Team Aqua is causing trouble at the Weather Institute! Follow this guide to defeat them, get a Castform, and learn about its unique abilities in Pokemon Emerald.
Alright, so you've made it to the Weather Institute, and surprise, surprise – Team Aqua is up to no good! They're after a special Pokémon that can change its type based on the weather. Since you just finished battling your way through Route 119, you're probably a bit worn out, so let's get you sorted before we deal with those Aqua goons.
First things first, head north into the Institute. You'll see openings to your left and right. Go left first – there's a bed and a PC there. Use them to fully heal up your Pokémon and save your game. Once you're all set, head back out and go through the opening on the right. It's time to kick Team Aqua out!
- 1First Floor Encounter: As soon as you enter the right side, you'll run into a Team Aqua Grunt. He's got a Level 28 Carvanha. Defeat it, and you'll get $560.
- 2Second Grunt Battle: Just a bit further in, you'll face another Grunt. This one has a Zubat (Level 27) and a Poochyena (Level 27). Take them both down for $510.
- 3Second Floor Push: After beating the second Grunt, use the stairs right next to him to head up to the second floor. More trainers await!
- 4Double Battle Opportunity: On the second floor, you'll find two Grunts standing near each other. If you position yourself between them, you can trigger a Double Battle against both a Poochyena (Level 27) and a Zubat (Level 27) for one Grunt, and a Carvanha (Level 27) for the other. Winning this will net you a cool $1080! If you don't want to do the double battle, you can fight them individually. The first Grunt has a Poochyena (Level 27) and Carvanha (Level 27) for $540. The second Grunt has a Zubat (Level 27) and Poochyena (Level 27) for $540.
- 5Final Grunt Battle: Keep going, and you'll encounter a third Grunt with a team of three: Poochyena (Level 26), Zubat (Level 26), and Carvanha (Level 26). Defeat them all for $520.
- 6Admin Shelly Showdown: Finally, you'll face Aqua Admin Shelly. She's got a Level 28 Carvanha and a Level 28 Mightyena. Beat her to earn $1120.
- Don't stress too much about these battles. The Team Aqua members are using Pokémon that are similar in type and level to yours, so you should be able to handle them pretty easily.
- If you want to get the most money, try to set up the double battle on the second floor!
Once you've cleared out Team Aqua, one of the grateful scientists will reward you with a Level 25 Castform. This Pokémon is pretty unique because it changes its type depending on the weather: it becomes Fire-type in harsh sunlight, Water-type in rain, and Ice-type in hail. It's also holding a Mystic Water, which boosts the power of its Water-type attacks by 10%. Definitely worth training up!
After all that, head back downstairs, use the bed to heal up your team one last time, and then you're ready to move on.
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