Geography
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The region of Hayle is shaped vaguely like a circle, with most cities forming a rough ring around Hayle Central, the regions largest city. Routes crisscross the region to connect these various cities, with a variety of pokemon roaming each route. However, the major routes of the region connect a city or town either to Hayle Central, or to one of the settlements adjacent to it on the ring. Of course, each of these settlements was established long before it became a town with a gym in it, and each town serves a specific purpose. Serenity Town houses the region's major graveyard, Thousand Acres Ranch produces most of the region's food, and Hayle Central is the bustling metropolis that has constantly been pushing Hayle into the modern era. The cities produced the gyms, not the other way around.

Stormwrack Harbor
Sitting on the westernmost tip of Hayle, Stormwrack Harbor serves as Hayle's only point of contact with the rest of the world. The city is usually calm and pristine, an ideal getaway spot for vacations and home to luxury beachside condos for the rich and famous. Occasionally however, the entire city shuts down when a monsoon washes over the city, making it dangerous to even venture outside. A giant lighthouse, impervious to the crashing waves, sits on a rock in the cove, serving as an important reference point for ships at sea. The cove is populated by goldeen and horsea, and wingulls soar overhead constantly. The local gym leader is Augustus West, a famous tidedrinker who hunts for treasure in sunken ships in the oceans surrounding the region. While he’s settled down since his youngster days, he still goes on joyrides with his Poliwrath if he hears about a hidden pirate cove somewhere, and he’s quick to help a boat that’s in trouble in the cove. He uses Water and Ice types in battle, and enjoys the thrill of a close battle more than anything in the world.

Thousand Acres Ranch
Tucked away in southwest Hayle lies Thousand Acre Ranch, an expansive set of farms, ranches and orchards that provide much of the food for the region's residents. Life at Thousand Acres is calm and serene, with few powerful wild pokemon able to provide danger to the multitude of independent homesteaders spread throughout the area. The roads are crowded with bouffalant-pulled carts filled with grain, melons, and other commodities as individuals travel to and from the small village at the center of the area. Large trucks take the produce to Central, where the goods are distributed from there to the rest of the region. The rustic feel of the area is broken only during the Harvest Festival, when people travel from all over the region to attend the renowned summer solstice celebration of the land. The Thousand Acre gym is run by Lillian Summers, a world renowned botanist who has spent over five decades cultivating her berry patches using combee to pollinate her plants and collect high quality honey. She uses bug and normal type pokemon and is accompanied everywhere by her loyal vespiqueen. The safe nature of the wilds surrounding routes and Lillian’s reputation as a kind battler make Thousand Acres Ranch a popular option for new league challengers.

Wrystone Nature Preserve
It’s a sad fact of life that sometimes, a species of pokemon approaches the brink of extinction. In these cases, the species is rounded up and taken west to the Wrystone Nature Preserve, named after the wealthy philanthropist Dellan Wrystone who financed its growth. There, pokemon can stave off extinction while simultaneously populating Hayle’s Safari Zone. Sometimes however, a species is too aggressive in the wild. These pokemon are quarantined in a separate portion of the preserve, an area known as the Danger Zone. Tourists visiting Wrystone are only allowed into the Safari Zone for a sightseeing excursion. League trainers earn the right to enter both the Safari Zone and the Danger zone with the permission of Halle Wrystone, former Gym Leader and current head of the Safari Zone. Here, trainers can capture rare and powerful pokemon not found in other areas of Hayle. The Wrystone gym is run by Leo Blackwell, Halle’s husband and her successor to the position. A chef renowned around the region for his love of spicy food and immense ability to cook it, Leo splits his time between his gym and running the Cosmic Cafe, his family’s restaurant. In battle, Leo fights with fire and grass pokemon alongside his faithful Darmanitan, and his team is often seen munching on peppers in the middle of battle, the spicy flavor giving their hits extra punch.

Hayle Central
There’s a saying in Hayle that “All roads lead to Central.” As both the geographic and economic center Hayle, the aptly named Hayle Central (often simply called Central) is by far the region's largest city. The giant metropolis is connected by a spiderweb of subway tunnels that shuttle residents around town in a constant rush of activity, energy, and vibrancy. Many jokingly say that the city never sleeps, and the neon lights and skyscrapers are certainly almost always lit brightly for all to see. Aside from the residential areas, Central is separated into multiple different districts that each present a very different side of the city. Crammed full of luxury shops, contest halls, and a single very large and successful casino, the Power and Light District is a cultural and entertainment icon in all of Hayle. The Industrial District is filled with smoke from the myriad of factories in the area and is home to a multitude of poison types. The Varro District, named after the monolithic Varro Corporation, is home to a sprawling complex filled with business offices, research labs, and security guards. Living conditions in Central range from incredibly lavish to downright destitute. Central’s gym is run by Teller Brand, a former scientist for the Varro Corporation. Teller left his old job to be a gym leader and has quickly established himself as an impressive battler. Teller uses electric and poison pokemon and his favorite pokemon is a cybernetically modified galvantula. His arena is a marvel of the modern age, and his pokemon tend to be just as technologically advanced.

Hidden Oasis
In the middle of the harsh sandstorms and cresting dunes of the Harena Desert lies the Hidden Oasis. While not hidden intentionally, it can be incredibly difficult to locate the small town while navigating the seemingly endless sea of sand, especially when mirages are commonplace in the scorchingly hot desert. Hidden from the harsh elements of its surroundings, Hidden Oasis is like the eye of the hurricane, as the winds and sands do not reach the pristine beaches of the lake in the desert’s center. While buildings and the town surround the eastern half of the oasis, the western half is left for the pokemon of the desert to come and drink, although trainers are forbidden from battling or capturing these pokemon for fear of starting a stampede that could overflow into the city. Aside from coming to battle the gym leader, trainers visit the town to search through the ruins hidden in the desert and to launch training expeditions into the desert, where many trainers train in preparation for tackling Victory Road. The Oasis’s gym leader is Savannah Hawthorne, a survivalist who has set the record for longest time spent in the Harena Desert, having spent seven months there with her Rampardos. She uses rock, ground, and fighting type pokemon and loves nothing more than a close battle.

Armedius Academy
While most regions of the world have a school to train burgeoning trainers, Hayle has nothing of the sort, as gyms are supposed to educate aspiring trainers. It does have the Armedius Academy however, which eclipses any trainer school for beginners. The large compound and its surrounding city attract trainers from all over the region and world to study advanced battling techniques (indeed there are a large number of foreigners who travel to Hayle solely to study at the academy). Rumor has it that the academy was built to guard an underground library created by Uxie that holds all the world’s knowledge, but after centuries of searching, students have yet to locate the legendary library. Instead, students of Armedius Academy take classes on subjects ranging from pokemon battling, capture techniques, crafting, and a host of other trainer-specific coursework. Lecturers are rare however, and classes tend to be dangerous and hands on, taught by professors who have challenged the region’s elite four and are skilled trainers in their own right. The official libraries here are extensive, and many seek the academy out for research purposes. Specific information about the Academy itself can be found here. However, gaining entry into Armedius Academy isn’t an easy task, as a prospective student is accepted only if they have at least three badges, including the badge given out by the local gym leader. Of course, the gym leader of the city is also granted the title of Academy Headmaster. The current leader is Koon Aeros, a potent duelist who used to teach as a professor before taking the mantle of leader. A renowned expert in the field of legendary pokemon, Koon and his Gardevoir are often seen chasing down rumors of legendary pokemon around the region when they can get away from their other duties. Koon uses psychic and fairy type pokemon in battle and enjoys the strategic challenge that battling offers.

Serenity Town
Hayle is a region filled with people and pokemon living their lives and pursuing their dreams. However, with life comes death, and all things come to an end. Serenity Town is a monument to those who have passed on, and it houses an expansive graveyard and mausoleum. Those who can afford it choose to bury their loved ones here, and many more will make pilgrimages Serenity Town to pay respects after the death of someone precious to them. In the center of town is a large wind chime whose sound constantly washes over Serenity Town, its noise providing soothing comfort for the grieving. Each chime is engraved with the name of a pokemon or trainer who has died in a league sanctioned battle. Some claim that the chimes have a sinister secret, but most dismiss this as superstition directed at the ghost-heavy town. In contrast to the calm, collected nature of Serenity town is the local gym leader. Ibis Tithel is a teddy bear touting 15 year old and a genius battler by anybody’s standards. Only two years after obtaining her starter pokemon, the upbeat girl managed to claim her spot as gym leader of Serenity Town. While still young and inexperienced, Ibis has an energy that no other gym leader can match. An Oracle that uses ghost and dark type pokemon, Ibis battles alongside her banette. She sometimes has trouble suppressing her love of battling and has an unfortunate habit of overwhelming even veteran trainers with her abilities on accident.

Zahaard Fortress
Hundreds of years ago in the era before pokeballs, Hayle was a region ruled by Kings and Queens, Dukes and Baronesses, Knights and Wizards. While that time is done and gone, remnants of that history remain. Eons ago the Zahard Family ruled, and they continue to exert a powerful influence on the region even now. Zahaard Fortress was the old capital city, built into the side of The Claw to prevent the powerful and aggressive pokemon that live in Victory Road from spilling out into the rest of the region. Entering Zahard Fortress is like walking back in time. Knights in shining armor patrol the streets and archers are perched from the ramparts of the walls. It is a city steeped in the heritage of the past and it takes great pride in retaining more independence from the league and The Varro Corporation than Hayle’s other settlements. Reaching Zahard involves climbing The Claw, a series of eleven mountains, each more dangerous than the last. Many fail to even reach the walled city, let alone challenge the gym. The Gym itself is housed inside the old Royal Palace, kept in pristine condition due to the immense finances of the Zahaard Family. The current leader of the gym is Androssi Zahaard, the current heir to the Zahaard line and a powerful dragon ace that pulls no punches in battle. She uses dragon and steel type pokemon and is assisted by her giant sized druddigon. Due to its difficulty level and proximity to Victory Road, many trainers save Zahaard for their last gym challenge, and Androssi is an effective tool used by the league to weed out those not worthy to challenge the Elite Four.

Victory Road
Just like in other regions, Victory Road stands as the final barrier between challengers and the elite four. Filled with powerful and aggressive wild pokemon, the maze-like cave network is as dangerous as it is complex. Additionally, all the trainers wandering through the cave aren’t chump change either, each being a top notch battler that has obtained eight gym badges. Victory Road is meant to weed out the weak and leave only those strong enough to pose a challenge to the elite four. Even trainers who breezed through the other gyms have hit a wall at Victory Road, unable to ever find the end of the stony underground maze. For those who come out the other side however, lies a hot bath and the authorization to challenge the most powerful set of trainers around, the Elite Four!

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