Ecruteak City (Japanese: エンジュシティEnju City) is an old-fashioned city located in northern Johto, situated in the woods between tall Mt. Mortar and the open fields near Johto's western shores.
Ecruteak City in Gold and Silver
As with many of the larger cities in the Pokémon world, Ecruteak has a Pokémon Gym, led by Morty, who specializes in Ghost-type Pokémon and hands out the Fog Badge to those who defeat him.
Ecruteak is known as a historical and mythical city; fittingly, its buildings all feature traditional Japanese architecture, while the tallest building in the city, and perhaps all of Johto, is the ten-story Bell Tower in the city's northeast corner, built nearly a millennium before the events of the games. The city is known as being a centerpoint of the legendary Pokémon native to the Johto region, with the great Ho-Oh once being said to have roosted atop the Bell Tower, and having created three legendary beasts of the Pokémon who perished when the Brass Tower burned down.
The Kimono Dance Theater is where the Kimono Girls dance and battle. The director will give the player the HM for Surf in Generation II, after defeating the Kimono Girls, and in Generation IV, after defeating a rude Team Rocket Grunt. Each of the five Kimono Girls has an evolution of Eevee: Vaporeon, Flareon, Jolteon, Espeon, and Umbreon. In Generation II, the player can freely choose their order of facing Kimono Girls. In Generation IV however, each of the Kimono Girls fight in a synchronized order, and the player must go through multiple battles until all five are defeated.
Trainers with a telephone symbol by their names will give their Pokégear number to the player, and may call or be called for a rematch with higher-level Pokémon.
The sad remains of this once-great tower, in the northwestern corner of the city, are all that is left after a fire engulfed it 150 years before the events of the games. It was once as majestic as the Bell Tower to the east, with the two towers representative of where Pokémon awakened and where they slept.
According to some legends, Lugia once perched on this tower; however, others place Lugia as always living in the Whirl Islands. Three legendary beasts make their home in the basement of the tower, given new life after it burned down by Ho-Oh, who once perched atop the Bell Tower.
Promotional artwork by Midori Harada for HeartGold and SoulSilver
The player's rival, exploring the area, will challenge him or her a third time when he or she arrives here.
Burned Tower
It was destroyed by a mysterious fire.
Please stay away, as it is unsafe.
Barrier Station to Bell Tower
The Barrier Station to Bell Tower is located in the north of Ecruteak City. This gate houses three sages, collectively called the Wise Trio (Japanese: ３にんしゅうgroup of 3 men). It serves to prevent the player proceeding to Bell Tower until they have the Fog Badge. In Pokémon Crystal, the three sages battle the player before allowing passage.
Barrier Station to Bell Tower
No Trespassing by the Unworthy
Trainers with a telephone symbol by their names will give their Pokégear number to the player, and may call or be called for a rematch with higher-level Pokémon.
Bellchime Trail is a short path between Ecruteak City and the Bell Tower. In Generation II, it was unnamed and simply considered a part of Ecruteak City.
A majestic tower to the east, the Bell Tower is where Ho-Oh was once said to roost. With the Rainbow Wing, the player is able to prove to Ho-Oh that he or she is a pure-hearted person who will bring Pokémon and people back into harmony with one another.
On the first floor, Suicune lingers in Pokémon Crystal, awaiting the player's arrival with a Clear Bell.
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.
Trivia
"When my Pokémon got sick, the pharmacist in Ecruteak made some medicine for me."
An inaccessible house in Olivine City features an NPC that claims that a pharmacist in Ecruteak made medicine for her Pokémon. As the pharmacy is in Cianwood City instead, this house, which must be hacked to enter, may feature either a mistranslation or evidence of the pharmacy being in Ecruteak during the development builds of the original Gold and Silver.
Early beta maps of Ecruteak suggest that the Magnet Train ran through the city as well, possibly instead of through Goldenrod City. The reason they may have considered this could have to do with the fact that Kyoto, the city that Ekruteak City is based on, has its own railway system.
