Hoenn

Hoenn (ホウエン地方) is a region in the Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald games.

Hoenn is based on the island of Kyūshū in Japan and lies to the south-west of Kanto and Johto in the Pokémon world. It is the only sea region so far. (A sea region is a region with a lot of routes you travel by surfing.) According to Pokémon legend, the Hoenn region was formed by the Legendary Land Pokémon Groudon raising the land and the Legendary Ocean Pokémon, Kyogre, expanding the sea. 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. Routes in Hoenn are numbered from 101 to 134 and do not follow sequentially from routes in Kanto-Johto, which were numbered 1 to 48.

The Advanced Generation series in the animé occur here, as protagonist Ash Ketchum and company explore this new region featuring more than 100 new Pokémon. In the anime, a Kingdom called the "Mirage Kingdom" is located between routes 111 and 112, this translates to 'Mirage Tower' in the gaming series. LaRousse City, which was the setting for the animated film Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys, is in eastern Hoenn. It is the first Pokémon game to feature a desert-like environment. With the release of Heart Gold and Soul Silver, Hoenn is the only continent in the Pokémon universe not playable on the Nintendo DS.

Littleroot Town
Littleroot Town (ミシロタウン) is a small town with only three buildings, and is the hometown of the protagonist's rival, who is Professor Birch's son or daughter. At the beginning of the story of the games, the protagonist moves into this town. It is based on Sasebo, Nagasaki, in Japan. Among the three buildings is Professor Birch's laboratory. Unlike in the previous Pokémon games, the player does not receive his or her first Pokémon in the lab, but in the tall grass to the north, where the player has to save Professor Birch.

Oldale Town
Oldale Town (コトキタウン) is the second town that the player visits. It is a minor town, and the first town that the player visits that has a Pokémart and Pokémon Center.

Petalburg City
Petalburg City (トウカシティ) is located in the south-west of Hoenn. The gym leader is Norman, the player's father, who uses Normal-type Pokémon. The player first meets Wally here; he catches a Ralts.

Rustboro City
Rustboro City (カナズミシテ) is north of Petalburg City and houses the first gym leader that the player can battle, Roxanne. She specializes in Rock-type Pokémon. It also includes the Devon Corporation, a large company that creates many items for trainers.

Dewford Town
Dewford Town (ムロ島 or ムロタウン) is the second town that features a gym. The Gym Leader is Brawly, who uses Fighting-type Pokémon.

Slateport City
Slateport City (カイナシティ) is a large city with a marketplace for Secret Base items and a ferry link to Lilycove City. Slateport City also features the Oceanic Museum, a museum that is full of items and objects recovered from the sea. In the South Central part of Slateport, there is a market, featuring the Energy Guru, who sells the stat-enhancing vitamins (Calcium, Iron, etc.)

Mauville City
Mauville City (キンセツシティ) is a junction city. Roads from Mauville lead west to Verdanturf Town and Rustboro City, south to Slateport City, east to Fortree City and Lilycove City, and north to Fallarbor Town and Lavaridge Town. The Mauville City Gym Leader is Wattson, an Electric-type trainer.

Verdanturf Town
Verdanturf Town (シダケタウン) is a small town with only one major landmark. In Ruby and Sapphire, the Normal Rank Contest Hall is here. In Emerald, it is replaced by a Battle Tent, a test to see how loyal your Pokémon are. The prize is a Nest Ball, obtainable only in Verdanturf.

Fallarbor Town
Fallarbor Town (ハジツゲタウン) lies north of Mt. Chimney. Most of its inhabitants work in agriculture; the soil is very fertile because of its high content of volcanic ash. In Ruby and Sapphire, the town is home to the Super Rank Pokémon Contest hall. In Emerald, it is replaced by a Battle Tent.

Lavaridge Town
Lavaridge Town (フエンタウン) is located at the foothills of Mt. Chimney. The Lavaridge Pokémon Center is connected to a hot spring, which is what Lavaridge Town is famous for all over the Hoenn region. An old lady in front of the hot springs will give the player a Pokémon egg, which hatches into Wynaut. The Gym Leader of Lavaridge is Flannery, who uses Fire-types.

Fortree City
Fortree City (ヒワマキシティ) is a city built atop the trees (everything except the Pokémon Center, the Poké Mart and the Gym), giving it its name. The Gym Leader is Winona, who uses Flying-type Pokémon. Invisible Kecleon are found near here.

Lilycove City
Lilycove City (ミナモシティ) is a port city in northeast Hoenn. It houses a huge department store, an art museum, and a contest hall. In Ruby and Sapphire, it is the Master Rank Hall, and in Emerald, all Pokémon Contests are located here.

Mossdeep City
Mossdeep City (トクサネシティ) is an island city in the north-east of Hoenn. It is based on Tanegashima, Japan. The Gym Leaders are the twins Tate and Liza, who specialize in Psychic-types.

Sootopolis City
Sootopolis City (ルネシティ) is a city built in the cone of an extinct volcano. It is based on Santorini, Greece. The player enters the city for the first time from underwater. The last Gym is located here, as well as the Cave of Origin. If the player follows the plot, his or her first visit to Sootopolis City is during the time the weather in Hoenn has been disrupted by Groudon (Ruby and Emerald) or Kyogre (Sapphire and Emerald), though players can head to Sootopolis City at an earlier time as long as they have received the Dive HM and Mossdeep Gym badge.

Pacifidlog Town
Pacifidlog Town (キナギタウン) is an isolated settlement in the south of Hoenn. The entire town is said to have been built on top of a colony of Corsola. The town uses wooden planks to connect the buildings together, and as such, the player can neither run nor use his or her bicycle here. Although the town itself contains little of interest, it is in close proximity to the Sealed Chamber, Mirage Island, and Sky Pillar.

Ever Grande City
Ever Grande City (サイユウシティ) consists of two parts: the area before Victory Road, which has a Pokémon Center, and the area after it, which contains the Hoenn Pokémon League building.

Petalburg Woods
Petalburg Woods is a Hoenn forest. This is the only place to catch Slakoth. A Team Aqua or Team Magma grunt with a Level 9 Poochyena attacks a person working for Devon Corporation here.

Devon Corporation
The Devon Corporation is very similar to Silph Co. from Kanto, but is the Hoenn equivalent. It is also rumoured to run the Pokémarts in Hoenn. Devon Corp. is owned by Mr. Stone, and it plays an important role in the games, allowing the player to receive certain important items and revive fossils into Pokémon. The Devon Corp. headquarters are the target for robbery by Team Aqua and Team Magma. After the player stops their crimes, Mr. Stone will ask the player to deliver a letter to his son Steven Stone, and a Package to Captain Stern, in Slateport City. He will reward the player with his or her Pokénav.

Rusturf Tunnel
The Rusturf Tunnel is a tunnel between Rustboro City and Verdanturf Town. Its name is a portmanteau of the first and last parts of the two cities that the tunnel joins. In the video games, construction has stopped because of concerns over disturbing the Whismur in the cave. Once the player has the HM Rock Smash, he or she can break a rock to open the tunnel up and get the HM Strength.

Granite Cave
Granite Cave is an area to the Northwest of Dewford Town. In the video games, a hiker at the entrance will give the HM Flash to the player, which can be used to increase vision in the pitch-dark basement (similar to the Rock Tunnel in the Kanto region). The player must go through the cave to deliver a letter to a man named Steven Stone. It is the only place in the games where players may obtain Nosepass.

Meteor Falls
Meteor Falls is a waterfall-filled cave located near Fallarbor Town. Lunatone can be found here in Sapphire Version and Solrock can be found here in Ruby and Emerald Version.

Though players will initially have to pass through the area early on in the games to save Prof. Cosmo from Team Aqua or Team Magma, the majority of the area is not accessible to players until late in the game, when the HM Waterfall is available. Of interest to trainers is the rare Dragon Pokémon Bagon, which is only found deep inside the caves. Additionally, in Emerald, the player may challenge Steven Stone after defeating the Elite Four.

Mt. Pyre
Mt. Pyre is a Pokémon graveyard, similar to Kanto's Pokémon Tower. It consists of two areas: the inside, a "cave" filled with Pokémon trainers that functions as a graveyard, and the outer mountain, which can be reached by exiting from inside. Mt. Pyre is considered the counterpart of the Cave of Origin (the cave where life begins), as Mt. Pyre is "the place where life ends." Atop the mountain are an old couple who guard two orbs, the Red Orb and Blue Orb. They are the grandparents of Phoebe of the Elite Four.

Mt. Pyre plays a major role in the video games. In Ruby players have to battle with Team Magma members as they steal the Blue Orb to control Groudon, while in Sapphire and Emerald, the player is forced to battle Team Aqua members who are trying to steal the Red Orb to control Kyogre. In Emerald, after Groudon and Kyogre disappear at Sootopolis City, Team Magma leader Maxie and Team Aqua leader Archie return both orbs to their respective perches at the summit of Mt. Pyre, providing closure to the game's main plot.

Cave of Origin
The Cave of Origin is located at the north end of Sootopolis City. It is guarded by Wallace /Juan of Sootopolis Gym and is said to be a cave where life begins. Its opposite landmark is Mt. Pyre, said to be the place where life ends. Residents of Sootopolis are not permitted to enter the Cave of Origin. The contents of the cave are different in each game: In Ruby and Sapphire, the player finds Groudon or Kyogre, respectively, and must defeat or capture it to proceed. In Emerald, Wallace is inside the Cave of Origin and knows how to stop the scuffle between Kyogre and Groudon.

After performing the necessary steps to quell the ancient Pokémon, players can enter the Gym and battle Wallace (Ruby and Sapphire) or his mentor Juan (Emerald). Both use Water-type Pokémon.

Victory Road
Victory Road (チャンピオンロード) is a large cave that leads to the Pokémon League. It holds many trainers aspiring to reach the Pokémon League. During some point in Victory Road, a boy named Wally will catch up to the player and battle. The player originally mentored Wally at the beginning of the game, and Wally has matured into a strong opponent. It is accessed from the southern portion of Ever Grande, and requires Rock Smash, Strength, and Waterfall to traverse. Since most of the cave is dark, it is harder to explore without the use of Flash.

Sky Pillar
Sky Pillar is an abandoned tower to the north-east of Pacifidlog Town that is home to very strong Pokémon. Though an optional dungeon in Ruby and Sapphire, it plays a major role in Emerald; the player needs to go to Sky Pillar to summon Rayquaza to solve the fight between Kyogre and Groudon in Sootopolis City. When the player reaches the top of Sky Pillar (in Emerald, the second visit), Rayquaza can be fought and captured.

Battle Tower/Battle Frontier
In Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the Battle Tower (バトルタワー) is located on a small island. Its motto is "Win it all and be the best, Trainers!" To access the facility, the player must first defeat the Elite Four, then receive the S.S. Tidal Ticket from the protagonist's father, Norman. After journeying on the newly completed ship, the player will gain the option to visit the Battle Tower.

Southern Island
Southern Island can only be unlocked using the Eon Ticket, which can only be obtained in the game from a special event, or by mixing records with someone who has the Ticket. Southern Island is located, as the name suggests, in the south of the region, just west of the Battle Frontier. One cannot Surf to get to the island; instead, they must board the ferry at Lilycove City with an Eon Ticket to get there. The island only exists to enable the player to get both Latias and Latios.

In Pokémon Ruby, Latias will be found on the Southern Island, while in Pokémon Sapphire, Latios will be found instead.

Once you have successfully defeated the Pokémon league, a newsflash will appear on TV saying that a certain color Pokémon was seen in Hoenn (for Pokémon Emerald only). The character's mother will ask if it was red or blue. If you answer red, you find Latias in the wild, and Latios at Southern Island. If you answer blue, Latios appears in the wild and Latias at Southern Island.

Trivia

 * This is the only region that features a Double Battle with any Gym Leader in the form of Tate and Liza.

Hoenn 호연지방