Kanto (Location)

Kanto

LOCATION

The region explored in the first generation of Pokémon adventures.

Overview

Kanto; Home to the original 151 Pokémon found in Pokémon Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, FireRed, LeafGreen and the base location for the Anime's first season. It is an additional region for discovery in Pokémon Gold, Silver, Crystal, HeartGold and SoulSilver.

Background

The region of Kanto is based on the actual Kanto region of Japan. In the Pokemon world it is located east of Johto (Location), north of Hoenn (Location) and South of Sinnoh (Location). It was the first region to ever appear in a Pokemon game and is the main setting for the first generation of Pokemon games and Pokemon LeafGreen and FireRed.

Kanto can also be accessed in the second generation of Pokemon games and in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, after completing the Johto (Location) storyline. It is notable for being the only region to appear in every generation of Pokemon games.

Most of the locations in Kanto are named after colors and the resident Pokemon professor is Professor Oak (Character) who gives starting trainers in the region a choice between Bulbasaur (Concept), Charmander (Concept) and Squirtle (Concept) as their starter Pokemon. It is home to such notable personalities as Gary Oak (Character), Bill the Pokemaniac, Ash Ketchum (Character), and Giovanni of Team Rocket (Concept).

Locations

Towns and Cities

Other Areas of Interest

Cerulean Cave (Location)
Diglett's Cave
Indigo Plateau (Location)
Mt. Moon
Pokemon Mansion
Pokemon Stadium (according to the Super Smash Bros. games)
Pokemon Tower
Power Plant
Rock Tunnel
Rocket Hideout
Safari Zone (Location)
Seafoam Islands
Silph Co.
Tohjo Falls
Victory Road (Location)
Viridian Forest (Location)

Routes

In all games it appears in Kanto is home to routes 1-25, however the additional routes 26, 27 and 28, which link Johto (Location) and Kanto can be accessed in the generation two games and in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver.

Changes

Over the course of the different games various minor changes occur in the Kanto region.

Generation One to Generation Two

Generation One to Generation Three

Kanto is almost identical to as it was before, but players can now also access the Sevii Islands south of Kanto via the region.

Generation Two to Generation Four

Closed Safari Zone (Location) has been converted into Pal Park.
Cerulean Cave remains uncollapsed.
The Viridian Forest (Location) is not cut down.
The Pewter City (Location) museum is open.

Fame Checker

Kanto is the only region in the Pokemon world to have the same name as the real world Japanese region it is actually based upon.

Fun Facts

In the first generation of Pokemon games the name of the Kanto region was only ever mentioned in the Japanese version and even then only appeared once, on the town map in the rival character's house. The first time the name of the region was mentioned in a game outside of Japan was in Super Smash Bros. although Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen do mention the name of the region mutiple times, unlike their predecessors.
In the event where players capture Shaymin (Concept) in Pokemon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, Professor Oak (Character) notes that a white rock exists in Kanto similar to the one at the very north of route 224 in Sinnoh (Location), although no such rock has appeared in Kanto in the Pokémon (Franchise) games so far.
In its generation one and three versions Kanto is the only region where players do not need waterfall to reach the Elite Four.
Kanto is the only region in the main games in which all cities have gyms and none of the towns do.
Kanto is the only region in the games which does not have a Battle Frontier.
Kanto has had the most gym leaders of all regions, with a total of 10.

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