Generation III & Hoenn: Pokémon Generation Guide
The third generation (Japanese: 第三世代 third generation) of Pokémon games, commonly referred to by fans as Generation III, and also sometimes known as the advance
2026-02-13
About Generation III & Hoenn
A collector-friendly primer on the games, region, and what they introduced.
The third generation (Japanese: 第三世代 third generation) of Pokémon games, commonly referred to by fans as Generation III, and also sometimes known as the advance generation, advanced generation, or the GBA Pokémon series, is the third set of Pokémon games released, and is described by some to be a "reboot (fiction)" of the series.
It started with the games Ruby and Sapphire, later joined by FireRed and LeafGreen (remakes of Red and Green) and Emerald (based on Ruby and Sapphire). This generation also includes the games Pokémon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness.
The Hoenn region (Japanese: ホウエン地方 Hoenn region) is a region of the Pokémon world. It is located south of Sinnoh, and southwest of both Kanto and Johto. It is the setting of Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Omega Ruby, and Alpha Sapphire. It was the third core series region to be introduced.
- Region: Hoenn
- New Pokémon: 386
- International debut: March 19, 2003
- Pokémon League: Hoenn League
- Professors: Professor Birch
- First partners: Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip
Games & gameplay highlights
Mechanics that shaped the era, plus a quick history of release.
Centering around Ruby on the Game Boy Advance, released in 2002 and 2004 respectively (2003 and 2005 outside of Japan), Generation III broke from the continuous storyline that had been established between Generation I and Generation II, opting instead to move players to the Hoenn region, an island region disconnected from Kanto and Johto. The games themselves are incompatible with the previous two generations as well, initially causing many complaints due to the unavailability of many popular Generation I and II Pokémon in Ruby and Sapphire. This problem was remedied, however, between the release of Hoenn's paired versions and third version, with remakes of Generation I's Red and Green appearing as FireRed and LeafGreen on the Game Boy Advance, as well as Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness on the GameCube.
- Details in the Hoenn- and Kanto-based games hint that the storyline of Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald is contemporaneous with that of FireRed and LeafGreen (and due to this, contemporaneous with Generation I as well), placing Generation III three years before Generation II and Generation IV, themselves contemporaneous. It is unknown where the storylines of Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness fall in the timeline, being five years apart from each other but making no reference to their time period relative to any of the main series games.
Hoenn: Geography & lore
Real-world inspiration and the in-game footprint.
Junichi Masuda has stated that Hoenn's name signifies "abundant relations" (豊縁 hōen), as a common theme in this region is the relationships forged between Pokémon and people.
Featured Hoenn Pokémon
Native species highlights — links to per-species guides.
- Treecko (#252) — Grass type
- Grovyle (#253) — Grass type
- Sceptile (#254) — Grass type
- Torchic (#255) — Fire type
- Combusken (#256) — Fire / Fighting type
- Blaziken (#257) — Fire / Fighting type
- Mudkip (#258) — Water type
- Marshtomp (#259) — Water / Ground type
- Swampert (#260) — Water / Ground type
- Poochyena (#261) — Dark type
- Mightyena (#262) — Dark type
- Zigzagoon (#263) — Normal type
Generation III trivia
Bulbapedia trivia, lightly cleaned for collectors.
- This generation introduced the most to the core series, with 76 (77 if including Cacophony).
- This is the first generation to: Introduce multiple Legendary trios (the super-ancient Pokémon and the legendary giants).
- This is the first generation to: Introduce gendered Legendary Pokémon (with Latias and Latios being the first two).
- This is the first generation to: Introduce a pure Ice and a pure Steel Pokémon.
- This is the first generation to: Introduce multiple Mythical Pokémon.
- This is the first generation to: Not introduce any new Evolutions for Eevee.
- This is the first generation to: Have version-exclusive Gym Leaders. In this case; Wallace and Juan who are the Gym Leaders of Sootopolis City in Ruby, Sapphire; and Emerald respectively.
- This is the first generation to: Not allow the customization of a rival character's name.
- This is the first generation to: Have multiple paired versions, one pair of which are remakes.
- This is the first generation to: Give the Elite Four its own battle music, as opposed to them sharing the same battle music as the Gym Leaders in previous generations. However, FireRed, LeafGreen, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Diamond, Pearl and Platinum still do this, with the latter three's Elite Four battle music having a lower pitch by one semitone.
- Hoenn has the most routes of any region, with a total of 34.
- Hoenn is the only region with:
- A Game Corner and department store that are not in the same city. The Mauville Game Corner is located in Mauville City, whereas the Lilycove Department Store is located in Lilycove City.
- Gyms in which all Badges have the same English and Japanese names.
Related posts
Generation roundups and guides for the same era.
Cutest Pokémon From Gen III: Card & Binder IdeasBest Gen III Pokémon Cards to CollectMost Popular Gen III PokémonMost Expensive Gen III Pokémon Cards (TCGPlayer Prices)The Cutest Treecko Cards: Illustration Rares, Promos, and Display PicksA Collector's Field Notes on Grovyle Pokémon CardsThe Cutest Sceptile Cards: Illustration Rares, Promos, and Display PicksTorchic Pokémon Cards: Best Artwork, Key Releases, and Binder Ideas
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