Part 40: Opelucid City and Route 9
Your seventh Pokémon League gym challenge, Opelucid Gym is very straightforward compared to just about every other gym in the game. It consists of a tall, draconic elevator that raises you, fighter by fighter, to the leader at the top. You'll need to choose between two fighters twice on your way up, for a grand total of three fights before you face Drayden, the gym leader.
Opelucid Gym is populated exclusively by Dragon-type Pokémon. It's possible for you to have a Dragon-type of your own if you visited Mistralton Cave and picked up an Axew - or perhaps just evolved a Swablu - though if you don't you'll nevertheless find Dragon-type moves to be very handy in this gym. Ice-type moves are a great alternative. If you have neither you may find a Steel-type Pokémon useful for resisting Dragon-type moves, though your Steel-type will have trouble with Drayden - and your opponents on the way up will occasionally know Flamethrower, which will singe Steel-types.
Grab your customary Fresh Water from Clyde, then climb onto the dragon statue to your left. Your first opponent in this gym is always the same.
Veteran Lucius
- Fraxure, level 46
Veteran Jerry
- Fraxure, level 45
- Druddigon, level 45
Veteran Rhona
- Fraxure, level 45
- Druddigon, level 45
Veteran Ron
- Fraxure, level 44
- Druddigon, level 44
- Axew, level 44
Veteran Denae
- Fraxure, level 44
- Druddigon, level 44
- Axew, level 44
Leader Drayden
- Druddigon, level 46
- Flygon, level 46
- Haxorus, level 48
Reward: 5,760 P
That's quite a beard. If you can target his team's weaknesses - particularly with Ice-type moves - then Drayden is a pushover. Otherwise you have some work to do. Drayden's Druddigon can use Revenge to smack both Ice- and Steel-types around, and Flygon can take out your Steel-types with its Ground-type moves. Haxorus is more straightforward, though it's also hideously strong. All three hit hard in general.
Dragon Tail makes buffing a single Pokémon a non-starter, since it will switch out your team members, so if you can't target weaknesses your best bet here is to impair each enemy by either poisoning, burning, confusing, or paralyzing them. You may find burn of greatest value, since it also reduces attack damage, though watch out for Flygon if you're using a Fire-type Pokémon.
You'll receive the Legend Badge for defeating Drayden. You'll also receive TM 82 Dragon Tail. Leave the gym and Drayden will meet you outside. Heal up your team, then follow him to his home in the middle of Opelucid City. He'll tell you a story about the lore of Unova's Dragon-type Pokémon, and once he's done bad things will happen. Team Plasma!
Opelucid City is now covered in unbreakable ice, and you'll need to slide around to get anywhere. Drayden has most of the Team Plasma Grunts near the Pokémon Center handled, though there's one a short slide to the north who is happy to fight you.
Team Plasma Grunt
- Watchog, level 44
- Muk, level 44
- Golbat, level 44
- Garbodor, level 44
- Seviper, level 44
- Weezing, level 44
- Cryogonal, level 46
- Cryogonal, level 46
- Weavile, level 48
- Pawniard, level 46
- Pawniard, level 46
- Absol, level 48
Part 42: Humilau City