Pokémon Go Travel
Pokémon in Paradise
A holiday dalliance with Pokémon Go
Making the Break
I quit Pokémon Go back in December 2022. I went completely cold turkey. I said goodbye to my friends from the International Raid Group. I deleted the Pokémon Go App and the companion Apps I used. I even blocked the popular Pokémon Go YouTubers so I wouldn’t see any of their content and be tempted to start playing again.
I was done!
I did have one slight regret — Kecleon.
Yes, Pokémon number 352. The one Pokémon Niantic had withheld from the game for five long years. The one Pokémon I needed to complete my Hoenn Region (Gen 3) Pokedex. That blank spot in my Pokedex had frustrated me for all those years — the itch I could never scratch. And now I was quitting one month before its release.
Oh well. I’d made up my mind — this would be just another test of my resolve.
The change took. I was happy without Pokémon Go filling my days.
My New Passion
Liberated, I turned my attention to another passion that had smouldered my whole life — writing. A few months later, I joined Medium. From April to July, I wrote a series of stories about a Grand Tour I made in 2022 to hunt Pokémon across the Pacific and around the US.
Dangerous, I hear you say.
This was my audacity showing — like an alcoholic being able to walk into a bar and resist temptation. I was strong.
I was so determined that I even downloaded the Pokémon Go App. I needed it for research purposes in writing my stories. However, I never played. This was proof that my addiction was cured — I’d laid that demon to rest. Or so I thought.
Then came Bali.
The Holiday
It was the September school break. My Indonesian wife arranged our vacation with four of our seven kids on the beautiful island of Bali. We’ve been there many times, and she knows the place well. She had already locked in the itinerary — this would be a kid-centric holiday, with a lot of eating along the way. Sunday was a Padang lunch and a Sunset beach dinner. Monday, water sports, lunch by the beach and another Sunset dinner. Tuesday was free. Wednesday, a theme park with lunch inside and an evening of concert/clubbing to the early hours. Thursday, ATV safari in the countryside and the evening free. Friday was an all-day trip to a volcano. Saturday was free, with our flight home at eleven p.m.
Sounds fantastic. Unfortunately, I’m not a big fan of the Sun — I get burnt if I leave the light on too long. Water sports, theme park rides and ATV shenanigans — I immediately think of chiropractor and physiotherapy sessions. The volcano sounded more like my speed, but we would spend ten hours in a minibus with the family to get there and back.
Then I remembered how much fun I had playing Pokémon Go in strange cities in the US. I’d never played here in Bali.
Pokémon Go Redux
Heck, it was my holiday too. Why not!
I pulled out my phone and started playing Pokémon Go for the first time in nine months. My wife noticed immediately and gave me a dark look. “It’s my holiday!” I appealed. She rolled her eyes and shrugged, giving me her tacit permission.
The traffic is slow-moving and chaotic in Bali. But in the virtual world of Pokémon Go, Bali (Denpasar) is wall-to-wall Pokestops, and our slow movement meant every single one was accessible. We were stuck in traffic everywhere, but I had a wonderful time spinning Pokestops and catching new Pokémon.
The Lizard
It was after midnight on our third evening in Bali, and I was waiting for the kids to come home from clubbing. I opened my game to see what was going on. A Pokestop was within range from our bedroom. For some inexplicable reason, it would not spin. After several attempts, a lizard materialised and seemed to jump off the Pokestop photo disc. It turned freely after that. I thought I was hallucinating. Then it dawned on me — Kecleon! Sure enough, a Kecleon had spawned right next to the Pokestop. Yep, number 352 — the one that was missing from my Hoenn Pokedex.
I made no mistake and ensured I caught it. After so many years of torture, my Hoenn Pokedex was finally complete — something I never expected or planned for this Bali holiday. This was a real bonus and the highlight of the trip for me.
I had to laugh. The Kecleon looks similar to the small lizards that stick on the walls and ceilings in Indonesia. Locally, they’re known as “Chik-chaks”, and my wife hates them with a passion — I think there’s some childhood trauma involved. I found it ironic because she also hates me playing Pokémon Go, and here, the game served up the very thing she hates most. It illustrates my warped sense of humour because I found the irony funny.
The following day, I told the kids about my achievement. They have all played Pokémon Go and appreciated what I’d done. They all politely marvelled at my completed Hoenn Pokedex. I also told my wife that I’d caught a Chik-chak overnight. She initially looked concerned but chuckled when I showed her the Kecleon.
Farewell Again
During the week, Pokémon Go hooked me on a couple of in-game challenges — spin one hundred and fifty Pokestops (easy) and make one hundred and twenty excellent throws (very hard). I eventually caught close to one thousand Pokémon. However, my interest began to wane with each quest I completed.
By our last day in Bali, my boredom with the game had fully returned. Pokémon Go had thrown its best shots at me, but not enough to break my resolve to quit the game. Yes, I’d binged, but so had the rest of my family on the things that excited them.
I once was addicted to Pokémon Go, but not anymore. I played with fire in Bali and didn’t get burnt. On the other hand, it was highly satisfying to catch this elusive Pokémon in paradise and finally complete my Hoenn Pokedex. Perhaps I’ll arrange my next holiday to coincide with Niantic’s future release of the Sinnoh Pokémon they’ve been holding back. Or not.
It’s just bingeing — OK!
Thank you for taking the time to read this story. If you liked it, please let me know by applauding &/or following me. I’d love to hear your own Pokémon Go stories, so comment — let’s start a conversation. If you want to read some of my other Pokémon Go stories, you can check them out in my library here.
