Pokémon Gold and Silver/Route 30-31: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 02:54, 15 February 2023

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Pokédex

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.

New Pokémon
Gold	Silver	Crystal
Caterpie Metapod Spinarak Bellsprout	Weedle Kakuna Ledyba Bellsprout	Caterpie Weedle Ledyba Spinarak Zubat Poliwag Bellsprout Gastly

New Pokémon to catch[edit]

Routes 30 and 31 contain a variety of new Pokémon (especially if you are playing Crystal) so bring many Poké Balls. Bug-type Pokemon are plentiful here in all versions. Caterpie and Spinarak can be found on Gold while Weedle and Ledyba can be found on Silver. Unfortunately, the new families aren't that great, but you can still have some decent utility from Butterfree (can learn Sleep Powder and moves alike) and Beedrill (has a decent attack stat). Bellsprout may be weak at the first gym but it's decent and very useful if you didn't choose Chikorita as your starter. Also, 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. Crystal players can get all of the previously mentioned Pokémon, plus three more! Gastly, Zubat and Poliwag can only be found at night and are somewhat rare but worth to catch. They can be found in other places more easily so don't worry if you don't find them here.

Trainer battles begin[edit]

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 have a phone icon 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.

Free berries from Wade

After you beat Wade along Route 31, give him your phone number. In Crystal, 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.

Run an errand and get TM 50[edit]

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 is! Finishing this errand is the only way to get TM 50, Nightmare.

Trainers and items[edit]

Route #30 Trainers

Route #31 Trainers

Youngster Joey: 64 (phone)
- Rattata (lvl. 4, 48 EXP)

Youngster Mikey: 64
- Pidgey (lvl. 2, 22 EXP)
- Rattata (lvl. 4, 48 EXP)

Bug Catcher Don: 48
- Caterpie (lvl. 3, 33 EXP)
- Caterpie (lvl. 3, 33 EXP)

Bug Catcher Wade: 32 (Phone)
- Caterpie (lvl. 2, 22 EXP)
- Weedle (lvl. 3, 33 EXP)
- Caterpie (lvl. 2, 22 EXP)
- Caterpie (lvl. 2, 22 EXP)

Items

Antidote (G/S only)
Potion (Crystal only)
Bitter Berry (tree)
Poké Ball
TM 50 (Nightmare)

Pokémon Found[edit]

Route #30 encounters
	Gold			Silver			Crystal
	Morn	Day	Night	Morn	Day	Night	Morn	Day	Night
Ledyba	N/A	N/A	N/A	30%	N/A	N/A	30%	N/A	N/A
Hoppip	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	5%	5%	N/A
Pidgey	40%	50%	N/A	10%	50%	N/A	10%	40%	N/A
Caterpie	50%	35%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	50%	50%	N/A
Metapod	10%	15%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Weedle	N/A	N/A	N/A	50%	35%	N/A	5%	5%	N/A
Kakuna	N/A	N/A	N/A	10%	15%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Hoothoot	N/A	N/A	30%	N/A	N/A	60%	N/A	N/A	45%
Rattata	N/A	N/A	40%	N/A	N/A	40%	N/A	N/A	N/A
Spinarak	N/A	N/A	30%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	30%
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	20%

Route #31 encounters
	Gold			Silver			Crystal
	Morn	Day	Night	Morn	Day	Night	Morn	Day	Night
Ledyba	N/A	N/A	N/A	30%	N/A	N/A	30%	N/A	N/A
Hoppip	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	5%	5%	N/A
Pidgey	30%	30%	N/A	10%	30%	N/A	10%	40%	N/A
Caterpie	35%	35%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	30%	30%	N/A
Metapod	15%	15%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Weedle	N/A	N/A	N/A	30%	35%	N/A	5%	5%	N/A
Kakuna	N/A	N/A	N/A	10%	15%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Bellsprout	20%	20%	20%	20%	20%	20%	20%	20%	20%
Hoothoot	N/A	N/A	10%	N/A	N/A	40%	N/A	N/A	10%
Rattata	N/A	N/A	40%	N/A	N/A	40%	N/A	N/A	N/A
Spinarak	N/A	N/A	30%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	30%
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	30%
Gastly	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	5%

Routes 30 & 31 Fishing
	Old Rod	Good Rod	Super Rod
Magikarp	85%	35%	20%
Poliwag	15%	65%	80%

#60 Poliwag	#10 Caterpie
Poliwag are common in Crystal, appearing at night in several overworld routes. Poliwag will be one of the first pure Water types you can catch with a good early move set and a great Speed stat. With moves like Hypnosis at level 7 and then Water Gun at level 13 it can be effective for you early on in the caves against Rock types and also helping to put other Pokémon to sleep for easier catching! Has several evolutions and now Gen 2 introduces a new Pokémon Politoed. Still, if you want a Fighting-type move for final evolution Poliwrath which learns (Submission), you will need to evolve it at least before level 35. Poliwag is very helpful in the fact that it can learn HMs: Surf, Whirlpool, Waterfall and evolutions Poliwhirl, Poliwrath, Politoed can learn Strength.	This Bug and Flying type Pokémon reaches its highest form, Butterfree, at level 10. Special Attack is its Best stat however has low HP. The speedy evolution is nice, and Butterfree is useful for a while after it learns Confusion at level 10. It learns a few of the Powder moves then gets first Flying type move Gust at level 28 Early on it's still good since it has a mix of status moves and Confusion as a good damage dealing move, but after you find more Pokémon that can use status inducing moves it becomes obsolete. Can also learn HM Flash
#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, 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. Beedrill is also the only Pokémon that can give Forretress Pin Missile (the only bug-type move that forretress can learn) by breeding.	Spinarak is a nocturnal Pokémon with a good variety of Poison, 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. Unfortunately, it's still a mediocre Pokémon with poor stats in almost every category.
#41 Zubat	#165 Ledyba
Big news for Zubat fans: Gold/Silver/Crystal introduces a third evolution for this under-appreciated Poison and Flying-type Pokémon. As you find in fighting them, their focus is to confuse and cause self inflicted harm and chip away at your HP. Has a good Speed stat and is even better in the evolved form. Starts with Leech Life and learns Supersonic at level 6 then new Dark type move Bite at level 12 and then Confuse Ray at level 19. The first Physical Attack it learns is Bite which means catching one lower than level 12 will be a slow level up. 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. Crobat is actually the fastest Pokémon that can learn Mean Look, so if you're having trouble trying to catch an annoying Pokémon that likes to run, Crobat is your best choice.	New to Gen 2 you'll have to wake up early to catch a Ledyba as its not an all day Pokémon. This ties into the new Day and Night cycle in Pokémon Gold/Silver /Crystal. Bug and 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. Its best stat is Special Defense.
#69 Bellsprout	#92 Gastly
Bellsprout and its evolved forms, Weepinbell, and Victreebel are still among the least useful Grass Pokémon, and their one new Grass type move (Sweet Scent) isn't worth much. Its Attack is slightly higher than its Special Attack. 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 great against Rock and Ground-type Pokémon in the upcoming Union Cave. However it only has 10 uses forcing a return trip to the Pokémon centre to recover. Vine Whip is also good at landing hits on Ghost type Gastly. Bellsprout and its evolved forms can learn HMs: Cut and Flash which will soon be found.	Ghost and Poison type Pokémon Gastly is very useful in Gold/Silver/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. Gastly is the perfect Pokémon for catching other wild Pokémon. It has a very high Special Attack stat but low HP. You'll have to stay up late to catch one since they only come out at night. Actually reducing Gastly's HP may be difficult early on due to moves like Tackle and Scratch being completely ineffective so bring Pokémon with other type attacks such as Grass, Water, Flying or Fire types Attacks along. You will have to trade Haunter to another Pokémon game (and trade it back) if you want to evolve it to Gengar.