I admit, I'm a little biased toward how I view the Pokemon games. Some of them I had great experiences with, others I struggled the whole way through. Nonetheless, each one of the regions in the game I feel very strongly for, as each one offers a completely different perspective on the beloved series, with new Pokemon, storytelling and overall enhancement of the gameplay. Thus, each one means a completely different thing to me. Read on to find out how I feel!

6. Johto

If you're reading this, Sam, I apologize. Though I don't dislike any of the regions, Johto in particular stands out to me because I think it is unremarkable. I had difficulty in bringing up a strong team that could take out trainers while playing SoulSilver, not to mention the overall lack of strong Pokemon in general that I think the region has. In addition, the towns and cities all felt like they were very similar, and the overall countryside feel didn't sit well with me when compared to the other regions I had played first. The Johto games also felt just so difficult compared to others, and I look back on it with a bit of a sour experience. If I had raised up a better team each time I played I might have looked at this with a sunnier outlook, but on every occasion, Johto gave me difficulties.

5. Kanto

As the first region ever introduced in Pokemon, Kanto is a well balanced and simple region that does not have the diversity and hallmarks that the future titles did. Kanto feels like a fresh start to a new series, and is easy to get around. Though Kanto is a nice little region, it pales in comparison to future ones due to its unremarkable-ness. It introduced some of the most basic concepts in the series, that were quickly revamped and improved as the years went on. It is average when put against the sprawling maps that the future games had, and though it is charming, it would not stand the test of time had it not have been the first in the series. It needs to be updated for the future.

4. Unova

A sprawling metropolis filled with cities galore, Unova remains one of my least favorite regions due to its overall messiness. With Black and White forcing you to start fresh and not use any Pokemon from the previous games, Unova starts out difficult because you have no idea what direction your journey will be going in. Add the fact that the routes are massive with various nooks and crannies, and Unova feels way too overwhelming for the beginner. I struggled throughout so much of Black because of this, and it doesn't help how difficult the game can be. It has extremely tough trainers, only adding to the troubles that were present from the start. To this day, I still have bad experiences with Unova, but what makes up for it is how the region itself looks. I enjoy the graphics and overall feel of the fifth generation games, but hate how it was done. It was too confusing.

3. Kalos

Inspired by the lush beauty and culture of France, Kalos is a stylistic region filled with charming towns and beautiful forests. Filled to the brim with all kinds of quirkiness, X and Y introduced the ability to customize the player character, in homage to the French fashion industry. Each town and city has a uniqueness to it that has the European charm never present in the other games, making it an incredibly fun experience. With all kinds of amazing new Pokemon introduced and with plenty of unsolved mysteries, Kalos is incredibly fun and altogether unlike anything else in Pokemon. Let's hope we see it again soon.

2. Sinnoh

Craggy, snowy and filled with secrets, Sinnoh was the introduction that I had to the Pokemon series. Playing Diamond for the first time, I fell in love with Pokemon and never looked back. Nostalgia aside, I continue to love Sinnoh for multiple reasons. Generation 4 had, in my opinion, the best graphics of any Pokemon game, and Sinnoh was the perfect place to show it. So many lovely touches were given to make the game shine, and with the introduction of snowy areas, Sinnoh stood out for how much it brought to the table. The towns are lovely, the routes are filled with lush scenery and the Pokemon introduced continued to be some of the best. I admit, I am so attached to Sinnoh due to nostalgia, but it nonetheless remains so beautifully executed, it deserves this spot.

1. Hoenn

Beautifully crafted, equally of the land and sea, Hoenn is, in my opinion, the best region that Pokemon has ever made. It is so incredibly diverse, from beautiful islands, a lost desert, an active volcano, a treetop city and even a city erupted in a mountain. And with a story that revolves around a massive calamity only to be solved by the protagonist, it feels like a traditional JRPG maxed out to the extreme. It is the Pokemon region for non-Pokemon fans, and the series has nowhere near gone as far as Hoenn did when looking at its scale. Emerald is still, in my opinion, the greatest Pokemon game there is, due to the incredible story line, unique Pokemon and the natural beauty of the region. Never will Pokemon go as far as they did with Hoenn. They cannot beat it.

Even if you disagree with my choices, I would like to know what you think of my ranking and what your ranking would be. Even though Pokemon is formulaic in its execution, each region brings something incredibly different to the table. And for that, I will forever love Pokemon.