Viridian City/Anime/Main series

Viridian City was first seen briefly at the end of Pokémon - I Choose You!. It is then visited in Pokémon Emergency!, when Ash Ketchum took his injured to the Pokémon Center here. When entering the town, Ash was stopped by Viridian City's Officer Jenny, who found him suspicious, due to the fact he was carrying Pikachu in his arms and not a Poké Ball. While staying overnight at the Pokémon Center, Ash had his first encounter with the Team Rocket trio: Jessie, James, and. Ash and Pikachu foiled their plot to steal all the in the Pokémon Center, thus beginning Team Rocket's obsession with capturing Ash's Pikachu.

Ash and arrived in Viridian City in The Misty Mermaid, but quickly left for the Cerulean Gym after they noticed that Misty's Horsea looked unwell while it was swimming in a local fountain.

They returned to Viridian in The Battle of the Badge, and noticed that the Pokémon Center that had exploded at the end of Pokémon Emergency! has been rebuilt. They found the Viridian Gym, but before Ash could to fight the Gym Leader, arrived and d  first. After was carried off by a, Ash and his friends went looking for it, only to find it inside the Gym. They then noticed that Gary and his entourage were badly injured due to 's attacks. Giovanni is forced to leave the Gym following an emergency call, and he puts Jessie, James and Meowth in charge. After Ash fought and won a difficult and dangerous battle with Team Rocket, the Gym collapsed due to Togepi blowing up the stands. Ash picked up the Team Rocket lost. Afterwards, Ash and his friends left.

After the Silver Conference, Viridian was once again revisited, in Gotta Catch Ya Later!, only some things had changed. Most notably, the Nurse Joy who worked at the Viridian Center in Pokémon Emergency! had retired and 's bike had been fixed. After a battle with Team Rocket, as well as a trio of hired thugs, they left Viridian City.

Ash later passed through Viridian on his way home in The Scheme Team, after the Ever Grande Conference. Visiting the site of the rebuilt Viridian Gym, circumstances ended up bringing him to the battlefield for a friendly one-on-one challenge with the temporary Gym Leader, Kanto Elite Four member Agatha. It is also here that Ash met up with Scott, the owner of the and decided to take the Battle Frontier challenge.