Kanto Region
Kanto (Japanese: カントー地方 Kanto-chihō) is the first and most iconic region in the Pokemon franchise. Introduced in Generation I with Pokemon Red and Green, Kanto is based on the real-world Kanto region of Japan. It is home to the original 151 Pokemon and serves as the foundation for all subsequent regions.
Overview
| Attribute | Details |
|---|
| Based On | Kanto, Japan |
| Generation | I |
| Native Pokemon | 151 |
| Gym Leaders | 8 |
| Professor | Professor Oak |
| Champion | Blue (initially), various |
| Games | Red/Blue/Yellow, FireRed/LeafGreen, Let's Go |
Geography
Map Layout
Kanto is arranged in a roughly circular pattern:
| Direction | Key Locations |
|---|
| South | Pallet Town, Cinnabar Island |
| West | Viridian City, Pewter City |
| North | Cerulean City, Mt. Moon |
| East | Lavender Town, Fuchsia City |
| Center | Saffron City, Celadon City |
Major Cities and Towns
| Location | Gym Leader | Type | Badge |
|---|
| Pallet Town | — | — | Starting town |
| Viridian City | Giovanni | Ground | Earth Badge |
| Pewter City | Brock | Rock | Boulder Badge |
| Cerulean City | Misty | Water | Cascade Badge |
| Vermilion City | Lt. Surge | Electric | Thunder Badge |
| Celadon City | Erika | Grass | Rainbow Badge |
| Fuchsia City | Koga/Janine | Poison | Soul Badge |
| Saffron City | Sabrina | Psychic | Marsh Badge |
| Cinnabar Island | Blaine | Fire | Volcano Badge |
Notable Locations
Pallet Town
| Attribute | Details |
|---|
| Role | Player's hometown |
| Notable | Professor Oak's Lab |
| Pokemon | Route 1 nearby |
Mt. Moon
| Attribute | Details |
|---|
| Type | Cave system |
| Notable | Fossils, Moon Stone |
| Pokemon | Clefairy, Geodude, Zubat |
Pokemon Tower
| Attribute | Details |
|---|
| Location | Lavender Town |
| Role | Pokemon graveyard |
| Notable | Ghost Marowak, Mr. Fuji |
| Pokemon | Gastly, Haunter, Cubone |
Cerulean Cave
| Attribute | Details |
|---|
| Access | Post-game |
| Notable | Mewtwo location |
| Pokemon | High-level wild Pokemon |
Indigo Plateau
| Attribute | Details |
|---|
| Role | Pokemon League HQ |
| Features | Elite Four, Champion |
| Shared | With Johto region |
Cinnabar Island
| Attribute | Details |
|---|
| Location | Southern island |
| Notable | Pokemon Mansion, Lab |
| History | Mewtwo creation site |
| Status | Destroyed by volcano (Gen II) |
Routes
| Route | Connects | Notable Features |
|---|
| Route 1 | Pallet - Viridian | First route, Pidgey/Rattata |
| Route 2 | Viridian - Pewter | Viridian Forest entrance |
| Route 22 | Viridian - Victory Road | Rival battles |
| Route 23 | Victory Road | Badge gates |
Pokemon League
Gym Leaders
| Order | Leader | City | Type | Badge |
|---|
| 1 | Brock | Pewter | Rock | Boulder |
| 2 | Misty | Cerulean | Water | Cascade |
| 3 | Lt. Surge | Vermilion | Electric | Thunder |
| 4 | Erika | Celadon | Grass | Rainbow |
| 5 | Koga | Fuchsia | Poison | Soul |
| 6 | Sabrina | Saffron | Psychic | Marsh |
| 7 | Blaine | Cinnabar | Fire | Volcano |
| 8 | Giovanni | Viridian | Ground | Earth |
Elite Four
| Member | Type | Signature Pokemon |
|---|
| Lorelei | Ice | Lapras |
| Bruno | Fighting | Machamp |
| Agatha | Ghost | Gengar |
| Lance | Dragon | Dragonite |
Champion
| Champion | Games | Signature |
|---|
| Blue | RBY, FRLG | Varied team |
| Trace | Let's Go | Varied |
Native Pokemon
Starter Pokemon
| Pokemon | Type | Final Form |
|---|
| Bulbasaur | Grass/Poison | Venusaur |
| Charmander | Fire | Charizard |
| Squirtle | Water | Blastoise |
Legendary Pokemon
| Pokemon | Type | Location |
|---|
| Articuno | Ice/Flying | Seafoam Islands |
| Zapdos | Electric/Flying | Power Plant |
| Moltres | Fire/Flying | Victory Road |
| Mewtwo | Psychic | Cerulean Cave |
| Mew | Psychic | Event only |
Iconic Kanto Pokemon
| Pokemon | Pokedex # | Notable For |
|---|
| Pikachu | #025 | Franchise mascot |
| Charizard | #006 | Fan favorite |
| Mewtwo | #150 | Legendary clone |
| Eevee | #133 | Multiple evolutions |
| Gengar | #094 | Ghost icon |
| Snorlax | #143 | Route blocker |
| Dragonite | #149 | Pseudo-legendary |
Important Characters
Professor Oak
| Attribute | Details |
|---|
| Role | Regional Professor |
| Research | Pokemon-Human relationships |
| Location | Pallet Town |
| Gift | Starter Pokemon, Pokedex |
| Notable | Blue's grandfather |
Blue (Rival)
| Attribute | Details |
|---|
| Role | Main rival, Champion |
| Relationship | Oak's grandson |
| Team | Balanced, starter counter |
| Later Role | Viridian Gym Leader (Gen II+) |
Team Rocket
| Attribute | Details |
|---|
| Leader | Giovanni |
| Goal | Pokemon theft, profit |
| Admins | Archer, Ariana, Proton, Petrel |
| Famous | Jessie & James (anime) |
Giovanni
| Attribute | Details |
|---|
| Roles | Team Rocket Boss, Gym Leader |
| Type | Ground |
| Signature | Persian, Rhydon, Nidoking |
| Fate | Disbands Team Rocket |
History in Games
Generation I (1996-1999)
| Game | Platform | Features |
|---|
| Red/Green | Game Boy | Original release (Japan) |
| Blue | Game Boy | Enhanced version |
| Yellow | Game Boy | Pikachu starter, anime tie-in |
Generation III (2004)
| Game | Platform | Features |
|---|
| FireRed | GBA | Remake of Red |
| LeafGreen | GBA | Remake of Green/Blue |
| New Features | Sevii Islands, abilities | |
Generation VII (2018)
| Game | Platform | Features |
|---|
| Let's Go, Pikachu! | Switch | Pokemon GO integration |
| Let's Go, Eevee! | Switch | Partner Pokemon system |
| New Features | No wild battles, following Pokemon | |
Appearances in Other Games
| Game | Role |
|---|
| Gold/Silver/Crystal | Post-game region |
| HeartGold/SoulSilver | Post-game region |
| Stadium | Battle settings |
Cultural Significance
First Pokemon Region
| Impact | Details |
|---|
| Foundation | Established all core mechanics |
| Nostalgia | Most revisited region |
| Recognition | Most recognizable locations |
Real-World Connection
Kanto is based on the actual Kanto region of Japan:
| In-Game | Real-World Equivalent |
|---|
| Pallet Town | Shimoda |
| Viridian City | Yokohama area |
| Pewter City | Chichibu |
| Cerulean City | Kumagaya |
| Saffron City | Tokyo |
| Celadon City | Shinjuku |
| Vermilion City | Yokohama port |
| Lavender Town | Narita |
| Fuchsia City | Tateyama |
| Cinnabar Island | Izu Oshima |
See Also