The Vermillion City Gym is the first Kanto gym to feature a puzzle that must be solved before you can face its leader in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen. It is the third gym in the games, and you need the HM Cut if you want to take your chances for a Thunder Badge.
If it’s your first time playing any of these classic Generation 3 games, you might end up scratching your head as to how you can open the path to Lt. Surge. There are a total of 15 trash bins in this gym, and your task is to find the two locks consecutively to deactivate the gate.
Some players might think that this gym puzzle requires luck to complete, but it’s not always the case. There’s a thing that many players are missing out on, and if you’re one of them, read this guide so you can proceed with battling the leader right away.
Key highlights:
- To get the hint for opening the electric gate in Vermillion City Gym, talk to the Sailor Trainer in the gym after battling him.
- To deactivate the electric gate, you must find the second lock after opening the first one. The second lock is always located right next to the first lock.
Vermillion City Gym Puzzle’s Solution in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen
To solve the Vermillion City Gym’s puzzle, all you need to do is to locate and interact with the trash bin that contains the second lock of the game.
However, unlike the first lock, which you can find by checking the bins one by one, the second lock must be opened immediately after opening the first.
If you opened the first lock and then interacted with an empty trash bin, the locks will reset, and you will need to locate the first lock again.
Since there’s no way to know if a trash bin will contain the second lock, you’ll need to improve your chances of finding it. To do so, there’s a hidden hint within the gym that most players might miss, which is likely the reason why they can’t proceed with battling Lt. Surge.
How to Find the Puzzle’s Hint
You can find this hint by talking to the Sailor Trainer, found on the right side of the gym. He is one of the Trainers that you’ll fight while solving the puzzle, and if you talk to him after defeating him, he’ll tell you, “When you open the first lock, the second lock is right next to it.”
In other words, the second lock that opens the gate to Vermillion City’s gym leader is always located next to the first lock. If the first lock is near the middle of the trash bin formation, the second lock will be in one of the four adjacent bins, either above, below, to the left, or to the right.
Having the first lock positioned at the edge of the bins’ formation further improves your odds of finding the second lock since you’ll only have three to two possible bins to choose from.
Keep on guessing, and you should eventually find the second lock and fight Vermillion City Gym’s leader, Lt. Surge.
Tips for Defeating Lt. Surge in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen
As you might already know, Lt. Surge is a specialist of Electric-type Pokemon. When fighting him, you’ll encounter a level 21 Voltorb, a level 18 Pikachu, and a level 24 Raichu.
All of Lt. Surge’s Pokemon can use the move Shock Wave, an Electric-type move that deals x2 damage to Water and Flying. If you have Squirtle as your starter or a Pidgey on your team, you might want to sit them out for this match.
Keep Reading:
- All HM Locations in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen
- How to Obtain All 3 Starter Pokemon in FireRed and LeafGreen
Fortunately, Lt. Surge’s team has a major weakness: abysmal Defense. Electric-type Pokemon are weak to Ground-type moves, and since all Ground-type moves in Generation 2 are classified as Physical attacks, you can easily exploit the low Defense of Voltorb, Pikachu, and Raichu by using a Ground-type Pokemon.
Here are the best counters to all of Lt. Surge’s team, all capturable before accessing Vermillion City:
| Pokemon | Early-Game Locations |
|---|---|
 Sandshew | LeafGreen exclusive, Routes 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 23. |
 Diglett | Diglett’s Cave. |
 Geodude | Cerulean Cave and Rock Tunnel. |
 Onix | Sevault Canyon and Rock Tunnel. |
  Nidoking/Nidoqueen | Can be obtained from their base forms Nidoran♂ or Nidoran♀. Locations of these Pokemon may vary by version, but they’re both available in Route 3. After evolving a Nidoran into either a Nidorino or Nidorina, use a Moon Stone for them to evolve into Nidoking or Nidoqueen, respectively. |
Apart from the Pokemon above, any non-Flying or Water-type that can learn the move Dig can also do some damage to Lt. Surge’s Pokemon. Of his three Pokemon, Raichu will likely give you the real challenge, so before it can dish out some damage, try to take it out quickly with a Ground-type move.
Lt. Surge will likely use a Super Potion or Full Heal whenever he gets the chance, so do not hesitate to use items against him as well. If you have a reliable Ground-type Pokemon on your team, this fight should not be too difficult.
Upon defeat, Lt. Surge will reward you with the Thunder Badge, which increases your Pokemon’s Speed stat, and the TM34 Shock Wave: a decent move against Flying and Water-type foes.
Conclusion
Solving the Vermillion City Gym puzzle in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen takes a bit of luck and the knowledge of the possible locations of the second lock. Once you learn the hint, it won’t take long before you can make your way to Lt. Surge.
Lt. Surge is a formidable opponent, so never underestimate him and prepare your trusty Ground type against him. But with enough resilience and understanding of the damage categories in these games, victory will always be yours.
For more Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen tips, check out more of our guides here at Pokecoders.
