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is a Pokemon region in the fictional Pokémon world. This mountainous region is home to the Johto League and its headquarter is Mount Silver (Silver Town in the anime).
The names of Johto towns and cities are based of different types of plants and trees, in the tradition of having all towns and cities named after colors in the Kanto region. Johto lies directly to the west of Kanto, to the northeast of Hoenn, and is based on the Kansai region of Japan. Routes wholly located in Johto are numbered from 29 to 46 while routes 26, 27 and 28 connect Johto with the Kanto region. Routes 1 to 25 are located wholly in Kanto.
The third, fourth and fifth seasons of the anime takes place here.
Many of the cities in Johto are named after plants, such as Azalea Town, Goldenrod City, Blackthorn City, and so on.
is the starting point of the second generation video games. This starting town is significantly larger than Pallet Town of Kanto and Littleroot Town of Hoenn, and Twinleaf Town of Sinnoh.
New Bark Town is the town in which players start their journeys. The player is a child who lives here with his or her mother, who will act as a bank if the player asks her to. Players receive their first Pokémon in this town from the famous Professor Elm, also a resident. They have a choice between three Pokémon, which are Chikorita (Grass), Cyndaquil (Fire) and Totodile (Water). It is also where they see their rival for the first time.
In the Pokémon anime, New Bark Town is the first town in Johto that Ash Ketchum visits, in the episode "Don't Touch that 'Dile."
is west of New Bark Town and southeast of Violet City. After receiving a call from Professor Elm, the player battles the rival for the first time here. It is based upon the city of Nagoya.
is the second town that the player visits on the road to the Pokémon League. Falkner, who specializes in Flying-types, is the Gym Leader here.
Located in Violet City is Sprout Tower, which houses several sages and mediums who appear to revere the Pokémon Bellsprout as a teacher. The player can obtain HM05 (Flash) here.
is south of Violet City, just after Union Cave and east of the Ilex Forest. It is home to the second Pokémon gym and its leader, Bugsy.
This town is also home to Kurt, who make different kinds of Poké Balls out of Apricorns. The Poké Balls he makes cannot be found anywhere else, and have special properties. Most are exclusive to Gold, Silver, and Crystal and have not been included in subsequent generations. However, in Diamond and Pearl, the fourth-generation Pokémon games, a few of the Apricorn Balls have made a comeback, such as the Net Ball, which is most effective against Bug- and Water-type Pokémon. Kurt takes a real life day to complete a Poké Ball.
A well called the Slowpoke Well is located west of Union Cave and just east of Azalea Town. It is named after the Pokémon Slowpoke. According to an outdoor sign near it, it also has the nickname "Rainmaker Well." City residents will tell the player that many years ago, a Slowpoke yawned and ended a drought that devastated the town. As a result, the townsfolk treat Slowpoke with the highest regards. This is the first location where the player battles Team Rocket.
is a large city analogous to the real world Japanese city of Osaka. Similar to Celadon City in Kanto, it features a Game Corner, Bicycle Shop, Radio Tower, and Department Store. The Gym Leader here is Whitney, who specializes in Normal-type Pokémon. Her strongest Pokémon is Miltank.
After the player wins the 7th badge, the revived Team Rocket takes over the Radio Tower and its broadcasts are all directed to contact Giovanni, in order to convince him to become their leader once again. The player must liberate the tower in order to continue through the game. After the tower is liberated, the path to Blackthorn City will be opened, and three legendary Pokémon will become available: Suicune, Entei, and Raikou.
There is also a Magnet Train station that connects Goldenrod City with Saffron City in Kanto.
North of Goldenrod is a National Park that is similar to the Safari Zone. A bug-catching competition is held on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.
is a city in the north of Johto. It is based on Kyoto, Japan.
700 years ago, two 9-tier towers were built opposite each other in Ecruteak City. The towers were built to foster friendship and hope between Pokémon and people. The views from the top of the towers was said to be magnificent.
In the west was Brass Tower, which was said to awaken Pokémon and in the East was Tin Tower, where Pokémon were said to rest. At the time, an immense silver-colored Pokémon, Lugia, was said to make its roost atop the Brass Tower, and the rainbow-colored Pokémon Ho-Oh was said to rest at Tin Tower. However, around 150 years ago, a lightning bolt struck Brass Tower. It was engulfed in flames that raged for 3 days. Lugia escaped to the skies unharmed. A sudden downpour put an end to the blaze. In the Pokemon Episode "For Ho-Oh the Bells Toll" Eusene tells Ash that the fire was caused by the greedy humans who wanted Ho-Oh's power and 3 Pokemon had perished in the flames. Ho-Oh had later resurrected them and given them powers of the north winds, lightning, and volcanoes to watch us, and had, since then, disappeared and are still watching us, waiting for the time when all humans and Pokemon will cooperate again.
Brass Tower was also home to the three Legendary Beasts; Entei, Suicune and Raikou. When it burnt down, the three beasts perished in the flames. However, when the fires were put out, Ho-Oh returned and resurrected the three Legendary Beasts and left them to guard the ruins of the newly named Burned Tower.
In Pokémon Crystal, Suicune will arrive at Tin Tower for you to catch after you receive the Clear Bell from the director of Goldenrod Radio Tower. Unlike the one in Gold and Silver, it will not try to run away, and it learns some different moves such as Rain Dance and Bubblebeam.
In the Pokémon anime, Burned Tower is full of Ghost Pokémon belonging to the gym leader, Morty. He is in charge of taking care of that tower and has made it part of the Pokémon gym. Because of its location, between Olivine and Mahogany, Ash visits twice, first to win the town's badge and then on his way to Mahogany Town as he decides to visit Olivine and Cianwood before Mahogany.
is a city in the northwest of Johto. A port town, it features a tall lighthouse and a dock due to its location on the edge of the sea. It is located southwest of Ecruteak City and northeast of Cianwood City.
The Gym is initially empty. In order to fight the Gym Leader, Jasmine, the player must first encounter her in the lighthouse tending to what was once the beacon, Ampharos. After bringing a potion from the Cianwood City pharmacy to the lighthouse, Jasmine will be available for a gym battle. She specializes in Steel-type Pokemon, including Steelix.
This is one of two cities (the other being Vermilion City) where the player can board the S.S. Aqua. After defeating the Elite Four, the player can take the S.S. Aqua to Vermilion City. This is how the player enters Kanto. Afterwards, the S.S. Aqua will be available for travel between the two cities on certain days.
In Pokémon Crystal, the Battle Tower is located to the west of Olivine. In the Japanese version, players can use the mobile adapter to battle other players worldwide. However, the US version contained a mere "Fight 'till you drop" system, having almost no relation with its Japanese counterpart.
is the westernmost city in Johto, in a somewhat remote location. The gym leader here is Chuck, who specializes in Fighting-type Pokemon. In a house near the center of the island is a man who will lend the player a Shuckle, the only way to acquire this Pokémon. In Crystal, the player first encounters Eusine, a man obsessed with Suicune, in the north of Cianwood City.
In Cianwood's southernmost building is a pharmacist who will give the player a Secret Potion to be given to Jasmine in Olivine City. After the Secret Potion is delivered, healing items will be sold there. Unusually, Cianwood City has no Pokémart.
Cianwood City is referenced in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl by Cynthia, who gives the player some Secret Potion to heal the headaches of the Psyduck blocking the route to Celestic Town on Route 210.
in the northeastern area of Johto.
North of Mahogany Town is the Lake of Rage where Team Rocket had planted a mysterious recording that enrage all the Magikarp that dwell in the lake to evolve into Gyarados. The player in Crystal will battle a rare Red Gyarados which is the only opportunity to obtain one.
There is a Rocket hideout located underneath a store that sells strange items. In the video games, it features passwords and an alarm system. It also has traps in the floor that were left behind by the ninjas that used the hideout before Team Rocket occupied it.
Lance, the current champion of the Pokémon League feels suspicious about this store. Along with the main character, he breaks in and enters the Rocket hideout. In the final room, there are six Electrodes powering a machine that emits radio waves to force Pokémon to evolve. Lance and the main character must each battle three of the Electrode in order to shut down the generator.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Lt. Surge finds the Rocket Hideout because he detected machines running under the store due to his sensitivity to electricity. There, he battles Mask of Ice and loses, but manages to escape.
The Lake of Rage, which lies north of Mahogany Town, was thought to be created by Gyarados. When the player arrives, Team Rocket has planted a mysterious recording that enrage all the Magikarp that dwell in the lake to evolve into Gyarados. The player must battle, and can catch or defeat, a red (Shiny) Gyarados there. It also remains the only location in any Pokémon game that doesn't have a Pokémon Center or similar healing spot, but can be accessed by HM 02 Fly. It is mentioned on the T.V at the beginning of Diamond and Pearl, which inspires the main characters rival to explore their local lake.
Blackthorn City (フスベシティ, Fusube Shiti?, Fusube City in original Japanese language versions), also known as the Dragon City, is the birthplace of Pokémon League Elite Four (and Champion) Lance. It is located in northeast Johto, and is to the east of Mahogany Town and the Ice Path. Clair, Lance's cousin and the city's Gym Leader, specializes in Dragon-type Pokémon. South of the city is the Dark Cave and a one-way path to New Bark Town. Blackthorn City also contains a move deleter, who will delete unwanted Pokémon moves for free.
North of the city is the Dragon's Den, which is home to Dragon-type Pokémon. It is inaccessible until the player defeats Clair. Then, in Gold and Silver, Gym Leader Clair sends the player to the Den to fetch the Dragon Fang. Upon retrieving it, Clair will award him the Gym badge. In Crystal, the trainer is instead sent to the Den to take a Pokémon quiz given by Clair's grandfather, the Dragon Clan Elder. After the player answers correctly, the elder will make Clair give up the badge. Talking to the elder will earn the player a Dratini, which will have the move Extremespeed (which it can't normally learn otherwise) if the player gave the "best" responses to the quiz questions.
Dark Cave is a single-level cave located in eastern Johto. True to its name, the cave is pitch-black, requring the use of HM 05 Flash to see. Though it is not necessary to enter the cave to complete the storyline, Dark Cave is the only place in Johto to capture wild Dunsparce and Wobbuffet. This cave has two entrances: one from the southeast of Violet City, and one from the southwest of Blackthorn City.
The Ruins of Alph are located south of Violet City. The place has a lot of drawings on the wall inside, all of them bearing resemblance to the Pokémon Unown. Inside several caves are pieces of Pokémon drawings which the player must arrange (similar to a jigsaw puzzle) to release wild Unown into the ruins. As more puzzles are completed, more varieties of Unown can be found.
After catching three Unown of different forms, a scientist will give the player the Unown Dex, which records the different varieties of Unown the player has caught. Completing the Unown Dex allows the player to print out Unown using a Gameboy printer.
In the Johto League Champions episode "Fossil Fools," research at the Ruins of Alph discovers living specimens of Omanyte and Omastar, much like the Kabuto in the Orange Islands episode "Shell Shock."
Union Cave is located south of Violet City and just east from Azalea Town, with a Pokémon Center located at its entrance. It is the first cave the player can travel through to the end. It is notable also for being home to the Pokémon Lapras which appears only on Fridays in the lower levels of the cave.
Ilex Forest is a forest that lies between Azalea Town and Goldenrod City. The most notable item in this forest is a shrine is dedicated to Celebi, the forest's protector. In the Japanese version of Crystal, players could go to a Nintendo Event and use the Mobile Adapter to get the GS Ball, which causes a Celebi to appear when it is placed on the Shrine. The Mobile Adapter feature was taken out in the international versions of the game.
The Tin Tower is a tower in Ecruteak City, famous for housing the legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh (and Suicune in the Crystal game). The Tin Tower is sacred to the citizens of Ecruteak City and is heavily guarded by three monks. The inside of the tower is a maze built to further protect Ho-Oh from unworthy trainers. Ho-Oh lives on the rooftop and will battle you one time if you can reach him. This is the only rooftop in any of the games that allow the use of fly outside of battle, aside from the Sky Pillar in Ruby/Sapphire. 700 years ago, two 9-tier towers were built opposite each other in Ecruteak City. The towers were built to foster friendship and hope between Pokémon and people. The views from the top of the towers was said to be 'magnificent'.
In the west was Brass Tower, which was said to awaken Pokémon and in the East was Tin Tower, where Pokémon were said to rest. At the time, an immense silver-coloured Pokémon, Lugia, was said to make its roost atop the Brass Tower, and the rainbow-coloured Pokémon Ho-Oh was said to rest at Tin Tower.
The Whirl Islands are a place between Olivine City and Cianwood City in the Johto region on Route 40. It is the only place a Lugia can be obtained.
In the video games, the Whirl Islands are rock formations that allow access to a underground cave. The islands can only be reached when players have obtained the HM Whirlpool, which they can use to clear out the swirling whirlpools, and enter the caves. If it is the trainer's first time going to Cianwood City, he or she must pass through to reach Cianwood City. Once inside with the Silver Wing, the Pokemon Lugia can be found.
In the anime, they are much larger and populated. They took up the first 14 episodes of the fifth season, "Pokémon: Master Quest."
Mt. Mortar is a mountain that lies between Ecruteak City and Mahogany Town. Within this mountain trains the Karate King of the Fighting Dojo in Saffron City of the Kanto region. If the player defeats the Karate King with only five Pokemon in the party, he will give the player a Tyrogue. There are three separate entrances to Mt. Mortar, separated by small bodies of water. If he or she chooses, the player can surf through them to reach Mahogany Town, bypassing the mountain entirely.
The Ice Path is a cave located to the east of Mahogany Town. This large maze connects Mahogany Town and Blackthorn City. Much of the cave is covered in slippery ice dotted with boulders, which the player must navigate to reach the exit. Many Ice-type Pokémon are only found here.
is a waterfall that separates Johto from Kanto; its name is an anagram for Johto. Located east of New Bark Town, it is the final test of Pokémon trainers who have acquired all eight Johto badges and wish to challenge the Elite Four. In the anime, the Battle Tower is located near the Tohjo Falls.
is a mountain that is located in the east of Johto, to the southwest of Indigo Plateau. It resembles Mount Fuji in Japan.
In the video games, trainers battle Red at Silver Cave, a small cave near the peak of the mountain. The name and design implies that he is the protagonist from the ''Red'', ''Blue'', and ''Yellow'' versions of the game, though the Pokémon in his team (specifically a high level Pikachu) may imply that he is also based on Red from the manga. He says nothing to the player before and after the battle. Mount Silver can only be accessed by beating all 16 gym leaders from the Kanto and Johto regions.
In the anime, Silver Town is located on Mount Silver. It is the location where the Johto League Conference is held annually, in which trainers fight for the Johto League Trophy and the title of Champion of the Johto League. Ash competes in his second Pokémon League tournament here.
The Battle Tower was first introduced in Pokémon Crystal as an extra area accessed from Route 40, west of Olivine City. There are several levels of competition, in which only Pokémon of those levels or below may enter; the opponents' Pokémon in such challenges will always be at the maximum allowed level. Only a few levels of competition are available to the player at first, but defeating the Elite Four allows the player to challenge other levels of competition.
A player attempting a Battle Tower challenge battles seven consecutive Trainers and is awarded a prize upon successfully completing the challenge. These prizes generally include expensive and rare items that boost a Pokémon's statistics.
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