Sinnoh

The Sinnoh region (Japanese:  Sinnoh-chihō) is a region of the Pokémon world. It is located north of Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. It is the setting of. It is composed of the large mainland, the north-eastern island of the Battle Zone, and several on both sides of the region.

Most of Sinnoh's routes are on land, having very few water routes, in vast contrast to Hoenn. The region is divided by Mt. Coronet, roughly comparable to how the continent that Kanto and Johto make up is essentially a contiguous region.

Etymology and design concept
Junichi Masuda has stated that Sinnoh's name denotes "mysteries" (神奥), possibly in reference to the various myths of the region. The geography of the Sinnoh region is based on the geography of the Japanese island of and southern part of the Russian island, as well as , which is claimed by Japan, but administered by Russia. Sinnoh has been said to be an island like Hoenn, rather than a peninsula.

Most of all cities and towns in Sinnoh are positioned in the same way as the real cities and towns of the Japan while most of its design is based on it as well. Jubilife City is Sinnoh's largest city, which is based on, Hokkaido's largest city, while Veilstone City is based upon , a major port city.

Geographical features are similar as well, with the large mountain ranges of Mt. Coronet based from the mountain chain, which is made up of the, the  , the , the , and the. The three lakes of Sinnoh mimic, and Lake Kutcharo. The fourth lake of Sinnoh is similar to, which is also known as a mysterious spot that has a dense layer of fog hiding the surface most of the time.

The numbering of the routes in the Pokémon world may also be a reference to Japan's own national route system, which goes from to, then skips directly to , and then skips several more numbers. Routes in Sinnoh do not run concurrent to routes in Hokkaido; instead starting over after the set of routes in Hoenn.

History
According to several Sinnoh myths, this region was the first of all the regions in the Pokémon world to have been created. In a void of nothingness, a single came into being, which then hatched into, the first Pokémon to be in existence. Arceus created, , and possibly , and Arceus then gave Dialga and Palkia the abilities to control time and space, respectively. Giratina was banished to another dimension for its violent behavior. Then, during the very early formation of the world, Arceus created, , and to create willpower, knowledge, and emotion respectively, things that are in all modern humans and Pokémon. They dove to the bottom of present-day Lake Valor, Lake Acuity, and Lake Verity, an act which earned them the name "the lake trio". At that point, Arceus created the Sinnoh region and Mt. Coronet divided the region into two sections. During this violent procedure, Stark Mountain was created and was formed in lava. Arceus finally created the Adamant, Lustrous, and Griseous Orbs before falling into a never-ending sleep at the Hall of Origin.

Around this time, was thought to have come into being by itself, containing the DNA of every Pokémon to exist and exist in the future. Human habitation of Sinnoh is estimated to have begun when Sinnoh was created, as said in myth. It is stated that Pokémon and humans led separate lives, but always helped each other. They supplied each other with goods, and supported each other. A Pokémon proposed to the others to always be ready to help humans, and that Pokémon be ready to appear before humans always. Thus, to this day, Pokémon appear to humans if they venture into tall grass. Later on came the events of Floaroma Town. According to the townspeople, Floaroma Town was once a barren and desolate hill. People started planting flowers around it to cheer up the place, but nothing would grow. Then, someone expressed thanks for a blessing of nature, and the whole hill burst into bloom. It is theorized that was the cause of the sudden burst of flowers, given it being the Gratitude Pokémon, and its ability to "instantly transform ruined land into a lush field of flowers," according to its Pokédex entry.

In contemporary history, / and leave Twinleaf Town in an attempt to see a Pokémon, like the recently reported red Gyarados, in the nearby Lake Verity. After receiving one of Professor Rowan's Pokémon to call their own, their journey begins in earnest, and both Lucas/Dawn and Barry challenge the Sinnoh region's eight Gyms to gain the Badges necessary to challenge the. Along the way, however, Lucas/Dawn is brought into many conflicts with Team Galactic, whose leader, Cyrus, wishes to remake the entire universe in his image with the powers of the Legendary Pokémon and. Defeating the team and calming / (or in Platinum canon), Lucas/Dawn challenges Sinnoh's Elite Four and Champion, Cynthia, and becomes Champion him/herself. In, Cyrus accidentally opened a portal to the Distortion World above Mt. Coronet while trying to create a new world for himself. The portal atop Mt. Coronet was able to be closed, but a passageway to this strange dimension still remains on the depths of Sendoff Spring.

Cities, routes, and other locations
Sinnoh has fourteen cities and towns, as well as three "areas", and a. These sites act as settlements for people to live and work in a functioning society. The Fight Area, the Survival Area and the Resort Area all act as towns, however, they appear to be more of a tourist destination and are not considered cities or towns. These three "areas" are located off Sinnoh's mainland and on the Battle Zone, which is considered a sub-region of Sinnoh and is implied by some living on the island as a different region altogether, not unlike how the Sevii Islands are considered a separate region from Kanto and Johto. Thus, Sinnoh has a total of eighteen settlements all over Sinnoh.

The Sinnoh region has 30 different routes, which are passages permitting Trainers to travel from one location to the next with relative ease. Much like Hoenn before it, Sinnoh's routes are numbered so that they don't follow sequence directly from previously-known regions' routes. Routes in Sinnoh are numbered from to. Compared to previous generations, there aren't many water routes; there are many land routes and mountains. There are also several routes with differing weather. Some of Sinnoh's routes have snow covering them. Another quirk about the routes in Sinnoh is that some of them do not go directly east/west or north/south, but actually turn before reaching their destination, most notably and, which both have two limbs of equal length.

Although it has few water routes, Sinnoh is known to be rich in water, and has three lakes at the northernmost (Acuity), easternmost (Valor), and westernmost (Verity) ends of the main continent. These are home to the lake guardians. Near Lake Valor there is a hidden fourth lake, Sendoff Spring, which houses Turnback Cave. Some other significant locations that Sinnoh offers include Mt. Coronet, the highest mountain in the Sinnoh region and part of a long mountain range that divides the region in half; the Eterna Forest, a large and mysterious forest; and the Great Marsh, a popular habitat for Pokémon and a Safari Zone for many Trainers.

In the anime, the Sinnoh region is far enough away to require going from Kanto to Sinnoh by either ship (as Ash, Pikachu, and Aipom did), or by truck (as evidenced by how Brock arrived in the region).

Demographics
The Sinnoh region's towns, cities and other areas have a total population of 704 in and 755 in.

Landmarks
Sinnoh is home to many unique landmarks and areas of interest. These come in a range of tourist attractions such as the luxurious Hotel Grand Lake and the exciting Pal Park, to many natural phenomena such as the four deep, blue lakes and the vast, dense Eterna Forest. But the central landmark of the Sinnoh region is Mt. Coronet. Standing in the middle of Sinnoh and extending from the northern wilderness to the southern tip of the region, Mt. Coronet splits Sinnoh into two halves. It is best defined as a mountain range, with its highest peak shrouded in legend, perhaps being the highest mountain in the entire Pokémon world. The Spear Pillar is situated at the highest point, an ancient shrine to Pokémon which is in ruins. Several of its pillars are still standing, all pointing skyward. The legend of the creation trio is deeply connected with the mountain, as is the plot of Team Galactic. A stained glass window in the Foreign Building in Hearthome City depicts the mountain with a bright shine, representing the Spear Pillar and possibly depicting the creation of, , and. Its place in Sinnoh has caused variation in the species of and, which have different shapes and coloration depending on the side of Sinnoh they are native to.

On the north part of the region in the Battle Zone, there is another mountain range, Stark Mountain, which consists of an active volcano. The volcano rains ash down upon some parts of the Battle Zone. Outside the cavern is a rugged, seemingly indestructible rock mountain that is thickly blanketed by the volcanic ash it spews. Inside the mountain, fissures in spilled and hardened lava form enormous caverns. Another important landmark of Sinnoh is Eterna Forest, a forest home to many Bug- and Grass-type Pokémon. The Eterna Forest has a reputation for being a mysterious place, from the abandoned Old Chateau to the strange Moss Rock. The Eterna Forest is a long and complex structure of trees that make it a natural maze, where a lot of people get lost. Eterna Forest has apparently been the location of numerous sightings of Team Galactic, for many unknown reasons.

Another major landmark is the Great Marsh. The Great Marsh is a giant wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. It houses many different kinds of Pokémon, some of which are unique to this environment. Pastoria City was settled to protect the area. It has grown naturally over the years and there is now a lookout that affords views of the Great Marsh. An almost sacred area is the trinity of lakes mysteriously situated throughout the region to form the corners of a triangle. Lake Verity, Lake Valor, and Lake Acuity are tied to the myth of the creation of the Pokémon world, specifically the creation of spirit. The lakes are said to be inhabited by three guardians:, , and. They are meant to represent knowledge, emotion, and willpower, respectively.

The Underground is a famous attraction to the Sinnoh region, because of the fact that it is not located above the surface of the region, but below in a series of tunnels dug out by people. There are six independent sections of the labyrinth, each accessible from different places in Sinnoh. In terms of vendors and mining treasures, the areas are equivalent. One of the main attractions of the Underground is the mining game in which rare items can be found.

The Sinnoh region is the only area where an extreme natural phenomenon has occurred; the gateway to another universe has opened due to the actions of. At first, Giratina uses Turnback Cave, a cave located in the depths of the mysterious and secret fourth lake of Sinnoh, Sendoff Spring, as a portal to the Distortion World. It is said that Turnback Cave is a weak point between dimensions, and that the ability to travel across to the Distortion World would be possible. The Distortion World is a mysterious place that disobeys the normal laws of physics: time does not flow and spatial relations are irregular, allowing the player to walk and surf on walls in any direction. Trees and rocks can simply grow out of the ground, and then disappear. The only Pokémon known to inhabit the Distortion World is Giratina.

In the, the Sinnohan people have been shown to preserve historical knowledge, which include the myths and legends passed on from generation to generation. The appreciation for the region's rich history has led them to produce a number of monuments and to erect many cultural heritage institutions that have become popular landmarks. Statues dedicated to the Legendary Pokémon Dialga and Palkia can be found inside the and at the entrance gates to the Eterna Historical Museum, and the Celestic Town Historical Research Center, presided by  Cynthia's grandmother, Professor Carolina, has staffers working to unveil the mysteries surrounding the region's past. The people living in Sinnoh also recognize the value of community traditions and civic commemorations. Small, local festivals, such as Pastoria City's Croagunk Festival and the Twinleaf Festival, are held annually to keep long-standing traditions alive.

Environment
Sinnoh features a broad range of new and classic environments for the player to explore including, for the first time in a Pokémon RPG, snowy routes. Its terrain is varied: some parts of the region are dry and mountainous; others are wet and swampy. The region is rich in water.

Due to its large size, the main region of Sinnoh can be broken into two sub-regions divided by Mt. Coronet, roughly comparable to how the continent that Kanto and Johto make up is essentially a contiguous region. Due to this, and  have developed an instance of regional, with members of the species found on the eastern side being blue-colored and members on the western side being pink-colored.

The western half of Sinnoh features a variety of landscapes. Its coasts are notably more rocky than the eastern half, however, the land is far more fertile, and the towns, for the most part, are rural. A windswept canyon, carved out by a river that flows from Mt. Coronet, is home to the Valley Windworks, which provides clean, wind-driven electricity to the nearby towns. This is not to say, however, that there is no importance to west Sinnoh, as Oreburgh City, Eterna City, and Canalave City are the locations of Pokémon Gyms, and Jubilife City, at the heart of the area, is the most technologically advanced city in the region.

Sinnoh's eastern half is home to a vast many more things, including Pokémon Super Contests in Hearthome City, a Department Store in Veilstone City, the Great Marsh of Pastoria City, and the awe-inspiring Vista Lighthouse of Sunyshore City. In each of these cities, as well, there is a Pokémon Gym, which is very important for League-bound s. Unlike the halves of Sinnoh divided longitudinally by Mt. Coronet, the northern area is sparsely populated, with Snowpoint City as the only major area. This is likely due to the cold climate and snowy terrain in the area. Despite this relative isolation, however, Snowpoint has a Pokémon Gym, making it another important stop for Trainers who wish to compete in the Pokémon League.

A third sub-region is the Battle Zone, which is on a large island to the northeast of the mainland. Much like how people from the Sevii Islands seem to consider their home to be a separate region from Kanto and Johto, people from the Battle Zone often refer to Sinnoh as a separate region. Several islands, including Newmoon Island, Fullmoon Island, and Iron Island, lie off the northwestern coast of Sinnoh as well, though these are far eclipsed in both size and importance by the mainland.

Separated from both the Battle Zone and the mainland of Sinnoh by several straits is the island on which the of Sinnoh is located, the only access to which is by way of. It is here where Sinnoh's is located, which, unlike previous incarnations has not two, but three entrances: one of these, of course, is the southern entrance that Trainers from the mainland must navigate from, a second is the one that leads to the area in which the Elite Four can be challenged, and the third leads from a  area of Victory Road to, which is said to be a miniature version of Sinnoh. North from Route 224, the Seabreak Path leads to 's domain, the Flower Paradise.

Climate
The climate of Sinnoh varies widely, and most of the region is made of mountainous or hilly areas. Unlike Hoenn, which is located in the south where the climate is warmer, Sinnoh is located on the northern boundaries of the world where the temperature is cooler. It is so cold in the northern part of the region that snow falls constantly. The harsh snow that blows down from the mountain's peaks not only makes the area very cold, but makes the perilous to travel on. Cities such as Snowpoint City are completely covered in snow, and Pokémon who live nearby have had to adapt to the climate. Recently, the southern side of the region has also become cooler; climate change is taking a toll. Areas such as Twinleaf Town and now have small amounts of snow on the ground.

However, not all of the northern areas of Sinnoh are covered in snow. Due to the dry environments and mountainous areas such as Stark Mountain, the small island known as the Battle Zone is subject to warmer climates. A constant sandstorm rages on due to the flow of wind down though the mountains. Some of the southern areas of the Battle Zone are very tropical and contain dense jungles. The mainland features full land geography, with only five water routes. Despite this lack of water routes, in contrast to the Hoenn region, Sinnoh is known to be rich in water. Rivers that originate from the highlands and mountains in the center of the landmass runs through the region passing many cities, towns, and routes and into the ocean. There are many lakes throughout the region such as Lake Acuity, Lake Valor, and Lake Verity. All these factors create a tropical climate throughout the mainland. Many large cities settle on or close to the seaside; some of them have large ports.

Further inland, there are many different climates. Due to the mountain zones, different inland areas are subject to rain. This rain creates wetlands. Such areas may also be covered partially or completely by shallow pools of water. The soil in the wetland area is permanently saturated with moisture, which creates swamps, marshes, and bogs. In fact, Pastoria City was founded on marshy soils that attracted wild Pokémon. Unlike other regions, Sinnoh is sometimes troubled by fog. is often covered in a thick cloud that makes obstacles and Trainers difficult to see; fortunately for travelers,.

Energy sources
The Sinnoh region is famed for its energy production and conservation via natural resources. Different areas of Sinnoh use different sources of energy for the use of power generation, heating, and transport fuels. The Oreburgh Mine is one of the main features in Oreburgh City, as well as the city's leading energy source. Its energy is exported to many parts of the region, including its neighbor, Jubilife City, whose large population consumes a lot of energy. The mine is the livelihood of the town. Vents in the town allow steam to escape and fresh air to enter the mine, likely also clearing the mine of any poison gas (which is historically the bane of coal miners). The mine is operated with the utmost care to avoid causing damage to the natural habitats of wild Pokémon. The system of taking coal out of the mine is automated.

Another local energy source is the Valley Windworks. The Valley Windworks is a large wind farm situated in a windy valley close to Mt. Coronet, so as to generate as much electricity as possible. It is located just off, a short walk east from Floaroma Town. In the area, there are eight tall wind turbines which generate energy that is in turn processed by the power plant in the center of the area. Many towns benefit from the natural renewable energy including Floaroma Town, and Eterna City.

The third and final renewable energy source Sinnoh has to offer is Sunyshore City's solar panels, which are ingeniously designed for the use of power and transportation. Because the city is on the coast and gets hit by a lot of sunlight, the solar panels were built to collect energy for little cost, no pollution, and convenience to the city's citizens. It was also built due to the lack of space. However, there is a disadvantage: the solar panel system is often broken, and the city will experience massive blackouts at times. Citizens of and visitors to the city are able to walk around the city on top of the solar panels.

Sinnoh League
The regional Pokémon League in the Sinnoh region is known as the Sinnoh League. The Sinnoh League is composed of eight Gym Leaders and four Elite Four members, along with the. Pokémon Trainers who earn eight Badges by defeating the Gym Leaders of the Sinnoh League qualify to challenge the Elite Four located in the building. Gym Leaders are located in different cities and towns, each with their own specialty type. It is the Gym Leader's job to be the protector of their respective town or city, as they should be the strongest Trainer residing there. Once all Gym Leaders have been defeated, Trainers may face the Elite Four and its Champion. To defeat the Elite Four, all five Trainers must be defeated in succession.

Elite Four and Champion

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Trivia

 * If one were to draw lines to connect the three lakes of Sinnoh, they form a big triangle with Mt. Coronet at the center. This is the same formation that, , and make on the top of the Spear Pillar with  or  in the middle, as well as the same formation put in areas relating to the Sinnoh myths.
 * Only the southern part of the now-Russian island of Sakhalin is referenced in the region. In the 1855 Treaty of Shimoda, Russia and Japan agreed to split the island, with Japan receiving the southern end. While Japan gave Russia full control of Sakhalin in 1875 in exchage for the Kuril Islands, Japan was again given the southern 2/5ths of the island after the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, and would retain control until 1945.
 * Sinnoh is the only region of the core series games that doesn't have five letters in its English name, having six.
 * Sinnoh has an index number location programmed into Generation IV for it, despite the fact that all Sinnoh locations are programmed into the games already. This index location is at #2006, which coincidentally, was the Japanese release of Sinnoh's first games, . This does not happen for the other three regions programmed in (i.e. Kanto is 2003, not 1996; Johto is 2004, not 1999; and Hoenn is 2005, not 2002). This data is unused during normal gameplay (i.e. without hacking); Pokémon from Sinnoh traded to a game taking place in Johto display their normal "met at" area, much like Pokémon from Kanto do when traded to Emerald.
 * Sinnoh has been shown to have more Shiny Pokémon inhabiting it than any other region featured in the anime with a total of seven; Dustox,, Ditto, , and.
 * The adjectival form of Sinnoh is "Sinnohan," as shown in the description for an assortment of Poffins being sold by Thrifty Megamart in.