Chapter 7: Rock Tunnel and Lavender Town

With the S.S. Anne behind you, the road goes through Rock Tunnel to Lavender Town. Team Rocket is after Prof. Hale’s research in the tunnel, and in Lavender it is after something in the Pokémon Tower.

Main quest in this chapter: rescue Prof. Hale in Rock Tunnel, climb Pokémon Tower (twice, with a trip back to Cubone in between), and reach the end of the tower story, when Agatha breaks up Team Rocket there. Afterwards the guard at the Route 8 gatehouse lets you into Saffron City.

Three things close as you go: the Underground Path (the Rock Tunnel rescue), the tower’s optional Trainers if you skip them (they vanish after the two illusion grunts), and Cynthia’s optional battle on Route 12 (she leaves when you first reach Saffron).

Hidden items along the way

Optional stops in this chapter’s locations. Some spots may need a return visit; check the location notes for access limitations.

Open a location for item names, directions and available screenshots.

• Rock Tunnel — 1 spot
• Rock Tunnel B1F — 2 spots
• Route 10 South — 1 spot
• Route 12 — 1 spot
• Route 13 — 1 spot

Browse all hidden items

Walkthrough

Rock Tunnel. Enter from the north door on Route 10 (a Pokémon that knows Flash lights the cave). Somewhere inside, Prof. Hale shouts that someone is stealing his research: Jessie, James and Meowth have him cornered. Beat them in a Double Battle. The rescue closes the Underground Path doorways (an invisible barrier stops you at each one).

Opens up:

• Rock Tunnel: hide-and-seek (find four hidden kids)

Warning: doing this closes these for good. Finish them first.

• Underground Path: the underground battle (story, Cascade Badge) Missable

Technical source (script files and flags)

script file 129 (scripts 3-5 coord triggers at 26,15 / 24,35 / 32,29 var 0x40B2 = 0; Double Battle trainers 974+975 @838; @1101-@1141: sets 1153 (shops/gates in Lavender), 1567 (needed for the tower’s ‘Mom’ fight) and ClearFlag 1226, the hide flag of the Underground Path doorway blockers, so the blockers return)

Rock Tunnel’s hide-and-seek. On the lower level a schoolkid “seeker” wants you to find four of his friends hidden in the tunnel: the corner kid (battle him carefully: losing freezes the game), the fake archaeologist, a “Pikachu” and a ninja disguised as a boulder. He pays you TM80 Rock Slide.

Technical source (script files and flags)

guide/03-vermilion-to-celadon.md q-0059 (script file 129 scripts 8, 10-12, 18; hack bug: a loss to the corner kid freezes, D-1395 / D-1548)

Lavender Town. Beyond the tunnel, a girl on Route 10 just south-east of the south exit asks you not to go. The Lavender fortune-teller can turn that into a curse that keeps pulling you back into town (Cleanse Tags break it, see the quest). The House of Memories trades one Big Pearl for one Heart Scale, as often as you like.

Opens up:

• Route 10 / Lavender Town: the girl who waits (the Lavender curse)
• Lavender Town: trade Big Pearls for Heart Scales

Technical source (script files and flags)

script files 194 (girl), 771 (fortune-teller), 765/770 (storyteller, Heavy Ball), 772 script 4 (Heart Scale trade L296-L391, no one-time flag)

Pokémon Tower, first climb. Beat Blue at the stairs and climb. At the upper staircase a voice sends you back: nothing lets you continue yet. Go to Mr. Fuji’s Volunteer Pokémon House (door about eight steps south of the Pokémon Center door) and talk to Cubone, who now warms to you, cries and runs out of the house. Let the scene finish.

Technical source (script files and flags)

guide/03 q-0062 (first-climb/Cubone sequence checked against the Chinese v4.0.3 scripts: file 17 script 2 @128-167 sets flag 2276; file 769 script 6 L2399 resets the tower and clears flag 1155/1356; Blue = trainer 200, coord script 4 at x=14 z=2-5)

Pokémon Tower, return climb. The tower’s Trainers and illusions now appear, including “Mom” (answer No and win; she blocks the only way on). After you beat the two illusion grunts, the Magcargo behind them can be caught (catch it before you take any stairs; a loss freezes the game). Grab the Silph Scope that appears, and fight the Trainers you skipped before you take a staircase: they vanish afterwards. Then Maxie, Team Rocket and Mr. Fuji, until Agatha breaks up the Team Rocket group in the tower.

Opens up:

• Pokémon Tower: side battles and extras

Technical source (script files and flags)

guide/03 q-0062 (file 17 scripts 4, 7, 10, 12; ‘Mom’ trainer 207 needs flag 1567 = the Rock Tunnel rescue; hack bug: a loss to the Magcargo freezes)

Mr. Fuji’s house. After Agatha, the Cubone is yours to take, Mr. Fuji gives you the Poké Flute and then the Mystery Stone (talk to him twice).

Opens up:

• Lavender Town: Mr. Fuji's gifts (after the tower)

Technical source (script files and flags)

script file 769 (scripts 7, 8; L1662), file 17 @8203 (shows Cubone)

Route 8 and Saffron’s east gate. East of Lavender, Route 8 has a quarrelling Persian and Skitty owner pair that rewards you with TM40 Aerial Ace. At the Route 8 gatehouse the guard first says Saffron is under lockdown, then lets you through as one of the Trainers Lady Agatha mentioned. That opens Saffron City’s gates for you. Before you walk in, battle Cynthia at the north end of Route 12 if you want to (next step): she leaves when you first reach Saffron.

Opens up:

• Route 8: Persian and Skitty (the quarrelling owners)

Technical source (script files and flags)

script file 189 (Route 8 gatehouse coord script 2: when flag 1153 is clear, ‘Oh! You’re one of the young Trainers Lady Agatha mentioned! … go right ahead!’ sets var 0x409F = 1); flag 1153 is set by the Rock Tunnel rescue (129 @1105) and cleared at the end of the tower story (17 @8199). Route 5/6 gates (182/185) stay shut while 0x409F = 0. Route 8 owners: file 188 scripts 3, 4, 5, 11.

Silence Bridge (Route 12) and Route 13. South of Lavender, the long bridge on Route 12 is open once the tower story is over. A sleeping Snorlax blocks it halfway: wake it with the Poké Flute from Mr. Fuji. North of the Snorlax you meet the TM salesman, the fish-zapper and the Milotic, and the couple whose Pokémon Team Rocket killed; south of it are the Fishing Guru (Super Rod, needs the Good Rod from Vermilion), Bug Catcher Harlan (if the Route 9 girl let her Butterfree go), Picnicker Lily and Prof. Birch. Route 13 beyond is an amateur “Southeast League”.

Two of these end soon: Cynthia’s optional battle at the north end of Route 12 ends when you reach Saffron for the first time (Chapter 8), and Prof. Birch’s Torchic is lost for good when the Rainbow Badge scene plays in Celadon (Chapter 8). So wake the Snorlax and talk to Birch before you win the Rainbow Badge. From Route 13 you cannot walk on to Route 14 and Fuchsia yet: a League member blocks the way until the Battle Marathon is over or cancelled (Chapter 9).

Opens up:

• Route 12: wake the Snorlax (Poké Flute)
• Route 12: Prof. Birch's Torchic (missable) Missable
• Route 12: the fish-zapper and the shiny Milotic (choose how to stop him)
• Route 12: the boyfriend who lost his Pokémon (you must lose)
• Route 12: Bug Catcher Harlan's Butterfree
• Route 12: the Fishing Guru's Super Rod
• Route 12: the TM salesman
• Route 12: other optional battles Missable
• Route 13: the Southeast League (eight representatives and a Champion)

Technical source (script files and flags)

guide/04 q-0097..q-0105 (script files 199 Route 12, 200 Fishing Guru, 201 Route 13). Poké Flute from Mr. Fuji after the tower story (769 L1662, step s06). Route 12 object flags (landmarks list of zone 20): Cynthia hidden by 1162 (set by file 795 @976, the Goodshow meeting), Prof. Birch by 1447/417 (set by file 853 @3790-@3802, the Rainbow Badge scene), Snorlax and the three blockers by 1158 (set by waking it, file 199 @1464). Route 13 -> Route 14 is blocked while var 0x40db = 0 (file 201 script 28), set to 1 by the marathon’s end (202 L3578) or 2 by the takeover (17 @12563). UNVERIFIED: not walked from a fresh game; the Lavender exits are shut while flag 1153 is set (set by the Rock Tunnel rescue, cleared at the end of the tower story, 17 @8199), so Route 12 only opens after the tower story.

Quests in this chapter

Open the ones you want; tick Done to hide them. Filters at the top apply to this whole page.

Rock Tunnel: hide-and-seek (find four hidden kids)

Rock Tunnel Side quest

Rock Tunnel's lower level. Do not lose to the corner kid: his battle freezes the game after a loss (hack bug), so save first.

Where: the schoolkid “seeker” stands on the east side of the lower level of Rock Tunnel. The four friends are hidden across the tunnel.

How it works: you don’t need to talk to the seeker first. The friends can be found in any order, except that the fake archaeologist needs the corner kid first.

Friend	Where	How to expose them
Corner kid	the far south-east corner of the lower level	Talk to him. He battles you.
Fake archaeologist	the middle of the lower level	Only after the corner kid: “Believe the schoolkid?” → No, then battle.
“Pikachu”	the north part of the lower level	“Try to catch it?” → Yes. Then answer Yes to both questions (perfect disguise? Pikachu cutest?) to expose him with no battle; any No means a battle.
Ninja “boulder”	a rock in the far north-west of the upper level	“Use Rock Smash?” → Yes, then battle. You don’t need a Pokémon that knows Rock Smash.

Reward: back at the seeker: TM80 Rock Slide (once).

Warning: don’t lose to the corner kid. Save before you talk to him. His battle has no white-out: because of a hack bug, after a loss the game carries on with the “Pikachu” kid’s dialogue before the field has come back, and freezes on a black screen (tested in an emulator).

Technical source (script files and flags)

file 129 (scripts 8, 10, 11, 12, 18; L2775, L2805, L3752, L3782, L4328, L4368). Seeker ≈47,77; corner kid ≈43,98; archaeologist ≈30,86; “Pikachu” ≈22,69; boulder ≈14,10. Corner kid is trainer 606 (TrainerBattle 606 0 0 0 at L2879, third argument 0 = a loss is not allowed); a loss jumps to the “Pikachu” kid’s dialogue at L3782 (looks like a wrong jump label; hack findings D-1395, D-1548); his battle is 194. Emulator (emu_harness.py guide0107 --case corner_kid): after a real loss the field never returns (black screen, CPU running in heap memory, msg 46 never printed). Controls with the same trainer: TrainerBattle 606 0 1 0 (allowed loss, as Giovanni’s L4818) returns to Rock Tunnel; with WhiteOut after it the player wakes in the Pokémon Center.

Route 10 / Lavender Town: the girl who waits (the Lavender curse)

Route 10 Lavender Town Side quest

Where: a girl on Route 10, a few steps south-east of Rock Tunnel’s south exit. The fortune-teller’s house is on Lavender’s south side; the storyteller lives next door, five steps to the west.

How it works:

1. Talk to the girl on Route 10: “So you’ve finally come? … Please don’t go…” She vanishes. A man in the House of Memories mentions a beauty on Route 10 who vanished.
2. In the fortune-teller’s house, ask for a reading (Yes). Having met the girl, you’re told you face “a bloody calamity” and offered 10 Cleanse Tags for $30,000. If you’re short, she takes all your money instead and still hands over the tags. Both Yes and No start the curse.
3. The curse: every time you try to walk out of Lavender (north, west or south exit), you hear “I want to see you…” and “A mysterious force pulled you closer!”. You can’t leave on foot. Fly works.
4. To end it, buy the tags. At an exit you’re asked “Use 10 Cleanse Tags for protection?” → Yes. You’re still pulled back, but the fortune-teller is now replaced by the girl. She appears even if you no longer have all 10 tags: the game just says “You don’t have that many Cleanse Tags!”.
5. Go into the fortune-teller’s house and talk to the girl (just entering doesn’t start the scene). The girl turns out to be a Gastly (Lavender’s husband). “Stay in Lavender Town?”
   • Yes: the curse stays. Talk to her again to replay the scene.
   • No: battle “Gastly” (Venusaur, Zangoose, Blastoise, Lv. 36). The ghost of Lavender herself calls it off, and the curse is lifted. Losing is fine: you’re healed and Lavender still calls it off.
6. Afterwards Gastly stays in the house and reads your fortune (badge-based flavour lines).

Reward: the storyteller next door has a new tale about Lavender and her Gastly husband. When he asks “Have you heard how Lavender Town got its name?”, answer No (Yes ends the talk), hear the legend, then answer Yes to his next question for a Heavy Ball. The House of Memories tutor takes a Heavy Ball for Night Slash.

Notes: if you never ask for a reading after meeting the girl, nothing happens. Buying the tags uses up the fortune-teller: afterwards she only asks “Have you tried my charms?”.

Technical source (script files and flags)

file 194 (script 2; the girl’s hide flag 1999), file 771 (scripts 1–3; L1025, L772, L1122, L1201; the reading sets var 0x40BA to 0 on both answers; buying sets flag 2003; the Gastly battle TrainerBattle 184 0 1 0 has no win check and lifts the curse with 0x40BA = 1), file 765 (script 10; L459, L547), file 770 (L73; storyteller script 1: Heavy Ball item 495, flag 1298, needs the curse beaten, flag 2002 clear), file 129 L1189 (Rock Tunnel sets 0x40BA = 1), file 772 script 1. Girl ≈1418,206; fortune-teller door ≈1419,249 (zone 437, file 771; in this hack it’s the fortune-teller’s house, not the Name Rater’s); storyteller door ≈1414,249.

Lavender Town: trade Big Pearls for Heart Scales

Lavender Town Side quest

Where: the House of Memories in Lavender Town.

How it works: trade one Big Pearl for one Heart Scale. You can repeat this exchange; it is not a one-time reward.

Useful route: after earning the Super Rod, the Fishing Guru’s apprentice on Route 12 trades Net Balls for Big Pearls. Bring those pearls here, then spend the Heart Scales at Saffron’s move relearner.

Technical source (script files and flags)

untouched Chinese v4.0.3, file 772 script 4 @296–391: checks Big Pearl 89 at @330, takes one at @358, awards Heart Scale 93 at @371–383; no one-time flag in the exchange routine. Route 12 is file 200, not the Heart Scale exchange.

Pokémon Tower: side battles and extras

Lavender Town Main quest

The tower is part of the main story (Team Rocket, Maxie and Mr. Fuji). You need to visit twice, with a return to Cubone in between. This sequence is the same for all starters.

How to open the way:

1. First climb: beat Blue at the stairs, then keep climbing. The illusion Trainers, including “Mom”, are not there yet. You can optionally battle the lonely ghost girl along the way.
2. At the upper staircase, a voice tells you to go away and forces you back. There is no choice that lets you continue here yet.
3. Return to Mr. Fuji’s Volunteer Pokémon House (the door about eight steps south of the Pokémon Center door) and talk to Cubone. If you visited earlier, it was hostile; now it sniffs you, warms up to you and cries, then runs out of the house. Let the scene finish, including the request to find it.
4. Return climb: go back into Pokémon Tower. The tower’s Trainers and illusions now appear, including “Mom”. Battle your way up to continue the story.

These two fights are required along the way; they do not both happen on the first climb:

• Blue at the stairs: he blocks the whole corridor a few steps west of where you come up from the ground floor. “Challenge Blue?” Yes → Wartortle Lv. 30, Kadabra Lv. 28, Pidgeotto Lv. 29, Umbreon Lv. 28, Rhyhorn Lv. 28, Exeggutor Lv. 29. There’s no item. He stays there until you beat him, and you need that win much later: the scene in the east room of Team Rocket HQ B3F in Mahogany Town, where Ariana and Lawrence corner Crystal and the second password comes from, only plays after it (Team Rocket HQ B3F).
• “Mom”, on the return climb after Cubone runs out, is an illusion, and she stands on the only way on from the stairs on her floor. “Do as Mom says and go home?” Yes just walks you back and she stays there. You must answer No and win: battle “Mom” (Mr. Mime, Poliwrath, Raichu, Lv. 29–30). The battle also requires the Rock Tunnel scene with Prof. Hale.

These parts are optional:

• The Magcargo behind the illusions: in the far west corner of the floor where you fight the two illusion grunts. After you beat the two illusion grunts, “Magcargo can no longer create illusions. Catch it?” → wild Magcargo, Lv. 40. Catch it before you take any stairs: knocking it out, catching it or running away all make it disappear, and every staircase reloads the map, which also hides it. Don’t lose: a loss freezes the game (black screen), so heal and save first (tested in an emulator; see Known issues).
• Silph Scope: after the grunt double battle, a Silph Scope appears as an item two steps north of the Magcargo.
• The lonely ghost girl (along the north wall of one of the tower floors): “You can see me? … Play with the little girl for a while?” → Yes: battle School Kid Coco (Raticate, Mightyena, Glameow, Lv. 29) for a Spell Tag. After that she teaches Curse free, as often as you like.

Battle the tower’s Trainers as you go up on the return climb. Once you’ve beaten the two illusion grunts, every tower Trainer you skipped (Medium Colette on Blue’s floor, and the illusion “Prof. Oak”, “Archie” and “Petrel”) is gone the next time a floor loads, for example after a staircase. None of them has an item, so you only miss the battles. Tested in an emulator. The ghost girl stays.

Technical source (script files and flags)

first-climb/Cubone sequence checked against the untouched Chinese v4.0.3 scripts after a player report (2026-10-10). File 17 script 2 @128–167 shows messages 53#0–1 and sets flag 2276. File 769 script 6 checks story var 0x40B3 @205, prior Cubone interaction flag 2275 @218, and the tower voice flag 2276 @229 or @846; both the first-contact and repeat-contact paths after hearing the voice reach L2399. That block clears trainer hide flag 1155 and flag 1356, sets Cubone’s hide flag 1152, and resets the tower scene vars 0x40B4/0x40B6/0x40B7 to 0. Neither path checks the starter. Messages: a027/0471#35–42. This is a script check; the reported first climb was played with Pikachu.

Technical source (script files and flags)

file 17 (scripts 4, 7, 10, 12; L3736, L2077, L2519, L5063, L5033). Blue ≈14,2 (trainer 200; trigger x=14, z=2–5, replays until beaten; coord script 4 on var 0x40B5 = 0; the win sets var 0x40B5 = 1 at L3796, and the Rocket HQ B3F east-room scene, file 91 coord script 1 at ≈38,23, only runs at value 1 and sets 2 at L2562; values 3–8 come from the romance dates and the post-game Route 25 scene). “Mom” ≈35,17 (trainer 207; trigger 35–37,17, the only link from the stairs at 43,12; the battle needs flag 1567, set by the Rock Tunnel Prof. Hale scene, file 129 @1117). Magcargo ≈2,51 (a knockout, catch or flee sets hide flag 1155). Flag 1155 is also the hide flag of Colette (object 3, trainer 220), “Prof. Oak” (5, trainer 232), “Mom” (9), object 10, “Petrel” (13, trainer 230) and “Archie” (12, trainer 231); the grunts’ scene sets it at L2493 (the Rock Tunnel rescue sets it too, file 129 @1109, and the Mr. Fuji’s House Cubone scene clears it, file 769 @2399). Floors (collision flood fill): entrance floor (Colette, Blue) → stairs 4,13 → “Mom”/“Oak”/ghost-girl floor → stairs 50,3 → grunts’ floor (“Archie”, “Petrel”, Magcargo) → stairs 18,51 → Sabrina’s floor, so “Mom” is always beaten first. Emulator (guide review 2026-10-06, pass2-B tower.py, CN and EN): fresh map load with 1155 set shows none of objects 3, 5, 9, 10, 12, 13 (object 11, the ghost girl, stays); with it clear all are there. Silph Scope item 448 at ≈2,49 after grunts 992+993. Ghost girl ≈34,2.

Lavender Town: Mr. Fuji’s gifts (after the tower)

Lavender Town Side quest

Opens after Agatha breaks up Team Rocket in the tower. Do first: Pokémon Tower: side battles and extras.

Where: the Volunteer Pokémon House (the door about eight steps south of the Pokémon Center door), after Agatha breaks up Team Rocket in the tower.

• Cubone: it has grown fond of you. Mr. Fuji asks whether you’ll take it. Yes gives Cubone, Lv. 5 (you need room in your party).
• Mr. Fuji: the first talk gives the Poké Flute. Talk again for the Mystery Stone, the stone Team Rocket was after. It is needed for the Charizardite (Cerulean Cave and the Dragon Shrine).

Technical source (script files and flags)

file 769 (scripts 7, 8; L1662), file 17 L8203 (shows the Cubone). Door ≈1419,242.

Route 8: Persian and Skitty (the quarrelling owners)

Route 8 Side quest

Where: Route 8, east of the Saffron gatehouse. A man with a Persian stands on the north side of the road about 11 steps east of the gatehouse door; a woman with a Skitty (she calls it Glameow at times) stands much further east along the same north edge, toward Lavender.

Who gets it / when: anyone, once you can reach Route 8 east of the gatehouse. The owners are there from the start.

How it works:

1. Talk to the man with the Persian first (he praises mechanical Poké Balls). This is required: until you do, the woman only talks about Apricorn Balls.
2. Talk to the woman with the Skitty. Her Skitty runs off south, and both owners move to the meadow on the south side of the route, roughly in the middle.
3. Walk into the meadow (from the west or from the north-east). The owners argue while their Pokémon refuse to fight each other. Your character steps in.
4. Double Battle against both owners: Guitarist Jon (Persian Lv. 29, Swellow, Girafarig) and Aroma Lady Bella (Skitty Lv. 28, Chansey, Mothim). Losing whites you out; the scene replays.
5. Afterwards, talk to the man (now in the meadow).

Reward: TM40 Aerial Ace (one time).

Notes: before the Rock Tunnel rescue of Prof. Hale, a second pair of owners is already standing in the meadow, with the meadow scene armed. The rescue removes that pair and disarms the meadow; talking to the woman after the man arms it again.

Technical source (script files and flags)

script file 188 (scripts 3, 4, 5, 11; L980, L1208, L2076), file 129 L1195 (Rock Tunnel sets the starting state: hides the meadow copies with flag 1568 and sets var 0x40C0 = 1). The owners’ hide flag 1163 is only set at the end of their own scene. Man ≈1365,233; woman ≈1397,232; meadow ≈1378–1381,246; meadow triggers ≈1375,246 and ≈1384,242; the man afterwards ≈1378,246.

Route 12: wake the Snorlax (Poké Flute)

Route 12 Side quest

Needs the Poké Flute from Mr. Fuji. Do first: Lavender Town: Mr. Fuji's gifts (after the tower).

Where: Silence Bridge, Route 12. A Snorlax sleeps across the road east of the Route 11 gate (about 18 steps east of the gate’s door). A Berry farmer stands just outside the Route 11 gate. The fighter he hired, Karate King Jet, is stuck right next to the Snorlax, on its east side.

How it works: have the Poké Flute (Lavender Town: Mr. Fuji’s gifts). Check the Snorlax → “Play the Poké Flute?” → Yes → battle a wild Snorlax, Lv. 35. Knocking it out, catching it or running away all clear the road for good, so if you want it, catch it in this battle. Losing whites you out and the Snorlax stays.

Reward:

• The farmer gives 2 Oran, 2 Sitrus and 2 Rowap Berries (once). After that he teaches Body Slam for free (repeatable).
• Karate King Jet offers a Single or Double Battle, repeatable, no prize.

Technical source (script files and flags)

file 199 (scripts 6, 8, 14; L1384, L1728, L2686, L3119; WildBattle 143 at @1440, then CheckBattleWon, which also counts a flee or a catch as a win, emulator-confirmed for the Victory Road Electrode; a win sets the hide flag 1158 at @1464, a loss goes to WhiteOut at L2493). Positions: Snorlax ≈1426–1427,305–306, Route 11 gate door ≈1408,305, farmer ≈1410,305, Jet ≈1428,306.

Route 12: Prof. Birch’s Torchic (missable)

Route 12 Side quest Missable

Only until the Rainbow Badge scene in Celadon (Chapter 8). Do first: Route 12: wake the Snorlax (Poké Flute).

Where: south part of Route 12, below the sleeping Snorlax. Prof. Birch stands five steps west of the Fishing Guru’s house door. A wild Poochyena is chasing him.

Who gets it / when: only before the Rainbow Badge ceremony. That scene hides Birch for good.

How it works:

1. Talk to the Poochyena → “Stop it?” → Yes → battle a wild Poochyena, Lv. 5. Knocking it out, catching it or running away all count; losing whites you out.
2. Birch thanks you and asks you to take his Torchic along. Yes → Torchic, Lv. 5 (optional nickname). With a full party he asks you to make room. Answer No and he waits for you nearby.

Notes: you can only reach Birch by waking the Snorlax first (previous entry): the Route 11 gate side and the Lavender side both end at it, and Route 13 can’t be reached from Fuchsia this early. So wake it before the Rainbow Badge ceremony.

Technical source (script files and flags)

file 199 (scripts 16, 17; L2249–L2414; WildBattle 261 @2376, CheckBattleWon treats a flee as a win, a loss → L2493 WhiteOut), file 853 L3790–L3802 (sets flags 1447, 1448, 417). Reachability: the Snorlax (obj 2) and three invisible blockers (objs 3–5) share flag 1158, set only by waking it (@1464); the gate pocket and the Lavender boardwalk end at it; the south side connects only to Route 13/14, closed from Fuchsia until the marathon and the Cycling Road potion (209 L1708, herbalist hidden by 1800 until the ceremony). Birch ≈1424,318; Fishing Guru’s door ≈1429,318.

Route 12: the fish-zapper and the shiny Milotic (choose how to stop him)

Route 12 Side quest

Where: the north part of Route 12, above the Snorlax. A fisherman stands by the water; the blond Guitarist Hugo and his Voltorb are a few steps south-east of him.

How it works:

1. Talk to the fisherman first. He complains about the fish-zapper.
2. Talk to Hugo → “Try to talk him out of zapping fish?” → Yes. He laughs at you → “Teach him a lesson?”

Choice	What happens	Fisherman’s reward
Yes	Battle Guitarist Hugo (Voltorb Lv. 29, Electrode Lv. 30, Magneton Lv. 30). He promises to stop.	Dragon Scale
No	A shiny Milotic rises from the lake and knocks out his Voltorb. “Milotic is about to attack. Stop it?”	see below
→ Yes (stop it)	You calm it down and battle the shiny Milotic, Lv. 40 (catchable). Hugo promises to stop.	Dragon Scale
→ No	Milotic sends Hugo flying and leaves.	nothing (he just cheers)

Notes: one chance at the Milotic. After either outcome it’s gone. Losing any battle whites you out. Losing to the Milotic also ends the quest: Hugo and his Voltorb are gone and the fisherman gives no Dragon Scale. Catching the Milotic or running from it counts as success. Cynthia’s line about “a shiny Milotic guards this lake” is the hint.

Technical source (script files and flags)

file 199 (scripts 10, 13; L1820, L2716–L3926, L4395), flag 1159 (Hugo’s hide flag; set before the Milotic battle at @4441 and cleared only after a win/catch/flee at @4469; the fisherman’s script 13 gives nothing while it’s set). Talking to the fisherman sets var 0x40bc = 1. Positions: fisherman ≈1427,280, Hugo ≈1430,286–287.

Route 12: the boyfriend who lost his Pokémon (you must lose)

Route 12 Side quest

Where: the north part of Route 12, a couple standing a few steps north-east of the fisherman who complains about the fish-zapper.

How it works:

1. Talk to the girlfriend first. Team Rocket killed her boyfriend’s Pokémon and she asks you to battle him.
2. Talk to Ace Trainer Newt. He refuses, and a menu opens:

Option	Result
“Don’t you want revenge?”	he’s still afraid, try again
“Man up and snap out of it!”	fails
“You’re a useless coward!”	fails
“You’ve got a girlfriend!”	he accepts a battle

3. He has a single Rattata, Lv. 13. Lose on purpose (this battle doesn’t white you out). If you win, he wails “I’m worthless!” and you have to try again. If he wins, he gets his confidence back.

   Watch out: his Rattata knows only Normal-type moves (Tail Whip, Focus Energy, Quick Attack, Tackle), so a team of only Ghost types can’t lose this battle. And a Pokémon with no PP left never uses Struggle, so once your moves run out the battle can’t end at all and you have to reset (known issue). Bring a Pokémon that isn’t a Ghost type.

4. Talk to the girlfriend: Zoom Lens.

Technical source (script files and flags)

file 199 (scripts 11, 12; L1861–L3102, L2038; talking to her sets var 0x40bb = 1; TrainerBattle 185, 0, 1, 0 at @1991, trainer 185’s Rattata knows Tail Whip, Focus Energy, Quick Attack, Tackle). No Struggle at 0 PP: tested in an emulator on both ROMs (FACTS 2026-10-06, harness bugreports-20261006/struggle). Couple ≈1433–1434,273.

Route 12: Bug Catcher Harlan’s Butterfree

Route 12 Side quest

Only if the Route 9 girl let her Butterfree go.

Continues Route 9: the Butterfree girl.

Where: the south end of Route 12.

Who gets it / when: only if the Route 9 girl released her Butterfree. If she kept it, Harlan only says he’s waiting for Butterfree to pass.

How it works: accept his challenge and beat Bug Catcher Harlan (two Butterfree, Lv. 32). He says he’ll look after these “abandoned” Butterfree:

• “Free them. They’re off to mate” → he refuses → “They were let go to mate” → he releases both Butterfree to fly south.
• “Then take good care of them” (in either menu) → he keeps them.

Reward: none. If he releases them, the person watching the Butterfree on Two Island (west side of town, just south of the westernmost house) later says Butterfree still come to breed there every year, and Butterfree flutter next to them. Otherwise they say far fewer come.

Technical source (script files and flags)

file 199 (script 21; L2460–L4240; gated by flag 1103, set at file 190 @6229; flag 1342 is cleared at @3547/@4226 and set by file 739 @3347), file 734 (script 1; reads flag 1342). Harlan ≈1428,341.

Route 12: the Fishing Guru’s Super Rod

Route 12 Side quest

Needs the Good Rod (Vermilion City). Do first: Vermilion City: the Good Rod (show Ryochi a Horsea).

Where: the Fishing Guru’s house in the south part of Route 12, below the Snorlax (Prof. Birch first meets you just west of its door).

How it works: he asks whether you love fishing. Answer Yes with the Good Rod in your bag (Vermilion City: the Good Rod). He tells you to beat the anglers on Silence Bridge. Beat all three: Fisherman Mick (at the north end of the route), Sailor Graham (just north of the Snorlax, on the east side) and Fisherman Kent (south of the Guru’s house). Then talk to him again.

Reward: Super Rod. After that, his apprentice gives you Big Pearls for your Net Balls: 1 Big Pearl for 5 Net Balls, 3 for 15, or 9 for 45, repeatable. Trade each pearl for a Heart Scale at Lavender’s House of Memories.

Notes: if one of the three is still unbeaten, the Guru says his line and nothing else happens. Come back after the last one.

Technical source (script files and flags)

file 200 (scripts 1, 2; Super Rod flag 2070; script 2 L332–L504 takes 5/15/45 Net Balls and gives 1/3/9 Big Pearls), trainer flags 1594–1596 (trainers 234–236). Positions: Guru’s door ≈1429,318, Mick ≈1420,274, Graham ≈1433,299, Kent ≈1434,327.

Route 12: the TM salesman

Route 12 Side quest

Where: on the Silence Bridge north of the Snorlax, about 12 steps straight north of it, on the stretch you walk down from Lavender Town. You can reach him without waking the Snorlax.

How it works: he sells TMs, one per purchase, as often as you like (no Badge needed):

Option	Price
“Roar TM05, $2000”	TM05 Roar, $2,000
“Toxic TM06, $5000”	TM06 Toxic, $5,000
“Bulk Up TM08, $2000”	TM08 Bulk Up, $2,000
“Hidden Power TM10, $6000”	TM10 Hidden Power, $6,000

Technical source (script files and flags)

file 199 (script 7, obj 1 with no hide flag; one TM per purchase at L1488/L1548/L1608/L1668; items 332, 333, 335, 337; no badge or flag check). Salesman ≈1427,293.

Route 12: other optional battles

Route 12 Side quest Missable

Cynthia leaves Route 12 when you first reach Saffron (Chapter 8).

• Cynthia (at the north end of Route 12, with Gabite) offers a battle against her new catches (Feebas, Spiritomb, Gabite, Lucario, Lv. 25–30). One time only, no prize. She leaves Route 12 after the meeting with President Goodshow and Lance at Silph Co., so it’s missable.
• Picnicker Lily, the would-be ninja (in the south part of the route, on the west side): “Want to see?” → Yes → Double Battle → Poison Barb (once).

Technical source (script files and flags)

file 199 (scripts 15, 19; L2175, L3294); file 795 @976 sets Cynthia’s hide flag 1162. Positions: Cynthia ≈1428,268, Lily ≈1411,333.

Route 13: the Southeast League (eight representatives and a Champion)

Route 13 Side quest

Reached from the south end of Route 12, after you have woken the Snorlax.

Where: along Route 13. An amateur battle club. The guide stands at the east end (the Route 12 side) and a healer at the west end (the Route 14 side).

How it works: each representative asks for a match. Answer Yes, win, and get a one-time gift. Losing whites you out.

The representatives are listed from east to west, each standing next to their Pokémon:

Trainer	Their question	Gift
Shady Guy Bob, Rhydon	“Want to have a match?” → Yes	Thick Club
Hiker Grady, Aerodactyl	Yes	Rocky Helmet
Beauty Cassie, Azumarill	Yes	TM55 Brine
Firebreather Stellan, Torkoal	Yes	Heat Rock
Pokéfan Chet, Swalot	Yes	Black Sludge
Sailor Zeke, Pachirisu	Yes	teaches Thunder Punch afterwards (free, repeatable)
Lass Eve, Victreebel	“Did you stop here because you caught the scent of my perfume?” → No (Yes ends the talk)	Miracle Seed
Psychic Doug, Medicham	Yes	Twisted Spoon

After all eight, the Champion, Ace Trainer Gus (near the guide at the east end, with a Flygon) battles you: Magmar, Dragonair, Kingdra, Rampardos Lv. 35 and Flygon Lv. 45.

Reward: Lucky Egg, the title of Southeast League Champion, and two more tutors: the guide teaches Snarl and Firebreather Stellan teaches Flame Wheel (both free, repeatable). A man standing a few steps south-east of Beauty Cassie can make a Pokémon forget a move at any time.

Technical source (script files and flags)

file 201 (scripts 4–11, 22, 23; L1395–L2218, L1844; Champion title flag 2004). Route 13 spans ≈1345–1434, z 362–375. Positions: guide ≈1433,362, healer ≈1345,370, Bob ≈1412,370, Hiker Grady ≈1402,372, Cassie ≈1389,370, Stellan ≈1387,369, Chet ≈1381,370, Zeke ≈1370,373, Eve ≈1358,371, Doug ≈1349,372, Champion Gus ≈1424,368, move forgetter ≈1392,374.