Viridian City

If you were looking for the song, see Viridian City (song).

If you were looking for the chapter in Pokémon Zensho, see PZ09.

Viridian City トキワシティ Tokiwa City "The City of Evergreen"

Viridian City in {{{variable2}}}.

Map description A beautiful city that is enveloped in green year-round.

Viridian City Gym - Kanto Gym #8RGBYFRLG Giovanni Ground-type specialist Gym Earth Badge

Viridian City Gym - Kanto Gym #8GSCHGSS Blue No specialty type Earth Badge

Viridian City Gym - Kanto Gym #8RGBYFRLG [[File:{{{leadersprite3}}}|{{{leader3}}}|link={{{leader3}}}]] [[{{{leader3}}}|{{{leader3}}}]] Ground-type specialist Gym Earth Badge

[[| League]] [[File:{{{elite1sprite}}}|64px|{{{elite1}}}|link={{{elite1}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite1}}}|{{{elite1}}}]] [[File:{{{elite2sprite}}}|64px|{{{elite2}}}|link={{{elite2}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite2}}}|{{{elite2}}}]] [[File:{{{elite3sprite}}}|64px|{{{elite3}}}|link={{{elite3}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite3}}}|{{{elite3}}}]] [[File:{{{elite4sprite}}}|64px|{{{elite4}}}|link={{{elite4}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite4}}}|{{{elite4}}}]] [[File:{{{championsprite}}}|{{{champion}}}|link={{{champion}}}]] Champion [[{{{champion}}}|{{{champion}}}]]

[[| League]] [[File:{{{elite1sprite2}}}|64px|{{{elite12}}}|link={{{elite12}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite12}}}|{{{elite12}}}]] [[File:{{{elite2sprite2}}}|64px|{{{elite22}}}|link={{{elite22}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite22}}}|{{{elite22}}}]] [[File:{{{elite3sprite2}}}|64px|{{{elite32}}}|link={{{elite32}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite32}}}|{{{elite32}}}]] [[File:{{{elite4sprite2}}}|64px|{{{elite42}}}|link={{{elite42}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite42}}}|{{{elite42}}}]] [[File:{{{championsprite2}}}|{{{champion2}}}|link={{{champion2}}}]] Champion [[{{{champion2}}}|{{{champion2}}}]]

Connecting locations   ↑ Route 2   ← Route 22 Viridian City   Route 1 ↓

Location Location of Viridian City in Kanto.

Other generation maps Gen I Gen II Gen III

Viridian City (Japanese: トキワシティ Tokiwa City) is a small city located in western Kanto. In the Generation I and Generation III games, Team Rocket leader Giovanni serves as Leader of the Ground-specialist Viridian Gym, but the Gym is locked until the player has gained the other seven League Badges. Blue is the Gym Leader in the Generation II and Generation IV games and trains Pokémon of various types.

Three major paths lead from the city center. To the north is Route 2, as well as Viridian Forest, which lies in the middle of the route, leading to Pewter City. To the south is Route 1, which leads to Pallet Town. To the west is Route 22, leading to Indigo Plateau and the Pokémon League.

In the Generation II games and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the city is known as "the Gateway to Indigo Plateau".

Slogan

Generations I-III

The Eternally Green Paradise (Japanese: トキワは　みどり　えいえんのいろ Tokiwa is the color of green eternity.)

Generation IV

The City of Evergreen (Japanese: えいえんなる　みどりの　まち The eternally green town.)

Places of interest

Pokémon academy

Main article: Pokémon academy

In Generations I and III, this academy is located in the center of Viridian. It is a place dedicated to teaching the basics of Pokémon to inexperienced Trainers.

In Generations II and IV, this school has been replaced by the Trainer House.

Old man

Main article: Old man (Kanto)

The old man lying down in the middle of the road

There is a grumpy old man in central Viridian who will not let Trainers pass through to Route 2 until he has had his daily coffee. (In the original Japanese games, the old man is not grumpy from lack of coffee, but rather is drunk and has passed out in the middle of the road, much to the dismay of his grandchild.) The man is simply a barrier in the game, preventing players from wandering past Viridian City until the player has gone to the Viridian Poké Mart and delivered Oak's Parcel to Professor Oak.

Once the task is complete, the old man lightens up and teaches the player how to catch a Pokémon using a Poké Ball. This is a guide for novice players in Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. He will also give the player a Teachy TV in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, which teaches the player a variety of things about battling and catching Pokémon.

He appears again in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, declaring that he has had his espresso and that he was once an expert at catching Pokémon. This is a reference to the events of three years before.

Trainer House

Main article: Trainer House

The Trainer House in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

In Generations II and IV, the Trainer House replaces the Pokémon academy in the center of Viridian. The first floor is occupied by a handful of people, while the basement is primarily dedicated to a battlefield. In the basement, the player may battle other Trainers once a day.

In Generation II, the opposing Trainer in the basement will be the last person the player has used Mystery Gift with, with whatever party they had when Mystery Gift was used. If the player has never used Mystery Gift with anyone, the opposing Trainer will be Cal.

In Generation IV, the player will initially only find Ace Trainer Cal in the basement. When the player meets another Trainer via the Pokéwalker and re-syncs the Pokéwalker back to their game, the other Trainer will also appear in the basement with their party. Up to 10 additional Trainers may be encountered in this way. Any Pokémon in a Trainer's party above level 50 will have their level reduced to 50. Battles here give no experience or money, but the player will receive 1 BP for each victory.

Viridian Gym

Main article: Viridian Gym

Viridian Gym in FireRed and LeafGreen

The Viridian Gym is the official Gym of Viridian City. Trainers who defeat this Gym's Leader receive the Earth Badge. The Gym is usually strewn with the same one-way spin tiles seen in the Rocket Hideout, except in Generation II where the floor is bare of any obstacles.

During the events of Generations I and III, it is based on Ground-type Pokémon and the Gym Leader is Giovanni, the head of Team Rocket. The Gym is initially locked due to its Leader's absence and will not re-open until the player has collected the other seven Badges.

In Generations II and IV, Team Rocket has disbanded and Blue takes over as the Gym's Leader. Under Blue's direction, the Gym no longer concentrates on any particular type.

Move Tutor

The man in the area that requires Cut or Surf to access gives out the TM for Dream Eater: in Generations I and II, it is TM42, while in Generation IV, it is TM85. In Generation III, he is instead a Move Tutor of Dream Eater.

Demographics

Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow

In Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, the population of Viridian City is 28 (27 excluding Giovanni).

Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal

In Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, the population of Viridian City is 25. The population has decreased, due to the fact that Viridian Gym no longer has regular Trainers.

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, the population of Viridian City is 30.

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, the population of Viridian City is 34. This shows that Viridian City has grown in size from FireRed and LeafGreen to HeartGold and SoulSilver.

Poké Mart

The Poké Mart is located south of the Viridian Gym. In Generation II and IV, it is to the right of the Trainer House.

Generation I
Poké Ball $200	PotionY $300
Antidote $100	Parlyz Heal $200
Burn Heal $250

Generation II
Ultra Ball $1200	Hyper Potion $1200
Full Heal $600	Revive $1500
Antidote $100	Parlyz Heal $200
Awakening $250	Burn Heal $250
Flower Mail $50

Generation III
Poké Ball $200	Potion $300
Antidote $100	Parlyz Heal $200

Lower cashier (Generation IV)
Poké Ball $200	Great Ball $600
Ultra Ball $1200	Potion $300
Super Potion $700	Hyper Potion $1200
Max Potion $2500	Full Restore $3000
Revive $1500	Antidote $100
Parlyz Heal $200	Awakening $250
Burn Heal $250	Ice Heal $250
Full Heal $600	Escape Rope $550
Repel $350	Super Repel $500
Max Repel $700

Upper cashier (Generation IV)
Steel Mail $50	Net Ball $1000
Heal Ball $300

Items

Item		Location	Games
	Oak's Parcel	Received from the Poké Mart clerk	R  B  Y  FR  LG
	Potion	On the cuttable tree in the northwestern part of the city (hidden)	R  B  Y
	Potion	West of the cuttable tree in the northwestern part of the city	FR  LG
	Teachy TV	Received from the old man who teaches the player how to catch Pokémon	FR  LG
	TM42 (Dream Eater)	Received from the sleeping man in the southwestern part of the city (requires Cut or Surf)	R  B  Y  G  S  C
	TM85 (Dream Eater)	Received from the sleeping man in the southwestern part of the city (requires Cut or Surf)	HG  SS
	Nugget	Near the trees northeast of the Poké Mart (hidden)	HG  SS

Pokémon

Generation I

Pokémon	Games						Location	Levels	Rate
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	15	50%
Poliwag	R		B		Y		Fishing Super Rod	5, 10, 15	100%
Tentacool	R		B		Y		Fishing Super Rod	15	50%
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 II

Pokémon	Games						Location	Levels	Rate
Surfing
Poliwag	G		S		C		Surfing	5-14	90%
Poliwhirl	G		S		C		Surfing	10-14	10%
Fishing
Poliwag	G		S		C		Fishing Old Rod	10	15%
Magikarp	G		S		C		Fishing Old Rod	10	85%
Poliwag	G		S		C		Fishing Good Rod	20	65%
Magikarp	G		S		C		Fishing Good Rod	20	35%
Poliwag	G		S		C		Fishing Super Rod	40	70%
Poliwhirl	G		S		C		Fishing Super Rod	40	10%
Magikarp	G		S		C		Fishing Super Rod	40	20%
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
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 IV

Pokémon	Games						Location	Levels	Rate
Surfing
Poliwag	HG			SS			Surfing	5-10	90%
Poliwhirl	HG			SS			Surfing	10	10%
Fishing
Poliwag	HG			SS			Fishing Old Rod	10	5%
Magikarp	HG			SS			Fishing Old Rod	10	95%
Poliwag	HG			SS			Fishing Good Rod	20	60%
Magikarp	HG			SS			Fishing Good Rod	20	40%
Poliwag	HG			SS			Fishing Super Rod	40	93%
Magikarp	HG			SS			Fishing Super Rod	40	7%
Headbutt
Hoothoot	HG			SS			Headbutt	3-7	50%
Ledyba	HG			SS			Headbutt	5-7	30%
Spinarak	HG			SS			Headbutt	5-7	30%
Pineco	HG			SS			Headbutt	3-4	30%
Wurmple	HG			SS			Headbutt	3-7	20%
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 between generations

Generation I and III

Viridian City's layout is consistent between Generations I and III. There are no notable differences between the Viridian of Generation I and Generation III, aside from the larger houses in III and some slight repositioning. Trees have become bigger, flowers are more visible, and most other sprites have been upgraded to Generation III standards. Most of the town's residents remain the same, and will give the player the same information. Items that are given out, however, are different from generation to generation. In Generation III the Potion behind the Cut tree is no longer hidden.

Generation II and IV

The differences between the Generation II and IV and Generation I and III games are more noticeable. The Pokémon academy seen in Generation III has been replaced with the giant Trainer House, and other buildings were added as well. Within the Trainer House in Generation II, Trainers will battle either Cal, if the player has never used Mystery Gift with anyone, or the last player with whom he or she has used Mystery Gift. In Generation IV, the player may either battle Cal or up to 10 different Trainers met on the Pokéwalker.

Trainer Tips

Generation I

Generation III

In the spin-off games

In Pokémon Pinball

In Pokémon Pinball, Viridian City appears on the Blue table; catchable Pokémon include Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Nidoran♀, Nidoran♂, Poliwag and Tentacool.

In the anime

In the main series

Viridian City in the anime

Viridian City's Pokémon Center

Viridian City was first seen briefly at the end of Pokémon - I Choose You!. It is then visited in Pokémon Emergency!, when Ash Ketchum took his injured Pikachu to the Pokémon Center here. When entering the town, Ash was stopped by Viridian City's Officer Jenny, who found him suspicious, due to the fact he was carrying Pikachu in his arms and not a Poké Ball. While staying overnight at the Pokémon Center, Ash had his first encounter with the Team Rocket trio: Jessie, James, and Meowth. Ash and Pikachu foiled their plot to steal all the Pokémon in the Pokémon Center, thus beginning Team Rocket's obsession with capturing Ash's Pikachu.

Ash and his friends arrived in Viridian City in The Misty Mermaid, but quickly left for the Cerulean Gym after they noticed that Misty's Horsea looked unwell while it swam in a local fountain.

They returned to Viridian in The Battle of the Badge, and noticed that the Pokémon Center that had exploded at the end of Pokémon Emergency! has been rebuilt. They found the Viridian Gym, but before Ash could to fight the Gym Leader, Gary arrived and battled Giovanni first. After Togepi was carried off by a Fearow, Ash and his friends went looking for it, only to find it inside the Gym. They then noticed that Gary and his entourage were badly injured due to Mewtwo's attacks. Giovanni is forced to leave the Gym following an emergency call, and he puts Jessie, James and Meowth in charge. After Ash fought and won a difficult and dangerous battle with Team Rocket, the Gym collapsed due to Togepi blowing up the stands. Ash picked up the Earth Badge Team Rocket lost. Afterwards, Ash and his friends left.

After the Silver Conference, Viridian was once again revisited, in Gotta Catch Ya Later!, only some things had changed. Most notably, the Nurse Joy who worked at the Viridian Center in Pokémon Emergency! had retired and Misty's bike had been fixed. After a battle with Team Rocket, as well as a trio of hired thugs, they left Viridian City.

Ash later passed through Viridian on his way home in The Scheme Team, after the Ever Grande Conference. Visiting the site of the rebuilt Viridian Gym, circumstances ended up bringing him to the battlefield for a friendly one-on-one challenge with the temporary Gym Leader, Kanto Elite Four member Agatha. It is also here that Ash met up with Scott, the owner of the Battle Frontier and decided to take the Battle Frontier challenge.

In Pokémon Origins

Viridian City in Pokémon Origins

Viridian City first appeared in File 1: Red, where Red stopped by the local Pokémon Center to heal his Charmander, after having lost a battle against his rival, Blue. He also made a call to Professor Oak from there before departing to Pewter City.

Viridian City appeared again in File 3: Giovanni, where Red returned there in order to challenge the local Gym Leader, only to find out that not only had Blue already done so, but that the Gym Leader was none other than Giovanni, the Boss of Team Rocket. Enraged of seeing Giovanni as a Gym Leader, Red challenged him to a battle, not as a Gym Leader, but as the enemy of all Pokémon. Using his specially trained Rhyhorn, Giovanni defeated most of Red's Pokémon with ease, but soon noticed himself getting excited of the battle. When Red sent out his Charizard to face Giovanni's last Pokémon, Rhydon, Giovanni finally remembered how he had once been like Red, a child enjoying Pokémon battles simply for the fun and excitement of it. Even though Red eventually won the battle, he initially refused to take the Earth Badge, saying he didn't want it from the Boss of Team Rocket. Impressed of Red's attitude, Giovanni then informed his minions that Team Rocket would now be disbanded. After this, Red accepted Giovanni's Badge, and departed Viridian City for Indigo Plateau. Reminded of his past, Giovanni decided to find a new path for himself and his Pokémon, leaving behind his positions as Viridian City's Gym Leader and the Boss of Team Rocket.

In Pokémon Generations

Viridian City in Pokémon Generations

Viridian City appeared in The Chase. The International Police raided the Viridian Gym in search of Giovanni, but failed to find him. Giovanni was then seen overlooking Viridian City as he walked away, vowing that Team Rocket would never fall.

In the manga

Viridian City in The Electric Tale of Pikachu

In The Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

Viridian City appeared in Pikachu, I See You!, where Ash caught his runaway Pikachu there after it had fled from him on Route 1. Despite Pikachu still being disobedient towards Ash and frequently Thunder Shocking him, he boasted that since Pikachu were hard to tame, he already had Gary beat without even trying. Gary, however, soon showed up himself, taunting Ash and showing him that he already had a full team of six Pokémon, while Ash only had his disobedient Pikachu.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Viridian City in Pokémon Adventures

Viridian City first appeared in Bulbasaur, Come Home!, where Red and Professor Oak were forced to chase some of the Pokémon that Red had accidentally set free from Professor Oak's Laboratory all the way to Pallet Town's neighbor city, including a Bulbasaur, which the two chased to the abandoned Viridian Gym. After Red had helped Bulbasaur to defeat a wild Machoke attacking them, Professor Oak chose to give Bulbasaur to Red, along with a Pokédex.

Viridian City made a brief appearance in Make Way For Magmar!, where local citizens were asking questions about the missing Gym Leader.

Red revisited Viridian City in Drat That Dratini! after helping a young girl in Viridian Forest. Upon hearing rumors about the missing "invincible" Gym Leader, Red decided to check out the Viridian Gym again. At the Gym, he met Giovanni, learning that not only was he the Viridian City Gym Leader, but also the leader of Team Rocket. Giovanni then challenged Red to a battle, making a bet with him that should Red lose, he'd come to serve him as his right-hand man. During the battle, Giovanni's Nidoking's Earthquake caused the Viridian Gym to collapse into ruins. Eventually Red emerged victorious with his Pika defeating Giovanni's Nidoqueen and knocking the Gym Leader himself unconscious as well.

In Forretress of Solitude, Red participated in Pokémon Association's Gym Leader test for the new Viridian Gym Leader at the reconstructed Viridian Gym. Although he passed the test with flying colors, Red had to turn down the offer, as he had not yet completely recovered from the frostbites he received after being frozen by Lorelei in the Yellow arc. As such, Blue was appointed as the new Gym Leader instead, after he impressed the Pokémon Association by stopping and capturing a group of rampaging wild Pokémon.

In Secrets from Sneasel, Yellow arrived in Viridian City to meet Blue at the Gym, but only found his hologram, set there in case for a challenger coming while he was not present. An automated system then brought out Blue's Pokémon, which, even without their Trainer giving them commands, easily defeated Yellow's Chuchu in a battle. Silver soon arrived at the site as well, looking for his roots. Unexpectedly, the two were attacked by Sird and Orm of Team Rocket, who revealed that Silver was actually Giovanni's long-lost son. This revelation shocked Silver so much that the two Team Rocket members had no trouble in knocking him out and taking him to the Team Rocket airship, with Yellow giving chase.

Trivia

• An anime song of the same name is centered on its status as the location of the final Gym in Kanto.
• It is the only town that is the first visited in the games that has a Gym after the starting location, though the Gym is closed until the other seven Badges have been obtained.

Name origin

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 Cities and Towns, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on every city and town in the Pokémon world.