Alola/Environment

The Alola region consists of four main islands: Melemele Island, Akala Island, Ula'ula Island, and Poni Island. It also includes one artificial island, Aether Paradise, described as a "very large floating structure" or VLFS. People can travel between the islands via boat, the Poké Ride's Charizard Glide, and Mantine Surf; it is not possible to use the Poke Ride's Lapras Paddle or Sharpedo Jet to move between the islands. (It is also impossible to use Surf or Fly for inter-island travel, since these moves cannot be used outside of battle in Generation VII.) All four natural islands are, to an extent, forested and mountainous. Most of these islands' cities and towns are on the coast, with the notable exceptions of Iki Town and Paniola Town. Routes are relatively developed here compared to other regions, with several of them having their own Pokémon Centers in addition to residential buildings.

Though steeped in nature, Melemele Island, in the northwest of the archipelago, has the least extreme environments. It is home to Alola's largest settlement, Hau'oli City. Its routes gently slope up towards the center of the island to form a gradual mountain, on top of which are the Ruins of Conflict. A notable Melemele Island landmark is Ten Carat Hill, which was formed out of an underwater volcano and has an open-air hollow in the middle, itself resembling a volcano.

Akala Island, in the northeast of the archipelago, contains Alola's only active volcano, in Wela Volcano Park. It also has the most settlements of the four natural islands. Its largest city, Heahea City, boasts several huge resort hotels, such as the Hano Grand Resort, which has its own beach and golf course. A notable Akala Island landmark is Brooklet Hill, which has cascading waterfalls that give off the impression of a terrace field.

Ula'ula Island, in the southeast of the archipelago, is the largest of Alola's islands. It is also the most varied in terms of weather and terrain, with significantly rougher terrain areas than other islands. For such a large island, it has few settlements: Malie City, the largest city in Ula'ula; Tapu Village, destroyed by the tapu a long time ago, contains just a Pokémon Center; and Po Town, occupied by Team Skull. These settlements all sit in the shadow of a contiguous mountain range in the heart of the island, which includes three mountain peaks and a harsh desert. On the southwest coast of the island is a large lagoon with breakable rocks that the Poké Ride's Sharpedo Jet can break through. Notable Ula'ula Island landmarks are the Lake of the Moone and the Lake of the Sunne, both perfectly circular lakes that have special connections to the Legendary Pokémon of Alola, Solgaleo and Lunala.

Poni Island, in the southwest of the archipelago, is the most sparsely populated of Alola's islands, with only one settlement. Similar to the Battle Zone in Sinnoh, it is full of rugged and harsh environments. Though its coasts are fairly flat, the island is mostly mountainous and rocky, in part due to the sprawling Vast Poni Canyon — described as a natural trial site — that takes up over half the island's land.

Aether Paradise, just west of the center of the archipelago, starkly contrasts with the natural islands. It is strikingly modern, with a huge building in the center that serves as both the main area and the headquarters of its owners, the Aether Foundation. Behind this building is a sprawling mansion that serves as the office and residence of its head, Lusamine.