Kanto

The **Kanto** region is a region of the Pokémon world. Kanto is located east of Johto, which together form a joint landmass that is south of Sinnoh.

Professor Oak is the resident Pokémon Professor and gives Pokémon Trainers a choice between Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle as their starter Pokémon. The player's only choice, though, is a Pikachu that he recently caught, since they got to the Lab late.

All cities in Kanto are named after colors, with the exception of Pallet Town, which refers to a *palette*, meaning a range of colors. Unlike every other region, Kanto's fictional name reflects its real-world name.

## Etymology and design concept

### Connection to Japan

*Main article: Pokémon world in relation to the real world*

Kanto is based on the real Kantō region (関東, *east of the barrier*) in Japan. Commercially-oriented Celadon City and Saffron City are based on the sprawling city 'of Tokyo, the most important economic center of Japan. Vermilion City is based on Yokohama, the largest seaport in Japan.

Kantō and Kansai are the two most populous areas of Honshū, the largest island of Japan, and much like Kanto and Johto, represent a harmony of contrasting cultures living together. The differences are most noticeable in the games while talking to the inhabitants of both regions. Compared to traditional Kansai, on which Johto is based, Kanto is modern and technological. This may be reflected in the look of the cities and the buildings, such as the Pokémon Lab of Cinnabar Island and the Power Plant. While Kanto is the centerpoint for innovation, with the Poké Ball's ultimate upgrade, the Master Ball, having been recently invented by Silph Co., it is also the only Pokémon region without any myths related to Pokémon.

The Kanto region has a rich history of creating Pokémon with technology.
Researchers of Kanto have been great at their job. A researcher once cloned Mew through its genes and created the Genetic Pokémon Mewtwo. Porygon, the Virtual Pokémon, was also created by humans in Kanto.

## Geography

The Kanto region has a very temperate climate and not many notable landscape features.

The majority of the Kanto region are forests and plains. Many of the major Kanto cities are in the center of the region, with close access to virtually every environment such as the sea, mountains, forests, etc. Kanto is mostly dominated by land, but has a large bay in the middle which opens to a sea in the southwest. Kanto has a contrast between urban cities and rural towns. Kanto has several mountain ranges, which are mostly in northern and western Kanto. Indigo Plateau and Kanto Victory Road mountain range divides Kanto from the neighboring Johto region.

### Demographics

Including all the cities and towns in the Kanto region, the total population is 391, it has been the smallest region by population.

### Notable locations

The Kanto region features eleven towns and cities. There is a wide variety of towns and cities throughout the region; from the large, urban Saffron City to the quiet, quaint town of Pallet. Kanto features a Pokémon League, like most other regions in the Pokémon world. Kanto and Johto are the only known regions that can be crossed with relative ease. Even though Kanto and Johto are culturally and socially different, the two regions are actually very similar in terms of geography.

The Kanto region includes 28 different routes, which act as roads to cities and towns or points of interest. The Johto region follows Kanto's route number which ends at Route 28 in the Kanto region and begins with Johto's Route 29. Unlike other regions, Kanto does not have routes featuring any sort of weather conditions, such as Hoenn's Route 119 which rains and thunders constantly and Sinnoh's Route 217 in which hail regularly falls. The Kanto region seems to have the most temperate climate of the eight main regions.

The connecting landmass between Kanto and Johto does not appear to be a fine line, but more or less a blurry one. Route 28 is technically owned by Kanto; however, it bridges the border between the two regions, making it the only route in history that enters two regions at one time.

#### Routes

*Main article: Route*

Routes in Kanto began the numbering process, going from 1 to 28, which connects to Johto.

## Trivia

* Kanto has certain traits that generally separates it from other regions:
	+ It is the only region in the Pokémon world that shares its name with the real-world region it was based on.
	+ It is also the only region where the Pokémon League is located to the west of every Gym.
	+ Kanto and Johto are the only regions that are connected to each other by land.
	+ Kanto is the only region without a city with a population of at least 100.
* The adjectival form of Kanto is "Kantonian", as seen in multiple sources, such as the Kantonian Gym.