In the world of Pokémon, cities and towns often receive the bulk of fans’ attention. But, looking between the urban centers, one can find some very fascinating places along the Pokémon games’ famous routes. Many of them feature interesting terrain, one-of-a-kind landmarks, fascinating tourist destinations, and much more.
From the snowy mountains of Sinnoh to the scorching-hot beaches of Alola, Pokémon’s developers have long put time and love into the routes connecting the cities. Keep an open eye, an open mind, and you can find some true gems tucked away, or sometimes even right in plain sight. All you need to do is look.
10 Kanto Route 12
The limitations of video game hardware at the time made it difficult for Game Freak to build intricate or complex routes. As a result, many of the routes in Kanto are pretty plain, basically only featuring some grass, ledges, and trees.
There are a few exceptions to this, of course, one of which is Route 12. Also referred to as “Silence Bridge,” this route south of Lavender Town is a long boardwalk over a body of water. It’s peaceful, beautiful, and a nice break from the busy pace of some other locations.
9 Hoenn Route 119
This is a huge, winding path between Mauville City and Fortree City. Featuring waterfalls, a weather institute, varying lengths of grass, and long bike paths back and forth over the river. It’s also the location of some of the best secret base hideout options in all of Hoenn.
What this route is perhaps most famous for is the dreaded Feebas hunt. A notoriously-difficult Pokémon to find and catch, this is the only place to find Feebas in Hoenn. This ugly fish will only appear in certain tiles at random. Additionally, other Pokémon can appear on the Feebas tile, meaning you can completely miss it without realizing it. Oh, and the tiles change. Good luck!
8 Johto Route 36
Like Kanto, Johto was introduced to the world before hardware limitations would allow for super-complex designs. This route is actually more interesting because of what it borders, rather than something on the route itself. Route 36 connects to some of Johto’s most interesting places and acts as a crossroads between them.
To the west, players will find the famed National Park and its bug-catching contest. To the east is Violet City, the first major city you’ll visit on a Johto quest. To the south, you’ll find the Ruins of Alph and the mystery of the Unown. To the north lies Ecruteak, perhaps one of Johto’s most interesting cities.
7 Hoenn Route 113
Since the routes in Kanto and Johto were somewhat plain in many cases, it seems Game Freak decided to go overboard in Generation III and make the routes as interesting as possible. Because of this, players can find themselves on Route 113 in Hoenn.
This route is at the base of a volcano, so it’s covered in soot. Not only does this lend itself to a cool color palette of greys and light greens, but it introduced the soot-collection mechanic. If you collect enough soot by running through the grass, you can trade it in for some cool items.
6 Unova Route 4
In Generation V, the route numbers were reset. As a result, Unova has its own Route 4 separate from Kanto’s Route 4. Unova’s is much cooler, though. This early-game route connects Castelia City and Nimbasa City, as well as opening to the Desert Resort in the west.
There’s a clear design to this route. It features sand instead of grass, a ton of Ground- and Rock-type Pokémon, and various construction equipment being used to finish the road. The large freeway overhead gives this route the urban city feel that Unova is meant to embody.
5 Sinnoh Route 213
Sinnoh is an interesting region, ranging from routes through deep snow up north to beachside resorts. One of these beachy areas is Route 213, which is designed extremely well. Located in the southern part of the region, Route 213 connects Pastoria City with the Valor Lakefront.
On it, you’ll find yourself at peace, away from the busy life of Sinnoh’s large cities. Route 213 is a quiet beach that connects to a nice resort. It’s surrounded by cliffs and trees, which separates it from the neighboring areas. It’s a nice break from the rest of the world for a moment.
4 Alola Route 7
The third trial in Alola’s Island Challenge is found on top of a volcano. That’s super cool and hardcore, obviously. But, leading up to that volcano and its trial is Route 7. This route will take players to Wela Volcano Park, where the trail will be held.
What’s more aggressive than making trail-goers sweat the heat of a volcano and climb the rough terrain before making them face the trial? Those who need to cool off can also take a dip, as a long body of water runs parallel to the route.
3 Kalos Route 13
Kalos, the region introduced in Generation VI, is home to many interesting routes. One of them is Route 13, also known as the Lumiose Badlands. This route connects Coumarine City, Lumiose City, and the Kalos Power Plant. The power plant itself is actually the source of some mysteries since it has some doors that cannot be opened. They’re probably just decorative, but that didn’t stop people from speculating.
Route 13 itself is also interesting. It has strong winds that affect your ability to move, and large mounds that will follow you and initiate a wild Pokémon battle.
2 Galar Route 8
Almost all the routes in Galar are vastly different. Some are snowy, some are water-based, some are more urban, and others are filled with grazing Wooloo. Route 8, though, is probably the most interesting of them all. This route connects Route 7 with Circhester City.
On it, players will find a series of ancient ruins of varying levels with ladders between them. Wild Pokémon, including Falinks, will roam the area. The maze-like structure will then take you to the northern part of the route, titled Steamdrift Way. It’s always hailing in this part, and Ice-type Pokémon can be found. It’s a very interesting juxtaposition.
1 Kalos Route 20
Remember the Lost Woods that frustrated players in many Zelda games? These winding woods would lead Link through a trippy path that often resulted in dead ends. Kalos Route 20 is somewhat like this, twisting through a forest covered in dense foliage.
Players can easily get lost or stuck at a dead end when trying to navigate this route, which is part of what makes it so interesting. It’s also home to Noctowl and other nocturnal Pokémon, thanks to its dense overgrowth. It also connects to the Pokémon Village, which has a large population of Pokémon attempting to avoid humans, for various reasons. The whole area is interesting, especially the forested Route 20.
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