Pallet Town (Japanese: マサラタウンMasara Town) is a small town located in southwestern Kanto. It is the hometown of the player and their rival in the Kanto-based games. In other games, it is specifically the hometown of Red and Blue. In the anime, it is the hometown of Ash and Gary. Professor Oak's Laboratory, where the famous Professor Oak conducts his research, is located in the town.
In the southeast corner of town is Professor Oak's Lab. Here, Pokémon Trainers just beginning their quest are given the choice to receive either a Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle from Professor Oak. On the occasion that Professor Oak is out of the previously listed Pokémon, he has been seen to hand out Pikachu and Eevee. This is also the location of the player's first battle, which was against their rival, BlueRBYFRLG or TracePE.
The lab is a small building near the player's house that has been slightly modified in every game. In Pokémon Red and Blue the sign says "Here is the Institute of Dr. Okido." in Japanese, and "Oak Pokémon Research Lab" in the English language versions. Inside are three of Professor Oak's aides, two men and one woman, a couple of shelves full of books, a table with three Poké Balls, a computer, two blank Pokédexes, and two tips for the player. In Pokémon Yellow the lab is the same as Red and Blue, except there is only one Poké Ball on the table, and next to the table stands a trash can. In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, other than the significant graphical enhancements, the laboratory also has two plants in the entrance, a mysterious machine, books on the floor, two regular machines in the corner, and a window.
Inside Red's house in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
Generations I, III, and VII
In GenerationsI, III, and VII, this house is where the player lives before beginning their journey. The player's Mom lives here, and after the player has left town for the first time, going home and talking to her will fully rest/restore all of the player's Pokémon, just like a Pokémon Center. In Generation I, the player's bedroom has a PC, a bed, and a TV with an SNES hooked up to it. It serves no other purpose, although the PC can be used to access the player's item storage, where a single Potion can be found and withdrawn from at the start of the game. In Generation III, the player's house features an enhanced version of the bedroom from Generation I. The only difference is the SNES being replaced with an NES. In Generation VII, with the removal of the item storage function, the player's PC displays an email from their friend and rival. In addition, the SNES from Generation I is replaced with a docked Nintendo Switch, with a single left Joy-Con next to it.
In Generations I and III, before going down the stairs, there is a sign on the wall that reminds the player how to open the Bag. This sign's purpose is replaced in Generation VII by the PC's email. In Generation I, a movie is shown on the first-floor television involving four boys walking on railroad tracks, possibly a reference to the film Stand by Me; however, in Generations III and VII, this will only appear if the player is a male. If the player is a female, the television will display a girl in pigtails walking down a yellow brick road, possibly a reference to the film The Wizard of Oz.
Generations II and IV
In Generations II and IV, Red's mother is alone in the house, telling the player how worried she is about Red, but also how proud she is of him. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, the graphical features have also been updated to the Generation IV standard since Gold, Silver, and Crystal. On the ground floor, there is a table with a large mug of tea sitting on it, a bigger TV, bookshelves, and a kitchen area located on the northwestern side of the room containing a refrigerator and a sink. On the upstairs floor is Red's bedroom, which contains a study desk with a laptop computer sitting on it, a Nintendo 64 or Wii, depending on the Generation, three bookshelves, and a single bed in the southwestern corner. Examining the laptop shows that the items in the room are collecting dust, as if they haven't been used in a long time.
Rival's house
In Generations I and III, after the Pokédex has been given to the player by Professor Oak, the rival's sister will give the player a Town Map. In Generation III, Daisy will check the lead Pokémon's friendship and offer to groom a Pokémon in the player's party. She can only groom one Pokémon for every 500 steps the player takes. In Generation VII, Daisy is replaced by the nameless sister of their childhood friend. While she does not groom Pokémon, she can still evaluate the friendship between the player and any Pokémon in their party.
In Generations II and IV, Daisy will help the player comb their Pokémon, causing its friendship to be raised. In Generation IV, she'll give the player Blue's Pokégear phone number so the player can call and arrange a rematch with him at the Fighting Dojo. Also returning from previous generations, Daisy will groom one of the player's Pokémon for free once daily between 3:00 and 4:00 PM. As in Generation II, it will raise a Pokémon's friendship greatly; however, it will also raise the Pokémon's Beauty stat. This is not displayed anywhere in-game, and the Pokémon must be seen in Diamond, Pearl, or Platinum to notice. Despite this, Feebas whose Beauty is maxed out this way can evolve into Milotic, unlike in FireRed and LeafGreen, where the Beauty stat did not exist in any shape or form. As a reference to Daisy's enjoyment of tea in Generation III, a large mug of tea sits on her table. In Generation IV only, the rival's house has a second story that mirrors the player's house, much like their Hoenn and Sinnoh counterparts.
Demographics
Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow
Pallet Town's population is 8 (not including the player and the rival, who leave Pallet Town at the beginning of the game). This low number is likely due to its lack of amenities like a Gym or Pokémon Center and its isolation from the center of Kanto. This makes it the smallest town in Kanto.
Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal
Pallet Town's population remains 8, making it the smallest town in Kanto.
Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen
As in the original games, Pallet Town's population is 8 (not including the player and the rival, who leave Pallet Town at the beginning of the game). This makes it the smallest town in Kanto.
Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
As in the original games, Pallet Town's population remains 8, making it the smallest town in Kanto.
Pokémon Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!
Just like in all the aforementioned games, Pallet Town's population is 8 (not including the player and rival), once again making it the smallest town in Kanto.
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.
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.
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.
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
Generations I and III
Pallet Town is very consistent in the way of layout. The square-shaped town with three buildings remains the same between Generations I and III, only enhancing aesthetic features. 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 tell Trainers the same messages. However, there is a woman in front of the signpost on the southwestern field that will move out of a Trainer's way when interacted with. In the Generation I to III transition, the garden in front of Professor Oak's Lab is removed, while other houses in Pallet have mailboxes instead of signs.
Professor Oak's Lab has gone through some slight remodeling. In Generation I, inside are three of Professor Oak's aides, two men and one woman, a couple of shelves full of books, a table with three Poké Balls, a computer, two blank Pokédexes, and two tips for the player, while in Generation III, other than the significant graphical enhancements, the laboratory also has two plants in the entrance, a mysterious machine, books on the floor, two regular machines in the corner, and a window. Changes in Red's and Blue's houses also sufficed. In Generation III, the player's bedroom features an enhanced version of the bedroom from Generation I with the SNES being replaced with an NES.
Generation II
During Generation II, Pallet Town had little changes done to the layout. Despite the graphical updates, the town remained totally unchanged save for the movement of the tall grass in the north. Daisy, the sister of Blue, who is living in Blue's house, will comb the player's Pokémon, causing its friendship to be raised. Daisy will groom one of the player's Pokémon for free once daily between 3:00 and 4:00 PM. Red's mom also appears in Generation II, telling the player how worried she is about Red, but also how proud she is of him.
Generation IV
During Generation IV, Pallet Town had surprisingly little change in layout. Despite the graphical updates, the town remained unchanged. As in Generation II, Daisy will groom the player's Pokémon between 3 and 4 PM and will give away Blue's Pokégear number if she is shown a Pokémon that is already very friendly and has a high Beauty condition.
Pallet Town is the hometown of Ash and his rivalGary. Just like in the games, Professor Oak's Laboratory is located in Pallet Town. Ash always returns here before visiting a new region. Pallet Town is depicted in the anime as having dirt trails and wide, open, grassy fields. Pallet Town debuted in the first episode, Pokémon - I Choose You!, when Ash received his Pikachu. Since then, it has been seen in many episodes, mostly in the start and ending of a region adventure, but also in Pokémon Chronicles and in the movies.
Professor Oak's Laboratory stands out in Pallet Town for its wind turbine, the three windows of the inner balcony, and for the four windows of the second floor. Every time Ash catches a Pokémon when he has six already with him, the new Pokémon is automatically transported here. Ash also has a habit of leaving all of his Pokémon besides Pikachu here each time he leaves for a new region, starting with Hoenn. The lab is composed of two floors. Inside the entrance door is a hallway with several doors, and to the left is a chest of drawers and the stairway to the second floor. The Oak Corral is a natural environment for Pokémon development. It is divided into regions according to type; there are areas that are perfect for Rock-type Pokémon, desert areas for Ground and Fire types, grassy regions, and several lakes. Sometimes the Pokémon don't get along; for this reason, some Pokémon, such as Ash's Bulbasaur, act as mediators between quarreling Pokémon.
The Xanadu Nursery is another location close to Pallet Town. The nursery is a large greenhouse that is home to various flowers and plants. Among them is a flower that contains Stun Spore. Two of the nursery's employees are Florinda Showers and Potter. Along with Florinda's Gloom, they help to make sure the operations at Xanadu run smoothly. While training for the Pokémon League in Make Room for Gloom, Ash's mom requested that her son help her run some errands and visit the nursery. Ash and his friends took off, not wanting to help with Delia's plans. Eventually, they ended up at the very place she requested them to be at.
An old woman named Masae runs the Pallet Town's radio station, WPOK, from her general store. Other residents of Pallet Town include Gilbert, Mr. Garrison, Mr. Tango, and Ms. Owens.
Ash has left for another region on an airplane in both In The Shadow of Zekrom! and The Dream Continues! shortly after visiting Pallet Town; however, whether an airport is actually located in the town itself or not is unknown.
Gallery
Ash's house
Professor Oak's Laboratory
WPOK radio station
Pokémon Origins
Pallet Town in Pokémon Origins
Pallet Town made a couple of appearances in Pokémon Origins, being the hometown of Red and Blue. It first appeared in File 1: Red, where both Red and Blue were seen receiving a Pokédex each from Professor Oak, after which they got to choose their first partner Pokémon. Red chose Charmander, while Blue chose Squirtle to counter Red's choice. Afterwards, both Red and Blue departed Pallet Town and started gathering information on their Pokédexes.
Pallet Town's next major appearance was in File 4: Charizard, where Red returned to Professor Oak's Laboratory to tell him how he had completed his Pokédex, only to find out that Blue had been injured during a battle against an unknown Pokémon at Cerulean Cave, during which his own Pokédex had also gotten destroyed. Red soon understood that the mysterious Pokémon was, in fact, Mewtwo, a genetically enhanced version of a rare Pokémon called Mew. In order to add Mewtwo's data to the Pokédex, Red headed to Cerulean Cave, where he battled and, with extreme effort, successfully caught Mewtwo. During a small party held by Professor Oak to celebrate the completion of the Pokédex, Red realized that since Mewtwo was created from Mew, he still had to go find and catch Mew in order to make the Pokédex truly complete.
Pallet Town appeared in The Discovery. Green met Professor Oak at his research laboratory, apologizing for having failed to complete the Pokédex. Professor Oak, however, revealed that other Pallet Town Trainers had been taking on the same project as well, and thanks to them, the Pokédex was now complete. Just then, he received a call from a colleague of his, who informed him of a new Pokémon made entirely of metal. However, when Professor Oak turned around to share the news with Green, Elaine, and Trace, he was surprised to see them having already left. Outside, Elaine's Pikachu picked her Trainer a bouquet of flowers as the three Trainers headed out together.
Pallet Town is located in the unnamed country whose capital is Tokyo City. In this country, children are considered to become adults when they reach 10 years old. However, there is not much work available for people that young in Pallet Town, so they usually become Pokémon Trainers instead.
Sometimes, Trainers from Pallet Town can be found at the bottom of the list of the 10,000 best Trainers from the Pokémon Pals magazine. When a Pokémon Trainer from Pallet Town is featured on the list, they are considered heroes in the town. There are parties in honor of them, and they featured in the local paper Weekly Pallet Town News. There is a single supermarket in Pallet Town, which offers bargain sales in honor of those Trainers.
In Japanese, Pallet Town used to be named Masshiro Town. The name was changed to Pallet Town (Japanese: マサラタウン Masara Town) as a result of a local referendum, after Pallet Oak (Japanese: オーキド・マサラ Masara Ohkido) got the 931st place in the ranking, the first Pokémon Trainer from the town to make into the top 1000. A bronze statue of him was also erected in the town square, and he was elected the mayor of Pallet Town. The town square also has a bell that rings at 9 AM. It is unknown if the bell rings some other time as well.
Pallet Town has had successive generations of mayors from the Oak family, who have been revered in the town. Professor Oak is the great-great-grandson of Pallet Oak. Professor Oak is the youngest of three brothers. His eldest brother is the current mayor, and the second eldest runs the Pallet Town post office. Professor Oak's grandson is Gary Oak.
It may be implied that Professor Oak's great-great-grandfather Pallet Oak was an accomplished Pokémon Trainer before the invention of Poké Balls and the existence of the term "Pokémon" or "Pocket Monsters", since Poké Balls were created in 1925 and this name for those creatures was created after Poké Balls.
There are several Pokémon Trainers from Pallet Town who share the dream of beating Pallet Oak's ranking of 931st place and have the town renamed after them. Ash Ketchum aims to rename Pallet Town into Ash Town (Japanese: サトシタウン Satoshi Town), while Gary Oak aims to rename it into Gary Town (Japanese: シゲルタウン Shigeru Town).
Ash's mother Delia runs the Pallet House, the only restaurant in town. It also has an inn on the second floor. There is also a single convenience store in town. In Pallet Town, only women are known to prepare meals. It is said that single men and married men who fight with their wives have no option but to eat in the restaurant or buy a bentō from the convenience store.
There have been no notable crimes in Pallet Town over the last 100 years. For this reason, they have no police officers or police station. Instead, they have a patrol of fire fighters.
There is also a preschool and a school, which Ash Ketchum attended when he was younger.
Pallet Town appeared in Pikachu, I See You!. As in the anime, it is Ash's hometown. After catching a Pikachu that had been sucking electricity from his home's wiring, Ash found out that Gary had already gotten himself a Pokémon Trainer's license, inspiring him to begin his own Pokémon journey with Pikachu, receiving a Town Map from Gary's sister, May, before departing.
According to Gary, Pikachu are commonly found around Pallet Town.
Pallet Town first appeared in A Glimpse of the Glow, Bulbasaur, Come Home!, and The Secret of Kangaskhan as the hometown of Red and Blue, as well as the place where Professor Oak's Laboratory is located. After demonstaring his skills as a Pokémon Trainer to the local children by catching a Nidorino, Red overheard some Team Rocket Grunts talking about a rare Pokémon they were trying to capture. He went to look for said Pokémon as well and discovered that it was actually Mew, who defeated his Poliwhirl in an instant. He subsequently went to visit Professor Oak's Laboratory, where he ended up accidentally letting the Pokémon kept there escape, forcing him and Professor Oak to chase them.
In Ponyta Tale, received a letter from Bruno, inviting him for a battle at Mt. Moon. A month later, Red's Pikachu, Pika, returned to Professor Oak, covered in injuries. Almost immediately afterwards, Yellow came and took Pika with her, telling Professor Oak that she was going to find Red. Although Professor Oak was suspicious of her at first, he eventually allowed her to take Pika with her on her journey.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga, Pallet Town is famous for being the hometown of many great Trainers, including Professor Oak. In fact, every Trainer who has ever won the Indigo PlateauPokémon League tournament has come from Pallet Town.
In Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, Red's bedroom features an area rug around his bed that is red in color. Blue's bedroom features a similar area rug, which is instead green in color. This is a reference to Blue's Japanese name, Green.
