Kanto Route 23

Kanto Route 23 ２３番道路 Route 23

Map description A mountain path where only the strongest Trainers may pass.PE

Required for navigation Cut Surf* Strength Flash Defog Whirlpool Rock Smash Waterfall Dive Rock Climb Bicycle Mach Bike Acro Bike Go-Goggles None

Connecting locations   ↑ Indigo Plateau   Route 23   Route 22* and Victory Road* ↓

Location Location of Route 23 in Kanto.

Other generation maps Gen I Gen II Gen III

Pokémon world routes ← Route 22       Route 24 →

Route 23 (Japanese: ２３番道路 Route 23), is a route located in western Kanto. It connects the Pokémon League Reception Gate in the south to Indigo Plateau in the north. Victory Road is located on this route.

Route description

Generations I, III, and VII

Southern segment

Heading north from the Pokémon League Front Gate, which houses the first Badge checkpoint, Route 23 heads northeast, passing through the first of many archways on the route as well as the second checkpoint. Northwest of this point is the second archway and the third checkpoint. The main path of the road then heads north, taking a slight northeast alignment as it approaches the third archway and the fourth checkpoint on the bank of a waterway that effectively separates the route into two halves.

Directly north of the fourth checkpoint is checkpoint five, in the shadow of archway four. Northeast of this location, past an island in the water that splits the channel into two, is the next archway/checkpoint. The route continues north, making landfall northeast of the sixth checkpoint.

In this area, Route 23 is dotted with grassy patches and boulders, creating a unique look not seen anywhere else in Kanto outside the Safari Zone. North of the scenery, the route encounters the seventh checkpoint underneath the final archway on the route.

Route 23 turns to the northwest, passing the final patch of grass on the road before returning to a north-south alignment several paces south of the final checkpoint. Just north of the checkpoint is the south entrance to Victory Road.

Northern segment

The route heads north from Victory Road's northern portal, arriving at a series of stone statues intended to create a maze. On the other side of the maze, Route 23 ascends a series of stairs before arriving at the front door to Indigo Plateau.

Generation II

This route is extremely short in Generation II games, consisting of a small space between the northern exit of Victory Road and the entrance to the Indigo Plateau building.

Generation IV

There is no Route 23 in the Generation IV games.

The small open space between the Victory Road and the Indigo Plateau building remains much like the Route 23 from the Generation II games, but it's identified as part of the Indigo Plateau instead.

Items

Item		Location	Games
	Golden Razz Berry ×8	East of the Cascade Badge checkpoint (×3) On the island north of the Soul Badge checkpoint (requires Sea Skim) (×5)	P  E
	Leppa Berry	Northwest of the Thunder Badge checkpoint, on the marked square (hidden)	FR  LG
	Golden Pinap Berry ×8	Directly west of the Soul Badge checkpoint (requires Sea Skim) (×3) In the patch of grass directly north of the Volcano Badge checkpoint (×5)	P  E
	Golden Nanab Berry ×8	Northeast of the Thunder Badge checkpoint (×3) Southeast of the Volcano Badge checkpoint, in between two Poké Ball statues (requires Sea Skim) (×5)	P  E
	Max Ether	In the northwest corner of the island north of the Soul Badge checkpoint (hidden)	R  B  Y
	Max Ether	Two squares south and two squares west of the northeast corner of the island (hidden)	FR  LG
	Ultra Ball	On the eastern tree of the two trees south of the southeastern most patch of grass (hidden)	R  B  Y
	Ultra Ball	On the wall between the two statues northeast of the water (hidden)	FR  LG
	Aspear Berry	Southwest of the Volcano Badge checkpoint, on the marked square (hidden)	FR  LG
	Full Restore	On the northeastern most rock of the rocks west of the northern most patch of grass (hidden)	R  B  Y
	Full Restore	On the rock east of the northern most patch of grass (hidden)	FR  LG
	Sitrus Berry	West of the west statue of the two statues closest to the western Victory Road entrance, on the marked square (hidden)	FR  LG
	Lum Berry	In the north end, south of the pair of statues southwest of the maze of stones, on a marked square (hidden)	FR  LG
	Max Elixir	In the north end, in the maze of stones, in the dead-end reached on the second western most path (hidden)	FR  LG

Pokémon

Generation I

Pokémon	Games						Location	Levels	Rate
Spearow	R		B		Y		Grass	26	15%
Fearow	R		B		Y		Grass	38, 41, 43	25%
Fearow	R		B		Y		Grass	40, 45	15%
Ekans	R		B		Y		Grass	26	20%
Arbok	R		B		Y		Grass	41	5%
Sandshrew	R		B		Y		Grass	26	20%
Sandslash	R		B		Y		Grass	41	5%
Nidorina	R		B		Y		Grass	41, 44	25%
Nidorino	R		B		Y		Grass	41, 44	35%
Mankey	R		B		Y		Grass	36, 41	20%
Primeape	R		B		Y		Grass	41, 46	5%
Ditto	R		B		Y		Grass	33, 38, 43	35%
Fishing
Magikarp	R		B		Y		Fishing Old Rod	5	100%
Poliwag	R		B		Y		Fishing Good Rod	10	50%
Goldeen	R		B		Y		Fishing Good Rod	10	50%
Poliwag	R		B		Y		Fishing Super Rod	25, 30	70%
Poliwhirl	R		B		Y		Fishing Super Rod	30, 40	30%
Slowbro	R		B		Y		Fishing Super Rod	23	25%
Kingler	R		B		Y		Fishing Super Rod	23	25%
Seadra	R		B		Y		Fishing Super Rod	23	25%
Seaking	R		B		Y		Fishing Super Rod	23	25%
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Generation III

Pokémon	Games						Location	Levels	Rate
Spearow	FR			LG			Grass	32, 34	15%
Fearow	FR			LG			Grass	40, 42, 44	25%
Ekans	FR			LG			Grass	32, 34	20%
Arbok	FR			LG			Grass	44	5%
Sandshrew	FR			LG			Grass	32, 34	20%
Sandslash	FR			LG			Grass	44	5%
Mankey	FR			LG			Grass	32, 34	30%
Primeape	FR			LG			Grass	42	5%
Surfing
Psyduck	FR			LG			Surfing	20-40	100%
Slowpoke	FR			LG			Surfing	20-40	100%
Fishing
Magikarp	FR			LG			Fishing Old Rod	5	100%
Poliwag	FR			LG			Fishing Good Rod	5-15	60%
Goldeen	FR			LG			Fishing Good Rod	5-15	20%
Magikarp	FR			LG			Fishing Good Rod	5-15	20%
Psyduck	FR			LG			Fishing Super Rod	15-35	5%
Poliwag	FR			LG			Fishing Super Rod	15-25	40%
Poliwhirl	FR			LG			Fishing Super Rod	20-30	40%
Slowpoke	FR			LG			Fishing Super Rod	15-35	5%
Gyarados	FR			LG			Fishing Super Rod	15-25	15%
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Generation VII

Pokémon	Games						Location	Levels	Rate
Spearow	P			E			Grass	41-46	10%
Fearow	P			E			Grass	41-46	15%
Nidoran♀	P			E			Grass	41-46	10%
Nidorina	P			E			Grass	41-46	19%
Nidoqueen	P			E			Grass	41-46	1%
Nidoran♂	P			E			Grass	41-46	10%
Nidorino	P			E			Grass	41-46	19%
Nidoking	P			E			Grass	41-46	1%
Exeggcute	P			E			Grass	41-46	14%
Exeggutor	P			E			Grass	41-46	1%
Rare Spawns
Chansey	P			E			Grass	41-46	-
Sea Skim
Poliwag	P			E			Sea Skim	41-46	45%
Poliwhirl	P			E			Sea Skim	41-46	10%
Magikarp	P			E			Sea Skim	41-46	45%
While riding a Flying Pokémon After becoming Champion
Spearow	P			E			Midair	3-56	60%
Fearow	P			E			Midair	3-56	40%
Rare Spawns
Charizard	P			E			Midair	3-56	-
Articuno	P			E			Midair	3-56	-
Zapdos	P			E			Midair	3-56	-
Moltres	P			E			Midair	3-56	-
Dragonite	P			E			Midair	3-56	-
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Trainers

Generation VII

All of these Trainers appear at the route once the player has become Champion.

Trainer	Pokémon
Southern segment
Master Trainer Ace Trainer Jirard タクム Takumu	Dratini♂ Lv.65 Dragon Pulse Ice Beam Agility -
Master Trainer Ace Trainer Percy ツネカズ Tsunekazu	Nidoqueen♀ Lv.75 Super Fang Blizzard Surf -
Master Trainer Ace Trainer Carlton ハルマ Haruma	Nidoking♂ Lv.80 Horn Drill Drill Run Ice Punch -
Northern segment
Master Trainer Lass Sal リンカ Rinka	Venusaur♀ Lv.75 Sludge Bomb Outrage Growth -
Master Trainer Ace Trainer Edmund ケン Ken	Charizard♂ Lv.75 Dragon Pulse Thunder Punch Protect -

Differences among generations

Route 23 in Generation II

Only minor cosmetic differences exist between the Generation I games, FireRed and LeafGreen, and Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!.

In the Generation II games and HeartGold and SoulSilver, Route 23 became unnecessary due to the addition of the Pokémon League Reception Gate on Route 26, being reduced to an extremely short path that takes 7^GSC/17^HGSS steps connecting the front door of Indigo Plateau with the northern entrance of Victory Road. The remakes reclassified Route 23 as part of Indigo Plateau, although there is still unused location data for Route 23.

In the manga

Route 23 in Pokémon Adventures

Pokémon Adventures

Gold, Silver & Crystal arc

Route 23 appeared in Yikes, It's Yanma!, where Gold and Crystal traveled through it on their way to the Indigo Plateau.

Trivia

• The background music, titled The Final Road, is rearranged from the prelude to the game's opening and title screen theme.
• Because the tilesets were not changed between versions of the Generation I games, the signpost outside the southern entrance to Victory Road kept its design from Red and Green in Blue and Yellow, as well as in every localized release of the Generation I games.
• In Yellow, FireRed and LeafGreen, riding the Bicycle here will not change the background music. In FireRed and LeafGreen only, using Surf will not change the background music either.
• In the Japanese versions of HeartGold and SoulSilver, the unused data for Route 23 includes a scrapped map blurb consisting of generic development text, "Dummy Guide Message" (Japanese: ダミーのガイドメッセージ), which is also shared with the Rocket Hideout, Goldenrod Tunnel, Dragon's Den, Cliff Cave, and a KGR Map (Japanese: ＫＧＲマップ).
• In Generations I and VII, the checkers for the Soul and Marsh Badge gates are placed in the water and have the same appearance as Swimmers. In Generation III, they stand on shore and have the same appearance as the other checkers.

Kanto
Settlements Pallet Town • Viridian City • Pewter City • Cerulean City • Vermilion City • Lavender Town Celadon City • Saffron City • Fuchsia City • Cinnabar Island • Indigo Plateau Routes 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 Landmarks Professor Oak's Laboratory • Viridian Forest • Diglett's Cave • Pewter Museum of Science • Mt. Moon (Square) • Cerulean Cave Underground Path (Kanto Routes 5–6) • Underground Path (Kanto Routes 7–8) • S.S. Anne • S.S. Aqua • Sea Cottage • Rock Tunnel Power Plant • Cycling Road/Pokémon Road • Team Rocket Hideout • Silph Co. • Magnet Train • Pokémon Tower • Safari Zone/Pal Park GO Park • Seafoam Islands • Pokémon Mansion • Cinnabar Lab • Pokémon League Reception Gate • Victory Road • Tohjo Falls Access to Sevii Islands • Johto

This article is part of Project Routes, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on every route in the Pokémon world.