Regions & travel
The game has 6 maps in 3 main regions. They open one after another, and they are listed here in the order you reach them.
Kanto
Where your journey starts.
Sevii Islands 1–3
The ferry from Vermilion City to One Island.
- Earn the Volcano Badge
Sevii Islands 4–7 & Orange Islands
Orange Islands: the ferry from Vermilion City to Valencia Pokémon Center.
- Become the Kanto Champion
Sevii Islands 4–7: from the other islands, during The Two Gems.
- Report back to Celio
Johto
The ship from Vermilion City. Your first trip lands in New Bark Town; once Olivine City is open, the ship docks there.
- Get the GS Ball from Prof. Ivy on the Orange Islands
Hoenn
The ship again. Your first trip lands in Littleroot Town; once Slateport City is open, the ship docks there.
- Hear Celio's plan on One Island (The Two Gems)
The Battle Frontier is here too. It needs: Become the Hoenn Champion.
Orre
The ferry from Slateport City to Gateon Port. Orre counts as part of Hoenn.
- Bring the gems to Celio (The Link)
Getting around
- The ship is the only way between Kanto, Johto, Hoenn. It shows up once there is somewhere to sail, and the way back opens when you reach that region's harbour.
- The Sevii Islands, the Orange Islands and Orre have their own ferries.
- HM02 Fly takes you straight to any place you have been, on any map you have set foot on.
Regional attack
Once you have left Kanto, your Pokémon fight at full strength only in their home region. Elsewhere they keep part of their attack, and that part grows with the highest region you have reached: 20% once you have reached Johto, 30% once you have reached Hoenn.
- The game warns you about this before your first trip to a new region. Catching the local Pokémon is what makes you strong there.
- A Pokémon's home region goes by its Pokédex number: up to #151 Kanto, up to #251 Johto, up to #386 Hoenn. Its page says which.
- The Sevii and Orange Islands count as Kanto, and Orre counts as Hoenn.
- Your click attack is not affected, and neither is the Battle Frontier.
Pokémon from later regions
You can only get a Pokémon once you have reached its home region. Before that it won't appear on routes, shops don't sell it or what it needs, and if a boss or trainer uses it you can beat it but not catch it.