As a resident of Kalos, I’m spending the morning relaxing in Cafe? Woof with my Furfrou and Froakie, sipping on a fresh latte, reading the new issue of Poke?mon Breeder to my Poke?mon. Of course, just like every other morning, it’s all ruined by a large tourist with a thick Unova accent and ketchup-stained Pikachu shirt.
He decides I should be the one to strike up a conversation with. I roll my eyes and tend to my Froakie, but he doesn’t take the hint. My loud sigh doesn’t deter him from taking the empty seat across from me either. It starts out simple enough, as he asks me where the best place to grab lunch is in the metropolis, Lumiose City, and how to get to Santalune City. Trying to be polite, I give him the answers he’s looking for.
I quickly get back to reading my issue aloud. He looked a bit annoyed, but the truth is that I really need my morning to myself and my companions. Let me explain the Kalos lifestyle to those who are unfamiliar with it.
We simply have a different way of doing things and it works for us. The mentality in Kalos is that there are better things to do than train all the time. Poke?mon get more than enough experience from watching their peers battle, cutting down the whole grinding experience significantly. And there are more than enough ways to spend the time that is freed up as a result. Maybe making a trainer PR video or finding the best deal on a hat isn’t for everyone, but it beats fighting Zubats in the dark for 40 minutes.
What is really great about being a trainer in Kalos though, is getting to explore the region and seeing how gorgeous it all looks. The cities, the architecture, the flora, the music…it’s all like a whole new dimension.
It is hard to not be a bustling socialite. Wherever I turn I seem to run into a new trainer who wants either to be my friend, battle, or a thousand things in between. This makes the one-on-one time with my Poke?mon that much more precious. People here take great care of their Poke?mon friends, often dedicating time and attention to designing special diets or conducting rigorous special training that is particular to their Poke?mon’s needs.
Kalos is a huge region with many towns, each boasting countless clothing stores, mansions, restaurants, and hotels for even the most casual trainer to experience. The region is so big that trainers are each given three Poke?dexes. Trainers cannot help but be on their feet all the time, constantly exploring something new.
So you see, it’s necessary to spend our mornings by ourselves here in Kalos. There is simply so much to do that one must take a deep breath before stepping up to the challenge of becoming the Poke?mon Master. If you crave exciting, invigorating adventure — and I assure you, this would be nothing less — then I suggest you head to the nearest port to surf over to explore Kalos. I am extremely happy to see more trainers coming to my region, and so are the other locals. But please don’t interrupt my morning with
my Poke?mon.
Grahame Hinton-Barber
Contributor
