The Kanto Region: Pokémon's Classic Location, Explained (2024)

For nearly thirty years, Pokémon games have delighted fans around the world as they play and become trainers, collecting various Pokémon and exploring a vast, open-ended world. Released in the late 1990s, the first generation of Pokémon games all took place in the franchise's most iconic location: Kanto.

The Kanto region is rich in history, full of notable Pokémon and gym leaders, as well as having a lasting impact on the franchise and its legacy. A variety of Pokémon games chart high on the list of the best-selling JRPGs of all time, and part of that success is undoubtedly thanks to the franchise's humble beginnings that saw fans making memories while exploring the rich land of Kanto.

The Origins of the Kanto Region

See Also

Kanto Region & Town Guide | PokéJungleHow to watch Pokemon in order: a complete guide to the TV show and movies

The Kanto Region has a longstanding history within the Pokémon universe, originating as the first and only explorable setting in the first generation of Pokémon Red and Blue games. This resulted in Kanto becoming synonymous to fans with the world of Pokémon, and the lore of Kanto would be explored even further in the wildly popular Pokémon anime, which saw its protagonist Ash Ketchum start his adventures in Kanto's Pallet Town.

The entire Kanto region has a rich history in Pokémon's lore, known for being home to some of Ash Ketchum's first battles and where many iconic Pokémon were developed. The cities in Kanto are named after colors, including Viridian, Pewter, Cerulean, and Lavender, among others. Ash's home in Pallet Town is a nice nod to the rest of the Kanto region's names, with a palette being a mix of different colors.

The Geography of Pokémon's Kanto Region

The Kanto region gets its name from the real-life Kanto region of Japan, and it is the only Pokémon land that shares its name with a location in the real world, despite other regions being influenced by real cities around the world. There are similarities in Pokémon's Kanto region with Japan's Kanto, especially the bay areas in-game that resemble various bays around Tokyo.

In the land of Pokémon, Kanto is east of Johto and is a large and diverse region full of cities, mountains, and even ocean areas perfect for collecting a variety of different Pokémon. Many of Kanto's major cities are in its geographical center, allowing those living in these areas the best access to its wide range of environments. The Kanto region has a relatively small population, with only ten people living in Pallet Town. The most populous area in the Kanto Region is Celadon City, which is home to a mere 68 people.

Famous landmarks Pokémon trainers have come to love in Kanto include the Cerulean Cave, Indigo Plateau, Mt. Moon, and the Pokémon Mansion. The land itself has remained largely unchanged throughout Pokémon's history, although it's now often depicted as having more lush green trees and grass than in the early days of the games.

Kanto's Pokémon Leagues and Gyms

Kanto is home to the Indigo League, the region's official Pokémon League, comprised of eight Gyms and the Elite Four — a title given to trainers considered the best in their region. Trainers who earned all eight Gym Badges can compete in the Indigo League.

The Indigo League is home to some of the most well-known Gym Leaders in the Pokemon franchise, including Pewter City's Brock and Cerulean City's Misty. The different Gym Leaders all specialize in different types of Pokémon, with the majority of the leaders having a type disadvantage against the next leader the trainer would face; Brock's rock type Pokémon are weak to Misty's water type, for example.

In the Pokémon anime, the Indigo League is the only regional league that sees its Gym Leaders change throughout the show, with Misty's sisters taking over in her absence. The Elite Four from Kanto has changed throughout the history of the games, too, with the Elite Four in Generations I, III, and VII being Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, and Lance. In Generations II and IV, the Elite Four were Will, Koga, Bruno, and Karen.

Notable Pokémon from Kanto

As the first region Pokémon trainers explored in the franchise, Kanto is home to some of the most iconic Pokémon in the games. There are 153 Pokémon in Kanto, including the beloved starter Pokémon Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. The franchise's most well-known Pokémon, Pikachu, is also from the legendary Kanto region.

Kanto's Cerulean Cave is home to the region's strongest legendary Pokémon, Mewtwo. Other legendary Pokémon from the area include Articuno from the Seafoam Islands, Zapdos from the Power Plant area, and Moltres, who resides along Victory Road. Fan favorite Pokémon, including Gyrados, Gengar, and Snorlax also call the Kanto region their home.

Pokémon Adventures Beyond the Kanto Region

Pokémon may have had its humble beginnings in Kanto, but the region laid the blueprint for success that turned the franchise into one of the most influential games of all time. As the first region fans could explore in the Pokémon franchise, Kanto went on to shape the entire world of Pokémon as the game developers expanded the world and introduced other regions. The series slowly branched out from Kanto, with Johto following in Gold, Silver, and Crystal. Besides being connected geographically to Kanto, Johto shared a similar vast terrain that included mountains and oceans.

While Kanto is the only region named directly after its real-world counterpart, many of the subsequent areas in the Pokémon world share Kanto's Japanese influences, with Sinnoh being based on Hokkaido and Johto being based on Kansai, for example. Later, Pokémon would expand its outside influences even further, with areas like the Unova Region being influenced by New York City, Kalos resembling France, and Alola being modeled after Hawaii.

Kanto's Legacy Throughout the Pokémon Franchise

As the starting point for much of the Pokémon franchise, the Kanto region has left a lasting legacy for longtime fans of the series as well as new players. For more experienced and older players, Kanto represents a nostalgic journey back to the beginning of their time as a Pokémon trainer, full of exciting childhood memories of exploring Kanto and completing the iconic Pokédex. Newer players can easily recognize Kanto's historical impact on the franchise, with the region remaining an integral part of many of the franchise's stories and adventures.

Kanto is the most frequently seen Pokémon region throughout the franchise, as it's a playable area in fourteen titles across five generations of games. Kanto's influence has even impacted games outside the best-selling Pokémon titles, with Saffron City and the Pokémon Stadium being playable stages in the Super Smash Bros franchise.

Generation V was the first in the Pokémon franchise to not have the Kanto region accessible in any of its main games, but the beloved birthplace of Pokémon would later return in Generation VII with Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!, proving that even a new generation of Pokémon fans weren't ready to say goodbye to the iconic land of Kanto anytime soon.

Pokemon

Expanding across a multitude of media, including TCGs, video games, manga, live-action movies and anime, the Pokémon franchise is set in a shared world of humans and creatures with a wide variety of special abilities.

Created by

Satoshi Tajiri

First Film

Pokemon: The First Movie

Latest Film

Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle

First TV Show

Pokémon (1997)

Latest TV Show

Pokémon Horizons (2023)

First Episode Air Date

April 1, 1997

Video Game(s)

Pokémon GO , Pokemon X and Y , Pokémon Legends: Arceus , Pokémon Scarlet and Violet , Pokémon Sword and Shield , Pokémon Diamond & Pearl , Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl , Pokemon Red and Blue , Detective Pikachu , Detective Pikachu Returns , Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! , Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu!