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Saffron City, also known as the Golden Metropolis, is a shining jewel located in the heart of the Kanto region. It's the most prosperous and largest city in Kanto, and a world-famous international hub.
Undoubtedly, as the heart of Kanto, Saffron City isn't just its most prominent feature but also its brightest gem.
As a renowned global metropolis, Saffron City is a melting pot of cultures from all over the world, offering Kanto's most comprehensive resources. This, of course, attracts people from all over, whether they're from Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, or the faraway Alola. In this city, you can see people from various regions speaking different dialects, and it's common to spot Pokémon from those regions as well.
Saffron City also carries the title of the "City of Battles" due to having the densest population of trainers in Kanto.
To meet the demand of these battle-hungry trainers, who bring immense wealth to the city, battle arenas for Pokémon can be found on almost every street.
Residents of Saffron City are used to seeing intense and exciting Pokémon battles daily, with trainers from various regions using Pokémon rarely seen in Kanto.
Saffron also holds the title of the "City that Never Sleeps." Even late at night, the city remains lively. With countless lights illuminating the streets, it feels as bright as day. Shops lining the streets stay open, with their lights burning until 1 or 2 AM.
It was now past 10 PM, and a bus, having traveled a long way from Viridian City, slowly made its way into the famous sleepless city, inching along the highway amidst the sea of vehicles.
"We've finally arrived in Saffron City. As expected, seeing it in person is even more impressive than hearing about it. The hustle and bustle here makes Pewter and Viridian City pale in comparison," Sato thought as he gazed out the bus window at the bright skyscrapers and the streams of cars.
Sato then stretched his body, which had grown stiff from sitting for so long, and couldn't help but yawn. The ten-hour journey had taken a toll on him.
However, his movements were a bit too much, and accidentally disturbed the young girl sleeping next to him, waking her from her sweet dreams.
"Ahhh~ That was such a good nap. Sato, where are we now?" the girl asked groggily, yawning and rubbing her sleepy eyes.
The girl was around the same age as Sato, with a sweet appearance. She had long, wavy blonde hair, decorated with a cherry blossom-shaped hairpin, and she wore star-shaped earrings.
Her large, emerald-like eyes sparkled with liveliness, and beneath her right eye was a beauty mark, adding a touch of charm to her already beautiful face.
Sitting next to each other for the long journey, and with her being quite talkative, the two had struck up a conversation. Most of the time, though, it was Sato listening while she chatted away.
From their discussions, Sato found that the girl had a simple, carefree nature. She didn't seem to have any hidden agendas and just wanted to pass the time with light conversation.
Through their exchanges, Sato had learned a lot about Saffron City from her, and he had also picked up some personal details about this charming young woman.
The young lady's name was Daisy, from Cerulean City, and she was around the same age as Sato. Unlike Sato, she was a Coordinator. Due to arriving late, she had missed the registration deadline for the Viridian City Pokémon Contest yesterday. Now, she was heading to Saffron City to participate in the contest being held there in two days.
Yes, this Daisy was none other than Misty's eldest sister, one of the future Gym Leaders of Cerulean City and a future star of the Cerulean Gym's Water Ballet. However, at this moment, she was still exploring her path in life.
"Sorry for waking you, Daisy. We've just entered Saffron City, but with all the traffic, it'll be a while before we reach the bus terminal. If you're still tired, you can sleep a bit more. I'll wake you when we arrive," Sato said with a smile when he noticed Daisy waking up.
"Thanks a lot! Ugh, sleeping on this bus is so uncomfortable. I'll catch a bit more rest, then. Please wake me when we're there." Trusting Sato's words completely, Daisy closed her eyes and quickly drifted back to sleep.
Seeing her fall asleep so easily, Sato couldn't help but feel a bit speechless. Her lack of vigilance was almost worrying. He wondered how she had managed to survive traveling alone until now.
Around 11 PM, the bus finally pulled into Saffron City's massive bus terminal. After gently waking Daisy, Sato got off the bus on his own.
The long 11-hour journey had left Sato starving, as he had only eaten lunch at noon. His four Pokémon were also in desperate need of feeding.
Being the busiest and largest city in Kanto, Saffron City's bus terminal was much bigger than those in other cities. It was almost like a miniature city itself, with large shops, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, and even a Pokémon Center.
Sato didn't spend much time choosing a place. He followed the principle of convenience and picked a restaurant close to the terminal's exit that was still open.
The restaurant was quite large, occupying the first three floors of the building. Even at 11 PM, it was bustling, filled with travelers coming from the bus terminal.
As soon as Sato entered, a waiter came over to ask if he needed any assistance. After learning that Sato was dining alone, the waiter led him to an empty table near the window and handed him a menu.
Since this was Saffron City, an expensive international metropolis, the prices were outrageous. A simple plate of fried rice cost 1,000 PokéDollars, practically highway robbery.
Fortunately, Sato currently had over six million PokéDollars, so he could afford it. Starving, he ordered a hefty steak meal and an apple juice.
Before eating, though, Sato released his four Pokémon, who were just as hungry as he was, and set out their favorite foods for them to enjoy.
The restaurant's service was quick. Within three or four minutes, Sato's steak arrived. However, just as he was about to dig in, the sound of police sirens rang out nearby.
His hand froze mid-action, and he glanced out the window. Nine bikers were speeding down the street, with the lead rider clutching a white backpack. Chasing after them was Officer Jenny on her police motorcycle, followed closely by several other officers.
It was clear that a thrilling cops-and-robbers chase was unfolding right outside.