From the nostalgic first steps on Kanto’s Route 1 to the breathtaking mountain paths of Sinnoh’s Route 208, Pokémon’s routes have always been more than mere pathways-they’re immersive journeys filled with unique challenges, stunning biomes, and unforgettable battles. Join us as we explore the 12 best routes in Pokémon history, where every step tells a story and every route is a world waiting to be discovered.
If someone asked you about your favorite place in a Pokémon game, you likely wouldn’t tell them the name of a route. After all, what is a route but a tiring link between cooler stuff? However, for AELGAMES’s Retreat Week, I decided to take the time to focus on an aspect of the Pokémon world that can often be rushed through. Because, whether due to the score or the design or simply what the route reflects about the growth of the wider Pokémon franchise, there are some routes that are worth relaxing in and admiring. At the very least, the next time you walk (or surf or climb) through these, I hope you’ll take in the scenery.
Note: To be considered for this list, the area had to be defined as a route. Which means that places like Viridian Forest, while certainly trails, were out. It also means that regions like Paldea and the game Legends: Arceus, which don’t have any defined routes, were out.
This week on AELGAMES, we’re looking at games that feel like vacations for your brain in a package we’re calling Retreat Week.
Route 1 – Kanto – Pokémon Red, Blue, & Yellow
Route 1 in the Kanto region, featured in Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, serves as the very first step of the player’s journey, connecting Pallet Town to Viridian City. Although it appears simple and straightforward by today’s standards, this route is an excellent introduction for new players to the traveling and battling mechanics of the game. Along the way, players encounter common Pokémon like Pidgey and Rattata in the grass patches, which provide early battles that teach the basics on the fly. The route also includes helpful NPCs who offer tips, such as encouraging players to jump from ledges, making it a gentle tutorial embedded in the gameplay. This initial route sets the tone for the adventure ahead, balancing simplicity with subtle challenges that keep players engaged as they prepare for the wider world of Kanto.
The first Pokémon route looks rather archaic today, considering that it’s just a straight shot between Pallet Town and Viridian City. But it’s also a wonderful way to get new players acclimated to the kind of traveling they’ll be doing later. Not only do we get reassuring warnings from strangers (“See those ledges along the road? It’s a bit scary, but you can jump from them!”), but the simple array of Pokémon keeps you on your toes. If you’re going north, you can’t really skip any of the patches of grass, so the surprise assaults by Pidgey and Rattata might make you rethink which areas you explore and which ones you want to skip past. There is relatively little tutorial time in the first generation of games, but no matter – stuff like this helps you learn the basics on the fly.
Route 45 – Johto – Pokémon Gold, Silver, & Crystal
Route 45 in Johto, also known as Mountain Road, is a unique and challenging path connecting Blackthorn City to Route 46. The route is notable for its steep terrain, allowing travel only southward from Blackthorn City, and features multiple branching paths filled with tall grass, providing diverse opportunities for encountering wild Pokémon. It also hosts an entrance to the Dark Cave, a key location for catching rare Pokémon early in the game. In Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, Route 45 offers a mix of Rock, Ground, and Flying-type Pokémon, including Geodude, Skarmory, and Phanpy, making it a strategic route for trainers preparing for upcoming challenges in the Johto region.
Bearing an amazing theme by Junichi Masuda (his director and leadership roles tend to overshadow it these days, but there’s a case to be made that Masuda is an excellent composer), Route 45 looks like another straight shot at first. But just as much as Pokémon is about crafting your own journey, it’s also about the choices you make with the paths laid out for you. Route 45 gives you numerous options to tackle, from splitting away into the Dark Cave entrance at its most northwest to following the left or right lanes, both of which restrict traversal to the other thanks to the constant ledges. Add in the scenic river that divides them in the remakes HeartGold and SoulSilver and you have a route that doesn’t just make you consider which path you want to take, but which path you’ll choose if you plan to revisit it.
Route 27 – Johto/Kanto – Pokémon Gold, Silver, & Crystal
Route 27 in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal marks a significant moment as it connects the Johto and Kanto regions, symbolizing the player’s first steps into Kanto. This route offers a peaceful journey through water and land, with a brief passage through Tohjo Falls, accompanied by an exuberant theme that underscores the excitement of crossing into a new region. Unlike other routes, Route 27 emphasizes the ongoing nature of the Pokémon adventure, reminding players that beyond achievements and battles, the journey itself holds great value.
“Hey! Do you know what you just did? You’ve taken your first steps into Kanto!” The fact that one can travel to both Johto and Kanto in the second generation of games and their remakes is well known today, but for those that played them in the late ’90s and early ’00s, the news was far more exciting. And yet, despite a particularly exuberant song accompanying you, there is little fanfare or celebration for your international travel. Instead, the trip is a mostly peaceful jaunt through water and bits of land, only interrupted by a brief detour through Tohjo Falls. In a way, it signifies the ongoing nature of the journey. Yes, there will be achievements and a chance to become champion. But the real success comes from knowing there is a road ahead.
Route 108 – Hoenn – Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, & Emerald
Route 108 in Hoenn is a notable water route connecting Route 107 in the west to Route 109 in the east, featured in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. This long sea route is lined with rocky boundaries and populated by various water-type Pokémon such as Tentacool, Wingull, and Pelipper. At its center lies the iconic Abandoned Ship, originally the S.S. Cactus, which players can explore, adding a unique element to the route. Trainers are scattered along the route, providing multiple battle opportunities. The route’s design encourages exploration and revisiting with new abilities like Dive, enhancing its role in the game’s progression and world connectivity.
Pokémon fans have a love-hate relationship with the ocean. It can feel almost helplessly vast, and considering how many Tentacool and Wingull dive in to attack you, it often makes you crave even the scantest bit of dry land to catch your breath on. But it also contains moments of wonder that you might miss if you’re too eager to get to the next accomplishment. Back in Kanto, one can skip Route 20 entirely, but then they’d never venture into the Seafoam Islands and the legendary Articuno in their depths.
Route 108 in Hoenn has its own mystery: an abandoned ship that offers no real utility in the wider game. But if the ocean represents anything in Pokémon, it’s exploration for exploration’s sake. And Route 108’s spooky, decrepit vessel is a charming digression. It urges you to smell the roses a little bit. Or, in the case of Pokémon, dive into a ship that’s probably haunted and in real life would be filled with corpses. a little bit.
Route 113 – Hoenn – Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, & Emerald
Route 113 in Hoenn, featured in Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, is a distinctive ash-covered path connecting Route 111 to Fallarbor Town. Its unique environment, shaped by the nearby Mt. Chimney, is filled with ash piles that players can interact with to find items and encounter trainers. Along the route, players face various trainers including Youngster Neal and Ninja Boy Lao, and can collect soot to craft special flutes and Secret Base decorations at the Glass Workshop. This route stands out for its atmospheric ash-covered terrain and the gameplay elements tied to it, making it a memorable part of the Hoenn journey.
Hoenn is full of cool routes (another contender for this list would be 110, which takes you under the Seaside Cycling Road at various points). But Route 113, a quiet path just north of the volcanic Mt. Chimney, stands out. At first it appears that snow is falling, but a young kid tells you that it’s actually volcanic ash dusting off of every step in the grass. It’s a fun environmental detail made possible by the Game Boy Advance upgrade, but it also serves as a way to unify Hoenn. The routes are more than just paths between important cities and landmarks. They’re part of the connective tissue of a vibrant fictional world.
Route 208 – Sinnoh – Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, & Platinum
Route 208 in Sinnoh, featured in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, is a scenic and strategic path connecting Mt. Coronet to Hearthome City. The route is notable for its picturesque waterfall and a series of bridges crossing a chasm, offering a mix of grassland and water areas where players can encounter Pokémon like Psyduck, Ralts (in Platinum), Machop, and Geodude. Along the way, trainers such as Hiker Jonathan and Black Belt Kyle provide battles, while the Berry Master’s house and a berry patch offer useful items. The route also includes hidden items like an Odd Keystone, which is essential for encountering rare Pokémon later, making Route 208 both a beautiful and important part of the Sinnoh journey.
By the fourth generation of Pokémon games, the ones that used the hardware of the Nintendo DS, there was more available to put on screen. Of course, this was a balancing act – the Pokémon world that fans imagine in their heads has always been much greater than anything a developer can attempt. But it did allow for areas like Route 208, where the player can climb around a mountain path and cross over bridges high above a river and the waterfall that feeds into it. The Sinnoh region is extremely rocky, but Route 208 is probably the best use of its particular biome, feeling sweeping in scale rather than insurmountable. One can practically feel the wind in their hair as they make their climb (or their swim). And once again, the features in the landscape, like the rock wall leading up to a Hiker on a cliff, make it ripe for revisiting.
Route 217 – Sinnoh – Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, & Platinum
Route 217 in Sinnoh, featured in Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum, is notorious for its harsh winter conditions that create a unique and challenging environment. The route is engulfed in a fierce blizzard with heavy snow and hail, which severely limits visibility and prevents the use of running or bicycles. In battles here, the hail damages any Pokémon that are not Ice-type each turn, adding an extra layer of difficulty. The route connects Route 216 to the Acuity Lakefront and features key items such as HM08 (Rock Climb) and the Icicle Plate, which are essential for progression. Trainers on Route 217 present tough battles with diverse teams, making it a memorable and demanding passage in the Sinnoh region. This raw, untamed atmosphere gives players a taste of survival against the elements, setting it apart as one of the most iconic routes in Pokémon history.
Just to the north of Route 216 and the last stop to heal your monsters, the Snowbound Lodge, is one of the most notorious slogs in all of Pokémon. You can’t ride a bike through Route 217, you can’t run, you can barely see, and the hail hurts all non-ice-type Pokémon every turn they’re in battle. That said, with it being so bereft of many of the comforts added to streamline your trek through the Pokémon world, Route 217 also feels untamed. Years before games like Legends: Arceus would plunge you into more unforgiving territory (it makes sense why both this set of games and Arceus were set in Sinnoh), Route 217 gave you a taste. Sometimes you have to rough it.
Route 4 – Unova – Pokémon Black & White/Black 2 & White 2
Route 4 in the Unova region, featured in Pokémon Black & White and their sequels Black 2 & White 2, is a distinctive desert route connecting Castelia City to Nimbasa City and the Desert Resort. Unlike traditional routes with tall grass, Route 4 is characterized by deep sand where wild Pokémon battles occur. In the original games, the route is a half-constructed road with ongoing building work and scattered construction sites. By Black 2 and White 2, the route undergoes significant changes: Black 2 shows a completed road lined with buildings, while in White 2, construction halts due to the discovery of ancient ruins, giving the route a unique version-dependent atmosphere. This transformation reflects the two-year time gap between the games and adds depth to the Unova region’s evolving landscape.
Making Black 2 and White 2 direct sequels to their predecessors gave developer Game Freak a unique opportunity – how does a world change in a few years of time? Previously, this had only really been explored when players got to revisit Kanto in Gold, Silver, and Crystal, but Black 2 and White 2 really ran wild with it. One of the most fun examples is Route 4, which in Black and White is a barely developed path, unfinished thanks to the massive sandstorm that seems to be eternally raging. It’s a caustic place, but a nice way to combine lore with environmental storytelling. Play Black 2 and you’ll see that many of those ramshackle developments are now finished. Play White 2, however, and whatever construction that was done has been abandoned and left in a state of apocalyptic-esque disrepair.
Route 10 – Unova – Pokémon Black & White
Route 10 in Unova, featured in Pokémon Black & White, is the final numbered route before Victory Road, connecting Opelucid City to the Pokémon League entrance. It is notable for its challenging trainers, including a significant battle against Cheren, who tests the player’s readiness for the Elite Four. The route features diverse terrain with tall grass, cliffs, and bridges, and includes the Badge Check Gates that require players to have earned specific Gym Badges to progress. Players can encounter new Pokémon such as Rufflet in White and Vullaby in Black, alongside other strong trainers and valuable items. Route 10’s design reflects the types of Gyms the player has defeated, making it a memorable and strategic path to the endgame.
Pokémon Black and White have a curious vibe to them, one that feels like a pseudo-reinvention of the series. And that’s more than the fact that you can only capture old Pokémon after you’ve beaten the Elite Four. It tries to invigorate elements that one might’ve previously taken for granted, like the lead-up to Victory Road and the Pokémon League. After a short, easy stretch, you arrive at the Badge Check Gates. At first, all you can hear is the roar of the wind. Then, after you show your first badge, you get a drum track added to the score. Then a timpani, then a tuba, and so on. By the end, you’ve built up to the full Victory Road theme and are ready to tackle that stretch with pride.
Route 4 – Kalos – Pokémon X & Y
Route 4 in Kalos, also known as Parterre Way, is a charming route that connects Santalune City to Lumiose City in Pokémon X & Y. It is notable for its beautifully decorated patches of multicolored flowers, intricate hedge mazes, and the central Perle Fountain, symbolizing acceptance and harmony. Along the route, players encounter various trainers and can find hidden items within the mazes. It is also the first place players meet Sina and Dexio, assistants to Professor Sycamore, who introduce them to the Fairy-type Pokémon Flabébé. The route’s design and atmosphere make it a memorable and visually appealing part of the Kalos journey.
Routes can often feel like wildlife preserves between towns, places where people have allowed Pokémon to settle peacefully as they pass on through. Route 4, on the other hand, thrives by being purely manicured. Planted flowers, hedge mazes, and a large fountain adorn the area, giving it the atmosphere that it was created to attract certain Pokémon (and tourists) rather than being built on top of or around them. Its musical theme, a marching band arrangement, adds to the unnaturalness. In a sense, it’s all building up to the reveal of Lumiose City, a gargantuan metropolis outside the bounds of anything yet seen in the series. But it’s an interesting look at Pokémon as a botanical garden, rather than a forest.
Route 8 – Alola – Pokémon Sun & Moon/Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon
Route 8 in the Alola region, found on Akala Island, is a scenic route that connects Route 7 and Route 5, featuring a winding road with abundant grassy areas and important landmarks like the Fossil Restoration Center and the Akala Island Motel. In Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, the route includes the Dividing Peak Tunnel and an Aether Foundation base, adding to the story depth and exploration opportunities. Players can encounter various Pokémon here, including Wimpod along the rocky coast, and experience key plot moments such as interactions with Gladion at the motel. Route 8’s lush environment and narrative significance make it a memorable part of the Alola journey.
It’s hard to pick a route in Sun and Moon. Many of them are short and, with the game being set in a region inspired by Hawaii, the whole place is meant to feel like a vacation. But Route 8, backed by a vista of never-ending ocean, seems to have a spirit all its own. It rounds the curve at the top of the island, so it never quite lets you escape from the view. Pokémon hadn’t gone “open world” yet, and a heavier focus on guiding the player more linearly meant that what had once felt limitless was now landlocked and consumable. But Route 8, with its scenic overlook and odd assortment of establishments (like a roadside motel that looks right out of a family trip to the beach and a well-worn RV where a man in overalls brings fossils back to life for you) is a testament to Pokémon in all of its beautiful openness and inspired weirdness.
Route 1 – Galar – Pokémon Sword & Shield
Route 1 in the Galar region of Pokémon Sword & Shield serves as the player’s first real step into the new world, connecting the hometown of Postwick to the next town, Wedgehurst. This route features two paths: a straightforward road without tall grass and a longer side path with patches of tall grass where wild Pokémon can be encountered. Initially, players cannot enter the tall grass, but on their second visit, a group of Wooloo blocks the path, encouraging exploration and Pokémon encounters. Route 1 introduces a unique encounter system where Pokémon appear visibly in the overworld, allowing players to choose whether to engage or avoid battles, a departure from traditional random encounters. This route offers a mix of familiar and new Pokémon, such as Skwovet, Rookidee, Wooloo, and Nickit, making it an essential early-game area for catching and training Pokémon before heading to the first gym challenge in Wedgehurst.
When you rush down the steps from your mom’s house in Galar, you aren’t just treated to a traditional Pokémon hometown, but what looks to be open land as far as you can see. Yes, you’ll be course-corrected into following some defined paths for much of the game outside of the free-for-all Wild Areas, but it’s this feeling that Game Freak has tried to recapture in nearly every game since (including the latest pair, Scarlet and Violet). With Wedgehurst off in the distance, the lush fields between, and the hills beyond, it instantly defines the tone of the game and the modern ambitions of the series. What you once imagined as you obsessively leaned over the dull light of the Game Boy screen is right there on the horizon. Does the game’s quality match its scope? Well, you’ll have to find that out for yourself. Better get moving.
Which Pokémon route stands out as the most visually stunning in history
The most visually stunning Pokémon route in history is widely considered to be Hoenn’s Route 119. It is praised for its vast, diverse environment featuring tropical forests, a river running through the entire route, and atmospheric details like weather changes and hidden secrets. The route’s design, combined with its challenging encounters and memorable battles, creates an immersive and picturesque experience that stands out among all Pokémon routes. Additionally, Hoenn’s Route 113 is noted for its ethereal beauty with volcanic ash falling like snow, contributing to the region’s rich and atmospheric world-building. Sinnoh’s Route 208 also receives acclaim for its sweeping mountain path with bridges over rivers and waterfalls, offering a sense of scale and natural beauty unique to that biome. However, Hoenn Route 119 remains the top pick for many fans due to its perfect blend of visual appeal and gameplay elements.
Why does Hoenn Route 119 stand out as the most visually stunning in Pokémon history
Hoenn Route 119 stands out as the most visually stunning Pokémon route due to its vast and diverse tropical environment, featuring thick forests, tall grasses, and a river that runs through the entire route, creating a dynamic and immersive natural setting. The route’s design smoothly transitions players into Fortree City, a city built among treehouses and wooden bridges, enhancing the sense of place and continuity. Additionally, the frequent rain and atmospheric weather effects add to the route’s immersive ambiance, making it feel alive and ever-changing. Beyond its aesthetics, Route 119 is also a significant narrative and gameplay turning point, housing the Weather Institute where major plot developments occur, which deepens the player’s engagement with the world. The combination of its natural beauty, environmental variety, atmospheric weather, and story importance makes Route 119 a perfect and memorable journey in Pokémon history.
