Route 2 Gold & Silver · Kanto route
Route 2 runs north from Viridian City to Pewter City. Viridian Forest is gone, and its old site is now a maze of trees on the western half of the route, which you need Cut to explore. The northern entrance to Diglett's Cave is here, linking the route to Vermilion City.
- Wild Pokémon
- 15
- Items
- 10
- Trainers
- 3
- Needs
- Cut
Connects to: Viridian City · Pewter City · Diglett’s Cave
Route 2 on the Kanto map
Wild Pokémon
| Pokémon | Type | Lv. | Morning | Day | Night |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Hoothoot | Normal | 3–5 | – | – | G 50%S 80% |
 Pidgey | Normal | 3–7 | G 30%S – | 40% | – |
 Caterpie Gold | Bug | 3 | 30% | 30% | – |
 Weedle Silver | BugPoison | 3 | 30% | 30% | – |
 Ledyba Silver | Bug | 3 | 30% | – | – |
 Spinarak Gold | BugPoison | 3 | – | – | 30% |
 Metapod Gold | Bug | 5 | 20% | 20% | – |
 Kakuna Silver | BugPoison | 5 | 20% | 20% | – |
 Noctowl | Normal | 7 | – | – | G 10%S 15% |
 Butterfree Gold | Bug | 7 | 10% | – | – |
 Beedrill Silver | BugPoison | 7 | 10% | – | – |
 Pidgeotto | Normal | 7 | G 5%S – | 5% | – |
 Pikachu | Electric | 4 | 5% | 5% | 5% |
 Ledian Silver | Bug | 7 | 5% | – | – |
 Ariados Gold | BugPoison | 7 | – | – | 5% |
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, Old Rod 70/15/15, Good Rod 35/35/20/10, Super Rod 40/30/20/10). Where Gold and Silver differ, a cell shows both (G and S); a version tag means the Pokémon only appears in that version here. Version exclusives · Where to find every Pokémon.
Trainers
| Trainer | Pokémon | Prize |
|---|---|---|
 Bug CatcherRob | Beedrill 32Butterfree 32 | ₽128 |
| Bug CatcherEd | Beedrill 30Beedrill 30Beedrill 30 | ₽120 |
| Bug CatcherDoug | Ariados 34 | ₽136 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dire Hit | Item ball | Route 2 |
| Max Potion | Item ball | Route 2 |
| Carbos | Item ball | Route 2 |
| Elixer | Item ball | Route 2 |
| Max Ether | Hidden | Route 2 |
| Full Heal | Hidden | Route 2 |
| Full Restore | Hidden | Route 2 |
| Revive | Hidden | Route 2 |
| PSNCureBerry | Berry tree Grows back every day | Route 2 |
| Nugget | Gift | Nugget House |
Hidden items can be found with the Itemfinder from Ecruteak City.
Tips
- Bring Cut to explore the tree maze, which hides most of the route's items, including a Max Potion, a Dire Hit and hidden Full Restore, Max Ether, Revive and Full Heal.
- Visit the house near Diglett's Cave: the lonely man inside gives you a Nugget.
- Pikachu (Lv 4) appears at a 5% rate at any time of day.
- Bug types differ by version: Caterpie, Metapod and Butterfree in Gold, Weedle, Kakuna and Beedrill in Silver; Ledyba appears in Silver mornings and Spinarak on Gold nights.
- Hoothoot (up to 80%) and Noctowl dominate the grass at night.
- The three Bug Catchers here, Rob, Ed and Doug, all have Lv 30–34 Pokémon.
Walkthrough: Part 17: Diglett's Cave to Pewter City and Brock
FAQ
Where is Viridian Forest in Pokémon Gold and Silver?
It no longer exists. A small maze of trees on Route 2 stands where it used to be.
Where do you catch Pikachu in Gold and Silver?
In the grass on Route 2, where it appears at Lv 4 with a 5% rate at any time of day.
Where is the Nugget on Route 2?
A man in the house near the Diglett's Cave entrance gives it to you because you are his first visitor in ages.
Do you need Cut on Route 2?
Yes, Cut is needed to get into the tree maze on the western side and to reach several of the route's items.
What Pokémon can you catch in Route 2 in Gold and Silver?
15 species: Hoothoot, Pidgey, Caterpie, Weedle, Ledyba, Spinarak, Metapod, Kakuna, Noctowl, Butterfree, Beedrill, Pidgeotto, Pikachu, Ledian, Ariados. Gold only: Caterpie, Spinarak, Metapod, Butterfree, Ariados. Silver only: Weedle, Ledyba, Kakuna, Beedrill, Ledian.
Sources & picture credits
Guide text is original retrogameindex writing, checked against Bulbapedia and the game data. Wild Pokémon and encounter chances for both versions and all three times of day, fishing, Headbutt and Rock Smash tables, items, trainers, gifts, trades and shops come from the pret/pokegold decompilation (pret/pokegold ef0201d8da). Maps and sprites © Nintendo / Creatures / GAME FREAK, archived from the Bulbagarden Archives; the Johto and Kanto maps are drawn from the game’s own Pokégear graphics (listed on the image gallery).