Can you get into Fortree Gym right away? No, you cannot enter the Fortree Gym as soon as you arrive in Fortree City. You need to complete a specific task outside the gym first.
Welcome, aspiring Pokémon Trainers, to our comprehensive guide on navigating the intriguing challenges of the Fortree Gym. This guide is your essential companion for making your way into the Gym and ultimately facing its formidable leader. Fortree City, with its unique treehouse architecture, presents a distinct environment for trainers, and its Gym is no exception. Fathoming the path to the Fortree Gym leader, Winona, requires a bit of puzzle-solving and strategic Pokémon selection. This walkthrough aims to demystify the process, offering clear steps and advice to help you conquer this flying-type challenge.
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Your First Steps in Fortree City
Upon arriving in Fortree City, you’ll notice the distinctive structures built amongst the trees. While the Fortree Gym building itself is visible, your immediate objective isn’t to storm its doors. Instead, you’ll find that the entrance is blocked by a peculiar obstacle: a wild Pokémon has nested in front of the doorway, preventing any entry. This wild Pokémon is a rather persistent Pelipper, and it needs to be dealt with before you can challenge the Gym Leader.
The Pelipper Predicament
The Pelipper blocking the Fortree Gym entrance isn’t just any wild Pokémon; it’s an integral part of the Gym’s progression. You’ll need to engage and defeat this Pelipper to clear the path. Don’t worry; this encounter is a straightforward battle, designed to test your current team’s readiness. Make sure your Pokémon are healthy and at a decent level before attempting this.
Preparing for the Fortree Gym: Key Strategies
Before you even think about stepping inside the Fortree Gym, it’s crucial to prepare your team. The Fortree Gym leader, Winona, specializes in Flying-type Pokémon. This means you’ll be facing a significant challenge if your team is primarily weak to Flying-type attacks.
Identifying Fortree Gym Weakness
Flying-type Pokémon are weak to Rock, Electric, and Ice-type moves. Conversely, they resist Grass, Bug, and Fighting-type moves. Understanding these type matchups is the cornerstone of any successful strategy. If your team lacks Pokémon or moves of these advantageous types, now is the time to train or capture some.
Best Pokemon for Fortree Gym
To excel against Winona and her team of Flying-type Pokémon, consider bringing along Pokémon that can effectively counter them. Here are some top choices:
- Electric-type Pokémon: These are excellent choices. Pokémon like Magneton, Electabuzz, or Raichu can deal super-effective damage with their Electric-type attacks. Their speed can also be an advantage in outmaneuvering the opponent.
- Rock-type Pokémon: Strong Rock-type attackers such as Graveler or Rhydon can also be highly effective. Their Rock-type moves hit Flying-types hard.
- Ice-type Pokémon: Pokémon with Ice-type moves are also a great asset. If you have a Lapras or a Pokémon that can learn Ice Beam, they can be devastating against Flying-types, especially Dragon-types that some Flying-types might evolve into.
- Other strong attackers: Even if a Pokémon isn’t of an advantageous type, a Pokémon with a powerful neutral attack or a diverse movepool can still be useful. For example, a strong Normal-type or Water-type Pokémon with high Special Attack can still contribute.
Treecko Gym Strategy (If Applicable)
If you started your journey with Treecko, you might be wondering about its effectiveness. Treecko and its evolutions (Grovyle and Sceptile) are Grass-types. Grass-types are resistant to Flying-type attacks, which is good for defense. However, their attacking moves are not very effective against Flying-types. This means Sceptile will be more of a defensive wall than an offensive powerhouse in this Gym. You will definitely need to supplement your team with Pokémon that have Electric, Rock, or Ice-type moves.
The Fortree Gym Puzzle: Deciphering the Layout
Once the Pelipper is dealt with, the Fortree Gym door will open. However, getting to Winona isn’t as simple as walking across the room. The Fortree Gym puzzle involves a series of trainers and strategically placed switches that alter the platform layout within the Gym.
Navigating the Gym’s Interior
The Fortree Gym is designed like a maze of platforms suspended in the air. You’ll notice that some platforms are missing, and you can’t reach certain areas. This is where the switches come into play. Scattered throughout the Gym are switches that, when activated, will cause new platforms to appear or shift existing ones, allowing you to progress.
The Switch Mechanism
The core of the Fortree Gym puzzle lies in activating these switches. You’ll need to locate and interact with them. Each switch typically reveals a new path or bridges a gap. The challenge is that not all paths lead forward, and some might simply lead to dead ends or trainers you’ve already battled.
Here’s a general approach to tackling the puzzle:
- Explore systematically: Don’t rush through. Take your time to examine each platform and identify potential switches or pathways.
- Note the effects of switches: When you activate a switch, observe how the platforms change. This will help you learn the Gym’s layout and avoid getting stuck.
- Be prepared for trainers: The Gym is populated with trainers who will challenge you. Ensure your Pokémon are healed between battles.
Fortree Gym Walkthrough: Step-by-Step
While the exact sequence of switches might vary slightly in how they are presented, the fundamental goal is to connect the platforms to reach the central area where Winona awaits.
- Initial Entry: After defeating the Pelipper, enter the Gym. You’ll see the main arena area, but platforms will be missing.
- Locating the First Switch: Your first objective will be to find the initial switch. This usually involves navigating a few accessible platforms.
- Activating Switches to Bridge Gaps: Follow the available paths. You’ll encounter trainers along the way. After defeating them, look for the next switch. Activating a switch might create a bridge to a new section.
- The Importance of Reaching All Platforms: To truly solve the Fortree Gym puzzle, you may need to activate multiple switches. Some platforms might seem inaccessible at first but become reachable after a switch is flipped. It’s often beneficial to explore all accessible platforms to ensure you don’t miss a crucial switch or an item.
- Progressing Through Trainers: You’ll encounter several trainers before reaching Winona. These trainers often specialize in Flying-type Pokémon or Pokémon that can be a threat to them. Be ready to switch out Pokémon based on who you’re facing.
Example of a typical progression:
- Enter the Gym. Defeat the trainer on the first accessible platform.
- Find a switch on this platform. Activating it creates a bridge to another section.
- Move to the new section, battle another trainer.
- Locate the next switch, which opens a path to a different area.
- Continue this pattern, carefully exploring and battling, until all necessary platforms are connected.
Facing Fortree Gym Leader Winona
Once you’ve successfully navigated the platform puzzles and defeated all the preceding trainers, you’ll finally reach the Gym Leader, Winona. She is a skilled trainer who commands a powerful team of Flying-type Pokémon, making her a significant hurdle for many players.
Fortree Gym Leader Winona’s Team
Winona’s team typically consists of strong Flying-type Pokémon. Her signature Pokémon is often Swellow, known for its speed and powerful STAB (Same-Type Attack Bonus) Flying-type moves like Aerial Ace. She also famously uses Altaria, a dual-type Dragon/Flying Pokémon, which is a formidable opponent due to its unique typing and access to moves like Dragon Breath. Other Pokémon in her team might include Skarmory (Steel/Flying), Pelipper (Water/Flying), and Tropius (Grass/Flying).
Let’s look at a typical lineup and their types:
| Pokémon | Type | Key Attacks (Likely) | Strengths Against Winona’s Team | Weaknesses Against Winona’s Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swellow | Flying/Normal | Aerial Ace, Fly | Rock, Electric, Ice | Fighting, Bug, Grass |
| Pelipper | Water/Flying | Wing Attack, Surf | Rock, Electric | Rock, Electric |
| Skarmory | Steel/Flying | Steel Wing, Fly | Rock, Electric, Ice | Fire, Electric |
| Tropius | Grass/Flying | Razor Leaf, Fly | Flying (resists), Bug (resists) | Fire, Ice, Flying, Psychic |
| Altaria | Dragon/Flying | Dragon Breath, Fly | Ice, Dragon, Rock, Electric | Ice, Rock, Fairy |
Note: Specific movesets can vary slightly depending on the game version.
How to Beat Winona: A Tactical Approach
Beating Winona requires a solid understanding of type advantages and strategic Pokémon switching.
- Lead with your best counter: Start the battle with a Pokémon that has a super-effective move against her lead Pokémon. If she leads with Swellow or Pelipper, an Electric-type is a great start.
- Exploit weaknesses:
- Rock-type moves: Excellent against Swellow, Pelipper, and Skarmory.
- Electric-type moves: Super effective against Pelipper and Skarmory.
- Ice-type moves: Crucial against Altaria, as it’s a Dragon-type, and also effective against Swellow and Tropius.
- Watch out for Tropius: Tropius is a Grass/Flying type. While Flying-type attacks are ineffective against Grass, Ice and Fire moves are super effective against it. However, its Flying typing means it resists Grass and Bug moves. A Pokémon with a strong Electric or Ice move would be ideal here.
- Altaria is a major threat: Altaria’s Dragon typing makes it resistant to Grass and Flying attacks. Ice-type attacks are your best bet here, but strong neutral attacks from Pokémon with high Attack or Special Attack stats can also work. Be wary of its Dragon Breath, which can cause paralysis.
- Consider status effects: While not the primary strategy, moves like Thunder Wave (paralysis) or Toxic can wear down her Pokémon if you have them on your team, especially if you anticipate longer battles.
- Healing is key: Winona’s Pokémon can hit hard. Don’t hesitate to use Potions or switch out to a Pokémon that can heal itself if needed.
Fortree Gym Difficulty
The Fortree Gym difficulty can be considered moderate to challenging, depending on your team composition and how well you’ve prepared. The puzzle itself requires careful navigation, and Winona’s team, particularly Altaria, can be a significant roadblock if you haven’t brought the right counters. The prevalence of Flying-type Pokémon means that trainers without strong Electric, Rock, or Ice-type options will struggle more.
Rewards for Your Triumph
After a hard-fought battle, defeating Winona will reward you with the Gym Badge that allows you to use the move Fly outside of battle (if applicable in your game) and increases the Special Attack stat of your Pokémon when hit by special attacks. You’ll also receive her signature TM, which is typically a powerful Flying-type move like Aerial Ace or Fly, depending on the game. This victory is a significant step forward in your journey to become a Pokémon Master.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What Pokémon can I use to counter Winona effectively?
A1: Electric-types (e.g., Magneton, Electabuzz), Rock-types (e.g., Graveler), and Pokémon that know Ice-type moves (e.g., Lapras, Dewgong) are highly effective against Winona’s Flying-type Pokémon.
Q2: What is the puzzle in Fortree Gym?
A2: The Fortree Gym puzzle involves navigating a series of platforms that are activated or connected by switches. You need to find and flip these switches in the correct sequence to bridge gaps and reach the Gym Leader.
Q3: Which Pokémon is the hardest to beat in Winona’s team?
A3: Altaria is often considered the most challenging due to its Dragon/Flying typing, making it resistant to many common attacking types and having access to powerful moves.
Q4: Can I use a Flying-type Pokémon against Winona?
A4: While Flying-types resist Grass and Bug moves, they are weak to Rock and Electric. Using a Flying-type against another Flying-type is generally not recommended unless it has a significant level advantage or a super-effective move of another type.
Q5: What is the reward for beating Winona?
A5: Upon defeating Winona, you receive the Gym Badge and a Technical Machine (TM) that typically teaches a Flying-type move like Aerial Ace or Fly.
Q6: Where is Winona located in Fortree Gym?
A6: Winona is located at the very end of the Fortree Gym, accessible only after successfully navigating the platform puzzle and defeating the trainers within.
By following this guide, you should be well-equipped to tackle the Fortree Gym, solve its puzzle, and emerge victorious against the skilled leader Winona. Good luck on your journey!