>>5543472Intrigued, you decide to read further. Finding a good account of the legend is frustrating, but while you’re looking, you discover some interesting information:
The Barrier Islands themselves stretch from just off the coast of Saltcoast City up to Cape Castelia, though the term is also used interchangeably with the nine largest islands, which are less-commonly referred to as the Guardian’s Shield. The southernmost island is called the Mariner’s Temple but despite wild tales of fantastic treasures and powerful pokemon, all that’s in abundance there are Wingull and Pelipper which use the island as a nesting ground.
There’re also a few small settlements on the four largest islands, namely South Crescent Island, Timekeeper’s Scepter, Dragon’s Claw and Mantine’s Wing.
South Crescent Island boasts the oldest settlement, which maintains a peculiar and ancient relationship with Sinnoh and specifically Jubilife City, being founded in the aftermath of a ship of traders bound for the nascent settlement getting lost in a storm and foundering there.
Timekeeper’s Scepter’s settlement is apparently little more than an outpost used by trainers or pilgrims looking to visit the Johto-styled shrine that can be found at the centre of the island, apparently after the rescue of the initial settlers of South Crescent Island, though there are some claims that the shrine actually predates them, preposterous as it sounds.
The settlement on the Dragon’s Claw is likewise another shipwreck story, though it’s one of the more popular islands to hike, featuring the best tracks as well as the most facilities, including camp and picnic grounds and rest stops.
Mantine’s Wing meanwhile, is privately owned by Palm Corp and is host to an exclusive, ritzy resort.
Quite how Palm Corp came to purchase the island and set up the resort in the manner it did, which is to say with a devil-may-care attitude to environmental laws and habitat destruction, without getting crucified by the League and the Arnet government is a matter of some debate, but it’s still a popular holiday destination for the very rich and even hosts a vibrant high-stakes battling scene.
(Part 1)
