Vermilion City Gym

Vermilion City Gym

Battle at the Vermilion City Gym

If you are not already there, head to the Pokecenter now.  Go to the PC, open Bill's Computer, and store the Nidoran-M that you just acquired in the Poison Box, and then jump to your A-Team Box.  You need to set yourself up for the Gym Battle...

I am assuming here that you at a minimum got everyone to at least Level 24.  Level 25 would be better, but Level 24 is fine as long as you also captured a Dugtrio?  You did, right?  Good!  So, build your team to include the following:

(1) Your Starter
(2) Dugtrio
(3) Pikachu
(4) Whatever Pokemon you like (I chose Geodude)
(5) Whatever Pokemon you like (I chose Pidgeotto)
(6) Meowth

Now Meowth is here because it is our new HM mule -- it can learn both Cut and Flash -- so rather than have two mules for now, we have just one!   If you have not switched over to Meowth, go ahead and do that now, and teach it both moves.

Having your Starter in the team is obvious -- you should always have them with you -- and Pikachu might be useful as this is an electric gym we are going into but then, maybe not... It really does not matter because our secret weapon -- Dugtrio -- combined with Geodude, are going to get us through this gym like it was manned by girl scouts!

With your party complete, go ahead and save before leaving the Pokecenter -- just in case.

-- Vermilion City Gym --

First we have to cut the tree blocking access to the Gym -- we do that and enter the Gym. 

As with the previous Gyms talk to the Gym Greeter to get some tips on what to do -- or not to do -- and then defeat the Assistant Gym Leaders (AGL's) who are waiting for you in the first area.  Considering that our current Gym Badge only allows us to control Pokemon up to Level 30, and with Dugtrio already at Level 29, it would be an idea to use Geodude to take out the AGL's so we do not end up with our main hitter out of control, right?

The first AGL is Sailor Dwayne, who has a pair of Level 21 Pikachu worth 369 XP each, and $672.

Next is Engineer Baily, who has a Level 21 Voltorb worth 463 XP, and a Level 21 Magnemite worth 400 XP and $1008.  Depending upon how much damage you took you may want to hit the Pokecenter to heal up now.  After this fight my Geodude gained a level and evolved -- I expect yours did as well!

At the head of the room by the electric barrier is Gentleman Tucker, who has a Level 23 Pikachu worth 403 XP and $1656.  Once you have taken him out, it is time to try to find the switches to drop the barrier and give us access to the next area of the Gym!

How this works is simple -- when you find a switch, the second switch is in one of the nearby cans because they are always right next to each other.  The trick is guessing right, because if you guess wrong, the switches reset and move, and you have to start all over again.  Yes it is a matter of luck, but eventually you will get it right!

-- Lt Surge Battle --

He opens with a Level 21 Voltorb, which is worth 463.  His tactic here is to weaken your stats, and every time you get his Pokemon close to dying he will use a Super Potion.  The trick here is to damage it just enough so that you can deliver a killing blow but not so badly that he uses a potion... 

I actually took out the Voltorb with my Geodude before switching to Dugtrio for the second fight...

Surge brings out his Level Level 18 Pikachu, which is worth 315 XP.  You can make very good use of Dugtrio's Dig move here -- which will allow you to KO the opponent without him being able to damage you!

Surge's final Pokemon is his Level 24 Raichu -- and this one is a heavy hitter!  Still this was really not much of a fight -- you can one-hit kill it by just doing Dig again.  Raichu paid out 627 XP and $2400, plus the Thunderbadge, which increases the Speed stat of your Pokemon, and allows you to use the HM Fly outside of battle!  Surge then gives us TM34 and tells us that we are special!

TM34 contains the move "Shock Wave" that is useful for your Electric Type Pokemon.  That is all she wrote for Lt. Surge and the Vermilion City Gym!  We now have our third badge, and are well on our way to becoming a Pokemon Master!

After you leave the Gym return to the Pokecenter to heal and save, then open the PC and put Dugtrio into your A-Team box as a team alternate, then grab your Grass Type if you have one to round out your team, then move to the Incoming Box and close the PC.

As soon as you are ready, make your way back to Cerulean City, but instead of entering the city by cutting the tree, backtrack down to the Daycare Center and check on the Magikarp we dropped off to see what its level is!   When the Daycare Center bloke handed him back he was Level 13 -- an 8-Level hike!  Very nice, but not where I want it.  I handed Magikarp back, since we really want it to be level 20, so that we only have to do one level before it evolves into the very powerful Gyarados!

With that chore out of the way, we follow the path to the right and up to the entrance to Route 9, which is blocked by a tree.  No worries there though, we can cut that now!