Chapter 17: Violet City, Sprout Tower and the Zephyr Badge
Violet City is the first Johto city with a Gym, but the Gym is closed: Falkner is at Sprout Tower, where a memorial ceremony is about to start. Several local quests are tied to that ceremony and disappear when it has played.
Main quest in this chapter: climb Sprout Tower (past the monks who ask for a toll), take part in the memorial ceremony on the third floor, then win the Zephyr Badge from Falkner. The ceremony only starts once you have played the Route 46 dig scene from Chapter 16.
Before the ceremony (it closes them for good): Kimono Girl Tamao’s and Crystal’s battles, the repentant thief, and Gold’s warm-up battle in Sprout Tower. Before you leave Violet for the south: the Marill quest and the Goh battle also run out later (see their notes).
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.
Walkthrough
Section titled “Walkthrough”Violet City. Walk north from Route 31 into Violet City. In the north part of town Tamao (a Kimono Girl) and Crystal each ask for a battle, a man south-east of the Sprout Tower entrance has a confession to make, the Marill’s owner is looking for her runaway Marill on the west side, Goh is bullying a boy near the Poké Mart, the Pokémon Academy (east house on the Gym’s street) holds a class Q&A, and a runner’s house at the south end of town wants to see a Rapidash. A couple stands south of the Academy door (the boyfriend only if the S.S. Anne did not sink). The Pokémon Center has Primo’s password man and a shard trader.
At the very north end of Route 32, just south of Violet City and north of the railway crew, a wandering seller offers Skull and Armor Fossils.
- Violet City: Tamao and Crystal (before the Sprout Tower ceremony) Missable
- Violet City: the S.S. Anne passenger and his girlfriend (only if you saved the S.S. Anne)
- Violet City: the repentant thief (choice, no reward) Missable
- Violet City: the runaway Marill (→ Heart Scale, 2 PP Max) Missable
- Violet City: teach Goh a lesson (before the Ruins of Alph chapter ends) Missable
- Violet City: the Pokémon Academy class Q&A (→ TM67 Recycle or 2 Big Pearls)
- Violet City: show the runner a Rapidash (→ Magmarizer)
- Violet City: small extras
- Route 32: small extras
Technical source (script files and flags)
guide/08 q-0205, q-0206, q-0209, q-0210, q-0211, q-0212, q-0216, q-0217, q-0229 (script files 854 Violet; 232 Route 32 for the fossil seller and the crew: the crew objects are hidden by flag 1904, set at the end of the Alph chapter, file 51 @4253; the Quick Powder and Friday sibling are south of the crew).
Sprout Tower: the monks’ toll. On the first floor three monks block the way up to the third floor with their Bellsprout and ask for an offering: $3,000, $5,000 and $10,000, or you battle them (Lv. 62-65 each). Either answer moves that monk’s Bellsprout aside for good; the game does not check that you have the money. Optional extras: Gold wants a warm-up battle on the first floor (only before the ceremony), the S.S. Anne monk (only if you saved the ship) gives a Chesto Berry, and the Elder on the third floor accepts training battles.
Technical source (script files and flags)
guide/08 q-0207, q-0208 (script file 18 Sprout Tower; Bellsprout blockers cleared per monk; Gold hides with the ceremony).
The memorial ceremony. On the third floor Falkner asks you to say a few words (all three answers lead to the same scene). This closes for good: Tamao’s and Crystal’s battles and the repentant thief in Violet City, and Gold’s warm-up battle in Sprout Tower; Crystal moves on to the Ruins of Alph. Afterwards a Youngster with a Forretress appears at the west edge of Violet, who teaches Shell Smash if you show him TM74 Gyro Ball.
Technical source (script files and flags)
script file 18 (Sprout Tower 3F): HidePerson on the Violet objects @3604-@3831 (Tamao and Crystal are objects hidden by flag 739), SetVar 0x40ac = 3 @3835, ClearFlag 740 @3841 (new Violet objects appear); the ceremony coord script needs var 0x40ac = 2 (set by the Route 46 dig). guide/08 q-0205, q-0209 closes; q-0213 ‘appears after the Sprout Tower ceremony’.
Violet Gym: Falkner. The Gym is open now. Falkner only accepts the challenge if you carry four Pokémon or fewer and every one is a Flying type (the game checks a fixed list of non-Flying species; Eggs are skipped). Win the Zephyr Badge, TM51 Roost and Falkner’s number. The Gym’s tutor then teaches Sky Attack.
Technical source (script files and flags)
guide/08 q-0214 (Falkner’s species list, Zephyr Badge; Gym closed until the ceremony: a guard says Falkner is at the tower).
Quests in this chapter
Section titled “Quests in this chapter”Open the ones you want; tick Done to hide them. Filters at the top apply to this whole page.
Violet City: Tamao and Crystal (before the Sprout Tower ceremony)
Section titled “Violet City: Tamao and Crystal (before the Sprout Tower ceremony)”Tamao’s team is Lv. 84-85.
Where: north part of Violet City: Kimono Girl Tamao a few steps north of the gap between the Poké Mart and the Gym; Crystal with her Chikorita further north, straight above the Gym door.
Who gets it / when: from your first visit until the memorial ceremony on Sprout Tower 3F. The ceremony removes both of them from Violet for good (and marks Tamao’s battle as done), so these battles are missable.
How it works:
- Tamao: “Might the Champion favor this humble maiden with another lesson?” → Yes: Kimono Girl Tamao, a full team at Lv. 84–85 (Umbreon, Clefairy, Raichu, Crawdaunt, Noctowl, Claydol). Win → Black Glasses. No → you can ask again later. Losing blacks you out; retry.
- Crystal: Yes → Johto Trainer Crystal (Chikorita Lv. 11, Parasect Lv. 24, Cubone, Natu, Smoochum Lv. 10). One battle only, no reward.
Reward: Black Glasses (Tamao, once).
Notes: neither battle comes back after the ceremony. Crystal moves on to the Ruins of Alph.
Technical source (script files and flags)
script file 854 (scripts 19, 20; L1981–L2115; flags 1839, 1849), file 18 (ceremony: HidePerson on the flag-739 objects, SetFlag 1839 at L3845). Tamao and Crystal are both hidden by flag 739, which the ceremony sets and nothing clears; the ceremony’s L3861 clears flag 1851, which shows Crystal and Gold at the Ruins of Alph; the flag 1839 change on Route 34 (file 237) belongs to a different object (a Totodile). Positions: Tamao ≈474,252; Crystal ≈479,244.
Violet City: the S.S. Anne passenger and his girlfriend (only if you saved the S.S. Anne)
Section titled “Violet City: the S.S. Anne passenger and his girlfriend (only if you saved the S.S. Anne)”The boyfriend only stands here if you saved the S.S. Anne.
Where: a woman and her boyfriend a few steps south of the Pokémon Academy door (the east house on the Gym’s street).
Who gets it / when: the boyfriend only stands here if the S.S. Anne did not sink (S.S. Anne: defuse the bomb or the ship sinks). If it sank, only the woman is here and she says he “can never come back”, until the post-game Celebi trip undoes the sinking (Forest of Time: Celebi takes you back to the S.S. Anne).
Reward: talk to him → 2 Mosaic Mail + 2 Brick Mail (once). His girlfriend then thanks you too.
Notes: the S.S. Anne monk in Sprout Tower (Sprout Tower: optional battles) follows the same rule.
Technical source (script files and flags)
script file 854 (scripts 2, 16; L1320, L2431; flags 1093, 1822). The boyfriend (object 18) is hidden by flag 1093, set by the sinking (file 157 @2852) and cleared only by the Celebi trip (file 52 @4858). Positions ≈494,263 and 493,263.
Violet City: the repentant thief (choice, no reward)
Section titled “Violet City: the repentant thief (choice, no reward)”Where: a man a few steps south-east of the Sprout Tower entrance.
Who gets it / when: only before the Sprout Tower ceremony (it removes him).
How it works: he has stolen Pokémon all his life and asks what to do: “Turn yourself in”, “Repent as a Sprout Tower monk”, “Turn over a new leaf” or “Not my problem”.
- Any of the first three answers settles it: he says “Thanks for clearing up my doubts” if you talk to him again, and he’s gone the next time the map loads.
- “Not my problem” changes nothing, so you can ask again.
No answer gives a reward.
Notes: he turns up again in Union Cave in the Marill quest below.
Technical source (script files and flags)
script file 854 (script 17; answers 1–3 set his hide flag 1827 at L1932/L1947/L1962; “Thanks for clearing up my doubts” L1914); the ceremony also sets 1827 (file 18 L3857). Position ≈491,232.
Violet City: the runaway Marill (→ Heart Scale, 2 PP Max)
Section titled “Violet City: the runaway Marill (→ Heart Scale, 2 PP Max)”Finish it before Crystal’s scene in Ilex Forest (Chapter 19), which ends the quest.
Where: Violet City, the Marill’s owner on the west side of town, south-west of the Poké Mart; the Marill at the east edge of town, north of the Route 31 gatehouse. Later, Union Cave 1F.
Who gets it / when: talk to the owner any time after arriving in Violet. The quest closes when Crystal’s story scene in Ilex Forest plays.
How it works:
- Talk to the owner: she scolded Marill and it ran off.
- Talk to the Marill (east edge, north of the Route 31 gatehouse) → “Tell Marill to hurry home?” → Yes. It is still angry and moves to the north-east corner of town.
- Talk to it again and choose:
| Choice | What happens | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Talk it into going home | Marill “finds you annoying” and vanishes. The owner gives you a Heart Scale, then leaves to find it herself. Continue at step 4. | Heart Scale (+ 2 PP Max) |
| Take it back by force | You drag it home; the owner apologises and gives you a Heart Scale. But after the Ilex Forest scene the Marill has run away for good. | Heart Scale |
| Forget it | The owner sobs; Marill never returns. | none |
- (Talk route only) In Union Cave 1F, walk up to the owner and Marill in the south-east part of the cave, east of the Route 33 exit. Shady Guy Yamamoto, the thief from Violet, knocks Marill out and throws a Poké Ball. “Step in and stop Marill from being caught?” → Yes: battle him (Girafarig, Vileplume, Ninjask, Rhyperior, Lv. 62–65). Win → owner and Marill make up and she gives you 2 PP Max. Losing blacks you out, and the scene replays on your next visit.
Reward: Heart Scale; 2 PP Max for the Talk route with the Union Cave rescue. On that route the owner and Marill are back in Violet straight after your Union Cave win.
Notes: if you haven’t finished by Crystal’s Ilex Forest scene, the quest ends there: the owner stays alone, and on the Talk route, if she has already left for Union Cave, she doesn’t come back to Violet at all. In Union Cave, answering No lets him take Marill, but the game still gives the happy ending later (see Known issues).
Technical source (script files and flags)
script file 854 (scripts 5, 27; L1682–L1830, L2117–L2230, L3780–L3837, L3903–L5163; var 0x40AD, flags 1528, 1824–1826, 1896), file 231 (Route 31 gatehouse L179 sets 0x40AD = 1), file 56 (Union Cave script 5, L785–L989 and L2460–L2874; trainer #756; the return to Violet is set at L2848/L2852 right after the win), file 92 (Ilex Forest L10459–L10467 hide the Union Cave scene and the corner Marill; L10515–L10534 set 0x40AD = 8 and hide the Marill beside the owner unless the var is already 8, else L10927 shows the owner and Marill again; the owner’s hide flag 1825, set when she leaves at L3815, is cleared only by the Union Cave win and L10927). Positions: owner ≈463,262; Marill ≈505,254 → ≈505,236; Union Cave ≈51,86.
Violet City: teach Goh a lesson (before the Ruins of Alph chapter ends)
Section titled “Violet City: teach Goh a lesson (before the Ruins of Alph chapter ends)”Goh leaves when the Ruins of Alph story is over (Chapter 18). Goh’s team is Lv. 84-85.
Where: a few steps south-east of the Poké Mart door, where Goh is mocking a local boy.
Who gets it / when: from your first visit until the end of the Ruins of Alph story (the Molly and Unown chapter), which sends Goh away. Missable.
How it works: watch the argument, then “Teach Goh a lesson?” → Yes. You face One-Ball Man Goh in a Double Battle: Pinsir, Cloyster, Misdreavus, Dragonite, Magmortar and Aggron, Lv. 84–85. No → you can come back and talk to the boy again. Losing blacks you out.
Reward: the boy gives you a Scope Lens (once).
Technical source (script files and flags)
script file 854 (script 29; L2245–L4557; flag 1856, trainer #163), file 51 (Ruins of Alph, L4265 also sets 1856). Position ≈473,264.
Violet City: the Pokémon Academy class Q&A (→ TM67 Recycle or 2 Big Pearls)
Section titled “Violet City: the Pokémon Academy class Q&A (→ TM67 Recycle or 2 Big Pearls)”Where: the Pokémon Academy (the east house on the Gym’s street, to the right of the Gym), talk to the teacher at the front.
Who gets it / when: any time; one time only.
How it works: agree to meet the class. Five students each ask you a question, then Youngster Ward battles you (Sentret Lv. 4, Gligar Lv. 5). Your answers decide the teacher’s gift:
| Question | Answer that keeps you on the “Big Pearl” track | Any other answer |
|---|---|---|
| Limber’s new effect | “Reduces physical damage” | switches to TM67 |
| How to get Sylveon | “Eevee can become Sylveon?!” | switches to TM67 |
| Did you cheat at the Indigo Conference? | anything except “Yep, I cheated all the way” | “Yep…” switches to TM67 |
| Toughest opponent | any (no effect) | — |
| Pokémon for beginners | “Fast, hard-hitting Pokémon” | switches to TM67 |
Reward: keep to the left column all the way → 2 Big Pearls. Any one answer from the right column → TM67 Recycle.
Notes: the game uses the same marker for “TM67 chosen” and “gift given”. If you give a TM67 answer and then lose to Ward, you black out and the teacher never gives you anything (see Known issues).
Technical source (script files and flags)
script file 82 (scripts 6–12; L946–L1958; flag 1858; trainer #752). Academy door ≈495,257.
Violet City: show the runner a Rapidash (→ Magmarizer)
Section titled “Violet City: show the runner a Rapidash (→ Magmarizer)”Where: the house at the south end of town (well south of the Gym), the runner in the right-hand room.
Who gets it / when: any time the trophy is on display (not between the Jade Orb theft and your next Hall of Fame entry).
How it works: “If you have a Rapidash…” → Yes → pick a Rapidash from your party. Any other Pokémon: “That’s not a Rapidash.”
Reward: Magmarizer (once).
Technical source (script files and flags)
script file 860 (script 6; L412–L906; flags 1857, 2295). House door ≈484,277.
Violet City: small extras
Section titled “Violet City: small extras”-
Primo’s passwords (Pokémon Center, the man to the right of the counter): he asks two Easy Chat phrases. These are HeartGold’s own Primo passwords, worked out from your Trainer ID. The right pair gives a Mareep, Wooper or Slugma Egg (one of each), provided your party has room; other correct pairs unlock a Box wallpaper. Not confirmed in game.
On the website, a calculator here works out the passwords for your Trainer ID (it needs JavaScript).
-
Shard trader (a few steps west of the Pokémon Center door): trades one Shard for three Berries, repeatable while you have room. Red Shard → Cheri, Pecha, Leppa; Blue → Oran, Chesto, Wiki; Yellow → Aspear, Sitrus, Iapapa; Green → Rawst, Lum, Aguav.
-
Sprout Tower ceremony speech: Falkner asks you to speak (“Speak of their bond”, “Team Rocket isn’t gone”, “I’d rather not speak”). All paths lead to the same scene.
Technical source (script files and flags)
script file 857 (script 5; flags 345–347), file 854 (script 4), file 18 (script 2). Positions: Primo ≈12,11 in the Pokémon Center; Shard trader ≈494,272.
Route 32: small extras
Section titled “Route 32: small extras”A mixed entry. Only the fossil seller at the north end of Route 32 can be visited now; the Quick Powder and the Friday sibling are south of the railway crew (Chapter 18).
- Wandering seller (the very north end, a few steps east of the Ruins of Alph gatehouse door): sells a Skull Fossil or an Armor Fossil for $8,000 each, as often as you like. He stands north of the railway crew, so you can reach him from the start.
- Quick Powder item on Route 32 (north half, a few steps west of the Hoppip tree): one Quick Powder. Once picked up it doesn’t come back.
- The Friday weekday sibling (Fridays only, north part, west side, across from the fire-breather): gives a Poison Barb. If you’ve met all seven siblings she gives your lead Pokémon a ribbon instead.
Technical source (script files and flags)
seller: file 232 script 1 (≈459,291). Quick Powder: file 232 script 4 (≈456,337); the script’s HidePerson sets the item’s hide flag 1314 for good. The only clear is Brock’s Boulder Badge scene in Pewter Gym (file 750 @655), long before. Friday sibling: file 232 script 6 (≈458,308).
Sprout Tower: the monks’ toll (pay or fight)
Section titled “Sprout Tower: the monks’ toll (pay or fight)”The monks’ teams are Lv. 62-65.
Where: Sprout Tower 1F, the three monks whose Bellsprout block the way up. You can tell them apart by what they say first.
Who gets it / when: you must pass them to reach the memorial ceremony on 3F, which opens the Violet Gym.
How it works: each monk asks for an offering.
| Monk | “Yes” (pay) | “No” (battle) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st (“Would you care to make an offering, to pray for blessings…”), near a man worried that the pillar is swaying | $3,000 | Sage Kongzhi, Lv. 62–65 |
| 2nd (“The upkeep of Sprout Tower is no small expense…”) | $5,000 | Sage Kongxing, Lv. 62–65 |
| 3rd, last before 3F (“ninety miles is only half of a hundred-mile journey”), a few steps west of the stairs to 3F | $10,000 | Sage Kongwen, Lv. 62–65 |
Either answer moves his Bellsprout aside for good. Losing a battle blacks you out; talk again to retry.
Notes: the game takes the money without checking that you have it (see Known issues).
Technical source (script files and flags)
script file 16 (scripts 8, 10, 13; L973, L1053, L1167; flags 2107–2109). Positions in the Sprout Tower map: 1st monk ≈19,45; 2nd ≈6,10; 3rd ≈8,59 (stairs to 3F at 15,59).
Sprout Tower: optional battles (Gold, the S.S. Anne monk, the Elder)
Section titled “Sprout Tower: optional battles (Gold, the S.S. Anne monk, the Elder)”Gold’s warm-up battle is only before the ceremony; the S.S. Anne monk needs the ship saved. Gold is Lv. 10-11; the Elder and the S.S. Anne monk are Lv. 81-82.
- Gold (1F, a few steps in from the entrance, with Exbo the Cyndaquil): asks for a warm-up battle, Lv. 10–11. Only before the ceremony (he leaves with it). No reward.
- The S.S. Anne monk (1F, with a Victreebel, at the west end of the same area as the first toll monk): only if you saved the S.S. Anne (or after the post-game Celebi trip undoes the sinking). He battles you (Sage Zhishen, six Pokémon at Lv. 81–82) and gives 1 Chesto Berry as thanks. Afterwards he offers a rematch any time, Singles or Doubles (Doubles needs at least two Pokémon).
- The Elder (3F, top of the room): “I’m here to train” → Singles or Doubles against Elder Zhizhen (Lv. 81–82 Grass team: Victreebel, Carnivine, Ludicolo, Shiftry, Cacturne, Tangrowth), repeatable, no reward. “Please pray for me” → two sutras for $5,000 each; you only get the chanting, nothing else.
Technical source (script files and flags)
script file 16 (scripts 7, 11; flags 2106, 1810, 1093), file 18 (script 9; L2281–L2576). Positions: Gold ≈15,20; S.S. Anne monk ≈6,40.
Violet City: Gyro Ball TM for the Forretress kid (unlocks Shell Smash)
Section titled “Violet City: Gyro Ball TM for the Forretress kid (unlocks Shell Smash)”Needs TM74 Gyro Ball (10,000 coins at the Celadon Game Corner). The game does not take the TM.
Where: the Youngster with a Forretress at the far west of town, right next to the Route 36 gatehouse door.
Who gets it / when: he appears after the Sprout Tower ceremony.
How it works: talk to him with TM74 Gyro Ball in your Bag (it’s sold for 10,000 coins at the Celadon Game Corner). “Give the Youngster the TM for Gyro Ball?” → Yes. The game doesn’t actually take the TM: you keep it.
Reward: from then on he teaches Shell Smash, free and repeatable, to 21 species (see the tutor table, Violet City).
Technical source (script files and flags)
script file 854 (script 15; L1843–L3895; flag 1850; L3872–L3895 only sets the flag, no TakeItem; hack finding D-1425). Position ≈457,244.
Violet Gym: Falkner’s rules (Flying types only, 4 Pokémon max)
Section titled “Violet Gym: Falkner’s rules (Flying types only, 4 Pokémon max)”Only after the Sprout Tower ceremony; at most four Pokémon, all Flying types.
Where: Violet Gym, Falkner at the top of the elevator.
Who gets it / when: the Gym is closed until the Sprout Tower 3F memorial ceremony (a guard says Falkner is at the tower).
How it works: Falkner only accepts the challenge if you carry 4 Pokémon or fewer and every one is Flying-type. The species check skips Eggs, so an Egg never makes him refuse on species grounds. Otherwise he sends you away; nothing is lost.
What the game actually checks is a fixed list of non-Flying species: if any of them is in your party, he refuses. The list covers every non-Flying species up to Sinnoh, but misses many later ones. Of the Pokémon you can get, Stunfisk, Yungoos and Gumshoos get through. Rotom is on the list, so Fan Rotom is refused even though it’s Flying. Shaymin is on it too, but its Flying Sky Forme can’t be obtained in this game.
Reward: Zephyr Badge, TM51 Roost, Falkner’s number. Afterwards the Gym’s tutor teaches the Gym’s improved Sky Attack (see the tutor table), and Falkner offers unrestricted rematches (Singles or Doubles).
Notes: after your final Hall of Fame entry, Falkner is away on Wednesdays.
Technical source (script files and flags)
script file 856 (script 2, L971–L14824; party checks L14796, L14807; 692 listed species, hack finding D-1426; script 1: away on weekday 3 once flag 2261 is set).
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