How to Get Waterfall in Pokémon Gold: 7 Steps

If you have made it all the way to Blackthorn City in Pokémon Gold, first of all: congratulations. Second of all: welcome to the part of Johto where the game politely stops holding your hand and starts throwing you across frozen floors like a hockey puck. If you are trying to figure out how to get Waterfall in Pokémon Gold, the good news is that it is not hidden behind some impossible secret. The bad news is that it is tucked inside Ice Path, which is basically a cave designed by a very smug ice skater.

This guide walks you through exactly how to get HM07 Waterfall in seven simple steps, what you need before entering Ice Path, how to make the move usable outside of battle, and why this HM matters more than you might think. If you want the short version, here it is: you find Waterfall in Ice Path before Blackthorn Gym, but you cannot use it in the field until you earn Clair’s Rising Badge. Easy in theory. Slightly more dramatic in practice.

Why Waterfall Matters in Pokémon Gold

Waterfall is one of those moves that sounds optional until the game looks you in the eyes and says, “Actually, no.” In Pokémon Gold, Waterfall is a required HM for story progression because you need it to get through Tohjo Falls on the way to the Pokémon League. In other words, if you plan to challenge the Elite Four, Waterfall is not a nice bonus. It is part of your admission ticket.

It is also a useful move in battle for certain Water-type Pokémon, and it opens up a few optional areas later in the game. So even though players often remember Surf as the big travel move, Waterfall ends up being one of the most important late-game HMs in Johto.

What You Need Before You Get Waterfall

Before you head off to grab HM07, make sure you have already done the following:

• Defeated Team Rocket in Goldenrod City and cleared the Radio Tower events
• Beaten Pryce in Mahogany Town
• Traveled east from Mahogany Town along Route 44
• Brought a Pokémon that knows Surf
• Brought a Pokémon that knows Strength if you want to fully clear Ice Path and continue toward Blackthorn without unnecessary misery

You do not need Clair’s badge to pick up the HM itself. That is an important distinction. You can collect Waterfall first, then unlock its field use later.

How to Get Waterfall in Pokémon Gold: 7 Steps

Step 1: Reach Route 44 After Mahogany Town

Your journey to Waterfall starts after Mahogany Town. Once you have handled the Team Rocket trouble and beaten Pryce, head east onto Route 44. This route leads directly toward Ice Path, the cave that connects Route 44 to Blackthorn City.

Route 44 is not especially cruel by Johto standards, but do not rush through it blindly. There are Trainers, wild Pokémon, and enough water around to remind you that yes, Surf remains the MVP of the travel HM lineup. Keep moving east until you reach the entrance to Ice Path.

Step 2: Enter Ice Path and Prepare for Sliding Puzzles

Ice Path is where the game decides that walking normally was simply too easy. Inside, you will deal with slippery floors that send your character sliding until something stops the movement. That means rocks, walls, and occasionally your own patience.

The first goal is simple: move through the early section of the cave until you reach the main ice puzzle area. Stay calm, because the trick here is not speed. It is positioning. If you treat every slide like a tiny chess move, the puzzle becomes much easier. If you treat it like panic-powered button mashing, Ice Path will happily turn you into a confused Roomba.

Step 3: Clear the First Ice Puzzle

The first ice section is mostly there to teach you how movement works. You slide in one direction until you hit an obstacle, then change direction from there. Take your time, use the rocks to stop your movement, and work toward the next stable patch of ground.

Once you pass the opening slippery floor, keep going deeper into the cave. You will soon reach another puzzle area, and this is the one that matters for HM07. The game is not trying to hide Waterfall behind some legendary postgame maze; it just wants you to prove that you can survive one cave without declaring eternal war on frozen surfaces.

Step 4: Grab HM07 Waterfall on the Eastern Edge of Ice Path

This is the key moment. After the earlier ice section, you will reach the next major slippery floor where an item sits off to the side. That item is HM07 Waterfall.

If you want a practical way to think about it, approach the second important ice puzzle and aim for the item on the eastern side. A reliable movement sequence for the last part is:

1. Slide right
2. Slide up
3. Slide left
4. Slide down
5. Slide left
6. Slide up
7. Slide right

That sequence should take you to the item ball containing Waterfall. Pick it up, enjoy your victory lap, and resist the urge to brag to every wild Zubat in the cave. You now officially have HM07 in your bag.

One important note: getting Waterfall and using Waterfall are not the same thing. Right now, you own the HM, and you can teach it to a compatible Pokémon. But if you try to use it outside battle to climb a waterfall, the game will still tell you no. Claire gets the final say on that, because apparently all waterfalls in Johto are controlled by dragon bureaucracy.

Step 5: Continue Through Ice Path and Reach Blackthorn City

After collecting Waterfall, keep moving through Ice Path toward Blackthorn City. Later sections of the cave involve boulders and holes, which is where Strength becomes important. You will need to push boulders into the correct holes so they land on the lower floor and create a path across another icy chamber.

This section can feel more annoying than difficult, especially if you are tired and just wanted a simple HM pickup. Still, it is worth finishing properly because Blackthorn City is right on the other side. Once you exit Ice Path, heal up, stock your bag, and get ready for the eighth Gym.

Step 6: Defeat Clair and Complete the Dragon’s Den Test

Now comes the part that trips up a lot of players. Beating Clair in Blackthorn Gym is necessary, but it is not the whole story. In Pokémon Gold, Clair does not immediately hand over the badge after you defeat her. Because apparently losing gracefully was not included in dragon training.

Instead, she sends you to Dragon’s Den for a test. You head behind the Gym, enter the den, surf across the water, and answer questions from the Dragon Elder. The good news is that this is not a trick exam designed to make you fail for choosing the wrong flavor of virtue. In general, answers that show kindness, responsibility, and respect for Pokémon will get you through just fine.

Once you pass the test, Clair finally gives you the Rising Badge. That badge is what allows your Pokémon to use Waterfall outside of battle. So yes, the HM comes first, and the permission slip comes later.

Step 7: Teach Waterfall and Use It Where the Story Requires It

With HM07 in your bag and the Rising Badge in hand, you are all set. Open your TM/HM pocket, teach Waterfall to a compatible Pokémon, and the move will finally work in the field.

Your first mandatory use is at Tohjo Falls, the cave on Route 27 that leads you closer to Victory Road and the Pokémon League. Without Waterfall, you stop there. With Waterfall, the path opens and your late-game journey keeps moving.

A common practical choice is to teach Waterfall to a dependable Water-type already in your party. If you have been traveling with a strong aquatic teammate for Surf, there is a decent chance that Pokémon can take over Waterfall duties too. That keeps your team efficient and saves you from carrying half the HM catalog on six different Pokémon like a stressed-out moving company.

Best Tips for Getting Waterfall Without Losing Your Mind

Bring Repels if You Hate Interruptions

Ice Path is memorable enough without random encounters firing every few steps. If your team is already strong enough, Repels can make the trip far smoother.

Save Before Puzzle Sections

This is not required, but it is smart. If you are playing on original hardware or just like minimizing mistakes, saving before major cave sections can spare you a lot of repeat frustration.

Do Not Panic if Waterfall “Doesn’t Work” Right Away

This is probably the most common source of confusion. Picking up HM07 does not instantly grant field use. You must beat Clair and receive the Rising Badge after the Dragon’s Den event first.

Common Mistakes Players Make

• Looking for Waterfall after Blackthorn Gym only: You actually pick it up before finishing that badge sequence.
• Forgetting Strength: Ice Path becomes much more annoying if you cannot handle the later boulder puzzle.
• Assuming Clair gives full access immediately: The Dragon’s Den test is part of the process.
• Teaching Waterfall too late: Once you earn the Rising Badge, make sure at least one party member can use it before heading toward the League path.

Why This HM Is One of Johto’s Most Memorable Roadblocks

Part of what makes Pokémon Gold so memorable is how often progression feels tied to actual exploration. Waterfall is a perfect example. You do not buy it in a shop. Nobody politely hands it to you in a cozy house with a short speech and a sandwich. You go into a frozen cave, solve environmental puzzles, battle your way to Blackthorn, defeat a Gym Leader, pass a character test, and then unlock the ability to climb waterfalls.

That gives the move real weight. By the time Waterfall becomes usable, it feels earned. It is not just another HM. It is a late-game milestone that signals you are almost ready for the Pokémon League.

Final Thoughts

If you were wondering how to get Waterfall in Pokémon Gold, the full answer is refreshingly straightforward once the game’s sequence makes sense. You find HM07 inside Ice Path, on the road to Blackthorn City. Then you beat Clair, complete the Dragon’s Den test, receive the Rising Badge, and finally unlock Waterfall’s field use.

So the next time someone says Johto is a calm, relaxing region, feel free to nod politely while remembering the frozen cave, the sliding puzzle, the dragon exam, and the waterfall license approval process. Pokémon Gold has charm, sure. It also has paperwork.

Player Experience: What Getting Waterfall in Pokémon Gold Actually Feels Like

For a lot of players, getting Waterfall in Pokémon Gold is one of those classic moments where the game quietly shifts from “fun adventure” to “all right, now prove you are paying attention.” The road to Ice Path already feels like a transition point. By then, you have done enough in Johto to feel experienced, but the game still has a few tricks left. You walk into Ice Path thinking, “I just need one HM,” and a few minutes later you are sliding around like your character accidentally wore socks onto a polished gym floor.

That is part of why the moment sticks in memory. Waterfall is not just sitting on a table in a peaceful house. It is attached to a place, a mood, and a little bit of struggle. The cold cave, the puzzle rhythm, the item ball teasing you from the edge of the ice, and the relief when you finally grab HM07 all come together in a way that feels very different from the easier HMs earlier in the game.

There is also something satisfying about the timing. By the time you find Waterfall, you are close enough to Blackthorn City to feel the endgame approaching. The atmosphere changes. Trainers get tougher. The route design gets more demanding. Even the story pacing starts to hint that you are nearing the last stretch before the Pokémon League. Waterfall becomes a symbol of that shift. It says, “You are almost there, but not before one more cave, one more Gym, and one more test.”

Then comes Clair, who may be one of the most memorable late-game Gym Leaders partly because she refuses to make life easy. You beat her, feel victorious, and then the game says, “Excellent work. Now go take a dragon ethics quiz.” That sequence can be surprising the first time through, but in a strange way it makes the Rising Badge feel more meaningful. When Waterfall finally works outside of battle, it feels like a real promotion, not just a box checked on a checklist.

Players also tend to remember Waterfall because of what comes next. Once you have it, the path toward the Pokémon League opens up in a way that feels exciting. You are no longer collecting badges just because the map says so. You are preparing for the biggest fights in the game. Waterfall, in that sense, is tied to momentum. It is one of the last travel abilities you earn before Johto asks whether your team is truly ready.

And honestly, there is a certain retro-game charm in all of this. Modern games often explain everything with giant markers and glowing arrows. Pokémon Gold trusts you a little more than that. It expects you to explore, experiment, get lost once or twice, and piece together the logic of the world. That can feel frustrating in the moment, but it is also why players remember places like Ice Path so clearly years later. Getting Waterfall is not just about acquiring a move. It is about surviving one of Johto’s most iconic little gauntlets and coming out the other side feeling like a smarter, stronger Trainer.

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