The Pokémon world in the video games consists of individual regions, but who exactly runs the Pokémon world? The Pokémon Company develops each region at a time, with occasional references about games that are in production being hidden in current titles. One example of this is Pokémon BDSP hinting at Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, through color patterns in flower beds and wallpaper.
The developers of Pokémon Red and Blue had no idea that the franchise would go on to become as big as it is. The Gen 1 games were also competing with the memory limitations of the original Game Boy cartridges. This means the Kanto region from Pokémon Red and Blue was tailored around completing the player's quest to become the Champion, with only occasional references to occupations and plots that didn't directly involve catching, training, and battling Pokémon or the League itself.
There have been major conflicts alluded to in the Pokémon world, such as the Pokémon war hinted at in Red and Blue and mentioned by Lt. Surge, or the war that happened in the ancient past of the Kalos region, but the current era is one of peace, with no dissent between the regions. The people in charge of the regions in the Pokémon world are never seen in the video games. The short answer as to why the governing bodies or rulers of the Pokémon world aren't shown is because these are kids games and meeting political candidates and officials in different positions of power doesn't help tell the story of a kid becoming a Pokémon Champion. But, there is a more nuanced reason as to why these elements of the Pokémon games aren't explored.
The Lack Of A Central Government In The Pokémon World
In an interview with Game Informer, longtime Pokémon composer, producer, and director Junichi Masuda was asked whether the Pokémon video games took place on Earth, or if they were in a parallel world. Masuda confirmed that the Pokémon world is inspired by the real Earth, but it has some key differences. The biggest change (other than the existence of Pokémon) is how human beings themselves act in the Pokémon world.
Junichi Masuda: We think of it as a place that is really similar to Earth, but is a different planet of its own with people in it who may be similar to people on Earth, but they have different values so they care about different things.
It’s the type of place, the Pokémon world, where problems we face on Earth just wouldn’t happen. There wouldn’t be global warming, water shortages, or anything like that. It’s a world where the people in it really want to work together with each other. Their value system is such where they would prefer to work together and eliminate these problems rather than feud.
The Pokémon world does have dangerous elements, such as criminal teams (which have become less villainous over time), as well as Pokémon that can potentially harm people, but the vast majority of the people are a lot nicer than in the real world. The Pokémon world has police officers, doctors, nurses, international secret agents (like Looker), but the bulk of public safety is carried out by powerful Pokémon trainers, like the Elite Four or Gym Leaders in each region. In most cases, the people of the Pokémon world are so kind-hearted to each other that they don't need the strict laws and oversight of real-world countries, and the technology available to the people (as well as helpful Pokémon) ensure that problems like the energy crisis and world hunger don't exist. The Pokémon games have a utopian world, one that doesn't require rulers.
Source: Game Informer