Cinnabar Gym · Gym 7
How to beat Blaine in Pokemon Yellow
Unlock the gym with the Secret Key from Pokémon Mansion, clear quiz doors, then face Ninetales 48, Rapidash 50, and Arcanine 54. Surf is the cleanest answer—Blastoise, Lapras, or Vaporeon resist Fire while Ground and Rock finish stragglers. Stock Burn Heals for Flamethrower and Fire Blast.
Fast Answer
Secret Key → Surf spam
Grab the Secret Key in Mansion, teach Surf (Soul Badge already permits outdoor Surf), and walk a Water anchor into the mid-50s. Quiz wrong answers only force trainers—winning still opens doors. Against Blaine, Surf every mon; use Full Heal for Confuse Ray and Burn Heal or Full Heal for burns.
Cinnabar Gym fight
Blaine’s Yellow team
Three pure Fire mon peaking at Lv.54. Full move lists live on the trainer card; key threats below.
Lead
Ninetales · Lv.48
- Key: Flamethrower, Tail Whip, Quick Attack, Confuse Ray
- Threat: Confusion + Fire special damage
- Answer: Surf KO; Full Heal if Confuse Ray sticks
Mid
Rapidash · Lv.50
- Key: Stomp, Growl, Fire Spin, Take Down
- Threat: Fire Spin trap + physical chip
- Answer: Stay on Water; do not switch into Spin turns casually
Ace
Arcanine · Lv.54
- Key: Flamethrower, Fire Blast, Reflect, Take Down
- Threat: Fire Blast (5 PP, huge power) + Reflect softens physical revenge
- Answer: Surf from a resist; Burn Heal if you catch a burn
Volcano Badge raises your party’s Special by 12.5% in non-link battles. Stat-changing moves can reapply earned badge boosts (Gen 1 badge boost glitch)—details on the gym tool.
Counters
Water first, Ground and Rock second
Blastoise / Squirtle gift
- Trained Squirtle gift becomes a durable Surf user that resists every Fire attack.
- Get Squirtle after the Thunder Badge from Officer Jenny—see starter gifts.
- Bulk handles Arcanine’s special pressure better than glass cannons.
Lapras (Silph gift)
- Silph Co. employee gift—excellent bulk, Surf ready for Cinnabar.
- Ice coverage is extra value for later Giovanni / Elite Four, not required here.
- Listed in the gift Pokemon checklist.
Vaporeon & other Water
- Celadon Eevee + Water Stone yields high HP / Special for Fire walls.
- Gyarados / Tentacruel / Cloyster also Surf; watch Thunder-less Fire Blast burns.
- Slot options in the Team Planner.
Ground / Rock backup
- Ground and Rock hit every Blaine mon hard if Surf is weak or PP is low.
- Trade evolutions (Golem) need a link; Nidoking is a solo-cart favorite.
- Do not lead fragile Rock into Confuse Ray without Full Heals.
Gym puzzle
Secret Key & quiz doors
- Explore Pokémon Mansion on Cinnabar and recover the Secret Key—the gym door stays locked without it. Step-by-step: Secret Key guide.
- Inside the gym, each machine is a quiz. A correct answer opens the next door.
- A wrong answer starts the nearby trainer battle; winning still opens the door, so either path is valid.
- Optional Super Nerds and Burglars use Growlithe / Vulpix / Ponyta lines (mid-30s to low 40s)—easy XP for a Surf mon.
Trainer archive starts at Super Nerd 1. Full key item context also sits in the items tool when you need Secret Key references.
Suggested order
Cinnabar block
- Hold Soul Badge (Surf outdoors) and reach Cinnabar via sea routes from Fuchsia / Seafoam as your run prefers.
- Clear Pokémon Mansion; pocket the Secret Key.
- Train Water / Ground into ~48–54; heal and stock Burn Heals / Full Heals.
- Open Cinnabar Gym, pass quiz doors (or fight through them).
- Defeat Blaine; claim Volcano Badge + TM38 Fire Blast.
- Next badge target is usually Giovanni in Viridian after the Earth Badge story gates open.
Checklist
Track Blaine prep on this device
Tips
Cinnabar gotchas
Locked door first
If the gym will not open, you are missing the Secret Key—finish Mansion before hunting walkthroughs about quiz answers.
Wrong quiz is fine
Failing a machine only starts a trainer fight. Win and the door still opens; bring a Water mon for the Nerds and Burglars.
Fire Blast PP
Arcanine’s Fire Blast is only 5 PP but huge. A Water resist makes those turns free damage for you instead of a wipe.
Nuzlocke caps
Hardcore runs often set Blaine near 54—see the Nuzlocke guide for Yellow caps.
Linked tools