Although it may not be as familiar to fans as the much-loved Pokémon regions of the main series like Kanto and Sinnoh, the Fiore region from 2006's Pokémon Ranger has plenty to love. As a spin-off title, Pokémon Ranger plays radically differently from other games in the franchise, making the region quite unique as well.
Bringing no new Pokémon to the table, except for an event which allowed players to transfer Manaphy to Pokémon Diamond & Pearl, Fiore is a land of diverse terrain and plenty of familiar critters. Fans of the franchise may not know much about this region and its secrets, but it holds many interesting details that even Pokémon Ranger players may not be familiar with.
There Are No Pokéballs
Due to the culture of the Fiore region, there are pointedly no Pokéballs in the region, nor are trainers a part of Pokémon-human interactions in the region. Instead, Fiore's culture is built around rangers who collect Pokémon temporarily for assistance, not permanently as pets or fighters.
Since there is no traditional fighting in Pokémon Ranger, there is no Pokémon League in Fiore, either, making the region one in which Pokémon and humans have a much different relationship. On the one hand, the two are not personally close with one another, but on the other, Pokémon are able to thrive in nature apart from humans.
Where It Is In Relation To Other Regions
In general, the Pokémon franchise has done little to reveal the layout of its world and how the many regions in it relate to one another. Each region is generally treated as entirely isolated from the others, with the notable exception of Johto and Kanto, which are both featured in the Gen 2 games.
Professor Hastings, the resident professor of Pokémon Ranger, drops a little clue to the world's layout, however, during the Manaphy egg quest. He suggests that Fiore is somewhat far from the Sinnoh region (from the revolutionary Gen 4 games), but that it is closer to Sinnoh than to the other known regions at the time, including Kanto and Hoenn.
Eevee Doesn't Appear There
Among the many species available to encounter and corral in the Fiore region are all of Eevee's evolutions from the first three generations: Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, and Umbreon. Eevee itself, however, cannot be found in Pokémon Ranger, which brings up questions about the region.
Where do these evolutions come from if Eevee is not native to the region? These Pokémon could be imports from other regions, or perhaps the player simply doesn't enter any Eevee habitats on Fiore throughout the game. Whatever the explanation, it's a unique detail that gets fans thinking about Fiore.
The Fall City Fountain Is Named For The Player
Fall City is an impressive metropolis amidst the Fiore region's largely rural locales, and it contains two major landmarks: the Joy Clock Tower and the fountain at the entrance of the town. The fountain, as some dialogue with a local suggests, is a brand new addition that isn't even named yet.
This seems like just a filler detail at first, but players who complete the main story and then return to Fall City find out that the fountain's youth is significant. Because the fountain had not yet been named, the player character's adventures on Fiore have inspired Fall City's residents to name the fountain after them.
Grimer Are Not Native To The Region
The antagonists of Pokémon Ranger are the dastardly Go-Rock Squad, and one of their most notable acts in the game is actually just a minor part of the game's story that players may have missed. Namely, the Grimer and Muk that have taken over Fiore's Waterworks were brought to the region by Go-Rock.
While the occasional Pokédex entry has dealt with the idea of invasive species in the Pokémon universe, the implications of this detail of Pokémon Ranger's story may be interesting. For instance, how do Pokémon trainers bringing Pokémon from past generations into new regions impact the environment?
"Fiore" Means "Flower"
The Pokémon franchise is known for using wordplay in its naming conventions, whether it be for Pokémon, human characters, or even places in the world. While the region's major cities are modeled and named after seasons, the name of Fiore itself has its origins in the Italian word for "flower."
Many of the main regions in the Pokémon franchise do not have such clear origins, making Fiore somewhat unique, but the name itself is also interesting. The region centered on representing all four seasons is given a name most associated with spring, perhaps explaining why the character starts their journey in Ringtown.
The Olive Jungle May Have Unique Pokémon
While Pokémon Ranger doesn't introduce any new Pokémon of its own like the mainline games, the Fiore region may still be home to some unique species. For instance, the in-game description for the Olive Jungle suggests that the area has flora and fauna that cannot be seen anywhere else.
This tidbit may just refer to the fact that the Olive Jungle has Pokémon found nowhere else on Fiore, but it might also be a hint that the region has some unique Pokémon that simply aren't in the game's scope. It makes sense, after all, that the side game regions would have their own unique Pokémon from a worldbuilding standpoint.
It Appeared In The Manga
While the world of Pokémon Ranger is most associated with the video game universe, it has also extended into the franchise's multimedia presence. Although the Fiore region has not appeared in the anime, it has been the setting for several stories in the notoriously dark manga, exploring the region further.
In the main Pokémon Adventures series, Fiore is mentioned by Looker, who brings a Manaphy egg from the region to Sinnoh as part of the "Alternate Dimension Showdown XI" arc. There is also a manga that takes place in the Fiore region itself, entitled Pokémon Ranger The Comic: Double Mission.
Fiore Temple Was Built Cooperatively
The Pokémon franchise has repeatedly established that humans and Pokémon have worked together on a variety of tasks, including the construction of buildings. This cooperation is well known in the modern era of Pokémon, but Pokémon Ranger suggests that it extends into history, as well.
Humans and Pokémon apparently worked together to build the ancient Fiore Temple, according to the in-game description of the location. This suggests that, at least in Fiore if not across the world, Pokémon and humans have worked together for generations on construction projects of all kinds.
There Was An Unused Location
Although the Fiore region isn't quite as large as the mainstream games' regions, it boasts a diverse collection of locations for rangers to visit on their journeys. From nocturnal factories to labyrinthine forests and mountain passes to frozen caves, there are plenty of places to explore. But there's no desert area.
While any number of other biomes could have made their way into the game, a desert actually was presumably planned for inclusion at some point. The game's code features references to Kalakka Desert, an arid place where hot days and cold nights would have brought out quite a variety of Pokémon to wrangle.