Each region in the Pokemon series has its own identity, whether it comes from the real-world location it’s based on or the gameplay mechanics and critters that can be found there. With Pokemon Legends: Z-A recently giving the Kalos Region a chance to shine again after Pokemon X and Y left so many loose ends dangling, it’s become painfully obvious that two other regions are still missing something the rest of the franchise has already experienced. Pokemon‘s Johto and Sinnoh Regions are an odd outlier in the series for their lack of access to a key battle gimmick.
With Pokemon Winds and Waves on the horizon and rumored to feature a new Gen 10 battle mechanic supposedly themed around the weather, it appears as though an ongoing Pokemon series trend will continue. Ever since Gen 5, almost every new Pokemon game released has featured some type of twist on the traditional Pokemon battles. Some of these battle gimmicks are certainly more popular than others, but, strangely, the Johto and Sinnoh regions have never had access to any of them throughout Pokemon‘s history.
I Have Played Pokemon HeartGold for 86 Hours, and This is My Official Johto Pokemon Tier List
Based on my most recent playthrough of Pokemon HeartGold (as well as priors), this is my tier list for Pokemon originally introduced in Johto.
Johto and Sinnoh Lack a Major Battle Mechanic Like Pokemon’s Other Regions Have
The Johto and Sinnoh Regions certainly have their own claims to fame. Johto is notorious for being directly next door to Kanto, and allowing players to visit the neighboring region in each game it’s appeared in. However, beyond simply being Kanto’s neighbor, Johto gameplay is typically marked by a slow leveling curve and a reliance on Gen 1 Pokemon.
New Questions Added!
GameRant Quiz
Easy (15s)Medium (10s)Hard (5s)Permadeath (5s)
The Sinnoh Region is infamous for being the home region of the same generation that introduced the Physical/Special Split in Gen 4. Other than this overhaul, it doesn’t feature any truly unique battle gimmicks and is largely memorable for other reasons, such as the Underground side activity and the difficult Champion Cynthia battle. While the Sinnoh Region’s lore was more fleshed out in Pokemon Legends: Arceus, the region seen in that game doesn’t reflect the modern Sinnoh and instead adopts the Hisui name to distinguish itself.
All of Pokemon’s Major Battle Gimmicks and the Regions They are Available In
- Triple/Rotation Battles — Unova
- Mega Evolution — Kalos, Hoenn, Alola, Kanto
- Z-Moves — Alola
- Dynamax — Galar
- Terastallization — Paldea, Kitakami, Unova
The trend of a generational battle gimmick started with Pokemon Black and White introducing Triple and Rotation Battles. While these battles weren’t super relevant and largely unpopular, they paved the way for each subsequent Pokemon generation to feature some kind of battle twist. Gen 6 knocked it out of the park with Mega Evolution in Pokemon X and Y, so much so that it persisted into Gen 7 and has recently made a huge comeback in Gen 9 with Pokemon Legends: Z-A. In addition to Mega Evolution, which was largely an afterthought in the post-game, Sun and Moon introduced the Z-Move mechanic that allowed players to unleash an extremely powerful move once per battle. However, Z-Moves have remained exclusive to the Alola Region.
Mega Evolution was absent in Gen 8, but Sword and Shield made up for this loss with the addition of Dynamax and Gigantamax, which were made exclusive to the Galar Region due to the power spots that appeared around the region after the Darkest Day. Gen 9’s Terastallization mechanic is technically found in three different regions. Although it originates from Paldea’s Area Zero, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet‘s DLCs see the phenomenon expand into Kitakami in The Teal Mask and Unova via Blueberry Academy in The Indigo Disk.
Johto and Sinnoh Missed the Boat for a Unique Battle Gimmick
Kanto and Hoenn are the only two pre-Gen 5 regions that have access to some kind of battle gimmick, with Mega Evolution being possible in both. The presence of Mega Evolution in Kanto and Hoenn comes from the fact that both regions received remakes during Gen 6 and Gen 7, when the mechanic was still a part of the generation’s gameplay systems. Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire expanded on the Mega Evolutions of X and Y, introducing new Megas for the Hoenn starters, as well as a variety of other Gen 3 Pokemon. While it’s not a core part of the games, Mega Evolution is still possible in Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee, bringing the mechanic to the Kanto region as well.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
Johto remakes in the form of HeartGold and SoulSilver came in Gen 4, and Sinnoh remakes in the form of Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl came in Gen 8, meaning both were just outside the window to experience Mega Evolution. Although Dynamax existed in Gen 8, its status in-universe as a Galar-exclusive phenomenon meant that it wouldn’t have been possible to appear in Pokemon BDSP. And with Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl being faithful remakes of the Gen 4 games, it’s clear why no battle gimmick was included.
A Johto Remake Feels Overdue
Now that Mega Evolution has returned to the spotlight with Legends: Z-A, these regions have a chance to finally get in on the action. Since Sinnoh just had remakes, it’s unlikely the region will appear again anytime soon. However, Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver are now pushing 16 years old, meaning a return to Johto is more necessary than ever. A Let’s Go Johto game has been on many fans’ wish lists for some time, and it would be the perfect excuse to give the region access to Mega Evolution. Unfortunately, the future of Pokemon games detailed in last year’s TeraLeaks points towards the franchise moving away from this type of game, suggesting Johto and Sinnoh may never see battle gimmicks of their own.
- Released
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March 14, 2010
- ESRB
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e
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
