The first Pokémon video games take place in the Kanto region.
Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow follow the player across Kanto, a fictional setting inspired by Japan’s real Kantō region. The journey begins in Pallet Town and includes locations such as Viridian City, Pewter City, Saffron City, and Cinnabar Island.
Kanto contains eight Pokémon Gyms, the Indigo Plateau, and the Pokémon League. The player must earn eight badges before challenging the Elite Four and the rival. Team Rocket also operates throughout the region, creating many of the games’ conflicts.
The name Kanto was not used in the first generation games themselves; it became explicit in the second generation. That detail can cause confusion, but later games and reference material consistently identify the original setting as Kanto.