Which Pokémon region is modeled after New York City?

The Unova region in Pokémon is modeled after New York City.

Unova is the setting of Pokémon Black and White, the fifth-generation main-series games. Unlike the earlier regions, which drew heavily from locations in Japan, Unova was designed as a distant continental setting with a strong American influence.

Castelia City is its clearest New York-inspired location. The city features dense skyscrapers, busy streets, and a major waterfront, while Skyarrow Bridge was designed with visual similarities to New York’s Brooklyn Bridge.

The region’s design was influenced by a visit to New York City by game director Junichi Masuda. The developers wanted Unova to communicate urban diversity, large communities, and a sense of distance from the settings used in earlier games.

Unova is sometimes confused with Galar, which is based primarily on the United Kingdom, or Kalos, which draws from France. Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh are based on different parts of Japan, making Unova a notable change in the series’ geographic inspiration.