Kanto Route 1/Anime/Main series

Route 1 was introduced in Pokémon - I Choose You!. , who had just received his and was still trying to get a handle on the rebellious Pokémon, set off on his journey, beginning with Route 1. He first found a and was eager to  it, but Pikachu didn't want to help him and instead ran up a tree. Frustrated, Ash decided to try to catch the Pidgey without Pikachu's help. He threw a Poké Ball at it, but the Pidgey broke out easily and fled. Ash turned and saw a digging through his bag.

Ash turned and saw a group of Pidgey in the field; he threw a rock at them, which only scared them away. However, he saw another bird Pokémon in the field, mistook it for another Pidgey, and threw another rock at it, which hit it in the back of its head. When it turned to look at him, however, he realized that he actually hit a. The Spearow swooped several times to attack him and Pikachu.

As the Spearow chased Ash and Pikachu, two herds of Pokémon that do not appear on this route in the were seen:  and.

After jumping in the river, narrowly evading an attack from a Magikarp and Gyarados, Ash and Pikachu met, who was fishing for Water Pokémon. He stole her bike, putting the injured Pikachu in its basket, and rode away, promising that he would bring it back someday. They were attacked once again by the Spearow, but Pikachu used a massive electrical attack to take out the entire flock. Once the storm cleared, Ash and Pikachu both rose from where they were knocked back on the ground, exhausted but victorious. Ash looked up and saw majestically flying through the sky, over the rainbow that had been left after the storm, but his Pokédex could not identify the species.

Route 1 was also briefly seen in The Dream Continues! while Ash and Alexa passed it on their way to Pallet Town.