Pokémon Red and Blue/Cinnabar Island

There are only two Badges left! The next one is on Cinnabar Island, but where is it? Remember that tiny patch of water you saw all the way back in Pallet Town? That’s the way you need to go. You’ll need to be able to Surf, so make sure you have that HM and that you’ve taught it to one of the Pokémon in your party.

Route 21

Apart from a small patch of tall grass at the very northern end of the Route, this part of Kanto is all water. You will find no fewer than nine enemy Trainers located here. Four of them are on tiny islands and five of them are swimming through the water.

Cinnabar Island

This place is tiny! You have the Pokémon Center, the Poké Mart, the Pokémon Lab, the Old Mansion, and the Cinnabar City Gym. There are no other buildings in this area.

Let’s start looking in the Pokémon Lab. One of the scientists within will give you TM 35 (Metronome). There are several in-game trades available here; talk to the people inside the lab to begin them.

Electrode for Raichu
Venonat for Tangela
Seel for Ponyta

Remember that fossil you chose all the way back in Mt. Moon? The last scientist on the right within the Pokémon Lab will restore it into a Pokémon. Give him the fossil, leave the lab, turn right around and go back in, and you’ll be able to pick up your new team member by talking to him again. If you give him the Dome Fossil, you will get a Kabuto. If you give him the Helix Fossil, you get an Omanyte.

If you’re interested, you can Fly to Pewter City and Cut down the small bush blocking access to the right side of the museum. Inside you’ll find a man who gives you the Old Amber; this fossil restores into an Aerodactyl.

Unfortunately, when you to to the Gym, you will find it locked up tight! The only place you’ve yet to explore is the Pokémon Mansion, so go there and start exploring.

Cinnabar Mansion

You will start off in a room with many pillars; search them all, as one contains a Moon Stone. Ignore the stairs at the end of the hall for now; instead go to the northeast and you will soon find an Escape Rope. Past here you’ll just find a locked door, so backtrack to the stairs and take them.

Here you will find a strange statue (looks like a Nidoking). You’ll see many statues like this in the mansion. If you examine one, you will be prompted to flip a switch. Flipping one of these switches opens certain locked doors, and closes other ones. Due south of the stairs you’ll find an enemy Trainer in a dead end. Go up the stairs to the third floor. There is not much to do in the room you will find yourself in; battle the enemy Trainer and grab the Max Potion in the nook to the south. You will also find a Max Revive hidden at the end of the nook to the west. Now go back to the second floor.

Head east on the second floor, then go north. (South is a dead end.) Go to the east and you’ll run into a locked door. If the south door is locked, then continue through the north opening and you’ll find a Calcium at the end of the path. If the north door is locked, then double back to the statue near the stairs and flip its switch first. Go to the northwest corner of the floor and you’ll find more stairs.

On the third floor, go all the way to the east to find an Iron. Then double back to the statue and go south. You may find a locked door here. If so, use the statue to open it. After defeating an enemy Trainer, you will see two openings in the wall, into a grey void. These are ledges you can actually jump from. Take a leap of faith off the left gap and you’ll find yourself back on the first floor. (If you go through the right gap, you will end up on the second floor; there is nothing there except stairs to go up and try again.) You’ll land near an enemy Trainer. Past him you’ll find a Carbos and stairs down. Take them.

Unlike the upper floors, the basement is huge and empty. Go northeast and you’ll run into a locked door; we’ll be returning here shortly. Go all the way to the west and you’ll find a Full Restore. You’ll pass a room to the south; head back there, defeat the enemy Trainer, and flip the switch. Now go out to the west and head back to the locked door, which is now open. You’ll find another enemy Trainer just beyond it. The first room you’ll pass is empty; the second contains a Rare Candy. TM 22 (Solar Beam) is sitting on a table. Just south of there you’ll find what we’ve been looking for this whole time: the Secret Key that gets us into the Gym.

Grab that and go back up the stairs. Just to the north you’ll see an opening. (If you run into a locked door, go back and use the statue in the basement, but this shouldn’t happen if you’re following the guide.) Head east, then south to the opening, and go through it; you’ll find yourself back outside the Mansion. Hurrah!

As a side note, if you explore the Mansion fully, you will find what look like open books sitting on tables. If you examine these, you’ll see some lore on how a Dr. Fuji used genetic engineering to clone the Pokémon Mew into the Pokémon Mewtwo. This has no effect on your journey, but it is an interesting read. There are four books in the mansion: in the northeast corner of the second floor, the southwest corner of the second floor, on the third floor in the room with the Max Potion, and in the basement in the small room with two doors. (Read them in this order and the story will make the most sense.)

Cinnabar Island Gym

Once you unlock the front door, you will be faced with a series of locked doors. Examine the machine to the left of the door and you will be asked a trivia question. If you answer it correctly, the door will open. If you answer it incorrectly, then you will be forced to battle a waiting enemy Trainer. However, if you talk to the Trainer straight off the bat and defeat them, you will not need to answer the question; defeating them also opens the door.

Boss — Blaine (•4653 reward)

Level 42 Growlithe
Level 40 Ponyta
Level 42 Rapidash
Level 47 Arcanine

After you defeat Blaine, you will receive the Volcano Badge. Now that you have this Badge, the Special stat of all your Pokémon will be boosted for the rest of the game. You will also be given TM 38 (Fire Blast).