Part VI: [Insert Frozen joke here]

Route 42 & Mt. Mortarrrr

Recommended Level: 24-28

Fighting-types! Finally!

Anyway, as I mentioned in Part V, Mankey is now available to Gold players on Route 42, while Machop (and also Marill) can be caught in Mt. Mortar. The next gym on this route is an Ice Gym, so punchy things are going to be quite helpful.

To be honest, that’s just about everything of interest here though. Cut through to Mahogany.

Mahogany Town, Route 43, & Lake of Rage

Recommended Level: 25-29

Let’s head north first as there is little to do in Mahogany for now. Route 43 has two new encounters, neither of which are all that useful. Girafarig’s stats are awful, and Venonat (Night/Morning)’s evolution doesn’t get Quiver Dance for another few generations.

Oh, there’s also two Route gates in the middle of Route 43. One of them is a toll booth operated by Team Rocket. I’ll let you pick where you go.

Once you reach the Lake of Rage, you can catch Magikarp and Gyarados. There is one Gyarados in the middle of the lake that is forced shiny and appears at a flat level of 30. FOR THE LOVE OF ARCEUS CATCH THIS. It quite possibly outlevels your entire team at this juncture. If only Gyarados didn’t suck in this game. If you don’t have a Water-type, you should probably use it. It’s certainly more useful than your current Surf bot and also learns other HMs. Oh, and that encounter is mandatory to progress the story. Once you catch it, take the Red Scale it is holding and head back to Mahogany (after talking to Lance again).

Capturing Gyarados also (finally) unlocks the Exp Share. Bring the scale to Mr. Pokémon on Route 31. Equip the Exp Share to a Pokémon of your choice, it’s time for some shopping in Mahogany! Oh, wait. Lance is here. Uhhhhhh…

Rocket Hideout

Recommended Level: 27-30

Here you take on a lot of Team Rocket characters, most of them grunts, some Scientists, and two Executives. There are some wild Voltorb and Geodude in a trap, but they always opt for Selfdestruct. Electrode at the end can be caught and are less likely to explode.

Mahogany Gym

Recommended Level: 28-31

Pryce runs the Ice-type gym here with his Seel, Dewgong, and Piloswine ranging from level 27-31. Ice should in theory be weak to Fire, but all three of those Pokémon have secondary STAB that is Super Effective on your Quilava. Rock is the same story. Steel only does neutral damage to two of them and the third’s secondary STAB is also SE to Steel. Fighting is your best bet here. Aside from that, a good Thunderbolt to the head (Electrode says hi) is the best way to deal with Seel and Dewgong, and Piloswine is easily removed from play with a Water-type attack or three (Gyarados says hi).

Once we’re finished up here, one of two things happen:

1. You have not completed Part V – Nothing happens. Go back to Ecruteak and exit west (or resume wherever you left off).
2. You HAVE completed Part V – You should receive a phone call. Proceed to Part VII.