( a. Rocket Base )

A complete walkthrough for Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen's Rocket Base, detailing every floor, trainer battle, item location, and the boss fight against Giovanni.

As soon as you enter the Rocket Base, head to the right and down, not the stairs. Head to the left and fight the Rocket there holding two Level 21 Raticates. When you beat him, continue down to find an item ball containing an Escape Rope. Now go down to Basement 2. Fight the Rocket as soon as you see him holding 2 Level 17 Zubats, a Koffing, Grimer, and Raticate.

Now head down another floor to get to Basement 3. Fight the Rocket on the lower path holding 2 Level 21 Machops and collect the TM21. Now head back and to the right to the arrow maze. The maze looks mind boggling with so many arrows, but it's not that difficult. There are arrows here representing the direction you will be forced to go to until a different colored tile stops you. From the side all the way to the right, take the down path to get a Rare Candy. From there, your only option is to head back up so do so. This time, start in the middle between the two arrows pointing away from each other. Go left, walk down, and take the right arrow. You will have spun right past a path. Go back and down that path and then walk left not taking any of those arrows. Go down and there will be a second set of arrows. Take the one to the top. As soon as you land there will be a Rocket waiting for you with a Level 20 Rattata, Raticate, and Drowzee. A pair of Dark Glasses will also be smack in the middle of the path.

Head down the flight of stairs to Basement 4. Get the Ether on the table to the left. Now go up, get TM49, and fight the Rocket member holding a Level 21 Koffing and Zubat. Beware, the Koffing can Selfdestruct for a lot of damage. When you finish the battle, the Rocket will drop the Lift Key. Pick it up and move head back to Basement Floor 2.

OK, now this is going to be a bit irritating. From the beginning, take the second one from the top. Now go backwards. Go above the platform, down, then up again over all the little things to get an X Special. Head back to where you were before and get the Moon Stone blocking your way. Take the first transporter you see going down which will take you next to the item ball containing TM12. Go down the small path and take the first down path to the right that you see. Now take the path directly to the left. Go down the path and take the second path for a Super Potion or the first one if you just want to get out of this puzzle.

Go up to the next room if you want to fight some trainers. There's a Hyper Potion in the top lefthand corner. Fight the Rockets! The one to the left of the exit has a 2 Level 19 Rattatas and Raticates. The one to the top has a Level 20 Rattata and 2 Koffings.

Go back and take the elevator going to Floor 1. There will be a Rocket nearby. He will have a Level 22 Grimer and Muk. Keep going up and you'll see that there is another Rocket holding a Level 21 Drowzee and Machop. Hmm? Does this place look familiar? Of course, it's near the exit! Go out and heal if you'd like because we're going after the Head Honcho.

Go to the elevator and choose Floor 4. Pick up the Calcium on the table. Next, head up the main path and beat his bodyguards who are guarding a closed door. The guy on the left has a Level 23 Sandshrew, Ekans, and Sandslash. The guy on the right has a Level 23 Sandshrew, Ekans, and Arbok. After you defeat both of them, the door they were guarding will open allowing you to head to their boss.

GIOVANNI BATTLE 1

BOSS: GIOVANNI

Giovanni will use mostly Ground type Pokemon. Onix will be bad as always with low attack power and Special Defense. Rhyhorn is a new face, but not too challenging. It has high defense but can be taken down the same way as Onix with weaknesses. It does have higher attack although nothing challenging. Kangaskhan is the main worry. It has unbelievably high Attack at this point in game. A low damage attack can OHKO a weak Pokemon so use your strongest Pokemon against it. If you have a fighting type, it would help. Sometimes it will be really stupid though and use Tail Whip many times and then Bite which effects Defense not Special Defense. If you catch it in a brain dead thing, just attack it strong and fast. Its first move will always be Fake Out, so send in a sacrificial dog if necessary since there's a very high chance of inducing flinch.

After Giovanni disappears, he will leave behind a Silph Scope enabling you to see ghosts. But where can we find ghosts? Remember Lavender Town? Yep. But before you leave, make sure you pick up the special Balls in between the bushes. We're also not finished with all the business in Celadon, so heal and get ready for a few more battles.

From the Pokemon Center, head West onto the next Route. There will be the same sleeping Pokemon that you saw blocking the path as in Vermilion City. Cut the bush above the Pokemon and battle the Young Couple's Level 29 Rapidash and Ninetales, both fully evolved Fire types that are very strong. Go past the building to get Fly, an awesome HM that lets you go to any Pokemon Center you have visited previously. BTW, ready for some Pokemon Catching?

ROUTE 16

What you want here is Doduo, possibly Raticate. Decent training grounds for those that are weak, mediocre otherwise.