Main regions
Kanto
Kanto (カントー地方 Kantō-chihō), introduced in Red and Blue, later seen in Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, FireRed, LeafGreen, HeartGold, and SoulSilver, was the first region in the Pokémon series. It is attached to the Johto region so the player can also visit this region by train or jetboat in Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver. In these games, however, the region differs from the earlier games (which are set three years previously) in several plot and graphical points. Two areas of the Kanto region, Saffron City and the Pokémon Stadium, are playable stages in Nintendo's popular Super Smash Bros. fighting games. In the anime, Ash travels Kanto in the Kanto and Battle Frontier seasons. Kanto represents the actual region in Japan called Kantō and eastern Tōkai. Kanto is the only region that has been featured in all four existing generations of the Pokémon video game series.
Sevii Islands
The Sevii Islands (ナナシマ Nanashima) only appear in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen[1] and an episode of Pokémon Chronicles. They are called the Sevii Islands because it is believed by elders of Seven Island that the seven islands were made in seven days. There are actually over thirty islands in the chain, including some that are inaccessible. There are also two islands, Birth Island and Navel Rock, that can be reached only via a special Nintendo ticket. These two islands can also be accessed in Pokémon Emerald and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. These islands are located at the south part of the Kanto/Johto landmass. They are based on the Izu Islands and the Bonin Islands. Kanto is to the right of the region Johto. In this region like most others you must gather all eight badges then for the championship beat your rival whom will have random pokemon + Pidgeot.
Johto
The Johto (ジョウト地方 Jōto-chihō) region consists of several towns and villages named after trees and plants. Meaning "castle palace" and "lattice shaped palace",[2] the second generation of Pokémon video games, Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal take place there, as do their remakes, Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. The third, fourth, and fifth seasons of the anime are also set there. Johto is geographically similar to the Kansai and western Tōkai regions of Japan. It is connected to the western part of Kanto.
Hoenn
The Hoenn (ホウエン地方 Hōen-chihō) region was introduced in Ruby, Sapphire,[3] and Emerald and is located south-west of the Kanto/Johto landmass. Its name is a combination of the Japanese words Ho, meaning rich, and Enn, meaning green. The region contains a large proportion of marine and underwater routes. The location was modeled after Kyūshū, Japan due to Ruby and Sapphire director Junichi Masuda's desire to recapture his memories of being there in the summer, rotated 90° counterclockwise due to the team's belief it would improve playability.[4]
In game, the only methods of transportation able to get there are ferries like the S.S. Anne, a ferry that circles the whole Pokémon world. According to Pokémon legend, the Hoenn region was formed by the legendary land Pokémon Groudon raising the land, the legendary ocean Pokémon, Kyogre, expanding the sea, and Rayquaza, expanding the atmosphere. The Hoenn region contains its own Pokémon League, called the Hoenn League, and its own Elite Four, unlike Johto and Kanto which share their Elite Four in the video games. Seasons 6-8 of the Pokémon anime, called the Advanced Generation series, are set in this region, as protagonist Ash Ketchum and company explore this new region.
Battle Frontier
Introduced in Pokémon Emerald is the Battle Frontier, which is located on an island off Hoenn. It is a Pokémon battling facility, consisting of seven attractions, each of which is run by a Frontier Brain who specializes in a certain form of battling. In the Pokémon anime, the Battle Frontier is located in the region of Kanto. Season 9 of the anime follows Ash Ketchum's quest as he attempts to defeat the Frontier Brains.
The Battle Frontier is also continued in the recently released Pokémon Platinum, except that Sinnoh's Battle Frontier is located in the Battle Zone, a relatively large island off Sinnoh.The Battle Frontier is also in Pokemon SoulSilver and Pokemon HeartGold but appears identical to the Battle Frontier in Pokemon Platinum.
Sinnoh
Sinnoh (シンオウ地方 Shin'ō-chihō) is a large region that is the setting of the games Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, located far north of the Kanto/Johto landmass. The region contains a large amount of towns and cities, but only a few sea routes.[5] It is a varied region containing a mountain range and three lakes, each housing a Legendary Pokémon. It is the first Pokémon RPG to feature snowy regions. The region blends urban cities with more traditional towns together. It also has a hidden underground area that is used for housing secret bases, playing Capture the Flag games, and a fossil/item hunt.[6] Seasons 10-12 of the Pokémon anime are the first seasons that are set in this region.
Sinnoh is based on the geography of the Japanese island of Hokkaidō, the southern half of the Russian island of Sakhalin, and the disputed island of Kunashir.[citation needed] Also, there is a mountain range splitting the Eastern and Western sides of Sinnoh, and the types of Pokémon can differ in colour and size. There is believed to be a Legendary Pokémon that created Sinnoh: Arceus. It is believed that Arceus made three beings. One controls time, Dialga, one controls space, Palkia, and one controls dimension and lives in a reverse cemetery, Giratina. Arceus also made the 3 "pixies" that lives in the 3 lakes in the Sinnoh Region: Uxie (being of Knowledge), located at Lake Acuity; Mesprit (being of Emotion), located at Lake Verity; and Azelf (being of Willpower), located at Lake Valor. Dialga stars in Pokémon Diamond, Palkia in Pokémon Pearl, and Giratina in Pokémon Platinum.
The latest game in Sinnoh was Pokémon Platinum. In Platinum, Sinnoh has gone through several changes, including the presence of snow in areas such as Twinleaf Town, the link to the Distortion World, and the Battle Frontier in the Battle Area.
Isshu
The Isshu (イッシュ) region will be introduced in the upcoming games Pokémon Black and White.[7] Not much is known, although more information will be confirmed later on.
Orange Islands
The Orange Islands (オレンジ諸島 Orenji-shotō) only appear in the Pokémon anime and The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga. This is the only region without an official game made of it. It is made up of a series of small islands, located south of Cinnabar Island and the Seafoam Islands.[8] Season 2 of the Pokémon anime is set in this region. Four of the Orange Islands (Fire Island, Lightning Island, Ice Island, and Shamouti Island) are the setting of the animated film Pokémon: The Movie 2000.[9]
The archipelago is different climatically from Kanto, which is temperate while the archipelago is tropical. One effect of the different climate is that Pokémon found there have a slightly different coloration.
