The Road to Kanto

The Road to Kanto

Vermilion City Gym Battle

NOTE: From here on, all Pokemon are listed by their National Dex Number and not their Local Numbers.

After the credits play out you find yourself in your bedroom at home, and when you come downstairs your Mom tells you that the Professor wants to see you, so we should head over to the Lab now, right?  I wonder what he wants?  Ah!  He has an S.S. Ticket for us for passage on the boat to Kanto!  All we need to do is head to Olivine City and take the boat then, right?

Fly to Olivine City and enter the Ship Terminal and you will run into Professor Oak!  To be honest I was hoping this would happen, since it means we finally get our National Dex Expansion!  How sweet is that? 

-- Battle Frontier --

Now before we jump on the ferry lets take care of a few optional bits: west of town is the enrrance to the Battle Frontier, so lets head over there and see what there is to see!  Head through the gate and pass the Center to find the proper entrance for the BF -- enter and you will be called over by ouw of the counter girls, who will upgrade your Vs. Recorder, and explain the basic rules, services, points, and performance monitoring to you.  The other staff at the counter will explain different aspects of the BF to you, so go ahead and take a minute to read up on that.

You may want to play around here for a bit just to see how things work -- and talk to the people you meet here, as there are some interesting characters, starting with "The Judge" who will rate your Pokemon for you!  On your way out notice the house to the west?  That has move tutors in it that will teach your Pokemon special moves in exchange for Battle Points -- something to bear in mind for later!  When you are done exploring head back to the entrance and return to town.

-- Safari Zone --

Safari Zone Beasties List

-- Aron #304 (Any) Normal
-- Cacnea #331 (Any) Normal w/ Blocks
-- Chimecho #358 (Any) Normal
-- Croagunk #453 (Any) Normal
-- Duskull #355 (Any) Normal
-- Electrike #309 (Any) Normal
-- Fearow #22 (Any) Normal
-- Gible #443 (Any) Normal
-- Lairon #305 (Any) Normal
-- Linoone #264 (Any) Normal
-- Lotad #270 (Any) Normal
-- Lunatone #337 (Any) Normal
-- Manectric #310 (Any) Normal
-- Masquerain #284 (Any) Normal
-- Nuzleaf #274 (Any) Normal
-- Pachirisu #417 (Any) Normal
-- Riolu #447 (Any) Normal
-- Seviper #336 (Any) Normal w/ Blocks
-- Shinx #403 (Any) Normal
-- Shuppet #353 (All) Normal
-- Solrock #338 (Any) Normal
-- Spheal #363 (Any) Normal
-- Surskit #283 (Any) Normal
-- Torkoal #324 (Any) Normal w/ Blocks
-- Trapinch #328 (Any) Normal w/ Blocks
-- Zangoose #335 (Any) Normal
-- Zigzagoon #263 (Any) Normal

Using Fly head to Cianwood City and head through the entrance to the Safari Zone.  Talk to the woman at the counter, who is so cheerful and happy that you feel you almost have to visit the Zone, right?  On the way in you have a battle with Hiker Devin, who likes Dunsparce.  After that battle, continue west across the bridge and fight Camper Grant, then grab the Revive before backtracking to the cave entrance to the north. 

Inside you have a choice -- go down or up...  going down leads to the Sea and Route 47, a quick side-trip for us!  Using Surf head west and grab the Pearl from the small beach there (use your treasure detector), then head north to the Waterfalls and up, following the river to the green open space where you will obtain the White Flute!

Backtrack to the river heading north near the cave entrance and use Waterfall to head up, and you will find a clearing with some tall grass in it that contains Miltank and Dittos, so if you do not already have them, now is a really good time to get them mate!

Head back through the caves, where you can catch a Kingler if you do not already have one, then head up to the top and fight Kae and Thom.  After the fight follow the path around and grab the Lagging Tail before you head north to battle with Duff and Eda!  Further along you can have the Photographer take your picture, then cross the bridge to the tall grass, and head south west through the grass to a hidden path, at the end of which is a Nugget!

Head north into the Zone and you will find a bloke selling stat upgrades on the right, a girl selling Air Mail, Quick Balls, Nest Balls, and Dusk Balls on the left.  There is a Center above that you can use to heal and save, and of course the entrance to the Zone itself. 

As in the previous games, the Zone is a great place to grab Pokemon you do not have, right?  When you enter the owner asks if you want to take the Owner Aptitude Test?  Well, why not? He asks us to catch a Geodude and show it to him -- at which point he will inform you that there is a second test that is not quite ready yet, and tell you to return later. 

And now that we have had some fun at the Zone, maybe got a few we did not have before, it is finally time to get on the boat to Kanto!  So use Fly to return to Olivine City, then head into the Pier and show your ticket to the Sailor, who will let you onto the dock. 

-- Boat Trip --

As you enter the boat an old man bumps in to you -- he is looking for his missing granddaughter.  The Sailor in the hall tells you that most of the passengers are trainers who will want to battle you in their cabin -- a familiar element from previous games -- so why not do that, starting with the one on the left? 

Right, the one on the left turned out to be the cabin of the man with the missing granddaughter -- so let us try the next one -- where we encounter Pokefan Colin!  The levels here will be a bit closer to our own now, so these fights will actually be fun.  When you finish off Colin head over to his twins Meg & Peg, and fight their very cute Pokemon.

In the cabin on the far-right is Fire-breather Lyle, and while I am thinking about this, do not forget to use your treasure detector on the boat, as you may be surprised at what you find!  Now head below and talk to the Sailor guarding the hatch to the east, who will ask you to look for one of his mates, and then  battle Sailor Jeff in the mess above. 

In the large crew quarters to the west you can fight a very seasick Trainer named Juggler Fritz.  Head back to the cabin deck and clear the cabins on the south side of the hall if you have not already, battling Hiker Noland, then find the goldbricking Sailor, who is so mad at you that he challenges you to a battle!

After all that, you may want to pop into your cabin for a nap -- I know I did! 

Now that we have located the sleeping Sailor, head back to the entrance to the engine room and battle Picnicker Debra, then head down to the Captain's Cabin to locate the missing little girl, who plays hide-and-seek with you.  You will find her in a corner on the next deck at the very end, and you take her back to her Grandfather, who rewards you with Metal Coat for your help.  And just in time too, because the ship has arrived!

We are in Vermilion City, Gateway to Kanto!  How cool is that?!  Pretty darn cool!

-- Vermilion City --

Vermilion City Beasties

-- Chinchou #176 (Any) Fishing
-- Combee #415 (Any) Headbutt
-- Diglett #050 (Any) Rock Smash
-- Heracross #214 (Any) Headbutt
-- Lanturn #171 (Any) Fishing
-- Magikarp #076 (Any) Fishing
-- Shellder #090 (any) Fishing
-- Shuckle #213 (Any) Rock Smash
-- Spearow #021 (Any) Headbutt
-- Tentacool #164 (Any) Fishing
-- Tentacool #164 (Any) Surfing
-- Tentacruel #165 (Any) Fishing
-- Tentacruel #165 (Any) Surfing
-- Wingull #278 (Any) Swarm

As we exit the Pier we encounter Suicine, who once again takes off over the water.  On some sand to the west you can see a treasure ball -- run around the house to the west and Surf over to the sand spit and grab the Luck Incense from the treasure ball, then face the boat directly north and Surf to its center to grab the Heart Scale -- use your treasure detector to locate it.

-- Vermilion City Gym --

Now Surf west to the City Gym and enter, talk tot eh greeter to learn that the traps are now working again -- lucky us -- and then battle Juggler Horton, Guitarist Vincent, and Gentleman Gregory, and then  go looking for the secret switch in one of the trash cans -- once you locate the first switch, the second one will be in one of the cans next to the first, so it is pretty much luck as to whether or not you hit it.  You will hit it eventually though, and when you do the electric fences will drop, giving you access to Lt. Surge.

Lt. Surge opens the battle with his Level 51 Raichu, followed by a pair of Level 47 Electrode, then a Level 47 Magneton, and finally his Level 53 Electrabuzz!  Victory means we are awarded the Thunder Badge along with TM34, Shock Wave!  What a grand way to start a new land, though I have to admit that it feels kind of strange coming into it like this...  I guess I am unused to a game having more than 8 Gyms.