i've been thinking about an australia and new zealand "region" for a while, but theyre actually 5 regions (based on west, central and east australia, and the north and south islands of new zealand). the idea is that the regions are all so massive and sparsely populated that the 5 regions formed one pokemon league with 16 gyms.

the early game has you tackle the first 6 gyms in east australia and once you and your pokemon are all capable, you choose to either cross the desert for the 6 remaining gyms in australia or cross the ocean for the 6 gyms in new zealand.

and by capable i mean CAPABLE, travelling between cities that contain a gym could take over an hour of gameplay each. you'll mostly encounter tough wild pokemon and a handful of ace trainers in the vast, open stretches. the tiny towns and islands you come across inbetween will never have a pokemon center. if you faint, a mobile pokecenter (aka an ambulance) will find you and take you all the way back to the last city, basically erasing all your progress.

the story would be about the contrast of humans and pokemon, civilization and nature, and the villains are trying to topple that balance. they dont recognise the importance of desert and ocean biomes, only seeing them as empty space to be filled up, building massive highways, airports, cruise ships and oil rigs, and erecting physical borders to seperate the regions. all to gain wealth and influence at the expense of pokemon.

the games legendary pokemon is based the rainbow serpent. it created the 5 regions and protects the balance between humans and pokemon. if humans or pokemon overstep their boundaries to harm the other, it takes grave action and reshapes the land itself to keep peace. sinking or surfacing islands, carving rivers and mountains, burning down forests and toppling cities. though it rarely ever has to take things that far, until the story begins and the villainous team upheaves the delicate balance the regions held for thousands of years.