The Dragon's Den

The Dragon's Den

Five Questions

Our next logical task is to capture Ho-Oh, but we do not have everything that we need to do that just yet...  Right, you have the Key Item, you beat the Gym Leader in Ecruteak City and have that Badge, but to get Ho-Oh we also need the final Johto Gym Badge, and that we do not have, so Fly to Mahogany Town now, and head east -- the bloke who was blocking the road will allow you to pass now!

-- Route 44 --

Route 44 Beasties List

-- Aipom #123 (Any) Headbutt
-- Bellsprout #064 (Any) Normal
-- Heracross #114 (Any) Headbutt
-- Lickitung #180 (Any) Normal
-- Magikarp #076 (Any) Fishing
-- Poliwag #072 (Any) Fishing
-- Remoraid #174 (Any) Fishing
-- Spearow #013 (Any) Headbutt
-- Tangela #182 (Any) Normal
-- Weepinbell #065 (Any) Normal

No Route is complete without some Trainer fights, so take on Psychic Phil, then grab the Red Apricorn from the tree above the path.  Grab the Max Repel from the treasure ball below, and then follow the north side of the path first, fighting Fisherman Wilton, and Poke Maniac Zach, grabbing the Ultra Ball from the treasure ball ahead.  Use your treasure detector to locate the nearby Elixir,  and then follow the path south and west to take on Ace Trainer Allen. 

Continue west to fight Ace Trainer Cybil, then run onto the bridge to fight Fisherman Edgar, and thus clearing the first part of the Route of Trainers!   Backtrack east now to where the two paths join and then continue, fight Bird Keeper Vance, and arrive at the entrance to the Ice Path -- you did not think that we were just going to be able to walk into town easily did you?

-- Ice Path --

Ice Path Beasties List

-- Golbat #038 (Any) Normal
-- Jynx #155 (Any) Normal
-- Swinub #195 (Any) Normal
-- Zubat #037 (Any) Normal

Navigation is not that bad in here, so treat this aas an opportunity to obtain some Pokemon that are missing from your dex, right?  When you reach the next Ice Pond use your treasure detector and you will detect nearby treasure.  Using the rocks in the ice pond work your way across to the far rock, where you will find a Max Potion.   Sweet!

Continuing east the path splits, with stairs going up and ice going east.  First, slide across the ice to get HM07, Waterfall, clearly an item we do not want to skip!  Now head back to the stairs and continue along the path to meet the bloke who dropped that HM -- but it is okay, he wants us to keep it!

Go down the ladder and follow the path -- fall down the first hole that you come to and you are a level below on a large ice pond.  Go west and grab the Max Potion, then take the ladder in the northeast corner back up.  Those boulders are not there for decoration!  Push one down into each hole and then use them to reach the center area on the level below, grabbing the Full Heal before heading down the ladder there!

On the next level head east, break the rock, and grab the NeverMeltIce.  then head up the next ladder.  Follow the path around and use the center area to reach the corner where you will grab TM72, Avalanche. 

Now take the ladder up and slide the boulder down one slot, then slide across the bottom of the ice and up, using the boulder to stop so you can slide down to the treasure ball with an Iron in it.  Now head for the next ladder up and grab the Protein, then rescue the Kimono Girl from the ice.  As far as I can tell that treasure ball cannot be obtained, so go ahead and exit the cave and enter Blackthorn City!

-- Blackthorn City --

Blackthorn City Beasties List

-- Magikarp #076 (Any) Fishing
-- Magikarp #076 (Any) Surfing
-- Poliwag #072 (Any) Fishing

Okay now, we are here to defeat the Gym Leader and get that last badge for Johto, and that is really all that we want to do here!  Still you should be aware of the things you can do here, right?  In the nearby house is a bloke who wants to trade you his Dodrio for a Dragonair, which I know I do not have to tell you is like trading a Really Really Nice Mercedes for a Chevy Chevette!  Not worth the trouble in other words, as it is too imbalanced.  On the other side of the table from him is a woman who will award your lead Pokemon with the Effort Ribbon if it has maxed its EV's.

There is a Center and Mart, the Move Deleter and Move Tutor House, and the Gym.  Routes 45 and 46 are below, and if you are not leveled up you really should consider heading onto those Routes to fight the trainers there, as you are about to face a team that is in the high 30's with a Level 41 Kingdra as the kicker!  Now, have you leveled your team?  Really?  And you are sure that you are ready for this?  Stocked up on all the things you might need at the Mart?  Healed up and saved at the Center?  Have your best team set up?  Okay, I trust you -- let's go win the 8th Gym Badge!

-- Blackthorn City Gym --

The greeter gives you his advice and cautions you about the floors inside, so you put your lead in its ball, and then you enter!  Using the arrows and button turn the path and head in, fighting Ace Trainer Paulo, who fields two Level 35 Dratini and a Level 35 Seadra.  Next comes Ace Trainer Lola and her Level 35 Dratini, and Level 37 Dragonair.  Manipulate the path to cross, and then face Ace Trainer Cody and her Level 35 Horsea and Level 37 Seadra!  Next is Ace Trainer Fran with a Level 38 Seadra, then Ace Trainer Mike, with his Level 38 Dragonair.  All that remains now is to move the walkway to the other side and greet the Gym Leader!

At this point you have probably taken some accumulated damage.  You can either hit the Center to heal, or use Ether and pots to bring your team back to fighting status, the call is yours, but once you have done one or the other, it is time to take this Gym Leader down!

As you know Clair likes Dragon-Types, and she opens the battle with her Level 38 Gyarados!  She follows this with a pair of  Level 38 Dragonair, and finally her Level 41 Kingdra! 

Now what should have happened here is Clair should have forked over the Badge...  But she did not.  She has added an extra step because Clair is a whinger who should never have been made a Gym Leader!  Does the Elite 4 know she is pulling this crap?!  I have half a mind to... Bugger!

-- The Dragon's Den --

Right, first thing go heal, then go behind the Gym and Surf up the path to the entrance, then go in. 

You will have to fight some trainers along the way -- after all this is really sort of a second Gym Battle, right?  Or not...  There is a Revive in a rock to the left on the first ledge -- use your treasure detector to locate it -- and  a Calcium in a treasure ball to the east.  Surf west to battle Ace Trainer Piper, then grab the Max Potion from the rock.  Don't you think it is total pants to have wild encounters in a Gym Battle?

Head southwest to fight the twins, Clea & Gil and grab the Max Elixir, then head to the south side of the lake using Whirlpool and enter the Den, where you will be asked five questions:

(1) What are Pokemon to you?  Answer = Ally
(2) What helps you win battles? Answer = Strategy
(3) What kind of trainer do you wish to battle? Answer = Anyone
(4) What is most important for raising Pokemon?  Answer = Love
(5) Strong Pokemon.  Weak Pokemon.  Which is more important?  Answer = Both.

Clair shows up and cannot believe you passed... Man she really does not like us!  She grudgingly hands over the Rising Badge, which allows us to climb waterfalls, and Pokemon to Level 100 will now obey you.  He mentions Lugia -- that was a clue you know?  And we have achieved what we set out to!  

As you leave Clair gives you TM59, Dragon Pulse.