Can you access the Viridian City Gym right away in Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow? No, you cannot access the Viridian City Gym immediately upon arriving in Viridian City. You must first progress through the game and defeat the Gym Leader of Pewter City, Brock.
Welcome, aspiring Pokémon Masters, to a comprehensive guide on how to conquer the Viridian City Gym in Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow! Many trainers find themselves scratching their heads, wondering why this seemingly accessible gym remains locked. Fret not! This in-depth walkthrough will demystify the process, ensuring you can face the Viridian City trainer challenges and ultimately challenge its leader with ease and speed. We’ll cover everything from the initial steps to the Viridian Gym puzzle itself, and even touch upon what comes next.
Image Source: i.ytimg.com
The Path to Viridian City: A Crucial First Step
Before you can even think about the Viridian City Gym, you need to embark on your Pokémon journey from Pallet Town. Your adventure begins with a choice of starter Pokémon: Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle. From Pallet Town, your path naturally leads you north to Viridian City. However, your first major objective lies further north, in Pewter City.
Your First Gym Battle: Brock of Pewter City
Your journey from Pallet Town Viridian City towards the north will eventually bring you to Mt. Moon. This cave system is a rite of passage for all Kanto trainers. After navigating its depths, you’ll emerge into Cerulean City. But before that, your primary goal is to reach Pewter City and challenge its Gym Leader, Brock.
Why is Brock important for Viridian City? Brock, the Rock-type specialist, is the first of the Kanto gym leaders you’ll encounter. Defeating him is not just a badge of honor; it’s a prerequisite for unlocking the Viridian City Gym. Once you best Brock and obtain the Boulder Badge, the path north from Viridian City opens up.
How to Defeat Brock: Brock’s team consists of Geodude and Onix, both Rock/Ground types. They are particularly weak to Water and Grass-type attacks. If you chose Squirtle, your Squirtle will have an advantage. If you chose Charmander, you’ll need to rely on moves like Dig or find a Water or Grass Pokémon in Viridian Forest. If you chose Bulbasaur, this battle should be relatively straightforward. Consider catching a Mankey from Viridian Forest for its Fighting-type moves, which are also effective against Rock types.
The Viridian City Gym: A Glimpse of What Awaits
After securing your first badge, you’ll be able to travel north from Viridian City. This route leads to Pewter City. Once you’ve conquered Brock, the path north from Viridian City is clear. It’s essential to remember that the Viridian City trainer you might have encountered before is not the Gym Leader. The actual leader is elsewhere at this point in the game.
Unlocking the Viridian Gym: The Silph Co. Connection
The Viridian City Gym remains inaccessible until a specific plot point is reached. This point involves dealing with Team Rocket. Your journey will eventually take you to Saffron City, the home of the Silph Co. building.
What is the Silph Co. key item needed? The key item you need to progress the story and eventually unlock the Viridian City Gym is the Silph Scope. This item is obtained within the Silph Co. building itself. You’ll need to fight your way through Team Rocket grunts and eventually confront Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket.
How to get the Silph Scope: Navigate through the many floors of Silph Co. in Saffron City. You’ll encounter various Team Rocket members who are trying to steal the revolutionary “Pokédex development system.” The Silph Scope is located on the 11th floor, in the room occupied by President Mr. Fuji. After a confrontation with a Team Rocket Admin and a battle with Giovanni himself, you will be able to retrieve the Silph Scope.
The Viridian Gym Puzzle: Navigating the Labyrinth
Once you have the Silph Scope and have progressed the story, the Viridian City Gym will finally open its doors. This gym is unique in that it doesn’t follow the typical “defeat trainers, then leader” structure immediately. Instead, it presents a distinct Viridian Gym puzzle.
The Viridian Gym is structured as a series of interconnected rooms. To progress, you must step on specific floor tiles. Stepping on the wrong tile teleports you back to the entrance of the gym or to another part of the gym, forcing you to restart the puzzle. The goal is to navigate through these teleporter tiles to reach the final trainer and the Gym Leader.
Here’s a breakdown of the Viridian Gym puzzle:
- The Layout: The gym is essentially a grid of teleporter tiles. Some tiles will move you forward to the next segment, while others will send you backward.
- The Strategy: The most effective way to solve the Viridian Gym puzzle is through trial and error, or by following a specific path. Due to the interconnected nature of the teleporters, memorizing the correct sequence is key.
- A Common Path: While there might be slight variations in how the teleporters are laid out across different game versions (e.g., Pokémon Yellow vs. Red/Blue), a general sequence exists.
Let’s outline a common, successful path through the Viridian Gym puzzle:
Viridian Gym Teleporter Sequence:
| Entrance | First Tile | Second Tile | Third Tile | Fourth Tile | Fifth Tile | Sixth Tile | Seventh Tile | To Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Top Left | Bottom Left | Top Right | Bottom Right | Top Left | Bottom Right | Top Right | Giovanni |
Explanation of the path:
- From the entrance, move one step down and then one step right to reach the first teleporter.
- Step onto the Top Left teleporter.
- You will land in a new area. Move two steps down and then one step left to reach the next teleporter. Step onto the Bottom Left teleporter.
- You’ll be in another section. Move one step down and two steps right to find the next teleporter. Step onto the Top Right teleporter.
- You’re getting closer! Move two steps down and one step left. Step onto the Bottom Right teleporter.
- One more tile to go! Move one step down and one step right. Step onto the Top Left teleporter.
- Now, move one step down and two steps right. Step onto the Bottom Right teleporter.
- Finally, move one step down and one step left. Step onto the Top Right teleporter.
This sequence will lead you to the final Viridian City trainer and then to the main event: challenging the leader.
The Leader of Viridian City: Giovanni Revealed
The individual you face at the end of the Viridian Gym puzzle is none other than Giovanni Viridian City, the formidable leader of Team Rocket and the true Gym Leader of Viridian City. At this point in your journey, Giovanni is a powerful opponent, and his Pokémon reflect his strength and his team’s affiliation.
Giovanni’s Pokémon Team (Pokémon Red/Blue):
| Pokémon | Level | Type | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onix | 27 | Rock/Ground | Water, Grass, Ice, Fighting |
| Groundon | 28 | Ground | Water, Grass, Ice |
| Sandslash | 28 | Ground | Water, Grass, Ice |
| Sandslash | 28 | Ground | Water, Grass, Ice |
| Persian | 31 | Normal | Fighting |
Giovanni’s Pokémon Team (Pokémon Yellow):
| Pokémon | Level | Type | Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandshrew | 28 | Ground | Water, Grass, Ice |
| Dugtrio | 31 | Ground | Water, Grass, Ice |
| Sandslash | 33 | Ground | Water, Grass, Ice |
| Nidoqueen | 35 | Poison/Ground | Ground, Psychic, Ice |
| Persian | 35 | Normal | Fighting |
Strategy for Defeating Giovanni:
Giovanni’s team is heavily reliant on Ground-type Pokémon. This means Water, Grass, and Ice-type attacks will be your best friends.
- Water-type Pokémon: Starmie, Vaporeon, or even a well-trained Vileplume with Surf can do significant damage.
- Grass-type Pokémon: Venusaur, Victreebel, or Vileplume are excellent choices.
- Ice-type Pokémon: Lapras, Dewgong, or Articuno (if you’ve obtained it) will also be very effective.
- Flying-type Pokémon: While not super effective against Ground types, flying types can offer resistance to Ground-type attacks and can learn useful moves.
- Fighting-type Pokémon: These are crucial for dealing with Giovanni’s Persian. A Machamp or Primeape can make short work of it.
Important Note: After you defeat Giovanni, he will flee, and you will receive the Earth Badge. This badge increases the Special Attack of your Pokémon. However, Giovanni’s Gym Leader status is revoked. The Viridian City Gym will remain closed for business as the Gym Leader, as the true Gym Leader is absent.
The Aftermath: What Happens After Giovanni
Once you defeat Giovanni, the Viridian City Gym’s significance shifts. The path north from Viridian City is permanently open, allowing you to travel to Pewter City and beyond. However, the Viridian Gym itself will no longer have an active Gym Leader.
The Pewter City Gym Rematch
While you can’t battle Giovanni in Viridian City again as a Gym Leader, he does reappear later in the game. The Gym Leader of Viridian City, Giovanni, will eventually return to his post. This happens much later in the game, after you have dealt with Team Rocket’s activities at the Silph Co. building and subsequently at the Pokémon Mansion on Cinnabar Island.
When Giovanni returns to the Viridian Gym, he will offer a rematch. This encounter serves as a final confrontation with the leader of Team Rocket, testing your progression and the strength of your team.
Lieutenant Surge and Other Kanto Gym Leaders
It’s worth noting that the Viridian City Gym is just one of the many challenges you’ll face on your journey to becoming the Indigo League Champion. Each of the Kanto gym leaders presents a unique set of Pokémon and strategies.
- Brock (Pewter City Gym): Rock-type.
- Misty (Cerulean City Gym): Water-type.
- Lt. Surge (Vermilion City Gym): Electric-type. Lieutenant Surge gym is known for its electrifying trainers and tough puzzles.
- Erika (Celadon City Gym): Grass-type.
- Koga (Fuchsia City Gym): Poison-type.
- Sabrina (Saffron City Gym): Psychic-type.
- Blaine (Seafoam Islands Gym): Fire-type.
- Blue (Viridian City Gym – Later): After Giovanni’s final defeat, Blue, your rival, takes over the Viridian City Gym. He uses a diverse team, making him a challenging final Gym Leader.
Your progression through these gyms is crucial for strengthening your Pokémon and collecting the badges needed to enter the Indigo Plateau.
Pokémon Red Blue Viridian Gym: Key Takeaways
To summarize the process of unlocking the Viridian City Gym fast and easy:
- Start your journey: Begin in Pallet Town and head north to Viridian City.
- Defeat Brock: Travel to Pewter City and defeat Brock to obtain the Boulder Badge. This opens the path north of Viridian City.
- Progress the story: Your main quest will lead you to Saffron City and the Silph Co. building.
- Obtain the Silph Scope: Navigate Silph Co., defeat Team Rocket, and confront Giovanni to get the Silph Scope.
- Return to Viridian City: With the Silph Scope in hand, the Viridian City Gym will now be accessible.
- Solve the Viridian Gym puzzle: Use the teleporter sequence provided to reach the end of the gym.
- Challenge Giovanni: Defeat Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, to earn the Earth Badge.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Why is the Viridian City Gym locked when I first get there?
A1: The Viridian City Gym is locked because its Gym Leader, Giovanni, is initially engaged with Team Rocket activities. You need to progress the main storyline, specifically dealing with Team Rocket in Saffron City, to unlock it.
Q2: Do I need to defeat all the trainers in Viridian City before fighting the Gym Leader?
A2: No, the Viridian City Gym has a unique teleporter puzzle. You need to navigate through the teleporter tiles to reach the Gym Leader. While there are trainers positioned along the path to the leader, you don’t need to defeat them to progress through the puzzle itself.
Q3: What Pokémon should I use against Giovanni?
A3: Giovanni’s team primarily consists of Ground-type Pokémon. Therefore, Water, Grass, and Ice-type Pokémon and their attacks are highly effective. Fighting-type Pokémon are also useful against his Persian.
Q4: Can I get the Earth Badge before defeating Misty?
A4: No, you cannot get the Earth Badge before defeating Misty. You need to defeat Brock in Pewter City first, which then allows you to access the path north to Cerulean City and eventually Saffron City, where the events leading to the Viridian Gym unlock occur.
Q5: Does the Viridian City Gym have a rematch option after defeating Giovanni the first time?
A5: Yes, Giovanni returns to the Viridian City Gym for a rematch much later in the game, after you’ve dealt with Team Rocket’s operations.
Q6: Who is Blue in the context of Viridian City Gym?
A6: Blue is your rival. After the events involving Giovanni and Team Rocket, Blue eventually takes over the Viridian City Gym, becoming the final Gym Leader you can challenge in that location in the original games.
By following these steps and strategies, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle the Viridian City Gym and continue your journey to becoming a Pokémon Champion! Good luck, trainer!