Kanto Region
From Dexnet
The cities listed here are only major cities or important towns. This list does not include all of the smaller villages or farm towns that one might find between cities. Routes are not the only paths between cities, but they are usually the best-maintained and most frequently traveled roads. They're suited for vehicle travel while other paths between towns may not be. Think of the routes as highways of a sort.
For a list of Kanto's Pokémon Gyms, see Kanto Gyms.
The mod in charge of the Kanto region is TheGuindo.
The Kanto Region
Kanto is a heavily forested, mountainous region east of Johto. The two regions are connected by land and share the same PokéMon League and Elite Four. It is bordered by a mountain range in the north and ocean to the south and west. The further south one travels, the closer the elevation gets to sea level.
Kanto trainers have their choice of Charmander, Bulbasaur, or Squirtle when starting. Trainers are not limited to picking one of these as a first PokéMon, but these are the ones provided for free from PokéMon Centers.
Pallet Town
Located at the end of a peninsula in the south-west area of Kanto, Pallet Town is mostly known for being the home of the famous PokéMon researcher, Professor Oak. It's a small town with a small PokéCenter; for a new trainer, getting the starter s/he wants (or even a starter at all) is not guaranteed, due to the "first come, first served" nature of receiving starters. The current Kanto/Johto league champion, Gary Oak (Professor Oak's grandson), hails from Pallet Town.
There is a dock at the south edge of the city, but it's small and used mainly for fishing or private sailing. There is no major trade through Pallet Town's docks. Cinnabar Island in the south can be sailed to from here, and Viridian City lies to the north. Route 1, the path from Pallet Town to Viridian City, is mostly grassy field; wild pidgeys and rattatas inhabit the area.
Gym: None
Routes: 1 (North); 21 (South, sea route)
Viridian City
Viridian City is a small city surrounded by forest. The Viridian Forest is popular for being an excellent spot for catching bug-type PokéMon. Caterpie and Weedle, as well as their evolutions, are common sights around the city, and Viridian Forest is swarming with them. Many trainers in Viridian will become Bug Catchers and spend their time trying to navigate the forest to find the best bug types. There's even an official Bug Catchers club!
The Viridian Gym is rarely open, and very few people seem to know who the official Gym Leader is. Unlike with other cities' gyms, it seems that people aren't able to join the Viridian Gym. Even the gym's official type is unknown.
Route 2 to the north leads through the thick woods of Viridian Forest. It's sometimes called a "natural maze;" sticking to the main road is highly recommended, as many people become lost inside upon losing sight of the main road. Viridian Forest actually surrounds the city on most sides (south being the exception), but the only route through it is Route 2. Route 1 leads south to Pallet Town. Route 22 leads west, ending at the PokéMon League front gate, which leads to Route 23, better known as Victory Road.
Gym: Viridian Gym
Routes: 2 (North); 1 (South); 22/23 (West/North)
Pewter City
Nestled in the mountains, Pewter City has the highest elevation of all of Kanto's major cities. The trees thin out here, but the city is still reasonably forested. The Pewter Museum of Science can be found on the north side of the city. The fossils of ancient PokéMon are on display here, and the museum runs a special theme for the second floor exhibits every month. The nearby Mount Moon is a popular tourist site and many trainers head there in the hopes of catching themselves an ever-elusive Clefairy.
Pewter City is famous for its rock type PokéMon, and the Pewter Gym embraces this. Rock types can be found all over the mountains just outside of the city.
Route 3 leads east through the mountains to Mt. Moon and connects to Route 4 and Cerulean City beyond it. Route 2 leads south to Viridian city, through the Viridian Forest. The Diglett's Cave can also be found on Route 2 and is sometimes used as a "shortcut" to Vermilion City. This is dangerous and not highly recommended.
Gym: Pewter Gym
Routes: 3 (East); 2 (South); Diglett's Cave (to Route 11)
Mount Moon
Famous for being home to a tribe of Clefairy, Mount Moon lies halfway between Pewter City and Cerulean City, where Route 3 turns into Route 4. Many trainers ignored the danger of the area and a PokéCenter was built near the base of the mountain due to sheer demand. It's also a popular spot for PokéMon research, due to the mysterious tribal nature that Clefairy have in the wild. Trainers are advised against trying to catch them, but many try despite the warnings.
Routes: 3 (West); 4 (East)
Cerulean City
Water is the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Cerulean. Cerulean City is built over a series of canals, much like Venice. Walkways follow the canals and bridges arc over them to get from one city block to another. Sadly the canal water is not the type to swim in and fishing in the canals is strictly forbidden. However, the city is bordered by a wide river to the north, where the water quality is much better and fishing is permitted. The Gym here is (predictably) water type oriented and owned by the Four Sisters of Cerulean.
Route 24 is also called Nugget Bridge: a long bridge leading north over the river into the hills; it turns into Route 25 as it curves toward the east, leading through hilly brushland to the seaside. Route 25 ends at the lighthouse at the end of a small penninsula. Bill "the PokéManiac", famed for inventing the current PokéBall design, lives along Route 25. Route 9 leads east through hilly terrain, leading in to the start of Route 10 at the Rock Tunnel. Route 5 to the south leads to Saffron City; a popular PokéMon daycare center can be found along Route 5 as well. Route 4 leads west through woods and brush to Mt. Moon.
Gym: Cerulean Gym
Routes: 24/25 (North/East); 9/10 (East, South: Rock Tunnel); 5 (South); 4 (West)
Rock Tunnel (Route 10)
Rock Tunnel lies at the end of Route 9 from Cerulean City. The cave hasn't been developed yet, and trainers attempting to travel through it must bring a light source of their own due to the total darkness of the tunnel. It commonly associated with Route 10, and the path through will take trainers from the end of Route 9 straight to Lavender Town. There is actually an abandoned power plant located in the mountains between the start of Rock Tunnel at Route 9 and its end at Lavender Town. It's very dangerous, and can only be reasonably reached through the use of Surf, but more adventurous trainers will take their ground types here to train against the electric types that have moved in.
Rock Tunnel is considered a very dangerous path and trainers trying to reach Lavender Town are encouraged instead to take Route 5 from Cerulean and detour through Saffron. Many trainers still head here in the hopes of catching a rare rock type PokéMon, and (just like with Mt. Moon) a PokéCenter was built at the Route 9 side of Rock Tunnel out of necessity.
Routes: 9 (West)
Lavender Town
This small town in the hills is home to the famous PokéMon Tower, an ancient burial site for PokéMon. Despite its small size, the town is quite wealthy due to the income from those who come to bury their PokéMon in the Tower and due to its tourism industry. There are ruins of an ancient PokéMon-worshipping civilization in the mountains, and Heissenrech Co leads guided tours both there and at the Tower. The Heissenrech family name is synonymous with Lavender Town. Mr. Fuji, a famous PokéMon rights activist, is said to have made his retirement in Lavender Town.
Lavender Town is notable for offering Gastly as starter Pokémon instead of the typical Kanto starters.
An ancient Haunter is said to haunt the town and steal the souls of people and PokéMon. It's called the Black Fog and they say that nobody who's seen it has lived to tell the tale. It's a famous ghost story; everyone in Lavender Town is familiar with it, but people from farther out may not have heard of it. Because nobody has been able to come up with proof of it, it's not widely believed, though it is widely told. The Black Fog has become something of a bogeyman figure for Lavender Town. There are also rumours that the PokéMon Tower is haunted, especially rumours of a vicious Marowak ghost in the upper levels of the tower. The upper levels are closed to tourism, leading some to believe this rumour may be true.
Route 8, a well-maintained and heavily traveled road, leads east to Saffron. Route 10 leads north through Rock Tunnel. Route 12 leads south past a series of small fishing villages and piers, ending at Silence Bridge where it connects to Route 13. Silence Bridge is a popular fishing spot. Route 12 doesn't lead directly to any major cities, but instead serves as a connecting path for other routes, specifically 11 to Vermilion and 13 (which becomes 14 and then 15) to Fuschia.
Gym: None
Routes: 10 (North: Rock Tunnel); 8 (East); 12 (South)
Saffron City
Saffron is the largest city in Kanto and also its capital city. It's well-guarded and very central, located between Cerulean, Lavender, Vermilion, and Celadon. Guard posts are established at the start of each route leading out of the city, and it can sometimes be difficult to get into Saffron because of the tight security. The headquarters of Silph Co are located here, which includes its research and development department.
Saffron is unique in that it once had two fully functioning PokéMon Gyms, one for fighting types and one for psychic types. The government of the city later decided that they only wanted one gym in the city, and the psychic types won the bid. The fighting gym is still around as a training dojo and can be challenged or joined, but no longer gives a badge.
Route 5 leads north to Cerulean City. Route 8 leads east to Lavender Town. Route 6 leads south to Vermilion City; the path is lined with very tall grass and wild PokéMon have been known to viciously attack travelers who don't stick to the road. Route 7 leads west to Celadon; the path is remarkably short as the cities are fairly close to one another.
Gym: Saffron Gym
Routes: 5 (North); 8 (East); 6 (South); 7 (West)
Celadon City
The second largest city in Kanto, Celadon is known for its tall skyline and famous department store. Celadon is the largest importer of products from outside the Kanto region; if you're looking for it, you can probably find it here. It's also a large black market hub, though the city's seedy underbelly is not widely known outside of the appropriate circles.
The Rocket Game Corner, secretly run by Team Rocket, is a large casino located in the city. Many of the older citizens are opposed to it because they believe it ruins the city's pristine image, but the truth is that the Rocket Game Corner provides the city with quite a bit of income and the establishment itself is perfectly legal. It seems to have some questionable policies, such as trading away rare PokéMon for prize money, but police inspections seem to indicate that everything is in order...
Celadon is also home to the famed Celadon University, which is the most prestigious school in Kanto. There is no age limit on attendance, anyone can become a student at CU if they can pass the (famously difficult) entrance exam and pay the (very hefty) tuition fees. 16-18 is the most common age range for freshman students, 18 being much more common than 16. A variety of degrees can be studied there, but the PokéMon related curriculum seems to be the most popular. Celadon University is also famous for having had Professor Oak as a teacher there, though it was quite a while back.
Route 7, an incredibly short route, leads east to Saffron. Route 16 leads west to the famous Cycling Road, which is Route 17.
Gym: Celadon Gym
Routes: 7 (East); 16/17 (West, South: Cycling Road)
Cycling Road (Route 17)
Cycling Road connects Celadon City to Fuschia City. The path is downhill from north to south, which makes travel from Celadon to Fuschia reasonably fast, but the uphill path is much slower and more difficult. Pedestrians are not permitted on Route 17; in order to get past the guard post at either side of the path, one must have a bicycle or motorcycle.
The majority of the route is a suspension bridge over water, crossing Vermilion's bay. Because of this, Route 18 (the east/west route which connects the southern end of Cycling Road with Fuschia City) is a bascule, in order to let sea traffic pass by the road to Fuschia's docks.
Routes: 16 (North end, leads east/west to/from Celadon); 18 (South end, leads east/west to/from Fuschia)
Fuschia City
Fuschia City is home to the Safari Zone, a PokéMon preserve with many rare PokéMon that can't be caught anywhere else. For a fee, trainers can enter and attempt to catch these rare PokéMon; they have to leave their PokéMon and PokéBalls at the front desk and are then sent into the preserve with 30 Safari Balls and a time limit; capture in the Safari Zone is pure luck based on the Safari Ball's catch rate. Warden "Slowpoke" is in charge of the Safari Zone; he's said to be friends with Koga, who patrols the grounds on occasion.
Fuschia is also known for its extensive PokéMon zoo, which can be visited free of charge. The zoo is attached to the Safari Zone and is also under the care of Warden Slowpoke.
Route 15 leads east through sparse woodland toward Route 12, turning into routes 14 and 13 along the way. Route 19 leads south over the sea to the Seafoam Islands and can only be traveled by boat or Surfing PokéMon. Route 18 leads west to Cycling Road; one must pass a checkpoint with a bicycle or motorcycle to be permitted onto the west half of Route 18 to continue on to Cycling Road. The east half of Route 18 is a popular bird-catching spot.
Gym: Fuschia Gym
Routes: 15 (East); 19 (South, sea route); 18 (West)
Vermilion City
The seaside city of Vermilion is a busy port town. Its main income comes from fishing and trade with the other regions. The citizens are very careful about water pollution, fearing the popular belief that Muk breed in polluted water. The SS Anne, a luxury cruise liner for PokéMon trainers, makes port in Vermilion City annually and an unofficial (not League sponsored) PokéMon tournament is held on board the ship.
Route 6 leads north to Saffron City. Route 11 leads east to connect to Route 12. The south end of Diglett's Cave connects Route 11 with Route 2 and is sometimes used as a "shortcut" despite the danger.
Gym: Vermilion Gym
Routes: 6 (North); 11 (East); Diglett's Cave (to Route 2)
The Seafoam Islands
The Seafoam Islands lie in the middle of Route 20 to Cinnabar Island, between Cinnabar and Route 19 from Fuschia. They are twin islands, identical to each other in outward appearance. A small town is spread over both islands, with a regular ferry making convenient travel possible between the two. Trainers often come to explore the caves in either island, searching for rare PokéMon. Water types, obviously, abound in these caves.
Routes: 20 (Sea route)
Cinnabar Island
Cinnabar is a volcanic island that has been converted into a resort city. People still live here of course, but the place's main industry has become tourism. There's also a rather large research facility here for the study of the island's native PokéMon (fire types from the volcano and water types from the ocean), but access is restricted and the general public is not premitted inside this facility.
There is a legend told here of a human type PokéMon that Surfs up and down the east coast of the island. Many people claim to have seen it, but their stories aren't particularly reliable. Skeptics will write off the sightings as drunken hallucinations or a Jynx playing pranks on people. The mysterious PokéMon has been nicknamed "Missingno" by the locals.
Route 21 leads north across the sea to Pallet Town's small docks. Route 20 leads east, past the Seafoam Islands, to Route 19 which leads north to Fuschia. Both routes are sea routes and can be traveled only by boat or Surfing PokéMon.
Gym: Cinnabar Gym
Routes: 21 (North, sea route); 20 (East, sea route)
Victory Road (Route 23)
Victory Road is the path that all trainers seeking to compete in the Indigo League must travel. It's a long and winding tunnel through the mountains up to the Indigo Plateau, where the tournament is held. Only trainers holding 8 Kanto or Johto badges are permitted past the guard post into Victory Road.
Routes: 22 (West)
Indigo Plateau
The ultimate goal of a PokéMon trainer! Indigo Plateau is where the PokéMon League Championships occur every year. Trainers make the journey through Victory Road to come here and battle for the title of Champion. Geographically it is located slightly northwest of Pewter City, but can only be reached through Viridian's Route 22 and 23.
Indigo Plateau is also home to the PokéMon League Village, where competing trainers and spectators can stay during the tournament. Spectators can get special transportation from the guard post at the south end of Victory Road to the PokèMon League Village, but all competing trainers must traverse Victory Road in order to qualify.
Routes: 23 (South: Victory Road)
