Route #30 and Route #31 are relatively uncomplicated roads—unfortunately, you'll have to wander off the path to climb uphill. You'll be wandering through tall grass again, but it will help your Pokémon become strong—if you win.
Trainer Battles Begin
When you return to Route #30 after completing your errand, trainers will attack you whenever you make eye contact. As you can see from their rosters below, their Pokémon are weak, but they can wear you down. You can try to avoid them, but it's better to fight when you can: they're the best source of money and EXP in the game.
One new twist is the ability to trade phone numbers with certain trainers once you've defeated them in battle (they will say phone next to their rewards). If you agree, they'll call you periodically to chat, challenge you to rematches, and most importantly, inform you of Pokémon "swarms." Without that info, it's hard to catch Pokémon like Dunsparce in the nearby Dark Cave. A few, like Wade on Route #31, will even give you free items!
Free berries from Wade
After you beat Wade, give him your phone number. He'll call from time to time, and if you go visit him immediately afterward, he may give you one of a wide variety of Berries.
Catch a Bellsprout (or Two)
The dividing line between Route #30 and Route #31 is right about where the trainer named Don waits. To the north of him you'll find pretty much the same Pokémon you found below, but with the addition of Bellsprout and Gastly. Try to catch an extra Bellsprout—not because they're that great, but because they can be used to trade for a very useful Onix in Violet City.
Run an errand and get TM 50
A little later in the game, a guard in the guard house that separates Goldenrod City and Route #35 will send you to deliver a message to the guy in front of the lake, so remember where he's at! Finishing this errand is the only way to get TM 50, Nightmare.
Trainers & Items
Route #30 Trainers | Route #31 Trainers |
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Items | |
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Pokémon Found
Morning | Day | Night | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GOLD | SILV | CRYS | GOLD | SILV | CRYS | GOLD | SILV | CRYS | |
Ledyba | N/A | 25% | 12% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Hoppip | N/A | N/A | 4% | N/A | N/A | 16% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Pidgey | 25% | 15% | 40% | 30% | 60% | 40% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Caterpie | 60% | N/A | 40% | 40% | N/A | 40% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Metapod | 15% | N/A | N/A | 30% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Weedle | N/A | 50% | 4% | N/A | 20% | 4% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Kakuna | N/A | 10% | N/A | N/A | 20% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Hoothoot | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 40% | 75% | 60% |
Rattata | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 40% | 25% | N/A |
Spinarak | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 20% | N/A | 8% |
Zubat | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 16% |
Poliwag | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 16% |
Morning | Day | Night | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GOLD | SILV | CRYS | GOLD | SILV | CRYS | GOLD | SILV | CRYS | |
Ledyba | N/A | 20% | 5% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Hoppip | N/A | N/A | 10% | N/A | N/A | 10% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Pidgey | 20% | 20% | 40% | 25% | 25% | 40% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Caterpie | 50% | N/A | 20% | 30% | N/A | 20% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Metapod | 10% | N/A | N/A | 20% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Weedle | N/A | 30% | 5% | N/A | 30% | 5% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Kakuna | N/A | 10% | N/A | N/A | 20% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Bellsprout | 20% | 20% | 20% | 25% | 25% | 25% | 15% | 25% | 15% |
Hoothoot | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 15% | 25% | 15% |
Rattata | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 40% | 50% | N/A |
Spinarak | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 30% | N/A | 35% |
Zubat | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5% |
Poliwag | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 25% |
Gastly | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 5% |
#60 Poliwag | #10 Caterpie |
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Poliwag are very common in Crystal, appearing at night in several overworld routes. Poliwag isn't too impressive by itself, but if you evolve it into a Poliwhirl you can then use a Water Stone or trade it with a King's Rock to get a powerful Poliwrath or Politoed. But don't evolve it too early: Each of those forms can learn two exclusive moves, but none of them are anywhere near as good as the Hydro Pump that Poliwag and Poliwhirl would learn if you didn't evolve them until much later. | This Bug Pokémon reaches its highest form, Bug/Flying Butterfree, at level 10. The speedy evolution is nice, and Butterfree is useful for a while after it learns Confusion at level 10. Unfortunately, its awkward mix of types and lack of other good early moves makes it a poor long-term choice. |
#13 Weedle | #167 Spinarak |
Like Caterpie, Weedle evolves into its final form at level 10. That Pokémon, Beedril, actually gets a handful of strong moves: Fury Attack at level 10, and Twineedle, Pursuit, and Pin Missile later on. Beedrill is hardly the game's best Bug Pokémon, but it will hold you over until you get a Scyther. | Spinarak is a nocturnal Pokémon with a good variety of Posion, Normal, Bug, Ghost, and Psychic attacks. One move exclusive to this Pokémon and its evolved form (Ariados at level 22) is Spider Web, a useful technique that prevents a Pokémon from running away. |
#41 Zubat | #165 Ledyba |
Big news for Zubat fans: Gold/Silver/Crystal introduces a third evolution for this under-appreciated Poison/Flying-type. Crobat, who evolves from a very "tamed" Golbat, doesn't have any new moves, but it can learn Fly and is much quicker than Golbat. | You'll have to wake up early to catch a Ledyba. Bug/Flying type Ledyba and its evolved form Ledian are primarily defensive Pokémon, learning moves like Reflect, Safeguard, and Light Screen. They do learn a few early attacks like Comet Punch, but their Attack is too low to put them to good use. |
#69 Bellsprout | #92 Gastly |
Bellsprout and its evolved forms, Weepinbell, and Victreebel are still among the least useful Grass Pokémon, and their one new move (Sweet Scent) isn't worth much. But if you didn't pick a Chikorita as a starter, you may find Bellsprout to be temporarily useful. They start with Vine Whip, which is good against the Gastly in Sprout Tower and great against Rock-type Pokémon in the upcoming Union Cave. | Gastly is a very useful Pokémon in Gold, Silver, and Crystal. It now starts with Hypnosis, and can learn four all new moves. One of the first is Mean Look, which prevents opponents from running away. Between that, Hypnosis and its Ghost-type resistance to Normal attacks, Gastly is the perfect Pokémon for catching other wild Pokémon. But you'll have to stay up late to catch one since they only come out at night. |