Anime-based map of the Hoenn region

The Hoenn region (Japanese: ホウエン地方 Hōen region, Houen is also seen), the region southwest of Johto, is the setting of the Generation III games Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and Pokémon Emerald. The names of most of the cities in Hoenn are made of two words put together (Little Root, Fort Tree, Soot Polis, etc.). This region is the largest discovered so far and boasts many dramatic environments from rain forest to desert to mountains. Professor Birch of Littleroot Town offers the Pokémon known as Treecko, Torchic or Mudkip to trainers beginning their journey of this vast land.

Locations

Cities/Towns

• Littleroot Town
• Petalburg City
• Oldale Town
• Rustboro City
• Dewford Town
• Slateport City
• Mauville City
• Verdanturf Town
• Fallarbor Town
• Lavaridge Town
• Fortree City
• Lilycove City
• Mossdeep City
• Pacifidlog Town
• Sootopolis City
• Ever Grande City

Hoenn is also the place where trainers can compete in what is known as Pokémon Contests. Contest halls can be found in Verdanturf, Fallarbor, Slateport, and Lilycove in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. However, the first three have been replaced by Battle Tents in Pokémon Emerald.

Areas of interest

• Petalburg Woods
• Rusturf Tunnel
• Granite Cave
• New Mauville
• Mt. Chimney
• Cave of Origin
• Scorched Slab
• Safari Zone
• Seafloor Cavern
• Sealed Chamber
• Southern Island
• Abandoned Ship
• Meteor Falls
• Shoal Cave
• Mt. Pyre
• Jagged Pass
• Sky Pillar
• Island Cave
• Desert Ruins
• Ancient Tomb

Emerald-exclusive areas

These areas can only be found in Pokémon Emerald:

• Trainer Hill
• Battle Frontier
• Desert Tunnel
• Altering Cave
• Illusion Tower
• Sea Cave
• Shore Cave

League

Gym Leaders

1. Roxanne
2. Brawly
3. Wattson
4. Flannery
5. Norman
6. Winona
7. Tate & Liza
8. Wallace (in Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire) or Juan (in Pokémon Emerald, Pokémon anime)

Elite Four

1. Sidney
2. Phoebe
3. Glacia
4. Drake

• Steven (in Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire) or Wallace (in Pokémon Emerald)

Trivia

Hoenn designer Jun'ichi Masuda has explicitly confirmed that Hoenn is modelled after Kyushu, the fourth of the main islands of Japan, in the 15th article in his Director's column.

Masuda's parents were both born in Kurate District, Fukuoka Prefecture, and so he has many relatives in Kyushu. When he was young, he went to Kyushu for his summer vacations. The happy memories he had of Kyushu eventually led him to choose Kyushu as the stage for Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald.

As with Kyushu, Hoenn (a pun on 豊縁 hōen) is a place where the relations (縁 en) between Pokémon and people, between person and person, are abundant (豊 hō).