How To Get TM24 Thunderbolt in Pokémon Yellow

TM24 Thunderbolt
#	Location	Repeatable?
1	Vermillion Gym. Acquired as a prize after defeating Lt. Surge.	No

You’ll receive TM24 Thunderbolt from Vermillion City Gym Leader Lt. Surge after defeating him in the Vermillion Gym.

You can challenge the Vermillion Gym as soon as you get HM01 Cut from the SS Anne.

Prerequisites

This is what you need to do before you can get TM24:

Obtain the Cascadebadge by defeating Misty in Cerulean City
Obtain HM01 Cut from the ship captain on the S.S. Anne in Vermillion City
Have a Pokémon in your party that knows Cut

Getting TM24 Thunderbolt

The Vermillion Gym’s main gimmick is a puzzle involving switches and trash cans.

There are 15 trash cans spread out across the gym, and there are two switches hidden inside these trash cans. You have to activate these 2 switches in sequence.

So after activating the 1st switch, if the next trash can you check doesn’t have the 2nd switch, then both switches reset.

Here’s a few general rules regarding the location of the switches (In Pokémon Yellow specifically):

The 1st switch will always be in 1 of 8 trash cans. If you divide the 15 trash cans into 5 columns, the 1st switch will either be inside the top or bottom trash can in columns 1, 3, or 5, or it will be inside the middle trash can in columns 2 or 4.
The 2nd switch will always be adjacent to the 1st switch.

Red numbers are 1st trash can switches, Green numbers are potential 2nd switches

After you unlock the two switches, the motorized door will open and you can walk up to meet Lt. Surge.

Unlocking the 1st switch (Left) and the 2nd switch (Right) to the motorized door in the Vermillion Gym.

Tips for Fighting Lt. Surge

Talking to Vermillion Gym Leader Lt. Surge.

Gym Leader Lt. Surge’s Team

Pokémon	Raichu (Lv.28)
Type	Electric
Moves	Mega Punch Mega Kick Growl Thunderbolt

Geodude/Graveler is your best defense against Lt. Surge’s Raichu.
Though Lt. Surge only has one Raichu on his team, its high stats and strong moveset can make it a challenging Pokémon to beat. With a high special stat, Raichu’s Thunderbolt can deal massive and potentially paralyzing damage.

Raichu’s Mega Punch and Mega Kick give it coverage against Electric resistant types such as Grass and Ground.

With this in mind, Geodude and Graveler are the best Pokémon to use against Lt. Surge’s Raichu. Their Ground typing makes them immune to Raichu’s Thunderbolt, and their Rock typing makes them resistant to Raichu’s Mega Punch and Mega Kick.

Once you defeat Lt. Surge, he’ll give you TM24 Thunderbolt.

Getting TM24 Thunderbolt after defeating Lt. Surge.

Thunderbolt Move Details

Thunderbolt Move Details
Type	Electric
Power	95
Accuracy	100%
PP	15 (max. 24)
Effect	10% chance of paralyzing the opposing Pokémon.

With 95 power, Thunderbolt is one of the strongest Electric-type moves in the game. Alongside the move’s strength, its potential to paralyze the opposing Pokémon is a nice bonus.

And this is a great status effect:

A paralyzed Pokémon will have their speed halved and have a 25% chance of not being able to attack each turn.

So Thunderbolt is a great early-to-mid game move to teach any Electric type Pokémon. It’s also a great move to teach Pokémon with a high special stat, as it will offer them type coverage.

Pikachu using Thunderbolt against a trainer’s Kadabra.

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Andrew Brisbane

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A retro game enthusiast since childhood, Andrew aka Andyb is a freelance writer from Canada. From intense games of Tetris to casual Pokémon playthroughs, he loves a wide variety of different genres. He’s also a very passionate musician.

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