Hemphir

**Hemphir**is a region in the Pokémon world. It is where Pokémon Caelum and Inferos takes place. Hemphir is far away from the other eight regions, and most of the Pokémon living in Hemphir are very diverse and different from Pokémon living in the other seven official regions.

## Design

### **Etymology**

The origin behind the name Hemphir is unknown.

### **Design Concept**

The geography of Hemphir itself is not based on any real-life location. However, the culture, locations, and Pokémon are mostly based off of the Philippines, with some South American influence as well.

The region's subtle but extensive inspiration by the Philippines is mainly seen in the region's native Pokémon. Several Pokémon are based off of prominent animals in the Philippines. For example, Empan, one of the region's starters, Cophling, the regional bird, and Goplip, the regional fish, are based off of the bearcat, Philippine eagle, and janitor fish, respectively. Some areas also share similarities with popular areas in the Philippines. For example, Driftide City is similar to Manila in a number of ways; they are both large, urban areas that are known for their high amounts of pollution (which the region's high amount of Poison-type new Pokémon and Hemphirian Forms also reflect).

The region also takes small inspiration from South America and Spain, mainly in the Pokémon. For example, Amplifly and Carroil, two bird Pokémon native to Hemphir, are based on bellbirds and oilbirds, respectively. Spanish influence can be seen in Pokémon such as Carabash, which is based on the Spanish fighting bull. The hint of Spanish influence in the Hemphir region is likely based on the Spanish colonization of the Philippines in the 1500s.

### **Geography**

Hemphir is a mountainous region. It is notable for two prominent mountain ranges, Mount Sender and Mount Brush. These two mountain ranges divide the region into four quarters, making a shape similar to a plus sign. The center of the two mountain ranges, where they meet each other, is one large mountain, Fortress Mountain; the Pokémon League is located on the peak of this mountain.

The geography of the region is comparable to the land-based geography of Sinnoh, Unova, and Galar, as opposed to the archipelago layouts of Hoenn and Alola. This is somewhat ironic, due to the fact that Hemphir is culturally based on the Philippines, which is an archipelago similar to the latter two regions. However, it is clear that Hemphir only takes cultural, not geographical, influence from the Philippines.

The four areas of Hemphir have very different qualities from each other. The southwestern area, where the player starts off, is the most grassy area of the region. It contains two forests; Solaris Forest and Takota Forest, and is mostly flat plains. The northwestern area, where the player travels next (after very briefly stopping in the northeastern area), is the more mountainous area of Hemphir. After getting past the coastal Sandstone Town, the area is mostly comprised of grassy, mountainous areas. Sizzle Stone Volcano is also located up here. After this, the player will travel to the northeastern area. This area has the most extreme climate out of all the areas in Hemphir, ranging from the snowy peaks of Mt. Frostpeak to the foggy, mysterious swamps surrounding Myaris Town. Finally, in the post-game, the player gets to explore the southeastern area. This area, known as the Hemphir Wilds, lives up to its name; it's extremely hard to traverse, due to unpredictable landscapes, harsh weather, and extremely strong wild Pokémon. As a result, there are no towns in this area, making it free for the player to explore. The varying weathers and Pokémon in the areas making up the Hemphir Wilds make it comparable to Galar's Wild Area.

## History

According to several myths, the Hemphir region was created by Unilibra as a home for itself. When humans started to appear in Hemphir (around the same time they started appearing in Sinnoh), Unilibra created Caelestrum and Netheros to watch over them. These three Pokémon became known as the Transcendence Trio. After this, the Transcendence Trio created Wismury, Brutalis, and Spiribus, the Pokémon of the Mind, Body, and Spirit, in order to give humans and Pokémon these qualities. These three Pokémon became known as the Grotto Trio. It is said that Unilibra did this to mimic the actions of its "master" Arceus, who created Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf for the similar purpose of gifting humans and Pokémon with important qualities. After doing this, Unilibra fell into an eternal slumber. The Grotto Trio followed shortly after, fearing what the humans they created could have done to them if their presence was known by them.

Two cults arose shortly after the creation of the Grotto Trio; these cults were given the names Team Seraph and Team Rogue by later-generation members. These two cults vowed to protect Caelestrum and Netheros, respectively, while Unilibra slept. It is said that Caelestrum and Netheros chose humans to worship them. After the creation of these cults, a war broke out; the winner (Team Seraph in Pokémon Caelum, Team Rogue in Pokémon Inferos), became the leader of the Hemphir region. Shortly after, Caelestrum and Netheros joined their trio master Unilibra in its eternal slumber. As the generations passed, Team SeraphC/Team RogueI slowly transformed into the government that leads Hemphir today, while Team RogueC/Team SeraphI, still existing, led normal lives. The current-generation leader of Team SeraphC/Team RogueI, MalkaC/MaelithI, is the current king of Hemphir.

## Locations

Hemphir has a total of 35 numbered routes. These routes are numbered with simple numbers similar to routes in Kanto, Johto, Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Galar. Most of the Wild Pokémon in the region are encountered on these routes. Compared to other generations, most routes are land-based. There are very few water routes traversed during the storyline; Route 14 and Route 15 are the only water routes that the player explores before becoming the Champion.

Hemphir has 19 towns and cities. These locations are counted as towns and cities on the map, despite the Pokémon League and Battle Frontier technically not being cities. All of these cities are outside of the Hemphir Wilds, and with the exception of Solaris Springs, end in "Town" or "City."

Hemphir has many landmarks, which are defined as areas on the map colored green. Landmarks are usually areas where wild Pokémon roam free that are not counted as routes. These can be forests, caves, or other non-linear areas where wild Pokémon live. Hemphir is quite famous for its wide range of landmarks, from the impressively large Takota Forest, freezing cold Mt. Frostpeak, and blazing hot Sizzle Stone Volcano. Mount Sender and Mount Brush, the two dividing mountain ranges of the region, are divided themselves into four different areas, officially called "chambers." These chambers are counted as landmarks by the region map.

### **Demographics**

The population of Hemphir is unknown. It is assumed to be either the second biggest region or biggest region in terms of popularity, competing with Sinnoh, which receives a significant population boost in Pokémon Caelum and Inferos. It is unknown if other canon regions receive a population boost, however, so their canon populations are used.

## Hemphir League

*Main article: Hemphir League*
The regional Pokémon League in the Hemphir region is known as the Hemphir League. The Hemphir League is composed of eight Gym Leaders and four Elite Four members, along with the Champion. Trainers who earn eight Gym Badges by defeating all eight Gym Leaders qualify to challenge the Elite Four, located in the Pokémon League on the peak of Fortress Mountain. In the Pokémon League, the four members of the Elite Four and the Champion must be defeated in succession.

The Hemphir League is an important part of the region's culture. Gym Leader battles and Pokémon League battles are watched by people across the region, and battles against these important trainers take place in packed, energetic stadiums, in a similar fashion to battles in the Galar region.

### **Gym Leaders**

Mila and Quaker are both Gym Leaders of Driftide City. They are fought in a Double Battle.

Some of the Gym Leaders specialize in themes over Pokémon types. Their most commonly used type will be provided in the table below. For more details, visit their individual pages.

## Trivia

* Hemphir is the longest region name, at seven letters.
* Hemphir has the most routes out of any region, with 35.
	+ Hemphir also has, by far, the most landmarks out of any region.
	+ This can be attributed to the fact that Hemphir is the biggest region by total landmass size.
* As revealed by characters in the game, Hemphir is west of Sinnoh, which is the closest region to it.
* Hemphir is the only region without Wingull and Pelipper in its regional Pokédex.
* The official adjectival form of Hemphir is "Hemphirian," as shown by its regional variants.