Route 3: Gym 2 Cascade Badge

Guide to Route 3 in Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee. Learn how to defeat Coach Trainer Kareem, Lass Janice, and other trainers to get the Cascade Badge.

Alright, you’ve got your first badge – nice! Things are about to get a bit tougher as you venture further into the Kanto region, but don't worry, I've got your back. Let's head east along Route 3.

You'll notice some ledges pretty quickly. Keep an eye out for a Coach Trainer up high. These guys are tougher than your average trainer, but the rewards are worth it! You can head straight for him, but be aware of a Lass to the east who's guarding the southern path. You'll have to face her eventually, so let's get it over with.

Lass Janice

She's not too tough, but if you're leading with Pikachu, be careful! Electric moves won't do much against her Grass-type Oddish. A Flying-type like Pidgey or Spearow would be a better choice, but honestly, it's just a Level 6 Oddish, so you'll probably be fine either way.

After dealing with Lass Janice, you have a choice: you can grab 3 Poké Balls near the bush on the south path, or head north to challenge the Coach Trainer. It really doesn't matter which you do first, you'll end up doing both anyway.

Coach Trainer Kareem

Now this guy is a step up! He's got a Level 11 Bulbasaur, which is pretty strong and has Grass/Poison typing, similar to Oddish. But hey, you beat Brock, and he only has one Pokémon against your whole team of six. Flying-types are still a good bet here, but you can probably just overpower him with brute force if you need to.

Beat Kareem and he'll give you a Revive. This is super handy if one of your Pokémon faints and you're far from a Pokémon Center. Keep heading east from Kareem, and you'll see a Youngster near some ledges. If you're quick and he's not looking, you might be able to sneak past him to avoid a battle.

Youngster Calvin

This Spearow is pretty much like a Pidgey. If you've got Pikachu, a quick Thunder Shock will do the trick. Otherwise, any Pokémon that isn't Grass-type will take it down easily. Don't overthink it!

Whether you fought Calvin or not, you might want to jump over the ledge nearby to snag a Potion. You can then head back down towards where Lass Janice was to grab those 3 Poké Balls if you missed them earlier. Once you've got everything, make your way back towards Calvin's spot.

Continue east past Calvin. You'll soon encounter a Camper standing above a ledge. If you're in a rush, you can hop over the ledge to his left to skip the fight. Just remember, if you ever need to go back towards Pewter City, you'll have to enter his line of sight eventually.

Camper Victor

You might have fought a female Nidoran before, and this male one is pretty similar. Nothing to worry about too much, just try not to use Grass-types, as their moves won't be very effective. Any other Pokémon should handle him just fine.

After Camper Victor, there's a big patch of tall grass on the south side of the route. Right in the middle of it, you'll find a Picnicker who's ready for a battle. You can actually sneak behind her through the tall grass to avoid this fight if you want.

Picnicker Robin

Yep, another Nidoran, this time a female. Same advice as before: avoid Grass-types if you can, just to speed things up. Their Grass moves aren't super effective, and you don't want to drag out battles unnecessarily.

As you start to leave the tall grass, look to your right. There's a Lure hiding near a bush – don't miss it! Keep heading east along the path. You'll soon see another Youngster standing above a ledge, just like the Camper.

This time, if you want to avoid a fight, we recommend walking past him to his right when he's looking away. He switches between looking up and looking to his right. So, you can run above him when he's looking right, and then past him when he's looking up.

Youngster Ben

This is probably the weakest Pokémon you'll encounter. A Level 6 Rattata is a piece of cake. Just about anything will take it down quickly.