A trend amongst JRPGs is to introduce the player to new regions with every new entry in the series. These various settings can be interconnected or stand-alone, and either way, it's a great tool for developers wanting to keep things fresh, and the inclusion of a new region with new lore and character dynamics allows for that.
The Pokemon games, while all taking place in the same universe, span across various regions. While the most popular ones belong to the mainline entries, the spin-off games get the same treatment. All in all, there's a lot to be seen within the wonderful world of Pokémon.
Updated January 13, 2022 by Ryan Bamsey: As a franchise, Pokemon is growing year after year, and with it, the world that we learn about grows too. We are consistently introduced to new Pokemon and, with them, new regions. We've taken a look at this list to make sure we have everything.
15 Ferrum
There have been a lot of amazing spin-off games in the Pokemon franchise. The main formula has been tweaked and twisted to include everyone's favorite Pocket Monsters in various fantastic titles like Pokemon Snap, Pokemon Colosseum, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, and more. The franchise has even seen the introduction of its own MOBA with Pokemon Unite.
But one of the most ambitious and entertaining additions to the series is Pokken Tournament, the "official" Pokemon fighting game. It's a blast to play and features its own unique region in Ferrum. Similar to other regions in Pokemon, it's a robust area that features multiple biomes, ranging from forests to volcanos, and even full-blown Dragon Nests.
14 Oblivia
Introduced as the main backdrop for Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs, Oblivia is one of the smaller regions on this list. More of an archipelago than an actual entire region, Oblivia is made up of seven islands.
Though there are only three towns in the region, there are tons of other interesting places to check out. It's not as big as regions found in the mainline games, sure, but it has its own charm and is still a blast to explore.
13 Pasio
Pasio is the region that serves as the setting for the mobile game Pokemon Masters. In its history, it is a man-made island created by Lear, who also founded the Pokemon Masters League that you take part in when you play the game.
The region has the standard wide range of environments that Pokemon's regions are known for, but it is notable for having no wild Pokemon. This makes it stand out amongst the rest of the regions on this list.
12 Ransei
Debuting in Pokemon Conquest, the strategy RPG spinoff for the Nintendo DS, it is uncertain what Ransei looks like in the modern world that the other games have. In Conquest, however, Ransei resembles feudal Japan and is ruled by various warlords.
The region is split into 17 different kingdoms, each being populated primarily by a different type of Pokemon - if the game was released later, it's probably that this number would be bumped up to 18 to account for the introduction of the Fairy type.
11 Almia
Another region from the cult-classic Pokemon Ranger series, Almia, serves as the backdrop for Pokemon Ranger: Shadows Of Almia, arguably one of the best entries in the franchise. It's an interesting geographical setup, with a large main island that's curiously shaped, featuring dense forests and a village called Vientown located in the center of the region.
There are only a few towns to be found, as seems customary with the Pokemon Ranger aesthetic, but Almia features some unique biomes across the expansive water features surrounding the area. A large volcano and a massive desert-like area can be found to the east and south-east, respectively.
10 Alola
The Alola region is a beautiful resort-type area with a ton of rich lore and interesting inhabitants to keep you occupied. It's made up of four different islands all close by to each other; Melemele Island, Akala Island, Ula'ula Island, Poni Island. Aside from those, there's also the artificial Aether Paradise.
Each island adds something new to the region. Exploring and finding out more about them really helps the player feel immersed within the area. The Alolan Pokémon are a nice touch as well, as it really sells the fact that Alola is a unique area even within the Pokémon universe.
9 Sevii Islands
Technically part of the Kanto area, the Sevii Islands take up so much room that they may as well be considered their own region. The archipelago consists of nine sizable islands, each scarcely populated – making Sevii the smallest region out there.
The Islands can't be surfed to due to how far apart they are and require a ferry service in order to get around. Though there's not all that much to see, these islands are great for trainers wanting to catch different kinds of Pokémon.
8 Orre
If you were to transfer over Pokemon caught in either Colosseum or Gale of Darkness, into a mainline game, they're shown to be from a "distant land." Orre is a bit of a unique area even among the rest of the regions in the Pokémon universe.
Orre isn't a huge region but has plenty to see. It's most notable for the vast desert wasteland that covers most of the region but also has some greenery sprinkled in there as well.
7 Galar
Introduced in Pokemon Sword & Shield, Galar is a beautiful location inspired heavily by the United Kingdom. It's a diverse area filled with multiple biomes, stacked in a "tower-like shape" that will have players climbing up a metaphorical ladder as they ascend to their final challenge in Wyndon City. It's definitely one of the coolest-looking regions from a geological standpoint, as its design is quite impressive when seen from a map.
Sword & Shield is easily the "best-looking" Pokemon title to date, which helps to set Galar apart from the rest of the regions. It's detailed, vibrant, brimming with personality, and even features a specialized zone called The Wild Area, where players can watch Pokemon interact freely with their environment.
6 Unova
Unova is a massive region that is set considerably far from the ones in the first four generations. It not only has some of the most unique geographies of any of the mainline regions but some pretty extensive and interesting mythology as well.
This makes exploring Unova all the more engaging and paired alongside the plethora of unique Pokemon to be found within the region, really helps it stand out from the ones that predated it. It's one of the few areas fans get to revisit in mainline games. With Black 2 & White 2 taking place two years after the original, it also allows fans to see how the area has changed.
5 Kalos
One of the most interesting regions players have had the chance to explore is the Kalos region in X & Y. Inspired by metropolitan France, Kalos certainly gives off a different vibe than any other region that's come before it, and any following it as well.
With Sword and Shield taking place in another European-inspired setting, Kalos will probably be a region many fans will soon look back to with fond memories. Like Unova, it also has quite a bit of history tied to it, with historical sites and buildings being well-preserved.
4 Sinnoh
One region that fans feel doesn't get as much love as it should, Gen Four enthusiasts have been begging for a Sinnoh remake for a while now. Sinnoh's name is actually based around the Japanese for mysteries. It makes sense, given the large number of myths surrounding the region.
Sinnoh is notable for being the first region to feature snowy routes and featured a pretty diverse ecological system all in all. The most notable landmark is Mt. Coronet's peak, where the entrance to the distortion world is found.
Thanks to Pokemon Legends: Arceus, we now know that during the period of history when Sinnoh was being settled and explored, it was known as Hisui instead and featured many Pokemon unique to that time.
3 Hoenn
Located just south of Sinnoh, the Hoenn region kind of resembles Kanto in how it's spread out. Like its predecessors, Hoenn was modeled after a region in Japan – with the island of Kyushu serving as the inspiration.
Fun fact; while the region is modeled after Kyushu, Junichi Masuda stated that the design is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise. This was done in order to make the area more playable. Hoenn really does stand out as one of the most memorable areas all these years later.
2 Kanto
The area that fans are probably the most familiar with, the Kanto region is where things all started. Kanto is still a popular region with a lot of fans, and whether it's familiarity or just preference, provides players with a ton of fun areas to explore.
The region has actually gone through the most changes of any in the games. With remakes in Gen Three and Seven, and inclusions in Gen Two and Gen Four games, Kanto has been tweaked quite a bit.
1 Johto
As popular as the Kanto region has proven to be, it's the Johto region that made the biggest impression. Notably, the Johto games famously introduced the idea of post-Elite 4 content; in this case the entire Kanto region. Its proximity to the latter made it a seamless transition.
Johto has a bunch of interesting and iconic landmarks, like the Lake of Rage, Sprout Tower, and of course the Ruins of Alph. With so much to explore and do, Johto is a lock for the best region in the Pokemon universe.