Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
After beating Blaine at the Cinnabar Gym, I've now gotten 7 Gym Badges.
I was going to go to the Seafoam Islands after this. That's why I brought out my Surf/Strengh Seel. But I decided to hold off on that and take that traded Seel somewhere else.
That being... the 8th and final Gym...
----------
And that 8th Gym... was actually the first one that I encountered... WAAAAAAY back in Viridian City. It was completely locked out, though.
However, after getting the previous 7 Gym Badges, the Viridian Gym will FINALLY be unlocked and can now be challenged!
The guy at the front doesn't know who the Gym Leader here is, but that can very quickly get figured about by just reading the list he's right next to (or looking at this video's thumbnail).
It's... GIOVANNI! Team Rocket's boss! HE'S A GYM LEADER?!
Interesting!
The Type theme for this Gym are Ground-types! If you got a good Water-, Grass-, or even Ice-Type on you, this Gym should be a breeze.
Flying-Types slightly less so. They're immune to Ground-Type moves, but it has to be noted again that several Ground-Types in this game are also Rock-Types, which Flying doesn't like very much.
But also, like Brock & Koga's Gyms, this one is also dishonest about its typing! Some of the Pokémon that Trainers will wield here aren't Ground-Types at all, such as Machop, Machoke, Arbok, and even Tauros!
Giovanni's Gym here also feels like its own Rocket Hideout, not because there are any Rocket Grunts here, but because you will have to use arrow paths that force you to twirl very slowly towards a different spot, again.
Nonetheless, my work with Seel here eventually evolved it into a Dewgong, which is a really good Water/Ice-Type to have. Comparable to Lapras, really.
----
Once you've finally reached Giovanni, himself, he beckons you to try and defeat him as he boasts to be the greatest Trainer!
At least all of his own Pokémon are Ground-Types, either purely or partially so. He will attack you with Rhyhorn, Dugtrio, Nidoqueen, Nidoking, and climaxing with his all-powerful Rhydon.
Despite my multiple suggestions before, your BEST bet against this team is to drown them all with Water-Type moves! Against Ground/Rock Pokémon like the Rhys, both Water AND Grass will do quadruple damage to them!
----------
After defeating Giovanni, he will reward you the final Gym Badge: The Earth Badge. This will allow Pokémon of any and all levels to obey you without fail. This means all the way up to the cap of Level 100!
You also get TM27: Fissure. It's the Ground-Type Horn Drill. It's accuracy is really bad, but if it DOES hit, it's an instant KO to your victim.
And also upon Giovanni's defeat, he finally retires all of Team Rocket, or at least himself from the whole organization.
Make sure you talk to him one more time, and he will try to turn over a new leaf and leave in a flash, *never to be seen again...*
----------
Now that I have all 8 Gym Badges, I can finally take on the Pokémon League at the Indigo Plateau!
BUT FIRST! Some unfinished business with the Seafoam Islands. A good trek through there is gonna lead to special Pokémon waiting for you there...
After beating Blaine at the Cinnabar Gym, I've now gotten 7 Gym Badges.
I was going to go to the Seafoam Islands after this. That's why I brought out my Surf/Strengh Seel. But I decided to hold off on that and take that traded Seel somewhere else.
That being... the 8th and final Gym...
----------
And that 8th Gym... was actually the first one that I encountered... WAAAAAAY back in Viridian City. It was completely locked out, though.
However, after getting the previous 7 Gym Badges, the Viridian Gym will FINALLY be unlocked and can now be challenged!
The guy at the front doesn't know who the Gym Leader here is, but that can very quickly get figured about by just reading the list he's right next to (or looking at this video's thumbnail).
It's... GIOVANNI! Team Rocket's boss! HE'S A GYM LEADER?!
Interesting!
The Type theme for this Gym are Ground-types! If you got a good Water-, Grass-, or even Ice-Type on you, this Gym should be a breeze.
Flying-Types slightly less so. They're immune to Ground-Type moves, but it has to be noted again that several Ground-Types in this game are also Rock-Types, which Flying doesn't like very much.
But also, like Brock & Koga's Gyms, this one is also dishonest about its typing! Some of the Pokémon that Trainers will wield here aren't Ground-Types at all, such as Machop, Machoke, Arbok, and even Tauros!
Giovanni's Gym here also feels like its own Rocket Hideout, not because there are any Rocket Grunts here, but because you will have to use arrow paths that force you to twirl very slowly towards a different spot, again.
Nonetheless, my work with Seel here eventually evolved it into a Dewgong, which is a really good Water/Ice-Type to have. Comparable to Lapras, really.
----
Once you've finally reached Giovanni, himself, he beckons you to try and defeat him as he boasts to be the greatest Trainer!
At least all of his own Pokémon are Ground-Types, either purely or partially so. He will attack you with Rhyhorn, Dugtrio, Nidoqueen, Nidoking, and climaxing with his all-powerful Rhydon.
Despite my multiple suggestions before, your BEST bet against this team is to drown them all with Water-Type moves! Against Ground/Rock Pokémon like the Rhys, both Water AND Grass will do quadruple damage to them!
----------
After defeating Giovanni, he will reward you the final Gym Badge: The Earth Badge. This will allow Pokémon of any and all levels to obey you without fail. This means all the way up to the cap of Level 100!
You also get TM27: Fissure. It's the Ground-Type Horn Drill. It's accuracy is really bad, but if it DOES hit, it's an instant KO to your victim.
And also upon Giovanni's defeat, he finally retires all of Team Rocket, or at least himself from the whole organization.
Make sure you talk to him one more time, and he will try to turn over a new leaf and leave in a flash, *never to be seen again...*
----------
Now that I have all 8 Gym Badges, I can finally take on the Pokémon League at the Indigo Plateau!
BUT FIRST! Some unfinished business with the Seafoam Islands. A good trek through there is gonna lead to special Pokémon waiting for you there...
