pokémon game will you, though, battling wild Pokémon is just the start. A major component of Pokémon is pitting your creatures against other trainers. And here in the Pokémon World at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, it’s possible thanks to a brand new invention: BATTLE PODS. There are 10 Battle Pods positioned around the land (six in the plaza leading to the Cipresso Pokémon Gym and four out near the Ruins).

Armed with either your smartphone or your Pokéball and a team, you’re ready for battle to test and strengthen your Pokémon. Here, you can really-for-real face off against a family member, friend, or virtual trainer with the Pokémon on your team in real-time battles.

And just like in the games, after battles (wild or Trainer), your weakened party will need healed by visiting one of three Pokémon Centers around the region! There (and we’re talking some serious wish fulfillment), you can place your Pokéball in a perfectly-shaped recess, press a button, and hear that iconic “healing jingle” as your ball vibrates and flashes, healing up your Pokémon to head out into the wild again! (Alternatively, you can scan or insert your smartphone into a recess to heal your team, but I mean, who can resist a Pokéball?!)

Plus, if you’ve got a Pokéball, when you feel it vibrate and light up white, it means a member of your party is ready to evolve… Simply head to a Pokémon Center and place your Pokéball (or phone) in the recess of an Evolution Chamber to watch as your beloved creature grows right before your eyes, in real time and to-scale! With a puff of digital confetti, your newly-evolved creature would be loaded back on your Pokéball.

Wild zones to battle; Pokémarts to buy Pokéballs; Pokémon Centers to heal… I kind of love that this is a land you could spend all day in, just building a team, watching them grow, and becoming more and more advanced. As in every Pokémon region, though, the city’s activity centers on the looming Pokémon gym, where trainers face off against Cipresso’s Gym Leader… How does it work? Read on...