Pokémon is one of the most beloved and financially successful franchises in the gaming industry to date, with over 279 million titles being sold since the series inception. Since its introduction in 1995 with Pokémon Red and Green, the series has gone on to encompass over 29 games in the main handheld lineage, right up until last years Pokémon Sun and Moon, with dozens of further spin-off titles released for almost every Nintendo platform to date. And with each new generation of Pokémon games comes a new region to explore, from the Japanese mainland-inspired Kanto to the Parisian Kalos to the Hawaiian themed Alola.

While early games in the series were relatively linear, Pokémon maps soon grew in size as the franchise expanded and hardware limitations softened. Often, Nintendo seemed to add new areas just to make people work harder to truly "catch 'em all." New locations were created purely to house special Legendary Pokémon, and other rare creatures could only be found in certain rooms, on certain days, at certain times, inside secretive or time-consuming caves. In other cases, secret areas were added to house certain special items or simply for bragging rights; and in more recent games, many have been included to add to the sense of discovery and journey that each region will give to players.

In this list, we'll be looking at fifteen of the most interesting of these hidden areas. Some, like #13 are included because of their sheer impossibility to reach (seriously, there’s a 1/10923 chance). Just don’t blame us for the hours of fun you’ll have trying to find these hidden areas.

14 Expand Your Contacts At Black City

Black City is exclusive to Pokémon Black and Black 2, and a rather unique place to visit in the series. Black City’s size and population changes over time, with its initial density being determined by how long it took for players to reach the location. Following this, new arrivals to the city can only be added by visiting Black City's counterpart in Pokémon White, White Forest, via the Entralink.

In Black 2, the layout of Black City has changed a little, and it no longer grows based on player's interactions. Instead, a new skyscraper named Black Tower has been built in the centre of the metropolis, which must be completed in full in order for Black City to reach maximum capacity. In both games, the city is a great place to battle challenging Trainers, earn endless amounts of cash and nab some rare items you might not otherwise be able to find.

13  Take On The Elite Four In Hoenn

Given how extensive the main plot of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire is, players may not have made it to the Elite Four at the end of the game. They’d be missing out on a lot, because ORAS’s Elite Four sequence is hands down the most stunning in the entire franchise.

While the arenas themselves are nothing special, it's the transitional bridges which take players from one Elite Four member to the next which are truly gorgeous. Each one is themed after the trainer they lead to - Dark, Ghost, Ice, and Dragon - and they feature not only beautiful backgrounds but also stunning animations such as snowfall and showering embers. The bridges are a new addition in the remakes, and they do a good job not only of enhancing tension in the game's most climactic moments but also of showing off the 3DS’s enhanced graphical capabilities.

Dream Analysis At Newmoon Island

Newmoon Island appears in the Sinnoh region, where its Generation IV’s resident Mystery Gift locale. Following their token from the Member Card at a Nintendo event, players can enter the Harbor Inn at Canalave City, a residence which is otherwise sturdily locked. Inside the inn, they will meet a mysterious man who will hypnotize them into falling asleep - and just in case that wasn’t creepy enough, when they awake they will find themselves transported to Newmoon Island, apparently in the midst of a lucid nightmare.

Newmoon Island's favourite Legendary Pokémon is Darkrai, who is also the only Pokémon to be caught on the island. Following this, the player will reawaken and return to Canalave. The doors to the Inn will once again be locked, and the man will never be heard from again. Maybe it’s a good thing this freaky island isn’t visited more often.

12 Marvel At The Architecture Of Kalos’s Pokémon League

Kalos’s Pokémon League is another beautiful one, although this time it's the architecture more than the mysticism which leads to its breathtaking nature. This League takes the form of a grand castle, with epic spires, beautiful glassed domes and spiraling bridges making up its beautiful, fairytale-like exterior.

The interior is just as majestic, with each Elite Four member having their own unique chamber leading off from the main hall. Each chamber is themed around the trainer they were built for, and each has mechanized props that lead to flames, chains and dragon wings swooping down on the player. And the Champion’s specialized room, the Radiant Chamber, is the epitome of beauty, taking the form of a regal Throne Room with stained glass windows to boot. Kalos’s League will definitely go down as one of the most impressive buildings in the series.

11 Surf The Starry Lake Under Route 120

Route 120 appears in both Pokémon Gold and Silver and the remakes HeartGold and SoulSilver, and most players will travel through it on their way to Lilycove City. The route is not only a connection between Fortree City and Lilycove, but also home to a pair of optional caves, the Ancient Tomb and the Scorched Slab, and so players will most likely frequent it throughout their playthrough.

However, you’ll have to be lucky to see the route at its best. In HGSS, Route 120 really comes alive at night, when it's normally placid lake reflects dozens upon dozens of stars that light up the dark sky. Players can either walk over the beautiful visage on bridges or glide across the star-studded water on their favourite Pokémon friend. It just goes to show that everything can be beautiful depending on how you view it.

10 Lose Your Way In Wayward Cave

Wayward Cave is one of the few optional areas in Diamond and Pearl which doesn't involve a Legendary Pokemon. Instead, in an unusual move for the series, the cave features a side quest featuring a character named Mira who has gotten lost and needs help getting out. The player can team up with Mira to successfully complete a plethora of Double Battles as they escape, but sadly they will not receive any special items in gratitude at the cave exit.

Wayward Cave is still useful for another reason, however. If the cave is entered through a hidden entrance underneath Cycling Road, players will have a small chance to find and catch the Pokemon Gible. This is the only place that Gible can be found, an important thing to do if you want it to evolve into the semi-legendary Garchomp, and it makes helping out Mira all the more worthwhile.

9 Ignore The Signs At Turnback Cave

Judging by the name, Turnback Cave may sound like a bad idea from the start. It’s true that the cave is a trial to navigate to completion, but if you attempt it, you’ll realize that the name is less a warning and more a plea.

Turnback Cave is a maze-like area with thick fog that will take players to one of ten random rooms on each door they walk through. The goal is to find three stone pillars in these rooms during the player's time in the cave. Most of the time, this does not occur, and players are sent back to the beginning of the cave after wandering through thirty rooms. However, the rare few lucky enough to come across the pillars will go on to encounter the Legendary Pokémon Giratina. Even then, all can be lost given how difficult Giratina is to catch, so if you’re going to attempt to complete the cave make sure you’re stocked up on Pokéballs.

8 Take An Underwater Stroll At The Marine Tube

If you had your fill with Black and White and never got around to Black and White 2, you may have missed out on one of the most stunning locations in Generation V, the Marine Tube. An underwater aquarium, the Marine Tube takes the form of a six-mile glass walkway that links Undella Town and Humilau City, which was built in commemoration of the friendship between the locales.

The Marine Tube is home to several Pokemon, including Mantine Wailord and Basculin - but none of them are catchable. Likewise, there are not many NPCs to chat with and only one rare item to pick up in the whole area. Instead, the Marine Tube is designed, according to one NPC, “to see, not to move.” The Marine Tube was created to be a place of calm and relaxation that players can visit to destress, something it succeeds at beautifully.

7 Meet A Familiar Face At Unknown Dungeon

Unknown Dungeon is a location in Pokémon X and Y, and its name is a direct reference to the name of Cerulean Cave in every language other than English. In case you forgot, Cerulean Cave is a location in the Generation I games which could only be accessed after defeating the Pokémon League. It was also home to multiple high-level Pokémon, and the only way to catch Mewtwo in those games.

Like Cerulean Cave, Unknown Dungeon can only be visited after the player has made the Hall of Fame, and it's also home to the game's only Mewtwo. However, because Mewtwo is now able to Mega Evolve, this dungeon also holds a Mewtwonite X or Y depending on the game played, which will allow Mewtwo to reach its final form. No matter which form you choose, rest assured it’s pretty badass.

6 Step Foot On Ten Carat Hill

Ten Carat Hill is a secret location in Pokémon Sun and Moon, located on Melemele Island west of the Pokémon Research Lab. Like many hidden areas in those games, the hill requires the player to use one of their Poké Rides to visit it, meaning they'll need to own a Sharpedo, Machamp, and Tauros or Charizard in order to access every part of the hill.

Ten Carat Hill is right under your nose from when you first start playing the game, which is why it’s funny that it holds more than a few rare items, including TM62 Acrobatics. It's also the only place in the game you'll find the Pokémon Deino. Plus, if you’ve caught all of the Ultra Beasts in the post-game epilogue, Ten Carat Hill is the only place you’ll be able to find the super rare Legendary Pokémon Necrozma. It’s definitely worth the climb.

5 Birth Island

Birth Island is a location in both Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen and Emerald, where it's the home of the Mythical Pokémon Deoxys. Like many of the Legendary homes in early generations, Birth Island is only accessible with the help of a key item that must be obtained through the Mystery Gift function that could only be used at official Nintendo events - in this case, the Aurora Ticket.

Birth Island is quite an unassuming location on the first visit, taking the form of a triangular island with a dock attached to it. However, there is a hidden black triangular rock on the island which contains a puzzle that must be solved. Upon completing the puzzle, the rock will turn red and burst open, revealing the Legendary Pokémon which many will struggle to catch. We hope you saved your Master Ball for this one.

4 Meet Your Maker At Navel Rock

Like Birth Island, Navel Rock is only visitable in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. Unlike Birth Island, there's a lot more to do on the island than complete a stone puzzle if you wish to reach its final prize. In order to access Navel Rock, players must use Mystery Gift to receive the Mystery Ticket, and then set sail to the island from Seagallop Ferries.

If they’re lucky enough to have a Ticket, players must enter a dungeon and can travel either up or down to catch Ho-Oh, flying high above the island, or Lugia, lurking on the bottom-most floor. Given how difficult both of these battles are, we’d recommend making two trips to the Rock to give your Pokémon some time to heal in between battles. May the odds be ever in your favour!

3 Try Your Luck At Mirage Island

Mirage Island is probably the most difficult to find location in the entire Pokémon series. Its appearance on Route 130 is dependent on a set of random numbers which generate every day, which must match with the personality value of a players Pokémon in order for the island to appear.

Once located, Mirage Island is rather unremarkable in terms of layout, although it is home to some pretty rare obtainables. The long grass is populated by level 5 - 50 Wynaut, making it the only way to obtain one of the elusive Pokémon in Generation III outside of an Egg. The island is also the only way to obtain the super rare Liechi Berry in the game, a Berry which raises Attack and which is best for making Gold Pokéblocks. But you’ll have to be blessed to reach this place: there’s only a 1/10923 chance of the island appearing, making it even rarer than a Shiny Pokémon.

2 Explore Your Roots At The Cave Of Origin

Most players who played the original Ruby and Sapphire games will have visited the Cave of Origin; but the location is a little more secretive in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, meaning some later players may have missed out on it entirely. The resting place for Legendary Pokémon Groudon and Kyogre, the Cave of Origin is located on Sootopolis City, and guarded strictly by its Gym Leader Wallace for most of the game.

If Legendary Pokémon weren’t enough to convince you, the cave is worth visiting in ORAS just for the awesome special effects you’ll see when you finally get to the last area and face off against either Groudon or Kyogre. They have to be some of the most exciting ones in the entire series, and definitely, make for a fitting scene in the location where all life is said to have begun.

1 Step Off The Beaten Path In White Forest

White Forest is Pokémon White and White 2’s equivalent of Black Forest, and it performs much the same function as that location. In Pokémon White, the forest grows depending on how long it has taken for the player to reach the forest, and by whether or not they’ve visited Black City via the Entralink.

Unlike Black City, however, White Forest features few trainers to battle, and instead harbors a bunch of wild Pokémon that might otherwise be difficult to find in the game. White 2 also adds the White Treehollow dungeon, which can be fought through in order to receive rare items and an endless flow of cash. Players who complete the White Treehollow will also receive the Treehollow Key to pass onto their Black 2-playing friends so that they too can visit the forest. Sharing is caring, after all!