In its 25 years, the Pokemon franchise has taken players to a wide variety of locations. Fans who have been with the video game franchise since its inception will have been to eight different regions, each of which has a distinctive history, culture, and population of Pokemon.
What some fans might not know is that most of the Pokemon regions have long-established histories, often involving the unique and powerful Legendary Pokemon that reside there. Additionally, each region is based on a real country or location. It should come as no surprise that The Pokemon Company was first inspired by Japan, but it has since expanded to include aspects of recognizable locations from all around the world. There are several minor regions in the Pokemon universe, but the core series of games focus on eight regions: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Galar.
Kanto is the first major region that Pokemon fans would have been introduced to in the first generation of games, Pokemon Red and Green. It’s easily one of the most well-known regions in the franchise, thanks in part to its iconic resident professor and even more iconic starters. Professor Oak is the resident professor in Kanto with whom players interact. The Kanto starters, Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle, are easily some of the most popular Pokemon to this day.
The Kanto Region is themed around colors, with each town being named after a specific color. Pallet Town, the base where Professor Oak resides, is a reference to an artist’s palette which would contain all of the colors. Although the Kanto region doesn’t emphasize mythology and lore as much as some of the other regions, it’s also home to the original Legendary Pokemon. The legendary bird trio made up of Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno were introduced in Pokemon Red and Green along with Mewtwo.
Kanto is inspired by the real Kanto Region located in Japan, which is one of the most densely populated areas in the country. Kanto encompasses the major cities of Tokyo and Yokohama. The Kanto Region stands out among other Pokemon regions by being more grounded in science when it comes to catching and training Pokemon; while other regions are home to rich lore and mythology about the creatures, Kanto is more focused on technological advancement and innovation, as exemplified by its improvements to the Pokeball.
Johto is the second Pokemon region to be introduced to players, making its first appearance in Pokemon Gold and Silver. It’s located west of Kanto and south of Sinnoh, is home to Professor Elm, and features Chikorita, Cyndaquil, and Totodile as starters. Where Kanto was themed around colors, Johto gets a lot of its city names from plants- though color-themed names still occasionally make appearances.
Johto is the first Pokemon region that taught players about some of the mythology surrounding Pokemon. Johto mythology revolves around Ho-Oh and Lugia, known to fans as the “tower duo.” Ho-Oh is the guardian of the skies while Lugia has domain over the seas. The Legendary Pokemon lived in the Bell Tower and Brass tower, respectively, until the Brass Tower was struck by lightning and burned down, forcing Lugia to flee to the Whirl Islands. Three other Pokemon are said to have died in the fire, whom Ho-Oh resurrected as the legendary dogs Raikou, Entei, and Suicune.
Johto’s geography and culture draw inspiration from the Kansai Region of Japan. The Kansai Region has mountainous landscapes that are similar to Johto’s mountain ranges, is rich with Japanese history that reflects Johto’s rich lore, and is known for being skeptical about traditional Japanese values.
The Hoenn Region made its debut in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. It’s located south of the Sinnoh Region and features a main island surrounded by numerous small islands that vary in size and shape. All the city names are compound words like Mossdeep, Lavaridge, and Littleroot- the latter of which is the base town where Professor Birch lives. The Hoenn starters are Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip.
Long ago, Hoenn was home to Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon, Legendary Pokemon that formed the land and seas. They did not get along and engaged in a massive battle for leadership over the land. Eventually, Kyogre and Groudon were calmed by the legendary dragon-type Pokemon Rayquaza and sent to hibernate in nearby caverns, where they stayed until being awoken in later generations.
Like the other Pokemon regions, Hoenn is based on a real-life location: the Japanese island of Kyushu. The geography is not a completely faithful representation of the island, but the contrast of land and sea is important to Hoenn’s history and mythology.
Sinnoh has arguably the most important lore of any of the Pokemon regions. It appears as the setting for the Pokemon Diamond and Pearl duo, but is about to have its time in the spotlight again with the upcoming remakes, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, as well as Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Like Hoenn, Sinnoh is an island, but it has a larger mainland and fewer small, dispersed islands. The starters in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl are Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup, but Pokemon Legends: Arceus has revealed its starters are Rowlet, Cyndaquil, and Oshawott. Sinnoh’s resident Pokémon professor is Professor Rowan.
According to legend, Sinnoh was the first region to ever be created. Arceus, the god of all Pokemon, was born in the Sinnoh region and created the Legendary Pokemon Dialga and Palkia, granting them the power to control both time and space. Later, Arceus also created Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit. These three Pokemon were to govern over willpower, knowledge, and emotion- three essential parts of both humans and Pokemon. After creating Sinnoh, Arceus returned to hibernate in the Hall of Origin. Fans are eager to see what role Arceus will play in the upcoming title, Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
The Sinnoh Region is based on Hokkaido, a large island making up most of northern Japan. Unlike other Pokemon regions, the Sinnoh cities and towns closely correlate to the locations of their real-life counterparts. Jubilife City is based on Sapparo City, Mount Coronet is based on the Ezo Mountains, and Sinnoh’s lakes resemble the three main lakes in Hokkaido.
The Unova region is featured in Pokemon Black and White. The fifth main Pokemon region to be introduced marked a turning point in the franchise; Unova is not located near the other regions and is home to very different Pokémon than the previous games. Professor Juniper and the starters Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott are all local to Unova.
Unova also has a very unique origin story. It was founded by the Hero of Truth and the Hero of Ideals, twin brothers who used a dragon to unite the peoples living in the area. They began to fight over their values after the war, causing the single dragon to split into Reshiram and Zekrom, two Legendary Pokemon. While the brothers agreed they were at a stalemate, the dragons continued to battle with devastating consequences to the land. Over time Unova became a prosperous region, but residents came to fear a legendary monster that crashed in the area and kidnapped humans and Pokemon. That monster was actually Kyurem, a third dragon that was created when the brothers’ single dragon split into two. Many other Legendary Pokemon have come through the region of Unova, making it one of the most mythologically rich regions in the franchise.
Unlike the previous regions, Unova was not inspired by a location in Japan. Instead, it is loosely based on New York City in the United States. The region features landmarks from all over the state, the clearly divided sections resemble New York’s boroughs, and it has a mixture of urban and rural areas to explore.
Pokemon X and Y continued the trend of being set in a location separate from the original four. Geographically, Kalos is shaped like a star and has multiple rivers flowing through it to the ocean on the west side. The Kalos region is a peninsula rather than an island. Professor Sycamore calls Kalos home and gives the player the choice between Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie as starters.
The mythology in the Kalos Region draws a lot of inspiration from Norse mythology. Kalos is home to Xerneas, the life Pokemon inspired by Eikbynir of Valhalla, and Yveltal, the Pokemon of destruction who is based on the Norse figure Hraesvelgor, also known as the Corpse Swallower. Similar to Unova, Kalos’ history includes a great war that required the help of Legendary Pokemon to end it. While Yveltal was probably on the offensive side, Xerneas helped the king of Kalos restore peace. Zygarde, the order Pokemon inspired by the serpent at the base of the world tree, also dwells in Kalos. Legend says that Zygarde protects the ecosystem of Kalos.
Kalos is based on France, specifically Metropolitan France, but includes elements from all over Europe. For example, there is a town in Kalos that appears to be influenced by a combination of Stonehenge from England and the Carnac Stones from France.
Alola was a new region introduced in Pokemon Sun and Moon. Alola is nowhere near the other regions in the franchise, but it does serve as a massive tourist destination for those in the Pokemon world. The tropical region is made up of four major islands and features Professor Kukui, who offers players Rowlet, Litten, or Popplio as starters.
Originally, the four islands of Alola were home to four Guardian deities. The Guardians were extremely territorial and fought against any invaders that came to the islands. They were undefeated until Solgaleo (sun) and Lunala (moon) emerged from an Ultra Wormhole and fought against the deities. After defeating them, the two Legendary Pokemon entrusted the Cosmog to the Guardians and returned to Ultra Space.
The Alola Region is the most on-the-nose when it comes to geographical inspiration. Alola, which is one letter away from being “aloha,” is the Pokemon version of Hawaii. This parallel is driven home by the emphasis on tourism and the number of resorts within the region.
The Galar Region is associated with Pokemon Sword and Shield, the most recent main game release in the Pokemon franchise. It is home to Professor Magnolia and the starters Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble. Galar has one of the most varied landscapes out of any of the Pokemon regions, featuring rural towns, urban environments, lakes, and snow-capped mountains.
In Galar’s most ancient history, a meteor fell from the sky containing Eternatus, a dark Pokémon that absorbed Galar’s energy. Three thousand years before the beginning of Pokemon Sword and Shield, Eternamax caused a great storm to come across the region resulting in a legendary event known as the Darkest Day. The region was nearly destroyed, but was saved by the heroic Legendary Pokemon Zacian and Zamazenta. The relationship between the two Pokemon is unclear, but only together were they able to defeat Eternatus in its enlarged Eternamax form and restore peace to Galar.
Galar is closely based on the United Kingdom, with England as its main source of inspiration. The Crown Tundra is reminiscent of Scotland while the Isle of Armor is a direct reference to the Isle of Man. The shape of the island looks like the United Kingdom turned upside-down. Every region in the Pokemon franchise is diverse and unique, with its own backstory. The Pokemon Company keeps adding to the world, so this list is sure to continue growing as the franchise continues to develop.
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