Despite the overall layout being based on New York City, there are landmarks from throughout the state that make up the entire region. Moving out of the Japanese-themed regions, Generation 5’s Unova region was actually inspired by New York City, reflected in the metropolitan regions and the more specifically themed Pokémon (such as the fan-favorites Garbodor, a garbage Pokémon, and Vanillite, an ice cream Pokémon). The legendary Pokémon based here were capable of controlling space and time- Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina, created by Arceus, who is said to be the first Pokémon in existence. Pokémon starters here include Piplup, Turtwig, and Chimchar. There was also a massive tundra to the very north of the island, and some of the cities in the game are directly based on Hokkaido’s notable locales, like Pokémon’s Jubilife City standing in for Sapporo City. To the northeast, the region featured a Battle Zone island. In contrast to its southern partner Hoenn, Sinnoh featured fewer waterways, instead focused on the central landmass divided by the massive Mt. This region is where the Generation 4 Pokémon games took place, including Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, as well as more recent titles Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, and Legends: Arceus. To the north of Hoenn, players were introduced to Sinnoh, an island region in Pokémon taking after Japan’s own northernmost territory, Hokkaido. Starters in this region included Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip. Pokémon like Castform could even react and change form based on the environmental conditions here. This game introduced the idea of varying weather patterns, including rainfall, volcanic ash, and bright sunlight. Hoenn was a more tropical environment, reflected in many of the types of Pokémon that could be found throughout trainers’ journeys. Most of the towns in Hoenn are immersed in nature, some only being accessible by travel through and even beneath water. Based on the island of Kyushu, the region features a great deal of water to balance the landmass, in keeping with the lore of primal Groudon and Kyogre being the titans of land and sea. The Hoenn region was separated from the Kanto/Johto landmass as the setting in Generation 3, spanning Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, and the Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire remakes. The Kansai region has rich soils, which inspired the berry crop mechanic introduced in this generation of games. Much of the overall aesthetic and inspiration for the Johto region comes from traditional Japanese architecture and culture, and the fictional area is inspired by the Kansai region of Japan, which includes Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara. Players here were presented the choice of starters Cyndaquil, Totodile, and Chikorita. Most of the towns in Johto are named in reference to plants and associated nature, like New Bark Town, Olivine City, and Mahogany Town. It is part of a landmass bordered by coastline at the south, and this region introduced 100 new Pokémon in addition to the previously discovered Gen 1 species. To the west of Kanto lies the Johto region, the setting for the second generation of Pokémon games, including Silver, Gold, Crystal, and their remakes HeartGold and SoulSilver. Players begin their journey in the quiet Pallet Town (a reference to the blank canvas of a painting) and the starter Pokémon offered to players in a basic Poké Ball are Squirtle, Charmander, and Bulbasaur. Every town in the Pokémon Kanto region is named in reference to a color, like Viridian City, Lavender Town, and others. Kanto, named after the real-world region of Japan by the same name, features a variety of cities surrounded by mountains and plains, and even features a volcano on Cinnabar Island. It even appears in the Generation 2 games, connected in the east to Johto. Players traverse Kanto in the original Japanese Red and Green titles, the American Red, Blue, and Yellow releases, FireRed and LeafGreen, and the Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Eevee! titles. Perhaps the most famous of the Pokémon regions is Kanto, the setting for the first generation of games. Many of these eight main settings are inspired by real-world locations too!Īre you ready to begin your adventure to catch ’em all? Then let’s dive in to the breakdown of the eight regions of Pokémon in the order they were unveiled to fans. From tropical islands to frozen northern tundras, each Pokémon region has its own Pokémon League, its own gym structure, and most importantly, its own unique Pokémon ecosystem. With countless species across and over a dozen types to log in your Pokédex, it’s no surprise that different biomes and regions of the Pokémon world are better suited environments for the new creatures you might encounter on your journey.