From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.
Route 23 (Japanese: 23ばんどうろ Route 23), is a route in northwest Kanto, connecting Indigo Plateau to Victory Road and Route 22.
Route description
Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, and LeafGreen
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 stones 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.
Items
Item
|
Location
|
Games
|
|
Leppa Berry
|
Northwest of the Thunder Badge checkpoint, on the marked square (hidden)
|
FR LG
|
|
Max Ether
|
In the northwest corner of the island (hidden)
|
R B Y
|
|
Max Ether
|
Two squares south and two squares east of the northeast corner of the island (hidden)
|
FR LG
|
|
Ultra Ball
|
On the eastern tree of the two trees south of the southeasternmost 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
|
Southeast of the Volcano Badge checkpoint, on the marked square (hidden)
|
FR LG
|
|
Full Restore
|
On the northeasternmost rock of the rocks west of the northernmost patch of grass (hidden)
|
R B Y
|
|
Full Restore
|
On the rock east of the northernmost patch of grass (hidden)
|
FR LG
|
|
Sitrus Berry
|
West of the west statue of the two statues closest to the southern Victory Road entrance, on the marked square (hidden)
|
FR LG
|
|
Lum Berry
|
South of the pair of statues southwest of the maze of stones, on a marked square (hidden)
|
FR LG
|
|
Max Elixir
|
In the maze of stones, in the dead-end reached on the second westmost path (hidden)
|
FR LG
|
|
Pokémon
Generation I
Pokémon
|
Games
|
Location
|
Levels
|
Rate
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
26
|
15%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
38, 41, 43
|
25%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
40, 45
|
15%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
26
|
25%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
41
|
5%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
26
|
25%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
41
|
5%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
41, 44
|
25%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
41, 44
|
35%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
36, 41
|
20%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
41, 46
|
5%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
33, 38, 43
|
30%
|
Fishing
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
5
|
100%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
10
|
50%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
10
|
50%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
25, 30
|
70%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
30, 40
|
30%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
23
|
25%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
23
|
25%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
23
|
25%
|
|
R
|
B
|
Y
|
|
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
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
32, 34
|
15%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
40, 42, 44
|
25%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
32, 34
|
20%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
44
|
5%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
32, 34
|
20%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
44
|
5%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
32, 34
|
30%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
42
|
5%
|
Surfing
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
20-40
|
100%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
20-40
|
100%
|
Fishing
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
5
|
100%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
5-15
|
60%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
5-15
|
20%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
5-15
|
20%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
15-35
|
5%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
15-25
|
40%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
20-30
|
40%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
15-35
|
5%
|
|
FR
|
LG
|
|
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.
|
Differences among generations
Route 23 in Generation II
Only minor cosmetic differences exist between the Generation I games and FireRed and LeafGreen.
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 7GSC/17HGSS 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.
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).