I always thought Pokemon regions being inspired by real-world regions/countries was one of its neater aspects.

For those who don’t know:

• Kanto: Kanto region, Japan (Tokyo and surrounding area)
• Johto: Kansai region, Japan (Osaka, Kyoto, etc)
• Hoenn: Kyushu island and Okinawa, Japan
• Sinnoh: Hokkaido island, Japan
• Unova: New York City metro area, USA
• Kalos: France
• Alola: Hawaii, USA
• Galar: the UK
• Paldea: the Iberian peninsula (Spain, Portugal)