and why is it Unova?


Kidding even though it is my answer also..
I haven't watched the anime but include that in your answer if you want.

From Game experience though I definitely thing it is Unova because of the Gym leaders go on little side missions with you throughout the story and then at the end of the game they hold back the sages for you so you can go after N.

Well most games they don't do anything other than sit in their gym. I mean in Kanto only Giovanni does anything outside of his gym. You at least see some of the Johto or Sinnoh gym leaders around their city every now and then, but they are very rarely important.

Unova definitely has the gym leaders most directly involved with the plot. Kanto would be the winner for the anime as Brock and Misty kind of make that a mandatory nominee.

Yea I kinda agree with you guys that Unova has the most involved gym leaders. When I played Black/White back in high school I remember them showing up when Team Plasma was causing trouble and actually helping you. It made thier characters feel like a part of the world and not just roadblocks. In most other gens they just chill in their gyms until you walk in and beat them lol.

I do think the Alola kahunas and trial captains were pretty involved even though they arent technically gym leaders. Galar tried with some cutscenes but it wasnt the same. And like the anime brock and misty traveling with Ash will always be the gold standard tbh.

So since everyone has talked about the games I'll instead cover the anime side and say it's surprisingly Kalos as they all show up to help battle during the Team Flair Arc right after the Kalos League pretty similar to what happens in the Black and White games but it was cool for the characters to get to do something since they are jokes in their own games.

I've recently been going over all the gym leaders on here and I was kind of surprised how many gym leaders actively sit in their gym while some evil organization is taking over their city.

Sabrina doesn't care about Team Rocket taking over the biggest building in her city.

Bugsy is fine letting Team Rocket illegally harvest and smuggle goods in Slowpoke well by having them cut off the tails of the live Slowpoke that they steal.

Whitney doesn't seem too bothered about Team Rocket taking over the Radio Tower and the rest of her city.

Pryce isn't involved but at least nobody knew about the operation until Lance exposed it.

I think it would have been much better had they made the gym leaders in these early games pull a Unova and actually help you. They feel less like characters and like the ones in charge of defending their city. It would have added a lot of world building that makes the old regions like Kanto and Johto feel empty and devoid of story