The Very Best Holiday

Adventurers, I’m freaking out. The coolest thing has happened and I can no longer contain my excitement. This sort of thing normally never happens and my heart is ready to burst from my chest. I have won a contest!

You have to understand, I never win these sort of random-draw, lottery-style competitions. Whenever my name is in a hat, that hat holds so tightly onto my name that I could never possibly be chosen for victory. Spherical objects with numbers that would grant me victory have been bribed by major corporations to favor someone else. It’s either that or my great-grandmother hogged all of the family’s luck and left nothing for the rest of us. But finally, my day has come. I have won an all-expenses-paid holiday to the video game universe of my choice. Talk about a prize!

Now if you’ve been an adventurer for awhile, you may remember that I chose my vacation destination some time ago: the distant land of Rogueport and its surrounding attractions. But I guess I talked it up a little too much, because when I chose that as the location for my free holiday the Video Game Travel Commission was like “sorry, dude, Rogueport is booked up for the next eleven years. You’ll have to pick some other place.” Frustrated but accepting, I had to give some thought to where else I would want to travel if given the opportunity to visit a video game world.

It took me some time to really figure it out. This was the first and probably only all-expenses-paid vacation I would ever win – I had to take advantage of it and use the opportunity wisely. This holiday had to be the very best, that no one ever was. I knew it was my destiny to travel across the land – but which land to choose? I had to catch a boat to somewhere special but I couldn’t catch ’em all. This was it – my real test. After searching far and wide, I finally found the perfect place: the Kanto region in the world of Pokemon.

Kanto has a lot of great reasons to visit. Imagine – you travel to the closest port and hop aboard the iconic S.S. Anne, the cruise ship that transports passengers from distant regions to Kanto’s Vermillion City. While on the ship you can hang out with the other passengers and even catch your first glimpse of a few Pokemon battles. You can also meet the ship’s captain and learn the art of Cutting flimsy trees which will no doubt get in your way during your travels.

Once you dock in Vermillion City, there’s a lot of cool places to visit. The Pokemon Fan Club is located here, and you know you want to be a member of that. This is also the home of the third Pokemon gym, the infamous home of Lieutenant Surge, the Lightning American. You can go visit the gym and try to solve the trash can puzzle which has stumped countless Pokemon trainers and caused them to throw their Game Boys in frustration. Finally, if you’re a fan of spelunking, you can check out Diglett’s Cave on the east side of town and see the mischievous ground-type Pokemon for yourself.

The great thing about Vermillion is that it is just south of Saffron City, which is sort of the central hub of the Kanto region. Once you’ve reached Saffron you can go from there to all kinds of major locations from the original Pokemon game. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, because there are certainly some cool attractions in Saffron City as well.

For those who didn’t obtain a Pokemon yet from Vermillion City, Saffron is a great place to come because the Fighting Dojo frequently gives trainers their choice between the mighty Pokemon Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan (hint: choose Hitmonlee). There’s also a psychic-type Pokemon gym here led by Sabrina (not the teenage witch) where a series of teleporters can help you get lost to your heart’s content. It’s like a free Escape Room!

If you’re more interested in practical matters, Saffron City also hosts the Silph Co. This company makes a number of essential goods for your daily life like refrigerators, washing machines, and a device that lets you see ghosts. You definitely want to pick up one of those bad boys for when you inevitably travel to Lavender Town, where a tower full of the spirits of departed Pokemon serves as the main attraction.

North of Saffron City is Cerulean City, which is the home of one of the most popular gym leaders in Pokemon history, Misty. She runs a gym of water-type Pokemon, and it’s a blast to watch them use exciting aquatic moves like Splash, Peck, and Tackle. North of the city is Nugget Bridge, a place where trainers can participate in a fearsome gauntlet of matches in order to earn a valuable golden nugget. If you’re strapped for cash during your all-expenses-paid holiday, this is the place to get some quick money. There’s also Bill’s House on the other side of the bridge, but you shouldn’t waste your time going there.
West of Saffron is Celadon City, and this is the place to be if shopping is your jam. Celadon City has a massive mall with multiple stories which has all the Pokemon merchandise you can imagine. Whether you just want decorative plushies or you want the items necessary to become a Pokemon master, Celadon is the place to find what you need. There’s also a vending machine here where you can get lemonade; it’s basically the only place in the entire Pokemon world where you can buy a drink if you’re thirsty. So Celadon will be an important part of your trip.

East of Saffron is Fuschia City, a place which by itself is unremarkable but it is adjacent to something pretty special: the Safari Zone. This is effectively the zoo of the Pokemon world, a place where you can check out the most exotic Pokemon in the Kanto region while they are in their natural habitat. If you’re a nature lover, this is one place you don’t want to miss! Just keep your eyes open for the curator’s dentures.

When you finally decide to stray from central Kanto, there’s a few other interesting places to check out. If you like hiking, for example, Cinnabar Island features a pretty great volcano you can climb. There’s also Mt Silver for those who like their hiking experience to be a little more chilly. Of course, to even get there, you need to pass by the Pokemon League, where the best of the best battle to become the Champion of the whole nation. A role which I can only assume is also the political leader of Kanto, since there is no sign of structure except for the gym leaders and the Elite Four. So if you want to become the supreme ruler of a country, this is the place to work for it!

Alright, well, enough talking up this vacation! I’m going on holiday before this one gets booked up too. If you enjoyed today’s post, adventurers, you should go and visit The Gaming Diaries and say thanks for submitting this question as part of the ongoing Charming and Open event. Their answer to my question should be coming soon, so be sure to check that out and don’t forget to come on Wednesday to see my answer to the next question!