Ilex Forest Crystal · Johto landmark
Ilex Forest is the dense, permanently gloomy wood between Azalea Town and Route 34, the road to Goldenrod City. Herding the charcoal maker’s runaway Farfetch’d earns HM01 Cut, which you need to leave the forest, and the small shrine is where Crystal’s Celebi event takes place with the GS Ball.
- Wild Pokémon
- 17
- Items
- 9
- Trainers
- 1
- Needs
- Cut, Surf
Connects to: Route 34
Ilex Forest on the Johto map
Gift and special Pokémon
Celebi Lv. 30 · Event onlyOnly with the GS Ball: hand it to Kurt, then place it in the forest shrine. The English cartridge never gave out the GS Ball; the 2018 Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console release does after the Hall of Fame.
Wild Pokémon
| Pokémon | Type | Lv. | Morning | Day | Night |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Oddish | GrassPoison | 5–7 | – | – | 50% |
 Caterpie | Bug | 5 | 30% | 30% | – |
 Weedle | BugPoison | 5 | 30% | 30% | – |
 Venonat | BugPoison | 5 | – | – | 30% |
 Metapod | Bug | 7 | 20% | 20% | – |
 Kakuna | BugPoison | 7 | 10% | 10% | – |
 Psyduck | Water | 7 | – | – | 10% |
 Pidgey | Normal | 7 | 5% | 5% | – |
 Paras | BugGrass | 6 | 5% | 5% | 5% |
 Hoothoot | Normal | 7 | – | – | 5% |
| Rod | Pokémon | Lv. | Morning & day | Night |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Rod |  Magikarp | 10 | 85% | 85% |
 Poliwag | 10 | 15% | 15% | |
| Good Rod | Poliwag | 20 | 65% | 65% |
| Magikarp | 20 | 35% | 35% | |
| Super Rod | Poliwag | 40 | 80% | 80% |
| Magikarp | 40 | 20% | 20% |
Headbutt trees
| Pokémon | Type | Lv. | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoothoot | Normal | 10 | 50% |
 Pineco | Bug | 10 | 30% |
 Noctowl | Normal | 10 | 10% |
 Butterfree | Bug | 10 | 5% |
 Beedrill | BugPoison | 10 | 5% |
Teach a Pokémon Headbutt (TM02 from Ilex Forest) and use it on trees. Whether a tree is common, rare or empty depends on the tree and your Trainer ID.
Chances are the game’s encounter slots for each time of day: morning 4:00–9:59, day 10:00–17:59, night 18:00–3:59 (grass and caves 30/30/20/10/5/4/1, surfing 60/30/10). Where to find every Pokémon · Crystal vs Gold & Silver.
Trainers
Prize money is the trainer class’s base payout times the level of the trainer’s last Pokémon. Trainers with phone rematches call you when they want another battle; their teams grow as you progress.
Items
| Item | How |
|---|---|
| Revive | Item ball |
| X Attack | Item ball |
| Antidote | Item ball |
| Ether | Item ball |
| Ether | Hidden |
| Super Potion | Hidden |
| Full Heal | Hidden |
| HM01 Cut | Gift The charcoal maker gives it to you after you guide his apprentice’s lost Farfetch’d back to him. |
| TM02 Headbutt | Gift A man headbutting trees in Ilex Forest gives it to you. |
Hidden items can be found with the Itemfinder from Ecruteak City.
Tips
- Guide the Farfetch’d back to the charcoal apprentice and his master gives you HM01 Cut, needed for the tree blocking the exit to Route 34.
- A man in the forest gives TM02 Headbutt; Headbutt trees here can drop Pineco, Noctowl, Butterfree and Beedrill.
- Oddish (50%), Venonat (30%) and Psyduck (10%) appear only at night; Caterpie, Weedle, Metapod and Kakuna fill the morning and day.
- Celebi (Lv30) needs the GS Ball, which only the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console release hands out after the Hall of Fame: Kurt examines it, then you place it in the shrine.
- Hidden items include an Ether, a Super Potion and a Full Heal.
Walkthrough: Part 4: Ilex Forest, Goldenrod City and Whitney · Part 22: Ho-Oh, Lugia and Post-Game Johto
FAQ
Where do you get HM01 Cut in Pokémon Crystal?
In Ilex Forest, from the charcoal maker after you herd his Farfetch’d back to his apprentice.
How do you get Celebi in Pokémon Crystal?
Take the GS Ball to Kurt in Azalea Town, collect it when he hands it back, then use it at the Ilex Forest shrine to meet a Lv30 Celebi.
Where do you get TM02 Headbutt in Pokémon Crystal?
From a man standing in Ilex Forest; talk to him and he hands it over.
What Pokémon can you catch in Ilex Forest in Pokémon Crystal?
17 species: Oddish, Caterpie, Weedle, Venonat, Metapod, Kakuna, Psyduck, Pidgey, Paras, Hoothoot, Golduck, Magikarp, Poliwag, Pineco, Noctowl, Butterfree, Beedrill.
Sources & picture credits
- Ilex Forest (Bulbapedia)
- pret/pokecrystal (decompiled game data and graphics)
- Map drawn from maps/IlexForest.blk
Guide text is original retrogameindex writing, checked against the game’s own scripts and Bulbapedia. Wild Pokémon and encounter chances for all three times of day, fishing, Headbutt and Rock Smash tables, items, trainers, gifts, trades and shops come from the pret/pokecrystal decompilation (pret/pokecrystal 3bc8daa417). Maps, sprites and the Johto and Kanto Pokégear maps are drawn by retrogameindex from the game’s own graphics in that decompilation (listed on the image gallery). Pokémon © Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK.