When you turn on your Pokemon Ruby or Pokemon Sapphire game, you'll be greeted to a very impressive looking opening scene. After that, you'll be at the main menu. You might want to change the options before starting a new game, if you wish. Anyway, when you're ready, hit "New Game".

You'll be greeted by Birch, a Pokemon Professor. And he basically rambles on like Oak and Elm did in their respective versions until he asks you for your name. Well, actually, he asks you your gender first. There isn't any big difference if you choose Boy or Girl, it just affects which house you move in to (and which house your Rival moves in to), and what your character looks like. You should probably use your name, or nickname, but if you don't feel like it, feel free to use one of the default names. Here are the different default names your character has:

Boy	Girl
LANDON	TERRA
TERRY	KIMMY
SETH	NICOLA
TOM	SARA

Or, you can enter your own name/nickname, up to 7-letters.

After you get that decided, Birch will finish his talking, and you'll appear in a moving van.

Exit the moving van, and your mom will pull you inside the house. You'll see some Machokes unpacking. Your mom tells you to go upstairs and set the clock your dad bought you to mark your move here. Go up the stairs, and you'll be in your room. Set the clock to about what time it is where you are (although feel free to set it to anything else... your choice). Make sure to take the Potion out of your computer ;)

When you're done upstairs, head back down, and your mom will call you over to the TV. She notices that they're filming in Petalburg Gym, and is wondering if your Dad will be shown. I guess you missed it, because the program then ends. Your mom tells you about your Dad's friend, Prof. Birch, and that he lives next door (well, to the south).

Actually, before doing so, you have to go visit the house next door (to the west/east - depends on if you're a boy or a girl). After some brief dialogue with Brendan/May's Mom, you should head up stairs and talk with Brendan/May. Then, leave the house, and head to the northern end of town. A kid will mention that he hears screaming down the road. Better go help Birch... Go over to his bag, and then you'll see three Pokeballs. Choose one, and then continue. REMEMBER: The Pokemon you choose here will be your starting Pokemon!

Here are some quick stats on each Pokemon:

Treecko	Torchic	Mudkip
Type: Grass Moves: Pound Leer At Lv 6: Absorb At Lv 11: Quick Attack Evolution Line: Level 16 Level 36	Type: Fire Moves: Scratch Growl At Lv 7: Focus Energy At Lv 10: Ember Evolution Line: Level 16 Level 36	Type: Water Moves: Tackle Growl At Lv 6: Mud-slap At Lv 10: Water Gun Evolution Line: Level 16 Level 36

I recommend getting Mudkip if you're a beginner. Torchic and Treecko are both pretty nice, although Treecko is more of a challenge. For the purpose of this guide, I've started with Torchic. After picking your Pokemon, you'll have to fight...

Name	Type(s)	Level	Exp
Poochyena	Dark	2	15

Just hit Poochyena a few times with Pound, Scratch, or Tackle (depends on which Pokemon you started with) and it should faint.

After you beat it, Birch will take you back to his lab. After some dialogue, he'll tell you that you can keep the Pokemon you just chose! You can also give it a nickname if you want. Then he'll tell you to go see his daughter/son on Route 103. Say yes, and then leave the building. Now head on over to Route 101, and keep heading north, fighting as many wild Pokemon as you can.

Pokemon
Rarity	Pokemon	Types	Levels
Common	Poochyena	Dark	2, 3
Common	Zigzagoon	Normal	2, 3
Common	Wurmple	Bug	2, 3

Nothing really exciting on Route 101. Try to train your Pokemon up to level 6 or 7 before continuing to Oldale Town, which is to the north. If your Pokemon gets weakened, head back to Littleroot, and talk to your mom to heal your Pokemon.

PokéMart
Item Name	Price
Potion	300
Antidote	100
Parlyz Heal	200
Awakening	250

* PokeBalls aren't for sale until after you've received them from Brendan/May in Littleroot after meeting her in Route 103.

Oldale Town doesn't really have anything exciting just yet. Just head north to reach Route 103, stopping by the PokeCenter if you need healing.

Pokemon
Rarity	Pokemon	Types	Levels
Common	Zigzagoon	Normal	2, 3
Common	Wingull	Water/Flying	3
Common	Poochyena	Dark	3

You'll probably want to save your strength until after you fight Brendan/May, so try to keep fights to a minimum. Anyway, when you make your way up to Brendan/May, you'll have to fight him/her. The Pokemon s/he'll use will vary depending on which Pokemon you chose.

If you chose Treecko...

PKMN Trainer, Brendan/May
Pokemon	Types	LV
Torchic	Fire	5

If you chose Mudkip...

PKMN Trainer, Brendan/May
Pokemon	Types	LV
Treecko	Grass	5

If you chose Torchic...

PKMN Trainer, Brendan/May
Pokemon	Types	LV
Mudkip	Water	5

Brendan/May shouldn't be too hard to beat, even if you're only at Level 5. Although its recommended that you're at least at Level 6 or 7 before you fight him/her. If you have any problems, use your Potion that you withdrew back at your house.

After you beat him/her, s/he runs off back to his/her father's lab, and wants you to go with. Better get going then!

On your way back to Littleroot Town, you should have encountered Brendan/May again. When you arrive back in Littleroot, head straight for the Lab, and talk with Professor Birch and Brendan/May. Professor Birch gives you a PokeDex after some chatting, and explains that Brendan/May has one, and that whenever they catch a rare Pokemon, the PokeDex automatically records its data. Then, Brendan/May gives you 5 Poke Balls! Sweet! After you get the Poke Balls, you can leave. On your way out of town, your Mom will give you your pair of Running Shoes. These are extremely handy! Just hold B and you'll be able to run! Really speeds things along if you're sick of the boring old walking pace (like me). Now you can leave town, and go catch some Pokemon!

Catching Pokemon is really one of the biggest intrigues in the game, and if you don't learn to catch Pokemon, you probably won't get too far. First thing to do when you want to catch a Pokemon is encounter it.

Look in fields of tall grass, like this one...

...and you'll encounter wild Pokemon!

To catch wild Pokemon, first go into your Bag...

...and you should see your items pouch. Now hit to go to the Poke Balls page.

When you're on the Poke Balls page, choose which Poke Ball you want to use, then press A, select Use, and press A again.

You'll throw the ball at the wild Pokemon...

...and, if all goes well, you'll successfully catch the Pokemon!

Although, you'll usually have to use a few attacks to weaken the enemy Pokemon before you try to catch it. Otherwise it'll most likely break out of the Poke Ball you threw at it! And one VERY important thing: You CANNOT catch Trainer's Pokemon, so don't even try using Poke Balls on Pokemon that Trainers send out.

PokéMart
Item Name	Price
Poke Ball	200
Potion	300
Antidote	100
Parlyz Heal	200
Awakening	250

While you're in Oldale, you should buy some Poke Balls and Potions to help you reach Petalburg. A few of each should do the trick. Maybe throw in an Antidote for good measure, but don't waste your time with any other items. When you're all ready, head west to go to Route 102! Or, you could always head back north to Route 103 to catch some of the Pokemon you saw earlier, but you're main destination lies beyond Route 102.

Pokemon
Rarity	Pokemon	Types	Levels
Common	Zigzagoon	Normal	3, 4
Uncommon	Lotad	Water/Grass	3
Uncommon	Seedot	Grass	3
Common	Poochyena	Dark	4
Rare	Ralts	Psychic	4
Common	Wurmple	Bug	3,4
Very Rare	Surskit	Water/Bug	3

Now's a good time to start training some of your newly caught Pokemon. Good ones to train are Wingulls, Lotads, and Seedots. Ralts' are also good to train if you manage to find one, but mind you they're pretty rare, so don't count on it.

Zigzagoons can also be pretty helpful as well. Even if you don't train your Zigzagoon, you should still leave it in your party! Why's that? Because of its wonderful ability, Pickup! After you're victorious in a battle, there's a chance that your Zigzagoon (actually any Pokemon with Pickup will do the job) will pick up a random item! The random items that Zigzagoon can pick up range from Super Potions to Ultra Balls to Rare Candies! You can pick up some really awesome stuff by having a Zigzagoon or two in your party. And remember, the Pokemon with Pickup doesn't even need to fight in order to have a chance at picking up an item - it just needs to be in your party!

Yes, Zigzagoons are a good Pokemon to have around. They can even hold their own in a fight!

Trainers
Bug Catcher, Rick		$ 64
Pokemon	Types	LV
Wurmple	Bug	4
Wurmple	Bug	4
Youngster, Allen		$ 48
Pokemon	Types	LV
Poochyena	Dark	5
Taillow	Normal/Flying	3
Lass, Tiana		$ 64
Pokemon	Types	LV
Zigzagoon	Normal	4
Zigzagoon	Normal	4

Anyway, train your Pokemon's levels up a bit, and fight the Trainers in the area. They aren't too difficult, although feel free to rush back to the Pokemon Center if your Pokemon get weakened. Head west, and you'll eventually reach Petalburg City.

PokéMart
Item Name	Price
Poke Ball	200
Potion	300
Antidote	100
Parlyz Heal	200
Awakening	250
Escape Rope	550
Repel	350
X Speed	350
X Attack	500
X Defend	550
Orange Mail	50

Time to go visit dear old dad! Heal up at the Pokemon Center, and make your way north to the gym. Don't bother checking out the Mart - it doesn't really have anything worth buying unless you need to restock on Potions and/or Poke Balls.

Inside the Gym, you'll find none other than your father, Norman. Yes, that's right, for the first time in any Pokemon game, you actually get to meet your father! In fact, you'll do more than just meet him later on in the game. Anyway, more on that later. Your touching (err?) moment gets interrupted when a rookie trainer named Wally walks in and asks Norman to give him a Pokemon since he's new and all. Norman loans Wally his Pokemon and a Poke Ball, and asks you to go with him to make sure he catches a Pokemon safely.

You help Wally catch a Ralts, and then you head back to the Gym, and then Wally bids farewell. Your father then tells you to go to Rustboro and fight the Gym Leader of Rustboro, Roxanne. He also mentions that you'll have to fight him later on, since he's a Gym Leader and all.

You can now head west to reach Route 104. Only a little bit more 'til Rustboro...

Pokemon
Rarity	Pokemon	Types	Levels
Common	Zigzagoon	Normal	4, 5
Common	Taillow	Normal/Flying	4, 5
Common	Wurmple	Bug	4, 5
Uncommon	Wingull	Water/Flying	3, 4

Trainers
Youngster, Billy		$ 128
Pokemon	Types	LV
Seedot	Grass	6
Taillow	Normal/Flying	8
Rich Boy, Winston		$ 1400
Pokemon	Types	LV
Zigzagoon	Normal	7

Items
Item	Location
Oran Berry (x2)	Really hard to miss these. Planted in soil right before you fight Rich Boy, Winston.
Pecha Berry (x2)	Really hard to miss these. Planted in soil right before you fight Rich Boy, Winston.
Poke Ball	You have to take a detour in Petalburg Woods in order to reach it. Its on the cliff near the tall grass.

Nothing much to see or do here, except fight some wild Pokemon and some Trainers. Rich Boy Winston gives you a hefty if you beat him! When you're done here, make your way north and enter Petalburg Woods.

Pokemon
Rarity	Pokemon	Types	Levels
Common	Zigzagoon	Normal	5, 6
Common	Taillow	Normal/Flying	5
Common	Wurmple	Bug	5, 6
Uncommon	Silcoon	Bug	5
Uncommon	Cascoon	Bug	5
Uncommon	Shroomish	Grass	5
Rare	Slakoth	Normal	5

Trainers
Bug Catcher, Lyle		$ 48
Pokemon	Types	LV
Wurmple	Bug	3
Wurmple	Bug	3
Wurmple	Bug	3
Wurmple	Bug	3
Wurmple	Bug	3
Wurmple	Bug	3
Bug Catcher, James		$ 128
Pokemon	Types	LV
Nincada	Bug/Ground	8

Items
Item	Location
Parlyz Heal	Directly north of Bug Catcher Lyle.
Potion	Hidden item. Located in the short grass square in the middle of the tall grass to the right of the guy talking about hidden items.
Great Ball	After saving the Devon Researcher from Team Aqua, he'll give you this.
Poke Ball	Hidden item. Located in the short grass square in the corner of the tall grass south of Bug Catcher James.
Ether	To the north of Bug Catcher James.
TinyMushroom	In a suspcious looking indent right after you pass the Cut bushes. To the left of the girl who gives you the Miracle Seed. Requires Cut.
Miracle Seed	Talk to the girl on the other side of the Cut bushes. She'll give you this. Requires Cut.
Great Ball	To the right of the girl who gives you the Miracle Seed. Requires Cut.
X Attack	From the girl who gives you the Miracle Seed past the Cut bushes, head south until you have to jump down a ledge. Jump down the ledge, then head west and you'll find this.
TinyMushroom	From the girl who gives you the Miracle Seed past the Cut bushes, head south until you have to jump down a ledge. Jump down the ledge, then head south a little bit until you see a patch of short grass in the area of tall grass. Its right there. Hidden item, requires Cut.

Now this is a pretty nice place to train. You can fight a few Trainers here, and lots of wild Pokemon. If you're patient, you can also catch a Slakoth which you can either keep or trade to someone in Rustboro for a Makuhita (Fighting-type). Be weary though, they're rather elusive, and you could spend a bit of time without finding a single one.

From the start, if you want to pick up a Potion and a Poke Ball, head right, and you should see a guy on the way. If you talk to him, he'll mention something about hidden items. Now look at the field of grass to the right of him. Notice anything a little interesting? There's a patch of short grass in the middle of all of the tall grass! Position yourself so your one square away from it, facing it, and then press A, and you'll receive a Potion! There's lots of hidden items in the game, and later on you'll receive something helpful for finding them, the Itemfinder! For now, just check around suspicious areas, and you'll turn up a whole ton of stuff!

After you've taken your little detour, or if you decided to skip it altogether, you'll want to head left, go up, then head right until you're forced to go north. You should see a man wearing a green shirt. Go up by him, and he'll explain that he's looking for a Shroomish. Then, out of nowhere, a Team Aqua/Magma (it'll be Team Aqua if you're playing Sapphire, and Team Magma if you're playing Ruby) will appear, and will threaten to steal the man who happens to be a worker at Devon Corporation's important documents. That's your que!

Team Aqua/Magma Grunt
Pokemon	Types	LV
Poochyena	Dark	9

After you beat him, he'll run off, and the Devon Researcher will give you a Great Ball as thanks. He then rushes off to Rustboro fearing that Team Aqua/Magma might be up to something else.

Continue heading north, then left, fight Bug Catcher James, then just head northeast and you'll find the exit. Also, don't worry about those short trees that look different from the others - you can't do anything with them just yet, but you'll be able once you can use Cut.

Pokemon
Rarity	Pokemon	Types	Levels
Common	Zigzagoon	Normal	4, 5
Common	Taillow	Normal/Flying	4, 5
Common	Wurmple	Bug	4, 5
Uncommon	Wingull	Water/Flying	3, 4

Trainers
Lady, Cindy		$ 1400
Pokemon	Types	LV
Zigzagoon	Normal	7
Lass, Haley		$ 112
Pokemon	Types	LV
Lotad	Grass/Water	7
Shroomish	Grass	7
Twins, Gina & Mia		$ 192
Pokemon	Types	LV
Lotad	Grass/Water	8
Seedot	Grass	8
Fisherman, Ivan		$ 240
Pokemon	Types	LV
Magikarp	Water	6
Magikarp	Water	6
Magikarp	Water	6

Items
Item	Location
TM09	Talk to the first person you see after you exit Petalburg Woods to obtain TM09.
Cheri Berry (x2)	Right next to the person that gives you TM09.
Oran Berry (x2)	Right next to the person that gives you TM09.
Wailmer Pail	Inside the Flower Shop building. Talk to the girl farthest to the north.
Random Berry	Talk to the girl farthest to the right to get a random berry. You can do this once per day.
Potion	Behind the Flower Shop.
Poke Ball	Hidden item. Behind the Flower Shop in one of the patches of short grass.
Super Potion	Hidden item. Behind the Flower Shop in one of the patches of short grass.
X Accuracy	Right next to Lass Haley. Requires Cut.
Cheri Berry (x2)	In the soil to the right of Fisherman Ivan.
Leppa Berry (x2)	In the soil to the right of Fisherman Ivan.
Random Berry	Talk to the lady to the right of Fisherman Ivan to receive a random Berry. You can do this once per day.

You can snag a whole ton of items in the upper section of Route 104. If you talk to the first guy you see upon exiting the forest, you'll receive TM09, which contains the move Bullet Seed - a nice Grass-type move to teach one of your Grass-type Pokemon.

Talk to this chap here to get TM09!

Also snag the items in and behind the Flower Shop (listed above), then make your way west, fighting the Trainers, and crossing the bridge.

This girl gives you the Wailmer Pail, which you can use to grow berries better, meaning you can harvest more berries from them when they're ready!

If you started with Torchic, you're going to either want to get it up to Level 16, where it'll evolve into Combusken, or train a Lotad/Seedot/Shroomish and teach it Bullet Seed before you reach Rustboro. Why's this? Because the Gym Leader, Roxanne, uses Rock-type Pokemon, and Combusken's Double Kick or Lotad/Seedot/Shroomish's Bullet Seed will be very effective against her Rock-type Pokemon. If you started with Mudkip or Treecko, you should be fine, although you might consider teaching Treecko Bullet Seed seeing as Absorb is weak.

Team Battles are the newest way to battle with Pokemon! In a Team Battle, you'll use your first two Pokemon in your party (your Active one, and the one on top of the 5 non-active ones), and then they'll be able to fight alongside each other. With Team Battles, you have to use even more strategy, and be even more aware of your opponent's attacks! In Team Battles, some attacks can now hit both of the opposing Pokemon at once, or even hit all other Pokemon on the field! Another interesting tactic is that you can even have one of your Pokemon select its teammate for an attack, so it will take the damage and/or other effects of the attack. Usually, this isn't an issue, but there are some good combos for it, like having one of your Pokemon use Swagger on its Spinda teammate. (Swagger increases and opponent's Attack by a lot, but causes Confusion; Spinda has Own Tempo, which prevents Confusion, so Spinda receives a huge boost in Attack for the fight.)

Start out by having the two Pokemon you want to fight to be in the Active and 1st non-Active slots. (Torchic and Wingull in this example.)

During the fight you'll have to choose which move the two of the Pokemon should use, and who the target of the attack (if applicable) is going to be.

I've already chosen what I want Torchic to do, so now I choose Wingull's attack.

If one of your Pokemon faints during a Team Fight, you can choose another Pokemon from your non-Active slots to replace it with, provided you have any spare Pokemon. If you don't, then it'll turn into a One vs. Two fight, which is highly mismatched!

When either of your Pokemon knocks out one of your opponents Pokemon, both of your Pokemon split the Experience Points, and receive half of the Experience from the Pokemon you knocked out. Similar to if you swapped a Pokemon out in a normal Battle.

Be warned though - if you run out of Pokemon, like any normal fight, you lose! You'll be sent to the last Pokemon Center you visited with only half of your money! So try to avoid losing, and save often!

After crossing the bridge, head north and you'll reach Rustboro City!

PokéMart
Item Name	Price
Poke Ball	200
Potion	300
Super Potion	700
Antidote	100
Parlyz Heal	200
Escape Rope	550
Repel	350
X Speed	350
X Attack	500
X Defend	550

Items
Item	Location
Premier Ball	Second Floor of the building that Devon Corporation employees live. (First building to the far left from the entrance.) Talk to the kid to receive the Premier Ball.
X Defend	Sneak behind the fence from the far east side of Route 104, then follow the narrow path to reach it.
HM01	Inside the gray house with the sign "Cutter's House" next to it. (To the left of the Pokemon Center.)
Quick Claw	Inside the building with the sign "Pokemon School" next to it. Talk to the teacher, and he'll give this to you.

Rustboro is a bustling City with plenty of things to do, places to see, and people to meet. Well, okay, not really, but there is a Gym here, and a few nifty items you can pick up if you know where to look.

In Route 104, find the break in the fence...

...and you'll eventually find an X Defend!

Stop by the Pokemon School and talk to the Teacher to receive a Quick Claw. Equip it to one of your Pokemon to give it a chance at striking first in battle, regardless of its Speed!

You can also trade a Slakoth for a Makuhita, although unless you're desperate and happen to have a Slakoth, I would recommend turning down that offer, as you'll be able to catch Makuhitas very shortly.

Also, be sure to pick up HM01 from the man inside the building to the left of the Pokemon Center. HMs are similar to TMs, except you can use an HM any number of times, whereas TMs you can use only once! But, you can't forget a move taught by an HM once you've learned it! So think carefully before you give your strongest Pokemon an HM. Although, later on in the game, you will be able to forget HM moves, just not for a quite a while.

HM01 contains Cut, which is a moderately powered Normal-type move, and outside of battle, provided you've beaten Roxanne and hold the Stone Badge, lets you cut down those small trees that you saw earlier in Petalburg Woods.

When you're ready, heal your Pokemon at the Pokemon Center, stock up on Potions and/or Super Potions (Super Potions are less potent for their price, and you're probably better of sticking with Potions), and head for the Gym! Just make sure your Pokemon's levels are adequate before fighting her.

If you started with Torchic, try levelling it up to level 16 so it'll evolve into Combusken and learn Double Kick, which is a Fighting-type move that should run circles around Roxanne's Rock-type Pokemon! Otherwise, try to train a powerful Wingull, Shroomish, Seedot (or Nuzleaf), or Lotad (or Lombre) to take Roxanne out.

If you started with Mudkip, you should be able to take down Roxanne with no problem. Just make sure it's at level 13 or above. Having a backup Pokemon or two wouldn't hurt either.

If you started with Treecko, teach it Bullet Seed (TM09) and it should have no problem beating Roxanne. Try to have Treecko at level 13 or above, with some backup Pokemon as well.

If you're well prepared, enter the doors, and get ready to fight Roxanne for the Stone Badge!

Trainers
Youngster, Josh		$ 96
Pokemon	Types	LV
Geodude	Rock/Ground	10
Geodude	Rock/Ground	8
Geodude	Rock/Ground	6
Youngster, Tommy		$ 176
Pokemon	Types	LV
Geodude	Rock/Ground	11

You don't have to fight the two Youngsters in here, but its recommended you do to get some extra Experience Points. You'll want to use any Water, Grass, and Fighting-type attacks you have against the Pokemon in this Gym! Those attacks will do double damage against all of the Pokemon here; sometimes even quadruple damage! After you're done fighting the Gym Trainers, head straight up toward Roxanne, save, and get ready for your first Gym Battle!

	Leader, Roxanne
	Pokemon	Types	LV
	Geodude	Rock/Ground	14
	Nosepass	Rock	15

Against Roxanne, you'll want to start out by using Water Gun/Bullet Seed/Double Kick against her Geodude. A level 11 Wingull using Water Gun was enough to take out her Geodude when I played. If you're still having problems with her Geodude, you definitely need to raise your Pokemon's levels some more!

After you beat her Geodude, you'll have to watch out for her Nosepass. Again, use Water Gun/Bullet Seed/Double Kick on it, and after a few turns, it should faint. Have your Potions and backup Pokemon ready though, just in case something goes wrong. And if you can't beat her on your first try, just turn your Gameboy's power off then back on, and try beat her again!

After you beat Roxanne, she'll give you the Stone Badge, which enables you to use Cut outside of battle, and she'll give you TM39, which contains Rock Tomb, a moderately powerful Rock-type attack that lowers the enemy's Speed.

Now you can exit the Gym, and show off your new badge! And, that also means you only have 7 more Badges to get!

As soon as you exit the Gym and head for the Pokemon Center (or wherever really), you'll hear someone shouting, and witness a member of Team Aqua/Magma run off with the Devon Researcher with the green suit's Goods. Follow him north, then head east and you'll encounter the Researcher again. He needs your help again, so you'd better help him out by chasing down the Team Aqua/Magma member that ran off with the Devon Goods! When you're ready, head east to Route 116!

Pokemon
Rarity	Pokemon	Types	Levels
Common	Taillow	Normal/Flying	6,8
Common	Zigzagoon	Normal	6,8
Common	Whismur	Normal	6,7
Rare	Skitty	Normal	8
Uncommon	Nincada	Bug/Ground	6,7

Trainers
Bug Catcher, Jose		$ 128
Pokemon	Types	LV
Wurmple	Bug	8
Silcoon	Bug	8
Nincada	Bug/Ground	8
Youngster, Joey		$ 160
Pokemon	Types	LV
Zigzagoon	Normal	8
Machop	Fighting	10
Lass, Janice		$ 160
Pokemon	Types	LV
Marill	Water	10
Hiker, Clark		$ 320
Pokemon	Types	LV
Geodude	Rock/Ground	8
Geodude	Rock/Ground	8
Geodude	Rock/Ground	8
School Kid, Jerry		$ 200
Pokemon	Types	LV
Ralts	Psychic	10
School Kid, Karen		$ 180
Pokemon	Types	LV
Shroomish	Grass	9
Whismur	Normal	9

Items
Item	Location
Repel	Directly to the left of Bug Catcher Jose.
Ether	From the house near the tunnel, use Cut on the bushes, and follow the path, fighting the two trainers if you desire. At the end of the path, you'll find this. Requires Cut.
Pinap Berry (x6)	Same area as above, except in the soil. Requires Cut.
Chesto Berry (x4)	Same area as above. Requires Cut.
X Special	On a cliff, to the east of the tunnel.
HP Up	On a cliff, right above the guy who's missing his glasses.
BlackGlasses	A few spaces to the left of the guy who's missing his glasses. Just keep pressing A and take another step to the left and you'll find it. *HIDDEN ITEM*

Make your way east, fighting trainers and wild Pokemon along the way. Also pick up as many items as you can, and try to have a Pokemon on your team with Cut, preferably a Zigzagoon. As you reach the Tunnel, you may notice an elderly man outside of it. He's upset because a thug took his precious Peeko (a Wingull) from him, and he wants her back! The thug (wonder who that could be...) ran off in the Tunnel. Better go save Peeko! Just try to make sure your Pokemon are in fair condition before entering.

Pokemon
Rarity	Pokemon	Types	Levels
Common	Whismur	Normal	6,7,8

Items
Item	Location
Poke Ball	It's really hard to miss this. From the entrance, just head north and you'll find it.
Devon Goods	After beating the Team Aqua/Magma Grunt, he'll give you this.

Its pretty foggy in this cave, but don't let that stop you from being your normal good-doer self and retrieving the Devon Goods and the old man's Pokemon, Peeko. Grab the Poke Ball on the ledge, then head to your right and you'll encounter the Team Aqua/Magma member you encountered earlier in Petalburg Woods and Rustboro City. As you approach him, he'll start realizing that Peeko is rather worthless, and is now more intent on fighting you!

Team Aqua/Magma Grunt
Pokemon	Types	LV
Poochyena	Dark	11

After you beat him, and rambles on about his Boss saying it'd be an easy task, and that all he had to do was to steal a package from Devon Corporation. Afterwards, he gives you the Devon Goods and makes a break for it. Enter the old man, relieved to see his Pokemon is okay. The old man introduces himself as Mr. Briney, and tells you that he lives near Petalburg Woods, and would be more than willing to help you.

Items
Item	Location
Letter	The President of Devon Corporation gives this to you to deliver to Steven.

Upon returning to Rustboro, your friend in the green shirt will ask how it went, and you'll return to him the Devon Goods. He'll give you a Great Ball as thanks. He then takes you to the third floor of the Devon Corporation building, and asks you to deliver the parcel that you just retrieved for him to the Shipyard in Slateport. Gee, so now you're a delivery boy/girl? Sheesh! Anyway, he takes you back to meet with the President of Devon Corporation, Mr. Stone. He asks you to deliver a letter to Steven in Dewford Town on your way to Slateport City. He also gives you the PokeNav for your troubles! Sweet! I'm not going to go in to how to use the PokeNav, so try it out yourself!

You're probably wondering where to go from here though. Remember Mr. Briney? And if you think way back, do you remember a house on the water near Petalburg Woods? Chances are you remember Briney, but even if you don't remember the house, that's where we're headed. So, head south towards the southern section of Route 104!

On your way out of town, you'll also run into Brendan/May. He/she doesn't fight you though, he/she just asks how your Pokedex is coming along. Now you can leave town, and head all the way back for the southern section of Route 104!

When you return to Route 104, you'll want to head for the house by the water. Inside, you'll find Mr. Briney chasing after Peeko. After you explain to Mr. Briney that you have to go to Dewford and deliver a letter for Steven, he offers to let you take a ride with him on his boat down to Dewford. How nice! Accept his offer, and set sail for Dewford!

Items
Item	Location
Silk Scarf	Inside of the house right next to the dock. Talk to one of the people inside to receive it.
Old Rod	Talk to the Fisherman near the Gym and say yes to his question to get the Old Rod.

Dewford is a small island town where there's a new trendy thing every 5 seconds. Okay, maybe not quite 5 seconds, but every time you Record Mix with another player. If you want something fun to do, go talk to the person shown in the picture below, and enter two words that will become the new "trendy thing". Whenever you Record Mix with another player, your trendy saying could become the trendy saying over on the person you Mixed with's game cartridge! And vice versa.

Say no to this kid when he asks you if the Dewford Trendy Saying is really all that trendy...

...then you'll get to enter the new Trendy Saying.

After entering it, your new saying will be the thing on Dewford!

When you're ready, you'll want to start by taking on the Gym Leader, Brawly. If you need more experience, head north to Route 106 and fight the Fishermen there, and the wild Pokemon in the Granite Cave.

Don't forget to pick up the Silk Scarf and Old Rod from the people shown above!

Trainers
Battle Girl, Laura		$ 336
Pokemon	Types	LV
Meditite	Fighting/Psychic	14
Black Belt, Hideki		$ 448
Pokemon	Types	LV
Machop	Fighting	14
Battle Girl, Tessa		$ 288
Pokemon	Types	LV
Meditite	Fighting/Psychic	12
Machop	Fighting	12
Meditite	Fighting/Psychic	12

Here it is, your chance to get your second badge! So try to make sure you have a Pokemon that can handle Brawly's Fighting-type Pokemon, preferably a Flying or Psychic type. A Taillow, Wingull, Beautifly, Dustox, or Ralts will work quite well in this fight, but your starter should also be able to do quite a bit of clean up. Just try not to use any Normal-type Pokemon - they'll receive double damage from Brawly and his gang's attacks!

Firstly, you need to find Brawly. When you first enter the Gym, the lights are extremely dim, and you can barely see one square ahead of you. So, you could either look at the Map provided by Pokemon . Marriland . com, or you can try find your way by yourself. But, then again, if you wanted that, why are you reading the walkthrough! =P

As you can see, you only are forced to fight one Trainer, Battle Girl Laura. But, by beating the other two, the room will become more lit, and you can see better.

Make your way to Brawly (go back to the Pokemon Center before fighting him if your Pokemon are weakened!), and then get ready to earn your second badge, the Knuckle Badge!

	Leader, Brawly
	Pokemon	Types	LV
	Machop	Fighting	17
	Makuhita	Fighting	18

Brawly's Pokemon are quite powerful, and will most likely do some serious damage to your Pokemon rather quickly. So, take the initiative, and strike him first with a Flying or Psychic attack, like Gust, Wing Attack, or Confusion! His Machop can actually hit pretty hard, but a Flying or Psychic attack or two will be more than enough to take him out. As for his Makuhita, watch out for it using Bulk Up! If it starts using it, send out something with a Special-type attack, like Combusken (Ember), Grovyle (Absorb/Bullet Seed), or Marshtomp (Water Gun), as Makuhita's Attack and Defense will both be raised.

With any luck, and a few Potions here and there, you should be able to take out Brawly no problem, earning you , TM08 (Bulk Up - woohoo!), and the Knuckle Badge! Now, you'll want to head to the Pokemon Center and heal your Pokemon, and then head north to Route 106 in search of Steven!

Trainers
Fisherman, Ned		$ 480
Pokemon	Types	LV
Tentacool	Water/Poison	12
Fisherman, Elliot		$ 440
Pokemon	Types	LV
Magikarp	Water	11
Tentacool	Water/Poison	8
Magikarp	Water	11

Nothing much to do here, except fight two Fisherman for some money and experience points. Oh yeah, and go after Steven in the Granite Cave, which is to the west.

Pokemon
Rarity	Pokemon	Types	Levels
------------	--First Floor--	------------	------------
Common	Zubat	Poison/Flying	7,8
Common	Geodude	Rock/Ground	6,7,8,9
Uncommon	Abra	Psychic	8
Uncommon	Makuhita	Fighting	7,8,9,10
------------	--First Basement--	------------	------------
Common	Zubat	Poison/Flying	9,10
Uncommon	Makuhita	Fighting	10
Rare	Sableye	Ghost/Dark	10,11
Uncommon	Aron	Rock/Steel	9,10,11
Rare	Abra	Psychic	9
------------	--Second Basement--	------------	------------
Common	Zubat	Poison/Flying	10,11
Rare	Sableye	Ghost/Dark	10
Common	Aron	Rock/Steel	10,11,12
Rare	Abra	Psychic	10

Items
Item	Location
HM05	Talk to the Hiker when you first enter. He'll give you this after some talking.
Escape Rope	Right to the north of the stairs leading to the First Basement of the cave.
Poke Ball	In the First Basement, take the southern path at the first fork in the road, and eventually you'll find this.
Everstone	In the Second Basement, you'll find this on the higher elevated area, and then the stairs higher up. It's a hidden item, but it should be pretty obvious, as it looks like a really strange version of the rocks nearby.
TM47	Steven will give this to you when you find him.

Alright, the Granite Cave. First things first, get the HM05 (Flash) from the Hiker near the entrance. You'll need it if you want to continue further into the cave. You'll also need a Pokemon that can learn Flash. Some of the Pokemon you'll have encountered that can learn Flash are: Lotad/Seedot, Ralts, Skitty, Beautifly, and Dustox, so try to bring one of those with you.

Now that one of your Pokemon knows Flash (if you don't have a Pokemon with Flash, just go back to Petalburg by talking to Mr. Briney, and go catch a Lotad or Seedot), its time to go find Steven!

From the Hiker, keep heading west until you find a ladder leading downstairs to the First Basement.

First Basement

Okay, now that you're underground, you're going to have to use Flash. So select your Pokemon that has Flash, and have it use it. It should light up the cave a bit, but not as clear as on the First Floor. From the ladder, head north, then east, then at where it branches either south or east more, take the south path for a Poke Ball, and take the east path to the stairs leading to the Second Basement.

What on earth is that? That's a muddy slope, and you'll be able to climb them later on once you have the Mach Bike.

Also, at this point, you might start encountering Arons and Sableyes (Sapphire-only) or Mawiles (Ruby-only). All three are pretty good Pokemon, so if you get a chance to catch them, do so.

Second Basement

Pretty straight-forward here if you know where you're going. Head west, climb the set of stairs to go up on the elevated area of the room, then go back east and climb the ladder, picking up the hidden Everstone along the way.

An Everstone is actually concealed within this rock! While a Pokemon has an Everstone attached, it won't evolve, so make sure to unequip it if you want your Pokemon to evolve!

First Basement

Just go 4 spaces west and you'll return to the First Floor, just on the higher area.

First Floor

Just head west until you see a passage on the lower-left hand side and some one-way jump ledges on the right. Do NOT jump down those just yet, or you'll return to the beginning! Instead, enter the door and you'll meet who you were searching for.

Inside the room, you'll find Steven. He first notices your PokeNav, and then introduces himself. You then give him the Letter, and, after some talking, he gives you TM47 (Steel Wing)! It's actually a pretty powerful Steel-type move, and most Pokemon with wings of some sort can learn it, so consider teaching it to one of your Pokemon, or saving it for later. Then, Steven will leave. One delivery down, one to go.

To exit the cave, leave the small room then jump down the ledges. Don't go down the ladder though, just head back east. Otherwise, you'll just end up on the First Basement again!

Now, make your way back to Dewford Town, and get ready to set sail for Slateport City!

Heal up your Pokemon, and then talk to Mr. Briney when you're ready. This time, he'll ask you if you want to go to either Petalburg or Slateport. Should be a pretty obvious choice! Choose Slateport, and set sail! (And yes, I know it's a motor boat, not a sail boat -_-)

Trainers
Sailor, Huey		$ 448
Pokemon	Types	LV
Machop	Fighting	14
Sailor, Edmond		$ 384
Pokemon	Types	LV
Wingull	Water/Flying	12
Machop	Fighting	12
Wingull	Water/Flying	12
Tuber, Ricky		$ 56
Pokemon	Types	LV
Zigzagoon	Normal	14
Tuber, Lola		$ 52
Pokemon	Types	LV
Azurill	Normal	13
Azurill	Normal	13
Beauty, Johanna		$ 1040
Pokemon	Types	LV
Goldeen	Water	13
Sailor, Dwayne		$ 352
Pokemon	Types	LV
Wingull	Water/Flying	11
Machop	Fighting	11
Tentacool	Water/Poison	11
Tuber, Simon		$ 48
Pokemon	Types	LV
Azurill	Normal	12
Marill	Water	12

Items
Item	Location
Soft Sand	Talk to the little girl in the intertube right next to the little boy building a sand castle to receive this.

Trainers, trainers everywhere! Try to beat as many as you can for some much needed experience and money. Other than the Trainers, the only other point of interest is the Seashore House, which is located on the far west side of the beach.

If you beat all of the Trainers in there, then talk to the owner of the Seashore House, he'll give you SIX Soda Pops for free! Soda Pops are even better than Super Potions, as they heal 60 HP instead of 50. He'll also start selling some Soda Pop for a bottle. That's an extremely good deal, seeing as the weaker Super Potions cost each, so stock up on them!

When you're ready, head north to Slateport City!

PokéMart
Item Name	Price
---- Poke Mart ----	------------
Poke Ball	200
Great Ball	600
Potion	300
Super Potion	700
Antidote	100
Parlyz Heal	200
Escape Rope	550
Repel	350
Harbor Mail	50
---- Market Stall 1 ----	------------
Azurill Doll	3000
Marill Doll	3000
Skitty Doll	3000
---- Market Stall 2 ----	------------
Protein	9800
Iron	9800
Carbos	9800
Zinc	9800
Calcium	9800
HP Up	9800

* After you've gotten TM43, two more shops will open up in the marketplace.

Items
Item	Location
Soothe Bell	Talk to the woman staring at the poster inside of the Pokemon Fan Club building. If your front Pokemon has been treated well, she'll give you this.

Slateport City is where the action is at! There's plenty of things to do here, and lots of items to buy! But you shouldn't take too long of a vacation; you have to deliver the Devon Goods to Captain Stern, remember? So, the first place you should try going is the Shipyard. It's the large brownish building right below the Museum (which, as you might have noticed, has a bunch of Team Aqua/Magmas goons outside of it). Go inside and talk to the half-bald haired guy. His name is Dock, and he was apparently working on something for Captain Stern. He says "This won't do" and tells you to find Captain Stern and deliver them to him yourself. Sheesh! Everyone is a lazy bum in the Pokemon World!

Now, you can leave the Shipyard and head north to the Museum. It'll cost you a mere to enter, and seeing as you need to anyway, you really have no choice but to fork over the dough. All of the Team Aqua/Magma goons are now inside. Talk to some of them for some funny comments, and the one closest to the entrance will even give you the TM46, Thief! Nifty! Anyway, head upstairs and talk to Captain Stern (you should be able to point him out - he's the only guy there!). After you give Stern the goods, Team Aqua/Magma barge in and want you to hand 'em over. Well, you obviously can't stand for that, especially seeing the trouble you went through to deliver the goods in the first place, so you decide to fight them.

Team Aqua Grunt
Pokemon	Types	LV
Carvanha	Water/Dark	15

OR

Team Magma Grunt
Pokemon	Types	LV
Numel (?)	Fire/Ground	15

After you've beaten the first one, the second goon will fight you immediately afterward.

Team Aqua Grunt
Pokemon	Types	LV
Zubat	Poison/Flying	14
Carvanha	Water/Dark	14

OR

Team Magma Grunt
Pokemon	Types	LV
Zubat (?)	Poison/Flying	14
Numel (?)	Fire/Ground	14

After the fight, they're both acting all worried, saying "Arrgh, I didn't count on being meddled with by some meddling kid!" Okay, I just found that funny. Anyway, then their boss walks in, and introduces himself as either Archie of Team Aqua, or Max of Team Magma. He then explains their team's goals, not that you really care, and then he "teleports" (aka vanishes) away. You then give Stern the goods, and he mumbles something about excavating on the ocean floor, then runs off.

Okay, now that whole thing's (finally) over, so you can continue on your quest to obtain all eight badges! Mauville City is the closest city with a Gym is north of Slateport, so let's make that your next destination!

Heal up at the Pokemon Center, and buy any items you might be needing (but just remember not to buy Super Potions! Buy Soda Pops instead! And make sure to include to Parlyz Heals if you hate Paralysis!), then set out north to Route 110!

Pokemon
Rarity	Pokemon	Types	Levels
Rare /Uncommon	Plusle	Electric	13
Rare /Uncommon	Minun	Electric	13
Common	Zigzagoon	Normal	12
Common	Wingull	Water/Flying	12
Uncommon	Electrike	Electrike	12, 13
Uncommon	Gulpin	Poison	12, 13
Rare	Oddish	Grass/Poison	13

Trainers
PokeFan, Isabel		$ 1200
Pokemon	Types	LV
Plusle	Electric	15
Minun	Electric	15
Youngster, Timmy		$ 224
Pokemon	Types	LV
Poochyena	Dark	12
Aron	Steel/Rock	16
Electrike	Electric	14
Collector, Edwin		$ 840
Pokemon	Types	LV
Lombre	Water/Grass	14
Nuzleaf	Grass/Dark	14
Psychic, Edward		$ 384
Pokemon	Types	LV
Abra	Psychic	16
Fisherman, Dale		$ 480
Pokemon	Types	LV
Tentacool	Water/Poison	12
Wailmer	Water	15
Tentacool	Water/Poison	9
Tentacool	Water/Poison	12

Items
Item	Location
Dire Hit	Right next to Youngster Timmy.
Itemfinder	Brendan/May gives this to you after you beat him/her.
Nanab Berry (x9)	In some soil to the north of Fisherman Dale.

There's plenty of new Pokemon to catch on Route 110! Plusle, Minun, Oddish, Gulpin, and Electrike are all new faces. Oddish is a pretty good Grass-type Pokemon, and Plusle, Minun, and Electrike are the first Electric-type Pokemon you'll have had a chance to catch so far in the game. And Gulpin's just Gulpin, but you'll still want to catch it anyway.

Make your way northbound, ignoring the Seaside Cycling Road building. You'll need a bike in order to use that, but it'll make travelling between Slateport and Mauville much easier. Don't worry though, you'll be getting a bike soon enough :)

North of the Cycling Road building is the Trick House. Now, every time you earn a badge you can enter a new area of the Trick House (provided you've cleared the previous ones first). So you'll want to check back here often. Although, for now, just ignore it and head east. (If you really want you can check out the Trick House, but let me warn you: there's trainers inside! Also, right now there's no coverage on it, so you'll be all alone.)

After you beat Youngster Timmy, you might want to head back and heal. You're about to encounter either Brendan or May pretty soon, so you'll want to be at full strength. Continue north of Timmy to encounter Brendan/May!

If you chose Treecko...

PKMN Trainer, Brendan/May
Pokemon	Types	LV
Wailmer /*	Water	18
Numel /*	Fire/Ground	18
Grovyle	Grass	20

If you chose Mudkip...

PKMN Trainer, Brendan/May
Pokemon	Types	LV
Shroomish /*	Grass	18
Wailmer /*	Water	18
Combusken	Fire/Fighting	20

If you chose Torchic...

PKMN Trainer, Brendan/May
Pokemon	Types	LV
Shroomish /*	Grass	18
Numel /*	Fire/Ground	18
Marshtomp	Water/Ground	20

* if you're fighting Brendan, it will be ; if you're fighting May, it will be .

After you humiliate Brendan/May, he/she'll be impressed with your training, and will give you an Itemfinder as a reward (errr, I didn't quite get that "reward" thing either).

Brendan/May then rides off on their bike (lucky dog!) back towards Mauville. Head back to heal if you wish, then continue north.

By the way, if at this point you're getting really sick of being Paralyzed, I won't hold it against you, nor do I blame you. Very annoying...

Continue north, and eventually you'll reach Mauville City!

PokéMart
Item Name	Price
Poke Ball	200
Great Ball	600
Super Potion	700
Antidote	100
Parlyz Heal	200
Awakening	250
X Speed	350
X Attack	500
X Defend	550
Guard Spec.	700
Dire Hit	650
X Accuracy	950

Items
Item	Location
HM06	Talk to the man inside the house to the right of the Pokemon Mart.
X Speed	Behind the fence to the south of the Pokemon Mart. There's a break in the fence right to the south of the house where you get the HM06.
Treecko Doll	Talk to the lady to the left of the reception desk of the Game Corner and say yes. If you started with Treecko, she'll give you the Treecko Doll.
Torchic Doll	Talk to the lady to the left of the reception desk of the Game Corner and say yes. If you started with Torchic, she'll give you the Torchic Doll.
Mudkip Doll	Talk to the lady to the left of the reception desk of the Game Corner and say yes. If you started with Mudkip, she'll give you the Mudkip Doll.
Mach Bike	Talk to Rydel in the Bike Shop and say yes, then choose Mach Bike to receive this. You can exchange it for the Acro Bike and vice versa afterward.
Acro Bike	Talk to Rydel in the Bike Shop and say yes, then choose Acro Bike to receive this. You can exchange it for the Mach Bike and vice versa afterward.
Coin Case	Give the girl in the house to the left of the Pokemon Mart a Harbor Mail (can be bought in Slateport City) and she'll give you the Coin Case.

Alright, here were are - Mauville City! Chances are you'll probably want to head for the Pokemon Center first. I'd highly recommend doing so if you haven't already dashed there yourself.

Now that that's taken care of, there's a whole ton of things you can do at Mauville. First of all, you'll probably want to go get a Bike! In order to get the Bike, just go inside the house with all of the bikes outside of it and talk to the man in the green suit. His name is Rydel, and he's the owner of the Bike Shop. Say yes to his question, and he'll be amazed that you travelled all that way on foot, so he gives you a Bike of your choice. You can choose to take either the Mach Bike, which emphasizes more on speed than control, or the Acro Bike, which has better control and can do tricks, such as wheelies. Don't worry, you can always swap for the other one whenever you visit Rydel, so just pick one to try out and see how you like it.

There's also the Game Corner, which is the big purpleish building to the far left of the Pokemon Mart. You can play slots and roulette there (what on earth is Nintendo teaching kids these days?!). At the moment that's not covered in the walkthrough, so you're on your own if you decide to try it out. Although, you might want to swing in there and talk to the girl to the left of the counter to receive either a Treecko Doll, Torchic Doll, or Mudkip Doll (the doll will match your starting Pokemon).

Keep in mind that you can't actually play in the Game Corner until you get the Coin Case from the girl in the house next to the PokeMart. In order to get her to give it up though, you'll have to first bring her some Harbor Mail from Slateport City. That should be no problem now with your new Bike!

You can also get the HM06 (Rock Smash) from the guy inside of the house to the right of the Pokemon Center, although you can't use it outside of battle until you've beaten the Gym Leader here.

Speaking of Gym Leader, let's go win our third badge! The Gym is located just to the north of the Game Corner.

When you reach the Gym, you'll notice that your chum Wally is standing outside of the door with his Uncle. After some conversation, he'll ask you to battle with him. Now, even though you can say no to him, it won't really accomplish anything in doing so, because apparently he's on strike or something with his Uncle outside of the Gym, and he refuses to budge. Well, okay, maybe that was taking things a bit far, but at least he isn't totally hostile by just fighting you without any notice. When you're ready, say yes to him, and get ready to make him cry!

PKMN Trainer, Wally
Pokemon	Types	LV
Ralts	Psychic	16

Wally's actually a pushover. His Ralts is no stronger than any of the Pokemon that the recent trainers have used against you, and will most likely be knocked out in one to two hits. Wally's also a pretty poor sport afterward, saying "... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... I lost..." when you beat him. Grow up, Wally! Anyway, enough bashin' the poor guy. After inviting you to visit them in Verdanturf, Wally's Uncle and Wally head back to Verdanturf Town, allowing access to the door of the Gym!

Heal up (if you need to), then enter Mauville City Gym!

Trainers
Guitarist, Kirk		$ 576
Pokemon	Types	LV
Electrike	Electric	18
Magnemite	Electric/Steel	18
Youngster, Ben		$ 304
Pokemon	Types	LV
Zigzagoon	Normal	19
Battle Girl, Vivian		$ 456
Pokemon	Types	LV
Meditite	Fighting/Psychic	19
Guitarist, Shawn		$ 544
Pokemon	Types	LV
Voltorb	Electric	17
Voltorb	Electric	17
Voltorb	Electric	17

Items
Item	Location

Well, here you are, about to get your third Gym Badge! The Gym Leader, Wattson, and his cronies use Electric and Electric/Steel-type Pokemon, so if you've trained a Geodude, you'll be at an advantage due to Geodude's immunity to Electric-type attacks. You'll also have the upper hand if you have a Marshtomp, because it has total resistance to Electric-type attacks as well. Still, Wattson shouldn't be taken too lightly, especially seeing as there aren't really any Pokemon other than the ones I just listed that work too well against him, so try to stock up on Soda Pops (run back to Slateport if you must) and Parlyz Heals (grrrr... darn Paralysis) before you take him on.

I'd recommend you have one or more of the following Pokemon before you continue, because those darn Steel-types are hard to counter if you aren't prepared.

Marshtomp will work absolute wonders here. It can't be damaged by Electric-type attacks, and it can use Mud Shot, a pretty powerful Ground-type attack that will put those Electric and Steel-types to shame. If you have Marshtomp, you shouldn't have any trouble here.

Combusken will also work pretty well. It should be strong enough to take out the pure Electric-type Pokemon with one or two Double Kicks, and it can stand up against the Electric/Steel-types with Double Kick and Ember (although you'll probably want to stick with Ember). You can also Sand-Attack if things get too messy.

Geodude will be pretty nice due to it's total immunity to Electric-type attacks, and it's strong Magnitude attack, which happens to be a Ground-type attack. Chances are your Geodude won't be a Graveler by now, but if by some chance it is, you should have no problem taking Wattson and his friends out.

Makuhita/Hariyama (Makuhita evolves at L24, so you might have a Hariyama by now) is a good choice. Vital Throw should work pretty nice against the Steel-types here, and you have Arm Thrust for backup. Sand-Attacking the enemy to death is also a nice tactic if you don't think you can win, so keep that in mind.

Breloom is also a pretty decent Pokemon to use against Wattson, provided you raised your Shroomish to L23. Even though Mach Punch isn't that effective, it'll still hurt, and you can also use Stun Spore and/or Leech Seed to gain the upper hand.

Once you're ready, proceed through the Gym, fighting the Trainers as you go along.

The puzzle here really isn't too hard. Just step on the little lightning bolt plate and the electric barriers will shift their locations. When you hit one of the little lightning bolt plates, the barriers will move according to the maps above. When you enter the Gym, it automatically starts off at Barrier A.

Make your way up to Wattson, and get ready to earn your third Gym Badge!

	Leader, Wattson
	Pokemon	Types	LV
	Magnemite	Electric/Steel	22
	Voltorb	Electric	20
	Magneton	Electric/Steel	23

Wattson is a pretty tough fight if you aren't properly prepared. Start out by taking out his Magnemite with Mud Shot, Magnitude, Vital Throw, or Double Kick. It might take two hits, so be ready for that. His Magnemite will most likely try to Paralyze you, so keep your guard up!

After you take out his Magnemite, Wattson will send out Voltorb. Voltorb will Shock Wave you for some damage, but the real surprise here is Voltorb's Selfdestruct attack, which can easily take out one of your weakened Pokemon with one hit. Although, that's the only hit you'll have to worry about, because after Voltorb uses it (if it even gets a chance to!), it'll get Knocked Out.

Now, you'll have the real challenge - Magneton! Try to disable it by opening up with a Stun Spore, Confuse Ray, Supersonic, Sing, or some other disabling attack. Then, have your main fighter go in for the Knock Out and use their strongest attacks! Magneton is a souped up version of Wattson's Magnemite, so remember the Weaknesses and Resistances that you had to face when dealing with Magnemite!

If you're getting weak, use a Soda Pop, Super Potion, Parlyz Heal, or even a Full Restore if you've been using Zigzagoons on your team to Pick Up items. After a few good blows, Magneton will be Knocked Out, and you'll emerge victorious!

After the fight, Wattson will give you the Dynamo Badge, which allows you to use Rock Smash outside of battle. He'll also present you with TM34, which is none other than Shock Wave. Shock Wave is a pretty nice Electric-type attack that has a 100% hit ratio, regardless of the enemy's Evasion, or your Accuracy!

Now, you can leave the Gym, knowing you're 1 Badge closer to your goal, and to the ultimate challenge - the Elite Four! Heal up your Pokemon, then we're going to take a detour over to your friend Wally's house over in Verdanturf Town!

Hope you enjoyed the Ruby and Sapphire Walkthrough! The walkthrough for getting the Heat Badge, and the first major showdown with Team Aqua/Magma will be up soon! So stay tuned!