What is Pokemon Scarlet & Violet’s Region? Paldea Region Explained

As a new generation of Pokemon approaches in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the mass of new species means one thing — an all-new region to explore. However, for a new player, the significance of a new location may be entirely missed, and Paldea could sound like a place with no importance. However, there is a lot to this unique region that makes it so special outside of the new Pokemon. So read on to discover what exactly Paldea is and why it’s more than meets the eye in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

What is Paldea in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet?

The ninth generation region was announced in August 2022 and is titled Paldea. Although the exact location it’s based on has never been confirmed by The Pokemon Company, the region’s appearance paired with the inhabitants, such as Professor Turo and Professor Sada, has led many players to believe that Paldea is based on the real-world Iberian Peninsula. Since cities across the United Kingdom heavily influenced the Galar Region, it makes sense for Paldea to have a real-world counterpart.

Several internal locations make up the Paldea Region, with Mesagoza essentially being the focal point of the entire region. Here, players can visit the institute, which sets the basis for most Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Depending on which game you play, the campus will differ slightly, so while Scarlet players can visit the Naranja Academy, Violet players will be limited to the Uva Campus. These titles are the Spanish words for Orange (Naranja) and Grape (Uva), which once again references the Spanish inspiration for the entire region.

In addition, Paldea is the first location to disregard the traditional route numbers of Pokemon titles and replace them with areas and provinces. It’s also the first region Pokemon Trainers will experience, which adopts an open-world feel, and allows players to carve their own path during their time with the game. Finally, it’s the first region to have exclusive professors since previous Pokemon games have used familiar faces within their games. So, Paldea is a lot of firsts for the Pokemon franchise and is considered a huge stepping stone into something much more significant for the future of Pokemon games.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are available on Nintendo Switch.