Crasher Wake + Pastoria Gym Puzzle (Pokémon Platinum)

The fifth Gym Leader battle in Pokémon Platinum is against Pastoria City’s Crasher Wake, who uses Water-type Pokémon with levels in the mid-30s. Electric- and Grass-types will be the most useful Pokémon to help you win.

After you defeat Leader Wake, he will give you the Fen Badge, which will allow you to use the Hidden Move Surf outside of battle.

Quick Strategy

Leader Wake uses Water-type Pokémon, but two of his Pokémon have a second type besides Water.

You can still use Water’s traditional weaknesses, Grass and Electricity, but there are a few tips you should follow to avoid being taken by surprise.

• Bring Pokémon that are at least level 33. Wake’s Pokémon are at levels from 33 to 37, so it’s even better if you can bring Pokémon that are level 35 and up. You can gain a few levels by battling all the trainers inside the Gym.
• Bring Grass- and Electric-type Pokémon. If you have one of each, you should have little issue with Wake’s team if you employ a little strategy.
• Send your Electric-type Pokémon out first. Wake’s first Pokémon is Gyarados, which is the only Pokémon of his that isn’t weak to Grass-type moves. And its Speed, Attack, and Special Defense stats, paired with hard-hitting moves like Waterfall and Bite, can make it tough to bring Gyarados down quickly. An Electric type should have a 4X type advantage here.

Reaching the Pastoria Gym

If possible, it’s recommended that you bring at least one Grass-type and one Electric-type Pokémon, and to get them up to at least level 33.

As always, make sure that you’re completely healed first, and that your inventory is stocked with Revives and Super Potions.

Once you’re ready, head southwest from the Pastoria City Pokémon Center.

Pastoria City’s Gym is on the western side of town, nestled between the trees.

Pastoria Gym Puzzle Guide

The gym puzzle involves stepping on switches to raise or lower the Gym’s water level, allowing you to access to different sections of the gym at different times via floating rafts.

Pay attention to each switches’ colors as you navigate the gym, because each color behaves differently in how it affects the water’s three levels:

• Yellow switches will completely drain the water from the Gym.
• Green switches will raise (or lower) the water to the middle level.
• Blue switches will raise the water to the top level.

As soon as you enter the front door, cross the rafts going up and circling around to step on the yellow switch (Switch 1) in the lower-left corner.

This will drain the water, allowing you to walk on the Gym’s lower level.

You’ll have to battle the boy NPC (Tuber Jacky) next to the switch eventually, so you might as well get it out of the way.

After that, descend the two staircases to the lowest level, then cross the rafts to the east and north.

Cross over the next raft to the north and approach the staircase.

Ascend the two staircases here and hit the green switch (Switch 2) located to the right, raising the water to mid-level.

You don’t need to battle the Fisherman trainer here, but it’s a good idea just for the extra EXP.

Now that the water level is raised, go down the stairs and cross over the gap to the south using the raft.

From here, circle around to the blue switch (Switch 3) up the stairs.

Hitting this switch will raise the water to its maximum level.

To access the third switch, you will need to beat the trainer here, Sailor Damian.

With the water at the top level, you can now cross the raft going south (it’ll be directly next to you after pressing the switch).

This will take you back to where Tuber Jacky is.

Now you’ll be able to cross the gap to his right by going over the newly-raised floating raft.

On the other side, head north over the two-tile-wide walkway.

Note: you’ll need to battle the girl NPC here (Tuber Caitlyn) to proceed.

Keep heading north, passing over two adjacent rafts, and hit the green switch (Switch 4). This will lower the water by one level.

Again, you don’t need to fight the Fisherman NPC here, but you certainly should consider it for the EXP.

From the green switch, descend the staircase to the south.

Ignore the yellow and green switches to your left.

Instead, keep moving down and then hit the yellow switch (Switch 5) in the southeast corner to drain the water completely.

Head back north and up the stairs beside Fisherman Erick.

Since Switch 5 drained the water, you can now descend the two staircases north of you.

When you reach the bottom, move west to pass by Crasher Wake.

When you reach the western side of the Gym, turn downward and circle back up to the blue switch (Switch 6) by going up the two flights of stairs.

To reach this switch, you’ll have to fight the Sailor NPC standing next to it.

The blue switch will raise the water level to the point that you can walk over the rafts and finally confront Leader Wake.

Tip: Before you speak to Wake, place your Pokémon with Electric-type moves at the front of your party. Wake tries to blindside you from the beginning by sending out his Gyarados, which Grass-type moves are not as effective against (as we will explain below).

Heal all your Pokémon as needed, and then talk to Leader Wake when ready.

Battling Leader Wake

Wake’s Gyarados

Moves:

• Brine
• Waterfall
• Bite
• Twister

If you had trouble with Fisherman Erick’s Gyarados earlier, prepare yourself, because this one is worse.

It has very high Special Defense and Attack stats, so hitting it with normally-effective moves can take several turns, and will give Gyarados the chance to wreak havoc on your Pokémon while you whittle its health down.

Not helping matters is Wake’s tendency to heal Gyarados’ health completely once it gets low.

Its decent Speed stat and Bite and Twister attacks mean that it also has a good chance of making slower Pokémon flinch.

Even though nearly every other Pokémon in this gym is weak against Grass moves, Gyarados is not: its secondary status as a Flying-type basically cancels out its Grass-type weaknesses.

Luckily, the Water/Flying combination opens Gyarados up to a 4X weakness against Electric-type attacks. A quick Electric Pokémon with a good attack move can potentially wipe Gyarados out in one hit.

Wake’s Quagsire

Moves:

• Water Pulse
• Mud Shot
• Rock Tomb
• Yawn

Now is when you want to bring the Grass-type Pokémon back out.

Quagsire is a Water/Ground dual-type, so it has a 4X weakness to Grass attacks. Even with its high HP, Quagsire will easily succumb to Giga Drain, Razor Leaf, or any other decently-powered Grass moves.

Although if you don’t knock it out in one hit, watch out for its Yawn attack. It will put your Pokémon to sleep at the end of the next turn. So switch it out if you plan on keeping that Pokémon useful without having to waste a turn waking it up.

Wake’s Floatzel

Moves:

• Brine
• Crunch
• Ice Fang
• Aqua Jet

Floatzel is definitely the strongest Pokémon on Wake’s team.

At level 37, and with killer Speed and Attack, plus a respectable HP count, even Pokémon with a type advantage to Water—Floatzel’s only type—can have trouble.

Preferably, use your Electric-type Pokémon over your Grass type.

Although a strong enough Grass type can do the job, Wake’s Floatzel knows the move Ice Fang, which can hit your Grass-type Pokémon for massive damage.

Floatzel also knows Crunch, a very strong Dark-type attack that can lower your Pokémon’s Special Defense stat.

Floatzel’s other two moves are Water-type attacks. Aqua Jet shouldn’t pose a threat; it’s a priority move, so it will probably go first in a turn, but it’s also very weak, especially since your Pokémon should already be strong to Water-type moves.

Brine can be deceptive, however.

This move does double the damage if your Pokémon’s HP is halfway depleted.

So even if your Pokémon are strong against Water, Brine can cause problems for them if they dip below 50% of their maximum health.

Just be mindful of your HP, and don’t be afraid to sacrifice some of your other Pokémon if you need to take a few turns to revive and heal your Electric and Grass types.

After Winning

When all three of Leader Wake’s Pokémon have fallen, he will award you the Fen Badge.

The Fen Badge will allow you to use HM03 Surf outside of battle.

Surf will open up tons of new areas, some being necessary to progress through the game, and some offering optional excursions that will lead to valuable items like TMs, held items, stat-raising items, and more.

Earning the Fen Badge will also trigger Poké Marts to start carrying Hyper Potions, Ultra Balls, and Full Heals.

Wake will also hand you the game’s only copy of the Technical Machine for the move Brine, TM55.

BACK TO THE MAIN GAME Pokémon Platinum Full Strategy Guide

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Chris Haygood

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Chris is an American freelance writer and lifelong gamer. RPGs have been his genre of choice ever since he got Pokémon Blue in 1867, but if he finds a good rhythm game, he will prioritize playing it over both eating and breathing.

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