Cinnabar Island

If you were looking for the chapter in Pokémon Zensho, see PZ08.

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Cinnabar Island グレンじま グレンタウン Guren Island/Guren Town "The Ravaged Town of the Past"

Cinnabar Island in {{{variable2}}}.

Map description A town used to be here until it was swept away by an eruption.

Cinnabar Island Gym - Kanto Gym #7RGBYFRLG Blaine Fire-type specialist Gym Volcano Badge

Cinnabar Island Gym - Kanto Gym #7RGBYFRLG [[File:{{{leadersprite2}}}|{{{leader2}}}|link={{{leader2}}}]] [[{{{leader2}}}|{{{leader2}}}]] Fire-type specialist Gym Volcano Badge

Cinnabar Island Gym - Kanto Gym #7RGBYFRLG [[File:{{{leadersprite3}}}|{{{leader3}}}|link={{{leader3}}}]] [[{{{leader3}}}|{{{leader3}}}]] Fire-type specialist Gym Volcano Badge

[[| League]] [[File:{{{elite1sprite}}}|64px|{{{elite1}}}|link={{{elite1}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite1}}}|{{{elite1}}}]] [[File:{{{elite2sprite}}}|64px|{{{elite2}}}|link={{{elite2}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite2}}}|{{{elite2}}}]] [[File:{{{elite3sprite}}}|64px|{{{elite3}}}|link={{{elite3}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite3}}}|{{{elite3}}}]] [[File:{{{elite4sprite}}}|64px|{{{elite4}}}|link={{{elite4}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite4}}}|{{{elite4}}}]] [[File:{{{championsprite}}}|{{{champion}}}|link={{{champion}}}]] Champion [[{{{champion}}}|{{{champion}}}]]

[[| League]] [[File:{{{elite1sprite2}}}|64px|{{{elite12}}}|link={{{elite12}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite12}}}|{{{elite12}}}]] [[File:{{{elite2sprite2}}}|64px|{{{elite22}}}|link={{{elite22}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite22}}}|{{{elite22}}}]] [[File:{{{elite3sprite2}}}|64px|{{{elite32}}}|link={{{elite32}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite32}}}|{{{elite32}}}]] [[File:{{{elite4sprite2}}}|64px|{{{elite42}}}|link={{{elite42}}}]] Elite Four [[{{{elite42}}}|{{{elite42}}}]] [[File:{{{championsprite2}}}|{{{champion2}}}|link={{{champion2}}}]] Champion [[{{{champion2}}}|{{{champion2}}}]]

Connecting locations   ↑ Route 21   Cinnabar Island Route 20 →

Location Location of Cinnabar Island in Kanto.

Other generation maps Gen I Gen II Gen III

Cinnabar Island (referred to in Japanese as both グレンじま Guren Island and グレンタウン Guren Town) is a large island located off the southern coast of the Kanto region, south of Pallet Town. It is home to a large volcano. Blaine was once the resident Gym Leader specializing in Fire-type Pokémon, but as of Generation IV, Cinnabar Island no longer has a Gym. Cinnabar is a kind of red mineral, associated with hot springs and volcanoes. The island is connected to the mainland by two water routes: Route 20 in the east and Route 21 in the north, leading to Fuchsia City and Pallet Town, respectively.

The Generation I games reveal Cinnabar Island to be a technological mecca. The journals scattered about the abandoned Pokémon Mansion suggest that Mewtwo was cloned here. The scientists at the Pokémon Lab have the ability to resurrect Pokémon from their Fossils. Two years after the events of Generations I and III, as seen in Generations II and IV, a volcano erupted on the island, destroying everything except for the Pokémon Center, and the Cinnabar Gym has been relocated to the Seafoam Islands.

Places of interest

Pokémon Mansion

Main article: Pokémon Mansion (Kanto)

The Pokémon Mansion is a decrepit, burned-down mansion on Cinnabar Island. It got its name because a famous Pokémon Researcher once lived there. The Pokémon Mansion has four different floors. Doors can be unlocked in the Mansion by pressing switches hidden in Mewtwo statues. To access the Cinnabar Island Gym in Generations I and III, the main character has to enter the mansion and find the Secret Key to unlock the door of the Gym. Many burglars come to the mansion, trying to steal valuable items that may have been lost in the wreckage, challenging the player to a battle when spotted. Amongst the rubble and wreckage is information that the scientists who once worked there obtained a Mew and impregnated it with the genetically altered Mewtwo, who destroyed the mansion in its escape.

Pokémon Lab

Main article: Pokémon Lab

The Pokémon Lab is a laboratory located on Cinnabar Island. It was founded by Dr. Fuji and appears in the Generation I games and their remakes. The first room of the Pokémon Lab has two people who will offer to trade Pokémon. The old man will offer his Electrode for a Raichu, and the girl will want to trade her Tangela for a Venonat. In the second room, there is a man who will teach Metronome once to one of the player's Pokémon; in Generation I, he gives away TM35 (Metronome). In the third room, there is a scientist who will revive the Fossils the player obtained at Mt. Moon and from the Pewter City Museum and a person who will trade his Seel for a Ponyta. In Silph Co., there is a Pokémon Report stating that Pokémon Lab created Porygon.

Volcano

There is a volcano on Cinnabar Island which gives it its name. In Generation I and Generation III, the volcano that appears on Cinnabar Island cannot be accessed. In the anime, the volcano is a prominent feature of the island, and is where the Cinnabar Gym is located, split into two sections. One is inside of the volcano, and has an arena suspended over the lava inside one of the chambers, while the other is atop the volcano's crater. In Generation II and IV, three years after the events of Generation I and III, the volcano erupted on the island, destroying everything except for the Pokémon Center. What appeared to be a rain-filled crater could also be seen in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal. In HeartGold and SoulSilver, the exterior of the volcano can be scaled with Rock Climb. Judging by the maps of all four generations, the volcano originated where the Gym once stood.

Cinnabar Gym

Cinnabar Gym in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

Main article: Cinnabar Gym

The Cinnabar Gym is the official Gym of Cinnabar Island, it is based on Fire-type Pokémon and the Gym Leader is Blaine. Trainers who defeat him receive the Volcano Badge. The player is unable to enter the Gym at once; only when they obtain the Secret Key from the Pokémon Mansion can they unlock the door to the Gym. The Cinnabar Gym is a high-tech affair featuring a series of sealed doors. Trivia questions about various Pokémon must be answered to unseal the doors. However, when the player fails to answer a trivia question correctly, a battle with either a Burglar or Super Nerd results, an alternative to unsealing the doors. In Generations II and IV, Blaine's original Gym on Cinnabar Island was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. This forced him to relocate to a cave in the Seafoam Islands.

Demographics

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, before the destruction of the island in the Generation II and Generation IV games, Cinnabar Island has a population of 36.

Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Cinnabar Island has a population of nine, making it one of the smallest towns in the Pokémon world. The volcano eruption destroyed most of the island, with the Pokémon Center being the only building remaining.

Poké Mart

Ultra Ball $1,200	Great Ball $600
Hyper Potion $1,200	Revive $1,500
Full Heal $600	Escape Rope $550
Max Repel $700

Items

Item		Location	Games
	TM35 (Metronome)	Inside the second room of the Pokémon Lab	R  B  Y
	Stardust	Held by Tangeny, a Tangela the player can obtain in a trade	FR  LG
	Rare Candy	In the upper/middle accessible corner of the island (hidden)	G  S  C
	Rare Candy	On a rock at the north-west corner of the island (requires Rock Climb) (hidden)	HG  SS
	Iron	In the south eastern corner of the island (requires Rock Climb) (hidden)	HG  SS
	Star Piece	In a rock on the erupted volcano (requires Rock Climb) (hidden)	HG  SS
	Magmarizer	On the erupted volcano (requires Rock Climb)	HG  SS

Pokémon

Generation I

Pokémon	Games						Location	Levels	Rate
Fishing
Magikarp	R		B		Y		Fishing Old Rod	5	100%
Poliwag	R		B		Y		Fishing Good Rod	10	50%
Goldeen	R		B		Y		Fishing Good Rod	10	50%
Tentacool	R		B		Y		Fishing Super Rod	15-30	40%
Shellder	R		B		Y		Fishing Super Rod	15	25%
Horsea	R		B		Y		Fishing Super Rod	15	25%
Goldeen	R		B		Y		Fishing Super Rod	15	25%
Staryu	R		B		Y		Fishing Super Rod	15	25%
Staryu	R		B		Y		Fishing Super Rod	10-15	60%
Gift Pokémon
Omanyte	R		B		Y		Revive Helix Fossil	30	One
Kabuto	R		B		Y		Revive Dome Fossil	30	One
Aerodactyl	R		B		Y		Revive Old Amber	30	One
Special Pokémon
Seel	R		B		Y		Trade Ponyta	The same as the traded Pokémon	One
Dewgong	R		B		Y		Trade Growlithe	The same as the traded Pokémon	One
Muk	R		B		Y		Trade Kangaskhan	The same as the traded Pokémon	One
Electrode	R		B		Y		Trade Raichu	The same as the traded Pokémon	One
Rhydon	R		B		Y		Trade Golduck	The same as the traded Pokémon	One
Tangela	R		B		Y		Trade Venonat	The same as the traded Pokémon	One
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Generation II

Pokémon	Games						Location	Levels	Rate
Surfing
Tentacool	G		S		C		Surfing	30-39	90%
Tentacruel	G		S		C		Surfing	35-39	10%
Fishing
Magikarp	G		S		C		Fishing Old Rod	10	85%
Krabby	G		S		C		Fishing Old Rod	10	15%
Krabby	G		S		C		Fishing Good Rod	20	55%
Magikarp	G		S		C		Fishing Good Rod	20	35%
Corsola	G		S		C		Fishing Good Rod	20	10%	10%	0%
Staryu	G		S		C		Fishing Good Rod	20	0%	0%	10%
Krabby	G		S		C		Fishing Super Rod	40	60%
Corsola	G		S		C		Fishing Super Rod	40	30%	30%	0%
Staryu	G		S		C		Fishing Super Rod	40	0%	0%	30%
Kingler	G		S		C		Fishing Super Rod	40	10%
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Generation III

Pokémon	Games						Location	Levels	Rate
Surfing
Tentacool	FR			LG			Surfing	5-40	100%
Fishing
Magikarp	FR			LG			Fishing Old Rod	5	100%
Horsea	FR			LG			Fishing Good Rod	5-15	60%
Horsea	FR			LG			Fishing Good Rod	5-15	20%
Krabby	FR			LG			Fishing Good Rod	5-15	20%
Krabby	FR			LG			Fishing Good Rod	5-15	60%
Magikarp	FR			LG			Fishing Good Rod	5-15	20%
Shellder	FR			LG			Fishing Super Rod	15-25	40%
Horsea	FR			LG			Fishing Super Rod	15-25	40%
Krabby	FR			LG			Fishing Super Rod	15-25	40%
Staryu	FR			LG			Fishing Super Rod	15-25	40%
Gyarados	FR			LG			Fishing Super Rod	15-25	15%
Seadra	FR			LG			Fishing Super Rod	25-35	4%
Slowbro	FR			LG			Fishing Super Rod	25-35	4%
Psyduck	FR			LG			Fishing Super Rod	25-35	1%
Slowpoke	FR			LG			Fishing Super Rod	25-35	1%
Gift Pokémon
Omanyte	FR			LG			Revive Helix Fossil	5	One
Kabuto	FR			LG			Revive Dome Fossil	5	One
Aerodactyl	FR			LG			Revive Old Amber	5	One
Special Pokémon
Seel	FR			LG			Trade Ponyta	The same as the traded Pokémon	One
Electrode	FR			LG			Trade Raichu	The same as the traded Pokémon	One
Tangela	FR			LG			Trade Venonat	The same as the traded Pokémon	One
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Generation IV

Pokémon	Games						Location	Levels	Rate
Surfing
Tentacool	HG			SS			Surfing	30-35	90%
Tentacruel	HG			SS			Surfing	35	10%
Fishing
Magikarp	HG			SS			Fishing Old Rod	10	95%
Tentacool	HG			SS			Fishing Old Rod	10	5%
Magikarp	HG			SS			Fishing Good Rod	20	60%
Tentacool	HG			SS			Fishing Good Rod	20	30%
Chinchou	HG			SS			Fishing Good Rod	20	7%
Shellder	HG			SS			Fishing Good Rod	20	3%
Chinchou	HG			SS			Fishing Super Rod	40	60%
Shellder	HG			SS			Fishing Super Rod	40	30%
Tentacruel	HG			SS			Fishing Super Rod	40	7%
Lanturn	HG			SS			Fishing Super Rod	40	3%
A colored background means that the Pokémon can be found in this location in the specified game. A white background with a colored letter means that the Pokémon cannot be found here.

Differences between generations

Cinnabar Island has changed dramatically between Generations I and II as the city has been totally replaced by a large erupted volcano, removing everything except for the Pokémon Center. After the eruption, the Gym was relocated to the Seafoam Islands. Blue can be first found at Cinnabar Island, because he was in a bad mood and decided to take a stroll there. In Generation III, there are a few changes with the visual design, as the Pokémon Mansion and Pokémon Lab are slightly larger along with more sandy beach areas. The first and last questions in the Cinnabar Gym have also been changed slightly for clarification. In Generation IV, the island stays much the same as Generation II, although the volcano is now climbable by Rock Climb.

In the spin-off games

In Pokémon Pinball

In Pokémon Pinball, Cinnabar Island appears on the Red and Blue tables; catchable Pokémon include Growlithe, Ponyta, Grimer, Koffing, Tangela, Magmar, Omanyte, Kabuto and Aerodactyl.

In the anime

The opening to the volcano on Cinnabar Island in the anime

Cinnabar Island is considered a mere beach resort in the anime. Many Trainers skip the island entirely or go there for a break from battling. Blaine runs a hotel for tourists and wears a hippie disguise to hide his real identity as Gym Leader. His Gym is located inside of the volcano.

The Cinnabar Gym has two sections in the anime; one is inside of the volcano, and has an arena suspended over the lava inside one of the chambers. The other arena is in the top crater of the volcano itself.

In Riddle Me This, Ash was trying to locate the Gym so he could challenge Blaine. He was told by a man who liked telling riddles that the Gym disappeared when Cinnabar Island became a tourist trap. However, the man eventually told Ash that Blaine built another Gym inside of a volcano. When Ash and his friends went in, they learned that the riddler was actually Blaine in disguise. Ash and Blaine battled, but Ash had a series of misfortunes. The first was his Squirtle being defeated by Blaine's Ninetales. Then, his Charizard refused to listen to him. Finally, Pikachu received severe burns caused by Blaine's Magmar and its powerful Fire Blast. Ash called off the battle, not wanting Pikachu to get injured. In Volcanic Panic, after Team Rocket had almost destroyed Blaine's Gym (and Cinnabar Island as a result), he agreed to a rematch on his alternate battlefield on top of the volcano. This time, Ash was able to defeat Blaine with the help of his Charizard and its Seismic Toss.

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

Cinnabar Island debuted in Holy Moltres in the Red, Green & Blue arc, where Team Rocket with their Gengar and Magnemite were trying to hunt down Blaine because he had quit Team Rocket. He used his Arcanine and Rapidash. When he saw Red he saved him from the cliff just as Team Rocket let out the Moltres they had captured earlier. Blaine told him to use his Rapidash to get to his lab and restore the Old Amber.

Later when Red came back he was joined with an Aerodactyl that he had restored. They defeated Moltres and Team Rocket ran away.

Trivia

• Its Japanese motto is グレンの あかは じょうねつの いろ "Guren's red is the color of passion."
• Before Generation IV, its English motto was "The Fiery Town of Burning Desire"
• It was long believed that Cinnabar Island once was the tip of a stratovolcano or a shield volcano since no mountain was visible on the island for the first three generations. This was changed in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver where a mountain stratovolcano is actually there and can be reached by using Rock Climb, indicating that lack of diverse scenery in the past games was the reason for no mountain being there. However, all map artworks throughout the generations have shown the volcano to be there.
• Cinnabar Island has many glitches associated with it in the Generation I games, such as the old man glitch, due to programming oversights on the island's coast. There is also a trick to see a man on the roof of the Gym. However, both of these glitches were fixed in some regional versions.
• Unlike the localizations, in the Japanese versions, Cinnabar Island has two distinctive names: グレンじま Guren Island and グレンタウン Guren Town. The former refers to the island itself, while the latter to the town on it. On the map, ironically, it is referred to as グレンじま Guren Island while the town exists (Generations I and III), and as グレンタウン Guren Town when the town has been destroyed (Generations II and IV). However, both Generations I and III and Generations II and IV mention both on different occasions. The system of naming both the island and town is continued in the Sevii Islands.
• Cinnabar Island is the only settlement with a Gym whose name ends in neither City nor Town. Despite this, one of its Japanese names ends in Town. However, there is no Gym here in Generations II and IV as it is located in the Seafoam Islands instead.
• Cinnabar Island and Vermilion City are named after the same color in the English versions of the Pokémon games but not in the Japanese versions, since グレン crimson refers to a shade of red while クチバ vermilion refers to a shade of orange. Vermilion is an orange-red pigment, produced from the orange-red mineral cinnabar. This explains why Cinnabar Island is colored red while Vermilion City is colored orange in the Generation I games when played with the Super Game Boy enhancements enabled on a compatible system or with the Game Boy Color enhancements available in the international releases of Pokémon Yellow.
• It is the southernmost location in both Kanto and Johto that the player can Fly to.

Name origin

Language	Name	Origin
Japanese	グレンじま Guren Jima	紅蓮 (guren) refers to the red color of the Crimson lotus.
English	Cinnabar Island	From cinnabar, an orange-red mineral used to produce vermilion pigment.
French	Cramois'île	From cramoisi, crimson, and île, island.
German	Zinnoberinsel	From Zinnoberrot, carmine, and Insel, island.
Italian	Isola Cannella	From isola, island, and cannella, cinnamon.
Polish	Wyspa Cinnabar	From wyspa, island, and English Cinnabar.
Spanish	Isla Canela Isla Cinnabar	From isla, island, and canela, cinnamon.
Korean	홍련섬 Hongryeon Seom	홍련 (hongryeon) means "red lotus."
Chinese (Mandarin)	紅蓮鎮/红莲镇 Hónglián Zhèn 紅蓮島 Hónglián Dǎo	紅蓮/红莲 (hónglián) also means "red lotus." In addition, 鎮 means town, while 島 means island.
Chinese (Cantonese)	紅蓮鎮 Hunglin Zan	Also from its Japanese name. 紅蓮 (hunglin) also means "red lotus."
Indonesian	Pulau Glen (Pokémon Pocket Monsters only)	Alternate romanization of グレン (Guren). Pulau means island.

Kanto
Settlements Pallet Town • Viridian City • Pewter City • Cerulean City • Vermilion City • Lavender Town Celadon City • Saffron City • Fuchsia City • Cinnabar Island • Indigo Plateau Routes 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 Landmarks Professor Oak's Laboratory • Viridian Forest • Diglett's Cave • Pewter Museum of Science • Mt. Moon (Square) • Cerulean Cave Underground Path (Kanto Routes 5–6) • Underground Path (Kanto Routes 7–8) • S.S. Anne • S.S. Aqua • Sea Cottage • Rock Tunnel Power Plant • Cycling Road/Pokémon Road • Team Rocket Hideout • Silph Co. • Magnet Train • Pokémon Tower • Safari Zone/Pal Park GO Park • Seafoam Islands • Pokémon Mansion • Cinnabar Lab • Pokémon League Reception Gate • Victory Road • Tohjo Falls Access to Sevii Islands • Johto

This article is part of Project Cities and Towns, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on every city and town in the Pokémon world.