Pokémon is one of the most popular franchises in the world, and its popularity is only rivaled by the world of the games themselves. Pokémon features multiple continents to explore, and for decades now, players have loved diving in and fully immersing themselves in the Pokémon world.
But every Pokémon game stops players from running into the wild (at least until the recent Mystery Dungeon, but otherwise, anything is fair game.
Honorable Mentions
There are so many regions in the canon, and those outside the category of main regions, like Aeos Island from Masters EX, respectively.
Some are small, like Mintale Town from Pokémon Channel. Some of them are unnamed, like the regions from the games about the Pokémon Trading Card Game. Pokken Tournament has the Ferrum region, while Conquest has the Ransei region. There are so many places to explore.
Ryme City
There are plenty of regions that aren't that large. A lot of them consist of mere islands, or sometimes just singular cities. Ryme City, from the surprising Detective Pikachu, is one of the smaller regions, but the city streets and high skyscrapers still contain untold wonder.
As is true for a lot of the spinoff regions, Ryme City does not feature any wild Pokémon. But trainers are also quite rare in this city, where Pokémon and humans live side by side. Of course, there are still problems to be had under the surface. But Ryme City does present a neat metropolis for its small size.
Kalos
Kalos was the headlining region of Pokémon region from Generation 6. Kalos was the first region to be based on a European nation. Specifically, this region with lavish palaces and heavy culture was based on and it featured lush countryside and plenty of chic fashion.
The crown jewel of Kalos was definitely Lumiose City. This city, based on Paris, was a cultural hub where plenty of businesses could be found. Unfortunately, its confusing layout made it not a favorite for some fans. Kalos' confusing layout and somewhat same-looking countryside also make it rate lower.
Pokémon Island
New Pokémon Snap also featured the new Lental region. It's a wildlife preservation region where researchers go to photograph Pokémon. But before Lental, there was Pokémon Island and the original Pokémon Snap had so many things to discover.
Pokémon Island featured all environment types. From rivers to rocky mountains to forests, players could find it all here. Giant effigies of Pokémon can also be found all over. When it comes to mysterious vibes, this island can't be beaten.
Galar
Galar is one of the most industrious regions in the Pokémon canon. That makes sense given its inspiration is the United Kingdom. It features the trappings of the U.K.'s many regions, and coal mines, Druids of the west, and cold temperatures play big parts.
But there are also some quality-of-life functions that result from the U.K. setting, like the cab system, which made fast travel easier. There's also the evil team, which is based on England's famous football fandom. These elements may seem hokey to some, but they're part of Galar's charm.
Pokémon Ranger Regions
The Pokémon Ranger series featured multiple regions for players to explore among its installments, those being Fiore, Oblivia, and Almia. There's no battling, trainers, or Pokémon league to be found in these peaceful regions. Instead, it has more of a wildlife reserve vibe.
Fiore has cities each based on each of the four seasons. Oblivia is an island region that's spread out over the ocean. Almia appears to be connected to the Sinnoh region, as it resembles a real part of Hokkaido. While these regions might seem peaceful, there's still plenty of danger and adventure to be had.
Kanto
Kanto's the original region of Pokémon. It's been well-worn at this point, based on the Japanese prefecture of the same name. It's still a classic, but many fans are tired of its over-saturation, despite the fact that there's still a lot about Pokémon's Kanto that players don't know.
Also, given that it debuted on the Game Boy, it wasn't the prettiest to look at. It was mostly grasslands with a few caves and sea routes. But that's no reason to knock some of its great locations, like the S.S. Anne and Lavender Town. Kanto may be old, but it's still got stuff to bring.
Hoenn
Hoenn has gotten a lot of flak. It's based on the maritime area of Kyushu. As such, water and sea have always been a part of its identity, which not every player liked. But there are plenty of great places to visit in Pokémon's Hoenn that aren't waterlogged.
Hoenn might be known for its ocean, but it's got great land areas too, like giant volcanoes with hot springs. This dichotomy is illustrated by the evil teams' conflict between Land and Sea. Hoenn certainly contains multitudes.
Orre
Orre is the region from the only side series in the franchise, Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness for GameCube. Orre also didn't have features the mainline regions did, in this case, wild Pokémon. But that didn't stop Orre from coming across as edgy and lawless.
This desert region based on Arizona had a real outlaw-vibe to it. Trainers with dangerous Pokémon lurked around every corner, travel was often long and arduous, and towns were hardly safe-havens. It was a region with an edgier feel than ever before or since.
Alola
A lot of people were apprehensive of Alola when it was first announced. Memories of Hoenn were very strong because of recent remakes. But Alola, based on Hawaii, took a different approach to being an island region. In it, the player character found a region with much less structure.
Tourism and tradition were big elements of the region, but the fact that the region lacked a traditional Pokémon League was also unique. While a replacement league ends up being created during the story, it is an interesting difference. Alola was an unexpected surprise favorite in its setting.
