Pokémon Sword and Shield primarily take place in the Galar region.
Galar is the setting for the 2019 Nintendo Switch games Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. The region features a Gym Challenge in which Trainers travel between towns, earn badges, and compete for the title of Champion. The player’s principal rival is Hop, whose brother Leon is the undefeated Galar Champion at the beginning of the story.
Galar’s visual design is based largely on Great Britain. Its landscapes include industrial cities, countryside, snowy areas, and the open Wild Area. The games also introduced Dynamax and Gigantamax, mechanics that temporarily enlarge certain Pokémon during battles.
Galar belongs to Generation VIII, while Kalos is associated with Pokémon X and Y, Alola with Sun and Moon, and Paldea with Scarlet and Violet. Those regional names are therefore related but distinct.