Generation III/Discussion of Generation III/Hoenn Thematic Motif

The third generation of Pokémon games were more directed towards nature and relationships. The three starters were collectively more symbolic to their elements than previous starters: is based on a fish which thrives only in Water,  is a chick (which, in the real world, needs warmth in order to hatch) holding its Fire internally, and  is a gecko that lives only in forests with Grass. The main antagonists were either Team Magma and/or Team Aqua who want to expand the land or sea respectively. Once they awaken one of the Legendary Pokémon or, the world is flooded by rain or dried by drought. It's up to the player to set nature back on course by defeating their version's mascot or capturing it. Hoenn's people are far more attuned to nature than previous regions: Fortree City is built alongside Pokémon in the trees, while Pacifidlog Town is built on wooden rafts in the sea atop a colony, even though Corsola cannot be found there in the games. With, a player can make a Secret Base out of trees, caves, or clumps of grass.

There are far more Pokémon that share relationships with other Pokémon in this generation of games, especially the Legendary Pokémon. The Legendary titans are an obvious example of this; however, the game mascots all share a relationship as the weather trio. and are both Eon Pokémon that must be chased around the region. Pokémon such as, , , and are related to other Pokémon, namely , , , and , in relationships ranging from explicit to loose symbiosis, to intense rivalry in the case of  and.