Route 31 Crystal · Johto route

Map of Route 31 in Pokémon Crystal — Route 31 (in-game map)

Route 31 connects Route 30 with Violet City, curving west past an entrance to Dark Cave. It is a short, low-level route in Crystal, known for the sleepy man waiting for mail, Bug Catcher Wade’s Berry calls, and Bellsprout appearing at every time of day.

Wild Pokémon: 15
Items: 8
Trainers: 1
Needs: Surf

Connects to: Violet City · Route 30 · Dark Cave

Where Route 31 is on the Johto map Route 31 on the Johto map

Wild Pokémon

Tall grass encounter rate 10%
Pokémon	Type	Lv.	Morning	Day	Night
Pidgey	NormalFlying	4–5	10%	40%	–
Caterpie	Bug	4	30%	30%	–
Poliwag	Water	4	–	–	30%
Ledyba	BugFlying	4	30%	–	–
Spinarak	BugPoison	4	–	–	30%
Bellsprout	GrassPoison	5	20%	20%	20%
Hoothoot	NormalFlying	5	–	–	10%
Weedle	BugPoison	4	5%	5%	–
Zubat	PoisonFlying	4	–	–	5%
Gastly	GhostPoison	5	–	–	5%
Hoppip	GrassFlying	5	5%	5%	–

Surfing encounter rate 2%
Pokémon	Type	Lv.	Chance
Poliwag	Water	15–20	90%
Poliwhirl	Water	20	10%

Fishing
Rod	Pokémon	Lv.	Morning & day	Night
Old Rod	Magikarp	10	85%	85%
Old Rod	Poliwag	10	15%	15%
Good Rod	Poliwag	20	65%	65%
Good Rod	Magikarp	20	35%	35%
Super Rod	Poliwag	40	80%	80%
Super Rod	Magikarp	40	20%	20%

Headbutt trees

Common trees
Pokémon	Type	Lv.	Chance
Hoothoot	NormalFlying	10	50%
Exeggcute	GrassPsychic	10	20%
Ledyba	BugFlying	10	15%
Spinarak	BugPoison	10	15%

Rare trees
Pokémon	Type	Lv.	Chance
Hoothoot	NormalFlying	10	50%
Pineco	Bug	10	30%
Exeggcute	GrassPsychic	10	20%

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

Trainer	Pokémon	Prize
Bug CatcherWade	Caterpie 2 Caterpie 2 Weedle 3 Caterpie 2 Phone rematches (4) Rematch 1 · ₽36Metapod 9 Metapod 9 Kakuna 10 Metapod 9 Rematch 2 · ₽56Butterfree 14 Butterfree 14 Beedrill 15 Butterfree 14 Rematch 3 · ₽96Butterfree 24 Butterfree 24 Beedrill 25 Butterfree 24 Rematch 4 · ₽136Butterfree 30 Butterfree 30 Beedrill 32 Butterfree 34	₽8

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
Potion	Item ball
Poké Ball	Item ball
Bitter Berry	Berry tree Grows back every day
Berry	Gift Bug Catcher Wade sometimes phones to say he’s found a berry for you after you register his number; it’s randomly one of four kinds.
PSNCureBerry	Gift Bug Catcher Wade sometimes phones to say he’s found a berry for you after you register his number; it’s randomly one of four kinds.
PRZCureBerry	Gift Bug Catcher Wade sometimes phones to say he’s found a berry for you after you register his number; it’s randomly one of four kinds.
Bitter Berry	Gift Bug Catcher Wade sometimes phones to say he’s found a berry for you after you register his number; it’s randomly one of four kinds.
TM50 Nightmare	Gift The sleepy man near Dark Cave gives it to you when you deliver Kenya, the Spearow carrying his friend’s mail from the Route 35 gate.

Hidden items can be found with the Itemfinder from Ecruteak City.

Tips

The sleepy man by the pond gives you TM50 Nightmare when you bring him Kenya, the Spearow carrying mail from the Route 35 gate.
Register Bug Catcher Wade: in Crystal he sometimes calls with a Berry, PSNCureBerry, PRZCureBerry or Bitter Berry to give you.
Bellsprout (20%) appears all day; mornings add Ledyba (30%), and nights bring Spinarak and Poliwag (30% each) plus a 5% chance of Gastly.
Dark Cave opens off this route, but it is pitch black inside until you have Flash.
Two Cut trees open shortcuts towards Violet City, but neither is required, and the Bitter Berry tree regrows daily.

Walkthrough: Part 2: Violet City and Falkner

FAQ

How do you get TM50 Nightmare in Pokémon Crystal?

Carry Kenya, the Spearow from the Route 35 gate, to the sleepy man on Route 31; he reads the mail and gives you TM50 Nightmare.

What does Bug Catcher Wade give you in Pokémon Crystal?

Once registered, Wade sometimes phones to say he has a Berry, PSNCureBerry, PRZCureBerry or Bitter Berry waiting for you on Route 31.

What Pokémon can you catch in Route 31 in Pokémon Crystal?

15 species: Pidgey, Caterpie, Poliwag, Ledyba, Spinarak, Bellsprout, Hoothoot, Weedle, Zubat, Gastly, Hoppip, Poliwhirl, Magikarp, Exeggcute, Pineco.

Sources & picture credits

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.