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Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen (FRLG)

How to Beat Blaine: Cinnabar Island Gym Guide

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This is a guide for Cinnabar Island's Gym Leader, Blaine, in Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen (FRLG). Learn how to beat Blaine, his Pokemon team and specialty, and the recommended Pokemon to use against Blaine!

Previous Gym Next Gym
Sabrina Giovanni

List of Contents

Blaine's Pokemon Team and Types

Type and Suggested Level

Type Specialty Pokemon FRLG - Fire
Rec. Level Lv. 47 ~ Lv. 50

Blaine's Pokemon

Pokemon Type Abilities Moves
Pokemon FRLG - Growlithe Growlithe
(Lvl. 42) 		Pokemon FRLG - Fire ・Intimidate
・Flash Fire
・Justified
・Bite
・Fire Blast
・Roar
・Take Down
Pokemon FRLG - Ponyta Ponyta
(Lvl. 40) 		Pokemon FRLG - Fire ・Run Away
・Flash Fire
・Flame Body
・Bounce
・Fire Blast
・Fire Spin
・Stomp
Pokemon FRLG - Rapidash Rapidash
(Lvl. 42) 		Pokemon FRLG - Fire ・Run Away
・Flash Fire
・Flame Body
・Bounce
・Fire Blast
・Fire Spin
・Stomp
Pokemon FRLG - Arcanine Arcanine
(Lvl. 47) 		Pokemon FRLG - Fire ・Intimidate
・Flash Fire
・Justified
・Bite
・Fire Blast
・Roar
・Take Down

How to Beat Blaine

Use Water, Ground, and Rock Type Pokemon

Blaine's Pokemon has weak defense against Water-type, Ground-type, and Rock-type moves. If you picked Squirtle as your Starter Pokemon, this won't be a problem. You can easily defeat Blaine by using one of the mentioned types. However, make sure you are at least three levels higher than all of his Pokemon.

Teach Surf to a Water Type Pokemon

While Surf is predominantly known as an HM move, it actually deals a good amount of damage in battle and can be used for most, if not all, of the fights in the Cinnabar Island Gym.

Teach this to a Water-type Pokemon so it can benefit from Same Type Attack Bonus (STAB) and make the move stronger.

Save Your Best Pokemon for Arcanine

Arcanine is Blaine's strongest Pokemon, and can deal serious damage even when up against Fire-resistant Pokemon. It's recommended to save your best Pokemon for Arcanine.

It's also recommended to bring some Hyper Potions just in case. Blaine will also use Hyper Potions and a Full Heal when given the chance.

Best Team to Beat Blaine

When Starting with Bulbasaur

Pokemon FRLG - Tentacruel Tentacruel
Pokemon FRLG - Lapras Lapras 		Pokemon FRLG - Graveler Graveler
Pokemon FRLG - Dugtrio Dugtrio 		Pokemon FRLG - Venusaur Venusaur

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

The most accessible Water-type Pokemon are Tentacool and Lapras. Either should be able to take on Blaine's team on their own as long as it's at least level 47 and knows a Water-type move. If it doesn't know a Water-type move, teaching it Surf using HM03 is recommended.

You can catch a decently leveled Tentacool from Routes 19 and 20, east of Cinnabar Island, and evolve it into Tentacruel. You can get a Lapras from the nearby Silph Co. employee after you defeat your Rival in Silph Co. back in Saffron City.

If you have a Dugtrio or Graveler, you can also use them for their Ground-type and Rock-type moves which should be effective against Blaine's team. Dugtrio learns Earthquake at level 51 while Graveler learns it at level 45.

When Starting with Charmander

Pokemon FRLG - Tentacruel Tentacruel
Pokemon FRLG - Lapras Lapras 		Pokemon FRLG - Graveler Graveler
Pokemon FRLG - Dugtrio Dugtrio 		Pokemon FRLG - Charizard Charizard

Charmander 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 Fire-types.

The most accessible Water-type Pokemon are Tentacool and Lapras. Either should be able to take on Blaine's team on their own as long as it's at least level 47 and knows a Water-type move. If it doesn't know a Water-type move, teaching it Surf using HM03 is recommended.

You can catch a decently leveled Tentacool from Routes 19 and 20, east of Cinnabar Island, and evolve it into Tentacruel. You can get a Lapras from the nearby Silph Co. employee after you defeat your Rival in Silph Co. back in Saffron City.

If you have a Dugtrio or Graveler, you can also use them for their Ground-type and Rock-type moves which should be effective against Blaine's team. Dugtrio learns Earthquake at level 51 while Graveler learns it at level 45.

When Starting with Squirtle

Pokemon FRLG - Blastoise Blastoise Pokemon FRLG - Tentacruel Tentacruel
Pokemon FRLG - Lapras Lapras 		Pokemon FRLG - Graveler Graveler
Pokemon FRLG - Dugtrio Dugtrio

Since Blastoise has a natural type advantage over Blaine's team, having one at level 47 or higher and knowing a Water-type move should be enough to take on Blaine's whole team.

Alternatively, you may want to catch and train a Tentacool from Routes 19 and 20, east of Cinnabar Island or train the Lapras given to you by the Silph Co. employee if you want another Water-type in your team just to be safe.

If you have a Dugtrio or Graveler, you can also use them for their Ground-type and Rock-type moves which should be effective against Blaine's team. Dugtrio learns Earthquake at level 51 while Graveler learns it at level 45.

Previous and Next Gym Leaders

Previous Gym Next Gym
Sabrina Giovanni

Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen (FRLG) Related Guides

Pokemon FRLG - Walkthrough

100% Walkthrough Guide

Walkthrough Guides by Type

Gym Leader Guides Elite Four Guide

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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