Kanto Route 23

Route 23 (Japanese: ２３ばんどうろ Route 23), is a route in northwest Kanto, connecting Indigo Plateau to and.

Southern segment
Heading north from the Pokémon League Front Gate, which houses the first Badge checkpoint, Route 23 heads northeast, passing through the first of many archways on the route as well as the second checkpoint. Northwest of this point is the second archway and the third checkpoint. The main path of the road then heads north, taking a slight northeast alignment as it approaches the third archway and the fourth checkpoint on the bank of a waterway that effectively separates the route into two halves.

Directly north of the fourth checkpoint is checkpoint five, in the shadow of archway four. Northeast of this location, past an island in the water that splits the channel into two, is the next archway/checkpoint. The route continues north, making landfall northeast of the sixth checkpoint.

In this area, Route 23 is dotted with grassy patches and boulders, creating a unique look not seen anywhere else in Kanto outside the. North of the scenery, the route encounters the seventh checkpoint underneath the final archway on the route.

Route 23 turns to the northwest, passing the final patch of grass on the road before returning to a north-south alignment several paces south of the final checkpoint. Just north of the checkpoint is the south entrance to Victory Road.

Northern segment
The route heads north from Victory Road's northern portal, arriving at a series of stones intended to create a maze. On the other side of the maze, Route 23 ascends a series of stairs before arriving at the front door to Indigo Plateau.

Differences among generations
Only minor cosmetic differences exist between the Generation I games and.

In the Generation II games and, Route 23 became unnecessary due to the addition of the Pokémon League Reception Gate on , being reduced to an extremely short path that takes 7/17 steps connecting the front door of Indigo Plateau with the northern entrance of Victory Road. The remakes reclassified Route 23 as part of Indigo Plateau, although there is still unused location data for Route 23.

Trivia

 * The background music, titled The Final Road, is rearranged from the prelude to the game's opening and title screen theme.
 * Because the tilesets were not changed between versions of the Generation I games, the signpost outside the southern entrance to kept its design from  in  and, as well as in every localized release of the Generation I games.
 * In, , riding the Bicycle here will not change the background music. In FireRed and LeafGreen only, using will not change the background music either.
 * In the Japanese versions of HeartGold and SoulSilver, the unused data for Route 23 includes a scrapped map blurb consisting of generic development text, "Dummy Guide Message" (Japanese: ダミーのガイドメッセージ), which is also shared with the Rocket Hideout, Goldenrod Tunnel, Dragon's Den, Cliff Cave, and a KGR Map (Japanese: ＫＧＲマップ).

Route 23 (Kanto) Ruta 23 (Kanto) Route 23 (Kanto) Percorso 23 (Kanto) 23ばんどうろ (カントー地方) ２３号道路（关都）