Esc
↑↓ navigate ↵ open Esc close
Generation I · Kanto

Generation I: Kanto.

Kanto is the original. 151 Pokémon, eight gyms, one cable, and a generation of kids who memorized the route maps before they could spell "Lavender". The 1998 US launch turned Pikachu into a global mascot. The TCG, the anime, the Burger King promo, and that Lavender Town conspiracy thread, all of it started here.

Release1996
HardwareGame Boy
New species151
Dex range#1-151

The mechanic that defined Gen I

Type effectiveness chart and trading cable.

Generation I introduced the 15-type matchup matrix that still anchors competitive play (Dark, Steel, and Fairy came later). It also made trading the literal point of the game: half the dex was impossible without a Game Link Cable and a willing friend.

Signature moves introduced this generation: Hyper Beam, Thunderbolt, Earthquake, Psychic, Solar Beam.

Starters

Bulbasaur
No. 001
Bulbasaur
Grass
BST 318
 Charmander
No. 004
Charmander
Fire
BST 309
 Squirtle
No. 007
Squirtle
Water
BST 314

Box legendaries

Mewtwo
No. 150
Mewtwo
Psychic Mew
No. 151
Mew
Psychic

Top 12 by base-stat total

Mewtwo
No. 150
Mewtwo
BST 680
 Dragonite
No. 149
Dragonite
BST 600
 Mew
No. 151
Mew
BST 600
 Articuno
No. 144
Articuno
BST 580
 Zapdos
No. 145
Zapdos
BST 580
 Moltres
No. 146
Moltres
BST 580
 Arcanine
No. 059
Arcanine
BST 555
 Gyarados
No. 130
Gyarados
BST 540
 Snorlax
No. 143
Snorlax
BST 540
 Lapras
No. 131
Lapras
BST 535
 Charizard
No. 006
Charizard
BST 534
 Blastoise
No. 009
Blastoise
BST 530

Key dates

  • Pocket Monsters Red and Green release in Japan on Game Boy.
  • Red and Blue release in North America. Pokémania begins.
  • Pokémon Yellow announced in Japan, leaning into the anime continuity.
  • Pokémon TCG launches in English via Wizards of the Coast.
  • FireRed and LeafGreen remakes ship in North America.
  • Let's Go Pikachu / Eevee return Kanto to the Switch.

Iconic trainers: Brock, Misty, Sabrina, Giovanni, Blue (Rival).

Games in this generation: Red, Blue, Yellow, FireRed, LeafGreen, Let's Go Pikachu, Let's Go Eevee.

Full roster (151 Pokémon)

Bulbasaur No. 001 Bulbasaur Ivysaur No. 002 Ivysaur Venusaur No. 003 Venusaur Charmander No. 004 Charmander Charmeleon No. 005 Charmeleon Charizard No. 006 Charizard Squirtle No. 007 Squirtle Wartortle No. 008 Wartortle Blastoise No. 009 Blastoise Caterpie No. 010 Caterpie Metapod No. 011 Metapod Butterfree No. 012 Butterfree Weedle No. 013 Weedle Kakuna No. 014 Kakuna Beedrill No. 015 Beedrill Pidgey No. 016 Pidgey Pidgeotto No. 017 Pidgeotto Pidgeot No. 018 Pidgeot Rattata No. 019 Rattata Raticate No. 020 Raticate Spearow No. 021 Spearow Fearow No. 022 Fearow Ekans No. 023 Ekans Arbok No. 024 Arbok Pikachu No. 025 Pikachu Raichu No. 026 Raichu Sandshrew No. 027 Sandshrew Sandslash No. 028 Sandslash Nidoran♀ No. 029 Nidoran♀ Nidorina No. 030 Nidorina Nidoqueen No. 031 Nidoqueen Nidoran♂ No. 032 Nidoran♂ Nidorino No. 033 Nidorino Nidoking No. 034 Nidoking Clefairy No. 035 Clefairy Clefable No. 036 Clefable Vulpix No. 037 Vulpix Ninetales No. 038 Ninetales Jigglypuff No. 039 Jigglypuff Wigglytuff No. 040 Wigglytuff Zubat No. 041 Zubat Golbat No. 042 Golbat Oddish No. 043 Oddish Gloom No. 044 Gloom Vileplume No. 045 Vileplume Paras No. 046 Paras Parasect No. 047 Parasect Venonat No. 048 Venonat Venomoth No. 049 Venomoth Diglett No. 050 Diglett Dugtrio No. 051 Dugtrio Meowth No. 052 Meowth Persian No. 053 Persian Psyduck No. 054 Psyduck Golduck No. 055 Golduck Mankey No. 056 Mankey Primeape No. 057 Primeape Growlithe No. 058 Growlithe Arcanine No. 059 Arcanine Poliwag No. 060 Poliwag Poliwhirl No. 061 Poliwhirl Poliwrath No. 062 Poliwrath Abra No. 063 Abra Kadabra No. 064 Kadabra Alakazam No. 065 Alakazam Machop No. 066 Machop Machoke No. 067 Machoke Machamp No. 068 Machamp Bellsprout No. 069 Bellsprout Weepinbell No. 070 Weepinbell Victreebel No. 071 Victreebel Tentacool No. 072 Tentacool Tentacruel No. 073 Tentacruel Geodude No. 074 Geodude Graveler No. 075 Graveler Golem No. 076 Golem Ponyta No. 077 Ponyta Rapidash No. 078 Rapidash Slowpoke No. 079 Slowpoke Slowbro No. 080 Slowbro Magnemite No. 081 Magnemite Magneton No. 082 Magneton Farfetch'd No. 083 Farfetch'd Doduo No. 084 Doduo Dodrio No. 085 Dodrio Seel No. 086 Seel Dewgong No. 087 Dewgong Grimer No. 088 Grimer Muk No. 089 Muk Shellder No. 090 Shellder Cloyster No. 091 Cloyster Gastly No. 092 Gastly Haunter No. 093 Haunter Gengar No. 094 Gengar Onix No. 095 Onix Drowzee No. 096 Drowzee Hypno No. 097 Hypno Krabby No. 098 Krabby Kingler No. 099 Kingler Voltorb No. 100 Voltorb Electrode No. 101 Electrode Exeggcute No. 102 Exeggcute Exeggutor No. 103 Exeggutor Cubone No. 104 Cubone Marowak No. 105 Marowak Hitmonlee No. 106 Hitmonlee Hitmonchan No. 107 Hitmonchan Lickitung No. 108 Lickitung Koffing No. 109 Koffing Weezing No. 110 Weezing Rhyhorn No. 111 Rhyhorn Rhydon No. 112 Rhydon Chansey No. 113 Chansey Tangela No. 114 Tangela Kangaskhan No. 115 Kangaskhan Horsea No. 116 Horsea Seadra No. 117 Seadra Goldeen No. 118 Goldeen Seaking No. 119 Seaking Staryu No. 120 Staryu Starmie No. 121 Starmie Mr. Mime No. 122 Mr. Mime Scyther No. 123 Scyther Jynx No. 124 Jynx Electabuzz No. 125 Electabuzz Magmar No. 126 Magmar Pinsir No. 127 Pinsir Tauros No. 128 Tauros Magikarp No. 129 Magikarp Gyarados No. 130 Gyarados Lapras No. 131 Lapras Ditto No. 132 Ditto Eevee No. 133 Eevee Vaporeon No. 134 Vaporeon Jolteon No. 135 Jolteon Flareon No. 136 Flareon Porygon No. 137 Porygon Omanyte No. 138 Omanyte Omastar No. 139 Omastar Kabuto No. 140 Kabuto Kabutops No. 141 Kabutops Aerodactyl No. 142 Aerodactyl Snorlax No. 143 Snorlax Articuno No. 144 Articuno Zapdos No. 145 Zapdos Moltres No. 146 Moltres Dratini No. 147 Dratini Dragonair No. 148 Dragonair Dragonite No. 149 Dragonite Mewtwo No. 150 Mewtwo Mew No. 151 Mew

Legacy

Every later generation has been read against Gen 1. The 151 number became a cultural shorthand. Mewtwo is still the most-recognized Pokémon outside Pikachu. And the original Red and Blue cartridges still trade for hundreds on the secondhand market because the imprint is that deep.