Pokémon Red and Blue/Cinnabar Island

'One of the Pokémon research centers on Cinnabar Island has been destroyed. A genetically engineered Pokémon broke free of its cage and escaped, demolishing the lab in the process. Luckily for you, the cloning facility is safe and sound. You'd better be careful as you walk the creature's back trail—be sure to read any literature you might find to learn about this doomed experiment.'

Pokémon Lab
Don't let its small size trick you&mdash;there are loads of opportunities in Cinnabar Island.

The free TM 35 (Metronome) offered by a scientist is fun but terribly unreliable. More important are the traders in the Lab that can really bolster your team (in Yellow: for,  for , and  for ; in Red/Blue:  for ,  for ,  for ). Rhydon is ok, but the real gems here are Dewgong and Seel. Growlithe and Ponyta respectively, are readily available at a good level at the Old Mansion, making these trades a real snap. Thanks to their boosted experience from being traded, access to Surf, and all the Fire-type opponents on Cinnabar, Dewgong will quickly catch up with the rest of your team. With its good stats, boosted experience, and the effectiveness of Water- and Ice-type attacks against all major opponents in the last leg of the game, you might find yourself having a hard time using anything but Dewgong! A must-have for any player who did not pick Squirtle, and worth considering even if you did.

The scientist in the last room will take your fossils and turn them into Pokémon. Give your fossil and the Old Amber to the scientists here. He claims the process will take a while, but if you simply leave the building and come right back, he'll be finished. You will receive living examples of prehistoric Pokémon.

An Island Paradise?
Not quite. The Gym is locked up tight. The key to the front door is in a nearby building. Once you've found a way in, it's possible to avoid confrontation, but it'd be wise to fight all of Blaine's underlings to gain experience. So where to look? Rumors say that the genetically engineered Pokémon known as was created in a facility on the island. Why not have a look in the mansion?



Gym Battle 7: BLAINE


Blaine is not just blowing smoke when he says his Pokémon are hot stuff. In order to snuff out his threat, attack with Water or Ground-type Pokémon. Your creatures may sustain burns during the battle, so keep a supply of Burn Heal on hand just in case.

You can avoid most of the trainer battles by answering a few simple questions. Check the Spoiler box below for the answers, but it's better to fight them for the cash and free EXP. Not that you'll really need it for Blaine; he has some fairly tough Pokémon on his side, but Water-type Pokémon are plentiful, and you can teach the Fire-soaking Surf attack to each and every one of them.

He's a bit tougher in Yellow, so it's recommended to use Rock-types like and, since they're better at surviving Arcanine and Rapidash's brutal Take Down attacks. If you manage to put a damper on Blaine's fiery team, he'll reward you with the Volcano Badge and TM 38, which contains Fire Blast. The badge will boost of all your Pokémon's special attacks.