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Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen (FRLG)

How to Beat Erika: Celadon City Gym Guide

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★ Best Pokemon Tier List
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Pokemon FRLG - How to Beat Erika

This is a guide for Celadon City's Gym Leader, Erika, in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen (FRLG). Learn how to beat Erika, her Pokemon team and specialty, and the recommended Pokemon to use against Erika!

Previous Gym Next Gym
Lt. Surge Koga

List of Contents

Erika's Pokemon Team and Types

Type and Suggested Level

Type Specialty Pokemon FRLG - Grass
Rec. Level Lv. 29 ~ Lv. 32

Erika specializes in Grass-type Pokemon, which often focus on status effects and recovery moves. Many Grass-types can inflict conditions such as Sleep, Poison, and Paralysis, making them effective at slowly wearing down opponents.

However, Grass-types have several weaknesses including Fire, Flying, Ice, and Bug attacks. Trainers should bring Pokemon around Level 29 to Level 32 to comfortably defeat Erika’s team.

Weakness and Type Chart

Erika's Pokemon

Pokemon Type Abilities Moves
Pokemon FRLG - Victreebel Victreebel
(Lvl. 29) 		Pokemon FRLG - Poison Pokemon FRLG - Grass ・Chlorophyll
・Acid
・Giga Drain
・Poison Powder
・Stun Spore
Pokemon FRLG - Tangela Tangela
(Lvl. 24) 		Pokemon FRLG - Grass ・Chlorophyll
・Constrict
・Giga Drain
・Ingrain
・Poison Powder
Pokemon FRLG - Vileplume Vileplume
(Lvl. 29) 		Pokemon FRLG - Poison Pokemon FRLG - Grass ・Chlorophyll
・Acid
・Giga Drain
・Sleep Powder
・Stun Spore

Erika’s team consists of Victreebel, Tangela, and Vileplume, all of which are Grass-type Pokemon capable of inflicting multiple status conditions.

In addition to status effects, Erika’s Pokemon can recover health using moves like Giga Drain, making the battle last longer if you do not defeat them quickly. Trainers should rely on Fire-type or Flying-type attacks to deal strong damage and prevent Erika’s team from stalling the fight.

How to Beat Erika

Use Fire and Flying Type Pokemon

Flamethrower

Erika's Pokemon has weak defense against Fire-type and Flying-type Pokemon. If you chose Charmander as your Starter Pokemon, this won't be a problem. You can easily defeat Erika by using either a Fire-type or Flying-type move. However, make sure you are at least three levels higher than all of her Pokemon.

Prepare Status Healing Items and Berries

Use Items in the Bag

Erika's Pokemon can inflict status conditions such as Poison, Sleep, and Paralysis, which can be quite detrimental to your team.

It is recommended to bring status healing items such as Antidotes, Paralyze Heals, and even Cheri or Chesto Berries to the fight to counteract these status conditions.

List of All Items and Effects

Best Team to Beat Erika

Recommended Pokemon to Bring

Pokemon Recommended Moves
Pokemon FRLG - Pidgeotto Pidgeotto
Pokemon FRLG - Flying Pokemon FRLG - Normal
・Gust
・Quick Attack
・Sand Attack
・Wing Attack
・Flying-type moves are super effective against Grass-types.
・Easy to obtain early in the game.
Pokemon FRLG - Charmeleon Charmeleon
Pokemon FRLG - Fire
・Dragon Rage
・Ember
・Metal Claw
・Smokescreen
・Fire-type moves deal strong damage to Erika’s Pokemon.
・High offensive stats help defeat Grass-types quickly.
Pokemon FRLG - Growlithe Growlithe
Pokemon FRLG - Fire
・Bite
・Ember
・Roar
・Take Down
・Strong Fire-type attacker available before Celadon City.
・Can later evolve into Arcanine.

※ Move recommendations for solo experience only and may not be reflective of the Pokemon's use in competitive play.

You can bring a full team of Pokemon, but the ones listed above are among the most reliable counters against Erika’s Grass-type team.

Fire-type and Flying-type Pokemon can quickly defeat Erika’s lineup before their status effects and healing moves become a problem.

When Starting with Bulbasaur

Pokemon FRLG - Ivysaur Ivysaur Pokemon FRLG - Pidgeotto Pidgeotto Pokemon FRLG - Arcanine Arcanine
Pokemon FRLG - Ninetales Ninetales

Bulbasaur Trainers will most likely want their starter Pokemon to sit this fight out. Instead, they'll have to catch some well-suited Pokemon to handle these Grass-types.

The most accessible Flying-type is Pidgey or Pidgeotto, and either should be able to take on Erika's team on its own as long as it's at least level 29 and knows a Flying-type move. You can catch a decently leveled Pidgey from Route 7, east of Celadon City, if you still don't have one.

Fire-types are a bit trickier since the accessible ones are Growlithe and Vulpix. Both of them require a Fire Stone, which can be purchased in the Celadon Department Store, to evolve. However, evolving them is not recommended if they don't have a Fire-type move when caught, because they require a high level to learn one in their evolved forms.

When Starting with Charmander

Pokemon FRLG - Charmeleon Charmeleon Pokemon FRLG - Pidgeotto Pidgeotto

Since Charmeleon has a natural type advantage over Erika's team, having one at level 29 at least and knowing a Fire-type move should be enough to take on Erika's whole team.

Alternatively, you may want to catch and train a Pidgey from Route 7, east of Celadon City, if you still don't have one.This should equip you with a strong Flying-type to deal with Erika's team. Ideally, you would evolve it into Pidgeotto and let it reach at least level 27 to gain access to Wing Attack.

When Starting with Squirtle

Pokemon FRLG - Wartortle Wartortle Pokemon FRLG - Pidgeotto Pidgeotto Pokemon FRLG - Arcanine Arcanine
Pokemon FRLG - Ninetales Ninetales

Squirtle Trainers will especially want their starter to sit this one out, since Erika's team will have a type advantage over it. We highly recommend catching and using a Flying-type or Fire-type Pokemon for this gym battle instead.

The most accessible Flying-type is Pidgey or Pidgeotto, and either should be able to take on Erika's team on its own as long as it's at least level 29 and knows a Flying-type move. You can catch a decently leveled Pidgey from Route 7, east of Celadon City, if you still don't have one.

Fire-types are a bit trickier since the accessible ones are Growlithe and Vulpix. Both of them require a Fire Stone, which can be purchased in the Celadon Department Store, to evolve. However, evolving them is not recommended if they don't have a Fire-type move when caught, because they require a high level to learn one in their evolved forms.

Previous and Next Gym Leaders

Previous Gym Next Gym
Lt. Surge Koga

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen (FRLG) Related Guides

Pokemon FRLG - Walkthrough

100% Walkthrough Guide

Walkthrough Guides by Type

Gym Leader Guides Elite Four Guide
Giovanni Fights and Teams Rival Fights and Teams

All Gym Leader Guides

1 Brock 2 Misty
3 Lt. Surge 4 Erika
5 Koga 6 Sabrina
7 Blaine 8 Giovanni

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