Route 43 Crystal · Johto route

Map of Route 43 in Pokémon Crystal — Route 43 (in-game map)

Route 43 climbs north from Mahogany Town to the Lake of Rage through long strips of tall grass. Until the Team Rocket Hideout is cleared, Rockets occupy the gate on the route and shake down travellers for a toll, and Farfetch’d can be caught here in the morning and during the day.

Wild Pokémon: 13
Items: 4
Trainers: 6
Needs: Cut, Surf

Connects to: Mahogany Town · Lake of Rage

Where Route 43 is on the Johto map Route 43 on the Johto map

Wild Pokémon

Tall grass encounter rate 10%
Pokémon	Type	Lv.	Morning	Day	Night
Venonat	BugPoison	15–17	–	–	40%
Pidgeotto	NormalFlying	16	30%	30%	–
Sentret	Normal	15	30%	30%	–
Noctowl	NormalFlying	16	–	–	30%
Raticate	Normal	16–17	5%	5%	25%
Farfetch’d	NormalFlying	16	20%	20%	–
Furret	Normal	15–17	15%	15%	–
Venomoth	BugPoison	17	–	–	5%

Surfing encounter rate 2%
Pokémon	Type	Lv.	Chance
Magikarp	Water	10–20	100%

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	65%
Exeggcute	GrassPsychic	10	20%
Venonat	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
PokéManiacBen	Slowbro 19	₽285
PokéManiacBrent	Lickitung 19 Phone rematches (3) Rematch 1 · ₽375Kangaskhan 25 Rematch 2 · ₽540Porygon 36 Rematch 3 · ₽615Chansey 41	₽285
PokéManiacRon	Nidoking 19	₽285
FisherMarvin	Magikarp 10 Gyarados 10 Magikarp 15 Gyarados 15	₽150
PicnickerTiffany	Clefairy 20	₽100
CamperSpencer	Sandshrew 17 Sandslash 17 Zubat 19	₽95

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	Where
TM36 Sludge Bomb	Gift The officer gives it to you after Team Rocket’s Mahogany hideout is cleared and the toll-takers leave the gate.	gate
Max Ether	Item ball	Route 43
Bitter Berry	Berry tree Grows back every day	Route 43
Pink Bow	Gift Picnicker Tiffany gives it after she phones to say she has one; she only gives you her number if you have a Clefairy with you.	Route 43

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

Tips

Rockets in the Route 43 gate charge ¥1,000 to pass, or take all your money if you have less; the grass paths around the gate avoid them.
Once the hideout is cleared, the officer back in the gate gives you TM36 Sludge Bomb, which the Rockets left behind.
Farfetch’d (20%), Pidgeotto, Sentret and Furret appear in the morning and day; at night Venonat (40%), Noctowl (30%) and Venomoth (5%) take over.
Picnicker Tiffany may phone to offer a Pink Bow once you have her number.
Headbutt trees hold Pineco in the rare slot, and a Bitter Berry tree regrows daily.

Walkthrough: Part 8: Route 42, Mahogany Town and the Lake of Rage

FAQ

How do you avoid the Route 43 toll in Pokémon Crystal?

Walk through the tall grass beside the gate instead of through it; the Rockets only charge inside the gate, and they leave once you clear their hideout.

Where do you get TM36 Sludge Bomb in Pokémon Crystal?

From the officer in the Route 43 gate after Team Rocket’s Mahogany hideout has been cleared.

Where can you catch Farfetch’d in Pokémon Crystal?

In Route 43’s grass in the morning or day, 20% of encounters at Lv16.

What Pokémon can you catch in Route 43 in Pokémon Crystal?

13 species: Venonat, Pidgeotto, Sentret, Noctowl, Raticate, Farfetch’d, Furret, Venomoth, Magikarp, Poliwag, Hoothoot, 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.