How To Get TM50 Nightmare in Pokémon Crystal

In Pokémon Crystal, you get TM50 Nightmare by delivering a Spearow to an NPC standing by the pond on Route 31 near Violet City.

You will obtain the Spearow by talking to the guard in Goldenrod City’s northern gate, and you’ll be delivering it to his friend as a small side-quest.

But first you must have access to Goldenrod City to do this. And it’s also a good idea to remove the Sudowoodo blocking the intersection on Route 36 before starting this side-quest.

Obtaining TM50 Nightmare (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Go to Goldenrod City’s north exit, just above the Gym. Just follow a straight path from the entrance of the city and go all the way north to see it.

Step 2: Inside this gate, talk to the guard on the left wearing red.

He will ask if you could help him by delivering a letter to a friend on Route 31. When you accept his request, you will receive a Spearow named Kenya that’s holding a letter.

Note: Before talking to the guard, make sure you have room in your party for an extra Pokémon. Otherwise you’ll have to go to the PC to deposit a party member and circle back.

Step 3: Once you have the Spearow, carry on to Route 35 and keep walking north until you see the house-like gates that lead to the National Park (but don’t enter the park).

Step 4: Once you see the entrance gate to the National Park, turn right and walk through the grassy path. You’ll soon see a tree you can cut.

Step 5: Cut through the small tree and go up to arrive onto Route 36.

Step 6: When you arrive on Route 36, follow the straight path going east until you arrive at the intersection where Sudowoodo was standing.

If a strange tree (Sudowoodo) is still blocking the intersection, you need to obtain the Squirtbottle in Goldenrod City to battle it and unblock the road.

Step 7: Take the path to the right and keep moving right to arrive at Violet City.

It’s technically possible to go all the way back to Violet City through Ilex Forest, Azalea City, and Union Cave, but that route is far more time-consuming.

Step 8: Once you’re in Violet City, make your way towards the eastern side of the city. Then head through the gate leading to Route 31.

Step 9: On Route 31, jump over the ledge going east and walk until you find a pond and an NPC in front of it. He’ll be standing right beside a fruit-bearing tree.

Step 10: Talk to the NPC and he’ll ask if you have a letter for him. This will open your Pokémon party menu.

Choose Kenya to deliver the Spearow and the letter to this NPC.

Step 11: After receiving the Pokémon, he will give you TM50 Nightmare.

If you tossed away the letter that the Spearow was holding, or if you released the Spearow, you will not be able to get the TM. There are also no other methods to obtain another copy of TM50 in Crystal.

Tip: After you successfully deliver the letter, go back to the guard that asked you for the favor. When you report that you gave his friend the letter, he will reward you with an HP UP.

Nightmare Move Details + Uses

Nightmare is a Ghost-type non-damaging Status move that does not make contact with the foe.

It only works if the target Pokémon is asleep, hurting the opponent by ¼ of its maximum HP each turn until it wakes up.

Here are some important things to note about this move:

• Nightmare’s power is not affected by the user’s Attack or Special Attack status, nor is it affected by the user’s type. It will always damage the opponent for ¼ of its maximum HP.
• As soon as the foe wakes up, the effects of Nightmare go away.
• Due to an oversight in Pokémon Crystal’s code, if an opponent heals their Pokémon’s sleeping condition with a Full Heal or Full Restore, it will keep taking damage from Nightmare. Strangely, this only happens to opponents and not to the main player.
• This move always hits, as long as the target Pokémon is asleep.
• Nightmare doesn’t take Pokémon Type into consideration — this means that it is a Ghost-type move that can hit Normal-type Pokémon.

Is Nightmare Worth Using?

While a Status move that drains ¼ of the opponent’s max HP can be tempting, it only works until the foe is asleep. If it wakes up, you’ll have to put the Pokémon to sleep again and use Nightmare again.

It’s a good strategy when fighting against sturdy Pokémon with high HP statuses, such as Snorlax and Miltank, especially since its damage is fixed.

Another bonus is that you don’t necessarily need to teach it to a Ghost-type Pokémon specifically.

But Nightmare is often taught to Haunter, Gengar, and Hypno, as these Pokémon also learn the move Hypnosis.

On the other hand, it’s important to teach this move to a Pokémon that can also put the target to sleep.

Switching between Pokémon in your party isn’t advisable since it wastes a turn.

So overall?

Nightmare is an interesting move to use during a typical playthrough. It’s not efficient to rely mainly on this move for making your way through the whole game, but it’s a good move to support your main attacks.

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Freelance translator, proofreader, and writer who's been playing Pokémon games ever since he got his first GBC in 2001. Playing MMORPGs as a healer was also a big part of this millennial’s teenage years.

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