With Ash’s championship title finally in the bag, it is time to look back at all the places he has been in his 22-year journey. The world of Pokémon is vast and grows every few years. While fans get a pretty good look at the major cities in the games, the anime has widened those locations to include special places just outside of the games' purview.
Since this list is talking about the anime, it will focus mainly on locations not explored in depth in the games. Also of note, this list doesn’t only focus on the mainline anime, but can feature entries from any animated version of Pokémon, including films, web series, and more.
10 Cameran Palace
The Pokémon world is a grand place filled with magnificent creatures, but sometimes it can feel a bit too detached from the real world. Thankfully Cameran Palace is there to remind us that renaissance nerds exist in all continuities.
The central location for Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, Cameran Palace merges the act of dressing up as a fun, old-timey characters and tournament-style Pokémon battles. Not only is it an overall fun atmosphere, but when was the last time a good Renaissance Faire was held in a real castle? While it is not clear if there is any type of mead or Farfetch’d leg going around, it is an excellent place for entertainment.
9 Pokémon Land
Making its debut in the episode “Island of Giant Pokémon,” Pokémon Land is a tourist spot featuring several attractions. The largest is the titular Giant Pokémon, which are robots that walk the island and sometimes do scripted battles against each other.
Like Jurassic Park, Pokémon Land offers participants a chance to see amazing sites. As you ride around in a cart, you get to see the natural and robotic Pokémon enjoying their days. The trip even has a water section where you ride inside a robotic Gyrados, so it’s everything we can dream of. Though the island was founded by Giovanni as a money-making scheme for Team Rocket, it shines as a nice vacation spot.
8 Arborville
While the Hoenn town, Fortree City, is the most well-known treetop living society of the Pokémon world, Arborville seems to be a much richer place to live and visit. Located in the Johto region north of Olivine City, Arborville is the home of Sammy Oak, the boy who grows up to become the Pallet Town Professor.
During the events of Celebi: The Voice of the Forest, viewers are treated to the pristine town of Arborville. With wood bridges connecting beautifully decorated tree houses, any adventurer would be a fool to pass up an opportunity to visit the paradise. It does seem like a bit of work to climb up into the treetops, but with the help of your trusty Pokémon, it would be exciting.
7 Pokémon Park
Pokémon Park was introduced in the Orange Islands arc of the anime as the world's first Pokémon theme park. While Pokémon Land appears before it, both in this list and in the anime, this park is much more fleshed out. Much like its real-life counterpart (pictured), Pokémon Park is all about having fun.
If the thought of checking out a beachside resort has ever entered your mind, then why not try going to one with rides, games and lots to do. The biggest downfall to the Pokemon Park is the hefty amount of elderly patrons, but that can be said about most resorts. Since the real-world counterpart has been closed for a while, it remains a dream vacation.
6 Amber Castle
This next entry is not for everyone as it requires not being scared of one thing, bees. At the heart of Eterna Forest in the Sinnoh region, the Amber Castle is a beautiful Pokémon made site. The Vespiquen and her worker Combee have been building their hive for a long time and, keeping in tradition with the whole queen branding, have turned the core of it into a castle.
The important thing is to not only be cautious of the inhabitants, but this location has to be one of those secret getaway spots that stay secret. Just like in the real world, not just anybody should be in beehives. The danger is one of the drawing factors for wanting to visit this location. That and all that sweeter than sweet enchanted honey.
5 Pokémon Square
The main city in the original Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, Pokémon Square is, apparently, what would exist in the Pokémon world without human interaction. The single episode of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, “Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate” shows what the town looks like in full animation. Seeing the Kecleon Shop, Kangaskhan Storage, and Pelipper Post Office in an explorable way made the games that much more enjoyable.
It should be noted that visiting as a human would be a bit difficult, though it is worth the try. If Auntie Kangaskhan can take care of a down and out rescue team, there’s a high probability she’d welcome a visitor with open arms, or claws.
4 Safari Zone
The Safari Zone may be a mainstay of the Pokémon games, but with limits on the number of steps you can take and the potential loss of catching Pokémon, the Safari Zone ends up feeling empty. Joining Ash and friends as they traveled the safari zone for several episodes, including the banned ones, made the location seem bigger than the games could ever reach.
From stampeding Tauros to the races to the Kangaskhan Kid, the Safari zone has such a wide range of sites and things to do. Depending on the time of year, there are festivals just off the Laramie Ranch that serve delicious food and great conversations to be had. The idea of “Dude Ranches” are a big draw of agritourism for the real world just as the Safari Zone is for the Pokémon world.
3 Pokémon Tower
Since there are different versions of the Pokémon Tower in the original Pokémon Anime, Pokémon Origins, and other animated content, it is easier to merge them together. Pokémon Tower is the final resting place for many spirits, but it is also a place to pay respect for those that have been lost.
Based on the number of haunted houses, hotels and other scenic locations in America, there are plenty of morbid travelers out there. There is the possibility of finding a real ghost amongst the sea of ghost-type Pokémon. Additionally, if there are some prankster Gengars and Haunters in the tower, it may lead to a fun out-of-body experience.
2 Mirage Kingdom
Located near the Hoenn Region, the Mirage Kingdom is a quaint, sovereign monarchy with a love for one Pokémon, Togepi. Making its appearance in the Pokémon Advanced Challenge episode “The Princess and the Togepi” the gang, reunited with Misty, are welcomed with open arms to experience the castle for themselves.
While there was an evil plot going on, it ended up solidifying the trust between the ruling family and the Togepi. There is a potential to see dozens of Togepi flying around, teleporting from their home to the castle. The egg-shaped designs of the towers are unique to the location, offering a great spot to pose for your Insta and learn a bit out a kingdom devoted to loving Togepi.
1 Pikachu Land
Since 1998, Pikachu has been the face of the worldwide phenomenon that is Pokémon. Throughout the anime, there have been plenty of locations that have been Pikachu specific, like the Pikachu Village, but the best Pikachu-based location to visit would be Pikachu Land.
The location is actually a film set created by a man named Frank, but people will seek out the side of an office building because it was used for establishing shots in The Office, so it is an easy vacation spot. Located in Kalos, the set is used to make Pikachu-based films. The dream of anyone paying a visit to Pikachu Land is to end up in one of Frank’s movies and cuddle with the dozens of Pikachus. Even if the cuddling part is all we get, the visit is worth the trip.