For your third gym badge, you will have to face off against The Lightning Lieutenant! – Lt. Surge.
He uses Electric-type Pokémon. His gym also includes a puzzle you need to solve to challenge him. Here’s everything you need to know to defeat Surge and earn the Thunder Badge:
Gym Puzzle: Trash Can Switches
Vermilion City Gym Puzzle includes trash cans where you have to find two switches hidden inside the trash cans. To find both switches:
- Examine each trash can to find the first hidden switch.
- The second switch is placed in an adjacent can.
- If you guess wrong, the puzzle resets.
There’s no trick, other than trial and error. Save before starting if you want to minimize frustration.
Lt. Surge’s Team
Lt. Surge uses three Pokémon:
- Voltorb (Level 21) – Electric
- Pikachu (Level 18) – Electric
- Raichu (Level 24) – Electric
Raichu is his ace; it has high Speed and solid Special Attack for this stage. The best strategy is to use a ground-type or use the TM 28 Dig you received from the Team Rocket Grunt in Cerulean City on one of your Pokémon. Your Pokémon can also be paralyzed during this fight. You can keep a few Parlyz Heals in your bag if you want.
Type Matchups
All three of his Pokémon are pure Electric type, which means they are all weak to Ground moves while resisting Electric, Flying, and Steel moves.
Ground-type Pokémon are also completely immune to Electric moves. Which means bringing a Ground Pokémon will be the best strategy.
Best Counters
The best counter to his team are Ground type Pokémon; here are the best counters you can use for this fight:
- Diglett / Dugtrio: Found in the Diglett’s Cave, located east of Vermilion City on Route 11. Diglett and Dugtrio are the best counters to this team if you already don’t have a ground type. They are easiest to find if you have already reached Vermilion and have high speed.
- Nidoking / Nidoqueen: Both of these are among the best Pokémon you can have for your whole playthrough. You can catch both Nidoran forms in Route 3. Teach the Dig from TM for ground move.
Rewards
After defeating Lt. Surge, you will be awarded TM34 Shock Wave and the Thunder Badge.
If you have the Boulder Badge:
- Pokémon up to Level 40 obey.
- Allows use of Fly outside of battle.
This gym is one of the easiest in this game. Using a Ground-Type Pokémon will invalidate most of Lt. Surge’s team. And the best counter is just nextdoor waiting for you to use. In my opinion, this gym badge marks the end of the early game.
