The Animal Crossing series has encouraged multiplayer gameplay since its days on the Nintendo GameCube, allowing players to visit one another's towns or islands to socialize, trade, take advantage of the market, and visit one another's museums. In the latest installment, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the player's island administrators come in the form of Isabelle. On every island there is an Isabelle, but she never seems to remember meeting non-native players before their arrival. As it turns out, Animal Crossing utilizes a similar line of logic to Pokémon's Nurse Joy and the reasoning provided for the many identical nurses staffing Pokémon Centers all across the world.

In Pokémon, Pokémon Centers are placed throughout each region's major cities and towns (and occasionally reside in the wilderness). Each Center is staffed with an identical Nurse Joy, with only smaller details changing in the setup of each Center depending on the region. While there are limited explanations for this phenomenon in-game, the Pokémon anime offered a rather humorous explanation for the numerous Joys in the world: they are all part of the same family. When players in Animal Crossing inquire after the Isabelle phenomenon, a similar answer will be provided, likely a coy reference to Nurse Joy.

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There are quite a few similarities to Isabelle and Nurse Joy's situation in their respective series, with the first being an identical career choice for all the family members. All Isabelles pursue an administrative or secretarial role in Animal Crossing, helping players improve and customize their islands. All (or most) Joys present in-game occupy a medical position throughout Pokémon Centers across the Pokémon world. From a design choice, it's from the necessity of an island administrator in ACNH and a healer in Pokémon, but it is entertaining to imagine a massive family taking up an entire job market.

Pokémon & Animal Crossing Have Some Big, Identical Families

Animal Crossing New Horizons Isabelle

For players that demand an explanation as to why Isabelle seems to be occupying every island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, she is more than happy to help and reveals that every Isabelle in other towns or on other islands is her cousin. Nurse Joy uses a similar explanation, claiming other Nurse Joys to be familial relations such as cousins, sisters, and even mothers. The Pokémon anime expands on this, going so far as to characterize different Joys who have passions beyond medicine, such as one of the Joys trying to be a powerful Pokémon trainer. The cousins of Isabelle and Joy occupy a unique role in their franchises, fulfilling core mechanics of each beloved game to allow players to live out their adventures.

Despite the familial relations of the characters, it is never explained why each of the Isabelles and Joys is identical in every aspect. Not only do they all share the same name, but they share the same looks as well. Each of the Isabelles in Animal Crossing islands or towns will have the same character model, right down to the yellow-blushed cheeks and hairstyle. Similarly, in the Pokémon games and anime, Nurse Joys will be sporting identical outfits depending on what region they reside in. Fortunately, this is less disturbing and more endearing, as neither ACNH's Isabelle nor Pokémon's Nurse Joy has ever had confirmed darker motivations. Instead, this phenomenon has made each character a staple of their respective franchises.

Whether Isabelle's explanation in the Animal Crossing series was an intentional reference to Pokémon's Nurse Joy is unknown, but given the numerous similarities between Nurse Joy and Isabelle, it's the most probable reasoning. Both beloved franchises are carried on the backs of massive, identical families who seem to control a monopoly on their respective job markets.

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