A former top executive of Team Rocket, known as Masked Bishas, used Dark Pokémon and Dark Poké Balls. He had once turned Celebi into a Dark Pokémon, hoping to conquer the world with its power.
Of the eight Kanto Gyms I knew, I had earned badges from six so far. Of the remaining two, the Cinnabar Gym had closed down and could no longer be challenged, leaving only the mysterious Viridian Gym.
That meant I needed to find at least one unfamiliar Gym to challenge before I could collect the eight badges required to enter the Indigo League.
After leaving Cinnabar Island, we did not return to Vermilion City right away. Instead, we took a ship to explore the Seafoam Islands.
As their name suggested, the Seafoam Islands consisted of two islands that looked exactly alike, like a pair of twins.
The Legendary Pokémon Articuno was said to nest in the Seafoam Islands. If I had the chance, I really wanted to see one in person again.
(Note 1: The Seafoam Islands only appeared in the games, never in the anime. The following description is therefore based on the games and my own imagination.)
(Note 2: Unlike the game setting, Legendary Pokémon are not limited to one of each species. In the Original Series anime episode "A Parent Trapped!", two Lugia appeared together: the young Lugia, Silver, and his mother.)
Unlike Cinnabar Island, the Seafoam Islands had not been developed into a tourist destination. Instead, their beautiful natural environment had earned them protected status, preserving the ecological balance of Water-type and Ice-type Pokémon.
Before we knew it, the ship had reached the Seafoam Islands. After disembarking, we had to pass through a special checkpoint to ensure we carried no Pokémon-hunting equipment before we could enter.
"Although Poké Balls aren't prohibited