What To Do After Conquering Olivine City Gym in Pokémon Gold, Silver & Crystal
After triumphing over Jasmine and her Steelix at the Olivine City Gym in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, a wave of exciting possibilities and crucial next steps opens up. The victory not only earns you the Mineral Badge, but also unlocks a significant portion of the Johto region and propels you toward the Pokémon League challenge. The immediate tasks involve ensuring Ampharos is healed, preparing for the next Gym Leader, and exploring new routes and towns.
Immediate Steps After Victory
The moment you leave the Olivine Gym with your hard-earned Mineral Badge, focus on these essentials:
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Heal Ampharos: The lighthouse quest to deliver the SecretPotion is now complete. After giving the SecretPotion to Jasmine, make your way back to the lighthouse (Olivine Cafe) and she will return to her gym. Defeat Jasmine to get the Mineral Badge. Now the lighthouse is powered up and Ampharos is healthy again. Ensure you revisit the lighthouse to see Ampharos shining brightly.
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Talk to Jasmine Again: After Ampharos is fully recovered, talk to Jasmine one last time. She gives you TM51 (Metal Claw), a Steel-type move that can be useful for certain Pokémon.
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Prepare for Cianwood City: Your next destination is Cianwood City, home to the fifth Gym Leader, Chuck. To reach Cianwood, you need to travel west, utilizing your newfound access to the whirlpools south of Olivine.
Navigating the Whirlpools
The whirlpools are a navigational hazard that prevent access to Cianwood City. You’ll need a specific HM to bypass them:
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Obtain HM06 (Whirlpool): You can’t navigate the whirlpools without the Whirlpool HM. To get it, head to Mahogany Town and infiltrate the Team Rocket HQ beneath the souvenir shop. Defeat Team Rocket’s executives and, after a series of events involving Lance and Clair, you will eventually receive HM06 (Whirlpool) from Pryce in the Mahogany Gym after you’ve defeated him.
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Teach Whirlpool to a Pokémon: Once you have the HM, teach it to a suitable Pokémon. Water-type Pokémon are the obvious choice, but any Pokémon capable of learning it will work. Remember you might need a specific badge to use the move outside of battle!
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Journey to Cianwood City: With Whirlpool in your arsenal, head south from Olivine City, enter the water and use Whirlpool on each whirlpool in your path. You can now safely navigate to Cianwood City.
Preparing for Chuck at Cianwood Gym
Chuck’s Gym focuses on Fighting-type Pokémon. Strategic planning is crucial for victory:
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Type Advantages: Exploit the weaknesses of Fighting-type Pokémon. Flying and Psychic-type Pokémon are highly effective. Ghost-type are immune to Fighting-type attacks, making them useful switch-ins. Avoid using Normal, Rock, Steel, Ice, and Dark-type Pokémon, as they are weak to Fighting-type moves.
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Pokémon Recommendations: Consider adding Pokémon like Pidgeot (Flying/Normal), Noctowl (Normal/Flying), Espeon (Psychic), or Hypno (Psychic) to your team. If you started with Cyndaquil, its evolution line (Quilava and Typhlosion) can also be effective due to their ability to learn Fire-type moves.
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Level Grinding: Ensure your Pokémon are adequately leveled. Aim for level 30-35 before challenging Chuck. Train in the routes around Olivine and on the way to Cianwood City.
Exploring Cianwood City
Cianwood City offers more than just a Gym challenge:
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The Secret Medicine: Before challenging Chuck, visit the Cianwood Pharmacy. You’ll find that Ampharos is not doing well. Talk to the pharmacist. After speaking with the pharmacist, he informs you that they are out of medicine and asks you to fetch a SecretPotion from Olivine City. You may already have this after healing Ampharos in the lighthouse. If not, head back to Olivine Cafe to get the SecretPotion. Once you have the SecretPotion return to Cianwood City and hand it to the pharmacist. After giving the SecretPotion, he will give you a Potion.
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The Photo Opportunity: Talk to the man in the building behind the Gym. He’s a photographer and he takes a photo for you and your Pokemon!
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Suicune Encounter: After beating Chuck, head outside the Gym. You’ll encounter Eusine again, followed by the legendary Pokémon Suicune. This is a scripted encounter, and you will have the opportunity to battle Suicune later in the game.
FAQs After Beating Olivine Gym
1. What is the next Gym Leader’s type specialty?
The next Gym Leader, Chuck in Cianwood City, specializes in Fighting-type Pokémon.
2. Which Pokémon are effective against Chuck’s team?
Flying and Psychic-type Pokémon are highly effective against Fighting-types. Ghost-type are immune to Fighting-type attacks, making them useful switch-ins.
3. How do I reach Cianwood City from Olivine City?
You need to navigate the whirlpools south of Olivine City using HM06 (Whirlpool). You can get HM06 (Whirlpool) from Pryce in the Mahogany Gym after you’ve defeated him.
4. Where can I find HM06 (Whirlpool)?
You receive HM06 (Whirlpool) from Pryce in the Mahogany Gym after you’ve defeated him.
5. What level should my Pokémon be before challenging Chuck?
Aim for levels 30-35 to comfortably challenge Chuck.
6. Are there any items I should collect in Cianwood City?
Before challenging Chuck, visit the Cianwood Pharmacy and get the SecretPotion. After giving the SecretPotion, he will give you a Potion.
7. What happens after I defeat Chuck?
After defeating Chuck, you receive the Storm Badge and TM29 (Psychic). You’ll also encounter Eusine and Suicune outside the Gym.
8. What is the significance of the Suicune encounter?
The Suicune encounter is part of a side quest involving the legendary beasts. You’ll have opportunities to battle and catch Suicune later in the game.
9. Where should I go after Cianwood City?
After Cianwood, your next destination is Mahogany Town.
10. Are there any side quests available at this point in the game?
The Suicune side quest is a notable one. There are also various NPC interactions and minor discoveries to be made in the towns you visit.
11. Can I revisit Olivine City after healing Ampharos?
Yes, you can revisit Olivine City at any time. There aren’t any specific events triggered by returning, but it’s a good place to stock up on items.
12. How important is it to teach my Pokémon Whirlpool?
It’s essential for progressing to Cianwood City. Without Whirlpool, you cannot navigate the whirlpools and access the next Gym.
13. Which Pokémon are good choices for learning Whirlpool?
Water-type Pokémon are the best choice, as they can naturally learn water-type moves and benefit from the STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus). Examples include Wooper/Quagsire, Tentacool/Tentacruel, and Krabby/Kingler.
14. What TM does Chuck give after defeat?
Chuck gives you TM29 (Psychic). This TM can be valuable for teaching Psychic-type moves to your Pokémon, granting them an edge against Fighting-types and other threats.
15. What if I skipped the lighthouse quest earlier in the game?
If you skipped it earlier, return to Olivine City and talk to the sailor to travel to the Olivine Cafe. Then proceed with healing Ampharos to get the Mineral Badge. This is necessary to progress in the game.
By following these steps and preparing strategically, you can successfully navigate the challenges that await you after conquering the Olivine City Gym, bringing you closer to becoming the Pokémon Champion.