- If you were looking for the location in Pokémon Channel, see Viridian Forest (Channel).
Viridian Forest (Japanese: トキワのもり Tokiwa Forest) is a forest which lies between Viridian City and Pewter City in the middle of Route 2 with both the north and south entrances of Viridian Forest open to the route. The deep and sprawling forest is said to be a natural maze as many people get lost inside. The trees in the forest are so thick that little light gets in, and because of this the forest is full of Bug- and Template:Type2 Pokémon that attract Bug Catchers and other Trainers.
In Generation II, Viridian Forest no longer exists as a standalone area and has been replaced with a maze of standard trees, containing items and Berry trees, which is now a part of Route 2. The maze forms roughly the same design as before and the items are placed similarly to those located in Generations I and III. However, in the Generation IV remakes, the forest is re-expanded into the state of an actual dungeon, with five Trainers added, and with Pokémon similar to that of Pokémon Yellow.
Viridian Forest is a deep and sprawling woodland expanding across Route 2 reaching to Pewter City in the north and to Viridian City in the south, giving the forest its name. The trees in this area have grown so dense that light has trouble getting through, and because of this the forest seems dark and gloomy. The path across to each terminus winds its way around the dense layers of trees, creating a giant labyrinth many liken to a natural maze, as many people get lost inside. The entrance to the forest seems to be light and airy: the trees are not as thick and sunlight is able to get in fine. The trees stand tall and the grass appears to be long and unmaintained, while trees in the distance appear to be shadowed.
Because of its dark and shady environment, Viridian Forest hosts a large array of different Template:Type2 Pokémon. They are not particularly powerful, but they will cause status ailments such as paralysis and poison. It is advised from sign posts and even from other Trainers that Trainers should buy status ailment healing items such as Antidote and Parlyz Heal before entering the forest. Pokémon such as Caterpie, Weedle, Metapod, and Kakuna inhabit trees and tall grass, allowing themselves to stay hidden from predators. Viridian Forest is also one of the locations where Trainers can seek wild Pikachu as well as under-leveled Pidgeotto, making the forest a very exclusive place to find Pokémon. Bug Catchers, that own common bug Pokémon such as Caterpie and Weedle, come here in groups from Viridian and Pewter to battle and train.
In the anime
Viridian Forest appeared in multiple episodes of the Pokémon anime. It was first shown in Ash Catches a Pokémon, where Ash caught his first two Pokémon: Caterpie and Pidgeotto. Ash effortlessly catches the Caterpie by tossing a Poké Ball at in the last episode. Even before the celebrations for Ash catching his first Pokémon could start, he spots yet another Pokémon, a Pidgeotto. Ash uses his Pikachu, knocking it out, and Ash easily makes his second capture. At the end of the episode, Caterpie starts covering itself with some fluids and becomes brighter and brighter. It then starts to grow, and finally, becomes a Metapod!
The forest was also the setting of the following episode, where it was the location of Ash's first proper trainer battle. Ash spots a Weedle and decides to catch it. He uses Pidgeotto against it, but a person dressed as a samurai arrives on scene. The wild Weedle escapes and the samurai rebukes Ash for it. The two then engage themselves in a Pokémon battle. Suddenly, a swarm of Beedrill arrive and lift Ash's Metapod away. The samurai takes Ash, Misty and their other Pokémon to a safe place. The next day, the group start their search for Metapod. They soon find it on a tree among many Kakuna. Ash joyously goes to Metapod to take him back in his team and it soon evolves into a Butterfree.
Later in the series, Ash released his Pidgeot here in Pallet Party Panic!. As the gang leave through the Viridian Forest, Ash and his friends are attacked by a flock of Spearow. The flock’s leader is a Fearow, which apparently evolved from the Spearow that Ash hit with a rock on the first day of his journey. Ash climbs a tree to escape and finds Team Rocket with a flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto who are in a turf war with the flock of Spearow. Ash sends out Pidgeotto to lead the Pidgey flock against the Spearow flock. In the course of the battle, Ash’s Pidgeotto evolves into a Pidgeot. Pidgeot and Pikachu team up to defeat the Fearow and its gang. Ash then decides to leave Pidgeot in the forest to look after the Pidgey and Pidgeotto.
In the Pokémon Adventures manga
Many important people were born here, including Lance, Giovanni, and Yellow. It is said that people born in Viridian Forest are given special powers. Lance and Yellow both share the power to heal Pokémon using physical touch as well as to read the minds of Pokémon. Yellow can also move inanimate objects, namely Poké Balls, as well as raise her Pokémon's levels using the power of the Viridian Forest (although this power seems involuntary and temporary). Giovanni has yet to display any special powers.
The forest is first visited in The Secret of Kangaskhan (Red, Green & Blue arc) by Red and Blue. In their search for Pokémon, they encounter a wild Kangaskhan and its baby. Other Pokémon that appear in Viridian Forest are Kangaskhan, Venomoth, Caterpie, Dratini (origin unknown, but definitely not from Viridian Forest), Golem and Weezing (brought by Giovanni), and Mew.
