Gold & Silver Blackthorn City
Johto's final gym town, ringed by mountains and ruled by the dragon master Clair. Her clan's sacred Dragon's Den sits in the lake behind the gym.
Blackthorn City is in Johto, with Ice Path to the north and Route 45 to the south. In the story it comes after Dark Cave and continues north to Dragon's Den.
BLACKTHORN CITY MAP
Pokemon Encounters
Headbutt the trees around Blackthorn for Abra and Venomoth. The river runs thick with Magikarp and Poliwag, and the Super Rod can hook a high-level Magikarp already close to evolving.
Old Rod2
Good Rod2
Super Rod2Rhydon
ITEMS & SHOP
Ghost teams get a Spell Tag in Blackthorn City to make their attacks hit harder. The mart here leans on endgame stock like Ultra Balls and Max Potions.
Spell Tag
Powers up ghost-type moves. (HOLD)
Spell Tag
Powers up ghost-type moves. (HOLD)
Full Heal
Eliminates all status problems.
Great Ball
A BALL with a decent success rate.
Hyper Potion
Restores Pokemon HP by 200.
Max Potion
Fully restores Pokemon HP.
Max Repel
Repels weak Pokemon for 250 steps.
Revive
Restores a fainted Pokemon to 1/2 HP.
Ultra Ball
A BALL with a high rate of success.
X Attack
Raises ATTACK. (1 BTL)
X Defense
Raises DEFENSE. (1 BTL)
TRAINERS
Clair is the toughest gym leader in Johto, her level 40 Kingdra and Dragonair hitting hard and resisting most of what you throw back. Five Cooltrainers in the cave below sharpen you up first.
Blackthorn City Guide
Sixteen, double the usual eight. You clear Johto's eight Gyms first, then sail to Kanto after the Elite Four for eight more. Kanto's lineup shifted in the years since Red and Blue: Janine took over the Fuchsia Gym from her father Koga, and Blue, the old Kanto rival, now runs the Viridian Gym.
They do, thanks to the game's internal clock. Goldenrod's haircut brothers raise a Pokemon's friendship on a set schedule, some shops stock special goods only on certain days, and a few people hand out a different gift each day. Check what day it is before you write a town off as finished.