The Alola region is made of up four natural islands and one artificial island. It is a popular resort destination and attracts a lot of tourists from other regions. In Alola, humans and Pokémon coexist in a very close relationship, and a culture has developed that is different from other regions.
Etymology
According to Shigeru Ohmori, the name "Alola" is meant to incorporate a meaning of a land that overflows with life force and supports various forms of life.[1] The name may come from ola, Hawaiian for life, and the traditional Hawaiian greeting aloha.
Geography
Environment
The Alola region consists of four main islands, Melemele Island, Akala Island, Ula'ula Island, Poni Island; and one artificial island, Aether Paradise, which is described as a "Very Large Floating Structure" or VLFS. It is not possible to Surf, or, for that matter, use the Poké Ride's Lapras Paddle or Sharpedo Jet between the islands; those wishing to do so must take boats or the Poké Ride's Charizard Glide. All four islands are to an extent forested and mountainous; most of the cities and towns are on the coastlines, with notable exceptions being Iki Town and Paniola Town. Routes are relatively developed here compared to other regions, with several of them having their own Pokémon Centers in addition to residential buildings.
Melemele Island to the northwest, while steeped in nature, has the least extreme environments, and is home to Alola's largest settlement, Hau'oli City. Its routes gently slope up towards the center of the island to form a gradual mountain, on top of which are the Ruins of Conflict. It is notable for Ten Carat Hill, which was formed out of an underwater volcano and has an open-air hollow in the middle, itself resembling a volcano.
Akala Island, to the northeast, contains Alola's only active volcano, Wela Volcano Park, and has the most settlements of the four islands. It boasts several huge resort hotels, all in Heahea City, one of which has its own beach and golf course. It is notable for Brooklet Hill, whose cascading waterfalls give off the impression of a terrace field.
Ula'ula Island to the southeast is the largest of Alola's islands, and also the most varying in terms of weather and terrain, which is significantly rougher. For such a large island, it has few settlements; one is an abandoned town while another is in ruins and contains just a Pokémon Center. These all sit in the shadow of what is essentially a contiguous mountain range in the heart of the island, which boasts not just three mountains, but also a harsh desert. Towards the southwest is a lagoon with breakable rocks that the Sharpedo Jet can break through.
Poni Island, to the southwest, is more sparsely populated, having only one settlement; and, similar to the Battle Zone in Sinnoh, is full of rugged and harsh environments. The island is mostly mountainous and rocky in part due to the sprawling canyon - which is in itself described as a natural trial site - that takes up over half the island's space, although the coastline areas are more level.
The Aether Paradise, in stark contrast to the natural islands, is strikingly modern, with a huge building in the center that serves as both the main area and the headquarters of its owners, the Aether Foundation. Behind this building is a sprawling mansion that serves as the office and residence of its head.
Climate
Similar to Hoenn, Alola seems to have a warmer climate than in other regions, implying an equatorial climate; Hawaii, which Alola is based on, experiences such climate. However, Mount Lanakila, Alola's highest point, constantly experiences snow and hail, due to its high altitude.
Apart from that, the islands experience a wide variety of weather conditions, especially on Ula'ula Island, which alone is afflicted with not only harsh sun and extreme sandstorm in the desert near its center, but also snow and hail from the aforementioned Mount Lanakila. Frequent rain falls on its northern side, as well as on the northwestern side of Akala Island, where a thriving rainforest grows.
These environmental conditions are reflected in its Pokémon, some of which have adapted to the environmental conditions in different ways; for example, Exeggutor is five times as tall here due to the abundant sunlight.
Ecology
Due to the unique environmental pressures, a number of Pokémon species that appear in Alola have regional variants known as Alola Forms that have different properties to elsewhere in the Pokémon world. For example, in Alola Vulpix moved to snowy mountain peaks to avoid the normal habitats of other Pokémon, and adapted to their new environment by becoming Ice-type.
Island challenge
- Main article: Island challenge
The island challenge is a rite of passage in the Alola region consisting of trials on each of Alola's four main islands. Each trial has a Trial Captain who provides guidance to Trainers undertaking a trial. At the end of each trial, Trainers must face a Totem Pokémon in an SOS Battle. The final trial on each island is called the grand trial, where the Trainer must battle the Island Kahuna. The goal of those taking the island challenge is to become the strongest Trainer, known as the island challenge champion.
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