"Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal" - Important People Quiz

Answer: Professor Elm

First thing's first in "Pokemon"-- you have to get a Pokemon. In the original "Red"/"Blue"/"Yellow" adventure in Kanto, this was done by speaking to Professor Oak in Pallet Town, but in Johto your go-to is Professor Elm, whose laboratory in New Bark Town is where you'll pick between Chikorita (grass-type), Cyndaquil (fire-type), or Totodile (water-type), collecting an inevitably long-term acquaintance in order to run an errand that takes you past nearby Cherrygrove City and up to Route 30 to pick up a package.

Answer: Egg

Professor Elm's errand will take you to Route 30 and Mr. Pokemon's house where, as it will seem, he has a unique item in his possession to take to the lab-- a Pokemon Egg. The excitement of this might seem a little bit misplaced in hindsight since "Pokemon Gold" and "Silver" are the first games in the series to introduce Pokemon breeding, implying that this unique approach to 'catching' Pokemon is actually a fair bit commonplace. (And begging the question of...'if you're Mr. Pokemon, why don't you know the basics?')

The Mystery Egg fits into your party roster and Professor Elm will suggest that you hold onto it. It'll hatch into Togepi eventually.

Answer: Goldenrod City

Although Professor Oak seems like he would be mostly-restricted to Kanto, he actually appears early in this adventure, showing up on your first visit to Mr. Pokemon's house to make the snap judgement that you're a trustworthy and eager Pokemon trainer (and you might just be!).

He'll hand over a new version of his Pokedex for you to fill before heading off to Goldenrod City where he hosts a regular radio program. Once you get the Radio Card for the Pokedex, you can tune in and learn a bit more about certain Pokemon from him.

Answer: Apricorns

Kurt, found in Azalea Town in Johto's southern reach, is known for being a master craftsman, and if you start collecting coloured Apricorns from the trees scattered around Johto, you can bring them to him to make something special (once per day in "Gold" and "Silver", but more than this in "Crystal"). Coloured Apricorns can be crafted into unique Pokeballs, and there are eight types of Apricorn you can hand over.

A Black Apricorn, for instance, makes a Heavy Ball, which has a better chance of catching a heavier Pokemon in the wild, while a Pink Apricorn creates a Love Ball, which increases the chance of catching a Pokemon of the opposite gender to your own.

Answer: Time Capsule

Bill shows up in "Red"/"Blue"/"Yellow" to show off his PC if you can find him in his home north of Cerulean City, but his return in "Gold"/"Silver"/"Crystal" will introduce the Time Capsule, a capability in these games that allows you not only to trade with other players (which has always been possible provided you have a Link Cable in real life), but to trade with players using a game that's not from this Generation. The Kanto starters, for instance, are not catchable in Gen II, so this trading method is essential to fill in your Gen II Pokedex.

Bill's mother lives in Goldenrod City, and if you visit her, she'll give over his phone number to log into your PokeGear (which is insane, in my opinion, but what can you do?).

Answer: Five

The Kimono Girls perform on a stage in Ecruteak City and they're somewhat mandatory as opponents. Each one of these five dancers has only one Pokemon, and each one is an evolution of Eevee including the three originals from Kanto and the newer forms-- Espeon and Umbrion. Completing all five battles will allow you to claim HM03, Surf, from one of the Ecruteak Dance Theater's patrons, and this HM, usable after you beat Morty, the city's gym leader, will unlock much more of the region by its nature.

Answer: Lance

Lance, who was originally the last member of the Elite Four in "Red"/"Blue"/"Yellow", takes a more active role in this generation. First appearing at the Lake of Rage to investigate the Red Gyarados problem, he'll unearth Team Rocket's involvement in the basement chambers of a house in Mahogany Town and join you in stopping their nefarious signal from affecting the region.

He'll also reward the player with HM06 (Whirlpool) for his efforts before you head back to Goldenrod City. Lance returns to face off against you as the Pokemon Champion at the end of the game's Johto section.

Answer: No

After the events of "Pokemon Red", "Blue", and "Yellow", Giovanni, the former leader of Team Rocket, seems to have gone underground. Team Rocket was believed to be dismantled, but their recurring appearances in Johto seem to imply otherwise, even if Giovanni himself isn't at the helm of it (though he is referenced frequently).

Originally, Giovanni was the gym leader in Viridian City; he's not there in your visit in Generation II, having been replaced by Blue.

Answer: Pokemon Crystal

An introduction made only in "Pokemon Crystal", the PokeSeer can be found in a new part of Cianwood City that appears to open up to the north (it certainly wasn't there before!). Visiting her isn't completely necessary, but she will provide trivia about your party if you ask her, specifically details like when a Pokemon was caught, how strong it is, and whether or not it was acquired in a trade at some point.

Her role is diminished by the next generation of games as that info is given readily.

Answer: No

Aspiring to become the world's greatest Pokemon Trainer despite having a poor attitude, Rival (known outside the game as 'Silver') outright steals his starter Pokemon from Professor Elm at the start of the game, selecting the one that's naturally super-effective against yours, then deciding to face off against you at inopportune times throughout the adventure.

While it may seem like the character's arc would involve one final culminating battle at the end of the Elite Four, you neither face them at the end of Johto nor Kanto. Instead you'll find a fight waiting at the end of Mt. Silver, before the Elite Four, and another later on in Mt. Moon. Rival will instead find a bit of a change of temperament in his experiences, developing a love and respect for his Pokemon that doesn't require angrily besting others.