Thread: In game, are the different regions (Johto, Kanto, etc.) aware of each other?

I am in the process of writing a fanfiction based in Hoenn and I was curious as to whether or not each region is as divided as the individual games make them out to be. I would imagine if it were real life, they would have become aware of each other eventually. I wanted my fanfiction to be based more around the game as opposed to the anime or movies (so for instance, Ash can't be that linking factor).

I would really appreciate any input! It's been a while since I've played my original set of games...what with college and work and all. But at least I have my Pokemon fangirl priorities in order now, right?

They're definitely aware of each other. There are numerous in-game references linking each region to at least one other region.
And given their technology (ships to say the least), it would be highly unlikely for them to not be aware of one another, even if there was no in-game indication of it.

In-game references:
- Kanto to Johto - obviously
- Kanto to Sevii Islands - FireRed/LeafGreen
- Hoenn to Johto - Brendan moved between regions before the start of the game
- Sinnoh to Johto - the Red Gyarados was mentioned in Diamond/Pearl
- Unova to at least some other region - Pikachu appears in the landscaping in Unova despite there being no Pikachus in the region
- Sinnoh to Unova - Cynthia was in both
- Kanto to Unova - the Team Rocket grunt moved to Unova
- Hoenn to Unova - some Team Aqua or Team Magma guy moved to Unova in Black2/White2 (I never played it... jyst what I've heard)
And most likely there are lots of others that I'm not thinking of or missed.

Also, Jasmine(Johto steel-type gym leader) can be seen in Sunnyshore city in Sinnoh.
And I think in B2W2, there is a Pokemon world tournament where you can battle gym leaders and champions from all the regions.
And some guy in the Desert Resort in Unova mentions something about being from Hoenn...
So they are definitely aware of each other.
and it it thought that all the main regions are part of one nation, hence the national Pokedex.

Originally Posted by Xenidal

They're definitely aware of each other. There are numerous in-game references linking each region to at least one other region.
And given their technology (ships to say the least), it would be highly unlikely for them to not be aware of one another, even if there was no in-game indication of it.

In-game references:
- Kanto to Johto - obviously
- Kanto to Sevii Islands - FireRed/LeafGreen
- Hoenn to Johto - Brendan moved between regions before the start of the game
- Sinnoh to Johto - the Red Gyarados was mentioned in Diamond/Pearl
- Unova to at least some other region - Pikachu appears in the landscaping in Unova despite there being no Pikachus in the region
- Sinnoh to Unova - Cynthia was in both
- Kanto to Unova - the Team Rocket grunt moved to Unova
- Hoenn to Unova - some Team Aqua or Team Magma guy moved to Unova in Black2/White2 (I never played it... jyst what I've heard)
And most likely there are lots of others that I'm not thinking of or missed.

Thank you so much! This was very helpful. :)

Originally Posted by The Togekiss

Also, Jasmine(Johto steel-type gym leader) can be seen in Sunnyshore city in Sinnoh.
And I think in B2W2, there is a Pokemon world tournament where you can battle gym leaders and champions from all the regions.
And some guy in the Desert Resort in Unova mentions something about being from Hoenn...
So they are definitely aware of each other.
and it it thought that all the main regions are part of one nation, hence the national Pokedex.

Thanks! I haven't played B/W 1 or 2 yet, but I was also curious as to where Unova is in relation to the other regions...I really liked the idea of having all the regions seem synonymous to regions in Japan but Unova isn't there?

Originally Posted by churple

Thanks! I haven't played B/W 1 or 2 yet, but I was also curious as to where Unova is in relation to the other regions...I really liked the idea of having all the regions seem synonymous to regions in Japan but Unova isn't there?

Unova is like very far away compared to the other regions. You need an airplane to go there, but from Kanto to Hoenn or Kanto to Sinnoh, you could go by ship.

Well, I'm pretty sure that Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh are all in the same country, so yes.

Unova is based on New York City, or so I've heard. But I did look at it on a map and it's the same shape.
Now, that alone doesn't indicate anything because it's the Pokémon world and New York City could be right next to Japan, but they did take a plane in the anime which might indicate a further distance. There may have also been some in-game references, but I can't think of any. Also there are absolutely no non-Unova Pokémon in the whole region so that could also indicate that it's far away (then again, non-Unova Pokémon start appearing after you've beaten the game so it could just be a gameplay element).

Originally Posted by Xenidal

Unova is based on New York City, or so I've heard. But I did look at it on a map and it's the same shape.
Now, that alone doesn't indicate anything because it's the Pokémon world and New York City could be right next to Japan, but they did take a plane in the anime which might indicate a further distance. There may have also been some in-game references, but I can't think of any. Also there are absolutely no non-Unova Pokémon in the whole region so that could also indicate that it's far away (then again, non-Unova Pokémon start appearing after you've beaten the game so it could just be a gameplay element).

It's stated in game to be further away than the others.

And to relate to the topic the games are definitely aware of each other as has been already mentioned

They definitely are. Characters are stated or are seen to travel around. I'm pretty sure it's also part of the canon that Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh are in the same country/group of countries. Unova's much further away, so it may or may not be.

Well, of course they are aware if them. How else would people get different pokemon? Besides trading?

They are all aware of each other, I would believe. People travel between regions and get Pokemon from them, they may even move and live in a different region if they choose.

They definitely are. I'm assuming you're new since this a well known fact in the fandom. If you want to write a fic based on the games then you should also know about the timeline. Kanto and Hoenn games are concurrent. Johto and Sinnoh games take place three years after Kanto and Hoenn. Black and White take place some time after Johto and Sinnoh. Popular consensus says it's ten years because of a few clues and it's a nice round number. Black 2 and White 2 take place two years after BW. Here's a link to a timeline if you want more detail.

There's no reason they are not aware of each other, at least certain people are. This is most definitely the case between Kanto and Johto, due to their neighbouring locales. I am sure there are some people in-game that are aware of the new places, though it's not likely the common citizen to be aware. In fact, they might have some form of culture shock because things work differently in different places! The Hoenns might be surprised to see the lack of Fire-types in Sinnoh, for example.

Thanks for reading.

Originally Posted by Cerony

Black and White take place some time after Johto and Sinnoh. Popular consensus says it's ten years because of a few clues and it's a nice round number.

The Rocket Grunt you defeat in Kanto that moved into Unova has a child. That little boy looks like he is 8-10 years old, so yes 10 years is a good estimation.

From the bulbapedia timeline:

Contemporary history
From the Pokémon games:
Some years prior to Generation I:

• A team of scientists discover a new Pokémon (at the time) deep in a jungle in Guyana, South America on July 5. They name the Pokémon Mew on July 10. Mew gives birth, the only known case of a live Pokémon birth (possibly due to the scientists' genetic experimentation), and the scientists name the newborn Mewtwo on February 6. Mewtwo escapes from and destroys Cinnabar Island's Pokémon Mansion on September 1 and then goes to Cerulean Cave. At some point after Mewtwo's birth, Mew goes to Faraway Island.
• Mr. Fuji, the writer of the Pokémon Mansion journals, goes to Faraway Island and leaves a message on the island's sign on the 6th of September, October, November, or December (depending on which of these months appear in the message) sometime after Mewtwo's escape.
• After leaving his message in Faraway Island, Mr. Fuji goes to Lavender Town and has lived there ever since.
• Sabrina's Gym is declared the official Gym of Saffron City after a Pokémon battle between Sabrina and the leader of the Fighting Dojo.
• Giratina returns to the Pokémon world.
• The Battle Frontier opens in Hoenn.

One year prior to Generation I:
Professor Rowan goes to Kanto to research the myths of the region.
Generation I/III:

• The events of Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, LeafGreen, Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald:
• Red leaves Pallet Town on his Pokémon journey after their rival, Professor Oak's grandson, Blue. After getting the eight Badges of Kanto, defeating Team Rocket along the way, he challenges Kanto's Elite Four, then its current Champion, none other than Blue himself. After defeating Blue, Red becomes the Champion, then ventures to the Sevii Islands to eradicate Team Rocket and help Celio to connect his Pokémon Net Center to the Hoenn region.
• Brendan/May leaves Littleroot Town on a Pokémon journey shortly after moving to the Hoenn region from Johto by saving the local Pokémon Professor from an attacking wild Pokémon. At first, there is a deep-seated rivalry with Professor Birch's son/daughter, however, later on, the rivalry is with Wally instead. After defeating Hoenn's eight Gym Leaders and, with the help of Rayquaza, calming both Groudon and Kyogre, released from their banishment by Team Magma and Team Aqua, respectively, he/she challenges and defeats Hoenn's Elite Four and current Champion, becoming the Champion him/herself, much to the astonishment of Birch's child.

Approximately one year after Generation I/Generation III

• Brendan/May receives an old sea map that leads to Faraway Island, There he/she catches Mew.

Between Generation I/III and Generation II/IV:

• The events of Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon Ranger.
• Eruption of the volcano on Cinnabar Island causes destruction of many areas on the island.
• Blue takes the position of Gym Leader in the now empty Viridian Gym.
• Red leaves to Mt. Silver, training day and night, leaving Lance to act as Champion, while Lorelei returns to her home in Four Island, and Agatha retires from her position as a member of the Kanto Elite Four. This leaves three vacancies on the roster for Elite Four.
• Two of these vacancies are filled by Karen and Will. The other is filled by Koga, who abdicates his position as Gym Leader to his daughter, Janine.
• Extensive research confirms the existence of Steel and Dark types in the region of Kanto. (The events of FireRed and LeafGreen retcon this discovery and say that they had always been known as Generation III and I are considered to take place contemporaneously. This is backed up by HeartGold and SoulSilver, when Jasmine's pre-battle speech was changed from the subject that the Steel-type was recently discovered.)
• Baoba leaves Kanto when its Safari Zone is closed and begins planning to open a new Safari Zone in Johto, as a replacement.
• The Pokémon Tower is converted into a Radio Tower.
• A Pal Park is opened in place of the Kanto Safari Zone.
• Miracle Cycle moves from Cerulean City to Goldenrod City.
• Groudon and Kyogre retreat to the region of Fiore to rest after their battle.
• Giratina returns to the Distortion World.
• A new Battle Frontier is built in Sinnoh and Johto.
• Blaine relocates his Gym to the Seafoam Islands due to his Gym on Cinnabar Island being destroyed by a volcanic eruption.

After Generation I/III:

• Humans abandon the PokéPark.
• The Sky Prism breaks.
• The events of PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure.

Three years after Generation I/Generation III (Generation II/Generation IV):

• The events of Gold, Silver, Crystal, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia, and Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs.
• Ethan/Kris/Lyra leaves New Bark Town on an errand for Professor Elm, bonding with his/her starter Pokémon on the way. A red-haired boy steals one of Elm's three Pokémon, and challenges him/her as Ethan/Kris/Lyra's journey across Johto continues. A revived Team Rocket, using plans formulated three years prior, enrages many Gyarados, including a red one, at the Lake of Rage as they proceed to take over the Goldenrod Radio Tower in a desperate attempt to contact Giovanni. As they are defeated, the leader vows to never again re-form Team Rocket, and Ethan/Kris/Lyra continues to gather Johto's Badges, eventually gaining all eight and traveling to the Pokémon League at Indigo Plateau in Kanto. After defeating the Elite Four and their Champion, Lance, Ethan/Kris/Lyra then heads to the Kanto region to challenge its eight Gyms, which have changed from three years prior. After gaining all eight of their Badges, for a total of sixteen, Professor Oak declares him/her ready to travel to Mt. Silver, where he/she meets and defeats Red.
• Lucas/Dawn and Barry leave Twinleaf Town in an attempt to see a Pokémon like the recently reported red Gyarados in the nearest of Sinnoh's lakes, Lake Verity. After being attacked by a wild Starly at the lake, and using one of Professor Rowan's Pokémon to fend off the attacker, (apart from in Platinum canon, where they receive their starter Pokémon before actually reaching the lake) 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 Pokémon League. 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 Dialga and Palkia. Defeating the team and calming Dialga/Palkia/Giratina, Lucas/Dawn challenges Sinnoh's Elite Four and Champion, Cynthia, and becomes Champion him/herself.
• Hayley, a friend of Bebe, opens up a Pokémon Ranch.

Approximately one year after Generation II/Generation IV:

• Lucas/Dawn receives a letter from Professor Oak, telling him/her to come to Route 224 to help him solve a mystery. After Lucas/Dawn examined the rock and thanked someone, Seabreak Path appears. After walking the Seabreak Path, Lucas/Dawn found Shaymin and captured it.

Approximately two years after Generation II/Generation IV:

• Cipher and Team Snagem return in the Orre Region, and create XD001, a supposedly unpurifiable Shadow Pokémon, but their plans are thwarted by Michael. Meanwhile, Dr. Kaminko and Chobin invent Robo Groudon and Robo Kyogre, and Professor Krane invents the purification chamber, where Shadow Pokémon can be purified more easily.

Between Generation II/IV and Generation V:

• The Team Rocket Grunt who stole the Machine Part returns to Unova intending to reform Team Rocket there as he previously stated. He later falls in love and has a son, moving to Icirrus City.
• Caitlin leaves the Sinnoh/Johto Battle Frontier and returns to Unova, becoming an Elite Four member.
• Team Plasma, under N, creates Genesect in an attempt to create the strongest Pokémon in existence by altering an ancient insect Pokémon with cybernetic upgrades.

A few years after Generation II/Generation IV (Generation V):

• The events of Black and White.
• Hilbert/Hilda along with their friends Cheren and Bianca receive their very first Pokémon in the bedroom of Hilbert/Hilda's house in Nuvema Town from Professor Juniper. The three decide to leave Nuvema Town and go on a journey across their region of Unova, with Cheren wanting to learn as much about every kind of Pokémon possible and Bianca going against the wishes of her dad. Upon arriving in Accumula Town they encounter the nefarious Team Plasma who announce their plans for Pokémon liberation to separate Pokémon from humans. Hilbert/Hilda then battle Team Plasma's leader, a mysterious man known only as N who claims Pokémon are his friends. Hilbert/Hilda make a journey across the land of Unova challenging all eight Gyms and earning all eight Badges. After earning the eighth Badge, they travel to the Pokémon League where they defeat the Elite Four. Upon defeating the Elite Four, they discover that N has already defeated the champion Alder and promptly summons his castle, destroying the Pokémon League Castle. Ghetsis, one of the members of the Seven Sages reveals that he had the plan to separate people and Pokémon so that he could be the only person in the whole world with Pokémon. After defeating N and Ghetsis with Reshiram/Zekrom N becomes sorry for all his wrongdoing and flies off to distant lands on his dragon of legend. Hilbert/Hilda, Cheren, and Bianca continue their journey in Unova and get recruited by an undercover officer codenamed Looker to discover and arrest the remaining six of the Seven Sages. After the arrest of all six, Hilbert/Hilda returns to the Pokémon League, re-defeats the Elite Four, then challenges and defeats Alder, becoming champion of Unova.

Between Black and White and Black 2 and White 2

• Parts of Unova freeze over.

Two years after Black and White

• The events of Black 2 and White 2.

From this page:
History of the Pokémon world - Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia

EDIT:REFORMATTING