For many of us who adore the Pokémon franchise and its ever-growing world, the region of Kanto was where everything began. The setting of Pokémon Red and Blue - and Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen and Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! since then - is likely just as fresh in the mind of the series' biggest fans as the famous monsters themselves.

Indeed, if you're anything like this particular writer, you'll have played those original Game Boy classics while imagining the world as a real, living place. From Pallet Town and Pewter City to the frosty depths of Seafoam Islands, Kanto feels like it could really be out there somewhere, and artist Simone Mändl has started to reimagine the region as if this really was the case.

You can find her work on Instagram or on her ArtStation page, both of which showcase the pieces currently making up a 'Kanto in real life' series. The series started with this painting of the player's house and Professor Oak's lab, where Simone revealed that it was actually seeing the Detective Pikachu movie which inspired the new works.

From there, each piece moves on to the next area you come across in the games. We see our rival's house, Route 1, our first glimpse of a Poké Mart, and onwards to the Pewter City Gym.

At the time of writing, the most recent piece shows off the Cerulean City Gym (below). If you'd like to check out more from the series and keep up to date with new pieces as they arrive, we'd urge you to give Simone a follow.

What do you think? A nice take on the Pokémon world? We particularly like the Poké Mart and Bike Shop pieces ourselves.