New Bark Town

New Bark Town (Japanese: ワカバタウン Wakaba Town) is located in southeastern Johto and is the hometown of the Johto player character. It is home to the lab of Professor Elm, who possesses the first partner Pokémon for Johto: , , and .
Other than being connected to in the west, it is also the town that must be passed through to reach Tohjo Falls, , and Indigo Plateau, via and .
==Slogan==
===Generation II===
The Town Where Winds of a New Beginning Blow (Japanese: はじまりを　つげる　かぜがふく　まち The town where winds of a new beginning blow.)
===Generation IV===
Winds of a New Beginning (Japanese: はじまり　つげる　かぜのまち The town of winds of a new beginning.)
==Places of interest==
===Player's house===
In Generations and , this house is where the lives before beginning their journey. The lives here, and after the player has left town for the first time, she will save money if the player wishes and occasionally buys decorations for the bedroom, or items such as Super Potions.
The player's bedroom is a bit fancier than 's bedroom in . In Generation II, unlike Red's room, it can also be customized to include several Pokémon dolls, as well as other decorations like beds, game systems, and carpets. The Town Map hanging on the wall can also be replaced with one of several posters of different Pokémon. However, in Generation IV, this feature is not included.
The player starts the game in their bedroom, in front of their PC and radio. The PC in the top-left corner of the room in Generation II has a few important purposes, but unlike in the Generation I bedroom's computer, it does not contain an item. In Generation IV, the PC is restricted to viewing the player's mail, and the mailbox in the beginning of the game contains a single letter composed by / (if the player is a boy/girl, respectively), with the following text signed with said person's name and with a icon in the blue stamp box:
:
<ab>ADVENTURE!
EXCITED!
I love POKéMON!</ab>
===Professor Elm's lab===
Professor Elm's laboratory lies right next to the western entrance into New Bark Town. Professor Elm works at his laboratory with his aide, usually doing experiments concerning Pokémon Eggs and . Here, Pokémon Trainers just beginning their quest are given the choice to receive either a , a , or a from Professor Elm.
Inside is one aide of Professor Elm's, a couple of shelves full of books, a table with three s (a capsule in ), a computer, and a few tips for the player. There is also a machine here that has the ability to fully rest/restore all of the player's Pokémon, just like a Pokémon Center. Elm's Aide gives the player one/five Potions when leaving the lab for the first time.
At the beginning of the game, a can be seen looking through the window into the lab. If spoken to, he will kick people out of his way, and then continue to spy upon the lab.
In , Professor Elm's lab has an upstairs living area. His house from has now become the home of or .
===Friend's house===
In , or lives in the house below the 's house. In , it was actually Professor Elm's original home.
==Demographics==
===Generation II===
New Bark Town has a population of 10, excluding the player character's rival .
===Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver===
New Bark Town's population is 11, assuming Silver is not from the town. This makes it the least populated town in Johto. However, it is the first starting Town to break the tradition by being over 10. This low number is likely due to its lack of amenities like a Gym or Pokémon Center, and its isolation from the rest of Johto.
==Items==
==Pokémon==
===Generation II===
===Generation IV===
==Walking Pokémon effects==
When interacting with walking Pokémon in , the Pokémon may occasionally show an altered mood specific to this location.
*The walking Pokémon stretches out its body and relaxes when in this town, causing it to become happy. It also feels nice and sleepy and may doze off.
*Outdoors: The walking Pokémon feels a breeze and stares intently at the sky. It can be surprised by a flower petal or leaf on its face, and sometimes sneezes.
*Player's house: Standing near the player's mom, the walking Pokémon greets her and shows concern for her.
*Player's bedroom: The walking Pokémon sings happily.
*Friend's bedroom: The walking Pokémon wants to play with , even if Marill is not in the room.
*Professor Elm's lab: The walking Pokémon fidgets in front of everyone and stares intently at the player's face.
==In animation==
===Pokémon the Series===
In , New Bark Town is the hometown of , Vincent, , , and Top Coordinator .
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New Bark Town debuted in Don't Touch That 'Dile, where and visited the laboratory of Johto's leading , Professor Elm. The group also helped get Professor Elm's back from , who had tried to steal it. After Ash had registered for the Johto League, the group headed for Violet City for Ash's first Johto Gym .
New Bark Town reappeared in Hatch Me If You Can, where and boarded a ship and met up with Professor Elm at the town's port. Ash and his friends later returned to the town after Ash had earned all eight Johto Badges, allowing him to register for the Silver Conference. Afterwards, they headed for Mt. Silver to return the newly hatched to its home before the Silver Conference.
====Gallery====
	
	
==In the manga==
===Pokémon Adventures===
In Pokémon Adventures, New Bark Town is shown to be notably bigger than in the games, including amenities such as a general hospital. It is the hometown of .
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New Bark Town first appeared in Murkrow Row. In Sneasel Sneak Attack, sneaked into Professor Elm's laboratory and stole his . Gold, mistaking Silver as the thief who had stolen his backpack earlier, took Cyndaquil from Elm's desk and gave chase to Silver. However, in Elekid Incorporated, the Team Rocket Elite Trio, who had been the real culprits behind the disappearance of Gold's backpack, knocked Gold out and fought Silver to steal Totodile from him. Silver was, however, able to defeat them with Totodile and , driving the Team Rocket members away. Gold was later found by Falkner, who took him to Cherrygrove City for questioning.
In Number One Donphan, Professor Elm was shown to be in New Bark Town's general hospital after being knocked unconcious during the Totodile theft.
===Pokémon Gold & Silver: The Golden Boys===
New Bark Town appeared in a flashback in Let's Go! The Journey Towards The Championship, where Professor Elm asked to visit Mr. Pokémon for him. For his journey, Gold was allowed to choose a first partner Pokémon, with him eventually settling for .
===Pokémon Pocket Monsters===
New Bark Town appeared in Welcome Back, Clefairy!!, where received a Pokémon Egg from Professor Elm there.
==Trivia==
* Despite appearing to be farther away from the Johto-Kanto border on the Pokégear's map, the 's house is 7 steps from the border with , 10 steps closer than the Pokémon Center at Mt. Silver is to , thus making it the closest destination to the border.
* Out of all towns where the player starts, it is the only one to not have a connecting route to the north, but instead to the east and west.
** It is also the only starting town that the player must pass through again after gaining their eighth Badge on the way to the Indigo Plateau.
* The name of this town started the running theme in which the player's starting town is named after a plant.
* In , at some point during the player's journey, the first partner Pokémon in Elm's lab that wasn't chosen by the player or stolen by the rival disappears without explanation, although it is hinted to have been given to someone else.
* In HeartGold and SoulSilver, when selecting a first partner Pokémon to receive at Elm's lab, it is possible to see whether each Pokémon is shiny before committing to the decision. However, the shiny status (if any) is not retained for the Pokémon that is later stolen by the rival."I Tested UNCONFIRMED Pokemon Facts 2" - BlueBoyPhin - YouTube
* In the demo of showed off at Nintendo Space World in 1997, the initial town was not New Bark Town but rather a different town named Silent Hill (サイレント ヒル), which may have actually been a prototype design of New Bark Town. The town had a drastically different design, but may have been overhauled during the transition from the Game Boy to the Game Boy Color. Due to the first installment of the horror game series being released about eight months prior to the actual Japanese release of Gold and Silver, in early 1999, it may have possibly led to the rename as Wakaba Town (ワカバタウン).
** However, "Silent Hill" may also come from the English translation of , one of the cities New Bark Town is based on.
* New Bark Town is the only core series hometown to lack a resident exclaiming "Technology is incredible!" or a similar statement.
===Name origin===
Language 	Name 	Origin
Japanese 	ワカバタウン Wakaba Town 	From 若葉色 wakaba-iro ( color of budding leaves)
English 	New Bark Town 	From new and bark
German 	Neuborkia 	From neu (new) and Borke (bark)
European Spanish 	Pueblo Primavera 	From primavera (spring)
Latin American Spanish	Pueblo Primavera 	From primavera (spring)
Latin American Spanish	Pueblo New Bark 	From its English name
Latin American Spanish	Ciudad New Bark 	From its English name
French 	Bourg Geon 	From bourg (burg), bourgeon (), and jeune (young)
Italian 	Borgo Foglianova 	From foglia nuova (new leaf)
Korean 	연두마을 Yeondu Maeul 	From 연두 (軟豆) yeondu (chartreuse)
Chinese () 	若葉鎮 / 若叶镇 Ruòyè Zhèn 	From the Japanese name 若葉 Wakaba
Chinese () 	若葉鎮 Yeuhkyihp Jan 	From the Japanese name 若葉 Wakaba
Norwegian 	New Bark by 	From its English name
Polish 	New BarkMiasto New BarkMiasto BarkNew Bark Town	From its English name
Brazilian Portuguese 	Cidade de New Bark 	From its English name
Swedish 	New Bark staden 	From its English name
Vietnamese 	Thị trấn Wakaba 	Transcription of its Japanese name
==References==
==Related articles==
Category:Johto locations
Category:Gold, Silver and Crystal locations
Category:HeartGold and SoulSilver locations
Category:Towns
Category:Hometowns
de:Neuborkia
es:Pueblo Primavera
fr:Bourg Geon
it:Borgo Foglianova
ja:ワカバタウン
zh:若叶镇