What is your starting region?

[D.B.]

Edit: the poll choices have been expanded. If you chose "other" before, your vote likely went to Unova automatically. You can change your vote.

Personal anecdote (Johto)

Spoiler: long text

My introduction to Pokemon was probably when I saw the first cartoon series. Some time later, I played the gen. 2 game. Over the years, I consumed other media from the franchise. Through the flagship games, I became familiar with the first three regions pretty well.

Although I was introduced to the world of Pokemon in a narrative and more elaborated visual way through the very first TV series, playing the early games allowed me to develop a stronger familiarity with the "places" in this fictional world. And oddly, having played GSC before RBY makes GSC's Johto feel most like the foundation for the franchise. This created a lifelong cognitive dissonance because of the already-established canon that Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, etc. are to be encountered first (plus the initial "Where's Ash, Prof. Oak, Pallet Town?") and I had no supplementary background (no books, film media, toys) with gen. 2 before playing the game, while I came across many gen. 1 memorabilia before, during, and after first playing the games.

I've experienced Kanto in multiple iterations since then (GSC, RBY, FRLG, film media) unlike any of the other regions. Even Hoenn through RSE has come to feel like a very familiar world. Yet Kanto still feels like that "away" place beyond the "home" region of Johto. I haven't been able to shake it. Even after I've now seen lots of online content that further reaffirm Kanto's foundational place in the franchise.

 

[Devalue]

Views Kanto as the starting region, personally. Began with Pokemon Red. Became the most immersed in Pokemon in that generation, between things like the anime, card game, and spinoffs. Saw Gold/Silver's trip to Kanto as a return to the old, familiar area.

 

[Delta Crowned Sword]

I also consider Kanto as the starting point. Though my first game was Fire Red.

Since Pokémon used to come on TV during afternoon lunch and I had watched all episodes till gen-IV starting from very 1st , hence I also wanted to try out that region on my own with my team !!

And this is how I came into Pokemon and learned the battles. This is the prominent reason why I enjoy Pokémon battles even now, despite playing Pokémon GO only nowadays.

 

[Lavemu☆]

I feel so young saying it's alola. But that was my first game, so that's my choice.

 

[RadEmpoleon]

I started with Diamond, so Sinnoh feels like the "starting region" to me.

 

[Explorer of Time]

Mine was Hoenn, specifically Sapphire. I was too young to experience the very beginning of the Pokemon franchise, but Hoenn kinda feels like a beginning in its own right to me. When I first played a non-Hoenn game (FireRed), it felt really strange and foreign to see all these "new" Kanto Pokemon that never showed up in Hoenn.

Playing in Kanto felt like like going on an adventure somewhere far from home where the environment and everything is different, and it still kind of feels that way to me even though I've played tons of Pokemon since then, while starting up a Hoenn game always feels like returning home after a long trip abroad.

 

[Sweet Serenity]

I don't understand why Unova isn't here. I had to select "other." I am Unova, born and bred, and I'll be Unova until I'm dead! Explorer of Time above me is claiming Hoenn though. Although it is a nice place, as I did enjoy shopping in Lilycove City and hanging around his hometown Slateport City, it has nothing on Unova! Deep down, I think he knows this . . .

 

[D.B.]

I don't understand why Unova isn't here. I had to select "other." I am Unova, born and bred, and I'll be Unova until I'm dead!

I actually wanted to include Unova as one of the choices! I forgot it when I posted and realized later that I left it out. I tried to edit the poll but it would have read "Sinnoh, other, Unova" which isn't the most logical. (Should I add it anyway? You can change your answer.) It's not possible to delete and re-post the poll without deleting the whole thread.

Edit: the poll choices have changed, thanks to Devalue. Your vote probably went to Unova!

 

[Devalue]

Edited the poll, as requested. Resulted in the previous "other" votes going to Unova, so change your vote, if needed.

 

[Sheep]

I started with Kanto and that will definitely feel like the beginning to me. Those awful back sprites lol, and the old painterly style of the anime, have a lot of charm to them and will always be considered the start of the journey. Otherwise? Maybe Hoenn. I played the games to death as a kid and it was probably when I was most passionate about the series. Kanto and Hoenn holding hands 4ever!

 

[Janp]

I also started with Gen I games, but I don't really see Kanto as my starting region. I would say Hoenn is more fitting, since Sapphire was the first game I bought with my own money. But if I could choose, I would pick either Kalos or Alola. Who wouldn't want to live in this tropical paradise?

 

[Megan]

I was thinking either Johto or Hoenn. But then I remembered that I hate hot temperatures. And considering that Hoenn is a tropical region that wouldn't go well with me. ^^"

I like the huge amount of lore that Johto has. It's arguably the region that had the most effort put into it in that regard.

 

[Explorer of Time]

his, he

Wait, did I forget to add my pronouns to my preferences page this whole time? *checks forum settings* Apparently I did. That's fixed now and I apologize for the confusion.

(For anyone reading this thread in the future, I had a male trainer card in my signature at the time I posted in this thread, because I was playing a male trainer at the time. Sweet Serenity's accidental misgendering was not in any way negligent or malicious.)

 

[Ninetales]

Pokemon Pearl was my first game, so it's only natural that Sinnoh feels like my starting region. To this day, generation 4 remains my untouchable favourite. <33

If I were to choose an alternate region, I'd honestly go with Kalos. Gave us Mega evolution and remains my favourite region from an aesthetic standpoint.

 

[Rock_Salazar]

Though I started with Yellow and Blue Rescue Team, the first time I became fully immersed was with Diamond. Everybody at school had either Diamond or Pearl, so it was great to finally have a pokemon game that was compatible with everyone elses'. Plus, the Yellow copy I had was not initially mine and I later gave it back. Diamond was when I made my first trade too, as I traded a chansey holding the skull fossil for a shieldon. Diamond and later Platinum would be the first games were I heard rumors about secrets in a video game; like finding the 4th lake and Girantina, Rotom inside of the T.V., the Manaphy egg, and learning about RχUS, Darkrai, and Shaymin.

 

[Setsuna]

My introduction to Pokemon was actually through Gen III, it was seeing stuff like Ruby and XD Gale of Darkness that taught me what Pokemon was. I never got a chance to own or play those games for myself for years, though, so I consider Diamond to be my first game. I love Hoenn a lot but Sinnoh has always felt like my home. Jubilife has always felt like my home city and I've always kinda felt like I've lived there. Gen IV was also when I spent a lot of time really learning how Pokemon works, things like learning my type matchups, learning what most moves and abilities do, and how to find specific Pokemon, so it's always felt like the one I've been the most invested in.

 

[ReKoil]

Kanto was my very first region with RBY. That said I played them all once and then never again.

I skipped GSC at the time lacking a GBC and the funds required so for me RSE and thus Hoenn is what feels like my starting region simply because I played those games a lot and spent way more time there =D

 

[Fact Checking Gardevoir]

Hoenn, where I hatched!
Pokémon game wise, Kanto, since I started with Red!

 

[PoryKid575]

SoulSilver was my first game, so I consider Johto (specifically the HGSS iteration) to be my "home" region.

 

[Zeostar]

My first games were the Gen 3 Kanto remakes. However I was also not old enough to know english. (my Pokemon nicknames were gibberish letters). But for me it's still sentimental enough to feel as a starting region.